Journal article
A Deep Exposure in High Resolution X-Rays Reveals the Hottest Plasma in the zeta Puppis Wind
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.893(1), p.52
04/01/2020
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab8005
Abstract
We have obtained a very deep exposure (813 ks) of zeta Puppis (O4 supergiant) with the Chandra HETG Spectrometer. Here we report on analysis of the 1-9 A region, especially well suited for Chandra, which has a significant contribution from continuum emission between well separated emission lines from high-ionization species. These data allow us to study the hottest plasma present through the continuum shape and emission line strengths. Assuming a power-law emission measure distribution that has a high-temperature cutoff, we find that the emission is consistent with a thermal spectrum having a maximum temperature of 12 MK as determined from the corresponding spectral cutoff. This implies an effective wind shock velocity of 900 km s(-1), well below the wind terminal speed of 2250 km s(-1). For X-ray emission that forms close to the star, the speed and X-ray flux are larger than can be easily reconciled with strictly self-excited line-deshadowing-instability models, suggesting a need for a fraction of the wind to be accelerated extremely rapidly right from the base. This is not so much a dynamical instability as a nonlinear response to changing boundary conditions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A Deep Exposure in High Resolution X-Rays Reveals the Hottest Plasma in the zeta Puppis Wind
- Creators
- David P. Huenemoerder - Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyRichard Ignace - East Tennessee State UniversityNathan A. Miller - Univ Wisconsin, Dept Phys & Astron, Eau Claire, WI 54701 USAKenneth G. Gayley - University of IowaWolf-Rainer Hamann - University of PotsdamJennifer Lauer - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianAnthony F. J. Moffat - Centre for Research in Astrophysics of QuébecYael Naze - University of LiègeJoy S. Nichols - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianLidia Oskinova - University of PotsdamNoel D. Richardson - Embry–Riddle Aeronautical UniversityWayne Waldron - Eureka Scientific
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.893(1), p.52
- DOI
- 10.3847/1538-4357/ab8005
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing Ltd
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (Belgium); Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique - FNRS GO8-19011C / NASA through the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Chandra Research Visitor award CXC UWEC Office of Research and Sponsored Programs NAS8-03060 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Communaute Francaise de Belgique; Australian Research Council Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO); Belgian Federal Science Policy Office NSERC (Canada); Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) FQRNT (Quebec); FQRNT European Space Agency (ESA); European Space Agency; European Commission
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2020
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984428792702771
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