Constraints on decreases in Eta Carinae's mass loss from 3D hydrodynamic simulations of its binary colliding winds

Recent work suggests that the mass-loss rate of the primary star (Eta A) in the massive colliding wind binary Eta Carinae dropped by a factor of 2-3 between 1999 and 2010. We present results from large- (r=1545au) and small- (r=155au) domain, 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) simulations of Eta Car's colliding winds for 3 Eta A mass-loss rates (2.4, 4.8, and 8.5 x 10^-4 M_sun/yr), investigating the effects on the dynamics of the binary wind-wind collision (WWC). These simulations include orbital motion, optically thin radiative cooling, and radiative forces. We find that Eta A's mass-loss rate greatly affects the time-dependent hydrodynamics at all spatial scales investigated. The simulations also show that the post-shock wind of the companion star (Eta B) switches from the adiabatic to the radiative-cooling regime during periastron passage. The SPH simulations together with 1D radiative transfer models of Eta A's spectra reveal that a factor of 2 or more drop in Eta A's mass-loss rate should lead to substantial changes in numerous multiwavelength observables. Recent observations are not fully consistent with the model predictions, indicating that any drop in Eta A's mass-loss rate was likely by a factor < 2 and occurred after 2004. We speculate that most of the recent observed changes in Eta Car are due to a small increase in the WWC opening angle that produces significant effects because our line-of-sight to the system lies close to the dense walls of the WWC zone. A modest decrease in Eta A's mass-loss rate may be responsible, but changes in the wind/stellar parameters of Eta B cannot yet be fully ruled out. We suggest observations during Eta Car's next periastron in 2014 to further test for decreases in Eta A's mass-loss rate. If Eta A's mass-loss rate is declining and continues to do so, the 2014 X-ray minimum should be even shorter than that of 2009.Comment: 38 pages, 25 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Eta Carinae long-term variability

We present preliminary results of our analysis on the long-term variations observed in the optical spectrum of the LBV star Eta Carinae. Based on the hydrogen line profiles, we conclude that the physical parameters of the primary star did not change in the last 15 years.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, IAUS 272 - Active OB Stars: Structure, Evolution, Mass Loss and Critical Limit

Detection of High Velocity Absorption Components in the He I Lines of Eta Carinae near the Time of Periastron

We have obtained a total of 58 high spectral resolution (R90,000) spectra of the massive binary star eta Carinae since 2012 in an effort to continue our orbital and long-term echelle monitoring of this extreme binary (Richardson et al. 2010, AJ, 139, 1534) with the CHIRON spectrograph on the CTIO 1.5 m telescope (Tokovinin et al. 2013, PASP, 125, 1336) in the 45507500A region. We have increased our monitoring efforts and observation frequency as the periastron event of 2014 has approached. We note that there were multiple epochs this year where we observe unusual absorption components in the P Cygni troughs of the He I triplet lines. In particular, we note high velocity absorption components related to the following epochs for the following lines: He I 4713: HJD 2456754- 2456795 (velocity -450 to -560 kms) He I 5876: HJD 2456791- 2456819 (velocity -690 to -800 kms) He I 7065: HJD 2456791- 2456810 (velocity -665 to -730 kms) Figures: Note that red indicates a high-velocity component noted above. He I 4713: http:www.astro.umontreal.carichardson4713.png He I 5876: http:www.astro.umontreal.carichardson5876.png He I 7065: http:www.astro.umontreal.carichardson7065.png These absorptions are likely related to the wind-wind collision region and bow shock, as suggested by the high-velocity absorption observed by Groh et al. (2010, AA, 519, 9) in the He I 10830 Atransition. In these cases, we suspect that we look along an arm of the shock cone and that we will see a fast absorption change from the other collision region shortly after periastron. We suspect that this is related to the multiple-components of the He II 4686 line that was noted by Walter (ATel6334), and is confirmed in our data. Further, high spectral resolution data are highly encouraged,especially for resolving powers greater than 50,000.These observations were obtained with the CTIO 1.5 m telescope, operated by the SMARTS Consortium, and were obtained through both SMARTS and NOAO programs 2012A-0216,2012B-0194, and 2013b-0328). We thank Emily MacPherson (Yale) for her efforts in scheduling the observations that we have and will obtain in the coming weeks

