Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Optically Thick Clumps – Not The Solution To The Wolf-Rayet Wind Momentum Problem?, J. Brown, J. Cassinelli, Q. Li, A. Kholtygin, Richard Ignace

ETSU Faculty Works

The hot star wind momentum problem eta = M-upsiloninfinity/(L/c) much greater than 1 is revisited, and it is shown that the conventional belief, that it can be solved by a combination of clumping of the wind and multiple scattering of photons, is not self-consistent for optically thick clumps. Clumping does reduce the mass loss rate. M, and hence the momentum supply, required to generate a specified radio emission measure epsilon, while multiple scattering increases the delivery of momentum from a specified stellar luminosity L. However, in the case of thick clumps, when combined the two effects act in opposition rather …