Spectroscopic and photometric variability of the O9.5Vp star HD93521

The line profile variability and photometric variability of the O9.5 Vp star HD93521 are examined in order to establish the properties of the non-radial pulsations in this star. Fourier techniques are used to characterize the modulations of the He I 5876, 6678 and H-alpha lines in several spectroscopic time series and to search for variations in a photometric time series. Our spectroscopic data confirm the existence of two periods of 1.75 and 2.89 hr. The line profiles, especially those affected by emission wings, exhibit also modulations on longer time scales, but these are epoch-dependent and change from line to line. Unlike previous claims, we find no unambiguous signature of the rotational period in our data, nor of a third pulsation period (corresponding to a frequency of 2.66 day$^{-1}$). HD 93521 very likely exhibits non-radial pulsations with periods of 1.75 and 2.89 hr with $l \simeq 8 \pm 1$ and $l \simeq 4 \pm 1$ respectively. No significant signal is found in the first harmonics of these two periods. The 2.89 hr mode is seen at all epochs and in all lines investigated, while the visibility of the 1.75 hr mode is clearly epoch dependent. Whilst light variations are detected, their connection to these periodicities is not straightforward.Comment: 13 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

WR20a: a massive cornerstone binary system comprising two extreme early-type stars

We analyse spectroscopic observations of WR20a revealing that this star is a massive early-type binary system with a most probable orbital period of \sim 3.675 days. Our spectra indicate that both components are most likely of WN6ha or O3If^*/WN6ha spectral type. The orbital solution for a period of 3.675 days yields extremely large minimum masses of 70.7 \pm 4.0 and 68.8 \pm 3.8 M_{\odot} for the two stars. These properties make WR20a a cornerstone system for the study of massive star evolution.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted by A&A Letter

Constraining the mass transfer in massive binaries through progenitor evolution models of Wolf-Rayet+O binaries

Since close WR+O binaries are the result of a strong interaction of both stars in massive close binary systems, they can be used to constrain the highly uncertain mass and angular momentum budget during the major mass transfer phase. We explore the progenitor evolution of the three best suited WR+O binaries HD 90657, HD 186943 and HD 211853, which are characterized by a WR/O mass ratio of $\sim$0.5 and periods of 6..10 days. We are doing so at three different levels of approximation: predicting the massive binary evolution through simple mass loss and angular momentum loss estimates, through full binary evolution models with parametrized mass transfer efficiency, and through binary evolution models including rotation of both components and a physical model which allows to compute mass and angular momentum loss from the binary system as function of time during the mass transfer process. All three methods give consistently the same answers. Our results show that, if these systems formed through stable mass transfer, their initial periods were smaller than their current ones, which implies that mass transfer has started during the core hydrogen burning phase of the initially more massive star. Furthermore, the mass transfer in all three cases must have been highly non-conservative, with on average only $\sim$10% of the transferred mass being retained by the mass receiving star. This result gives support to our system mass and angular momentum loss model, which predicts that, in the considered systems, about 90% of the overflowing matter is expelled by the rapid rotation of the mass receiver close to the $\Omega$-limit, which is reached through the accretion of the remaining 10%.Comment: accepted A&A version of paper with better quality plots available at http://www.astro.uu.nl/~petrovi

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey II. R139 revealed as a massive binary system

We report the discovery that R139 in 30 Doradus is a massive spectroscopic binary system. Multi-epoch optical spectroscopy of R139 was obtained as part of the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey, revealing a double-lined system. The two components are of similar spectral types; the primary exhibits strong C III λ4650 emission and is classified as an O6.5 Iafc supergiant, while the secondary is an O6 Iaf supergiant. The radial-velocity variations indicate a highly eccentric orbit with a period of 153.9 days. Photometry obtained with the Faulkes Telescope South shows no evidence for significant variability within an 18 month period. The orbital solution yields lower mass limits for the components of M1sin3i = 78 ± 8 M⊙ and M2sin3i = 66 ± 7 M⊙. As R139 appears to be the most massive binary system known to contain two evolved Of supergiants, it will provide an excellent test for atmospheric and evolutionary models

