Highlighted Research
Magnetic Field Monitoring of Four Massive A–F Supergiants
G.A. Wade, M. Oksala, C. Neiner, E. Boucher, J. Barron
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, July 2025, 988, 38
We report magnetic field measurements spanning about 15 yr of four massive (7.5–15 M⊙) supergiant stars: α Per (HD 20902, F5Iab), α Lep (HD 36673A, F0Ib), η Leo (HD 87737, A0Ib) and 13 Mon (HD 46300, A1Ib). For each star, spectropolarimetric observations were collected using ESPaDOnS at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope. The observed spectra were coadded, normalized, and then processed using least-squares deconvolution to yield mean Stokes I and V profiles. Each spectrum was analyzed to infer the false-alarm probability of signal detection, and the longitudinal magnetic field was measured. This process yielded persistent detection of magnetic fields in all four stars. The median 1σ longitudinal field uncertainty of the Zeeman detections was 0.6 G. The maximum unsigned longitudinal magnetic fields measured from the detections are rather weak, ranging from 0.34 ± 0.19 G for α Lep to 2.61 ± 0.55 G for 13 Mon. The Zeeman signatures show different levels of complexity; those of the two hotter stars are relatively simple, while those of the two cooler stars are more complex. The stars also exhibited different levels of variability of their Zeeman signatures and longitudinal fields. We report periodic variability of the longitudinal field and (complex) Stokes V profiles of α Per with a period of either 50.75 days or 90 days. The (simple) Stokes V profiles of 13 Mon, and probably those of η Leo, show global polarity changes once during the period of observation, but the data are insufficient to place strong constraints on the variability timescales.
Research
Dr. Wade investigates the structure, evolution, origin and impact of magnetic fields in stars. His research concentrates on intermediate and high mass stars, which are the evolutionary progenitors of most white dwarfs, neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes. He is the Principal Investigator (PI) of the Magnetism in Massive Stars (MiMeS) collaboration, co-PI of the Binarity and Magnetic Interactions in Stars (BinaMIcS) project, and past-Chair of the international BRITE Executive Science Team (BEST) for the BRITE-Constellation mission.
In the context of RMC’s Space Surveillance Research Laboratory (SSRL), Dr. Wade has also directed research related to the characterization of the structure, surface composition, and rotation of artificial satellites.
Dr. Wade was awarded RMC’s Cowan Prize for Excellence in Research in 2019. His current research is focused on exploring exotic pathways to magnetic field generation in massive stars, understanding magnetic field properties and implications at later evolutionary phases of intermediate-mass and massive stars, and understanding non-thermal X-ray and radio emission from magnetic hot stars.
Recent Publications
- “A magnetic field detection in the massive O-type bright giant 63 Oph” (2025) Barron J, Wade G, Holgado G, Simon-Diaz S, The Astrophysical Journal, in press
- “NIRPS joining HARPS at ESO 3.6 m: On-sky performance and science objectives” (2025) Bouchy, François, Doyon, René, Pepe, Francesco, Melo, Claudio, Artigau, Étienne, Malo, Lison, Wildi, François, Baron, Frédérique, Delfosse, Xavier, De Medeiros, Jose Renan, Rebolo, Rafael, Santos, Nuno C., Wade, Gregg, Allart, Romain, et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 700, A10
- “A Nonstop Aurora? The Intriguing Radio Emission from the Rapidly Rotating Magnetic Massive Star HR 5907” (2025) A. Biswas, B. Das, J. Barron, G.A. Wade, and G. Holgado, The Astrophysical Journal, 980, 260
- “HD 34736: an intensely magnetised double-lined spectroscopic binary with rapidly rotating chemically peculiar B-type components”, Semenko, E., Kochukhov, O., Mikulášek, Z., Wade, G. A., Alecian, E., Bohlender, D., Das, B., Feliz, D. L., Janík, J., Kolář, J., Krtička, J., Kudryavtsev, D. O., Labadie-Bartz, J. M., Mkrtichian, D., Monin, D., Petit, V., Romanyuk, I. I., Shultz, M. E., Shulyak, D., Siverd, R. J., Tkachenko, A., Yakunin, I. A., Zejda, M., and the BinaMIcS collaboration (2024) Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 535, 2812-2836
- “First Observation of the Complete Rotation Period of the Ultraslowly Rotating Magnetic O Star HD 54879”, Erba, C., Folsom, C. P., David-Uraz, A., Wade, G. A., Seadrow, S., Bellotti, S., Fossati, L., Petit, V., and Shultz, M. E. (2024) The Astrophysical Journal, 977, 84
- “XMM-Newton Perspective of the Unique Magnetic Binary Epsilon Lupi”, Biswas, Ayan, Wade, Gregg A., Chandra, Poonam, Petit, Veronique, Das, Barnali, and Shultz, Matthew E. (2024) The Astrophysical Journal, 974, 182
