TY  - JOUR
A1  - Abdalla, Hassan E.
A1  - Aharonian, Felix A.
A1  - Benkhali, F. Ait
A1  - Angüner, Ekrem Oǧuzhan
A1  - Arakawa, M.
A1  - Arcaro, C.
A1  - Armand, C.
A1  - Backes, M.
A1  - Barnard, M.
A1  - Becherini, Y.
A1  - Berge, D.
A1  - Bernloehr, K.
A1  - Blackwell, R.
A1  - Bottcher, M.
A1  - Boisson, C.
A1  - Bolmont, J.
A1  - Bonnefoy, S.
A1  - Bregeon, J.
A1  - Brun, F.
A1  - Brun, P.
A1  - Bryan, M.
A1  - Buechele, M.
A1  - Bulik, T.
A1  - Bylund, T.
A1  - Capasso, M.
A1  - Caroff, S.
A1  - Carosi, A.
A1  - Casanova, Sabrina
A1  - Cerruti, M.
A1  - Chakraborty, N.
A1  - Chand, T.
A1  - Chandra, S.
A1  - Chaves, R. C. G.
A1  - Chen, A.
A1  - Colafrancesco, S.
A1  - Condon, B.
A1  - Davids, I. D.
A1  - Deil, C.
A1  - Devin, J.
A1  - deWilt, P.
A1  - Dirson, L.
A1  - Djannati-Atai, A.
A1  - Dmytriiev, A.
A1  - Donath, A.
A1  - Doroshenko, V
A1  - Dyks, J.
A1  - Egberts, Kathrin
A1  - Emery, G.
A1  - Ernenwein, J-P
A1  - Eschbach, S.
A1  - Feijen, K.
A1  - Fegan, S.
A1  - Fiasson, A.
A1  - Fontaine, G.
A1  - Funk, S.
A1  - Fuessling, M.
A1  - Gabici, S.
A1  - Gallant, Y. A.
A1  - Gate, F.
A1  - Giavitto, G.
A1  - Glawion, D.
A1  - Glicenstein, J. F.
A1  - Gottschall, D.
A1  - Grondin, M-H
A1  - Hahn, J.
A1  - Haupt, M.
A1  - Heinzelmann, G.
A1  - Henri, G.
A1  - Hermann, G.
A1  - Hinton, James Anthony
A1  - Hofmann, W.
A1  - Hoischen, Clemens
A1  - Holch, Tim Lukas
A1  - Holler, M.
A1  - Horns, D.
A1  - Huber, D.
A1  - Iwasaki, H.
A1  - Jacholkowska, A.
A1  - Jamrozy, M.
A1  - Jankowsky, D.
A1  - Jankowsky, F.
A1  - Jouvin, L.
A1  - Jung-Richardt, I
A1  - Kastendieck, M. A.
A1  - Katarzynski, K.
A1  - Katsuragawa, M.
A1  - Katz, U.
A1  - Khangulyan, D.
A1  - Khelifi, B.
A1  - King, J.
A1  - Klepser, S.
A1  - Kluzniak, W.
A1  - Komin, Nu
A1  - Kosack, K.
A1  - Kostunin, D.
A1  - Kraus, M.
A1  - Lamanna, G.
A1  - Lau, J.
A1  - Lemiere, A.
A1  - Lemoine-Goumard, M.
A1  - Lenain, J-P
A1  - Leser, Eva
A1  - Lohse, T.
A1  - Lopez-Coto, R.
A1  - Lypova, I
A1  - Malyshev, D.
A1  - Marandon, V
A1  - Marcowith, Alexandre
A1  - Mariaud, C.
A1  - Marti-Devesa, G.
A1  - Marx, R.
A1  - Maurin, G.
A1  - Maxted, N.
A1  - Meintjes, P. J.
A1  - Mitchell, A. M. W.
A1  - Moderski, R.
A1  - Mohamed, M.
A1  - Mohrmann, L.
A1  - Moore, C.
A1  - Moulin, Emmanuel
A1  - Murach, T.
A1  - Nakashima, S.
A1  - de Naurois, M.
A1  - Ndiyavala, H.
A1  - Niederwanger, F.
A1  - Niemiec, J.
A1  - Oakes, L.
