Ce mémoire présente une analyse de données photométriques d’étoiles de type Wolf-Rayet ayant pour objectif de caractériser les causes de la variabilité stochastique à court terme omniprésente chez ces étoiles, ainsi que la variabilité périodique due aux éclipses atmosphériques dans deux systèmes particuliers. À l’aide de données de la mission spatiale BRITE, les éclipses initialement supposées atmosphériques des systèmes WR22 et WR48 ont été investiguées avec un modèle analytique, suivi d’une modélisation numérique de l’éclipse pour WR22. Le taux de perte de masse de l’étoile Wolf-Rayet, la profondeur optique du vent et l’angle d’inclinaison du système ont été déterminés avec précision pour WR22, tandis que des valeurs-plafonds pour ces paramètres ont été obtenues avec un angle i tiré de la littérature pour WR48. L’étude de la variabilité stochastique dans le vent de 55 étoiles Wolf-Rayet galactiques a été conduite en utilisant 70 séries temporelles obtenues avec les satellites MOST, BRITE-Constellation et TESS. L’application d’un modèle semi-Lorentzien aux périodogrammes des observations a permis d’obtenir des paramètres caractéristiques : l’amplitude typique, la fréquence caractéristique et le taux d’augmentation de l’amplitude de variabilité. Des comparaisons entre les paramètres obtenus et ceux de la littérature nous ont permis de contextualiser le rôle de divers processus physiques dans l’origine de la variabilité, tel l’instabilité du processus d’entraînement du vent, d’une zone de convection subsurfacique engendrée par l’ionisation partielle des éléments du groupe du fer, ainsi qu’une possible contribution d’ondes de gravité générées à l’interface du coeur convectif et de la zone radiative. / We present an analysis of photometric observations of Wolf-Rayet stars in an effort to characterize their ubiquitous short-term stochastic variability and the origin of the periodic variability due to atmospheric eclipses in two specific systems. With data from BRITE-Constellation, we investigated what we initially thought to be atmospheric eclipses in the WR22 and WR48 systems. Both stars’ datasets were first analyzed using an analytical atmospheric eclipse model, and then a fully numerical core and wind eclipse model was used to better characterize the ambiguous case of WR22. The mass-loss rate of the Wolf-Rayet component, the optical depth of the wind and the inclination angle of the system were accurately determined for WR22, whereas for WR48 an upper limit was found for those parameters using an inclination angle from the litterature. The study of the short-term stochastic variability in the winds of 55 Wolf-Rayet stars was obtained with 70 time-series produced by MOST, BRITE and TESS. The amplitude spectra of these stars were analyzed using a semi-Lorentzian function that allowed us to extract characteristic parameters. Comparisons between the values we obtained and those from the litterature were carried out and we discuss the possible contribution to the variability of various physical processes, namely the line de-shadowing instability, the presence of a subsurface iron-group driven convection zone and possibly of internal gravitational waves generated at the boundary between the convective core and the radiative layer to the observed variability.

