Multiwavelength study of X-ray emitting A- and B-stars testing the companion hypothesis

Abstract

We report on the first results of a multi-wavelength approach to test the hypothesis that the X-ray emission from intermediate-mass stars is generated by late-type magnetically active companions. Our high spatial resolution observations of A/B-type stars in the IR using adaptive optics uncover hypothetical companion stars at arcsecond separations from the primary. The same targets are then followed-up in X-rays with Chandra to pinpoint the X-ray source. Finally, those A/B-type stars that are still detected with Chandra are studied with IR spectroscopy, where we search for temperature sensitive features indicating the existence of even closer cool companions.

8 pages, Proc. 13th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, Hamburg (Germany), July 2004, ESA-SP in press