A1  - Odaka, H.
A1  - Ohm, S.
A1  - Wilhelmi, E. de Ona
A1  - Ostrowski, M.
A1  - Oya, I
A1  - Panter, M.
A1  - Parsons, R. D.
A1  - Perennes, C.
A1  - Petrucci, P-O
A1  - Peyaud, B.
A1  - Piel, Q.
A1  - Pita, S.
A1  - Poireau, V
A1  - Noel, A. Priyana
A1  - Prokhorov, D. A.
A1  - Prokoph, H.
A1  - Puehlhofer, G.
A1  - Punch, M.
A1  - Quirrenbach, A.
A1  - Raab, S.
A1  - Rauth, R.
A1  - Reimer, A.
A1  - Reimer, O.
A1  - Renaud, M.
A1  - Rieger, F.
A1  - Rinchiuso, L.
A1  - Romoli, C.
A1  - Rowell, G.
A1  - Rudak, B.
A1  - Ruiz-Velasco, E.
A1  - Sahakian, V
A1  - Saito, S.
A1  - Sanchez, David M.
A1  - Santangelo, Andrea
A1  - Sasaki, M.
A1  - Schlickeiser, R.
A1  - Schussler, F.
A1  - Schulz, A.
A1  - Schutte, H.
A1  - Schwanke, U.
A1  - Schwemmer, S.
A1  - Seglar-Arroyo, M.
A1  - Senniappan, M.
A1  - Seyffert, A. S.
A1  - Shafi, N.
A1  - Shilon, I
A1  - Shiningayamwe, K.
A1  - Simoni, R.
A1  - Sinha, A.
A1  - Sol, H.
A1  - Specovius, A.
A1  - Spir-Jacob, M.
A1  - Stawarz, L.
A1  - Steenkamp, R.
A1  - Stegmann, Christian
A1  - Steppa, Constantin Beverly
A1  - Takahashi, T.
A1  - Tavernet, J-P
A1  - Tavernier, T.
A1  - Taylor, A. M.
A1  - Terrier, R.
A1  - Tibaldo, Luigi
A1  - Tiziani, D.
A1  - Tluczykont, M.
A1  - Trichard, C.
A1  - Tsirou, M.
A1  - Tsuji, N.
A1  - Tuffs, R.
A1  - Uchiyama, Y.
A1  - van der Walt, D. J.
A1  - van Eldik, C.
A1  - van Rensburg, C.
A1  - van Soelen, B.
A1  - Vasileiadis, G.
A1  - Veh, J.
A1  - Venter, C.
A1  - Vincent, P.
A1  - Vink, J.
A1  - Voisin, F.
A1  - Voelk, H. J.
A1  - Vuillaume, T.
A1  - Wadiasingh, Z.
A1  - Wagner, S. J.
A1  - White, R.
A1  - Wierzcholska, A.
A1  - Yang, R.
A1  - Yoneda, H.
A1  - Zaborov, D.
A1  - Zacharias, M.
A1  - Zanin, R.
A1  - Zdziarski, A. A.
A1  - Zech, Alraune
A1  - Ziegler, A.
A1  - Zorn, J.
A1  - Zywucka, N.
T1  - H.E.S.S. and Suzaku observations of the Vela X pulsar wind nebula
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. Pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe) represent the most prominent population of Galactic very-high-energy gamma-ray sources and are thought to be an efficient source of leptonic cosmic rays. Vela X is a nearby middle-aged PWN, which shows bright X-ray and TeV gamma-ray emission towards an elongated structure called the cocoon. Aims. Since TeV emission is likely inverse-Compton emission of electrons, predominantly from interactions with the cosmic microwave background, while X-ray emission is synchrotron radiation of the same electrons, we aim to derive the properties of the relativistic particles and of magnetic fields with minimal modelling. Methods. We used data from the Suzaku XIS to derive the spectra from three compact regions in Vela X covering distances from 0.3 to 4 pc from the pulsar along the cocoon. We obtained gamma-ray spectra of the same regions from H.E.S.S. observations and fitted a radiative model to the multi-wavelength spectra. Results. The TeV electron spectra and magnetic field strengths are consistent within the uncertainties for the three regions, with energy densities of the order 10(-12) erg cm(-3). The data indicate the presence of a cutoff in the electron spectrum at energies of similar to 100 TeV and a magnetic field strength of similar to 6 mu G. Constraints on the presence of turbulent magnetic fields are weak. Conclusions. The pressure of TeV electrons and magnetic fields in the cocoon is dynamically negligible, requiring the presence of another dominant pressure component to balance the pulsar wind at the termination shock. Sub-TeV electrons cannot completely account for the missing pressure, which may be provided either by relativistic ions or from mixing of the ejecta with the pulsar wind. The electron spectra are consistent with expectations from transport scenarios dominated either by advection via the reverse shock or by diffusion, but for the latter the role of radiative losses near the termination shock needs to be further investigated in the light of the measured cutoff energies. Constraints on turbulent magnetic fields and the shape of the electron cutoff can be improved by spectral measurements in the energy range greater than or similar to 10 keV.
