Refine
Has Fulltext
- no (47) (remove)
Year of publication
Language
- English (47)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (47)
Keywords
- stars: early-type (47) (remove)
Institute
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.
We report on both high-precision photometry from the Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars (MOST) space telescope and ground-based spectroscopy of the triple system delta Ori A, consisting of a binary O9.5II+early-B (Aa1 and Aa2) with P = 5.7 days, and a more distant tertiary (O9 IV P > 400 years). This data was collected in concert with X-ray spectroscopy from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Thanks to continuous coverage for three weeks, the MOST light curve reveals clear eclipses between Aa1 and Aa2 for the first time in non-phased data. From the spectroscopy, we have a well-constrained radial velocity (RV) curve of Aa1. While we are unable to recover RV variations of the secondary star, we are able to constrain several fundamental parameters of this system and determine an approximate mass of the primary using apsidal motion. We also detected second order modulations at 12 separate frequencies with spacings indicative of tidally influenced oscillations. These spacings have never been seen in a massive binary, making this system one of only a handful of such binaries that show evidence for tidally induced pulsations.
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.
Aims. Massive B-type stars with strong magnetic fields and fast rotation are very rare and pose a mystery for theories of star formation and magnetic field evolution. Only two such stars, called sigma Ori E analogues, were known until recently. A team involved in APOGEE, one of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III programs, announced the discovery of two additional rigidly rotating magnetosphere stars, HD 23478 and HD 345439. The magnetic fields in these newly discovered sOri E analogues have not been investigated so far.
Methods. In the framework of our ESO Large Programme and one normal ESO programme, we carried out low-resolution FORS 2 spectropolarimetric observations of HD 23478 and HD 345439.
Results. In the measurements of hydrogen lines, we discover a rather strong longitudinal magnetic field of up to 1.5 kG in HD 23478 and up to 1.3 kG using the entire spectrum. The analysis of HD 345439 using four subsequent spectropolarimetric subexposures does not reveal a magnetic field at a significance level of 3 sigma. On the other hand, individual subexposures indicate that HD 345439 may host a strong magnetic field that rapidly varies over 88 min. The fast rotation of HD 345439 is also indicated by the behaviour of several metallic and He I lines in the low-resolution FORS 2 spectra that show profile variations already on this short time-scale.
Eclipsing systems of massive stars allow one to explore the properties of their components in great detail. We perform a multi-wavelength, non-LTE analysis of the three components of the massive multiple system delta Ori A, focusing on the fundamental stellar properties, stellar winds, and X-ray characteristics of the system. The primary's distance-independent parameters turn out to be characteristic for its spectral type (O9.5 II), but usage of the Hipparcos parallax yields surprisingly low values for the mass, radius, and luminosity. Consistent values follow only if delta Ori lies at about twice the Hipparcos distance, in the vicinity of the sigma-Orionis cluster. The primary and tertiary dominate the spectrum and leave the secondary only marginally detectable. We estimate the V-band magnitude difference between primary and secondary to be Delta V approximate to 2.(m)8. The inferred parameters suggest that the secondary is an early B-type dwarf (approximate to B1 V), while the tertiary is an early B-type subgiant (approximate to B0 IV). We find evidence for rapid turbulent velocities (similar to 200 km s(-1)) and wind inhomogeneities, partially optically thick, in the primary's wind. The bulk of the X-ray emission likely emerges from the primary's stellar wind (logL(X)/L-Bol approximate to -6.85), initiating close to the stellar surface at R-0 similar to 1.1 R-*. Accounting for clumping, the mass-loss rate of the primary is found to be log (M) over dot approximate to -6.4 (M-circle dot yr(-1))., which agrees with hydrodynamic predictions, and provides a consistent picture along the X-ray, UV, optical, and radio spectral domains.
Context. The massive Wolf-Rayet type star WR102c is located near the Quintuplet Cluster, one of the three massive star clusters in the Galactic centre region. Previous studies indicated that WR102c may have a dusty circumstellar nebula and is among the main ionising sources of the Sickle Nebula associated with the Quintuplet Cluster. Aims. The goals of our study are to derive the stellar parameters of WR102c from the analysis of its spectrum and to investigate its stellar and nebular environment. Methods. We obtained observations with the ESO VLT integral field spectrograph SINFONI in the K-band, extracted the stellar spectra, and analysed them by means of stellar atmosphere models. Results. Our new analysis supersedes the results previously reported for WR102c. We significantly decrease its bolometric luminosity and hydrogen content. We detect four early OB type stars close to WR102c. These stars have radial velocities similar to that of WR102c. We suggest that together with WR102c these stars belong to a distinct star cluster with a total mass of similar to 1000 M-circle dot. We identify a new WR nebula around WR102c in the SINFONI map of the di ff use Br gamma emission and in the HST Pa ff images. The Br gamma line at di ff erent locations is not significantly broadened and similar to the width of nebular emission elsewhere in the H i i region around WR102c. Conclusions. The massive star WR102c located in the Galactic centre region resides in a star cluster containing additional early-type stars. The stellar parameters of WR102c are typical for hydrogen-free WN6 stars. We identify a nebula surrounding WR102c that has a morphology similar to other nebulae around hydrogen-free WR stars, and propose that the formation of this nebula is linked to interaction of the fast stellar wind with the matter ejected at a previous evolutionary stage of WR102c.
