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Polarization Variability Due to Clumps in the Winds of Wolf-Rayet Stars

Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are understood to have clumpy winds [1]. Robert et al. [2] found a statistical relation between the variations of the polarization and the scattering light intensity, R = σ p/σ phot ≈ 0.05. To explain this result, we propose a model in which clumps are ejected from the surface of WR stars uniformly in space with a Gaussian time interval distribution. According to the observed R along with the subpeaks on the emission lines of WR stars, we can obtain the parameters of the velocity law index β, and of the clump ejection rate in a flow time N. Also, the fraction η of the total mass loss rate contained in the clumps can be found from the observed polarization.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etsu-works-17316
Date29 May 2012
CreatorsLi, Q., Cassinelli, J. P., Brown, J. C., Ignace, Richard
PublisherDigital Commons @ East Tennessee State University
Source SetsEast Tennessee State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
SourceETSU Faculty Works

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