Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

X-Ray Properties Of Early-Type Stars In The Tarantula Nebula From T-Rex, Paul A. Crowther, Patrick S. Broos, Leisa K. Townsley, Andy M. T. Pollock, Katie A. Tehrani, Marc Gagné

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

We reassess the historical L-X/L-Bol relation for early-type stars from a comparison between T-ReX, the Chandra ACIS X-ray survey of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and contemporary spectroscopic analysis of massive stars obtained primarily from VLT/FLAMES, VLT/MUSE, and HST/STIS surveys. For 107 sources in common (some host to multiple stars), the majority of which are bolometrically luminous (40 per cent exceed 10(6)L(circle dot)), we find an average log L-X/L-Bol = -6.90 +/- 0.65. Excluding extreme systems Mk 34 (WN5h+WN5h), R140a (WC4+WN6+), and VFTS 399 (O9 IIIn+?), plus four WR sources with anomalously hard X-ray components (R130, …

Chandra Grating Spectroscopy Of Embedded Wind Shock X-Ray Emission From O Stars Shows Low Plasma Temperatures And Significant Wind Absorption, David H. Cohen, V. Vaughn Parts, Graham M. Doskoch , '20, Jiaming Wang , '22, V. Petit, M. A. Leutenegger, M. Gagné

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We present a uniform analysis of six examples of embedded wind shock (EWS) O star X-ray sources observed at high resolution with the Chandra grating spectrometers. By modelling both the hot plasma emission and the continuum absorption of the soft X-rays by the cool, partially ionized bulk of the wind we derive the temperature distribution of the shock-heated plasma and the wind mass-loss rate of each star. We find a similar temperature distribution for each star’s hot wind plasma, consistent with a power-law differential emission measure, dlogEMdlogT⁠, with a slope a little steeper than −2, up to temperatures of only …

Chandra Spectral Measurements Of The O Supergiant Ζ Puppis Indicate A Surprising Increase In The Wind Mass-Loss Rate Over 18 Yr, David H. Cohen, Jiaming Wang , '22, V. Petit, M. A. Leutenegger, L. Dakir, C. Mayhue , '23, A. David-Uraz

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

New long Chandra grating observations of the O supergiant ζ Pup show not only a brightening of the X-ray emission line flux of 13 per cent in the 18 yr since Chandra’s first observing cycle, but also clear evidence – at more than 4σ significance – of increased wind absorption signatures in its Doppler-broadened line profiles. We demonstrate this with non-parametric analysis of the profiles as well as Gaussian fitting and then use line-profile model fitting to derive a mass-loss rate of 2.47 ± 0.09 × 10−6[Math Processing Error]⁠, which is a 40 per cent increase over the value obtained …

Effects Of Opacity Temperature Dependence On Radiatively Accelerated Clouds, Sergei Dyda, Daniel Proga, Christopher S. Reynolds

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We study how different opacity–temperature scalings affect the dynamical evolution of irradiated gas clouds using time-dependent radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. When clouds are optically thick, the bright side heats up and expands, accelerating the cloud via the rocket effect. Clouds that become more optically thick as they heat accelerate ∼35 per cent faster than clouds that become optically thin. An enhancement of ∼85 per cent in the acceleration can be achieved by having a broken power-law opacity profile, which allows the evaporating gas driving the cloud to become optically thin and not attenuate the driving radiation flux. We find that up to …

Variability In X-Ray Line Ratios In Helium-Like Ions Of Massive Stars: The Wind-Driven Case, Richard Ignace, Z. Damrau, K. T. Hole

ETSU Faculty Works

Context. High spectral resolution and long exposure times are providing unprecedented levels of data quality of massive stars at X-ray wavelengths.

Aims. A key diagnostic of the X-ray emitting plasma are the fir lines for He-like triplets. In particular, owing to radiative pumping effects, the forbidden-to-intercombination line luminosity ratio, R = f∕i, can be used to determine the proximity of the hot plasma to the UV-bright photospheres of massive stars. Moreover, the era of large observing programs additionally allows for investigation of line variability.

