Time Resolved Studies of Outflows from Massive Stars using the Observatory of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

This team will use telescopes in Arizona and Chile to collect data on massive stars expelling gas and dust. Such material is eventually recycled in new star and planet forming regions. The researchers will measure stellar wind variability in two groups of stars: those with magnetic fields and those in binary systems. They will carry out observations ranging from hours to years to test mass loss models. They will also develop easy-to-use software tools for undergraduate students, making it easier for them to learn how to do research. Researchers from Florida and Tennessee will collaborate to complete the work, including students and a postdoctoral researcher. The team will use optical echelle spectrographs on moderate-sized telescopes with high resolving power (R=20,000) to study magnetic OB stars and several early-type binaries with colliding winds for 210 nights of dedicated time. The observations will provide equivalent velocity resolution of 15 km/s, which is high enough to see detailed structure in the massive star emission lines which are typically 1000-3000 km/s wide. They will use the data to test models of magnetospheric emission based on simulations of magnetized winds. They will also monitor a diverse selection of massive colliding wind binaries to quantify and model periodic and non-periodic behavior. The team will use telescopes in the Southern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA), which is a consortium of 12 universities.