The P v λλ1118, 1128 resonance doublet is an extraordinarily useful diagnostic of O-star winds, because it bypasses the traditional problems associated with determining mass-loss rates from UV resonance lines. We discuss critically the assumptions and uncertainties involved with using P v to diagnose mass-loss rates, and conclude that the large discrepancies between massloss rates determined from P v and the rates determined from “density squared” emission processes pose a significant challenge to the “standard model” of hot-star winds. The disparate measurements can be reconciled if the winds of O-type stars are strongly clumped on small spatial scales, which in turn implies that mass-loss rates based on Hα or radio emission are too large by up to an order of magnitude.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:Potsdam/oai:kobv.de-opus-ubp:1764 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Fullerton, A. W., Massa, D. L., Prinja, R. K. |
| Publisher | Universität Potsdam, Extern. Extern |
| Source Sets | Potsdam University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | InProceedings |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | http://opus.kobv.de/ubp/doku/urheberrecht.php |
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