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - gamma rays: stars
KW  - radiation mechanisms: non-thermal
KW  - acceleration of particles
KW  - pulsars: individual: PSR B0833-45
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201935458
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 627
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Aguilera-Dena, David R.
A1  - Langer, Norbert
A1  - Antoniadis, John
A1  - Pauli, Daniel
A1  - Dessart, Luc
A1  - Vigna-Gómez, Alejandro
A1  - Gräfener, Götz
A1  - Yoon, Sung-Chul
T1  - Stripped-envelope stars in different metallicity environments: I. Evolutionary phases, classification, and populations
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics
N2  - Massive stars that become stripped of their hydrogen envelope through binary interaction or winds can be observed either as Wolf-Rayet stars, if they have optically thick winds, or as transparent-wind stripped-envelope stars. We approximate their evolution through evolutionary models of single helium stars, and compute detailed model grids in the initial mass range 1.5-70 M. for metallicities between 0.01 and 0.04, from core helium ignition until core collapse. Throughout their lifetimes some stellar models expose the ash of helium burning. We propose that models that have nitrogen-rich envelopes are candidate WN stars, while models with a carbon-rich surface are candidate WC stars during core helium burning, and WO stars afterwards. We measure the metallicity dependence of the total lifetimes of our models and the duration of their evolutionary phases. We propose an analytic estimate of the wind's optical depth to distinguish models of Wolf-Rayet stars from transparent-wind stripped-envelope stars, and find that the luminosity ranges at which WN-, WC-, and WO-type stars can exist is a strong function of metallicity. We find that all carbon-rich models produced in our grids have optically thick winds and match the luminosity distribution of observed populations. We construct population models and predict the numbers of transparent-wind stripped-envelope stars and Wolf-Rayet stars, and derive their number ratios at different metallicities. We find that as metallicity increases, the number of transparent-wind stripped-envelope stars decreases and the number of Wolf-Rayet stars increases. At high metallicities WC- and WO-type stars become more common. We apply our population models to nearby galaxies, and find that populations are more sensitive to the transition luminosity between Wolf-Rayet stars and transparent-wind helium stars than to the metallicity-dependent mass loss rates.
KW  - stars: massive
KW  - stars: Wolf-Rayet
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - binaries: general
KW  - supernovae: general
Y1  - 2022
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202142895
SN  - 0004-6361
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 661
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - del Valle, Maria Victoria
A1  - Pohl, Martin
T1  - Nonthermal emission from Stellar Bow Shocks
JF  - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics
N2  - Since the detection of nonthermal radio emission from the bow shock of the massive runaway star BD +43 degrees 3654, simple models have predicted high-energy emission, at X-rays and gamma-rays, from these Galactic sources. Observational searches for this emission so far give no conclusive evidence but a few candidates at gamma-rays. In this work we aim at developing a more sophisticated model for the nonthermal emission from massive runaway star bow shocks. The main goal is to establish whether these systems are efficient nonthermal emitters, even if they are not strong enough yet to be detected. For modeling the collision between the stellar wind and the interstellar medium we use 2D hydrodynamic simulations. We then adopt the flow profile of the wind and the ambient medium obtained with the simulation as the plasma state for solving the transport of energetic particles injected in the system, as well as the nonthermal emission they produce. For this purpose we solve a 3D (two spatial vertical bar energy) advection-diffusion equation in the test-particle approximation. We find that a massive runaway star with a powerful wind converts 0.16%-0.4% of the power injected in electrons into nonthermal emission, mostly produced by inverse Compton scattering of dust-emitted photons by relativistic electrons, and second by synchrotron radiation. This represents a fraction of similar to 10(-5) to 10(-4) of the wind kinetic power. Given the better sensibility of current instruments at radio wavelengths, these systems are more prone to be detected at radio through the synchrotron emission they produce rather than at gamma energies.
