(Phys.org)—A team of astronomers led by Aurore Blazère of the Paris Observatory has discovered ultra-weak magnetic fields in metallic-line stars Beta Ursae Majoris and Theta Leonis. Motivated by a recent detection of a weak,circularly polarized signature in spectral lines of a similar type star, Sirius A, and the researchers received a sign believed to be of a magnetic origin,using deep spectropolarimetric observations of these two peculiar stars. What they found may prove that weak magnetic fields could be more common in the photospheres of intermediate-mass stars.
Source: phys.org