Transient signatures of merging massive stars: could eta Carinae be a prototype?
Stan Owocki
Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware

The mergers of two massive stars can lead to transients like bright Luminous Red Novae (LRNe) and even SN imposters. The addition of energy and angular momentum to the merged stellar envelope can result in both a prompt mass ejection, followed by a strong, quasi-steady, super-Eddington stellar wind. Models of the resulting wind-ejecta interaction have been applied to explaining several observational characteristics of the famous Homunculus nebulae of the eruptive SN imposter eta Carina, as consequences of a dynamically induced merger of two massive stars in an erstwhile triple system. After reviewing these processes, this talk will conclude with a discussion of whether eta Car could provide a useful prototype for signatures of other massive-star merger candidates.

Date:	Jeudi, le 20 février 2025
Heure:	13:30
Lieu:	Pour tous
	A-3541