July 11-15, 2011
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Abstract

X-rays and Gamma-rays from Massive Stars

Stanley Owocki (University of Delaware)

Jon Sundqvist, University of Delaware Chris Russell, University of Delaware David Cohen, Swarthmore College Atsuo Okazaki, Hokkia-Gakuen University Asif ud-Doula, Penn-State Worthington

Massive stars are prominent sources of X-rays and gamma-rays detected by orbiting telescopes. In single stars, embedded wind shocks (EWS) from intrinsic instabilities in wind driving emit relatively soft (< 1 keV) X-rays. In magnetic massive stars, wind self collision at a substantial fraction of the terminal speed in magnetically confined wind shocks (MCWS) leads to somewhat harder (1-2 keV) X-rays. In massive binaries, full terminal speed collision in colliding wind shocks (CWS) can produce even harder (2-10 keV) X-rays. Finally, still harder X-rays (> 10 keV) and even gamma-rays (up to a Tev!) can result from interaction of a massive-star wind with a compact companion, or from Fermi acceleration of ions or electrons across a CWS. This talk will compare and contrast these emission mechanisms with emphasis on implications for the scalings of the fluxes and spectra observed by orbiting X-ray and gamma-ray telescopes.
(to be confirmed by the SOC)