Eta Carinae:The Dissipating Occulter Is an Extended Structure

Previous Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) longslit observations of Eta Carinae (η Car) identified numerous absorption features in both the stellar spectrum, and in the adjacent nebular spectra, along our line of sight (LOS). The absorption features became temporarily stronger when the ionizing far-ultraviolet radiation field was reduced by the periastron passage of the secondary star. Subsequently, dissipation of a dusty structure in our LOS has led to a long-term increase in the apparent brightness of η Car, an increase in the ionizing ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and the disappearance of absorption from multiple velocity-separated shells extending across the foreground Homunculus lobe. We use HST/STIS spectro-images, coupled with published infrared and radio observations, to locate this intervening dusty structure. The velocity and spatial information indicate the occulter is ≈1000 au in front of η Car. The Homunculus is a transient structure composed of dusty, partially ionized ejecta that eventually will disappear due to the relentless rain of ionizing radiation and wind from the current binary system along with dissipation and mixing with the interstellar medium. This evolving complex continues to provide an astrophysical laboratory that changes on human timescales

Start of Eta Car's X-ray Minimum

Analysis of Eta Car's X-ray spectrum in the 2-10 keV band using quicklook data from the XRay Telescope on Swift shows that the flux on July 30, 2014 was 4.9 plus or minus 2.010(exp-12) ergs s(exp-1)cm(exp-2). This flux is nearly equal to the X-ray minimum flux seen by RXTE in 2009, 2003.5, and 1998, and indicates that Eta Car has reached its X-ray minimum, as expected based on the 2024-day period derived from previous 2-10 keV observations with RXTE

Multiple Absorption Components in the Post-Periastron He I P Cygni Absorption Troughs of Eta Carinae

We have obtained more than 100 high spectral resolution (R approx. 90,000) spectra of the massive binary star eta Carinae since 2012 in an effort to continue our orbital and long-term echelle monitoring of this extreme binary (Richardson et al. 2010, AJ, 139, 1534) with the CHIRON spectrograph on the CTIO 1.5 m telescope (Tokovinin et al. 2013, PASP, 125, 1336) in the 4550-7500A region. We increased our monitoring efforts and observation frequency as the periastron event of 2014 has approached, and resumed observations in October. We note that since mid-October, we have observed unusual multiple absorption components in the P Cygni troughs of the He I lines (4714, 5876, 6678, and 7065; 4921 and 5015 are blended with Fe II). In particular, we note that these components extend to -700 km/s, well beyond the terminal wind speed of the primary. These absorptions are likely related to clumps and turbulence in the wind-wind collision region and bow shock, as suggested by the high-velocity absorption observed by Groh et al. (2010, A&A, 519, 9) in the He I 10830A transition and our pre-periastron observations (Richardson et al. 2014, ATel #6336). In these cases, we suspect that we look along an arm of the shock cone and that we see a fast absorption change from the other collision region shortly after periastron. Further, high spectral resolution data are highly encouraged, especially for resolving powers greater than 50,000. These observations were obtained with the CTIO 1.5 m telescope, operated by the SMARTS Consortium, and were obtained through both SMARTS and NOAO programs 2012A-0216, 2012B-0194, and 2013b-0328. We thank Emily MacPherson (Yale) for her efforts in scheduling the observations that we have and will obtain in the coming weeks and months

