Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2005-01-25
Astrophys.J. 622 (2005) L49-L52
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
ApJ Letters, accepted ScI Eprint #1640, added acknowledgement of Gaensler et al. (2005) http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0501563
Scientific paper
10.1086/429159
We report the discovery of additional hot and massive stars in the cluster surrounding the soft gamma repeater SGR 1806-20, based upon UKIRT and Keck near-infrared spectroscopy. Of the newly identified stars, three are Wolf-Rayet stars of types WC8, WN6, and WN7, and a fourth star is an OB supergiant. These three stars, along with four previously discovered, imply a cluster age of \~3.0-4.5 Myr, based on the presence of WC stars and the absence of red supergiants. Assuming coevality, this age suggests that the progenitor of SGR 1806-20 had an initial mass greater than ~50 Msun. This is consistent with the suggestion that SGRs are post-supernovae end states of massive progenitors, and may suggest that only massive stars evolve into magnetars that produce SGRs. It also suggests that very massive stars can evolve into neutron stars, not just black holes, as recently predicted by theory. The cluster age also provides constraints on the very high mass object, LBV 1806-20.
Blum Robert David
Figer Donald F.
Geballe Thomas Ronald
Kudritzki Rolf Peter
Najarro Francisco
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