This thesis primarily uses submillimetre molecular line data from HARP, a heterodyne array on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), to further investigate star formation in the Ophiuchus L1688 cloud. HARP was used to observe CO J = 3-2 isotopologues: 12CO, 13CO and C18O; and the dense gas tracer HCO+ J = 4-3. A method for calculating molecular line contamination in the SCUBA-2 450 and 850 μm dust continuum data was developed, which can be used to convert 12CO J =6-5and J =3-2 maps of integrated intensity (K km s−1) to molecular line flux (mJy beam−1) contaminating the continuum emission. Using HARP maps of 12CO J = 3-2, I quantified the amount of molecular line contamination found in the SCUBA-2 850 μm maps of three different regions, including NGC 1333 of Perseus and NGC 2071 and NGC 2024 of Orion B. Regions with ‘significant’ (i.e. > 20%) molecular line contamination correspond to molecular outflows. This method is now being used to remove molecular line contamination from regions with both SCUBA-2 dust continuum and HARP 12CO map coverage in the Gould Belt Legacy Survey (GBS). The Ophiuchus L1688 cloud was observed in all three CO J = 3-2 isotopologues. I carried out a molecular outflow analysis in the region on a list of 30 sources from the Spitzer ‘c2d’ survey [Evans et al., 2009]. Out of the 30 sources, 8 had confirmed bipolar outflows, 20 sources had ‘confused’ outflow detections and 2 sources did not have outflow detections. The Ophiuchus cloud was found to be gravitationally bound with the turbulent kinetic energy a factor of 7 lower than the gravitational binding energy. The high-velocity outflowing gas was found to be only 21% of the turbulence in the cloud, suggesting outflows are significant but not the dominant source of turbulence in the region. Other factors were found to influence the global high-velocity outflowing gas in addition to molecular outflows, including hot dust from nearby B-type stars, outflow remnants from less embedded sources and stellar winds from the Upper Scorpius OB association. To trace high density gas in the Ophiuchus L1688 cloud, HCO+ J = 4-3 was observed to further investigate the relationship between high column density and high density in the molecular cloud. Non-LTE codes RADEX and TORUS were used to develop density models corresponding to the HCO+ emission. The models involved both constant density and peaked density profiles. RADEX [van der Tak et al., 2007] models used a constant density model along the line-of-sight and indicated the HCO+ traced densities that were predominantly subthermally excited with den- sities ranging from 10^3–10^5 cm^−3. Line-of-sight estimates ranged from several parsecs to 90 pc, which was unrealistic for the Ophiuchus cloud. This lead to the implementation of peaked density profiles using the TORUS non-LTE radiative transfer code. Initial models used a ‘triangle’ density profile and a more complicated log-normal density probability density function (PDF) profile was subsequently implemented. Peaked density models were relatively successful at fitting the HCO+ data. Triangle models had density fits ranging from 0.2–2.0×10^6 cm^−3 and 0.1–0.3×10^6 cm^−3 for the 0.2 and 0.3 pc cloud length models re- spectively. Log-normal density models with constant-σ had peak density ranges from 0.2–1.0 ×10^5 cm^−3 and 0.6–2.0×10^5 cm^−3 for 0.2 and 0.3 pc models respectively. Similarly, log-normal models with varying-σ had lower and upper density limits corresponding to the range of FWHM velocities. Densities (lower and upper limits) ranged from 0.1–1.0 ×10^6 and 0.5–3.0 ×10^5 cm^-3 for the 0.2 and 0.3 pc models respectively. The result of the HCO+ density modelling indicated the distributions of starless, prestellar and protostellar cores do not have a preference for higher densities with respect to the rest of the cloud. This is contrary to past research suggesting the probability of finding a submillimetre core steeply rises as a function of column density (i.e. density; Belloche et al. 2011; Hatchell et al. 2005). Since the majority of sources are less embedded (i.e Class II/III), it is possible the evolutionary state of Ophiuchus is the main reason the small sample of Class 0/I protostars do not appear to have a preference for higher densities in the cloud.

