164 research outputs found
The Wolf-Rayet stars in M31: I. Analysis of the late-type WN stars
Context: Comprehensive studies of Wolf-Rayet stars were performed in the past
for the Galactic and the LMC population. The results revealed significant
differences, but also unexpected similarities between the WR populations of
these different galaxies. Analyzing the WR stars in M31 will extend our
understanding of these objects in different galactic environments. Aims: The
present study aims at the late-type WN stars in M31. The stellar and wind
parameters will tell about the formation of WR stars in other galaxies with
different metallicity and star formation histories. The obtained parameters
will provide constraints to the evolution of massive stars in the environment
of M31. Methods: We used the latest version of the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model
atmosphere code to analyze the stars via fitting optical spectra and
photometric data. To account for the relatively low temperatures of the late
WN10 and WN11 subtypes, our WN models have been extended into this temperature
regime. Results: Stellar and atmospheric parameters are derived for all known
late-type WN stars in M31 with available spectra. All of these stars still have
hydrogen in their outer envelopes, some of them up to 50% by mass. The stars
are located on the cool side of the zero age main sequence in the
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, while their luminosities range from to
Lsun. It is remarkable that no star exceeds Lsun. Conclusions: If
formed via single-star evolution, the late-type WN stars in M31 stem from an
initial mass range between 20 and 60 Msun. From the very late-type WN9-11
stars, only one star is located in the S Doradus instability strip. We do not
find any late-type WN stars with the high luminosities known in the Milky Way.Comment: 11+11 pages, 13+18 figures, A&A, in pres
The metallicity dependence of WR winds
Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are the most advanced stage in the evolution of the
most massive stars. The strong feedback provided by these objects and their
subsequent supernova (SN) explosions are decisive for a variety of
astrophysical topics such as the cosmic matter cycle. Consequently,
understanding the properties of WR stars and their evolution is indispensable.
A crucial but still not well known quantity determining the evolution of WR
stars is their mass-loss rate. Since the mass loss is predicted to increase
with metallicity, the feedback provided by these objects and their spectral
appearance are expected to be a function of the metal content of their host
galaxy. This has severe implications for the role of massive stars in general
and the exploration of low metallicity environments in particular. Hitherto,
the metallicity dependence of WR star winds was not well studied. In this
contribution, we review the results from our comprehensive spectral analyses of
WR stars in environments of different metallicities, ranging from slightly
super-solar to SMC-like metallicities. Based on these studies, we derived
empirical relations for the dependence of the WN mass-loss rates on the
metallicity and iron abundance, respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the IAU
Symposium No. 329 "The lives and death-throes of massive stars
2dF-AAOmega spectroscopy of massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds: The north-eastern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud
We present spectral classifications from optical spectroscopy of 263 massive
stars in the north-eastern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observed
two-degree field includes the massive 30 Doradus star-forming region, the
environs of SN1987A, and a number of star-forming complexes to the south of 30
Dor. These are the first classifications for the majority (203) of the stars
and include eleven double-lined spectroscopic binaries. The sample also
includes the first examples of early OC-type spectra (AAOmega 30 Dor 248 and
280), distinguished by the weakness of their nitrogen spectra and by C IV 4658
emission. We propose that these stars have relatively unprocessed CNO
abundances compared to morphologically normal O-type stars, indicative of an
earlier evolutionary phase. From analysis of observations obtained on two
consecutive nights, we present radial-velocity estimates for 233 stars, finding
one apparent single-lined binary and nine (>3sigma) outliers compared to the
systemic velocity; the latter objects could be runaway stars or large-amplitude
binary systems and further spectroscopy is required to investigate their
nature.Comment: Accepted by A&
Wolf-Rayet stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud: I. Analysis of the single WN stars
Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars have a severe impact on their environments owing to
their strong ionizing radiation fields and powerful stellar winds. Since these
winds are considered to be driven by radiation pressure, it is theoretically
expected that the degree of the wind mass-loss depends on the initial
metallicity of WR stars. Following our comprehensive studies of WR stars in the
Milky Way, M31, and the LMC, we derive stellar parameters and mass-loss rates
for all seven putatively single WN stars known in the SMC. Based on these data,
we discuss the impact of a low-metallicity environment on the mass loss and
evolution of WR stars. The quantitative analysis of the WN stars is performed
with the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. The physical
properties of our program stars are obtained from fitting synthetic spectra to
multi-band observations. In all SMC WN stars, a considerable surface hydrogen
abundance is detectable. The majority of these objects have stellar
temperatures exceeding 75 kK, while their luminosities range from 10^5.5 to
10^6.1 Lsun. The WN stars in the SMC exhibit on average lower mass-loss rates
and weaker winds than their counterparts in the Milky Way, M31, and the LMC. By
comparing the mass-loss rates derived for WN stars in different Local Group
galaxies, we conclude that a clear dependence of the wind mass-loss on the
initial metallicity is evident, supporting the current paradigm that WR winds
are driven by radiation. A metallicity effect on the evolution of massive stars
is obvious from the HRD positions of the SMC WN stars at high temperatures and
high luminosities. Standard evolution tracks are not able to reproduce these
parameters and the observed surface hydrogen abundances. Homogeneous evolution
might provide a better explanation for their evolutionary past.Comment: 18+12 pages; 22+8 figures; accepted for publication in A&
Coupling hydrodynamics with comoving frame radiative transfer: II. Stellar wind stratification in the high-mass X-ray binary Vela X-1
CONTEXT: Vela X-1, a prototypical high mass X-ray binary (HMXB), hosts a
neutron star (NS) in a close orbit around an early-B supergiant donor star.
