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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Perfect Circles: A Study Of The Scattering Regions Of Wolf Rayet Binary Stars, Stella Yoos, Jennifer Hoffman, Andrew Fullard
Perfect Circles: A Study Of The Scattering Regions Of Wolf Rayet Binary Stars, Stella Yoos, Jennifer Hoffman, Andrew Fullard
DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive
Although we have been able to develop an understanding of many aspects of stellar evolution and formation, a few key gaps remain. One is the fate of massive binary star systems composed of Wolf-Rayet (WR) and O-type stars. In these WR + O binaries, the stellar winds surrounding these stars collide, creating a complex interaction region in which light from the stars scatters and becomes polarized. To study these scattering regions, I employ a technique that allows me to map the polarization of the light emitted from these stars and track its variation over the binary orbit. I found that …
A Spectropolarimetric Study Of Southern Wr + O Binaries, Andrew G. Fullard
A Spectropolarimetric Study Of Southern Wr + O Binaries, Andrew G. Fullard
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) state is the evolved stage of a massive star, post main-sequence. They are characterized by their strong emission line spectra and stellar winds that are often more than 10 times denser than that of their progenitor O-type stars, which have mass loss rates of 10-6 MΘyr-1. The evolution of WR stars and their connection to specific types of supernovae (SNe) is an open question. Current theory suggests that rapidly rotating massive stars may be the progenitors of SNe that produce long-duration gamma-ray bursts. The interaction between WR stars and their companion …