X-ray emission from massive stars with magnetic fields
- We investigate the connections between the magnetic fields and the X-ray emission from massive stars. Our study shows that the X-ray properties of known strongly magnetic stars are diverse: while some comply to the predictions of the magnetically confined wind model, others do not. We conclude that strong, hard, and variable X-ray emission may be a sufficient attribute of magnetic massive stars, but it is not a necessary one. We address the general properties of X-ray emission from "normal" massive stars, especially the long standing mystery about the correlations between the parameters of X-ray emission and fundamental stellar properties. The recent development in stellar structure modeling shows that small-scale surface magnetic fields may be common. We suggest a "hybrid" scenario which could explain the X-ray emission from massive stars by a combination of magnetic mechanisms on the surface and shocks in the stellar wind. The magnetic mechanisms and the wind shocks are triggered by convective motions in sub-photospheric layers.We investigate the connections between the magnetic fields and the X-ray emission from massive stars. Our study shows that the X-ray properties of known strongly magnetic stars are diverse: while some comply to the predictions of the magnetically confined wind model, others do not. We conclude that strong, hard, and variable X-ray emission may be a sufficient attribute of magnetic massive stars, but it is not a necessary one. We address the general properties of X-ray emission from "normal" massive stars, especially the long standing mystery about the correlations between the parameters of X-ray emission and fundamental stellar properties. The recent development in stellar structure modeling shows that small-scale surface magnetic fields may be common. We suggest a "hybrid" scenario which could explain the X-ray emission from massive stars by a combination of magnetic mechanisms on the surface and shocks in the stellar wind. The magnetic mechanisms and the wind shocks are triggered by convective motions in sub-photospheric layers. This scenario opens the door for a natural explanation of the well established correlation between bolometric and X-ray luminosities.…
Author details: | Lidia M. OskinovaORCiDGND, Wolf-Rainer HamannORCiDGND, Joseph P. Cassinelli, John C. Brown, Helge Tobias TodtORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/asna.201111602 |
ISSN: | 0004-6337 |
Title of parent work (English): | Astronomische Nachrichten = Astronomical notes |
Publisher: | Wiley-Blackwell |
Place of publishing: | Malden |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Year of first publication: | 2011 |
Publication year: | 2011 |
Release date: | 2017/03/26 |
Tag: | X-rays: stars; stars: Wolf-Rayet; stars: magnetic fields; stars: mass-loss; stars: winds, outflows; techniques: spectroscopic |
Volume: | 332 |
Issue: | 9-10 |
Number of pages: | 6 |
First page: | 988 |
Last Page: | 993 |
Funding institution: | DLR [50 OR 0804]; UK STFC |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
Peer review: | Referiert |