O tópico abordado nesta tese é a perda de massa através de ventos coronais magnetizados em estrelas de baixa massa. Ventos estelares têm sido estudados extensivamente há vários anos, tendo inicialmente como foco o vento solar. Atualmente, sabe-se que o campo magnético é essencial na aceleração e aquecimento dos ventos coronais. Apesar do conhecimento detalhado que temos da estrutura magnética do Sol, pouco se sabe sobre a configuração do campo magnético em outras estrelas. Nesta tese, é investigada a estrutura do campo magnético nas coroas de estrelas do tipo solar na Seqüência Principal e de suas predecessoras na pré Seqüência Principal através de simulações numéricas magneto-hidrodinâmicas tri-dimensionais. Aqui, consideramos de forma auto-consistente a interação entre o vento e o campo magnético e vice-versa. Dessa forma, pela interação entre forças magnéticas e forças do vento, consegue-se determinar a configuração do campo magnético e a estrutura dos ventos coronais. Realizamos um estudo de ventos de estrelas do tipo solar e a dependência dos mesmos com o parâmetro beta do plasma (a razão entre as densidades de energia térmica e magnética). Este é o primeiro estudo a realizar tal análise resolvendo as equações tri-dimensionais da magneto-hidrodinâmica ideal. Em nossas simulações, adotamos um parâmetro de aquecimento descrito por gamma, que é responsável pela aceleração térmica do vento. Então, nós analisamos ventos com intensidades de campo magnético nos pólos no intervalo de B0 = 1 a 20 G e mostramos que a estrutura do vento apresenta características que são similares à do vento coronal do Sol. No estado estacionário, a topologia do campo magnético obtida é similar para todos os casos estudados, apresentando uma configuração do tipo helmet streamer, com zonas de linhas fechadas e abertas de campo magnético co-existindo. Intensidades mais altas de campo levam a ventos mais acelerados e mais quentes. O aumento na intensidade do campo gera também uma zona morta maior no vento, i.e., os loops fechados que previnem que a matéria escape da coroa em latitudes menores que ~45 graus se estendem a maiores distâncias da estrela. Além disso, mostramos também que a força de Lorentz gera naturalmente um vento que é dependente da latitude. Ao aumentar a densidade da coroa mantendo B0 = 20 G, mostramos que o sistema volta a apresentar ventos menos acelerados e mais frios. Para um valor fixo de gamma, mostramos que o parâmetro essencial na determinação do perfil de velocidade do vento é o parâmetro beta calculado na base da coroa. Dessa forma, acredita-se que haja um grupo de ventos magnetizados que apresenta a mesma velocidade terminal independentemente das densidades de energia térmica ou magnética, desde que o parâmetro beta seja o mesmo. No entanto, essa degenerescência pode ser removida ao se comparar outros parâmetros físicos do vento, tal como a taxa de perda de massa. Nós também analisamos a influência do gamma nos nossos resultados e mostramos que ele é importante na determinação da estrutura do vento. Além disso, investigamos ventos magnetizados de estrelas de baixa massa da pré Seqüência Principal. Em particular, analisamos sob quais circunstâncias tais estrelas apresentam estruturas magnéticas alongadas (e.g., helmet streamers, proeminências do tipo slingshot, etc). Focamos especialmente em estrelas do tipo T Tauri fracas, uma vez que o tênue disco de acreção, quando presente ao redor de tais estrelas, não deve causar forte influência na estrutura do vento estelar e nem na do campo magnético coronal. Nós mostramos que o parâmetro beta do plasma é um fator decisivo na configuração do campo magnético do vento estelar. Usando parâmetros iniciais adequados ao que se é observado para tais estrelas, nós mostramos que a configuração do campo magnético pode variar entre uma configuração semelhante à de um dipolo e uma configuração com linhas fortemente colimadas em torno do eixo polar e streamers fechados ao redor do equador (configuração de multi-componentes para o campo magnético). Mostramos que as estruturas alongadas do campo magnético somente estão presentes se o parâmetro beta do plasma na base da coroa é beta0 << 1. Usando nossos modelos magneto-hidrodinâmicos, auto-consistentes, tri-dimensionais, estimamos para ventos de estrelas da pré Seqüência Principal a escala temporal de migração planetária devido a forças de arraste exercidas pelo vento em um planeta tipo hot-Jupiter (i.e., um planeta gigante que orbita muito próximo da estrela). Nosso