Methods. This contribution is the second to explore how variability in the line …

On The Binary Nature Of Massive Blue Hypergiants: High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy Suggests That Cyg Ob2 12 Is A Colliding Wind Binary - Iopscience, Lidia M. Oskinova, David P. Huenemoerder, Wolf-Rainer Hamann, Tomer Shenar, A. A.C. Sander, Richard Ignace, H. Todt, R. Hainich

ETSU Faculty Works

The blue hypergiant Cyg OB2 12 (B3Ia+) is a representative member of the class of very massive stars in a poorly understood evolutionary stage. We obtained its high-resolution X-ray spectrum using the Chandra observatory. PoWR model atmospheres were calculated to provide realistic wind opacities and to establish the wind density structure. We find that collisional de-excitation is the dominant mechanism depopulating the metastable upper levels of the forbidden lines of the He-like ions Si xivand Mg xii. Comparison between the model and observations reveals that X-ray emission is produced in a dense plasma, which could reside only at the photosphere …

On The Absence Of Non-Thermal X-Ray Emission Around Runaway O Stars, Jesus A. Toalá, Lidia M. Oskinova, Richard Ignace

ETSU Faculty Works

Theoretical models predict that the compressed interstellar medium around runaway O stars can produce high-energy non-thermal diffuse emission, in particular, non-thermal X-ray and γ-ray emission. So far, detection of non-thermal X-ray emission was claimed for only one runaway star, AE Aur. We present a search for non-thermal diffuse X-ray emission from bow shocks using archived XMM-Newton observations for a clean sample of six well-determined runaway O stars. We find that none of these objects present diffuse X-ray emission associated with their bow shocks, similarly to previous X-ray studies toward ζ Oph and BD+43°3654. We carefully investigated multi-wavelength observations of …

Magnetic Massive Stars As Progenitors Of ‘Heavy’ Stellar-Mass Black Holes, V. Petit, Z. Keszthelyi, R. Macinnis, David H. Cohen, R. H. D. Townsend, G. A. Wade, S. L. Thomas, S. P. Owocki, J. Puls, A. Ud-Doula

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

The groundbreaking detection of gravitational waves produced by the inspiralling and coalescence of the black hole (BH) binary GW150914 confirms the existence of ‘heavy’ stellar-mass BHs with masses >25 M⊙. Initial characterization of the system by Abbott et al. supposes that the formation of BHs with such large masses from the evolution of single massive stars is only feasible if the wind mass-loss rates of the progenitors were greatly reduced relative to the mass-loss rates of massive stars in the Galaxy, concluding that heavy BHs must form in low-metallicity (Z ≲ 0.25-0.5 Z⊙) environments. However, strong surface magnetic fields also …

A Jvla Survey Of The High-Frequency Radio Emission Of The Massive Magnetic B- And O-Type Stars, Sushma Kurapati, Poonam Chandra, Gregg Wade, David H. Cohen, Alexandre David-Uraz, Marc Gagné, Jason Grunhut, Mary E. Oksala, Veronique Petit, Matt Shultz, Jon Sundqvist, Richard H. D. Townsend, Asif Ud-Doula

Earth & Space Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted a survey of seven magnetic O-type stars and eleven B-type stars with masses above 8 M using the Very Large Array in the 1, 3 and 13 cm bands. The survey resulted in a detection of two O- and two B-type stars. While the detected O-type stars – HD 37742 and HD 47129 – are in binary systems, the detected B-type stars, HD 156424 and ALS 9522, are not known to be in binaries. All four stars were detected at 3 cm, whereas three were detected at 1 cm and only one star was detected at 13 cm. …

A Jvla Survey Of The High-Frequency Radio Emission Of The Massive Magnetic B- And O-Type Stars, S. Kurapati, P. Chandra, G. Wade, David H. Cohen, A. David-Uraz, M. Gagne, J. Grunhut, M. E. Oksala, V. Petit, M. Shultz, J. Sundqvist, R. H. D. Townsend, A. Ud-Doula

