Spectral classification and properties of the O Vz stars in the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS)

On the basis of the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS), a detailed systematic investigation of the O Vz stars is presented. The currently used spectral classification criteria are rediscussed, and the Vz phenomenon is recalibrated through the addition of a quantitative criterion based on the equivalent widths of the He I 4471, He II 4542, and He II 4686 spectral lines. The GOSSS O Vz and O V populations resulting from the newly adopted spectral classification criteria are comparatively analyzed. The locations of the O Vz stars are probed, showing a concentration of the most extreme cases toward the youngest star forming regions. The occurrence of the Vz spectral peculiarity in a solar-metallicity environment, as predicted by the fastwind code, is also investigated, confirming the importance of taking into account several processes for the correct interpretation of the phenomenon.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS) was an ESO Large Programme that has provided a rich, legacy dataset for studies of both resolved and integrated populations of massive stars. Initiated in 2008 (ESO Period 82), we used the Fibre Large Array Multi Element Spectrograph (FLAMES) to observe more than 800 massive stars in the dramatic 30 Doradus star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. At the start of the survey the importance of multiplicity among high-mass stars was becoming evident, so a key feature was multi-epoch spectroscopy to detect radial-velocity shifts arising from binary motion. Here we summarise some of the highlights from the survey and look ahead to the future of the field