scholarly journals Mass loss and fate of the most massive stars

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S279) ◽  
pp. 29-33
Author(s):  
Jorick S. Vink

AbstractThe fate of massive stars up to 300M⊙ is highly uncertain. Do these objects produce pair-instability explosions, or normal Type Ic supernovae? In order to address these questions, we need to know their mass-loss rates during their lives. Here we present mass-loss predictions for very massive stars (VMS) in the range of 60-300M⊙. We use a novel method that simultaneously predicts the wind terminal velocities v∞ and mass-loss rate Ṁ as a function of the stellar parameters: (i) luminosity/mass Γ, (ii) metallicity Z, and (iii) effective temperature Teff. Using our results, we evaluate the likely outcomes for the most massive stars.

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S279) ◽  
pp. 351-352
Author(s):  
Yoshitomo Maeda ◽  
Yasuharu Sugawara ◽  

AbstractBy monitoring WC7 and the O5.5 binary WR 140 with the Suzaku telescope, we demonstrate a new method to measure the mass loss rates of both stars. By using the absorption column density, we found a mass-loss rate for the WC7 component: ṀWC7 ≈ 1.2 × 10−5 M⊙ yr−1. We also measured the mass-loss rate of the companion O component using a luminosity variation in phases: ṀO5.5 ≈ 5 × 10−7 M⊙ yr−1.


1991 ◽  
Vol 143 ◽  
pp. 281-288
Author(s):  
M.J. Barlow

The future use of space-borne IR spectroscopy to determine the ionization structure and abundances in the outer winds of WR stars is described. A mass loss rate of 1.7×10-5 M⊙ yr–1 has been derived from 10 μm photometry of the WO2 star Sanduleak 5 (WR 142). The He/H number ratios in the winds of P Cyg and AG Car have been derived from a recombination line analysis of their 1-4 μm spectra and mass loss rates of 2.2×10-5 M⊙ yr–1 and 3.7×10-5 M⊙ yr–1 have been respectively derived for them.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S346) ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
Vikram V. Dwarkadas

AbstractMassive stars lose a considerable amount of mass during their lifetime. When the star explodes as a supernova (SN), the resulting shock wave expands in the medium created by the stellar mass-loss. Thermal X-ray emission from the SN depends on the square of the density of the ambient medium, which in turn depends on the mass-loss rate (and velocity) of the progenitor wind. The emission can therefore be used to probe the stellar mass-loss in the decades or centuries before the star’s death.We have aggregated together data available in the literature, or analysed by us, to compute the X-ray lightcurves of almost all young supernovae detectable in X-rays. We use this database to explore the mass-loss rates of massive stars that collapse to form supernovae. Mass-loss rates are lowest for the common Type IIP supernovae, but increase by several orders of magnitude for the highest luminosity X-ray SNe.


1991 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 480-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claus Leitherer ◽  
Norbert Langer

The structure and evolution of massive stars is significantly influenced by effects of chemical composition in a low-metallicity environment (as compared to the solar neighbourhood, SN), such as the Magellanic Clouds. A fundamental ingredient in evolutionary models is the stellar mass-loss rate M. Lower metal content decreases the mass-loss rates derived theoretically, which in turn affects the stellar evolution models. On the other hand, different evolutionary models predict different stellar parameters (especially L), which again influence M so that an iterative procedure is required to achieve self-consistency.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 265-270
Author(s):  
L.R. Yungelson ◽  
A.G. Massevitch ◽  
A.V. Tutukov

It is shown that mass loss by stellar wind with rates observed in O, B-stars cannot change qualitatively their evolution in the core hydrogen-burning stage. The effects, that are usually attributed to the mass loss, can be explained by other causes: e.g., duplicity or enlarged chemically homogeneous stellar cores.The significance of mass loss by stellar wind for the evolution of massive stars was studied extensively by numerous authors (see e.g. Chiosi et al. (1979) and references therein). However, the problem is unclear as yet. There does not exist any satisfactory theory of mass loss by stars. Therefore one is usually forced to assume that mass loss rate depends on some input parameters.


2019 ◽  
Vol 622 ◽  
pp. A123 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. da Silva Santos ◽  
J. Ramos-Medina ◽  
C. Sánchez Contreras ◽  
P. García-Lario

Context. This is the second paper of a series making use of Herschel/PACS spectroscopy of evolved stars in the THROES catalogue to study the inner warm regions of their circumstellar envelopes (CSEs). Aims. We analyse the CO emission spectra, including a large number of high-J CO lines (from J = 14–13 to J = 45–44, ν = 0), as a proxy for the warm molecular gas in the CSEs of a sample of bright carbon-rich stars spanning different evolutionary stages from the asymptotic giant branch to the young planetary nebulae phase. Methods. We used the rotational diagram (RD) technique to derive rotational temperatures (Trot) and masses (MH2) of the envelope layers where the CO transitions observed with PACS arise. Additionally, we obtained a first order estimate of the mass-loss rates and assessed the impact of the opacity correction for a range of envelope characteristic radii. We used multi-epoch spectra for the well-studied C-rich envelope IRC+10216 to investigate the impact of CO flux variability on the values of Trot and MH2. Results. The sensitivity of PACS allowed for the study of higher rotational numbers than before indicating the presence of a significant amount of warmer gas (∼200 − 900 K) that is not traceable with lower J CO observations at submillimetre/millimetre wavelengths. The masses are in the range MH2 ∼ 10−2 − 10−5 M⊙, anticorrelated with temperature. For some strong CO emitters we infer a double temperature (warm T¯rot ∼ 400 K and hot T¯rot ∼ 820 K) component. From the analysis of IRC+10216, we corroborate that the effect of line variability is perceptible on the Trot of the hot component only, and certainly insignificant on MH2 and, hence, the mass-loss rate. The agreement between our mass-loss rates and the literature across the sample is good. Therefore, the parameters derived from the RD are robust even when strong line flux variability occurs, and the major source of uncertainty in the estimate of the mass-loss rate is the size of the CO-emitting volume.