modelo sugere que os ventos estelares de coroas com multi-componentes de campo magnético não têm influências significativas na migração de hot-Jupiters. / The subject of this thesis is the mass loss of low-mass stars through magnetized coronal winds. Stellar winds have been a topic of extensive research in Astrophysics for a long time, and their first investigations focused on the solar wind. Nowadays, we know that the magnetic field plays a crucial role in the acceleration and heating of coronal winds. Despite of the knowledge of the fine structure of the solar magnetic field, much less information is known regarding the configuration of the magnetic field in other stars. In this thesis, we investigate the structure of the magnetic field in the coronae of solar-like stars and young stars by means of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical numerical simulations. We self-consistently take into consideration the interaction of the outflowing wind with the magnetic field and vice versa. Hence, from the interplay between magnetic forces and wind forces, we are able to determine the configuration of the magnetic field and the structure of the coronal winds. We investigate solar-like stellar winds and their dependence on the plasma-beta parameter (the ratio between thermal and magnetic energy densities). This is the first study to perform such analysis solving the fully ideal three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics equations. We adopt in our simulations a heating parameter described by gamma, which is responsible for the thermal acceleration of the wind. We analyze winds with polar magnetic field intensities ranging from B0 = 1 to 20 G and we show that the wind structure presents characteristics that are similar to the solar coronal wind. The steady-state magnetic field topology for all cases is similar, presenting a configuration of helmet streamer-type, with zones of closed field lines and open field lines coexisting. Higher magnetic field intensities lead to faster and hotter winds. The increase of the field intensity generates a larger ``dead zone\'\' in the wind, i.e., the closed loops that inhibit matter to escape from latitudes lower than 45 degrees extend farther away from the star. The Lorentz force leads naturally to a latitude-dependent wind. We show that by increasing the density and maintaining B0 = 20 G, the system recovers to slower and cooler winds. For a fixed gamma, we show that the key parameter in determining the wind velocity profile is the beta-parameter at the coronal base. Therefore, there is a group of magnetized flows that would present the same terminal velocity despite of its thermal and magnetic energy densities, as long as the plasma-beta parameter is the same. This degeneracy, however, can be removed if we compare other physical parameters of the wind, such as the mass-loss rate. We also analyze the influence of gamma in our results and we show that it is also important in determining the wind structure. We further investigate magnetized stellar winds of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars. In particular we analyze under which circumstances these stars present elongated magnetic features (e.g., helmet streamers, slingshot prominences, etc). We focus on weak-lined T Tauri stars, as the presence of the tenuous accretion disk is not expected to have strong influence on the structure of the stellar wind neither on the coronal magnetic field. We show that the plasma-beta parameter is a decisive factor in defining the magnetic configuration of the stellar wind. Using initial parameters within the observed range for these stars, we show that the coronal magnetic field configuration can vary between a dipole-like configuration and a configuration with strong collimated polar lines and closed streamers at the equator (multicomponent configuration for the magnetic field). We show that elongated magnetic features will only be present if the plasma-beta parameter at the coronal base is beta0 << 1. Using our self-consistent three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical model, we estimate for the stellar winds of pre-main-sequence stars the timescale of planet migration due to drag forces exerted by the stellar wind on a hot-Jupiter (i.e., on a giant planet that orbits very close to the star). Our model suggests that the stellar wind of these multicomponent coronae are not expected to have significant influence on the migration of hot-Jupiters.

