Related papers: A Supergiants
Blue supergiants of spectral types B and A are the visually brightest stars in spiral and irregular galaxies, with their most luminous members (at M_V=-10) outshining entire dwarf galaxies. This characteristic allows us to use them as…
Blue supergiant stars of B and A spectral types are amongst the visually brightest non-transient astronomical objects. Their intrinsic brightness makes it possible to obtain high quality optical spectra of these objects in distant galaxies,…
The present generation of large telescopes facilitates spectroscopy of blue supergiants in galaxies out to distances beyond the Local Group. Recent developments in NLTE spectrum synthesis techniques allow for an accurate determination of…
The phenomenon of spectral mimicry refers to the fact that hypergiants and post-AGB supergiants - stars of different masses in fundamentally different stages of their evolution have similar optical spectra, and also share certain other…
Measuring distances to galaxies, determining their chemical composition, investigating the nature of their stellar populations and the absorbing properties of their interstellar medium are fundamental activities in modern extragalactic…
Observational manifestations of far evolved stars at the asymptotic giants branch and their nearest descendants are briefly considered. Main results of their chemical composition determinations based on long term high resolution…
We discuss results of an exploratory non-LTE analysis of two metal-rich A-type supergiants in M31. Using comprehensive model atoms we derive accurate atmospheric parameters from multiple indicators and show that non-LTE effects on the…
Because of their enormous intrinsic brightness blue supergiants are ideal stellar objects to be studied spectroscopically as individuals in galaxies far beyond the Local Group. Quantitative spectroscopy by means of efficient multi-object…
Context. B-type supergiants are versatile tools to address various astrophysical topics, ranging from stellar atmospheres over stellar and galactic evolution to the cosmic distance scale. Aims. A hybrid non-LTE approach - line-blanketed…
Stellar evolution theory is most uncertain for massive stars. For reliable predictions of the evolution of massive stars and their final fate, solid constraints on the physical parameters, and their changes along the evolution and in…
Although rare, massive stars, being the main sources of ionizing radiation, chemical enrichment and mechanical energy in the Galaxy, are the most important objects of the stellar population. This review presents the many different aspects…
A supergiants are objects in transition from the blue to the red (and vice versa) in the uppermost HRD. They are the intrinsically brightest "normal" stars at visual light with absolute visual magnitudes up to -9. They are ideal to study…
Cool red giants and supergiants are among the most complex and fascinating stars in the Universe. They are bright and large, and thus can be observed to enormous distances allowing us to study the properties of their host galaxies, such as…
Achieving high accuracy and precision in stellar parameter and chemical composition determinations is challenging in massive star spectroscopy. On one hand, the target selection for an unbiased sample build-up is complicated by several…
Observing the stars in our night sky tells us that giant, supergiant and hypergiant stars hold an unique importance in the understanding of stellar populations. Theoretical stellar models predict a rich tapestry of evolved stars. These…
We describe a self-consistent spectrum analysis technique employing non-LTE line formation, which allows precise atmospheric parameters of massive stars to be derived: 1sigma-uncertainties as low as ~1% in effective temperature and…
Despite their paucity, massive hot stars are real cosmic engines of fundamental importance in shaping our Universe, from its very early stages up to its current appearance. Understanding the physics of massive stars is then a key issue for…
We present an overview of a few spectroscopic diagnostics of massive stars. We explore the following wavelength ranges: UV (1000 to 2000 A), optical (4000--7000 A) and near-infrared (mainly H and K bands). The diagnostics we highlight are…
Medium resolution J-band spectroscopy of individual red supergiant stars is a promising tool to investigate the chemical composition of the young stellar population in star forming galaxies. As a continuation of recent work on iron and…
One of the challenges for stellar astrophysics is to reach the point at which we can undertake reliable spectral synthesis of unresolved populations in young, star-forming galaxies at high redshift. Here I summarise recent studies of…