2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5994-6006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma R Beasor ◽  
Ben Davies ◽  
Nathan Smith ◽  
Jacco Th van Loon ◽  
Robert D Gehrz ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Evolutionary models have shown the substantial effect that strong mass-loss rates ($\dot{M}$s) can have on the fate of massive stars. Red supergiant (RSG) mass-loss is poorly understood theoretically, and so stellar models rely on purely empirical $\dot{M}$–luminosity relations to calculate evolution. Empirical prescriptions usually scale with luminosity and effective temperature, but $\dot{M}$ should also depend on the current mass and hence the surface gravity of the star, yielding more than one possible $\dot{M}$ for the same position on the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. One can solve this degeneracy by measuring $\dot{M}$ for RSGs that reside in clusters, where age and initial mass (Minit) are known. In this paper we derive $\dot{M}$ values and luminosities for RSGs in two clusters, NGC 2004 and RSGC1. Using newly derived Minit measurements, we combine the results with those of clusters with a range of ages and derive an Minit-dependent $\dot{M}$ prescription. When comparing this new prescription to the treatment of mass-loss currently implemented in evolutionary models, we find models drastically overpredict the total mass-loss, by up to a factor of 20. Importantly, the most massive RSGs experience the largest downward revision in their mass-loss rates, drastically changing the impact of wind mass-loss on their evolution. Our results suggest that for most initial masses of RSG progenitors, quiescent mass-loss during the RSG phase is not effective at removing a significant fraction of the H-envelope prior to core-collapse, and we discuss the implications of this for stellar evolution and observations of SNe and SN progenitors.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (S343) ◽  
pp. 458-459
Author(s):  
Walter J. Macie ◽  
Roberto D. D. Costa

AbstractA sample of AGB/RGB stars with an excess of Li abundances is considered in order to estimate their mass loss rates. Our method is based on a correlation between the Li abundances and the stellar luminosity, using a modified version of the Reimers formula. We have adopted a calibration based on an empirical correlation between the mass loss rate and stellar parameters. We conclude that most Li-rich stars have lower mass loss rates compared with the majority of AGB/RGB stars, which show no evidences of Li enhancements, so that the Li enrichment process is probably not associated with an increased mass loss rate.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 454-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyril Georgy ◽  
Sylvia Ekström

AbstractThe red supergiant phase is an important phase of the evolution of massive star, as it mostly determines its final stages. One of the most important driver of the evolution during this phase is mass loss. However, the mass-loss rates prescription used for red supergiants in current stellar evolution models are still very inaccurate.Varying the mass-loss rate makes the star evolve for some time in yellow/blue regions of the HRD, modifying the number of RSGs in some luminosity ranges. Figure 1 shows how the luminosity distribution of RSGs is modified for various mass-loss prescriptions. This illustrates that it is theoretically possible to determine at least roughly what is the typical mass loss regime of RSGs in a stellar evolution perspective.


2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. A173 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Krtička ◽  
J. Kubát ◽  
I. Krtičková

Context. Fast line-driven stellar winds play an important role in the evolution of planetary nebulae, even though they are relatively weak. Aims. We provide global (unified) hot star wind models of central stars of planetary nebulae. The models predict wind structure including the mass-loss rates, terminal velocities, and emergent fluxes from basic stellar parameters. Methods. We applied our wind code for parameters corresponding to evolutionary stages between the asymptotic giant branch and white dwarf phases for a star with a final mass of 0.569 M⊙. We study the influence of metallicity and wind inhomogeneities (clumping) on the wind properties. Results. Line-driven winds appear very early after the star leaves the asymptotic giant branch (at the latest for Teff ≈ 10 kK) and fade away at the white dwarf cooling track (below Teff = 105 kK). Their mass-loss rate mostly scales with the stellar luminosity and, consequently, the mass-loss rate only varies slightly during the transition from the red to the blue part of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram. There are the following two exceptions to the monotonic behavior: a bistability jump at around 20 kK, where the mass-loss rate decreases by a factor of a few (during evolution) due to a change in iron ionization, and an additional maximum at about Teff = 40−50 kK. On the other hand, the terminal velocity increases from about a few hundreds of km s−1 to a few thousands of km s−1 during the transition as a result of stellar radius decrease. The wind terminal velocity also significantly increases at the bistability jump. Derived wind parameters reasonably agree with observations. The effect of clumping is stronger at the hot side of the bistability jump than at the cool side. Conclusions. Derived fits to wind parameters can be used in evolutionary models and in studies of planetary nebula formation. A predicted bistability jump in mass-loss rates can cause the appearance of an additional shell of planetary nebula.


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