With a deep Chandra/HETGS exposure of WR 6, we have resolved emission lines whose profiles show that the X-rays originate from a uniformly expanding spherical wind of high X-ray-continuum optical depth. The presence of strong helium-like forbidden lines places the source of X-ray emission at tens to hundreds of stellar radii from the photosphere. Variability was present in X-rays and simultaneous optical photometry, but neither were correlated with the known period of the system or with each other. An enhanced abundance of sodium revealed nuclear-processed material, a quantity related to the evolutionary state of the star. The characterization of the extent and nature of the hot plasma in WR 6 will help to pave the way to a more fundamental theoretical understanding of the winds and evolution of massive stars.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etsu-works-3791 |
| Date | 07 July 2015 |
| Creators | Huenemoerder, David P., Gayley, K. G., Hamann, Wolf-Rainer, Ignace, Richard, Nichols, J. S., Oskinova, Lidia M., Pollock, A. M.T., Schulz, Nobert S., Shenar, Tomer |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | ETSU Faculty Works |
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