B fields in OB stars (BOB): Detection of a magnetic field in the He-strong star CPD -57° 3509

Aims. We report the detection of a magnetic field in the helium-strong star CPD −57° 3509 (B2 IV), a member of the Galactic open cluster NGC 3293, and characterise the star’s atmospheric and fundamental parameters. Methods. Spectropolarimetric observations with FORS2 and HARPSpol are analysed using two independent approaches to quantify the magnetic field strength. A high-S/N FLAMES/GIRAFFE spectrum is analysed using a hybrid non-LTE model atmosphere technique. Comparison with stellar evolution models constrains the fundamental parameters of the star. Results. We obtain a firm detection of a surface averaged longitudinal magnetic field with a maximum amplitude of about 1 kG. Assuming a dipolar configuration of the magnetic field, this implies a dipolar field strength larger than 3.3 kG. Moreover, the large amplitude and fast variation (within about 1 day) of the longitudinal magnetic field implies that CPD −57° 3509 is spinning very fast despite its apparently slow projected rotational velocity. The star should be able to support a centrifugal magnetosphere, yet the spectrum shows no sign of magnetically confined material; in particular, emission in Hα is not observed. Apparently, the wind is either not strong enough for enough material to accumulate in the magnetosphere to become observable or, alternatively, some leakage process leads to loss of material from the magnetosphere. The quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the star yields an effective temperature and a logarithmic surface gravity of 23 750 ± 250 K and 4.05 ± 0.10, respectively, and a surface helium fraction of 0.28 ± 0.02 by number. The surface abundances of C, N, O, Ne, S, and Ar are compatible with the cosmic abundance standard, whereas Mg, Al, Si, and Fe are depleted by about a factor of 2. This abundance pattern can be understood as the consequence of a fractionated stellar wind. CPD −57° 3509 is one of the most evolved He-strong stars known with an independent age constraint due to its cluster membership