L-band Spectroscopy of Galactic OB Stars

Details L-band Spectroscopy of Galactic OB Stars L-band Spectroscopy of Galactic OB Stars

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...210.8802h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society Meeting 210, #88.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.200

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We present new, very high signal-to-noise L-band spectra of several OB stars, concentrating on Hydrogen Br-alpha and Pf-gamma. Theoretical models indicate these lines to be sensitive tracers of mass-loss, even within very weak winds, clearly outperforming H-alpha as wind diagnostic lines. Recent evidence suggests stellar winds might be 'clumped'. Such density enhancements in the wind will lead to an over-estimate of the mass-loss rate if the clumping is not a priori known. A first critical goal of our combined observational-theoretical program is to constrain the amount of clumping occurring within these winds. Mass-loss rates in very weak-winded stars are nearly impossible to measure accurately, but the few indicators available suggest a rate seriously below theoretical extrapolations. Thus a second, but related goal of our program is to exploit the enormous sensitivity of L-band spectra and measure accurate mass-loss rates in these very weak-winded stars, for which classical diagnostic lines clearly fail. Our pilot study of 10 OB stars with varying wind properties shows Br-alpha to be an outstanding indicator for measuring mass-loss rates even among very weak-winded stars, providing unprecedented accuracy.

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