TY - JOUR A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Hainich, Rainer A1 - Gimenez-Garcia, Ana A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer T1 - On the consistent treatment of the quasi-hydrostatic layers in hot star atmospheres JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. Spectroscopic analysis remains the most common method to derive masses of massive stars, the most fundamental stellar parameter. While binary orbits and stellar pulsations can provide much sharper constraints on the stellar mass, these methods are only rarely applicable to massive stars. Unfortunately, spectroscopic masses of massive stars heavily depend on the detailed physics of model atmospheres. Aims. We demonstrate the impact of a consistent treatment of the radiative pressure on inferred gravities and spectroscopic masses of massive stars. Specifically, we investigate the contribution of line and continuum transitions to the photospheric radiative pressure. We further explore the effect of model parameters, e.g., abundances, on the deduced spectroscopic mass. Lastly, we compare our results with the plane-parallel TLUSTY code, commonly used for the analysis of massive stars with photospheric spectra. Methods. We calculate a small set of O-star models with the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) code using different approaches for the quasi-hydrostatic part. These models allow us to quantify the effect of accounting for the radiative pressure consistently. We further use PoWR models to show how the Doppler widths of line profiles and abundances of elements such as iron affect the radiative pressure, and, as a consequence, the derived spectroscopic masses. Results. Our study implies that errors on the order of a factor of two in the inferred spectroscopic mass are to be expected when neglecting the contribution of line and continuum transitions to the radiative acceleration in the photosphere. Usage of implausible microturbulent velocities, or the neglect of important opacity sources such as Fe, may result in errors of approximately 50% in the spectroscopic mass. A comparison with TLUSTY model atmospheres reveals a very good agreement with PoWR at the limit of low mass-loss rates. KW - stars: early-type KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: atmospheres KW - stars: fundamental parameters KW - stars: massive Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201425356 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 577 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Sander, Angelika A1 - Hainich, Rainer A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Quade, Markus A1 - Shenar, Tomer T1 - Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere grids for WN stars JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - We present new grids of Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmospheres for Wolf-Rayet stars of the nitrogen sequence (WN stars). The models have been calculated with the latest version of the PoWR stellar atmosphere code for spherical stellar winds. The WN model atmospheres include the non-LTE solutions of the statistical equations for complex model atoms, as well as the radiative transfer equation in the co-moving frame. Iron-line blanketing is treated with the help of the superlevel approach, while wind inhomogeneities are taken into account via optically thin clumps. Three of our model grids are appropriate for Galactic metallicity. The hydrogen mass fraction of these grids is 50%, 20%, and 0%, thus also covering the hydrogen-rich late-type WR stars that have been discovered in recent years. Three grids are adequate for LMC WN stars and have hydrogen fractions of 40%, 20%, and 0%. Recently, additional grids with SMC metallicity and with 60%, 40%, 20%, and 0% hydrogen have been added. We provide contour plots of the equivalent widths of spectral lines that are usually used for classification and diagnostics. KW - stars: evolution KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: Wolf-Rayet KW - stars: atmospheres KW - stars: massive Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201526253 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 579 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gimenez-Garcia, Angel A1 - Torrejon, Jose Miguel A1 - Eikmann, Wiebke A1 - Martinez-Nunez, Silvia A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Rodes-Roca, Jose Joaquin A1 - Bernabeu, Guillermo T1 - An XMM-Newton view of FeK alpha in high-mass X-ray binaries JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - We present a comprehensive analysis of the whole sample of available XMM-Newton observations of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) until August 2013, focusing on the FeK alpha emission line. This line is key to better understanding the physical properties of the material surrounding the X-ray source within a few stellar radii (the circumstellar medium). We collected observations from 46 HMXBs and detected FeK alpha in 21 of them. We used the standard classification of HMXBs to divide the sample into different groups. We find that (1) different classes of HMXBs display different qualitative behaviours in the FeK alpha spectral region. This is visible especially in SGXBs (showing ubiquitous Fe fluorescence but not recombination Fe lines) and in gamma Cass analogues (showing both fluorescent and recombination Fe lines). (2) FeK alpha is centred at a mean value of 6.42 keV. Considering the instrumental and fits uncertainties, this value is compatible with ionization states that are lower than Fe xviii. (3) The flux of the continuum