Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2012
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2012aas...21943912w&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #219, #439.12
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The Wolf-Rayet stars WR 98a, WR 104, and WR 112 are known to form dust either episodically or continuously via colliding wind interactions with close companions at separations ranging from a few AU for WR 98a and WR 104 to 20 AU for WR 112. We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) images of the WC9 Wolf-Rayet stars WR 98a, WR 104, and WR 112 that resolve each of these known binary systems into multiple order systems. Wide-band U, B, and V images of WR 104 and WR 112 resolve each into two optical components at a separation of approximately 1". WR 112 also has a likely wide companion 5.6” distant. The B-V and instrumental U-B colors of the WR 104 optical pair are similar and consistent with a physical relationship. The colors of the close WR 112 optical pair are quite different, but there is an extension of the hot dust surrounding WR 112 in the direction of the optically discovered companions, leaving a physical relationship uncertain. HST wide band V, R, and I imaging of WR 98a resolves this star into a small group of 4 bright stars whose different reddening values also leave the physical relationship between the stars unclear. In each case, we suggest that the companion stars are physically bound companions and that the Wolf-Rayet component is the most reddened object because of heavy circumstellar dust obscuration. This could create a significant color difference between a physically bound companion and the WC9 star.
Gies Douglas R.
Moffat Anthony F. J.
Shara Michael M.
Wallace Debra J.
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