Related papers: Optically observable zero-age main-sequence O star…

The apparent lack of massive O-type stars near the zero-age main sequence (at ages < 2 Myr) is a topic widely discussed. Different explanations for this elusive detection have been proposed, but no firm conclusions have been reached yet. We…

Aims. Having established the binary status of nineteen O-type stars located in four Cygnus OB associations, we now determine their fundamental parameters to constrain their properties and their evolutionary status. We also investigate their…

The outcome of the formation of massive stars is an important anchor point in their evolution. It provides insight into the physics of the assembly process, and sets the conditions for stellar evolution. We characterize a population of 18…

The formation process of massive stars is still poorly understood. Massive young stellar objects (mYSOs) are deeply embedded in their parental clouds, they are rare and thus typically distant, and their reddened spectra usually preclude the…

Young stars on their way to the ZAMS evolve in significantly different ways depending on mass. While the theoretical and observational properties of low- and intermediate-mass stars are rather well understood and/or empirically tested, the…

We provide an observational view of evolutionary models in the Hertzsprung--Russell diagram, on the main sequence. For that we computed evolutionary models with the code STAREVOL for 15 < M/Msun < 100. We subsequently calculated atmosphere…

We present observations and analyses of seven Galactic O stars of type O6 and earlier. Analyses are carried out using NLTE plane-parallel, hydrostatic models as well as NLTE spherical models with mass-loss. With detailed calculations for…

We present the results of optical spectroscopic follow-up of 125 candidate main sequence OB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) that were originally identified in the S3MC infrared imaging survey as showing an excess of emission at 24…

OVz stars are identified by their optical spectra, in which the He II 4686 absorption line is stronger than any other He line. This spectral characteristic suggests that these stars may be less luminous, less evolved, and located closer to…

Very massive stars (VMS) are defined as stars with an initial mass in excess of 100 Msun. Because of their short lifetime and the shape of the stellar mass function, they are rare objects. Only about twenty of them are known in the Galaxy…

The compact association Cygnus OB2 is known to contain a large population of massive stars, but its total mass is currently a matter of debate. While recent surveys have uncovered large numbers of OB stars in the area around Cyg OB2,…

We present near-infrared JHKs imaging as well as K-band multi-object spectroscopy of the massive stellar content of W3 Main using LUCI at the LBT. We confirm 13 OB stars by their absorption line spectra in W3 Main and spectral types between…

Spectral analyses of H-deficient post-AGB stars have shown that a small group of four extremely hot objects exists which have almost pure He absorption-line spectra in the optical. These are classified as O(He) stars. For their evolution…

For the first time, the interior and spectroscopic evolution of a massive star is analyzed from the zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) to the pre-supernova (SN) stage. For this purpose, we combined stellar evolution models using the Geneva code…

We present results of an analysis of a UV image in the direction of Ophiuchus, obtained with the FAUST instrument. The image contains 228 UV sources. Most of these were identified as normal early-type stars through correlations with…

The O- and B-type (OB-type) pulsating stars are important objects to study the structure and evolution of massive stars through asteroseismology. A large amount of data from various sky surveys provide an unprecedented opportunity to search…

Symbiotic stars are among the most crucial binary systems for studying binary star interactions and Type Ia supernova progenitors. Based on the unique observational characteristics of symbiotic stars, strong H I, He I emission lines, giant…

Aims : Following the advent of increasingly sensitive X-ray observatories, deep observations of early-type stars became possible. However, the results for only a few objects or clusters have until now been reported and there has been no…

The structure and properties of the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) on small scales, sub-au to 1 pc, are poorly understood. We compare interstellar absorption-lines, observed towards a selection of O- and B-type stars at two or more…

We present the first stellar spectroscopy in the low-luminosity (M_V ~-9.3 mag), dwarf galaxy Leo P. Its significantly low oxygen abundance (3% solar) and relative proximity (~1.6 Mpc) make it a unique galaxy to investigate the properties…