Other
Scientific paper
Sep 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3429f&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #3429
Other
Scientific paper
The most massive star that can form is presently defined by observations of a class of very rare stars having inferred initial masses of ~200 solar masses. There are only a few such stars in the Galaxy, including the Pistol Star, FMM362, and LBV 1806-20, the first two being located near the Galactic center, and third located in the disk near W31. Each has only recently been identified as so massive within the past 10 years through the analysis of infrared observations, but they are otherwise too faint, due to extinction, to observe at shorter wavelengths. These stars appear to be very luminous (L>10^6.3 solar luminosities), "blue" (T>10000 K), and variable (delta K~1 mag.), and the Pistol Star has ejected 10 solar masses of material in the past 10000 years. In addition, these stars have near-infrared spectra similar to those of prototypical Luminous Blue Variables, i.e. Eta Car and AG Car. Given their apparent violation of the Humphries-Davidson limit, they are presumably in a short-lived phase of stellar evolution that is often associated with rapid mass-loss through episodic eruptions of their outer atmospheres. We propose to determine the physical properties of these stars and the velocity and ionization structure in their winds by using spectra obtained with the high resolution modes of the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The 10 to 40 micron wavelength region is ideally suited for accessing a variety of lines from transitions of hydrogen, helium, iron, silicon, sulfur, among others; indeed, through our models, we predict that sufficiently sensitive spectra will yield over 300 spectral lines. In addition, we predict that the mid-infrared continuum will be dominated by free-free emission generated in the thick winds associated with these stars, an effect that should be clearly detectable in the spectra.
Figer Donald
Najarro Paco
Stolovy Susan
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