Multi-spectral analysis of the cyclic events of Eta Carinae

Nesta tese foi feito um estudo dos eventos cíclicos em Carinae em diversas faixas espectrais. A presença de um buraco na região polar do Homúnculo foi confirmada pelos mapas de velocidade da linha do [Fe II] 12567. A componente em emissão da linha do He I 10830, detectada na linha de visada do lóbulo NW e que apresenta velocidades negativas, foi mapeada e está contida no plano equatorial. Foi observado que durante um período de 206 dias, centrado na fase zero, a linha do He I 10830 apresenta um aumento na velocidade máxima da componente em absorção, atingindo 1800 km/s. Tal comportamento favorece orientações orbitais onde a passagem pelo periastro ocorre próximo à oposição. O Pequeno Homúnculo apresenta a mesma distribuição espacial da emissão em rádio e, considerando que esta seja proveniente principalmente da secundária, o fluxo de fótons no contínuo de Lyman é compatível com uma estrela de tipo espectral O5.5O7. A variabilidade das componentes largas e estreitas das linhas em diversas faixas espectrais apresenta um período bem definido (2022.1±0.6 dias) e extremamente estável ao longo dos últimos 60 anos, sendo que as variações observadas no período são devido aos erros nas medidas. Utilizando a componente estreita da linha do He I 6678 foi possível determinar a fase zero do ciclo #11 (T0=2452819.8). Os eventos espectroscópicos são compostos de dois regimes: um de variações lentas e outro de colapso. A primeira é revelada por variações lentas no nível de ionização do meio circunstelar ao longo de todo o ciclo e está associada a variações graduais no cone de choque dos ventos (abertura angular e conteúdo). O regime de colapso é observado ao redor do mínimo e é causado por um colapso temporário do cone de choque. Os fenômenos de alta energia são sensíveis somente ao regime de colapso, enquanto os de baixa energia, ao de variação lenta. Os fenômenos que envolvem energias intermediárias, respondem aos dois regimes. Foi observado uma anti-correlação entre a linha do Fe II 6455 e a do He I 7065, indicando que a primeira é formada nas regiões mais externas do vento da primária e a segunda, na secundária ou no cone de choque dos ventos. A curva de luz do He II 4686 apresenta dois picos antes da fase zero e outro logo após. Os dois picos antes do mínimo apresentam uma correlação com os picos na faixa dos raios-X, porém estes ocorrem 16.5 dias antes daqueles. O mecanismo mais provável para explicar a luminosidade observada do He II 4686 é a produção de fótons com 1215 Å através do fluxo de fótons na faixa do ultra-violeta extremo/raios-X moles produzidos na região próxima ao ápex do cone de colisão dos ventos. Como este mecanismo é extremamente sensível à densidade do meio, a região mais favorável para produzir a luminosidade observada do He II 4686 é a região do cone de choque voltada para a primária.In this thesis, a multi-wavelength study on the cyclic events of Eta Carinae was performed. The presence of a hole in the polar region of the Homunculus was confirmed by the velocity maps of the [Fe II] 12567 line. The blue-shifted component of the He I 10830, detected towards the NW lobe, was mapped and it is in the equatorial plane. It was observed that within a short period of 206 days, centered on phase zero, the He I 10830 line shows an increase in the maximum velocity of the absorption component, which reaches up to -1800 km/s. Such behavior favors orbital orientation with periastron passage around oposition. The Little Homunculus shows the same spatial distribution as the radio emission and considering that the radio flux comes mainly from the secondary, then the photon flux in the Lyman continuum is comparable to a star with spectral type in the range O5.5-O7. The variability of the narrow and broad lines from many spectral regions shows a well-defined period (2022.1+/-0.6 days), which is also extremely stable along the last 60 years, during which the observed variations in the period are due to measurement errors. Using the narrow component of the He I 6678 it was possible to determine the phase zero of the cycle #11 (T_0=2452819.8). The spectroscopic events are a combination of two components: slow variation and collapse. The former is revealed by slow changes in the ionization level of circunstellar matter across the whole cycle and is associated to gradual changes in the wind-wind collision shock-cone (angular opening and gaseous content). The collapse component is restricted to around the minimum and is caused by a temporary collapse of the wind-wind collision shock. High-energy phenomena are sensitive only to the collapse component, while low-energy only to the slow variation component. Intermediate-energy phenomena are sensitive to both components. It was observed an anti-correlation between the Fe II 6455 and He II 7065, suggesting that the former is formed in the outer parts of the primary\'s wind, while the latter is associated to the secondary or to the wind-wind shock cone. The lightcurve of He II 4686 shows two peaks before phase zero and another one short after it. The two peaks before phase zero are correlated to the peaks seen in the X-rays. However, the X-ray peaks occur 16.5 days before those seen in the He II 4686 lightcurve. The most likely mechanism to explain the observed peak luminosity of the He II 4686 is the creation of ~1215 Angstroms photons by the extreme ultra-violet/soft X-rays photons, which are produced near the apex of the wind-wind shock-cone. Since this mechanism is extremely sensitive to the density, the most likely region to form the observed peak luminosity of the He II 4686 is on the primary\'s side of the wind-wind shock-cone

Integral field spectroscopy of the Homunculus nebula

Nesta dissertação são apresentados os resultados obtidos da espectroscopia de campo integral da nebulosa do Homúnculo. As observações foram feitas na banda J, no intervalo de 10620 Å até 12960 Å, utilizando o IFU (Integral Field Unit) do espectrógrafo CIRPASS (Cambridge Infrared Panoramic Survey Spectrograph), que possui 499 lentes hexagonais. A amostragem espacial é de 0,25"/lente e a resolução espectral, R=3200. A linha do [Fe II] &#955;12567 permitiu a identificação de duas estruturas no lóbulo NW que ainda não haviam sido relatadas. Através da tomografia Doppler, essas estruturas indicaram a existência de uma região de baixa densidade localizada no lóbulo NW e que não é visível nas imagens feitas na região óptica. Além disso, o Pequeno Homúnculo também foi identificado através do mapeamento das componentes e também nos mapas de velocidade da linha do [Fe II] &#955;12567. As regiões polares da nebulosa do Homúnculo (onde ocorre a colisão mais intensa entre o vento da fonte central e a região interna dos lóbulos) são mais opacas do que as paredes dos mesmos. Isso é verificado pela diminuição na intensidade da linha do [Fe II] &#955;12567 no lóbulo SE e pelo aumento desta na linha de visada do lóbulo NW. O disco equatorial foi observado nas linhas da série do H (Pa&#946; e Pa&#947;) e na linha do He I &#955;10830 como uma componente devido à emissões intrínsecas até distâncias superiores às dimensões aparentes do disco que é observado nas imagens feitas na faixa óptica. A linha do [Fe II] &#955;12567 também apresenta uma componente associada ao disco equatorial. Regiões de baixa densidade localizadas no toro que envolve a fonte central permitem que a radiação ultravioleta escape e excite o gás contido no disco equatorial. O melhor exemplo desse efeito foi detectado pela tomografia Doppler da linha do He I &#955;10830, que revelou uma componente de emissão intrínseca que atinge distâncias superiores à borda aparente do lóbulo NW do Homúnculo, e que foi completamente mapeada pela primeira vez nesta dissertação.The Homunculus nebula was mapped using the integral field technique and the results are presented in this dissertation. The observations were obtained in the J band in the range from 10620 Å to 12960 Å using the CIRPASS's IFU, which contains 499 hexagonal lenses. The spatial sampling is 0,25"/lens and the spectral resolution, set to R=3200. The [Fe II] &#955;12567 line allowed the identification of two structures in the NW lobe that had not been reported yet. Doppler tomography of this structures revealed a low density region placed in the NW lobe that is not seen in the optical images. Besides, the Little Homunculus was also detected both in the mapping of components of the [Fe II] &#955;12567 and in its velocity maps. In the Homunculus nebula, the polar regions (where the shock between the stellar bipolar wind and the internal wall of the lobes is stronger) are more opaque than the lobe walls. This can be verified by the decrease in the intensity of the [Fe II] &#955;12567 in the SE lobe and the enhancement of this line emission in the NW lobe. Emissions due to the equatorial disc were detected both in the H series (Pa&#946; and Pa&#947;) and the He I &#955;10830 as an intrinsic component up to distances greater than the aparent dimensions of the disc seen in the images taken in the optical range. The [Fe II] &#955;12567 also presents the component due to the equatorial emission. Low density regions in the torus involving the central source allow a beam of radiation to escape to large radii and thereby excite the gas contained in the equatorial disc. The best example of this effect was detected in the Doppler tomography of the He I &#955;10830 line, that revealed an intrinsic emission component which reaches distances larger than the aparent boundary of the NW lobe and was firstly mapped in this dissertation

The fundamental parameters of the starburst cluster Westerlund 1

In spite of many published data about the starburst cluster Westerlund~1, fundamental parameters were not yet published -- at least not with the accuracy necessary for a template to massive star formation. Using several telescopes, ranging from 60-cm to 4-m, we gathered high quality data in the optical and near-infrared. Based on photometric analysis of 30 OBSG stars, we derived a reddening law with alpha=-1.95±0.16 and A_K= 0.72±0.06 -- compatible with Nishiyama et al. (2006) --, which implies the ratios A_B:A_V:A_R:A_I:A_J:A_K = 1.373:1.00:0.748:0.578:0.198:0.066. Our photometric analysis (using data from a monitoring campaign along 70 nights in the I and H bands) together with radial velocity curve modeling for one of the eclipsing binary systems (Wdeb) resulted in parameters more accurate than those published by Koumpia & Bonanos (2012). We derived a distance of d=4.26 ±0.13 kpc, which was crucial to constrain the luminosities of the massive stellar population (WRs, LBVs, Blue, Yellow, and Red super-giants). Using a reddening-free colour indices, we estimated the spectral type of each star in the sample, identify MS and PMS members, and constrained the cluster age. Variability of massive stars along the last 6 years also is reported