Accretion of the donor star's wind onto the NS powers its strong X-ray
luminosity. To understand the physics of HMXBs, detailed knowledge about the
donor star winds is required. AIMS: To gain a realistic picture of the donor
star in Vela X-1, we constructed a hydrodynamically consistent atmosphere model
describing the wind stratification while properly reproducing the observed
donor spectrum. To investigate how X-ray illumination affects the stellar wind,
we calculated additional models for different X-ray luminosity regimes.
METHODS: We use the recently updated version of the PoWR code to consistently
solve the hydrodynamic equation together with the statistical equations and the
radiative transfer. RESULTS: The wind flow in Vela X-1 is driven by ions from
various elements with Fe III and S III leading in the outer wind. The
model-predicted mass-loss rate is in line with earlier empirical studies. The
mass-loss rate is almost unaffected by the presence of the accreting NS in the
wind. The terminal wind velocity is confirmed at km/s.
On the other hand, the wind velocity in the inner region where the NS is
located is only km/s, which is not expected on the basis of a
standard -velocity law. In models with an enhanced level of X-rays, the
velocity field in the outer wind can be altered. If the X-ray flux is too high,
the acceleration breaks down because the ionization increases. CONCLUSIONS:
Accounting for radiation hydrodynamics, our Vela X-1 donor atmosphere model
reveals a low wind speed at the NS location, and it provides quantitative
information on wind driving in this important HMXB.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy &
Astrophysic
The Wolf-Rayet stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud: A comprehensive analysis of the WN class
Aims: Following our comprehensive studies of the WR stars in the Milky Way,
we now present spectroscopic analyses of almost all known WN stars in the LMC.
Methods: For the quantitative analysis of the wind-dominated emission-line
spectra, we employ the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. By
fitting synthetic spectra to the observed spectral energy distribution and the
available spectra (ultraviolet and optical), we obtain the physical properties
of 107 stars. Results: We present the fundamental stellar and wind parameters
for an almost complete sample of WN stars in the LMC. Among those stars that
are putatively single, two different groups can be clearly distinguished. While
12% of our sample are more luminous than 10^6 Lsun and contain a significant
amount of hydrogen, 88% of the WN stars, with little or no hydrogen, populate
the luminosity range between log (L/Lsun) = 5.3...5.8. Conclusions: While the
few extremely luminous stars (log (L/Lsun) > 6), if indeed single stars,
descended directly from the main sequence at very high initial masses, the bulk
of WN stars have gone through the red-supergiant phase. According to their
luminosities in the range of log (L/Lsun) = 5.3...5.8, these stars originate
from initial masses between 20 and 40 Msun. This mass range is similar to the
one found in the Galaxy, i.e. the expected metallicity dependence of the
evolution is not seen. Current stellar evolution tracks, even when accounting
for rotationally induced mixing, still partly fail to reproduce the observed
ranges of luminosities and initial masses. Moreover, stellar radii are
generally larger and effective temperatures correspondingly lower than
predicted from stellar evolution models, probably due to subphotospheric
inflation.Comment: 17+46 pages; 10+54 figures; v2: typos corrected, space-saving layout
for appendix C, published in A&
On the binary nature of massive blue hypergiants: high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy suggests that Cyg OB2 12 is a colliding wind binary
The blue hypergiant Cyg OB2-12 (B3Ia+) is a representative member of the
class of very massive stars in a poorly understood evolutionary stage. We
obtained its high-resolution X-ray spectrum using Chandra observatory. PoWR
model atmospheres were calculated to provide realistic wind opacities and to
establish the wind density structure. We find that collisional de-excitation is
the dominant mechanism de-populating the metastable upper levels of the
forbidden lines of the He-like ions SiXIV and MgXII. Comparison between the
model and observations reveals that X-ray emission is produced in a dense
plasma, which could reside only at the photosphere or in a colliding wind zone
between binary components. The observed X-ray spectra are well fitted by
thermal plasma models, with average temperatures in excess of 10 MK. The wind
speed in Cyg OB2-12 is not high enough to power such high temperatures, but the
collision of two winds in a binary system can be sufficient. We used archival
data to investigate the X-ray properties of other blue hypergiants. In general,
stars of this class are not detected as X-rays sources. We suggest that our new
Chandra observations of Cyg OB2-12 can be best explained if Cyg OB2-12 is a
colliding wind binary possessing a late O-type companion. This makes Cyg OB2-12
only the second binary system among the 16 known Galactic hypergiants. This low
binary fraction indicates that the blue hypergiants are likely products of
massive binary evolution during which they either accreted a significant amount
of mass or already merged with their companion.Comment: accepted to Ap
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