Related papers: Theoretical X-ray Line Profiles from Colliding Win…
Black hole binaries show equatorial disc winds at high luminosities, which apparently disappear during the spectral transition to the low/hard state. This is also where the radio jet appears, motivating speculation that both wind and jet…
The X-ray binary system GX301-2 consists of a neutron star in an eccentric orbit accreting from the massive early-type star WRAY 977. It has previously been shown that the X-ray orbital light curve is consistent with existence of a gas…
Despite all the studies, the geometry of the wind at the origin of the blueshifted broad absorption lines (BAL) observed in nearly 20% of quasars still remains a matter of debate. We want to see if a two-component polar+equatorial wind…
Neutron stars in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) generally accrete from the wind matter of their massive companion stars. Recently Shakura et al. (2012) suggested a subsonic accretion model for low-luminosity ($<4\times 10^{36}$…
High-mass X-ray binary systems are powered by the stellar wind of their donor stars. The X-ray state of Cygnus X-1 is correlated with the properties of the wind which defines the environment of mass accretion. Chandra-HETGS observations…
We fit a new line shape model to \textit{Chandra} X-ray spectra of the O supergiant $\zeta$ Puppis to test the robustness of mass-loss rates derived from X-ray wind line profiles against different assumed heating models. Our goal is to…
We present results of new Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) observations (2019 November - December) of the massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) binary WR 48a. Analysis of these high-quality data showed that the spectral lines in this…
As stars evolve, they undergo significant changes in their physical properties, which can have a profound impact on the planets orbiting them. In particular, the mass lost through stellar wind may be partially accreted by orbiting planets.…
$\eta$ Carinae is a colliding wind binary hosting two of the most massive stars and featuring the strongest wind collision mechanical luminosity. The wind collision region of this system is detected in X-rays and $\gamma$-rays and offers a…
We study the connection between the X-ray and UV properties of the broad absorption line (BAL) wind in the highly X-ray variable quasar PG 2112+059 by comparing Chandra-ACIS data with contemporaneous UV HST/STIS spectra in three different…
We analyse two ASCA observations of the highly eccentric O9III + B1III binary Iota Orionis obtained at periastron and apastron. Based on the assumption of a strong colliding winds shock between the stellar components, we expected to see…
We review recent developments regarding radiation driven mass loss from OB-stars. We first summarize the fundamental theoretical predictions, and then compare these to observational results (including the VLT-FLAMES survey of massive…
In a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) a massive star interacts with a neutron-star or black-hole companion in various ways. The gravitational interaction enables the measurement of fundamental parameters such as the mass of both binary…
We report on the first detection of a global change in the X-ray emitting properties of a wind-wind collision, thanks to XMM-Newton observations of the massive SMC system HD5980. While its lightcurve had remained unchanged between 2000 and…
Microquasars are accreting X-ray binary systems with non-thermal radio jets. In some of these systems the jet is expected to be strongly misaligned with the perpendicular to the orbital plane. If the donor star is an early-type star, the…
We study the usage of the X-ray light curve, column density toward the hard X-ray source, and emission measure (density square times volume), of the massive binary system Eta Carinae to determine the orientation of its semi-major axis. The…
We have calculated mass-loss rates for a grid of wind models covering a wide range of stellar parameters and have derived a mass-loss recipe for two ranges of effective temperature at either side of the bi-stability jump around spectral…
We fit X-ray emission line profiles in high resolution XMM-Newton and Chandra grating spectra of the early O supergiant Zeta Pup with models that include the effects of porosity in the stellar wind. We explore the effects of porosity due to…
Massive O-type stars lose a significant fraction of their mass through radiation-driven winds, a process that critically shapes their evolution and feedback into the interstellar medium. Accurate predictions of mass-loss rates are essential…
High-mass binaries hosting young pulsars can be powerful gamma-ray emitters. The stellar wind of the massive star in the system is expected to be clumpy. Since the high-energy emission comes from the pulsar-star wind interaction, the…