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Wolf Rayets: Interferometry of Hot Dust
Wolf Rayets (WRs) are hot massive stars at a late stage of evolution.They are prominent signposts for high mass star formation and theirmassive winds have significant influence on the interstellar medium. Asmall but significant number of these stars in the Galaxy are known toproduce copious amounts of dust. Given the hostile circumstellarenvironment, this raises interesting questions. Interferometric andaperture masking observations strongly indicate that binarity plays apivotal role in the dust formation. I will briefly review high angularresolution observations in the near- and mid-infrared which shed somelight on dusty WRs.
| 12 New Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars Identified via 2MASS+Spitzer/GLIMPSE
We report new results from our effort to identify obscured Wolf-Rayetstars in the Galaxy. Candidates were selected by their near-infrared(Two Micron All Sky Survey; 2MASS) and mid-infrared (Spitzer/GLIMPSE)color excesses, which are consistent with free-free emission fromionized stellar winds and thermal excess from hot dust. We haveconfirmed 12 new Wolf-Rayet stars in the Galactic disk, including nineof the nitrogen subtype (WN), and three of the carbon subtype (WC); thisraises the total number of Wolf-Rayet stars discovered with our approachto 27. We classify one of the new stars as a possible dust-producingWC9d+OBI colliding-wind binary, as evidenced by an infrared excessresembling that of known WC9d stars, the detection of OBI featuressuperimposed on the WC9 spectrum, and hard X-ray emission detected byXMM-Newton. A WC8 star in our sample appears to be a member of thestellar cluster Danks 1, in contrast to the rest of the confirmedWolf-Rayet stars that generally do not appear to reside within densestellar clusters. Either the majority of the stars are runaways fromclusters, or they formed in relative isolation. We briefly discussprospects for the expansion and improvement of the search for Wolf-Rayetstars throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.
| Dust formation by colliding-wind binaries
The recent high-resolution infrared images of the enigmatic cocoon starsin the Quintuplet cluster showing them to have ``pinwheel'' tails, andthe deduction that they are colliding-wind Wolf-Rayet binaries, showshow far the study of colliding-wind dust formation has come since thefirst discovery of heated carbon dust around the classical WC9 starVe2-45 (WR 104) in the early days of infrared astronomy. The formationof dust is the least expected, and hardest to understand, processattributed to colliding stellar winds, and direct evidence of theconnection is only now becoming available. I will review recent work andconsider systems showing a range of dust-formation phenomena, includingthe prototypical epsiodic dust-maker WR 140 and the variable dust-makerWR 70, also long studied by Virpi Niemela and her colleagues.
| Near Infrared Spectra of Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars
Spectra of 37 Galactic WR stars were observed and reduced in thespectral range 790--895 nm. The main spectral features are identifiedand the equivalent widths and FWHMs of the strongest emission lines aremeasured. The equivalent width of the diffuse interstellar band at 862nm is also measured and the new estimates of color excessesE(B-V) are derived by using an empirical relationship betweenthe equivalent width and the color excess. The equivalent width ratiosfor the lines C III 850 nm, C IV 886 nm and C II 880 nm were found tocorrelate well with the WC subtype.
| New Estimates of the Solar-Neighborhood Massive Star Birthrate and the Galactic Supernova Rate
The birthrate of stars of masses >=10 Msolar is estimatedfrom a sample of just over 400 O3-B2 dwarfs within 1.5 kpc of the Sunand the result extrapolated to estimate the Galactic supernova ratecontributed by such stars. The solar-neighborhood Galactic-plane massivestar birthrate is estimated at ~176 stars kpc-3Myr-1. On the basis of a model in which the Galactic stellardensity distribution comprises a ``disk+central hole'' like that of thedust infrared emission (as proposed by Drimmel and Spergel), theGalactic supernova rate is estimated at probably not less than ~1 normore than ~2 per century and the number of O3-B2 dwarfs within the solarcircle at ~200,000.