is well correlated with the flux of the line, as expected. Eclipse observations show that the Fe fluorescence emission comes from an extended region surrounding the X-ray source. (4) We observe an inverse correlation between the X-ray luminosity and the equivalent width of FeK alpha (EW). This phenomenon is known as the X-ray Baldwin effect. (5) FeK alpha is narrow (sigma(line) < 0.15 keV), reflecting that the reprocessing material does not move at high speeds. We attempt to explain the broadness of the line in terms of three possible broadening phenomena: line blending, Compton scattering, and Doppler shifts (with velocities of the reprocessing material V similar to 1000 km s(-1)). (6) The equivalent hydrogen column (N-H) directly correlates to the EW of FeK alpha, displaying clear similarities to numerical simulations. It highlights the strong link between the absorbing and the fluorescent matter. (7) The observed NH in supergiant X-ray binaries (SGXBs) is in general higher than in supergiant fast X-ray transients (SFXTs). We suggest two possible explanations: different orbital configurations or a different interaction compact object - wind. (8) Finally, we analysed the sources IGR J16320-4751 and 4U 1700-37 in more detail, covering several orbital phases. The observed variation in NH between phases is compatible with the absorption produced by the wind of their optical companions. The results clearly point to a very important contribution of the donor's wind in the FeK alpha emission and the absorption when the donor is a supergiant massive star. KW - surveys KW - X-rays: binaries KW - binaries: general KW - circumstellar matter KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: early-type Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201425004 SN - 0004-6361 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 576 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Torrejon, Jose M. A1 - Schulz, Norbert S. A1 - Nowak, Michael A. A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Rodes-Roca, Jose J. A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Wilms, Jörn T1 - On the radial onset of clumping in the wind of the B0I massive star QV nor JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - We present an analysis of a 78 ks Chandra high-energy transmission gratings observation of the B0I star QV Nor, the massive donor of the wind-accreting pulsar 4U1538-52. The neutron star (NS) orbits its companion in a very close orbit (r < 1.4R(*), in units of the stellar radii), thereby allowing probing of the innermost wind regions. The flux of the Fe K alpha line during eclipse reduces to only similar to 30% of the flux measured out of eclipse. This indicates that the majority of Fe fluorescence must be produced in regions close to the NS, at distances smaller than 1R(*) from its surface. The fact that the flux of the continuum decreases to only similar to 3% during eclipse allows for a high contrast of the Fe Ka line fluorescence during eclipse. The line is not resolved and centered at lambda = 1.9368(-0.0018)(+0.0032) angstrom. From the inferred plasma speed limit of v < c Delta lambda/lambda < 800 km s(-1) and range of ionization parameters of log xi =[-1, 2], together with the stellar density profile, we constrain the location of the cold, dense material in the stellar wind of QV Nor using simple geometrical considerations. We then use the Fe K alpha line fluorescence as a tracer of wind clumps and determine that these clumps in the stellar wind of QV Nor (B0I) must already be present at radii r < 1.25R(*), close to the photosphere of the star. KW - stars: individual (QV Nor, 4U1538+52) KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - X-rays: binaries Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/810/2/102 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 810 IS - 2 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Toala, Jesús Alberto A1 - Guerrero, Martín A. A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Chu, Y.-H. A1 - Gruendl, R. A. A1 - Schönberner, Detlef A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Marquez-Lugo, R. A. A1 - Fang, X. A1 - Ramos-Larios, Gerardo T1 - The born-again Planetary nebula A78: an X-RAY twin of A30 JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - We present the XMM-Newton discovery of X-ray emission from the planetary nebula (PN) A78, the second born-again PN detected in X-rays apart from A30. These two PNe share similar spectral and morphological characteristics: they harbor diffuse soft X-ray emission associated with the interaction between the H-poor ejecta and the current fast stellar wind and a point-like source at the position of the central star (CSPN). We present the spectral analysis of the CSPN, using for the first time an NLTE code for expanding atmospheres that takes line blanketing into account for the UV and optical spectra. The wind abundances are used for the X-ray spectral analysis of the CSPN and the diffuse emission. The X-ray emission from the CSPN in A78 can be modeled by a single C VI emission line, while the X-ray emission from its diffuse component is better described by an optically thin plasma emission model with a temperature of kT = 0.088 keV (T approximate to 1.0 x 10(6) K). We estimate X-ray luminosities in the 0.2-2.0 keV energy band of L-X,L-CSPN =(1.2 +/- 0.3) x 10(31) erg s(-1) and L-X,L-DIFF =(9.2 +/- 2.3) x 10(30) erg s(-1) for the CSPN and diffuse components, respectively. KW - planetary nebulae: general KW - planetary nebulae: individual (A78) KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - X-rays: ISM Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/799/1/67 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 799 IS - 1 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Richardson, Noel D. A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Roy-Loubier, Olivier A1 - Schaefer, Gail A1 - Moffat, Anthony F. J. A1 - St-Louis, Nicole A1 - Gies, Douglas R. A1 - Farrington, Chris A1 - Hill, Grant M. A1 - Williams, Peredur M. A1 - Gordon, Kathryn A1 - Pablo, Herbert A1 - Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina T1 - The CHARA Array resolves the long-period Wolf-Rayet binaries WR 137 and WR 138 JF - Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society N2 - We report on interferometric observations with the CHARAArray of two classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in suspected binary systems, namely WR 137 and WR 138. In both cases, we resolve the component stars to be separated by a few milliarcseconds. The data were collected in the H band, and provide a measure of the fractional flux for both stars in each system. We find that the WR star is the dominant H-band light source in both systems (fWR, 137 = 0.59 +/- 0.04; fWR, 138 = 0.67 +/- 0.01), which is confirmed through both comparisons with estimated fundamental parameters for WR stars and O dwarfs, as well as through spectral modelling of each system. Our spectral modelling also provides fundamental parameters for the stars and winds in these systems. The results on WR 138 provide evidence that it is a binary system which may have gone through a previous mass-transfer episode to create the WR star. The separation and position of the stars in the WR 137 system together with previous results from the IOTA interferometer provides evidence that the binary is seen nearly edgeon. The possible edge-on orbit of WR 137 aligns well with the dust production site imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope during a previous periastron passage, showing that the dust production may be concentrated in the orbital plane. KW - binaries: visual KW - stars: individual: WR 137 KW - stars: individual: WR 138 KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: Wolf-Rayet Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1585 SN - 0035-8711 SN - 1365-2966 VL - 461 SP - 4115 EP - 4124 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gimenez-Garcia, Ana A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Torrejon, J. M. A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Martinez-Nunez, S. A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Rodes-Roca, J. J. A1 - González-Galan, A. A1 - Alonso-Santiago, J. A1 - González-Fernández, C. A1 - Bernabeu, Guillermo A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph T1 - Measuring the stellar wind parameters in IGR J17544-2619 and Vela X-1 constrains the accretion physics in supergiant fast X-ray transient and classical supergiant X-ray binaries JF - Siberian Mathematical Journal N2 - Aims. To close this gap, we perform a comparative analysis of the optical companion in two important systems: IGR J175442619 (SFXT) and Vela X-1 (SGXB). We analyze the spectra of each star in detail and derive their stellar and wind properties. As a next step, we compare the wind parameters, giving us an excellent chance of recognizing key differences between donor winds in SFXTs and SGXBs. Methods. We use archival infrared, optical and ultraviolet observations, and analyze them with the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. We derive the physical properties of the stars and their stellar winds, accounting for the influence of X-rays on the stellar winds. Results. We find that the stellar parameters derived from the analysis generally agree well with the spectral types of the two donors: O9I (IGR J17544-2619) and B0.5Iae (Vela X-1). The distance to the sources have been revised and also agree well with the estimations already available in the literature. In IGR J17544-2619 we are able to narrow the uncertainty to d = 3.0 +/- 0.2 kpc. From the stellar radius of the donor and its X-ray behavior, the eccentricity of IGR J17544-2619 is constrained to e < 0.25. The derived chemical abundances point to certain mixing during the lifetime of the donors. An important difference between the stellar winds of the two stars is their terminal velocities (v(infinity) = 1500 km s(-1) in IGR J17544-2619 and v(infinity) = 700 km s(-1) in Vela X-1), which have important consequences on the X-ray luminosity of these sources. Conclusions. The donors of IGR J17544-2619 and Vela X-1 have similar spectral types as well as similar parameters that physically characterize them and their spectra. In addition, the orbital parameters of the systems are similar too, with a nearly circular orbit and short orbital period. However, they show moderate differences in their stellar wind velocity and the spin period of their neutron star which has a strong impact on the X-ray luminosity of the sources. This specific combination of wind speed and pulsar spin favors an accretion regime with a persistently high luminosity in Vela X-1, while it favors an inhibiting accretion mechanism in IGR J17544-2619. Our study demonstrates that the relative wind velocity is critical in class determination for the HMXBs hosting a supergiant donor, given that it may shift the accretion mechanism from direct accretion to propeller regimes when combined with other parameters. KW - accretion, accretion disks KW - methods: observational KW - techniques: spectroscopic KW - stars: atmospheres KW - X-rays: binaries KW - stars: winds, outflows Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527551 