Ce mémoire s’intéresse au système binaire massif CV Serpentis, composé d’une Wolf- Rayet riche en carbone et d’une étoile de la séquence principale, de type spectral O (WC8d + O8-9IV). D’abord, certains phénomènes affectant les étoiles massives sont mentionnés, de leur passage sur la séquence principale à leur mort (supernova). Au cours du premier cha- pitre, un rappel est fait concernant certaines bases de l’astrophysique stellaire observa- tionnelle (diagramme Hertzsprung-Russell, phases évolutives, etc...). Au chapitre suivant, un des aspects les plus importants de la vie des étoiles massives est abordé : la perte de masse sous forme de vents stellaires. Un historique de la découverte des vents ouvre le chapitre, suivi des fondements théoriques permettant d’expliquer ce phénomène. Ensuite, différents aspects propres aux vents stellaires sont présentés. Au troisième chapitre, un historique détaillé de CV Ser est présenté en guise d’introduc- tion à cet objet singulier. Ses principales caractéristiques connues y sont mentionnées. Finalement, le cœur de ce mémoire se retrouve au chapitre 4. Des courbes de lumière ultra précises du satellite MOST (2009 et 2010) montrent une variation apparente du taux de perte de masse de la WR de l’ordre de 62% sur une période orbitale de 29.701 jours. L’analyse des résidus permet de trouver une signature suggérant la présence de régions d’interaction en corotation (en anglais corotating interaction regions, ou CIR) dans le vent WR. Une nouvelle solution orbitale est présentée ainsi que les paramètres de la région de collision des vents et les types spectraux sont confirmés. / This thesis focuses on the massive binary CV Serpentis, consisting of a carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet star and a main-sequence O-type star (WC8d + O8-9IV). First off, different phenomena linked to massive stars throughout their existence - from main sequence to the supernova explosion - are mentioned. The first chapter offers a brief overview of some of the basics of observational stellar astrophysics (Hertzsprung- Russell diagram, evolution, etc...). The next chapter covers one of the most important aspects of massive stars : mass loss through stellar winds. The chapter opens with a chronology of the discovery of stellar winds, followed by the foundations of stellar wind theory. Finally, different processes involved in wind ejection are presented. The third chapter reviews chronologically the main studies carried out on CV Ser and helps introduce this peculiar system. Its main characteristics are given in this chapter. Finally, chapter 4 is the central part of this work. MOST light curves taken in 2009 and 2010 show what appears to be a 62% increase of the mass-loss rate over one or- bital period (29.701d). There also seems to be evidence for the presence of corotating interaction regions (CIR) in the WR wind. Indeed, the analysis of the residuals yields a CIR-like signature. A new orbit is derived, as well as the wind-collision zone parame- ters, while the spectral types of both stars are confirmed.

No description available.

O tópico abordado nesta tese é a perda de massa através de ventos coronais magnetizados em estrelas de baixa massa. Ventos estelares têm sido estudados extensivamente há vários anos, tendo inicialmente como foco o vento solar. Atualmente, sabe-se que o campo magnético é essencial na aceleração e aquecimento dos ventos coronais. Apesar do conhecimento detalhado que temos da estrutura magnética do Sol, pouco se sabe sobre a configuração do campo magnético em outras estrelas. Nesta tese, é investigada a estrutura do campo magnético nas coroas de estrelas do tipo solar na Seqüência Principal e de suas predecessoras na pré Seqüência Principal através de simulações numéricas magneto-hidrodinâmicas tri-dimensionais. Aqui, consideramos de forma auto-consistente a interação entre o vento e o campo magnético e vice-versa. Dessa forma, pela interação entre forças magnéticas e forças do vento, consegue-se determinar a configuração do campo magnético e a estrutura dos ventos coronais. Realizamos um estudo de ventos de estrelas do tipo solar e a dependência dos mesmos com o parâmetro beta do plasma (a razão entre as densidades de energia térmica e magnética). Este é o primeiro estudo a realizar tal análise resolvendo as equações tri-dimensionais da magneto-hidrodinâmica ideal. Em nossas simulações, adotamos um parâmetro de aquecimento descrito por gamma, que é responsável pela aceleração térmica do vento. Então, nós analisamos ventos com intensidades de campo magnético nos pólos no intervalo de B0 = 1 a 20 G e mostramos que a estrutura do vento apresenta características que são similares à do vento coronal do Sol. No estado estacionário, a topologia do campo magnético obtida é similar para todos os casos estudados, apresentando uma configuração do tipo helmet streamer, com