A Multi–Observing Technique Study of the Dynamical Evolution of the Viscous Disk around the Be Star ω CMa

Abstract

Abstract The observed emission lines of Be stars originate from a circumstellar Keplerian disk, which is generally well explained by the viscous decretion disk model. In an earlier work we performed modeling of the full light curve of the bright Be star ω CMa with the 1D time-dependent hydrodynamic code SINGLEBE and the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HDUST. We used a V-band light curve that probes the inner disk through four disk formation and dissipation cycles. This new study compares predictions of the same set of model parameters with time-resolved photometry from the near-UV through the mid-IR, comprehensive series of optical spectra, and optical broadband polarimetry, which overall represent a larger volume of the disk. Qualitatively, the models reproduce the trends in the observed data due to the growth and decay of the disk. However, quantitative differences exist, e.g., an overprediction of flux increasing with wavelength, too slow decreases in Balmer emission line strength during disk dissipation, and a discrepancy between the range of polarimetric data and the model. We find that a larger value of the viscosity parameter alone or a disk truncated by a companion star reduces these discrepancies by increasing the dissipation rate in the outer regions of the disk.