X-ray emission from stars much more massive than the Sun was discovered only 35 years ago. Such stars drive fast stellar winds where shocks can develop, and it is commonly assumed that the X-rays emerge from the shock-heated plasma. Many massive stars additionally pulsate. However, hitherto it was neither theoretically predicted nor observed that these pulsations would affect their X-ray emission. All X-ray pulsars known so far are associated with degenerate objects, either neutron stars or white dwarfs. Here we report the discovery of pulsating X-rays from a non-degenerate object, the massive B-type star ξ1 CMa. This star is a variable of β Cep-type and has a strong magnetic field. Our observations with the X-ray Multi-Mirror (XMM-Newton) telescope reveal X-ray pulsations with the same period as the fundamental stellar oscillations. This discovery challenges our understanding of stellar winds from massive stars, their X-ray emission and their magnetism.

An increasing number of OB stars have been shown to possess magnetic fields. Although the sample remains small, it is surprising that the magnetic and X-ray properties of these stars appear to be far less correlated than expected. This contradicts model predictions, which generally indicate that the X-rays from magnetic stars are harder and more luminous than their non-magnetic counterparts. Instead, the X-ray properties of magnetic OB stars are quite diverse. τ Sco is one example where the expectations are better met. This bright main-sequence, early B star has been studied extensively in a variety of wavebands. It has a surface magnetic field of around 500 G, and Zeeman Doppler tomography has revealed an unusual field configuration. Furthermore, τ Sco displays an unusually hard X-ray spectrum, much harder than similar, non-magnetic OB stars. In addition, the profiles of its UV P Cygni wind lines have long been known to possess a peculiar morphology. Recently, two stars, HD 66665 and HD 63425, whose spectral types and UV wind line profiles are similar to those of τ Sco, have also been determined to be magnetic. In the hope of establishing a magnetic field – X-ray connection for at least a subset of the magnetic stars, we obtained XMM–Newton European Photon Imaging Camera spectra of these two objects. Our results for HD 66665 are somewhat inconclusive. No especially strong hard component is detected; however, the number of source counts is insufficient to rule out hard emission. Longer exposure is needed to assess the nature of the X-rays from this star. On the other hand, we do find that HD 63425 has a substantial hard X-ray component, thereby bolstering its close similarity to τ Sco.

Analyses of recent observations of the sole classical Cepheid in the Kepler field, V1154 Cygni, found random changes of about 30 min in the pulsation period. These period changes challenge standard theories of pulsation and evolution because the period change is non-secular, and explaining this period jitter is necessary for understanding stellar evolution and the role of Cepheids as precise standard candles. We suggest that convection and convective hot spots can explain the observed period jitter. Convective hot spots alter the timing of flux maximum and minimum in the Cepheid light curve, hence change the measured pulsation period. We present a model of random hot spots that generate a localized flux excess that perturbs the Cepheid light curve and consequently the pulsation period, which is consistent with the observed jitter. This result demonstrates how important understanding convection is for modeling Cepheid stellar structure and evolution, how convection determines the red edge of the instability strip, and just how sensitive Cepheid light curves are to atmospheric physics.

Faraday rotation is a valuable tool for detecting magnetic fields. Here, the technique is considered in relation to wind-blown bubbles. In the context of spherical winds with azimuthal or split monopole stellar magnetic field geometries, we derive maps of the distribution of position angle (P.A.) rotation of linearly polarized radiation across projected bubbles. We show that the morphology of maps for split monopole fields are distinct from those produced by the toroidal field topology; however, the toroidal case is the one most likely to be detectable because of its slower decline in field strength with distance from the star. We also consider the important case of a bubble with a spherical sub-volume that is field-free to approximate crudely a “swept-up” wind interaction between a fast wind (or possibly a supernova ejecta shell) overtaking a slower magnetized wind from a prior state of stellar evolution. With an azimuthal field, the resultant P.A. map displays two arc-like features of opposite rotation measure, similar to observations of the supernova remnant G296.5+10.0. We illustrate how P.A. maps can be used to disentangle Faraday rotation contributions made by the interstellar medium versus the bubble. Although our models involve simplifying assumptions, their consideration leads to a number of general robust conclusions for use in the analysis of radio mapping data sets.

Faraday rotation is a process by which the position angle (PA) of background linearly polarized light is rotated when passing through an ionized and magnetized medium. The effect is sensitive to the line-of-sight magnetic field in conjunction with the electron density. This contribution highlights diagnostic possibilities of inferring the magnetic field (or absence thereof) in and around wind-blown bubbles from the Faraday effect. Three cases are described as illustrations: a stellar toroidal magnetic field, a shocked interstellar magnetic field, and an interstellar magnetic field within an ionized bubble.