| Spectroscopic study of the long-period dust-producing WC7pd+O9 binary HD192641
We present the results of an optical spectroscopic study of the massiveWolf-Rayet (WR) binary HD192641 = WR137. These 1986-2000 data cover thedust-formation maximum in 1997. Combining all available measurements ofradial velocities, we derive, for the first time, a spectroscopic orbitwith period 4766 +/- 66 d (13.05 +/- 0.18 yr). The resulting masses,adopting i= 67 °, are MO= 20 +/- 2Msolar forthe O component and MWR= 4.4 +/- 1.5Msolar for theWR component. These appear, respectively, approximately normal and onthe low side for the given spectral types. Analysis of the intensemultisite spectroscopic monitoring in 1999 shows that theCIIIλ5696 and CIVλλ5802/12 lines have the highestintrinsic variability levels. The periodogram analysis yields asmall-amplitude modulation in the absorption troughs of theCIVλλ5802/12 and HeIλ5876 lines with a period of0.83 d, which could be related either to pulsations or large-scalerotating structures as seen in the WN4 star EZ Canis Majoris (WR6).Wavelet analysis of the strong emission lines of CIIIλ5696 andCIVλλ5802/12 enabled us to isolate and follow for severalhours small structures (emission subpeaks) associated with densityenhancements within the wind of the Wolf-Rayet star. Cross-correlatingthe variability patterns seen in different lines, we find a weak butsignificant correlation between the variability in emission lines withdifferent ionization potentials, i.e. in lines formed at differentdistances from the WR stellar core. Adopting a β wind-velocity law,from the motion of individual subpeaks we find β~ 5, which issignificantly larger than the canonical value β~= 1 found in O starwinds.
| Catalog of Galactic OB Stars
An all-sky catalog of Galactic OB stars has been created by extendingthe Case-Hamburg Galactic plane luminous-stars surveys to include 5500additional objects drawn from the literature. This work brings the totalnumber of known or reasonably suspected OB stars to over 16,000.Companion databases of UBVβ photometry and MK classifications forthese objects include nearly 30,000 and 20,000 entries, respectively.
| A HST imaging survey of a sample of 61 Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars --- the WC8-9 subsample
A HST-WFPC2 survey of Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars was undertaken over afive year period, in an effort to discover new close visual companions,tight clusters, and/or association memberships. In total, 61 GalacticWR stars were observed, with nine objects being members of thesubclasses WC8 and WC9, which are associated with dust production. Forthese nine, we present images of WR 11, WR 48a, WR 69, WR 70, WR 81, andWR 92. We refer to Wallace et al. (2002) for discussion of WR 98a, WR104, and WR 112. Overall, we find for separations of approximately >=150 mas, that the binary/association properties of the WC8/WC9 sampleare statistically indistinguishable from the overall WR population. These statistics are limited, however, by the small numbers of each WRsubclass observed.Based on observations with the NASA/ESA HST obtained at the SpaceTelescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASAcontract NAS5-26555.}
| Metallicity and binarity in WC and WO stars
Not Available
| Variable dust formation by the double-line spectroscopic binary WR 70 (HD 137603, WC9vd+B0I)
Infrared photometry of the WC9vd+B0I spectroscopic binary WR 70 over twodecades shows variable dust emission. The variations are relativelyslow and show evidence for an underlying process with a period P = 1045± 60 d, together with modulation on shorter and longertime-scales.
| Dust formation as a diagnostic of Wolf-Rayet winds
Dust formation by Wolf-Rayet stars is a powerful diagnostic ofexceptional activity in their winds. Observed behaviour ranges fromstars which make dust continually (e.g. WR 104, WC9d+B0.5V) to thosewhich make dust for short episodes at periodic intervals (e.g. WR 140,WC7pd+O4-5). In both examples, dust formation is related to collidingWR and OB stellar winds in binary orbits. We have been using IRphotometry primarily from the SAAO and ESO and spectroscopy with ISO-SWS to investigate systems having intermediate properties (WR 98a,WC8-9vd+?) or more complex behaviour (WR 48a, WC8ed+?).
