WOLF-RAYET (WR) STARS ARE MASSIVE EVOLVED STARS AND POSSESS STRONG STELLAR WINDS. WRS IN SINGLE AND BINARY SYSTEMS ARE ALSO PREDICTED TO BE POTENTIAL EMITTERS OF GAMMA RAYS. THE HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION FROM WR STARS IS USUALLY ATTRIBUTED TO SHOCKS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR WINDS. THE SHOCKED WINDS ACCELERATE COSMIC RAYS PRODUCING X RAYS AND GAMMA RAYS THROUGH INVERSE COMPTON PROCESSES AS WELL AS PRODUCING NEUTRAL PIONS THAT QUICKLY DECAY INTO GAMMA-RAY PHOTONS. IN THIS PROGRAM THE RECIPIENT WILL CONDUCT THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF GALACTIC WR STARS INCLUDING BOTH ISOLATED AND BINARY SYSTEMS. SINCE THE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM WRS IS IN MOST CASES EXPECTED TO BE BELOW THE DETECTION THRESHOLD OF THE FERMI-LAT THEY WILL EMPLOY A STACKING TECHNIQUE.

Clemson University, Clemson SC

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