zonas de linhas fechadas e abertas de campo magnético co-existindo. Intensidades mais altas de campo levam a ventos mais acelerados e mais quentes. O aumento na intensidade do campo gera também uma zona morta maior no vento, i.e., os loops fechados que previnem que a matéria escape da coroa em latitudes menores que ~45 graus se estendem a maiores distâncias da estrela. Além disso, mostramos também que a força de Lorentz gera naturalmente um vento que é dependente da latitude. Ao aumentar a densidade da coroa mantendo B0 = 20 G, mostramos que o sistema volta a apresentar ventos menos acelerados e mais frios. Para um valor fixo de gamma, mostramos que o parâmetro essencial na determinação do perfil de velocidade do vento é o parâmetro beta calculado na base da coroa. Dessa forma, acredita-se que haja um grupo de ventos magnetizados que apresenta a mesma velocidade terminal independentemente das densidades de energia térmica ou magnética, desde que o parâmetro beta seja o mesmo. No entanto, essa degenerescência pode ser removida ao se comparar outros parâmetros físicos do vento, tal como a taxa de perda de massa. Nós também analisamos a influência do gamma nos nossos resultados e mostramos que ele é importante na determinação da estrutura do vento. Além disso, investigamos ventos magnetizados de estrelas de baixa massa da pré Seqüência Principal. Em particular, analisamos sob quais circunstâncias tais estrelas apresentam estruturas magnéticas alongadas (e.g., helmet streamers, proeminências do tipo slingshot, etc). Focamos especialmente em estrelas do tipo T Tauri fracas, uma vez que o tênue disco de acreção, quando presente ao redor de tais estrelas, não deve causar forte influência na estrutura do vento estelar e nem na do campo magnético coronal. Nós mostramos que o parâmetro beta do plasma é um fator decisivo na configuração do campo magnético do vento estelar. Usando parâmetros iniciais adequados ao que se é observado para tais estrelas, nós mostramos que a configuração do campo magnético pode variar entre uma configuração semelhante à de um dipolo e uma configuração com linhas fortemente colimadas em torno do eixo polar e streamers fechados ao redor do equador (configuração de multi-componentes para o campo magnético). Mostramos que as estruturas alongadas do campo magnético somente estão presentes se o parâmetro beta do plasma na base da coroa é beta0 << 1. Usando nossos modelos magneto-hidrodinâmicos, auto-consistentes, tri-dimensionais, estimamos para ventos de estrelas da pré Seqüência Principal a escala temporal de migração planetária devido a forças de arraste exercidas pelo vento em um planeta tipo hot-Jupiter (i.e., um planeta gigante que orbita muito próximo da estrela). Nosso modelo sugere que os ventos estelares de coroas com multi-componentes de campo magnético não têm influências significativas na migração de hot-Jupiters. / The subject of this thesis is the mass loss of low-mass stars through magnetized coronal winds. Stellar winds have been a topic of extensive research in Astrophysics for a long time, and their first investigations focused on the solar wind. Nowadays, we know that the magnetic field plays a crucial role in the acceleration and heating of coronal winds. Despite of the knowledge of the fine structure of the solar magnetic field, much less information is known regarding the configuration of the magnetic field in other stars. In this thesis, we investigate the structure of the magnetic field in the coronae of solar-like stars and young stars by means of three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical numerical simulations. We self-consistently take into consideration the interaction of the outflowing wind with the magnetic field and vice versa. Hence, from the interplay between magnetic forces and wind forces, we are able to determine the configuration of the magnetic field and the structure of the coronal winds. We investigate solar-like stellar winds and their dependence on the plasma-beta parameter (the ratio between thermal and magnetic energy densities). This is the first study to perform such analysis solving the fully ideal three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics equations. We adopt in our simulations a heating parameter described by gamma, which is responsible for the thermal acceleration of the wind. We analyze winds with polar magnetic field intensities ranging from B0 = 1 to 20 G and we show that the wind structure presents characteristics that are similar to the solar coronal wind. The steady-state magnetic field topology for all cases is similar, presenting a configuration of helmet streamer-type, with zones of closed field lines and open field lines coexisting. Higher magnetic field intensities lead to faster and hotter winds. The increase of the field intensity generates a larger ``dead zone\'\' in the wind, i.e., the closed