- “NIRPS near-infrared spectrograph: AITV phase at ESO3.6m/La Silla”, Malo, Lison, Baron, Frédérique, Poulin-Girard, Anne-Sophie, Vallée, et al. Including Wade, Gregg A. (2024) Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X, 13096, 1309646
- “ANDES, the high resolution spectrograph for the ELT: science goals, project overview, and future developments”, Marconi, A., Abreu, M., Adibekyan, V., Alberti, V., et al. Including Wade, G.A. (2024) Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X, 13096, 1309613
- “NIRPS first light and early science: breaking the 1 m/s RV precision barrier at infrared wavelengths”, Artigau, Étienne, Bouchy, François, Doyon, René, et al. Including Wade, Gregg A. (2024) Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy X, 13096, 130960C
- “Magnetic Fields of Massive Stars, on and after the Main Sequence”, Wade, Gregg (2024) Bulletin de la Societe Royale des Sciences de Liege, 93, 514-527
- “A magnetic massive star has experienced a stellar merger”, Frost, A. J., Sana, H., Mahy, L., Wade, G., Barron, J., Le Bouquin, J. -B., Mérand, A., Schneider, F. R. N., Shenar, T., Barbá, R. H., Bowman, D. M., Fabry, M., Farhang, A., Marchant, P., Morrell, N. I., and Smoker, J. V. (2024) Science, 384, 214-217
- “The discovery space of ELT-ANDES. Stars and stellar populations”, Roederer, Ian U., Alvarado-Gómez, Julián D., Allende Prieto, Carlos, et al. Including Wade, Gregg A.(2024) Experimental Astronomy, 57, 17
- “Catalogue of BRITE-Constellation targets. I. Fields 1 to 14 (November 2013-April 2016)”, Zwintz, K., Pigulski, A., Kuschnig, R., Wade, G. A., Doherty, G., Earl, M., Lovekin, C., Müllner, M., Piché-Perrier, S., Steindl, T., Beck, P. G., Bicz, K., Bowman, D. M., Handler, G., Pablo, B., Popowicz, A., Różański, T., Mikołajczyk, P., Baade, D., Koudelka, O., Moffat, A. F. J., Neiner, C., Orleański, P., Smolec, R., Louis, N. St., Weiss, W. W., Wenger, M., and Zocłońska, E. (2024) Astronomy and Astrophysics, 683, A49
- “The large-scale magnetic field of the M dwarf double-line spectroscopic binary FK Aqr”, Tsvetkova, S., Morin, J., Folsom, C. P., Le Bouquin, J. -B., Alecian, E., Bellotti, S., Hussain, G., Kochukhov, O., Marsden, S. C., Neiner, C., Petit, P., Wade, G. A., and BinaMIcS Collaboration (2024) Astronomy and Astrophysics, 682, A77
A complete list of publications is available at: The SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System .
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- A new star in the sky
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- Magnetic stars responsible for LIGO’s “heavy” stellar-mass black holes?
- Measuring stellar magnetic fields with HARPSpol in the Southern Hemisphere
- X ray emission (and absorption) from the giant magnetosphere of the star NGC 1624-2
- Discovery of a magnetic field in epsilon Lupi: the first double-magnetic massive binary system
- Monitoring stellar magnetospheres
- Discovery of the most strongly magnetized O-type star
- Spots spotted on the bright star Vega
Graduate students
Current students
- Noah Budz (MSc, Queen’s)
- Iris Bermejo Lozano (PhD, Charles)
- Lindsay Holmes (PhD, RMC)
- James Barron (PhD, Queen's)
Past students
- Ayan Biswas (PhD, Queen’s) - Postdoctoral Fellow, IUCAA, India
- Angelo Hollett (MSc, Queen’s)
- Erik Stacey (MSc, RMC)
- James Barron (MSc, Queen's)
- Melissa Munoz (PhD, Queen’s) - withdrew
- Giuseppe Ramacieri (MSc, RMC) - Canadian Forces
- James Sikora (PhD, Queen's) - Postdoctoral Fellow, Sherbrooke university
- Zsolt Keszthelyi (PhD, Queen's) - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Amsterdam
- Michael Earl (PhD, RMC) - Assistant Professor, RMC
- Jason Shaw (MSc, RMC) (with Dr. Donald Bédard) - Canadian Forces
- Matthew Shultz (PhD, Queen's) - Annie Jump Cannon Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Delaware
- Carl Clancy (MSc, RMC) (with Dr. Donald Bédard) - Flt Lt, Australian Air Force
- Alexandre David-Uraz (PhD, Queen's) - NSERC Postdoctoral fellow, University of Delaware
- Alex Willison (MSc) (with Dr. Donald Bédard)
- James Silvester (PhD)
- Andrew Jolley (MSc) - Australian Air Force
- Donald Bédard (PhD) - Canadian Forces
- Michael Earl (MSc)
- Jason Grunhut (PhD) - Data Scientist, Telus Canada
- Matthew Shultz (MSc)
- M. Oksala (PhD) (with Prof. Stanley Owocki) - Assistant Professor, California Lutheran University
- Véronique Petit (PhD) (with Prof. Laurent Drissen) - Assistant Professor, University of Delaware
- Katherine Likuski (MSc) - Canadian Forces
- Jason Grunhut (MSc)
- Mouhamadou Thiam (MSc) (with Prof. Francis LeBlanc) - PhD Candidate, Moncton University
- Jennifer Power (MSc) - Observing assistant, LBTO, USA
- Colin Folsom (MSc) - Postdoc, Toulouse, France
- James Silvester (MSc)
- Dominic Drouin (MSc) - Canadian Forces
- Noémie Johnson (MSc) - MD graduate, Canadian Forces physician
Comments
Comments or suggestions are welcomed at: bryce.bennett@rmc-cmr.ca