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Selected Works

2003

Articles 1 - 5 of 5

Full-Text Articles in Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy

Constraints From Infrared Space Observatory Data On The Velocity Law And Clumpiness Of Wr 136., R. Ignace, M. F. Quigley, J. P. Cassinelli Oct 2003

Constraints From Infrared Space Observatory Data On The Velocity Law And Clumpiness Of Wr 136., R. Ignace, M. F. Quigley, J. P. Cassinelli

Richard Ignace

Observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) SWS spectrometer are used to constrain the velocity law and wind clumping of the well-studied Wolf-Rayet (WR) star WR 136 (HD 192163) (WN6). Because the free-free continuum opacity in WR winds increases steadily with wavelength in the IR, each point in the continuous spectrum may be regarded as forming in a pseudo-photosphere of larger radius for longer wavelength. Using this idea in combination with an analysis of the Doppler-broadened widths of several \ion{He}{2} recombination lines, we can derive information about the velocity law and clumpiness of the stellar wind of WR 136. Adopting …


Xmm-Newton Observations Of The Nitrogen-Rich Wolf-Rayet Star Wr 1., R. Ignace, L. M. Oskinova, J. C. Brown Aug 2003

Xmm-Newton Observations Of The Nitrogen-Rich Wolf-Rayet Star Wr 1., R. Ignace, L. M. Oskinova, J. C. Brown

Richard Ignace

We present XMM-Newton results for the X-ray spectrum from the N-richWolf-Rayet (WR) star WR1. The EPIC instrument was used to obtain a medium-resolution spectrum. The following features characterize this spectrum: ( a) significant emission "bumps" appear that are coincident with the wavelengths of typical strong lines, such as MgXI, SiXIII, and SXV; (b) little emission is detected above 4 keV, in contrast to recent reports of a hard component in the stars WR 6 and WR 110 which are of similar subtype; and ( c) evidence for sulfur K-edge absorption at about 2.6 keV, which could only arise from absorption …


The Zeeman Effect In The Sobolev Approximation: Applications To Spherical Stellar Winds., R. Ignace, K. G. Gayley Apr 2003

The Zeeman Effect In The Sobolev Approximation: Applications To Spherical Stellar Winds., R. Ignace, K. G. Gayley

Richard Ignace

Modern spectropolarimeters are capable of detecting subkilogauss field strengths using the Zeeman effect in line profiles from the static photosphere, but supersonic Doppler broadening makes it more difficult to detect the Zeeman effect in the wind lines of hot stars. Nevertheless, the recent advances in observational capability motivate an assessment of the potential for detecting the magnetic fields threading such winds. We incorporate the weak-field longitudinal Zeeman effect in the Sobolev approximation to yield integral expressions for the flux of circularly polarized emission. To illustrate the results, two specific wind flows are considered: (i) spherical constant expansion with v(r) = …


The Conspicuous Absence Of X-Ray Emission From Carbon-Enriched Wolf-Rayet Stars., L. M. Oskinova, R. Ignace, W.-R. Hamann, A. M. T. Pollock, J. C. Brown Apr 2003

The Conspicuous Absence Of X-Ray Emission From Carbon-Enriched Wolf-Rayet Stars., L. M. Oskinova, R. Ignace, W.-R. Hamann, A. M. T. Pollock, J. C. Brown

Richard Ignace

The carbon-rich WC5 star WR 114 was not detected during a 15.9 ksec XMM-Newton observation, implying an upper limit to the X-ray luminosity of L-X less than or similar to 2.5 x 10(30) erg s(-1) and to the X-ray to bolometric luminosity ratio of L-X/L(bo)l less than or similar to 4 x 10(-9). This confirms indications from earlier less sensitive measurements that there has been no convincing X-ray detection of any single WC star. This lack of detections is reinforced by XMM-Newton and Chandra observations of WC stars. Thus the conclusion has to be drawn that the stars with radiatively-driven …


Microlensing Of Circumstellar Envelopes Ii. Emission Lines From Radial And Azimuthal Flow During Fold Caustic Crossings., H. M. Bryce, R. Ignace, M. A. Hendry Mar 2003

Microlensing Of Circumstellar Envelopes Ii. Emission Lines From Radial And Azimuthal Flow During Fold Caustic Crossings., H. M. Bryce, R. Ignace, M. A. Hendry

Richard Ignace

This paper examines the line profile evolution due to bulk motion in circumstellar envelopes during microlensing fold caustic crossing events. These events have recently been shown to be a sensitive probe of stellar surface brightness profiles, thus providing a means - through both photometric and spectroscopic observations - to constrain and test stellar atmosphere models. Here it is demonstrated, through the examination of simplified line profiles, that spectroscopic studies of fold caustic crossings could also prove to be a powerful diagnostic of bulk motion in circumstellar envelopes.