loops that inhibit matter to escape from latitudes lower than 45 degrees extend farther away from the star. The Lorentz force leads naturally to a latitude-dependent wind. We show that by increasing the density and maintaining B0 = 20 G, the system recovers to slower and cooler winds. For a fixed gamma, we show that the key parameter in determining the wind velocity profile is the beta-parameter at the coronal base. Therefore, there is a group of magnetized flows that would present the same terminal velocity despite of its thermal and magnetic energy densities, as long as the plasma-beta parameter is the same. This degeneracy, however, can be removed if we compare other physical parameters of the wind, such as the mass-loss rate. We also analyze the influence of gamma in our results and we show that it is also important in determining the wind structure. We further investigate magnetized stellar winds of low-mass pre-main-sequence stars. In particular we analyze under which circumstances these stars present elongated magnetic features (e.g., helmet streamers, slingshot prominences, etc). We focus on weak-lined T Tauri stars, as the presence of the tenuous accretion disk is not expected to have strong influence on the structure of the stellar wind neither on the coronal magnetic field. We show that the plasma-beta parameter is a decisive factor in defining the magnetic configuration of the stellar wind. Using initial parameters within the observed range for these stars, we show that the coronal magnetic field configuration can vary between a dipole-like configuration and a configuration with strong collimated polar lines and closed streamers at the equator (multicomponent configuration for the magnetic field). We show that elongated magnetic features will only be present if the plasma-beta parameter at the coronal base is beta0 << 1. Using our self-consistent three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamical model, we estimate for the stellar winds of pre-main-sequence stars the timescale of planet migration due to drag forces exerted by the stellar wind on a hot-Jupiter (i.e., on a giant planet that orbits very close to the star). Our model suggests that the stellar wind of these multicomponent coronae are not expected to have significant influence on the migration of hot-Jupiters.

Nous présentons les résultats de trois campagnes d'observation d'un mois chacune dans le cadre de l'étude de la collision des vents dans les systèmes binaires Wolf-Rayet + OB. Ce travail se concentre sur l'étude des objets de l'hémisphère sud n'ayant jamais encore fait l'objet d'études poussées dans ce contexte. À cela, nous avons ajouté l'objet archétype pour ce type de systèmes : WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc) qui a effectué son dernier passage périastre en janvier 2009. Les deux premières campagnes (spectroscopiques), ont permis une mise à jour des éléments orbitaux ainsi qu'une estimation de la géométrie de la zone de collision des vents et d'autres paramètres fondamentaux des étoiles pour 6 systèmes binaires : WR 12 (WN8h), 21 (WN5o+O7V), 30 (WC6+O7.5V), 31 (WN4o+O8), 47 (WN6o+O5) et 140. Une période non-orbitale courte (probablement reliée à la rotation) a également été mesurée pour un des objets : WR 69 (WC9d+OB), avec une période orbitale bien plus grande. La troisième campagne (photométrique) a révélé une variabilité étonnamment faible dans un échantillon de 20 étoiles WC8/9. Cela supporte l'idée que les pulsations ne sont pas courantes dans ce type d'étoiles et qu'il est peu probable que celles-ci soient le mécanisme dominant de formation de poussière, suggérant, par défaut, le rôle prédominant de la collision des vents. / We present the results from three month-long observational campaigns related to WR+O colliding-wind binaries. This work focuses on southern-hemisphere systems that have not yet been previously studied in this context. To this we add the northern archetype colliding-wind system WR 140 (WC7pd + O5.5fc), which recently suffered another active periastron passage in 2009 January. The first two (spectroscopic) campaigns allowed us to update the orbital elements and to constrain the geometry of the colliding wind region and other fundamental parameters, for 6 binary systems: WR 12 (WN8h), WR 21 (WN5o+O7V), WR 30 (WC6+O7.5V), WR 31 (WN4o+O8), WR 47 (WN6o+O5) and WR 140. A short non-orbital (probably rotational) period was also detected in the WR component of one of our objects, WR 69 (WC9d+OB), with a much longer orbital period. The third (photometric) campaign revealed a surprisingly low level of variability in our sample of 20 WC8/9 stars. This supports the idea that pulsations are not very frequent in this type of star and are unlikely to be the main mechanism for dust formation, suggesting, by default, a predominant role of wind-wind collision.

No description available.