TY - JOUR A1 - Tramper, F. A1 - Straal, S. M. A1 - Sanyal, D. A1 - Sana, Hugues A1 - de Koter, A. A1 - Gräfener, G. A1 - Langer, N. A1 - Vink, J. S. A1 - de Mink, S. E. A1 - Kaper, L. T1 - Massive Wolf-Rayet stars on the verge to explode BT - the properties of the WO stars JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - The enigmatic oxygen-sequence Wolf-Rayet stars represent a rare stage in the evolution of massive stars. Their properties can provide unique constraints on the pre-supernova evolution of massive stars. This work presents the results of a quantitative spectroscopic analysis of the known single WO stars, with the aim to obtain the key stellar parameters and deduce their evolutionary state.X-Shooter spectra of the WO stars are modeled using the line-blanketed non-local thermal equilibrium atmosphere code cmfgen. The obtained stellar parameters show that the WO stars are very hot, with temperatures ranging from 150 kK to 210 kK. Their chemical composition is dominated by carbon (>50%), while the helium mass fraction is very low (down to 14%). Oxygen mass fractions reach as high as 25%. These properties can be reproduced with dedicated evolutionary models for helium stars, which show that the stars are post core-helium burning and very close to their eventual supernova explosion. The helium-star masses indicate initial masses or approximately 40 - 60M⊙.Thus, WO stars represent the final evolutionary stage of stars with estimated initial masses of 40 - 60M⊙. They are post core-helium burning and may explode as type Ic supernovae within a few thousand years. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87786 SP - 109 EP - 112 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rosslowe, C. K. A1 - Crowther, P. A. A1 - Clark, J. S. A1 - Negueruela, I. T1 - Physical properties of the WR stars in Westerlund 1 JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - The Westerlund 1 (Wd1) cluster hosts a rich and varied collection of massive stars. Its dynamical youth and the absence of ongoing star formation indicate a coeval population. As such, the simultaneous presence of both late-type supergiants and Wolf-Rayet stars has defied explanation in the context of single-star evolution. Observational evidence points to a high binary fraction, hence this stellar population offers a robust test for stellar models accounting for both single-star and binary evolution. We present an optical to near-IR (VLT & NTT) spectroscopic analysis of 22 WR stars in Wd 1, delivering physical properties for the WR stars. We discuss how these differ from the Galactic field population, and how they may be reconciled with the predictions of single and binary evolutionary models. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87779 SP - 105 EP - 108 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Neugent, K. F. A1 - Massey, P. A1 - Hillier, D. J. A1 - Morrell, N. I. T1 - The Discovery and Physical Parameterization of a New Type of Wolf-Rayet Star JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - As part of our ongoing Wolf-Rayet (WR) Magellanic Cloud survey, we have discovered 13 new WRs. However, the most exciting outcome of our survey is not the number of new WRs, but their unique characteristics. Eight of our discoveries appear to belong to an entirely new class of WRs. While one might naively classify these stars as WN3+O3V binaries, such a pairing is unlikely. Preliminary CMFGN modeling suggests physical parameters similar to early-type WNs in the Large Magellanic Cloud except with mass-loss rates three to five times lower and slightly higher temperatures. The evolution status of these stars remains an open question. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87766 SP - 101 EP - 104 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chené, A.-N. A1 - Wyrick, D. A1 - Borissova, J. A1 - Kuhn, M. A1 - Hervé, A. A1 - Ramírez Alegría, S. A1 - Bonatto, C. A1 - Bouret, J.-C. A1 - Kurtev, R. T1 - Improving distances to Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - Before GAIA improves the HIPPARCOS survey, direct determination of the distance via parallax is only possible for γ Vel, but the analysis of the cluster or association to which WR stars are associated can give distances with a 50% to a 10% accuracy. The list of Galactic clusters, associations and clusters/association candidates has grown significantly in the last decade with the numerous deep, high resolution surveys of the Milky Way. In this work, we revisit the fundamental parameters of known clusters with WR stars, and we present the search for new ones. All our work is based on the catalogs from the VVV (from the VISTA telescope) and the UKIDS (from the UKIRT telescope) near infrared surveys. Finally, the relations between the fundamental parameters of clusters with WR stars are explored. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87759 SP - 97 EP - 100 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer T1 - Wind models and spectral analyses JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - The emission-line dominated spectra of Wolf-Rayet stars are formed in expanding layers of their atmosphere, i.e. in their strong stellar wind. Adequate modeling of such spectra has to face a couple of difficulties. Because of the supersonic motion, the radiative transfer is preferably formulated in the co-moving frame. The strong deviations from local thermodynamical equilibrium (LTE) require to solve the equations of statistical equilibrium for the population numbers, accounting for many hundred atomic energy levels and thousands of line transitions. Moreover, millions of lines from iron-group elements must be taken into account for their blanketing effect. Model atmospheres of the described kind can reproduce the observed WR spectra satisfyingly, and have been widely applied for corresponding spectral analyses. