Related papers: Circumstellar masers in the Magellanic Clouds
A primary goal of the FUSE mission is to understand the origin of the O VI ion in the interstellar medium of the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. Along sightlines to OB-type stars, these interstellar components are usually blended with O…
Recent determination of the outer rotation curve of the Galaxy suggests that the total Galactic mass is likely to concentrate into a region of radius $\sim2R_0$. If this finding is correct, the previously estimated optical depth of…
Massive stars likely played an important role in the reionization of the Universe, and the formation of the first black holes. Massive stars in low-metallicity environments in the local Universe are reminiscent of their high redshift…
Using the data obtained with the Spitzer Space telescope as part of the Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE) legacy survey, we have studied the variations of the dust composition and abundance across the Large Magellanic…
We present a Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopic survey of mass-losing carbon stars (and one oxygen-rich star) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra cover the wavelength range 5--38 micron. They show varying combinations of dust…
Mass-loss rates and terminal wind velocities are key parameters that determine the kinetic wind energy and momenta of massive stars. Furthermore, accurate mass-loss rates determine the mass and rotational velocity evolution of mass stars,…
The mass-loss rates and dust-to-gas ratios of obscured Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are investigated for samples with different initial metallicities: in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC & LMC) and in the Milky Way. The…
Massive stars are among the main cosmic engines driving the evolution of star-forming galaxies. Their powerful ionising radiation and stellar winds inject a large amount of energy in the interstellar medium. Furthermore, mass-loss…
We have studied the UV extinction properties along 30 Galactic sightlines using data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) archive that have never been previously examined. These distant (d > 1 kpc) sightlines were selected to…
We present our recent work on the conditions under which star formation occurs in a metal-poor environment, the Large Magellanic Cloud ([Fe/H] ~ -0.4). Water masers are used as beacons of the current star formation in HII regions. Comparing…
Mass loss forms an important aspect of the evolution of massive stars, as well as for the enrichment of the surrounding ISM. Our goal is to predict accurate mass-loss rates and terminal wind velocities. These quantities can be compared to…
We have obtained HST and ground-based observations of a sample of 20 O-type stars in the LMC and SMC, including six of the hottest massive stars known (subtypes O2-3) in the R136 cluster. In general, these data include (a) the HST UV…
The Magellanic Clouds offer a unique variety of star forming regions seen as bright nebulae of ionized gas, related to bright young stellar associations. Nowadays, observations with the high resolving efficiency of the Hubble Space…
We report the first sub-kiloparsec spatial resolution measurements of strongly inverted gas-phase metallicity gradients in two dwarf galaxies at $z$$\sim$2. The galaxies have stellar masses $\sim$$10^9M_\odot$, specific star-formation rate…
The Be star phenomenon is related to fast rotation, although the cause of this fast rotation is not yet clearly established. The basic effects of fast rotation on the stellar structure are reviewed: oblateness, mixing, anisotropic winds.…
Observations and modeling suggest that the dust abundance (gas-to-dust ratio, G/D) depends on (surface) density. The variations of the G/D provide constraints on the timescales for the different processes involved in the lifecycle of metals…
The chemical feedback from stellar winds in low metallicity (Z) environments is key for understanding the evolution of globular clusters and the early Universe. With disproportionate mass lost from the most massive stars (M > 100Msun), and…
Context. Maser emission is a strong tool for studying high mass star forming regions and their evolutionary stages. OH masers in particular can trace the circumstellar material around protostars and determine their magnetic field strengths…
We present ESO/VLT spectra in the 2.9-4.1 micron range for a large sample of infrared stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), mainly carbon stars, massive oxygen-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, and red supergiants. Strong…
We present quantitative studies of 8 late O and early B-type supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds using far-ultraviolet FUSE, ultraviolet IUE/HST and optical VLT-UVES spectroscopy. Temperatures, mass-loss rates and CNO abundances are…