| The ISO-SWS post-helium atlas of near-infrared stellar spectra
We present an atlas of near-infrared spectra (2.36 mu m-4.1 mu m) of ~300 stars at moderate resolution (lambda /delta lambda ~ 1500-2000). Thespectra were recorded using the Short-Wavelength Spectrometer aboard theInfrared Space Observatory (ISO-SWS). The bulk of the observations wereperformed during a dedicated observation campaign after the liquidhelium depletion of the ISO satellite, the so-called post-heliumprogramme. This programme was aimed at extending the MK-classificationto the near-infrared. Therefore the programme covers a large range ofspectral types and luminosity classes. The 2.36 mu m-4.05 mu m region isa valuable spectral probe for both hot and cool stars. H I lines(Bracket, Pfund and Humphreys series), He I and He II lines, atomiclines and molecular lines (CO, H2O, NH, OH, SiO, HCN,C2H2, ...) are sensitive to temperature, gravityand/or the nature of the outer layers of the stellar atmosphere(outflows, hot circumstellar discs, etc.). Another objective of theprogramme was to construct a homogeneous dataset of near-infraredstellar spectra that can be used for population synthesis studies ofgalaxies. At near-infrared wavelengths these objects emit the integratedlight of all stars in the system. In this paper we present the datasetof post-helium spectra completed with observations obtained during thenominal operations of the ISO-SWS. We discuss the calibration of the SWSdata obtained after the liquid helium boil-off and the data reduction.We also give a first qualitative overview of how the spectral featuresin this wavelength range change with spectral type. The dataset isscrutinised in two papers on the quantitative classification ofnear-infrared spectra of early-type stars ({Lenorzer} et al.\cite{lenorzer:2002a}) and late-type stars (Vandenbussche et al., inprep). Based on observations with ISO, an ESA project with instrumentsfunded by ESA Members States (especially the PI countries France,Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) and with theparticipation of ISAS and NASA. The full atlas is available inelectronic form at www.edpsciences.org Table 1 is only available inelectronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr(130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?/A+A/390/1033
| The Effect of Binarity and Metallicity in the Spectra of WC and WO Stars
A statistical analysis of the main emission lines common to the WC andWO stars is made based on an extensive set of spectral data. To definethe trends in equivalent width ( Wλ), line ratios, andline widths, median values are derived for single-spectrum stars ofdifferent spectral class. We find that in Galactic WO and WC4 stars,Wλ (C IV 581 nm) is smaller compared to inextragalactic objects. In both Galactic and extragalactic stars,Wλ (O V 559 nm) smoothly increases towards early WCand WO stars. It is argued that differences in stellar wind structure,in combination with the ambient metallicity, may be the cause of theanomalies. Variation of the profile of the 465 nm blend indicates asubstantial contribution of He II 468 nm for the WCE and WO stars. Inaddition, we comment on the carbon abundances in relation to theevolutionary status of these objects. We also give an estimate of theOB/WR continuum flux ratio in composite-spectrum systems.