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87748 SP - 91 EP - 96 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffman, J. L. A1 - Lomax, J. R. T1 - Structure and fate of binary WR stars BT - Clues from spectropolarimetry JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - Because most massive stars have been or will be affected by a companion during the course of their evolution, we cannot afford to neglect binaries when discussing the progenitors of supernovae and GRBs. Analyzing linear polarization in the emission lines of close binary systems allows us to probe the structures of these systems' winds and mass flows, making it possible to map the complex morphologies of the mass loss and mass transfer structures that shape their subsequent evolution. In Wolf-Rayet (WR) binaries, line polarization variations with orbital phase distinguish polarimetric signatures arising from lines that scatter near the stars from those that scatter far from the orbital plane. These far-scattering lines may form the basis for a "binary line-effect method" of identifying rapidly rotating WR stars (and hence GRB progenitor candidates) in binary systems. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87737 SP - 85 EP - 88 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aldoretta, E. J. A1 - St-Louis, N. A1 - Richardson, N. D. A1 - Moffat, Anthony F. J. A1 - Eversberg, T. A1 - Hill, G. M. T1 - The Results of the 2013 Pro-Am Wolf-Rayet Campaign JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - Professional and amateur astronomers around the world contributed to a 4-month long campaign in 2013, mainly in spectroscopy but also in photometry, interferometry and polarimetry, to observe the first 3 Wolf-Rayet stars discovered: WR 134 (WN6b), WR 135 (WC8) and WR 137 (WC7pd+O9). Each of these stars are interesting in their own way, showing a variety of stellar wind structures. The spectroscopic data from this campaign were reduced and analyzed for WR 134 in order to better understand its behavior and long-term periodicity in the context of CIRs in the wind. We will be presenting the results of these spectroscopic data, which include the confirmation of the CIR variability and a time-coherency of ∼ 40 days (half-life of ∼ 20 days). Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87713 SP - 75 EP - 78 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eversberg, T. A1 - Aldoretta, E. J. A1 - Knapen, J. H. A1 - Moffat, Anthony F. J. A1 - Morel, T. A1 - Ramiaramanantsoa, T. A1 - Rauw, G. A1 - Richardson, N. D. A1 - St-Louis, N. A1 - Teodoro, M. T1 - World-wide amateur observations BT - A viable future of massive star research JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - For some years now, spectroscopic measurements of massive stars in the amateur domain have been fulfilling professional requirements. Various groups in the northern and southern hemispheres have been established, running successful professional-amateur (ProAm) collaborative campaigns, e.g., on WR, O and B type stars. Today high quality data (echelle and long-slit) are regularly delivered and corresponding results published. Night-to-night long-term observations over months to years open a new opportunity for massive-star research. We introduce recent and ongoing sample campaigns (e.g. ∊ Aur, WR 134, ζ Pup), show respective results and highlight the vast amount of data collected in various data bases. Ultimately it is in the time-dependent domain where amateurs can shine most. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87705 SP - 71 EP - 74 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hillier, D. J. T1 - Spectrum formation in Wolf-Rayet stars JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - We highlight the basic physics that allows fundamental parameters, such as the effective temperature, luminosity, abundances, and mass-loss rate, of Wolf-Rayet (W-R) stars to be determined. Since the temperature deduced from the spectrum of a W-R star is an ionization temperature, a detailed discussion of the ionization structure of W-R winds, and how it is set, is given. We also provide an overview of line and continuum formation in W-R stars. Mechanisms that contribute to the strength of different emission lines, such as collisional excitation, radiative recombination, dielectronic recombination, and continuum uorescence, are discussed. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87669 SP - 65 EP - 70 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Srivastava, S. A1 - Kehrig, C. A1 - Kantharia, N. G. A1 - Pérez-Montero, E. A1 - Vílchez, J. M. A1 - Iglesias-Páramo, J. A1 - Janardhan, P. T1 - A 2D view of Wolf-Rayet Galaxies JF - Wolf-Rayet Stars : Proceedings of an International Workshop held in Potsdam, Germany, 1.–5. June 2015 N2 - The main objective of this work is to investigate the evolution of massive stars, and the interplay between them and the ionized gas for a sample of local metal-poor Wolf-Rayet galaxies. Optical integral field spectrocopy was used in combination with multi-wavelength radio data. Combining optical and radio data, we locate Wolf-Rayet stars and supernova remnants across the Wolf-Rayet galaxies to study the spatial correlation between them. This study will shed light on the massive star formation and its feedback, and will help us to better understand distant star-forming galaxies. Y1 - 2015 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87650 SP - 59 EP - 62 ER -