Abstract

X-ray emission from massive stars and what can we learn about stellar winds from it.

Lidia Oskinova (Universität Potsdam)

Rico Ignace, ETSU Wolf-Rainer Hamann, Potsdam Uni Achim Feldmeier, Potsdam Uni

I will present our X-ray observations of massive stars of B, O, and Wolf-Rayet spectral types, obtained with the current large X-ray telescopes. Our sample includes stars with measured magnetic fields, the weak wind stars, and the WR stars with strongest winds. The X-ray emission from these stars manifests the non-stationary and inhomogeneous nature of their stellar atmospheres. The X-ray observations allow a comparative analysis of the wind properties in massive stars of different spectral types. We use our 2D Monte-Carlo stellar wind code to model the emission lines in the X-ray domain and their variability. From the comparison with the observational data we derive important constraints on the role of magnetic fields. the stellar rotation, the nature of wind clumping, and the mass-loss rates. The X-ray observations of star clusters provide further constrains on the parameters of stellar feedback.