| Kinematical Structure of Wolf-Rayet Winds. I.Terminal Wind Velocity
New terminal wind velocities for 164 Wolf-Rayet stars (from the Galaxyand LMC) based on PCyg profiles of lambda1550 CIV resonance line werederived from the archive high and low resolution IUE spectra availableform the INES database. The high resolution data on 59 WR stars (39 fromthe Galaxy and 20 from LMC) were used to calibrate the empiricalrelation lambda_min^Abs- lambda_peak^Emis vs terminal wind velocity,which was then used for determinations of the terminal wind velocitiesfrom the low resolution IUE data. We almost doubled the previous mostextended sample of such measurements. Our new measurements, based onhigh resolution data, are precise within 5-7%. Measurements, based onthe low resolution spectra have the formal errors of approx 40-60%. Acomparison of the present results with other determinations suggestshigher precision of approx 20%. We found that the terminal windvelocities for the Galactic WC and WN stars correlate with the WRspectral subtype. We also found that the LMC WN stars have winds slowerthan their Galactic counterparts, up to two times in the case of the WNEstars. No influence of binarity on terminal wind velocities was found.Our extended set of measurements allowed us to test application of theradiation driven wind theory to the WR stars. We found that, contrary toOB stars, terminal wind velocities of the WR stars correlate only weaklywith stellar temperature. We also note that the terminal to escapevelocity ratio for the WR stars is relatively low: 2.55 pm 1.14 for theGalactic WN stars and 1.78 pm 0.70 for the Galactic WCs. This ratiodecreases with temperature of WR stars, contrary to what is observed inthe case of OB stars. The presented results show complex influence ofchemical composition on the WR winds driving mechanism efficiency. Ourkinematical data on WR winds suggest evolutionary sequence: WNL -->WNE --> WCE --> WCL.
| Observations of OB-stars at the former Leiden Southern Station
About 700 stars, mostly OB-stars, were observed by the author at theformer Leiden Southern Station at Hartebeespoortdam, South Africa, inthe observing seasons 1965, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1977, 1978. Observationswere made in the five channels of the Walraven photometric system. Dueto weathering of the telescope mirror the W channel gave no reliableresults for the faintest stars (m = 11 mag); in these cases the U-Wcolour index is not given. The change in sensitivity in the V channel,supposedly having occurred in 1968, was not recognised. Table~5 is onlyavailable in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp tocdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/369/527
| The VIIth catalogue of galactic Wolf-Rayet stars
The VIIth catalogue of galactic PopulationI Wolf-Rayet stars providesimproved coordinates, spectral types and /bv photometry of known WRstars and adds 71 new WR stars to the previous WR catalogue. This censusof galactic WR stars reaches 227 stars, comprising 127 WN stars, 87 WCstars, 10 WN/WC stars and 3 WO stars. This includes 15 WNL and 11 WCLstars within 30 pc of the Galactic Center. We compile and discuss WRspectral classification, variability, periodicity, binarity, terminalwind velocities, correlation with open clusters and OB associations, andcorrelation with Hi bubbles, Hii regions and ring nebulae. Intrinsiccolours and absolute visual magnitudes per subtype are re-assessed for are-determination of optical photometric distances and galacticdistribution of WR stars. In the solar neighbourhood we find projectedon the galactic plane a surface density of 3.3 WR stars perkpc2, with a WC/WN number ratio of 1.5, and a WR binaryfrequency (including probable binaries) of 39%. The galactocentricdistance (RWR) distribution per subtype shows RWRincreasing with decreasing WR subtype, both for the WN and WC subtypes.This RWR distribution allows for the possibility ofWNE-->WCE and WNL-->WCL subtype evolution.
| Effects of Wind-Wind Collision in Close Binary Stars
Various observational appearences of the effects of wind-wind collisionfor binary stellar systems have been discovered recently in X-ray, UV,optical, IR and radio ranges. Recent 3D gas-dynamic simulations of thewind-wind collision regions in WR+O, O+O and symbiotic binary systemsallow to understand the physics of wind-wind collision effects, provideinterpretation of observational data and constrain basic parameters ofwinds as well as those of binary systems.