The origin of the magnetic field in massive O-type stars is still under debate. To model the physical processes responsible for the generation of O star magnetic fields, it is important to understand whether correlations between the presence of a magnetic field and stellar evolutionary state, rotation velocity, kinematical status, and surface composition can be identified. The O4 Ief supergiant zeta Pup is a fast rotator and a runaway star, which may be a product of a past binary interaction, possibly having had an encounter with the cluster Trumper 10 some 2 Myr ago. The currently available observational material suggests that certain observed phenomena in this star may be related to the presence of a magnetic field. We acquired spectropolarimetric observations of zeta Pup with FORS 2 mounted on the 8 m Antu telescope of the Very Large Telescope to investigate if a magnetic field is indeed present in this star. We show that many spectral lines are highly variable and probably vary with the recently detected period of 1.78 day. No magnetic field is detected in zeta Pup, as no magnetic field measurement has a significance level higher than 2.4 sigma. Still, we studied the probability of a single sinusoidal explaining the variation of the longitudinal magnetic field measurements.
Circumstantial evidence suggests that magnetism and enhanced X-ray emission are likely correlated in early B-type stars: similar fractions of them (similar to 10%) are strong and hard X-ray sources and possess strong magnetic fields. It is also known that some B-type stars have spots on their surface. Yet up to now no X-ray activity associated with spots on early-type stars was detected. In this Letter we report the detection of a magnetic field on the B2V star rho Oph A. Previously, we assessed that the X-ray activity of this star is associated with a surface spot, herewith we establish its magnetic origin. We analyze spectra of rho Oph A obtained with the FORS2 spectrograph at ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) at two epochs, and detect a longitudinal component of the magnetic field of the order of similar to 500 G in one of the datasets. The detection of the magnetic field only at one epoch can be explained by stellar rotation which is also invoked to explain observed periodic X-ray activity. From archival HARPS ESO VLT high resolution spectra we derived the fundamental stellar parameters of rho Oph A and further constrained its age. We conclude that rho Oph A provides strong evidence for the presence of active X-ray emitting regions on young magnetized early type stars.
Context:
Massive binaries play a crucial role in the Universe. Knowing the distributions of their orbital parameters is important for a wide range of topics from stellar feedback to binary evolution channels and from the distribution of supernova types to gravitational wave progenitors, yet no direct measurements exist outside the Milky Way.
Aims:
The Tarantula Massive Binary Monitoring project was designed to help fill this gap by obtaining multi-epoch radial velocity (RV) monitoring of 102 massive binaries in the 30 Doradus region.
Methods:
In this paper we analyze 32 FLAMES/GIRAFFE observations of 93 O- and 7 B-type binaries. We performed a Fourier analysis and obtained orbital solutions for 82 systems: 51 single-lined (SB1) and 31 double-lined (SB2) spectroscopic binaries.
Results:
Overall, the binary fraction and orbital properties across the 30 Doradus region are found to be similar to existing Galactic samples. This indicates that within these domains environmental effects are of second order in shaping the properties of massive binary systems. A small difference is found in the distribution of orbital periods, which is slightly flatter (in log space) in 30 Doradus than in the Galaxy, although this may be compatible within error estimates and differences in the fitting methodology. Also, orbital periods in 30 Doradus can be as short as 1.1 d, somewhat shorter than seen in Galactic samples. Equal mass binaries (q> 0.95) in 30 Doradus are all found outside NGC 2070, the central association that surrounds R136a, the very young and massive cluster at 30 Doradus’s core. Most of the differences, albeit small, are compatible with expectations from binary evolution. One outstanding exception, however, is the fact that earlier spectral types (O2–O7) tend to have shorter orbital periods than later spectral types (O9.2–O9.7).
Conclusions:
Our results point to a relative universality of the incidence rate of massive binaries and their orbital properties in the metallicity range from solar (Z⊙) to about half solar. This provides the first direct constraints on massive binary properties in massive star-forming galaxies at the Universe’s peak of star formation at redshifts z ~ 1 to 2 which are estimated to have Z ~ 0.5 Z⊙.
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.