Tomography of the atmosphere of long-period variable stars

Abstract

This paper reviews the results obtained so far with the newly developed tomographic technique, which probes the velocity field across the atmosphere of long-period variable (LPV) stars. The method cross-correlates the optical spectrum with numerical masks constructed from synthetic spectra and probing layers of increasing depths. This technique reveals that the line doubling often observed in LPV stars around maximum light is the signature of the shock wave propagating in the atmosphere of these pulsating stars. Applications to the Mira variables RT Cyg and RY Cep are presented, revealing the outward propagation of the shock.