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 591 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hamaguchi, K. A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Russell, C. M. P. A1 - Petre, R. A1 - Enoto, T. A1 - Morihana, K. A1 - Ishida, M. T1 - DISCOVERY OF RAPIDLY MOVING PARTIAL X-RAY ABSORBERS WITHIN GAMMA CASSIOPEIAE JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - detected six rapid X-ray spectral hardening events called "softness dips" in a similar to 100 ks observation in 2011. All the softness dip events show symmetric softness-ratio variations, and some of them have flat bottoms apparently due to saturation. The softness dip spectra are best described by either similar to 40% or similar to 70% partial covering absorption to kT similar to 12 keV plasma emission by matter with a neutral hydrogen column density of similar to(2-8) x 10(21) cm(-2), while the spectrum outside these dips is almost free of absorption. This result suggests the presence of two distinct X-ray-emitting spots in the.. Cas system, perhaps on a white dwarf (WD) companion with dipole mass accretion. The partial covering absorbers may be blobs in the Be stellar wind, the Be disk, or rotating around the WD companion. Weak correlations of the softness ratios to the hard X-ray flux suggest the presence of stable plasmas at kT similar to 0.9 and 5 keV, which may originate from the Be or WD winds. The formation of a Be star and WD binary system requires mass transfer between two stars; gamma Cas may have experienced such activity in the past. KW - blue stragglers KW - stars: emission-line, Be KW - stars: individual (gamma Cassiopeiae) KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - white dwarfs KW - X-rays: stars Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/832/2/140 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 832 SP - 33 EP - 49 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Toala, Jesús Alberto A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Gonzalez-Galan, Ana A1 - Guerrero, Martín A. A1 - Ignace, R. A1 - Pohl, Martin T1 - X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF BOW SHOCKS AROUND RUNAWAY O STARS. THE CASE OF zeta OPH AND BD+43 degrees 3654 JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - Non-thermal radiation has been predicted within bow shocks around runaway stars by recent theoretical works. We present X-ray observations toward the runaway stars zeta Oph by Chandra and Suzaku and of BD+43 degrees 3654 by XMM-Newton to search for the presence of non-thermal X-ray emission. We found no evidence of non-thermal emission spatially coincident with the bow shocks; nonetheless, diffuse emission was detected in the vicinity of zeta Oph. After a careful analysis of its spectral characteristics, we conclude that this emission has a thermal nature with a plasma temperature of T approximate to 2 x 10(6) K. The cometary shape of this emission seems to be in line with recent predictions of radiation-hydrodynamic models of runaway stars. The case of BD+43 degrees 3654 is puzzling, as non-thermal emission has been reported in a previous work for this source. KW - stars: individual (zeta Oph, BD+43 degrees 3654) KW - stars: winds, outflows Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/821/2/79 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 821 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grinberg, Victoria A1 - Hell, Natalie A1 - El Mellah, Ileyk A1 - Neilsen, Joseph A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph A1 - Leutenegger, Maurice A1 - Fürst, Felix A1 - Huenemoerder, David P. A1 - Kretschmar, Peter A1 - Kuehnel, Matthias A1 - Martinez-Nunez, Silvia A1 - Niu, Shu A1 - Pottschmidt, Katja A1 - Schulz, Norbert S. A1 - Wilms, Joern A1 - Nowak, Michael A. T1 - The clumpy absorber in the high-mass X-ray binary Vela X-1 JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Bright and eclipsing, the high-mass X-ray binary Vela X-1 offers a unique opportunity to study accretion onto a neutron star from clumpy winds of O/B stars and to disentangle the complex accretion geometry of these systems. In Chandra-HETGS spectroscopy at orbital phase similar to 0.25, when our line of sight towards the source does not pass through the large-scale accretion structure such as the accretion wake, we observe changes in overall spectral shape on timescales of a few kiloseconds. This spectral variability is, at least in part, caused by changes in overall absorption and we show that such strongly variable absorption cannot be caused by unperturbed clumpy winds of O/B stars. We detect line features from high and low ionization species of silicon, magnesium, and neon whose strengths and presence depend on the overall level of absorption. These features imply a co-existence of cool and hot gas phases in the system, which we interpret as a highly variable, structured accretion flow close to the compact object such as has been recently seen in simulations of wind accretion in high-mass X-ray binaries. KW - X-rays: individuals: Vela X-1 KW - X-rays: binaries KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: massive Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731843 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 608 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Munoz, Melissa A1 - Moffat, Anthony F. J. A1 - Hill, Grant M. A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Richardson, Noel D. A1 - Pablo, Herbert A1 - St-Louis, Nicole A1 - Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina T1 - WR 148: identifying the companion of an extreme