| Mass-loss rates of Wolf-Rayet stars as a function of stellar parameters
Clumping-corrected mass-loss rates of 64 Galactic Wolf-Rayet (WR) starsare used to study the dependence of mass-loss rates, momentum transferefficiencies and terminal velocities on the basic stellar parameters andchemical composition. The luminosities of the WR stars have beendetermined either directly from the masses, using the dependence of L onmass predicted by stellar evolution theory, or they were determined fromthe absolute visual magnitudes and the bolometric corrections. For thispurpose we improved the relation between the bolometric correction andthe spectral subclass. (1) The momentum transfer efficiencies η(i.e. the ratio between the wind momentum loss and radiative momentumloss) of WR stars are found to lie in the range of 1.4 to 17.6, with themean value of 6.2 for the 64 program stars. Such values can probably beexplained by radiative driving due to multiple scattering of photons ina WR wind with an ionization stratification. However, there may be aproblem in explaining the driving at low velocities. (2) We derived thelinear regression relations for the dependence of the terminal velocity,the momentum transfer efficiency and the mass-loss rates on luminosityand chemical composition. We found a tight relation between the terminalvelocity of the wind and the parameters of the hydrostatic core. Thisrelation enables the determination of the mass of the WR stars fromtheir observed terminal velocities and chemical composition with anaccuracy of about 0.1 dex for WN and WC stars. Using evolutionary modelsof WR stars, the luminosity can then be determined with an accuracy of0.25 dex or better. (3) We found that the mass-loss rates(&mathaccent "705Frelax dot;) of WR stars depend strongly onluminosity and also quite strongly on chemical composition. For thecombined sample of WN and WC stars we found that &mathaccent"705Frelax dot; in Mȯyr-1 can be expressed as&mathaccent "705Frelax dot; ≃ 1.0 ×10-11(L/L ȯ)1.29Y1.7Z0.5 (1) with an uncertainty of σ = 0.19dex (4) The new mass-loss rates are significantly smaller than adoptedin evolutionary calculations, by about 0.2 to 0.6 dex, depending on thecomposition and on the evolutionary calculations. For H-rich WN starsthe new mass-loss rates are 0.3 dex smaller than adopted in theevolutionary calculations of Meynet et al. (1994). (5) The lowermass-loss rates, derived in this paper compared to previously adoptedvalues, facilitate the formation of black holes as end points of theevolution of massive stars. However they might create a problem inexplaining the observed WN/WC ratios, unless rotational mixing ormass-loss due to eruptions is important.
| Spectroscopy of WC9 Wolf-Rayet stars: a search for companions
A spectroscopic search for luminous companions to WC9-type Wolf-Rayetstars making circumstellar dust reveals the presence of absorption linesattributable to companions in the blue spectra of WR69 (HD136488) andWR104 (Ve2-45). Comparison of spectra of WR104 observed in 1995 and 1997showed the absorption lines to be more conspicuous in the latterobservation and the emission lines weaker, suggesting a selectiveeclipse of the WC9 star similar to that observed by Crowther in 1996.The WC9 emission-line spectra are shown to be less uniform thanpreviously thought, showing a significant range of Oii line strengths.The only two WC9 stars in the observed sample that do not makecircumstellar dust, WR81 (He3-1316) and WR92 (HD 157451), are found tohave anomalously weak Oii and strong Heii lines. We suggest that thesespectroscopic differences may reflect a compositional difference thatplays a role in determining which of the WC9 stars make dust.
| Radio Continuum Measurements of Southern Early-Type Stars. III. Nonthermal Emission from Wolf-Rayet Stars
The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) has been used to search forradio continuum emission at 2.4 and 1.4 GHz from a sample of 36 southernWolf-Rayet stars. Seven Wolf-Rayet stars were detected at 2.4 GHz, ofwhich two were also detected at 1.4 GHz. We have identified sixWolf-Rayet stars, WR 14, 39, 48, 90, 105, and 112, that have nonthermalemission. The ATCA data confirm that at least 40% of Wolf-Rayet starswith measured spectral indices have nonthermal emission at centimeterwavelengths. Properties of each of the six sources are discussed. Themeasured spectral indices are between 0 and -1.0, and the radioluminosities are of order 10^29 ergs s^-1. So far 10 confirmed sourcesof nonthermal emission are known, including the six ATCA detections andfour previously known cases, WR 125, 140, 146, and 147. In all cases,the nonthermal radio emission almost certainly originates from aninteraction between the Wolf-Rayet stellar wind and the wind from amassive companion star. The radio observations agree well withtheoretical predictions for colliding winds. Synchrotron emission occursfrom relativistic electrons accelerated in strong shocks. The nonthermalspectral indices are likely to be close to -0.5. For WR 39, the detectedradio emission is offset by ~3" from the optical position of WR 39 andby ~2" from the optical position of WR 38B. We suggest that the radioemission may originate from a wind-wind interaction between WR 39 and WR38B, although this is not confirmed. For WR 11, the radio spectral indexincreases from +0.3 between 3 and 6 cm to +1.2 between 13 and 20 cm.This is interpreted as evidence for a highly attenuated nonthermalcomponent that originates well within the ionized wind of the W-R starfrom an interaction with the wind of the O9 companion star.