KW  - gamma-rays: stars
KW  - hydrodynamics
KW  - radiation mechanisms: nonthermal
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aad333
SN  - 0004-637X
SN  - 1538-4357
VL  - 864
IS  - 1
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - El Mellah, Ileyk
A1  - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph
A1  - Sundqvist, Jon Olof
A1  - Keppens, Rony
T1  - Formation of wind-captured disks in supergiant X-ray binaries Consequences for Vela X-1 and Cygnus X-1
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. In supergiant X-ray binaries (SgXB), a compact object captures a fraction of the wind of an O/B supergiant on a close orbit. Proxies exist to evaluate the efficiency of mass and angular momentum accretion, but they depend so dramatically on the wind speed that given the current uncertainties, they only set loose constraints. Furthermore, these proxies often bypass the impact of orbital and shock effects on the flow structure. Aims. We study the wind dynamics and angular momentum gained as the flow is accreted. We identify the conditions for the formation of a disk-like structure around the accretor and the observational consequences for SgXB. Methods. We used recent results on the wind launching mechanism to compute 3D streamlines, accounting for the gravitational and X-ray ionizing influence of the compact companion on the wind. Once the flow enters the Roche lobe of the accretor, we solved the hydrodynamics equations with cooling. Results. A shocked region forms around the accretor as the flow is beamed. For wind speeds on the order of the orbital speed, the shock is highly asymmetric compared to the axisymmetric bow shock obtained for a purely planar homogeneous flow. With net radiative cooling, the flow always circularizes for sufficiently low wind speeds. Conclusions. Although the donor star does not fill its Roche lobe, the wind can be significantly beamed and bent by the orbital effects. The net angular momentum of the accreted flow is then sufficient to form a persistent disk-like structure. This mechanism could explain the proposed limited outer extension of the accretion disk in Cygnus X-1 and suggests the presence of a disk at the outer rim of the neutron star magnetosphere in Vela X-1 and has dramatic consequences on the spinning up of the accretor.
KW  - accretion, accretion disks
KW  - X-rays: binaries
KW  - stars: black holes
KW  - stars: neutron
KW  - supergiants
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834498
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 622
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Gimenez-Garcia, Ana
A1  - Shenar, Tomer
A1  - Torrejon, J. M.
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
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  - Gimenez-Garcia, Angel
A1  - Torrejon, Jose Miguel
A1  - Eikmann, Wiebke
A1  - Martinez-Nunez, Silvia
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
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  - 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  - Guerrero, Martín A.
A1  - Ruiz, N.
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
A1  - Chu, Y.-H.
A1  - Todt, Helge Tobias
A1  - Schönberner, Detlef
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
A1  - Gründl, R. A.
A1  - Steffen, M.
A1  - Blair, William P.
A1  - Toala, Jesús Alberto
T1  - Rebirth of X-Ray emission from the born-again planetary Nebula A30
JF  - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics
N2  - The planetary nebula A30 is believed to have undergone a very late thermal pulse resulting in the ejection of knots of hydrogen-poor material. Using multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope images, we have detected the angular expansion of these knots and derived an age of 850(-150)(+280) yr. To investigate the spectral and spatial properties of the soft X-ray emission detected by ROSAT, we have obtained Chandra and XMM-Newton deep observations of A30. The X-ray emission from A30 can be separated into two components: a point source at the central star and diffuse emission associated with the hydrogen-poor knots and the cloverleaf structure inside the nebular shell. To help us assess the role of the current stellar wind in powering this X-ray emission, we have determined the stellar parameters and wind properties of the central star of A30 using a non-LTE model fit to its optical and UV spectra. The spatial distribution and spectral properties of the diffuse X-ray emission are highly suggestive that it is generated by the post-born-again and present fast stellar winds interacting with the hydrogen-poor ejecta of the born-again event. This emission can be attributed to shock-heated plasma, as the hydrogen-poor knots are ablated by the stellar winds, under which circumstances the efficient mass loading of the present fast stellar wind raises its density and damps its velocity to produce the observed diffuse soft X-rays. Charge transfer reactions between the ions of the stellar winds and material of the born-again ejecta have also been considered as a possible mechanism for the production of diffuse X-ray emission, and upper limits on the expected X-ray production by this mechanism have been derived. The origin of the X-ray emission from the central star of A30 is puzzling: shocks in the present fast stellar wind and photospheric emission can be ruled out, while the development of a new, compact hot bubble confining the fast stellar wind seems implausible.