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We conducted a survey of seven magnetic O-type stars and eleven B-type stars with masses above 8 M⊙ using the Very Large Array in the 1, 3 and 13 cm bands. The survey resulted in a detection of two O- and two B-type stars. While the detected O-type stars – HD 37742 and HD 47129 – are in binary systems, the detected B-type stars, HD 156424 and ALS 9522, are not known to be in binaries. All four stars were detected at 3 cm, whereas three were detected at 1 cm and only one star was detected at 13 cm. …

The Mimes Survey Of Magnetism In Massive Stars: Introduction And Overview, G. A. Wade, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, J. H. Grunhut, V. Petit, B. De Batz, D. A. Bohlender, David H. Cohen, H. F. Heinrichs, O. Kochukhov, J. D. Landstreet, N. Manset, F. Martins, S. Mathis, M. E. Oksala, S. P. Owocki, T. Rivinius, M. E. Shultz, J. O. Sundqvist, R. H. D. Townsend, A. Ud-Doula, J.-C. Bouret, J. Braithwaite, M. Briquet, A. C. Carciofi, A. David-Uraz, C. P. Folsom, A. W. Fullerton, B. Leroy, W. L. F. Marcolino, A. F. J. Moffat, Y. Nazé, N. St Louis, M. Aurière, S. Bagnulo, J. D. Bailey, R. H. Barbá, A. Blazère, T. Böhm, C. Catala, J.-F. Donati, L. Ferrario, D. Harrington, I. D. Howarth, R. Ignace, L. Kaper, T. Lüftinger, R. Prinja, J. S. Vink, W. W. Weiss, I. Yakunin

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

The MiMeS (Magnetism in Massive Stars) project is a large-scale, high-resolution, sensitive spectropolarimetric investigation of the magnetic properties of O- and early B-type stars. Initiated in 2008 and completed in 2013, the project was supported by three Large Program allocations, as well as various programmes initiated by independent principal investigators, and archival resources. Ultimately, over 4800 circularly polarized spectra of 560 O and B stars were collected with the instruments ESPaDOnS (Echelle SpectroPolarimetric Device for the Observation of Stars) at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, Narval at the Télescope Bernard Lyot and HARPSpol at the European Southern Observatory La Silla 3.6 m …

The Mimes Survey Of Magnetism In Massive Stars: Introduction And Overview, G. A. Wade, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, H. H. Grunhunt, V. Petit, B. Batz, D. A. Bohlender, D. H. Cohen, H. F. Henrichs, O. Kochukhov, J. D. Landstreet, N. Manset, F. Martins, S. Mathis, M. E. Oksala, S. P. Owocki, Th. Rivinius, M. E. Schultz, J. O. Sundqvist, R. H.D. Townsend, A. Doula, J. C. Bouret, J. Braithwaite, M. Briquet, A. C. Carciofi, A. David-Uraz, C. P. Folsom, A. W. Fullerton, B. Leroy, W. L.F. Marcolino, A. F.J. Moffat, Y. Naze, N. St Louis, M. Auriere, S. Bagnulo, J. D. Bailey, R. H. Barba, A. Blazere, T. Bohm, C. Catala, J-F Donati, L. Ferrario, D. Harrington, I. D. Howarth, Richard Ignace, L. Kaper, T. Luftinger, R. Prinja, J. S. Vink, W. W. Weiss, I. Yakunin

ETSU Faculty Works

The MiMeS (Magnetism in Massive Stars) project is a large-scale, high-resolution, sensitive spectropolarimetric investigation of the magnetic properties of O- and early B-type stars. Initiated in 2008 and completed in 2013, the project was supported by three Large Program allocations, as well as various programmes initiated by independent principal investigators, and archival resources. Ultimately, over 4800 circularly polarized spectra of 560 O and B stars were collected with the instruments ESPaDOnS (Echelle SpectroPolarimetric Device for the Observation of Stars) at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, Narval at the Télescope Bernard Lyot and HARPSpol at the European Southern Observatory La Silla 3.6 m …