| Five-colour photometry of OB-stars in the Southern Hemisphere
Observations of OB-stars, made in 1959 and 1960 at the Leiden SouthernStation near Hartebeespoortdam, South Africa, with the VBLUW photometerattached to the 90 cm light-collector, are given in this paper. They arecompared with photometry obtained by \cite[Graham (1968),]{gra68}\cite[Walraven & Walraven (1977),]{wal77} \cite[Lub & Pel(1977)]{lub77} and \cite[Van Genderen et al. (1984).]{gen84} Formulaefor the transformation of the present observations to those of\cite[Walraven & Walraven (1977)]{wal77} and \cite[Lub & Pel(1977)]{lub77} are given. Table 4 is only available in electronic format the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) orvia http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| UBV beta Database for Case-Hamburg Northern and Southern Luminous Stars
A database of photoelectric UBV beta photometry for stars listed in theCase-Hamburg northern and southern Milky Way luminous stars surveys hasbeen compiled from the original research literature. Consisting of over16,000 observations of some 7300 stars from over 500 sources, thisdatabase constitutes the most complete compilation of such photometryavailable for intrinsically luminous stars around the Galactic plane.Over 5000 stars listed in the Case-Hamburg surveys still lackfundamental photometric data.
| Wolf-Rayet stars and O-star runaways with HIPPARCOS. I. Kinematics
Reliable systemic radial velocities are almost impossible to secure forWolf-Rayet stars, difficult for O stars. Therefore, to study the motions- both systematic in the Galaxy and peculiar - of these two relatedtypes of hot, luminous star, we have examined the Hipparcos propermotions of some 70 stars of each type. We find that (a) both groupsfollow Galactic rotation in the same way, (b) both have a similarfraction of ``runaways'', (c) mean kinetic ages based on displacementand motion away from the Galactic plane tend to slightly favour thecluster ejection over the the binary supernova hypothesis for theirformation, and (d) those with significant peculiar supersonic motionrelative to the ambient ISM, tend to form bow shocks in the direction ofthe motion. Based on data from the ESA Hipparcos astrometry satellite.Table~1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Abstract.html
| Formation of Dust in Hostile Environments — What We Learn from Observing Wolf-Rayet Stars
The formation of dust in Wolf-Rayet stellar winds presents challenges toour understanding on account of the stars' strong UV radiation fields.These would heat the dust grains to sublimation unless they wereshielded or restricted to significant distances (˜ 100 AU) fromthe stars where the wind densities appear to be too low to allow dustformation. Valuable clues are provided by observations of episodic dustformation on different mass- and time-scales, especially major outburstsmodulated by orbital motion in binaries. Wind inhomogeneities on allscales — global wind-compressed zones arising from stellarrotation, high-density wakes produced in colliding-wind binaries andsmaller clumps all appear to be significant. The observational evidencefor these effects is reviewed.
