Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Silicon-rich stellar envelope?

Abstract

DURING an analysis of Orion-2 data derived from a space astŕophysical experiment1, we came across a hot star with a gaseous envelope, SAO077308, of B1e type and nearly ninth magnitude. It is interesting because of an extremely strong emission line at 2,520 Å occurs in its ultraviolet spectrum. Following a series of attempts, the identification of this line with the resonance sextet of neutral silicon (mean wavelength 2,520. Å) seems probable. The components of this sextet, of almost equal strengths, are: 2,507, 2,514, 2,516, 2,519, 2,524 and 2,528 Å; the second of these lines is resonant, the others quasi-resonant in the sense that the lowest levels of these lines are located quite close to the ground level, up to 0.01–0.03 eV. This identification cannot be taken as final and needs further examination. Irrespective of possible closer definitions, however, the very presence of the emission line itself in the spectrum of this star is significant. Regardless of the true nature of the chemical element to which this line belongs, the problem of an anomalous abundance of this element cannot be overlooked. Here we report the further somewhat conventional examination of the abnormal abundance of silicon in the envelope of the star SAO077308.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gurzadyan, G. A., Kashin, A. L., Krmoyan, M. N., and Ohanesyan, J. B., Astrofizika, 10, 177 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

GURZADYAN, G., RUSTAMBEKOVA, S. Silicon-rich stellar envelope?. Nature 254, 311–312 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254311a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/254311a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing