@article{EvansHainichOskinovaetal.2012, author = {Evans, C. J. and Hainich, Rainer and Oskinova, Lida and Gallagher, J. S. and Chu, Y.-H. and Gruendl, R. A. and Hamann, Wolf-Rainer and Henault-Brunet, V. and Todt, Helge Tobias}, title = {A rare early-type star revealed in the wing of the small megellanic cloud}, series = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics}, volume = {753}, journal = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics}, number = {2}, publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {0004-637X}, doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/753/2/173}, pages = {10}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Sk 183 is the visually brightest star in the N90 nebula, a young star-forming region in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We present new optical spectroscopy from the Very Large Telescope which reveals Sk 183 to be one of the most massive O-type stars in the SMC. Classified as an O3-type dwarf on the basis of its nitrogen spectrum, the star also displays broadened He I absorption, which suggests a later type. We propose that Sk 183 has a composite spectrum and that it is similar to another star in the SMC, MPG 324. This brings the number of rare O2- and O3-type stars known in the whole of the SMC to a mere four. We estimate physical parameters for Sk 183 from analysis of its spectrum. For a single-star model, we estimate an effective temperature of 46 +/- 2 kK, a low mass-loss rate of similar to 10(-7) M-circle dot yr(-1), and a spectroscopic mass of 46(-8)(+ 9) M-circle dot (for an adopted distance modulus of 18.7 mag to the young population in the SMC Wing). An illustrative binary model requires a slightly hotter temperature (similar to 47.5 kK) for the primary component. In either scenario, Sk 183 is the earliest-type star known in N90 and will therefore be the dominant source of hydrogen-ionizing photons. This suggests Sk 183 is the primary influence on the star formation along the inner edge of the nebula.}, language = {en} } @article{HenaultBrunetOskinovaGuerreroetal.2012, author = {Henault-Brunet, V. and Oskinova, Lida and Guerrero, M. A. and Sun, W. and Chu, Y.-H. and Evans, C. J. and Gallagher, J. S. and Gruendl, R. A. and Reyes-Iturbide, J.}, title = {Discovery of a Be/X-ray pulsar binary and associated supernova remnant in the wing of the small magellanic cloud}, series = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, volume = {420}, journal = {Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Malden}, issn = {0035-8711}, doi = {10.1111/j.1745-3933.2011.01183.x}, pages = {L13 -- L17}, year = {2012}, abstract = {We report on a new Be/X-ray pulsar binary located in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). The strong pulsed X-ray source was discovered with the Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray observatories. The X-ray pulse period of 1062 s is consistently determined from both Chandra and XMM-Newton observations, revealing one of the slowest rotating X-ray pulsars known in the SMC. The optical counterpart of the X-ray source is the emission-line star 2dFS 3831. Its B0-0.5(III)e+ spectral type is determined from VLT-FLAMES and 2dF optical spectroscopy, establishing the system as a Be/X-ray binary (Be-XRB). The hard X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a power law with additional thermal and blackbody components, the latter reminiscent of persistent Be-XRBs. This system is the first evidence of a recent supernova in the low-density surroundings of NGC602. We detect a shell nebula around 2dFS 3831 in H alpha and [OIII] images and conclude that it is most likely a supernova remnant. If it is linked to the supernova explosion that created this new X-ray pulsar, its kinematic age of (2-4) x 10(4) yr provides a constraint on the age of the pulsar.}, language = {en} } @article{OskinovaSunEvansetal.2013, author = {Oskinova, Lida and Sun, W. and Evans, C. J. and Henault-Brunet, V. and Chu, Y.-H. and Gallagher, J. S. and Guerrero, M. A. and Gruendl, R. A. and G{\"u}del, M. and Silich, S. and Chen, Y. and Naze, Y. and Hainich, Rainer and Reyes-Iturbide, J.}, title = {Discovery of x-ray emission from young suns in the small magellanic cloud}, series = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics}, volume = {765}, journal = {The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics}, number = {1}, publisher = {IOP Publ. Ltd.}, address = {Bristol}, issn = {0004-637X}, doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/765/1/73}, pages = {12}, year = {2013}, abstract = {We report the discovery of extended X-ray emission within the young star cluster NGC 602a in the Wing of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) based on observations obtained with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. X-ray emission is detected from the cluster core area with the highest stellar density and from a dusty ridge surrounding the H II region. We use a census of massive stars in the cluster to demonstrate that a cluster wind or wind-blown bubble is unlikely to provide a significant contribution to the X-ray emission detected from the central area of the cluster. We therefore suggest that X-ray emission at the cluster core originates from an ensemble of low-and solar-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars, each of which would be too weak in X-rays to be detected individually. We attribute the X-ray emission from the dusty ridge to the embedded tight cluster of the newborn stars known in this area from infrared studies. Assuming that the levels of X-ray activity in young stars in the low-metallicity environment of NGC 602a are comparable to their Galactic counterparts, then the detected spatial distribution, spectral properties, and level of X-ray emission are largely consistent with those expected from low-and solar-mass PMS stars and young stellar objects (YSOs). This is the first discovery of X-ray emission attributable to PMS stars and YSOs in the SMC, which suggests that the accretion and dynamo processes in young, low-mass objects in the SMC resemble those in the Galaxy.}, language = {en} }