KW  - planetary nebulae: general
KW  - planetary nebulae: individual (A30)
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - X-rays: ISM
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/755/2/129
SN  - 0004-637X
VL  - 755
IS  - 2
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hainich, Rainer
A1  - Pasemann, Diana
A1  - Todt, Helge Tobias
A1  - Shenar, Tomer
A1  - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
T1  - Wolf-Rayet stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud I. Analysis of the single WN stars
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars have a severe impact on their environments owing to their strong ionizing radiation fields and powerful stellar winds. Since these winds are considered to be driven by radiation pressure, it is theoretically expected that the degree of the wind mass-loss depends on the initial metallicity of WR stars.
 Aims. Following our comprehensive studies of WR stars in the Milky Way, M31, and the LMC, we derive stellar parameters and mass-loss rates for all seven putatively single WN stars known in the SMC. Based on these data, we discuss the impact of a low-metallicity environment on the mass loss and evolution of WR stars.
 Methods. The quantitative analysis of the WN stars is performed with the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. The physical properties of our program stars are obtained from fitting synthetic spectra to multi-band observations.
 Results. In all SMC WN stars, a considerable surface hydrogen abundance is detectable. The majority of these objects have stellar temperatures exceeding 75 kK, while their luminosities range from 10(5.5) to 10(6.1) L-circle dot. The WN stars in the SMC exhibit on average lower mass-loss rates and weaker winds than their counterparts in the Milky Way, M31, and the LMC.
 Conclusions. By comparing the mass-loss rates derived for WN stars in different Local Group galaxies, we conclude that a clear dependence of the wind mass-loss on the initial metallicity is evident, supporting the current paradigm that WR winds are driven by radiation. A metallicity effect on the evolution of massive stars is obvious from the HRD positions of the SMC WN stars at high temperatures and high luminosities. Standard evolution tracks are not able to reproduce these parameters and the observed surface hydrogen abundances. Homogeneous evolution might provide a better explanation for their evolutionary past.
KW  - stars: Wolf-Rayet
KW  - Magellanic Clouds
KW  - stars: early-type
KW  - stars: atmospheres
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: mass-loss
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201526241
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 581
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hainich, Rainer
A1  - Ruehling, Ute
A1  - Todt, Helge Tobias
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
A1  - Liermann, A.
A1  - Graefener, G.
A1  - Foellmi, C.
A1  - Schnurr, O.
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
T1  - The Wolf-Rayet stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud - A comprehensive analysis of the WN class
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. Massive stars, although being important building blocks of galaxies, are still not fully understood. This especially holds true for Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars with their strong mass loss, whose spectral analysis requires adequate model atmospheres. Aims. Following our comprehensive studies of the WR stars in the Milky Way, we now present spectroscopic analyses of almost all known WN stars in the LMC.
 Methods. For the quantitative analysis of the wind-dominated emission-line spectra, we employ the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. By fitting synthetic spectra to the observed spectral energy distribution and the available spectra (ultraviolet and optical), we obtain the physical properties of 107 stars.
 Results. We present the fundamental stellar and wind parameters for an almost complete sample of WN stars in the LMC. Among those stars that are putatively single, two different groups can be clearly distinguished. While 12% of our sample are more luminous than 10(6) L-circle dot and contain a significant amount of hydrogen, 88% of the WN stars, with little or no hydrogen, populate the luminosity range between log (L/L-circle dot) = 5.3 ... 5.8.
