The evolutionary paths of the massive O and B type stars are often defined by angular momentum transformations that involve circumstellar gas disks. This circumstellar gas is revealed in several kinds of observations, and here I describe a series of investigations of the hydrogen line emission from such disk using detailed studies of five massive binaries and a survey of 128 Be stars. By examining three sets of spectra of the active mass-transfer binary system RY Scuti, I determined masses of 7.1 +/- 1.2 M_sun for the bright supergiant and 30.0 +/- 2.1 M_sun for the massive companion that is hidden by an accretion torus. I also present a cartoon model of the complex mass flows in the system. Using optical spectroscopy and X-ray flux data, I investigated the mass transfer processes in four massive X-ray binaries (a massive B star with mass flowing onto a compact, neutron star companion). The B-supergiant system LS I +65 010 transfers mass via stellar winds. I find the X-ray flux modulates with the orbital period. In the other three X-ray binary systems (LS I +61 303, HDE 245770, and X Persei), an outflowing circumstellar disk is responsible for the mass transfer, and in all three systems, the disk appears to be truncated by gravitational interactions with the compact companion. The disk in the microquasar system LS I +61 303 is limited in radius by the periastron separation and an increase in both H-alpha equivalent width and X-ray flux following periastron may be due to a density wave in the disk induced by tidal forces. Observations of HDE 245770 document what appears to be the regeneration of a circumstellar disk. The disk of X Persei appears to have grown to near record proportions and the X-ray flux has dramatically increased. Tidal interaction may generate a spiral density wave in the disk and cause an increase in H-alpha equivalent width and mass transfer to the compact companion. During the course of the analysis of the X-ray binaries, I developed numerical models for estimating the size of the Be star disks using just the H-alpha equivalent width. Finally, I present the results of a three year spectroscopic survey of both the H-alpha and H-gamma regions of 128 Be stars. I find that the median fractional variation in the equivalent width of the disk emission lines is 15% over a two year period. I also find that two-thirds of the sample displays evidence of Fe II emission or absorption resulting from surrounding circumstellar material. Many candidates for non-radial pulsation and binary systems are also found. Spectra and notes for all of the sample stars are presented in an appendix.

AH Cep and CW Cep are both early B-type binaries with short orbital periods of 1.8 days and 2.7 days, respectively. All four components are B0.5V types. The binaries are also double-lined spectroscopic and eclipsing. Consequently, solutions for orbital and stellar parameters make the pair of binaries ideal targets for a study of the colliding winds between two B stars. Chandra ACIS-I observations were obtained to determine X-ray luminosities. AH Cep was detected with an unabsorbed X-ray luminosity at a 90% confidence interval of erg s−1, or , relative to the combined Bolometric luminosities of the two components. While formally consistent with expectations for embedded wind shocks, or binary wind collision, the near-twin system of CW Cep was a surprising nondetection. For CW Cep, an upper limit was determined with , again for the combined components. One difference between these two systems is that AH Cep is part of a multiple system. The X-rays from AH Cep may not arise from standard wind shocks nor wind collision, but perhaps instead from magnetism in any one of the four components of the system. The possibility could be tested by searching for cyclic X-ray variability in AH Cep on the short orbital period of the inner B stars.

The blue hypergiant Cyg OB2 12 (B3Ia+) is a representative member of the class of very massive stars in a poorly understood evolutionary stage. We obtained its high-resolution X-ray spectrum using the Chandra observatory. PoWR model atmospheres were calculated to provide realistic wind opacities and to establish the wind density structure. We find that collisional de-excitation is the dominant mechanism depopulating the metastable upper levels of the forbidden lines of the He-like ions Si xivand Mg xii. Comparison between the model and observations reveals that X-ray emission is produced in a dense plasma, which could reside only at the photosphere or in a colliding wind zone between binary components. The observed X-ray spectra are well-fitted by thermal plasma models, with average temperatures in excess of 10 MK. The wind speed in Cyg OB2 12 is not high enough to power such high temperatures, but the collision of two winds in a binary system can be sufficient. We used archival data to investigate the X-ray properties of other blue hypergiants. In general, stars of this class are not detected as X-ray sources. We suggest that our new Chandra observations of Cyg OB2 12 can be best explained if Cyg OB2 12 is a colliding wind binary possessing a late O-type companion. This makes Cyg OB2 12 only the second binary system among the 16 known Galactic hypergiants. This low binary fraction indicates that the blue hypergiants are likely products of massive binary evolution during which they either accreted a significant amount of mass or already merged with their companions.

Context. High spectral resolution and long exposure times are providing unprecedented levels of data quality of massive stars at X-ray wavelengths. Aims. A key diagnostic of the X-ray emitting plasma are the fir lines for He-like triplets. In particular, owing to radiative pumping effects, the forbidden-to-intercombination line luminosity ratio, R = f∕i, can be used to determine the proximity of the hot plasma to the UV-bright photospheres of massive stars. Moreover, the era of large observing programs additionally allows for investigation of line variability. Methods. This contribution is the second to explore how variability in the line ratio can provide new diagnostic information about distributed X-rays in a massive star wind. We focus on wind integration for total line luminosities, taking account of radiative pumping and stellar occultation. While the case of a variable stellar radiation field was explored in the first paper, the effects of wind variability are emphasized in this work. Results. We formulate an expression for the ratio of line luminosities f∕i that closely resembles the classic expression for the on-the-spot result. While there are many ways to drive variability in the line ratio, we use variable mass loss as an illustrative example for wind integration, particularly since this produces no variability for the on-the-spot case. The f∕i ratio can be significantly modulated owing to evolving wind properties. The extent of the variation depends on how the timescale for the wind flow compares to the timescale over which the line emissivities change. Conclusions. While a variety of factors can ellicit variable line ratios, a time-varying mass-loss rate serves to demonstrate the range of amplitude and phased-dependent behavior in f∕i line ratios. Importantly, we evaluate how variable mass loss might bias measures of f∕i. For observational exposures that are less than the timescale of variable mass loss, biased measures (relative to the time-averaged wind) can result; if exposures are long, the f∕i ratio is reflective of the time-averaged spherical wind.