The B0.2 V magnetic star τ Sco stands out from the larger population of massive OB stars due to its high X-ray activity, peculiar wind diagnostics and highly complex magnetic field. This Letter presents the discovery of the first two τ Sco analogues – HD 66665 and HD 63425, identified by the striking similarity of their ultraviolet (UV) spectra to that of τ Sco. ESPaDOnS spectropolarimetric observations were secured by the Magnetism in Massive Stars CFHT Large Program, in order to characterize the stellar and magnetic properties of these stars. cmfgen modelling of optical ESPaDOnS spectra and archived IUE UV spectra showed that these stars have stellar parameters similar to those of τ Sco. A magnetic field of similar surface strength is found on both stars, reinforcing the connection between the presence of a magnetic field and wind peculiarities. However, additional phase-resolved observations will be required in order to assess the potential complexity of the magnetic fields and verify if the wind anomalies are linked to this property.

This paper focuses on the polarized profiles of resonance scattering lines that form in magnetized disks. Optically thin lines from Keplerian planar disks are considered. Model line profiles are calculated for simple field topologies of axial fields (i.e., vertical to the disk plane) and toroidal fields (i.e., purely azimuthal). A scheme for discerning field strengths and geometries in disks is developed based on Stokes Q − U diagrams for the run of polarization across line profiles that are Doppler-broadened by the disk rotation. A discussion of the Hanle effect for magnetized disks in which the magnetorotational instability (MRI) is operating is also presented. Given that the MRI has a tendency to mix the vector field orientation, it may be difficult to detect the disk fields with the longitudinal Zeeman effect, since the amplitude of the circularly polarized signal scales with the net magnetic flux in the direction of the observer. The Hanle effect does not suffer from this impediment, and so a multi-line analysis could be used to constrain field strengths in disks dominated by the MRI.

Aims. We consider the polarization arising from scattering in an envelope illuminated by a central anisotropic source. This work extends the theory introduced in a previous paper (Al-Malki et al. 1999) in which scattering polarization from a spherically symmetric envelope illuminated by an anisotropic point source was considered. Here we generalize to account for the more realistic expectation of a non-spherical envelope shape. Methods. Spherical harmonics are used to describe both the light source anisotropy and the envelope density distribution functions of the scattering particles. This framework demonstrates how the net resultant polarization arises from a superposition of three basic “shape” functions: the distribution of source illumination, the distribution of envelope scatterers, and the phase function for dipole scattering. Results. Specific expressions for the Stokes parameters and scattered flux are derived for the case of an ellipsoidal light source inside an ellipsoidal envelope, with principal axes that are generally not aligned. Two illustrative examples are considered: (a) axisymmetric mass loss from a rapidly rotating star, such as may apply to some Luminous Blue Variables, and (b) a Roche-lobe filling star in a binary system with a circumstellar envelope. Conclusions. As a general conclusion, the combination of source anisotropy with distorted scattering envelopes leads to more complex polarimetric behavior such that the source characteristics should be carefully considered when interpreting polarimetric data

The polarimetric and photometric variability of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars as caused by clumps in the winds, is revisited. In the model which is improved from Li et al. 2000, the radial expansion of the thickness is accounted for, but we retain the dependence on the beta velocity law, stellar occultation effects. We again search for parameters that can yield results consistent with observations in regards to the mean polarization, the ratio of polarimetric to photometric variability, and the volume filling factor. Clump generation and spatial distribution are randomized by the Monte Carlo method so as to produce clumps which are, in the mean, distributed uniformly in space and have time intervals with a Gaussian distribution. The generated clumps move radially outward with a velocity law determined by a beta index, and the angular size of the clumps is assumed to keep fixed. By fitting the observational results and the volume filling factor, the clump velocity law index beta and clump ejection rate are inferred, and are found to be well constrained. In addition, the subpeak features on broad emission lines seem to support the clump ejection rate. Meanwhile, the fraction of the total mass loss rate that is contained in the clumps is obtained by fitting the observed polarization. We conclude that this picture for the clump properties produces a valuable diagnostic of WR wind structure.

We obtained relatively high signal-to-noise X-ray spectral data of the early massive star τ Sco (B0.2V) with the Suzaku X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) instrument. This source displays several unusual features that motivated our study: (1) redshifted absorption in UV P Cygni lines to approximately +250 km s−1 suggestive of infalling gas, (2) unusually hard X-ray emission requiring hot plasma at temperatures in excess of 10 MK whereas most massive stars show relatively soft X-rays at a few MK, and (3) a complex photospheric magnetic field of open and closed field lines. In an attempt to understand the hard component better, X-ray data were obtained at six roughly equally spaced phases within the same epoch of τ Sco’s 41 day rotation period. The XIS instrument has three operable detectors: XIS1 is back-illuminated with sensitivity down to 0.2 keV; XIS0 and XIS2 are front-illuminated with sensitivity only down to 0.4 keV and have an overall less effective area than XIS1. The XIS0 and XIS3 detectors show relatively little variability. In contrast, there is a ≈4σ detection of a ≈4% drop in the count rate of the XIS1 detector at one rotational phase. In addition, all three detectors show a ≈3% increase in count rate at the same phase. The most optimistic prediction of X-ray variability allows for a 40% change in the count rate, particularly near phases where we have pointings. Observed modulations in the X-ray light curve on the rotation cycle is an order of magnitude smaller than this, which places new stringent constraints on future modeling of this interesting magnetic massive star.