PROBING WOLF–RAYET WINDS: CHANDRA/HETG X-RAY SPECTRA OF WR 6
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Huenemoerder-2015-PROBING WOLF-RAYET W.pdf
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2.88 MB
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Author(s)
Huenemoerder, David P.
Gayley, K. G.
Hamann, W.-R.
Ignace, R.
Nichols, Joy S.
Oskinova, Lidia M.
Pollock, A. M. T.
Schulz, N. S.
Shenar, T.
Date Issued
December 2015
Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Citation
Huenemoerder, David P., K. G. Gayley, W.-R. Hamann, R. Ignace, J. S. Nichols, L. Oskinova, A. M. T. Pollock, N. S. Schulz, and T. Shenar. “PROBING WOLF–RAYET WINDS: CHANDRA/HETG X-RAY SPECTRA OF WR 6.” The Astrophysical Journal 815, no. 1 (December 3, 2015): 29. © 2015 The American Astronomical Society
Version
Final published version
Abstract
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 the extent and nature of the hot plasma in WR 6 will help to pave the way to a more fundamental theoretical understanding of the winds and evolution of massive stars.
MIT Department
MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/815/1/29
