341 research outputs found
The Massive Wolf-Rayet Binary SMC WR7
We present a study of optical spectra of the Wolf--Rayet star AzV 336a (= SMC
WR7) in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our study is based on data obtained at
several Observatories between 1988 and 2001. We find SMC WR7 to be a double
lined WN+O6 spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 19.56 days. The
radial velocities of the He absorption lines of the O6 component and the strong
He{\sc ii} emission at 4686\AA of the WN component describe antiphased
orbital motions. However, they show a small phase shift of 1 day. We
discuss possible explanations for this phase shift. The amplitude of the radial
velocity variations of He {\sc ii} emission is twice that of the absorption
lines. The binary components have fairly high minimum masses, 18
\modot and 34 \modot for the WN and O6 components, respectively.Comment: Accepted by MNRA
Optical Spectroscopy of X-Mega targets in the Carina Nebula - VI. FO 15: a new O-Type double-lined eclipsing binary
We report the discovery of a new O-type double-lined spectroscopic binary
with a short orbital period of 1.4 days. We find the primary component of this
binary, FO 15, to have an approximate spectral type O5.5Vz, i.e. a
Zero-Age-Main-Sequence star. The secondary appears to be of spectral type
O9.5V. We have performed a numerical model fit to the public ASAS photometry,
which shows that FO 15 is also an eclipsing binary. We find an orbital
inclination of ~ 80 deg. From a simultaneous light-curve and radial velocity
solution we find the masses and radii of the two components to be 30 +/- 1 and
16 +/- 1 solar masses and 7.5 +/- 0.5 and 5.3 +/- 0.5 solar radii. These radii,
and hence also the luminosities, are smaller than those of normal O-type stars,
but similar to recently born ZAMS O-type stars. The absolute magnitudes derived
from our analysis locate FO 15 at the same distance as Eta Carinae. From
Chandra and XMM X-ray images we also find that there are two close X-ray
sources, one coincident with FO 15 and another one without optical counterpart.
This latter seems to be a highly variable source, presumably due to a
pre-main-sequence stellar neighbour of FO 15.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS.
Higher resolution version available at
http://lilen.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar/papers2006.htm
Optical spectroscopy of X-MEGA targets I. CPD -59 2635: A New Double-Lined O type Binary in the Carina Nebula
Optical spectroscopy of CPD -59 2635, one of the O-type stars in the open cluster Trumpler 16 in the Carina Nebula, reveals this star to be a double-lined binary system. We have obtained the first radial velocity orbit for this system, consisting of a circular solution with a period of 2.2999 days and semi amplitudes of 208 and 273 km/s. This results in minimum masses of 15 and 11 Msol for the binary components of CPD -59 2635, which we classified as O8V and O9.5V, though spectral type variations of the order of 1 subclass, that we identify as the Struve-Sahade effect, seem to be present in both components. From ROSAT HRI observations of CPD -59 2635 we determine a luminosity ratio log(L_x/L_bol)~ -7, which is similar to that observed for other O-type stars in the Carina Nebula region. No evidence of light variations is present in the available optical or X-rays data sets
The massive Wolf-Rayet Binary LSS1964 (=WR29), II: the V light curve
Context. WR 29 is a known WN7h+O double-lined binary system with a rather short period (3.164 days). Aims. We search for light variations to determine the inclination of the system and thus the absolute masses of both components. Methods. We observed photometrically the field of WR 29 between December, 2002, and February, 2006. Results. We find that the V light of WR 29 varies in phase with the spectroscopic period of 3.16412 days, presenting two minima corresponding to the conjunctions of the binary components. Numerical models fitted to the light curve indicate an orbital inclination of about 44◦, and masses of 53 M and 42 M for the O- and WN-type components, respectively.Fil: Gamen, Roberto Claudio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Lajus, Eduardo Eusebio. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas. Instituto de Astrofísica La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Niemela, Virpi Sinikka. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas; ArgentinaFil: Barba, Rodolfo Hector. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Instituto de Ciencias Astronómicas, de la Tierra y del Espacio; Argentin
Discovery of a [WO] central star in the planetary nebula Th 2-A