Wind clumping and the wind-wind collision zone in the Wolf-Rayet binary gamma Velorum

We present XMM-Newton observations of gamma^2 Velorum (WR 11, WC8+O7.5III, P = 78.53 d), a nearby Wolf-Ray binary system, at its X-ray high and low states. At high state, emission from a hot collisional plasma dominates from about 1 to 8 keV. At low state, photons between 1 and 4 keV are absorbed. The hot plasma is identified with the shock zone between the winds of the primary Wolf-Rayet star and the secondary O giant. The absorption at low state is interpreted as photoelectric absorption in the Wolf-Rayet wind. This absorption allows us to measure the absorbing column density and to derive a mass loss rate 8x10^{-6} M_sun/yr for the WC8 star. This mass loss rate, in conjunction with a previous Wolf-Rayet wind model, provides evidence for a clumped WR wind. A clumping factor of 16 is required. The X-ray spectra below 1 keV (12 Ang) show no absorption and are essentially similar in both states. There is a rather clear separation in that emission from a plasma hotter than 5 MK is heavily absorbed in low state while the cooler plasma is not. This cool plasma must come from a much more extended region than the hot material. The Neon abundance in the X-ray emitting material is 2.5 times the solar value. The unexpected detection of CV (25.3 Ang) and CVI (31.6 Ang) radiative recombination continua at both phases indicates the presence of a cool (~40,000 K) recombination region located far out in the binary system.Comment: 16 page

Detection of frequency spacings in the young O-type binary HD 46149 from CoRoT photometry

Using the CoRoT space based photometry of the O-type binary HD46149, stellar atmospheric effects related to rotation can be separated from pulsations, because they leave distinct signatures in the light curve. This offers the possibility of characterising and exploiting any pulsations seismologically. Combining high-quality space based photometry, multi-wavelength photometry, spectroscopy and constraints imposed by binarity and cluster membership, the detected pulsations in HD46149 are analyzed and compared with those for a grid of stellar evolutionary models in a proof-of-concept approach. We present evidence of solar-like oscillations in a massive O-type star, and show that the observed frequency range and spacings are compatible with theoretical predictions. Thus, we unlock and confirm the strong potential of this seismically unexplored region in the HR diagram.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Carina OB Stars: X-ray Signatures of Wind Shocks and Magnetic Fields

The Chandra Carina Complex contains 200 known O- and B type stars. The Chandra survey detected 68 of the 70 O stars and 61 of 127 known B0-B3 stars. We have assembled a publicly available optical/X-ray database to identify OB stars that depart from the canonical Lx/Lbol relation, or whose average X-ray temperatures exceed 1 keV. Among the single O stars with high kT we identify two candidate magnetically confined wind shock sources: Tr16-22, O8.5 V, and LS 1865, O8.5 V((f)). The O4 III(fc) star HD 93250 exhibits strong, hard, variable X-rays, suggesting it may be a massive binary with a period of >30 days. The visual O2 If* binary HD 93129A shows soft 0.6 keV and hard 1.9 keV emission components, suggesting embedded wind shocks close to the O2 If* Aa primary, and colliding wind shocks between Aa and Ab. Of the 11 known O-type spectroscopic binaries, the long orbital-period systems HD 93343, HD 93403 and QZ Car have higher shock temperatures than short-period systems such as HD 93205 and FO 15. Although the X-rays from most B stars may be produced in the coronae of unseen, low-mass pre-main-sequence companions, a dozen B stars with high Lx cannot be explained by a distribution of unseen companions. One of these, SS73 24 in the Treasure Chest cluster, is a new candidate Herbig Be star.Comment: To be published in a special issue of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement on the Chandra Carina Complex Projec