runaway massive binary JF - Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society N2 - WR 148 (HD 197406) is an extreme runaway system considered to be a potential candidate for a short-period (4.3173 d) rare WR + compact object binary. Provided with new high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra from the Keck observatory, we determine the orbital parameters for both the primary WR and the secondary, yielding respective projected orbital velocity amplitudes of 88.1 ± 3.8 km s−1 and 79.2 ± 3.1 km s−1 and implying a mass ratio of 1.1 ± 0.1. We then apply the shift-and-add technique to disentangle the spectra and obtain spectra compatible with a WN7ha and an O4-6 star. Considering an orbital inclination of ∼67°, derived from previous polarimetry observations, the system's total mass would be a mere 2–3M⊙⁠, an unprecedented result for a putative massive binary system. However, a system comprising a 37M⊙ secondary (typical mass of an O5V star) and a 33M⊙ primary (given the mass ratio) would infer an inclination of ∼18°. We therefore reconsider the previous methods of deriving the orbital inclination based on time-dependent polarimetry and photometry. While the polarimetric results are inconclusive requiring better data, the photometric results favour low inclinations. Finally, we compute WR 148’s space velocity and retrace the runaway's trajectory back to the Galactic plane (GP). With an ejection velocity of 198 ± 27 km s−1 and a travel time of 4.7 ± 0.8 Myr to reach its current location, WR 148 was most likely ejected via dynamical interactions in a young cluster. KW - binaries: spectroscopic KW - stars: individual: WR 148 KW - stars: kinematics and dynamics KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: Wolf-Rayet Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw2283 SN - 0035-8711 SN - 1365-2966 VL - 467 SP - 3105 EP - 3121 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Hainich, Rainer A1 - Shenar, Tomer T1 - Coupling hydrodynamics with comoving frame radiative transfer I. A unified approach for OB and WR stars JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. For more than two decades, stellar atmosphere codes have been used to derive the stellar and wind parameters of massive stars. Although they have become a powerful tool and sufficiently reproduce the observed spectral appearance, they can hardly be used for more than measuring parameters. One major obstacle is their inconsistency between the calculated radiation field and the wind stratification due to the usage of prescribed mass-loss rates and wind-velocity fields. Aims. We present the concepts for a new generation of hydrodynamically consistent non-local thermodynamical equilibrium (nonLTE) stellar atmosphere models that allow for detailed studies of radiation-driven stellar winds. As a first demonstration, this new kind of model is applied to a massive O star. Methods. Based on earlier works, the PoWR code has been extended with the option to consistently solve the hydrodynamic equation together with the statistical equations and the radiative transfer in order to obtain a hydrodynamically consistent atmosphere stratification. In these models, the whole velocity field is iteratively updated together with an adjustment of the mass-loss rate. Results. The concepts for obtaining hydrodynamically consistent models using a comoving-frame radiative transfer are outlined. To provide a useful benchmark, we present a demonstration model, which was motivated to describe the well-studied O4 supergiant zeta Pup. The obtained stellar and wind parameters are within the current range of literature values. Conclusions. For the first time, the PoWR code has been used to obtain a hydrodynamically consistent model for a massive O star. This has been achieved by a profound revision of earlier concepts used for Wolf-Rayet stars. The velocity field is shaped by various elements contributing to the radiative acceleration, especially in the outer wind. The results further indicate that for more dense winds deviations from a standard beta-law occur. KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: early-type KW - stars: atmospheres KW - stars: fundamental parameters KW - stars: massive Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201730642 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 603 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sanjurjo-Ferrrin, G. A1 - Torrejon, J. M. A1 - Postnov, K. A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Rodes-Roca, J. J. A1 - Bernabeu, Guillermo T1 - XMM-Newton spectroscopy of the accreting magnetar candidate 4U0114+65 JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Methods. We analysed the energy-resolved light curve and the time-resolved X-ray spectra provided by the EPIC cameras on board XMM-Newton. We also analysed the first high-resolution spectrum of this source provided by the Reflection Grating Spectrometer. Results. An X-ray pulse of 9350 +/- 160 s was measured. Comparison with previous measurements confirms the secular spin up of this source. We successfully fit the pulse-phase-resolved spectra with Comptonisation models. These models imply a very small (r similar to 3 km) and hot (kT similar to 2-3 keV) emitting region and therefore point to a hot spot over the neutron star (NS) surface as the most reliable explanation for the X-ray pulse. The long NS spin period, the spin-up rate, and persistent X-ray emission can be explained within the theory of quasi-spherical settling accretion, which may indicate that the magnetic field is in the magnetar range. Thus, 4U0114+65 could be a