| Radio Continuum Measurements of Southern Early-Type Stars. II. A Distance-limited Sample of Wolf-Rayet Stars
A distance-limited sample of southern Wolf-Rayet stars within 3 kpc ofthe Sun has been observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array at8.64 and 4.80 GHz. Radio continuum flux densities at one or bothfrequencies were obtained for 10 sources and upper limits for 20; foursources are found to be thermal emitters on the basis of the observedspectral index. Five sources are classified as nonthermal. One sourcecould not be classified. We derive mass-loss rates for the thermalsources. After combining them with all existing radio mass-loss rates ofWolf-Rayet stars in the northern and southern hemisphere, we perform acomparison with mass-loss rates derived from optical emission lines. Thetwo methods lead to consistent results, which suggests either that theassumption of a spherically symmetric, stationary, homogeneous stellarwind is correct or that deviations from this assumption affect bothmethods in the same way. Wolf-Rayet mass-loss rates are surprisinglyuniform across spectral type. We find an average mass-loss rate of 4 x10-5 Mȯ yr-1 for all types observed, except for WC9 stars, whichhave rates that are lower by at least a factor of 2. An alternativeexplanation could be partial recombination of helium from He+ to He0 inthe radio region, which would lead to a reduced number of freeelectrons, and therefore reduced radio flux for WC9 stars. Mass-lossrates of 8 x 10-5 Mȯ yr-1 for late WN stars favored in recentstellar evolution models disagree with the observations of thesesubtypes. The results of this survey suggest that ~40% of all Wolf-Rayetstars with measured spectral index are nonthermal emitters at centimeterwavelengths. This percentage is nearly twice as high as that ofnonthermal emitters among OB stars and is higher than that previouslyestimated for WR stars. The nature of the nonthermal emission is stillnot fully understood. Possible causes of nonthermal emission arediscussed. In particular, we speculate that nonthermal emission mayarise from an interaction between a thermal WR wind and surroundingmaterial owing to a shell ejected during a previous evolutionary stageor owing the wind of a companion star.
| Episodic Dust Formation by Wolf-Rayet Stars: Smoke Signals From Colliding Winds
It is evident from infrared observations made over the last two decadesthat there is a group of Wolf-Rayet stars which make dust episodicallyin their winds. In cases where observations have continued for longenough, it is seen that dust-formation episodes occur repeatedly, atintervals of about a decade. Three such episodes by the prototype, WR140, have been observed and linked to the interaction of the winds ofthe WC7 and O4-5 components of this binary. A second episode by anothersystem containing a WC7 star, WR 137, has recently begun. New opticalspectroscopy of two other WC systems, not previously known to bebinaries and which have showed dust-formation episodes, indicates thepresence of OB companions and suggests that they too might be binaries.Closely related to these systems is the long-period WC9+B0I binary WR70, whose dust emission is more complex. These systems can give newinsights to the structure of Wolf-Rayet winds.
| Large IRAS Shells Around Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars and the O Star Phase of Wolf-Rayet Evolution
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1996AJ....112.2828M
| H-beta Photometry of Southern Luminous Stars
H-beta photometry for 116 stars listed in Stephenson and Sanduleak's(1971) catalog of _Luminous Stars in the Southern Milky Way_ isreported. The vast majority of these objects are O and B-type stars; afew are A, F, or Wolf-Rayet stars. A systematic difference of on theorder of 30 mmag between the present results and those of otherinvestigators is noted. (SECTION: Stars)
| An IRAS-based Search for New Dusty Late-Type WC Wolf-Rayet Stars
Abstract image available at:http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?1995ApJS..100..413C&db_key=AST
| A spectroscopic database for Stephenson-Sanduleak Southern Luminous Stars
A database of published spectral classifications for objects in theStepenson-Sanduleak Luminous Stars in the Southern Milky Way catalog hasbeen compiled from the literature. A total of 6182 classifications for2562 stars from 139 sources are incorporated.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Circinus |
| Right ascension: | 15h29m44.69s |
| Declination: | -58°34'51.2" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 9.68 |
| Proper motion RA: | -6.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -0.6 |
| B-T magnitude: | 11.03 |
| V-T magnitude: | 9.792 |
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