% context About 2500 planetary nebulae are known in our Galaxy but only 224
have central stars with reported spectral types in the Strasbourg-ESO Catalogue
of Galactic Planetary Nebulae (Acker et al. 1992; Acker et al. 1996) % aims We
have started an observational program aiming to increase the number of PN
central stars with spectral classification. % methods By means of spectroscopy
and high resolution imaging, we identify the position and true nature of the
central star. We carried out low resolution spectroscopic observations at
CASLEO telescope, complemented with medium resolution spectroscopy performed at
Gemini South and Magellan telescopes. % results As a first outcome of this
survey, we present for the first time the spectra of the central star of the PN
Th 2-A. These spectra show emission lines of ionized C and O, typical in
Wolf-Rayet stars. % conclusions We identify the position of that central star,
which is not the brightest one of the visual central pair. We classify it as of
type [WO 3]pec, which is consistent with the high excitation and dynamical age
of the nebula.Comment: 3 pages and 2 figures. Paper recommended for publication in A&
A Search for Wolf-Rayet Stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
We conducted an extensive search for Wolf-Rayet stars (W-Rs) in the SMC,
using the same interference filter imaging techniques that have proved
successful in finding W-Rs in more distant members of the Local Group.
Photometry of some 1.6 million stellar images resulted in some 20 good
candidates, which we then examined spectroscopically. Two of these indeed
proved to be newly found W-Rs, bringing the total known in the SMC from 9 to
11. Other finds included previously unknown Of-type stars (one as early as
O5f?p)),the recovery of the Luminous Blue Variable S18, and the discovery of a
previously unknown SMC symbiotic star. More important, however, is the fact
that there does not exist a significant number of W-Rs waiting to be discovered
in the SMC. The number of W-Rs in the SMC is a factor of 3 lower than in the
LMC (per unit luminosity), and we argue this is the result of the SMC's low
metallicity on the evolution of the most massive stars.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journal. Postscript version available via
ftp.lowell.edu/pub/massey/smcwr.ps.gz Revised version contains slightly
revised spectral types for the Of stars but is otherwise unchange
New Constraints on the Origin of the Short-Term Cyclical Variability of the Wolf-Rayet Star WR 46
The Wolf-Rayet star WR 46 is known to exhibit a very complex variability
pattern on relatively short time scales of a few hours. Periodic but
intermittent radial velocity shifts of optical lines as well as multiple
photometric periods have been found in the past. Non-radial pulsations, rapid
rotational modulation or the presence of a putative low-mass companion have
been proposed to explain the short-term behaviour. In an effort to unveil its
true nature, we observed WR 46 with FUSE (Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic
Explorer) over several short-term variability cycles. We found significant
variations on a time scale of ~8 hours in the far-ultraviolet (FUV) continuum,
in the blue edge of the absorption trough of the OVI {\lambda}{\lambda}1032,
1038 doublet P Cygni profile and in the SVI {\lambda}{\lambda}933, 944 P Cygni
absorption profile. We complemented these observations with X-ray and UV
light-curves and an X-ray spectrum from archival XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror
Mission - Newton Space Telescope) data. The X-ray and UV light-curves show
variations on a time scale similar to the variability found in the FUV. We
discuss our results in the context of the different scenarios suggested to
explain the short-term variability of this object and reiterate that non-radial
pulsations is the most likely to occur.Comment: 36 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Large scale dynamics in turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection
The progress in our understanding of several aspects of turbulent
Rayleigh-Benard convection is reviewed. The focus is on the question of how the
Nusselt number and the Reynolds number depend on the Rayleigh number Ra and the
Prandtl number Pr, and on how the thicknesses of the thermal and the kinetic
boundary layers scale with Ra and Pr. Non-Oberbeck-Boussinesq effects and the
dynamics of the large-scale convection-roll are addressed as well. The review
ends with a list of challenges for future research on the turbulent
Rayleigh-Benard system.Comment: Review article, 34 pages, 13 figures, Rev. Mod. Phys. 81, in press
(2009
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