wind-accreting magnetar. We also observed two episodes of low luminosity. The first was only observed in the low-energy light curve and can be explained as an absorption by a large over-dense structure in the wind of the B1 supergiant donor. The second episode, which was deeper and affected all energies, may be due to temporal cessation of accretion onto one magnetic pole caused by non-spherical matter capture from the structured stellar wind. The light curve displays two types of dips that are clearly seen during the high-flux intervals. The short dips, with durations of tens of seconds, are produced through absorption by wind clumps. The long dips, in turn, seem to be associated with the rarefied interclump medium. From the analysis of the X-ray spectra, we found evidence of emission lines in the X-ray photoionised wind of the B1Ia donor. The Fe K alpha line was found to be highly variable and much weaker than in other X-ray binaries with supergiant donors. The degree of wind clumping, measured through the covering fraction, was found to be much lower than in supergiant donor stars with earlier spectral types. Conclusions. The XMM-Newton spectroscopy provided further support for the magnetar nature of the neutron star in 4U0114+65. The light curve presents dips that can be associated with clumps and the interclump medium in the stellar wind of the mass donor. KW - X-rays: binaries KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - pulsars: individual: 4U0114+65 Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201630119 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 606 SP - 4039 EP - 4042 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Huenemoerder, D. P. A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph A1 - Ignace, R. A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Hainich, Rainer T1 - On the Binary Nature of Massive Blue Hypergiants: High-resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy Suggests That Cyg OB2 12 is a Colliding Wind Binary JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - The blue hypergiant Cyg OB2 12 (B3Ia(+)) is a representative member of the class of very massive stars in a poorly understood evolutionary stage. We obtained its high-resolution X-ray spectrum using the Chandra observatory. PoWR model atmospheres were calculated to provide realistic wind opacities and to establish the wind density structure. We find that collisional de-excitation is the dominant mechanism depopulating the metastable upper levels of the forbidden lines of the He-like ions Si XIV and Mg XII. Comparison between the model and observations reveals that X-ray emission is produced in a dense plasma, which could reside only at the photosphere or in a colliding wind zone between binary components. The observed X-ray spectra are well-fitted by thermal plasma models, with average temperatures in excess of 10 MK. The wind speed in Cyg OB2 12 is not high enough to power such high temperatures, but the collision of two winds in a binary system can be sufficient. We used archival data to investigate the X-ray properties of other blue hypergiants. In general, stars of this class are not detected as X-ray sources. We suggest that our new Chandra observations of Cyg OB2 12 can be best explained if Cyg OB2 12 is a colliding wind binary possessing a late O-type companion. This makes Cyg OB2 12 only the second binary system among the 16 known Galactic hypergiants. This low binary fraction indicates that the blue hypergiants are likely products of massive binary evolution during which they either accreted a significant amount of mass or already merged with their companions. KW - stars: individual (Cyg OB2 12) KW - stars: massive KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - supergiants KW - X-rays: stars Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa7e79 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 845 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramachandran, Varsha A1 - Hainich, Rainer A1 - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Shenar, T. A1 - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph A1 - Todt, Helge Tobias A1 - Gallagher, John S. T1 - Stellar population of the superbubble N206 in the LMC I. Analysis of the Of-type stars JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. Massive stars severely influence their environment by their strong ionizing radiation and by the momentum and kinetic energy input provided by their stellar winds and supernovae. Quantitative analyses of massive stars are required to understand how their feedback creates and shapes large scale structures of the interstellar medium. The giant H II region N206 in the Large Magellanic Cloud contains an OB association that powers a superbubble filled with hot X-ray emitting gas, serving as an ideal laboratory in this context. Aims. We aim to estimate stellar and wind parameters of all OB stars in N206 by means of quantitative spectroscopic analyses. In this first paper, we focus on the nine Of-type stars located in this region. We determine their ionizing flux and wind mechanical energy. The analysis of nitrogen abundances in our sample probes rotational mixing. Methods. We obtained optical spectra with the multi-object spectrograph FLAMES at the ESO-VLT. When possible, the optical spectroscopy was complemented by UV spectra from the HST, IUE, and FUSE archives. Detailed spectral classifications are presented for our sample Of-type stars. For the quantitative spectroscopic analysis we used the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet model atmosphere code. We determined the physical