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Register a new userThe very massive X-ray bright binary system Wack 2134 (= WR 21a)
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From the radial velocities of the N IV 4058 and He II 4686 emission lines, and the N V 4604-20 absorption lines, determined in digital spectra, we report the discovery that the X-ray bright emission line star Wack 2134 (= WR 21a) is a spectroscopic binary system with an orbital period of $31.673pm0.002$ days. With this period, the N IV and He II emission and N V absorption lines, which originate in the atmosphere of the primary component, define a rather eccentric binary orbit (e=0.64$pm$0.03). The radial velocity variations of the N V absorptions have a lower amplitude than those of the He II emission. Such a behaviour of the emission line radial velocities could be due to distortions produced by a superimposed absorption component from the companion. High resolution echelle spectra observed during the quadrature phases of the binary show H and He II absorptions of both components with a radial velocity difference of about 541 km/s. From this difference, we infer quite high values of the minimum masses, of about 87Mo and 53Mo for the primary and secondary components, respectively, if the radial velocity variations of the He II emission represent the true orbit of the primary. No He I absorption lines are observed in our spectra. Thus, the secondary component in the Wack2134 binary system appears to be an early O type star. From the presence of H, He II and N V absorptions, and N IV and C IV emissions, in the spectrum of the primary component, it most clearly resembles those of Of/WNLha type stars.
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WR~21a was known as a massive spectroscopic binary composed of an O2.5If*/WN6ha primary and an O3V((f*))z secondary. Although a minimum value, the mass estimated for the primary placed it as one of the most massive stars found in our Galaxy. We report the discovery of photometric variations in the time series observations carried out by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). These light variations are interpreted as formed by two main components: a sharp partial eclipse of the O3 by the O2.5/WN6 star, and tidally excited oscillations. Based on the light minima a new ephemeris for the system is calculated. The system configuration is detached and the observed eclipse corresponds to the periastron passage. During the eclipse, the light curve shape suggests the presence of the heartbeat effect. The frequencies derived for the tidally excited oscillations are harmonics of the orbital period. Combining new and previously published radial velocity measurements, a new spectroscopic orbital solution is also obtained. Using the PHOEBE code we model the TESS light curve and determine stellar radii of R_O2.5/WN6=23.3 Rsun and R_O3=14.8 Rsun, and an orbital inclination i=61.8+/-1.5 deg. The latter combined with the spectroscopic minimum masses lead to absolute masses of M_O2.5/WN6=94.4 Msun and M_O3=53.6 Msun, which establishes WR 21a as belonging to the rare group of the very massive stars.
We examine the dependence of the wind-wind collision and subsequent X-ray emission from the massive WR+O star binary WR~22 on the acceleration of the stellar winds, radiative cooling, and orbital motion. Simulations were performed with instantaneously accelerated and radiatively driven stellar winds. Radiative transfer calculations were performed on the simulation output to generate synthetic X-ray data, which are used to conduct a detailed comparison against observations. When instantaneously accelerated stellar winds are adopted in the simulation, a stable wind-wind collision region (WCR) is established at all orbital phases. In contrast, when the stellar winds are radiatively driven, and thus the acceleration regions of the winds are accounted for, the WCR is far more unstable. As the stars approach periastron, the ram pressure of the WRs wind overwhelms the O stars and, following a significant disruption of the shocks by non-linear thin-shell instabilities (NTSIs), the WCR collapses onto the O star. X-ray calculations reveal that when a stable WCR exists the models over-predict the observed X-ray flux by more than two orders of magnitude. The collapse of the WCR onto the O star substantially reduces the discrepancy in the $2-10;$keV flux to a factor of $simeq 6$ at $phi=0.994$. However, the observed spectrum is not well matched by the models. We conclude that the agreement between the models and observations could be improved by increasing the ratio of the mass-loss rates in favour of the WR star to the extent that a normal wind ram pressure balance does not occur at any orbital phase, potentially leading to a sustained collapse of the WCR onto the O star. Radiative braking may then play a significant r^{o}le for the WCR dynamics and resulting X-ray emission.
We present mid-infrared spectra of the microquasar SS 433 obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory (spectroscopic mode of ISOPHOT) and compare them to the spectra of four Wolf-Rayet stars. The mid-infrared spectrum of SS 433 shows mainly HI and HeI emission lines and is very similar to the spectrum of WR 147, a WN8(h)+B0.5V binary with a colliding wind. The 2-12 micron continuum emission corresponds to optically thin and partially optically thick free-free emission from which we calculate a mass loss rate of 1.4-2.2x10^{-4} M_sun/yr if the wind is homogeneous and a third of these values if it is clumped, which is consistent with a strong WN stellar wind. We propose that this strong wind outflows from a geometrically thick envelope of material surrounding the compact object like a stellar atmosphere, imitating the Wolf-Rayet phenomenon.
Double-lined spectroscopic binary systems, containing a Wolf-Rayet and a massive O-type star, are key objects for the study of massive star evolution because these kinds of systems allow the determination of fundamental astrophysical parameters of their components. We have performed spectroscopic observations of the star WR 68a as part of a dedicated monitoring program of WR stars to discover new binary systems. We identified spectral lines of the two components of the system and disentangled the spectra. We measured the radial velocities in the separated spectra and determined the orbital solution. We discovered that WR 68a is a double- lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 5.2207 days, very small or null eccentricity, and inclination ranging between 75 and 85 deg. We classified the binary components as WN6 and O5.5-6. The WN star is less massive than the O-type star with minimum masses of 15 +/- 5 Msun and 30 +/- 4 Msun , respectively. The equivalent width of the He II {lambda}4686 emission line shows variations with the orbital phase, presenting a minimum when the WN star is in front of the system. The light curve constructed from available photometric data presents minima in both conjunctions of the system
On April 23, 2014, the Swift satellite responded to a hard X-ray transient detected by its Burst Alert Telescope, which turned out to be a stellar flare from a nearby, young M dwarf binary DG~CVn. We utilize observations at X-ray, UV, optical, and radio wavelengths to infer the properties of two large flares. The X-ray spectrum of the primary outburst can be described over the 0.3-100 keV bandpass by either a single very high temperature plasma or a nonthermal thick-target bremsstrahlung model, and we rule out the nonthermal model based on energetic grounds. The temperatures were the highest seen spectroscopically in a stellar flare, at T$_{X}$ of 290 MK. The first event was followed by a comparably energetic event almost a day later. We constrain the photospheric area involved in each of the two flares to be $>$10$^{20}$ cm$^{2}$, and find evidence from flux ratios in the second event of contributions to the white light flare emission in addition to the usual hot, T$sim$10$^{4}$K blackbody emission seen in the impulsive phase of flares. The radiated energy in X-rays and white light reveal these events to be the two most energetic X-ray flares observed from an M dwarf, with X-ray radiated energies in the 0.3-10 keV bandpass of 4$times$10$^{35}$ and 9$times$10$^{35}$ erg, and optical flare energies at E$_{V}$ of 2.8$times$10$^{34}$ and 5.2$times$10$^{34}$ erg, respectively. The results presented here should be integrated into updated modelling of the astrophysical impact of large stellar flares on close-in exoplanetary atmospheres.
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