Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Mar 1995
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995a%26a...295..725b&link_type=abstract
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.295, p.725
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
38
Stars: Wr, Stars: Mass Loss, Polarisation
Scientific paper
The quantitative interpretation of photometric, spectrometric and polarimetric data on transient features in WR stars is discussed and the diagnostic potential of detailed simultaneous coverage in all three modes emphasised. Our main conclusions/suggestions are : (i) Narrow emission line features are due to localised density enhancements in the mean near spherical wind structure; (ii) Broad-band photo-/polari-metric transients are due to both scattering of starlight and emission in the blobs; (iii) The amplitude of a polarisation transient is an indicator of the mass of a single blob. Combined with the narrow feature width or the narrow feature luminosity, this allows blob density estimation; (iv) The dense blobs cannot form in the visible part of the wind since redistribution of electrons in a localised blob would not result in a continuum polarimetric transient - rather they must form inside the effective photosphere; (v) Star-blobs distance indicators include, for a single blob, the ratio of polarimetric to photometric transient feature amplitudes and the rate of change of polarisation; (vi) When many blobs are present, if blob broad-band emission is significant, or if there is multiple scattering in the blobs, the polarimetric/photometric variation amplitude is reduced (as observed). This makes blob distance determination more difficult; (vii) Narrow feature widths variation with feature shift is an indicator of blob velocity structure. If this is attributed to the general wind velocity gradient then the feature width ratio is only compatible with statistical observations of bullet acceleration/velocity trajectories for winds with substantial initial speed (at the effective photospheric surface). If the wind speed is low at the effective photosphere, explanation of the feature width variation requires either significant electron scattering optical depth within radially elongated blobs or strong differential motion within the blobs.
Antokhin Igor I.
Brown John C.
Moffat Anthony F. J.
Richardson Lawrence
Robert Carmelle
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