Related papers: Wolf-Rayet Colliding Wind Binaries
We present updated orbital elements for the Wolf-Rayet (WR) binary WR\,140 (HD\,193793; WC7pd + O5.5fc). The new orbital elements were derived using previously published measurements along with {\color{black}160} new radial velocity…
The most massive stars are thought to be hydrogen-rich Wolf-Rayet stars of late spectral subtype (WNh stars). In previous theoretical studies the enhanced mass loss of these stars has been attributed to their proximity to the Eddington…
The recent discovery of a gravitational wave from the merging of two black holes of about 30 solar masses each challenges our incomplete understanding of massive stars and their evolution. Critical ingredients comprise mass-loss, rotation,…
Hydrostatic models of Wolf-Rayet stars typically contain low-density outer envelopes that inflate the stellar radii by a factor of several and are capped by a denser shell of gas. Inflated envelopes and density inversions are hallmarks of…
Fast rotating Wolf-Rayet stars are expected to be progenitors of long duration gamma-ray bursts. However, the observational test of this model is problematic. Spectral lines of Wolf-Rayet stars originate in expanding stellar wind, therefore…
The dynamics of the wind-wind collision in massive stellar binaries is investigated using three-dimensional hydrodynamical models which incorporate gravity, the driving of the winds, the orbital motion of the stars, and radiative cooling of…
Two different models have been put forward to explain the origin of the X-ray emission of the unusual X-ray source 1E 1024.0-5732/Wack 2134: a high-mass X-ray binary system (HMXB) and a colliding wind binary (CWB). We present new optical…
The progenitor stars of long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are thought to be Wolf-Rayet stars, which generate a massive and energetic wind. Nevertheless, about 25 percent of all GRB afterglows light curves indicate a constant density medium close…
Massive stars that become stripped of their hydrogen envelope through binary interaction or winds can be observed either as Wolf-Rayet stars, if they have optically thick winds, or as transparent-wind stripped-envelope stars. We approximate…
Recent results with the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) models have shown that Wolf-Rayet mass loss can be explained by radiative wind driving. An inspection of the galactic WR sample, however, reveals that a significant part of the observed WR…
For most elements, the isotopic ratios seen in cosmic rays (CRs) are similar to those in the solar wind. The most important exception to this is $^{22}$Ne/$^{20}$Ne where the CR value is $\sim 5$ times that of the solar wind. According to…
Theoretical population number studies of binaries with at least one black hole (BH) component are obviously depending on whether or not BHs receive a (natal) kick during their formation. Several observational facts seem to indicate that…
The mass-loss rates of massive helium stars are one of the major uncertainties in modern astrophysics. Regardless of whether they were stripped by a binary companion or managed to peel off their outer layers by themselves, the influence and…
One prediction of particle acceleration in the supernova remnants in the magnetic wind of exploding Wolf Rayet and Red Super Giant stars is that the final spectrum is a composition of a spectrum $E^{-7/3}$ and a polar cap component of…
We present results of a 20 ksec X-ray observation of the Wolf-Rayet (WR) binary system WR 147 obtained with XMM-Newton. Previous studies have shown that this system consists of a nitrogen-type WN8 star plus an OB companion whose winds are…
We seek to understand the evolution of Wolf-Rayet central stars by comparing the diffuse X-ray emission from their wind-blown bubbles with that from their hydrogen-rich counterparts with predictions from hydrodynamical models. We simulate…
We analyze new high-resolution Chandra X-ray images of the Wolf-Rayet binary system WR147. This system contains a WN8 star with an early-type companion located 0.6'' to its north, and is the only known early-type binary with a separation on…
Results: The two Wolf-Rayet stars WR20a (WN6ha+WN6ha) and WR20b (WN6ha) were analyzed in detail. They are both very luminous and display very hard spectra, but WR20b does not seem to vary. On the contrary, WR20a, a known eclipsing,…
Some carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet stars (WC stars) show an infrared excess from dust emission. Dust forms in the collision of the WC wind with a companion star's wind. As this dust is carried towards the ISM at close to the WCd wind speed and the…
A handful of binary Wolf-Rayet stars are known to harbour spectacular spiral structures spanning a few hundred AU. These systems host some of the highest dust production rates in the Universe and are therefore interesting candidates to…