First Images of R Aquarii and Its Asymmetric H2O Shell

摘要: We report imaging observations of the symbiotic long-period Mira variable R Aquarii (R Aqr) at near-infrared and radio wavelengths. The were made with IOTA interferometer in three narrowband filters centered 1.51, 1.64, 1.78 μm, which sample mainly water, continuum, water features, respectively. Our fringe visibility closure phase data are analyzed using models. (1) A uniform disk model wavelength-dependent sizes fails to fit data, is inconsistent data. (2) three-component model, consisting a star, shell, an off-axis point source, provide good all (3) generated by constrained image reconstruction analysis provides more insight, suggesting that shell highly nonuniform, i.e., clumpy. VLBA SiO masers outer molecular envelope show evidence turbulence, jetlike features containing velocity gradients.