Related papers: The Blue supergiant problem and the main-sequence …
We present the discovery of a gap near $M_{G}\approx$10 in the main sequence on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (HRD) based on measurements presented in Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2). Using an observational form of the HRD with $M_{G}$…
Blue supergiant stars can be exceptionally bright objects in the optical, making them prime targets for the determination of extragalactic distances. I describe how their photometric and spectroscopic properties can be calibrated to provide…
We apply the NLTE atmosphere code FASTWIND to perform a spectroscopic study of a small sample of Galactic B-supergiants from B0 to B9. By means of the resulting data and incorporating additional datasets from alternative studies, we…
We present hydrodynamical models of circumstellar medium (CSM) of long gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitor candidates. These are massive stars that have lost a large amount of mass in the form of stellar wind during their evolution. There are…
Massive stars play a very important role in many astrophysical fields. Yet, some fundamental aspects of their evolution remain poorly constrained. In this regard, there is an open debate on the width of the main-sequence (MS) phase. We aim…
We review recent advances in our understanding of massive stars through the analysis of their spectra. Improvements in model atmospheres and analysis methods are briefly discussed. Results obtained for stars in the Local Group are compared…
We investigate where brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) sit on the fundamental plane of black hole (BH) activity, an established relation between the X-ray luminosity, the radio luminosity and the mass of a BH. Our sample mostly consists of…
We identified blue straggler stars (BSSs) in 53 open clusters utilizing data from Gaia DR3. Most of these clusters are situated in the outer regions of the Galactic disc, encompassing structures such as the warp and the Outer arm. We…
The discovery of SN 2018gep (ZTF18abukavn) challenged our understanding of the late-phase evolution of massive stars and their supernovae (SNe). The fast rise in luminosity of this SN (spectroscopically classified as a broad-lined Type Ic…
Post-AGB stars are exquisite probes of AGB nucleosynthesis. However, the previous lack of accurate distances jeopardised comparison with theoretical AGB models. The $Gaia$ Early Data Release 3 ($Gaia$ EDR3) has now allowed for a…
We investigate the evolution of super-AGB thermal pulse (TP) stars for a range of metallicities (Z) and explore the effect of convective boundary mixing (CBM). With decreasing metallicity and evolution along the TP phase, the He-shell flash…
We show that the recently discovered narrow gap in the Gaia Hertzsprung - Russell Diagram near MG =10 can be explained by standard stellar evolution models and results from a dip in the luminosity function associated with mixing of 3He…
We present results of pulsation analyses of B-type supergiant models with masses of $14 - 18 M_\odot$, considering evolutionary stages before and after helium core ignition. Using a non-adiabatic pulsation code, we compute instability…
The link between hot and cool stellar outflows is shown to be critical for correctly predicting the masses of the most massive black holes (BHs) below the so-called pair-instability supernova (PISN) mass gap. Gravitational Wave (GW) event…
Evolutionary models have shown the substantial effect that strong mass-loss rates ($\dot{M}$) can have on the fate of massive stars. Red supergiant (RSG) mass-loss is poorly understood theoretically, and so stellar models rely on purely…
Given their location on the Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram, thoroughly characterized subgiant stars can place stringent constraints on a wide range of astrophysical problems. Accordingly, they are prime asteroseismic targets for the…
Extremely broad emission wings at H$\beta$ and H$\alpha$ have been found in VFTS data for five very luminous BA supergiants in or near 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The profiles of both lines are extremely asymmetrical, which we…
Gravitational wave (GW) detections of binary black hole (BH) mergers have begun to sample the cosmic BH mass distribution. The evolution of single stellar cores predicts a gap in the BH mass distribution due to pair-instability supernova…
Several decades of observations of the most massive and most luminous stars have revealed a complex upper HR Diagram, shaped by mass loss, and inhabited by a variety of evolved stars exhibiting the consequences of their mass loss histories.…
Based on the turbulent convection model (TCM), we investigate chemical mixing in the bottom overshooting region of the convective envelope of intermediate-mass stars, focusing on its influence on the formation and extension of blue loops in…