X-Ray Emission From The Giant Magnetosphere Of The Magnetic O-Type Star Ngc 1624-2, V. Petit, David H. Cohen, G. A. Wade, Y. Nazé, S. P. Owocki, J. O. Sundqvist, A. Ud-Doula, A. Fullerton, M. Leutenegger, M. Gagné

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We observed NGC 1624-2, the O-type star with the largest known magnetic field (Bp ∼ 20  kG), in X-rays with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-S) camera on-board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Our two observations were obtained at the minimum and maximum of the periodic Hα emission cycle, corresponding to the rotational phases where the magnetic field is the closest to equator-on and pole-on, respectively. With these observations, we aim to characterize the star's magnetosphere via the X-ray emission produced by magnetically confined wind shocks. Our main findings are as follows. (i) The observed spectrum of NGC 1624-2 is hard, …

Characterizing The Rigidly Rotating Magnetosphere Stars Hd 345439 And Hd 23478, J. P. Wisniewski, S. D. Chojnowski, James R. A. Davenport, J. Bartz, J. Pepper, D. G. Whelan, S. S. Eikenberry, J. R. Lomax, S. R. Majewski, N. D. Richardson

Physics & Astronomy

The SDSS III APOGEE survey recently identified two new σ Ori E type candidates, HD 345439 and HD 23478, which are a rare subset of rapidly rotating massive stars whose large (kGauss) magnetic fields confine circumstellar material around these systems. Our analysis of multi-epoch photometric observations of HD 345439 from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope, Wide Angle Search for Planets, and ASAS surveys reveals the presence of a ~0.7701 day period in each data set, suggesting the system is among the faster known σ Ori E analogs. We also see clear evidence that the strength of Hα, H …

Detection Of 610-Mhz Radio Emission From Hot Magnetic Stars, P. Chandra, G. A. Wade, J. O. Sundqvist, D. Oberoi, J. H. Grunhut, A. Ud-Doula, V. Petit, David H. Cohen, M. E. Oksala, A. David-Uraz

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We have carried out a study of radio emission from a small sample of magnetic O- and B-type stars using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, with the goal of investigating their magnetospheres at low frequencies. These are the lowest frequency radio measurements ever obtained of hot magnetic stars. The observations were taken at random rotational phases in the 1390 and the 610 MHz bands. Out of the eight stars, we detect five B-type stars in both the 1390 and the 610 MHz bands. The three O-type stars were observed only in the 1390 MHz band, and no detections were obtained. …

Probing Wolf–Rayet Winds: Chandra/Hetg X-Ray Spectra Of Wr 6, David P. Huenemoerder, K. G. Gayley, Wolf-Rainer Hamann, Richard Ignace, J. S. Nichols, Lidia M. Oskinova, A. M.T. Pollock, Nobert S. Schulz, Tomer Shenar

ETSU Faculty Works

With a deep Chandra/HETGS exposure of WR 6, we have resolved emission lines whose profiles show that the X-rays originate from a uniformly expanding spherical wind of high X-ray-continuum optical depth. The presence of strong helium-like forbidden lines places the source of X-ray emission at tens to hundreds of stellar radii from the photosphere. Variability was present in X-rays and simultaneous optical photometry, but neither were correlated with the known period of the system or with each other. An enhanced abundance of sodium revealed nuclear-processed material, a quantity related to the evolutionary state of the star. The characterization of …

Measuring The Shock-Heating Rate In The Winds Of O Stars Using X-Ray Line Spectra, David H. Cohen, Zequn Li , '16, K. G. Gayley, S. P. Owocki, J. O. Sundqvist, V. Petit, M. A. Leutenegger

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Works

We present a new method for using measured X-ray emission line fluxes from O stars to determine the shock-heating rate due to instabilities in their radiation-driven winds. The high densities of these winds means that their embedded shocks quickly cool by local radiative emission, while cooling by expansion should be negligible. Ignoring for simplicity any non-radiative mixing or conductive cooling, the method presented here exploits the idea that the cooling post-shock plasma systematically passes through the temperature characteristic of distinct emission lines in the X-ray spectrum. In this way, the observed flux distribution among these X-ray lines can be used …