The Tarantula Massive Binary Monitoring

We present the first SB2 orbital solution and disentanglement of the massive Wolf-Rayet binary R145 (P = 159d) located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The primary was claimed to have a stellar mass greater than 300Msun, making it a candidate for the most massive star known. While the primary is a known late type, H-rich Wolf-Rayet star (WN6h), the secondary could not be so far unambiguously detected. Using moderate resolution spectra, we are able to derive accurate radial velocities for both components. By performing simultaneous orbital and polarimetric analyses, we derive the complete set of orbital parameters, including the inclination. The spectra are disentangled and spectroscopically analyzed, and an analysis of the wind-wind collision zone is conducted. The disentangled spectra and our models are consistent with a WN6h type for the primary, and suggest that the secondary is an O3.5 If*/WN7 type star. We derive a high eccentricity of e = 0.78 and minimum masses of M1 sin^3 i ~ M2 sin^3 i ~ 13 +- 2 Msun, with q = M2 / M1 = 1.01 +- 0.07. An analysis of emission excess stemming from a wind-wind collision yields a similar inclination to that obtained from polarimetry (i = 39 +- 6deg). Our analysis thus implies M1 = 53^{+40}_{-20} and M2 = 54^{+40}_{-20} Msun, excluding M1 > 300Msun. A detailed comparison with evolution tracks calculated for single and binary stars, as well as the high eccentricity, suggest that the components of the system underwent quasi-homogeneous evolution and avoided mass-transfer. This scenario would suggest current masses of ~ 80 Msun and initial masses of Mi,1 ~ 105 and Mi,2 ~ 90Msun, consistent with the upper limits of our derived orbital masses, and would imply an age of ~2.2 Myr.Comment: Accepted for Publication in A&A, 16 pages, 17 figures and 4 table

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula survey XX. The nature of the X-ray bright emission-line star VFTS 399

Context. The stellar population of the 30 Doradus star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud contains a subset of apparently single, rapidly rotating O-type stars. The physical processes leading to the formation of this cohort are currently uncertain. Aims. One member of this group, the late O-type star VFTS 399, is found to be unexpectedly X-ray bright for its bolometric luminosity − in this study we aim to determine its physical nature and the cause of this behaviour. Methods. To accomplish this we performed a time-resolved analysis of optical, infrared and X-ray observations. Results. We found VFTS 399 to be an aperiodic photometric variable with an apparent near-IR excess. Its optical spectrum demonstrates complex emission profiles in the lower Balmer series and select He i lines − taken together these suggest an OeBe classification. The highly variable X-ray luminosity is too great to be produced by a single star, while the hard, non-thermal nature suggests the presence of an accreting relativistic companion. Finally, the detection of periodic modulation of the X-ray lightcurve is most naturally explained under the assumption that the accretor is a neutron star. Conclusions. VFTS 399 appears to be the first high-mass X-ray binary identified within 30 Dor, sharing many observational characteristics with classical Be X-ray binaries. Comparison of the current properties of VFTS 399 to binary-evolution models suggests a progenitor mass ≳25 M⊙ for the putative neutron star, which may host a magnetic field comparable in strength to those of magnetars. VFTS 399 is now the second member of the cohort of rapidly rotating “single” O-type stars in 30 Dor to show evidence of binary interaction resulting in spin-up, suggesting that this may be a viable evolutionary pathway for the formation of a subset of this stellar population

The COSPIX mission: focusing on the energetic and obscured Universe

Tracing the formation and evolution of all supermassive black holes, including the obscured ones, understanding how black holes influence their surroundings and how matter behaves under extreme conditions, are recognized as key science objectives to be addressed by the next generation of instruments. These are the main goals of the COSPIX proposal, made to ESA in December 2010 in the context of its call for selection of the M3 mission. In addition, COSPIX, will also provide key measurements on the non thermal Universe, particularly in relation to the question of the acceleration of particles, as well as on many other fundamental questions as for example the energetic particle content of clusters of galaxies. COSPIX is proposed as an observatory operating from 0.3 to more than 100 keV. The payload features a single long focal length focusing telescope offering an effective area close to ten times larger than any scheduled focusing mission at 30 keV, an angular resolution better than 20 arcseconds in hard X-rays, and polarimetric capabilities within the same focal plane instrumentation. In this paper, we describe the science objectives of the mission, its baseline design, and its performances, as proposed to ESA.Comment: 7 pages, accepted for publication in Proceedings of Science, for the 25th Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics (eds. F. Rieger & C. van Eldik), PoS(Texas 2010)25