Evolution of Magnetic Fields in Stars Across the Upper Main Sequence: Results from Recent Measurements with FORS 1 at the VLT

Abstract

We rediscuss the evolutionary state of upper main sequence magnetic stars using a sample of Ap and Bp stars with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes and definitely determined longitudinal magnetic fields. FORS1 at the VLT in spectropolarimetric mode has been used to carry out a systematic search for magnetic fields in chemically peculiar stars whose magnetic field has never been studied before. We confirm our previous results obtained from the study of Ap and Bp stars with accurate measurements of the mean magnetic field modulus and mean quadratic magnetic fields that the distribution of the magnetic stars of mass below 3 M_o differs significantly from that of normal stars in the same temperature range. Normal A stars occupy the whole width of the main sequence, without a gap, whereas magnetic stars are concentrated towards the centre of the main-sequence band. We show that, in contrast, higher mass magnetic Bp stars may well occupy the whole main-sequence width.