 Conclusions. While the few extremely luminous stars (log (L/L-circle dot) > 6), if indeed single stars, descended directly from the main sequence at very high initial masses, the bulk of WN stars have gone through the red-supergiant phase. According to their luminosities in the range of log (L/L-circle dot) = 5.3 ... 5.8, these stars originate from initial masses between 20 and 40 M-circle dot. This mass range is similar to the one found in the Galaxy, i.e. the expected metallicity dependence of the evolution is not seen. Current stellar evolution tracks, even when accounting for rotationally induced mixing, still partly fail to reproduce the observed ranges of luminosities and initial masses. Moreover, stellar radii are generally larger and effective temperatures correspondingly lower than predicted from stellar evolution models, probably due to subphotospheric inflation.
KW  - stars: Wolf-Rayet
KW  - Magellanic Clouds
KW  - stars: early-type
KW  - stars: atmospheres
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: mass-loss
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322696
SN  - 0004-6361
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 565
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Hamaguchi, K.
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
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  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
A1  - Gräfener, G.
A1  - Liermann, A.
A1  - Hainich, Rainer
A1  - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph
A1  - Shenar, Tomer
A1  - Ramachandran, Varsha
A1  - Todt, Helge Tobias
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
T1  - The Galactic WN stars revisited
BT  - Impact of Gaia distances on fundamental stellar parameters
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Comprehensive spectral analyses of the Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars of the nitrogen sequence (i.e. the WN subclass) have been performed in a previous paper. However, the distances of these objects were poorly known. Distances have a direct impact on the "absolute" parameters, such as luminosities and mass-loss rates. The recent Gaia Data Release (DR2) of trigonometric parallaxes includes nearly all WN stars of our Galactic sample. In the present paper, we apply the new distances to the previously analyzed Galactic WN stars and rescale the results accordingly. On this basis, we present a revised catalog of 55 Galactic WN stars with their stellar and wind parameters. The correlations between mass-loss rate and luminosity show a large scatter, for the hydrogen-free WN stars as well as for those with detectable hydrogen. The slopes of the log L - log M correlations are shallower than found previously. The empirical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) still shows the previously established dichotomy between the hydrogen-free early WN subtypes that are located on the hot side of the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS), and the late WN subtypes, which show hydrogen and reside mostly at cooler temperatures than the ZAMS (with few exceptions). However, with the new distances, the distribution of stellar luminosities became more continuous than obtained previously. The hydrogen-showing stars of late WN subtype are still found to be typically more luminous than the hydrogen-free early subtypes, but there is a range of luminosities where both subclasses overlap. The empirical HRD of the Galactic single WN stars is compared with recent evolutionary tracks. Neither these single-star evolutionary models nor binary scenarios can provide a fully satisfactory explanation for the parameters of these objects and their location in the HRD.
KW  - stars: mass-loss
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: Wolf-Rayet
KW  - stars: atmospheres
KW  - stars: evolution
KW  - stars: distances
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834850
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 625
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ignace, Rico
A1  - Gayley, Kenneth G.
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
A1  - Huenemoerder, David P.
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
A1  - Pollock, Andy M. T.
A1  - McFall, Michael
T1  - THE XMM-NEWTON/EPIC X-RAY LIGHT CURVE ANALYSIS OF WR 6
JF  - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics
N2  - We obtained four pointings of over 100 ks each of the well-studied Wolf-Rayet star WR 6 with the XMM-Newton satellite. With a first paper emphasizing the results of spectral analysis, this follow-up highlights the X-ray variability clearly detected in all four pointings. However, phased light curves fail to confirm obvious cyclic behavior on the well-established 3.766 day period widely found at longer wavelengths. The data are of such quality that we were able to conduct a search for event clustering in the arrival times of X-ray photons. However, we fail to detect any such clustering. One possibility is that X-rays are generated in a stationary shock structure. In this context we favor a corotating interaction region (CIR) and present a phenomenological model for X-rays from a CIR structure. We show that a CIR has the potential to account simultaneously for the X-ray variability and constraints provided by the spectral analysis. Ultimately, the viability of the CIR model will require both intermittent long-term X-ray monitoring of WR 6 and better physical models of CIR X-ray production at large radii in stellar winds.
