Magnetic fields in classical Be stars: results of our long-term program with FORS1 at the VLT

Abstract

Abstract. We report the results of our search for magnetic fields in a representative sample of classical Be stars carried out during 2006-2008 using low-resolution spectropolarimetry with FORS1 at the VLT. Among the 28 classical Be stars studied, detections of a magnetic field were achieved in seven stars (i.e. ∼25%). The detected magnetic fields are rather weak, not stronger than ∼150G. Among the Be stars studied with time series, one Be star, λ Eri, displays cyclic variability of the magnetic field with a period of 21.12 min.