This thesis is focussed on the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST), reporting on two primary areas of investigation. Firstly, it describes the recent upgrade of the MOST to perform an imaging survey of the southern sky. Secondly, it presents a MOST survey of the Vela supernova remnant and follow-up multiwavelength studies. The MOST Wide Field upgrade is the most significant instrumental upgrade of the telescope since observations began in 1981. It has made possible the nightly observation of fields with area ~5 square degrees, while retaining the operating frequency of 843 MHz and the pre-existing sensitivity to point sources and extended structure. The MOST will now be used to make a sensitive (rms approximately 1 mJy/beam) imaging survey of the sky south of declination -30&deg. This survey consists of two components: an extragalactic survey, which will begin in the south polar region, and a Galactic survey of latitudes |b| &lt 10&deg. These are expected to take about ten years. The upgrade has necessitated the installation of 352 new preamplifiers and phasing circuits which are controlled by 88 distributed microcontrollers, networked using optic fibre. The thesis documents the upgrade and describes the new systems, including associated testing, installation and commissioning. The thesis continues by presenting a new high-resolution radio continuum survey of the Vela supernova remnant (SNR), made with the MOST before the completion of the Wide Field upgrade. This remnant is the closest and one of the brightest SNRs. The contrast between the structures in the central pulsar-powered nebula and the synchrotron radiation shell allows the remnant to be identified morphologically as a member of the composite class. The data are the first of a composite remnant at spatial scales comparable with those available for the Cygnus Loop and the Crab Nebula, and make possible a comparison of radio, optical and soft X-ray emission from the resolved shell filaments. The survey covers an area of 50 square degrees at a resolution of 43&quot x 60&quot, while imaging structures on scales up to 30'. It has been used for comparison with Wide Field observations to evaluate the performance of the upgraded MOST. The central plerion of the Vela SNR (Vela X) contains a network of complex filamentary structures. The validity of the imaging of these filaments has been confirmed with Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 1.4 GHz. Unlike the situation in the Crab Nebula, the filaments are not well correlated with H-alpha emission. Within a few parsec of the Vela pulsar the emission is much more complex than previously seen: both very sharp edges and more diffuse emission are present. It has been postulated that one of the brightest filaments in Vela X is associated with the X-ray feature (called a `jet') which appears to be emanating from the region of the pulsar. However, an analysis of the MOST and VLA data shows that this radio filament has a flat spectral index similar to another more distant filament within the plerion, indicating that it is probably unrelated to the X-ray feature.

This thesis is focussed on the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST), reporting on two primary areas of investigation. Firstly, it describes the recent upgrade of the MOST to perform an imaging survey of the southern sky. Secondly, it presents a MOST survey of the Vela supernova remnant and follow-up multiwavelength studies. The MOST Wide Field upgrade is the most significant instrumental upgrade of the telescope since observations began in 1981. It has made possible the nightly observation of fields with area ~5 square degrees, while retaining the operating frequency of 843 MHz and the pre-existing sensitivity to point sources and extended structure. The MOST will now be used to make a sensitive (rms approximately 1 mJy/beam) imaging survey of the sky south of declination -30&deg. This survey consists of two components: an extragalactic survey, which will begin in the south polar region, and a Galactic survey of latitudes |b| &lt 10&deg. These are expected to take about ten years. The upgrade has necessitated the installation of 352 new preamplifiers and phasing circuits which are controlled by 88 distributed microcontrollers, networked using optic fibre. The thesis documents the upgrade and describes the new systems, including associated testing, installation and commissioning. The thesis continues by presenting a new high-resolution radio continuum survey of the Vela supernova remnant (SNR), made with the MOST before the completion of the Wide Field upgrade. This remnant is the closest and one of the brightest SNRs. The contrast between the structures in the central pulsar-powered nebula and the synchrotron radiation shell allows the remnant to be identified morphologically as a member of the composite class. The data are the first of a composite remnant at spatial scales comparable with those available for the Cygnus Loop and the Crab Nebula, and make possible a comparison of radio, optical and soft X-ray emission from the resolved shell filaments. The survey covers an area of 50 square degrees at a resolution of 43&quot x 60&quot, while imaging structures on scales up to 30'. It has been used for comparison with Wide Field observations to evaluate the performance of the upgraded MOST. The central plerion of the Vela SNR (Vela X) contains a network of complex filamentary structures. The validity of the imaging of these filaments has been confirmed with Very Large Array (VLA) observations at 1.4 GHz. Unlike the situation in the Crab Nebula, the filaments are not well correlated with H-alpha emission. Within a few parsec of the Vela pulsar the emission is much more complex than previously seen: both very sharp edges and more diffuse emission are present. It has been postulated that one of the brightest filaments in Vela X is associated with the X-ray feature (called a `jet') which appears to be emanating from the region of the pulsar. However, an analysis of the MOST and VLA data shows that this radio filament has a flat spectral index similar to another more distant filament within the plerion, indicating that it is probably unrelated to the X-ray feature.