KW  - stars: individual (WR 6)
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: Wolf-Rayet
KW  - X-rays: stars
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/775/1/29
SN  - 0004-637X
VL  - 775
IS  - 1
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
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  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kubatova, Brankica
A1  - Szecsi, D.
A1  - Sander, Andreas Alexander Christoph
A1  - Kubat, Jiří
A1  - Tramper, F.
A1  - Krticka, Jiri
A1  - Kehrig, C.
A1  - Hamann, Wolf-Rainer
A1  - Hainich, Rainer
A1  - Shenar, Tomer
T1  - Low-metallicity massive single stars with rotation
BT  - II. Predicting spectra and spectral classes of chemically homogeneously evolving stars
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. Metal-poor massive stars are assumed to be progenitors of certain supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and compact object mergers that might contribute to the early epochs of the Universe with their strong ionizing radiation. However, this assumption remains mainly theoretical because individual spectroscopic observations of such objects have rarely been carried out below the metallicity of the Small Magellanic Cloud. Aims. Here we explore the predictions of the state-of-the-art theories of stellar evolution combined with those of stellar atmospheres about a certain type of metal-poor (0.02 Z(circle dot)) hot massive stars, the chemically homogeneously evolving stars that we call Transparent Wind Ultraviolet INtense (TWUIN) stars. Methods. We computed synthetic spectra corresponding to a broad range in masses (20 130 M-circle dot) and covering several evolutionary phases from the zero-age main-sequence up to the core helium-burning stage. We investigated the influence of mass loss and wind clumping on spectral appearance and classified the spectra according to the Morgan-Keenan (MK) system. Results. We find that TWUIN stars show almost no emission lines during most of their core hydrogen-burning lifetimes. Most metal lines are completely absent, including nitrogen. During their core helium-burning stage, lines switch to emission, and even some metal lines (oxygen and carbon, but still almost no nitrogen) are detected. Mass loss and clumping play a significant role in line formation in later evolutionary phases, particularly during core helium-burning. Most of our spectra are classified as an early-O type giant or supergiant, and we find Wolf-Rayet stars of type WO in the core helium-burning phase. Conclusions. An extremely hot, early-O type star observed in a low-metallicity galaxy could be the result of chemically homogeneous evolution and might therefore be the progenitor of a long-duration gamma-ray burst or a type Ic supernova. TWUIN stars may play an important role in reionizing the Universe because they are hot without showing prominent emission lines during most of their lifetime.
KW  - stars: massive
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: rotation
KW  - galaxies: dwarf
KW  - radiative transfer
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834360
SN  - 1432-0746
SN  - 0004-6361
VL  - 623
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
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  - Kusterer, D. -J.
A1  - Nagel, T.
A1  - Hartmann, S.
A1  - Werner, K.
A1  - Feldmeier, Achim
T1  - Monte Carlo radiation transfer in CV disk winds: application to the AM CVn prototype
JF  - Astronomy and astrophysics : an international weekly journal
N2  - Context. AMCVn systems are ultracompact binaries in which a (semi-) degenerate star transfers helium-dominated matter onto a white dwarf. They are effective gravitational-wave emitters and potential progenitors of Type Ia supernovae.
 Aims. To understand the evolution of AMCVn systems it is necessary to determine their mass-loss rate through their radiation-driven accretion-disk wind. We constructed models to perform quantitative spectroscopy of P Cygni line profiles that were detected in UV spectra.
 Methods. We performed 2.5D Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations in hydrodynamic wind structures by making use of realistic NLTE spectra from the accretion disk and by accounting for the white dwarf as an additional photon source.
 Results. We present first results from calculations in which LTE opacities are used in the wind model. A comparison with UV spectroscopy of the AMCVn prototype shows that the modeling procedure is potentially a good tool for determining mass-loss rates and abundances of trace metals in the helium-rich wind.
KW  - radiative transfer
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - stars: individual: AM CVn
KW  - accretion, accretion disks
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321438
SN  - 0004-6361
SN  - 1432-0746
VL  - 561
PB  - EDP Sciences
CY  - Les Ulis
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Massa, D.
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
A1  - Fullerton, A. W.
A1  - Prinja, R. K.
