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Paper: The Unusual Emission Line Star V 439 Cyg in Berkeley 87
Volume: 355, Stars With the B[e] Phenomenon
Page: 197
Authors: Polcaro, V.F.; Norci, L.; Miroshnichenko, A.S.
Abstract: Berkeley 87 is a very young (∼ 4 My) open cluster, where star formation has just ended or is barely active. Many of the cluster members (including a RSG, a very peculiar Wolf Rayet star, a B3Iep star, and many O stars) are very massive stars. Several members of Berkeley 87 have been classified as “Be stars”. One of these objects, the very remarkable emission line star V439 Cyg (MWC1015), associated with a strong IR source, has been classified as a B[e] star. However, this star was classified in the past as a “Mira variable”, as a carbon star and as a Be star. We have analysed a collection of historical observations, proving that in 1959 the star actually showed C bands that disappeared in the following years, and obtained many new spectroscopic and photometric data on this unique object. We found several indications suggesting that in the last decades the star passed through an unstable phase and exhibited several features of the LBV behaviour. We suggest an explanation of its spectral change in the light of recent stellar models.
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