parameters and nitrogen abundances of our sample stars by fitting synthetic spectra to the observations. Results. The stellar and wind parameters of nine Of-type stars, which are largely derived from spectral analysis are used to construct wind momentum luminosity relationship. We find that our sample follows a relation close to the theoretical prediction, assuming clumped winds. The most massive star in the N206 association is an Of supergiant that has a very high mass-loss rate. Two objects in our sample reveal composite spectra, showing that the Of primaries have companions of late O subtype. All stars in our sample have an evolutionary age of less than 4 million yr, with the O2-type star being the youngest. All these stars show a systematic discrepancy between evolutionary and spectroscopic masses. All stars in our sample are nitrogen enriched. Nitrogen enrichment shows a clear correlation with increasing projected rotational velocities. Conclusions. The mechanical energy input from the Of stars alone is comparable to the energy stored in the N206 superbubble as measured from the observed X-ray and H alpha emission. KW - stars: early-type KW - Magellanic Clouds KW - stars: atmospheres KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: massive Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731093 SN - 1432-0746 SN - 0004-6361 VL - 609 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Toala, Jesús Alberto A1 - Oskinova, Lida A1 - Ignace, R. T1 - On the Absence of Non-thermal X-Ray Emission around Runaway O Stars JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics ; Part 2, Letters N2 - Theoretical models predict that the compressed interstellar medium around runaway O stars can produce highenergy non-thermal diffuse emission, in particular, non-thermal X-ray and gamma-ray emission. So far, detection of nonthermal X-ray emission was claimed for only one runaway star, AE Aur. We present a search for non-thermal diffuse X-ray emission from bow shocks using archived XMM-Newton observations for a clean sample of six welldetermined runaway O stars. We find that none of these objects present diffuse X-ray emission associated with their bow shocks, similarly to previous X-ray studies toward. zeta ph and BD+ 43 degrees 3654. We carefully investigated multi-wavelength observations of AE Aur and could not confirm previous findings of non-thermal X-rays. We conclude that so far there is no clear evidence of non-thermal extended emission in bow shocks around runaway O stars. KW - stars: massive KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - X-rays: ISM Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa667c SN - 2041-8205 SN - 2041-8213 VL - 838 SP - 1 EP - 32 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ramiaramanantsoa, Tahina A1 - Moffat, Anthony F. J. A1 - Harmon, Robert A1 - Ignace, R. A1 - St-Louis, Nicole A1 - Vanbeveren, Dany A1 - Shenar, Tomer A1 - Pablo, Herbert A1 - Richardson, Noel D. A1 - Howarth, Ian D. A1 - Stevens, Ian R. A1 - Piaulet, Caroline A1 - St-Jean, Lucas A1 - Eversberg, Thomas A1 - Pigulski, Andrzej A1 - Popowicz, Adam A1 - Kuschnig, Rainer A1 - Zoclonska, Elzbieta A1 - Buysschaert, Bram A1 - Handler, Gerald A1 - Weiss, Werner W. A1 - Wade, Gregg A. A1 - Rucinski, Slavek M. A1 - Zwintz, Konstanze A1 - Luckas, Paul A1 - Heathcote, Bernard A1 - Cacella, Paulo A1 - Powles, Jonathan A1 - Locke, Malcolm A1 - Bohlsen, Terry A1 - Chené, André-Nicolas A1 - Miszalski, Brent A1 - Waldron, Wayne L. A1 - Kotze, Marissa M. A1 - Kotze, Enrico J. A1 - Böhm, Torsten T1 - BRITE-Constellation high-precision time-dependent photometry of the early O-type supergiant zeta Puppis unveils the photospheric drivers of its small- and large-scale wind structures JF - Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society N2 - From 5.5 months of dual-band optical photometric monitoring at the 1 mmag level, BRITE-Constellation has revealed two simultaneous types of variability in the O4I(n)fp star ζ Puppis: one single periodic non-sinusoidal component superimposed on a stochastic component. The monoperiodic component is the 1.78-d signal previously detected by Coriolis/Solar Mass Ejection Imager, but this time along with a prominent first harmonic. The shape of this signal changes over time, a behaviour that is incompatible with stellar oscillations but consistent with rotational modulation arising from evolving bright surface inhomogeneities. By means of a constrained non-linear light-curve inversion algorithm, we mapped the locations of the bright surface spots and traced their evolution. Our simultaneous ground-based multisite spectroscopic monitoring of the star unveiled cyclical modulation of its He ii λ4686 wind emission line with the 1.78-d rotation period, showing signatures of corotating interaction regions that turn out to be driven by the bright photospheric spots observed by BRITE. Traces of wind clumps are also observed in the He ii λ4686 line and are correlated with the amplitudes of the stochastic component of the light variations probed by BRITE at the photosphere, suggesting that the BRITE observations additionally unveiled the photospheric drivers of wind clumps in ζ Pup and that the clumping phenomenon starts at the very base of the wind. The origins of both the bright surface inhomogeneities and the stochastic light variations remain unknown, but a subsurface convective zone might play an important role in the generation of these two types of photospheric variability. KW - techniques: photometric KW - techniques: spectroscopic KW - stars: massive KW - stars: rotation KW - starspots KW - supergiants KW - stars: winds, outflows Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2671 SN - 0035-8711 SN - 1365-2966 VL - 473 IS - 4 SP - 5532 EP - 5569 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sanchez-Ayaso, María de la Estrella A1 - del Valle, Maria Victoria A1 - Marti, Josep A1 - Romero, G. E. A1 - Luque-Escamilla, Pedro Luis T1 - Possible association of two Stellar Bowshocks with Unidentified Fermi Sources JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - The bowshocks of runaway stars had been theoretically proposed as gamma-ray sources. However, this hypothesis has not been confirmed by observations to date. In this paper, we present two runaway stars (lambda Cep and LS 2355) whose bowshocks are coincident with the unidentified Fermi gamma-ray sources 3FLG J2210.1+5925 and 3FGL J1128.7-6232, respectively. After performing a cross-correlation between different catalogs at distinct wavelengths, we found that these bowshocks are the most peculiar objects in the Fermi position ellipses. Then we computed the inverse Compton emission and fitted the Fermi data in order to test the viability of both runaway stars as potential counterparts of the two high-energy sources. We obtained very reasonable values for the fitted parameters of both stars. We also evaluated the possibility for the source 3FGL J1128.7-6232, which is positionally coincident with a H II region, to be the result of background cosmic-ray protons interacting with the matter of the cloud, as well as the probability of a pure chance association. We conclude that the gamma rays from these Fermi sources might be produced in the bowshocks of the considered runaway stars. In such a case, these would be the first sources of this class ever detected at gamma rays. KW - stars: winds, outflows Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aac7c7 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 861 IS - 1 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kurfürst, P. A1 - Feldmeier, Achim A1 - Krticka, Jiri T1 - Two-dimensional modeling of density and thermal structure of dense circumstellar outflowing disks JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - Context. Evolution of massive stars is affected by a significant loss of mass either via (nearly) spherically symmetric stellar winds or by aspherical mass-loss mechanisms, namely the outflowing equatorial disks. However, the scenario that leads to the formation of a disk or rings of gas and dust around massive stars is still under debate. It is also unclear how various forming physical mechanisms of the circumstellar environment affect its shape and density, as well as its kinematic and thermal structure. Results. Our models show the geometric distribution and contribution of viscous heating that begins to dominate in the central part of the disk for mass-loss rates higher than (M) over dot greater than or similar to 10(-10) M-circle dot yr(-1). In the models of dense viscous disks with (M) over dot > 10(-8) M-circle dot yr(-1), the viscosity increases the central temperature up to several tens of thousands of Kelvins, however the temperature rapidly drops with radius and with distance from the disk midplane. The high mass-loss rates and high viscosity lead to instabilities with significant waves or bumps in density and temperature in the very inner disk region. Conclusions. The two-dimensional radial-vertical models of dense outflowing disks including the full Navier-Stokes viscosity terms show very high temperatures that are however limited to only the central disk cores inside the optically thick area, while near the edge of the optically thick region the temperature may be low enough for the existence of neutral hydrogen, for example. KW - stars: massive KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: evolution KW - stars: rotation KW - hydrodynamics Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731300 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 613 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krticka, Jiri A1 - Feldmeier, Achim T1 - Light variations due to the line-driven wind instability and wind blanketing in O stars JF - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal N2 - A small fraction of the radiative flux emitted by hot stars is absorbed by their winds and redistributed towards longer wavelengths. This effect, which leads also to the heating of the stellar photosphere, is termed wind blanketing. For stars with variable winds, the effect of wind blanketing may lead to the photometric variability. We have studied the consequences of line driven wind instability and wind blanketing for the light variability of O stars. We combined the results of wind hydrodynamic simulations and of global wind models to predict the light variability of hot stars due to the wind blanketing and instability. The wind instability causes stochastic light variability with amplitude of the order of tens of millimagnitudes and a typical timescale of the order of hours for spatially coherent wind structure. The amplitude is of the order of millimagnitudes when assuming that the wind consists of large number of independent concentric cones. The variability with such amplitude is observable using present space borne photometers. We show that the simulated light curve is similar to the light curves of O stars obtained using BRITE and CoRoT satellites. KW - stars: winds, outflows KW - stars: mass-loss KW - stars: early-type KW - stars: variables: general KW - hydrodynamics Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731614 SN - 1432-0746 VL - 617 PB - EDP Sciences CY - Les Ulis ER -