A1  - Bohlender, D. A.
A1  - Morrison, N. D.
A1  - Blake, M.
A1  - Pych, W.
T1  - CIR modulation of the X-ray flux from the O7.5 III(n)((f)) star xi Persei(a similar to...)?
JF  - Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
N2  - We analyse a 162 ks high energy transmission grating Chandra observation of the O7.5 III(n)((f)) star xi Per, together with contemporaneous H alpha observations. The X-ray spectrum of this star is similar to other single O stars, and not pathological in any way. Its UV wind lines are known to display cyclical time variability, with a period of 2.086 d, which is thought to be associated with corotating interaction regions (CIRs). We examine the Chandra and H alpha data for variability on this time-scale. We find that the X-rays vary by similar to 15 per cent over the course of the observations and that this variability is out of phase with variable absorption on the blue wing of the H alpha profiles (assumed to be a surrogate for the UV absorption associated with CIRs). While not conclusive, both sets of data are consistent with models where the CIRs are either a source of X-rays or modulate them.
KW  - stars: early-type
KW  - stars: individual: xi Persei
KW  - stars: mass loss
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - X-rays: stars
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu565
SN  - 0035-8711
SN  - 1365-2966
VL  - 441
IS  - 3
SP  - 2173
EP  - 2180
PB  - Oxford Univ. Press
CY  - Oxford
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Massa, Derck
A1  - Oskinova, Lidia M.
A1  - Prinja, Raman
A1  - Ignace, Richard
T1  - Coordinated UV and X-Ray Spectroscopic Observations of the O-type Giant xi Per
BT  - the Connection between X-Rays and Large-scale Wind Structure
JF  - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics
N2  - We present new, contemporaneous Hubble Space Telescope STIS and XMM-Newton observations of the O7. III(n) ((f)) star xi Per. We supplement the new data with archival IUE spectra, to analyze the variability of the wind lines and X-ray flux of xi Per. The variable wind of this star is known to have a 2.086-day periodicity. We use a simple, heuristic spot model that fits the low-velocity (near-surface) IUE wind line variability very well, to demonstrate that the low-velocity absorption in the new STIS spectra of N IV lambda 1718 and Si IV lambda 1402 vary with the same 2.086-day period. It is remarkable that the period and amplitude of the STIS data agree with those of the IUE spectra obtained 22 yr earlier. We also show that the time variability of the new XMM-Newton fluxes is also consistent with the 2.086-day period. Thus, our new, multiwavelength coordinated observations demonstrate that the mechanism that causes the UV wind line variability is also responsible for a significant fraction of the X-rays in single O stars. The sequence of events for the multiwavelength light-curve minima is Si IV lambda 1402, N IV lambda 1718, and X-ray flux, each separated by a phase of about 0.06 relative to the 2.086-day period. Analysis of the X-ray fluxes shows that they become softer as they weaken. This is contrary to expectations if the variability is caused by periodic excess absorption. Furthermore, the high-resolution X-ray spectra suggest that the individual emission lines at maximum are more strongly blueshifted. If we interpret the low-velocity wind line light curves in terms of our model, it implies that there are two bright regions, i.e., regions with less absorption, separated by 180 degrees, on the surface of the star. We note that the presence and persistence of two spots separated by 180 degrees suggest that a weak dipole magnetic field is responsible for the variability of the UV wind line absorption and X-ray flux in xi Per.
KW  - stars: activity
KW  - stars: early-type
KW  - stars: winds, outflows
KW  - ultraviolet: stars
KW  - X-rays: stars
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab0283
SN  - 0004-637X
SN  - 1538-4357
VL  - 873
IS  - 1
PB  - IOP Publ. Ltd.
CY  - Bristol
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&#8201;km&#8201;s&#8722;1 and 79.2 ± 3.1&#8201;km&#8201;s&#8722;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 &#8764;67°, derived from previous polarimetry observations, the system's total mass would be a mere 2–3M&#8857;&#8288;, an unprecedented result for a putative massive binary system. However, a system comprising a 37M&#8857; secondary (typical mass of an O5V star) and a 33M&#8857; primary (given the mass ratio) would infer an inclination of &#8764;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&#8201;km&#8201;s&#8722;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  -