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GHRS and optical (ESO 3.6 m) observations of the O3f star Melnick 42 in the 30 Doradus complex are reported. A first analysis reveals that with a luminosity of 2.3 million L(solar) and a present mass of 100 M(solar), Melnick 42 is one of the most luminous and massive stars known. An estimate of abundances indicates that iron and oxygen are very likely reduced by a factor of four relative to the sun, whereas carbon is more strongly depleted and nitrogen is approximately solar. The terminal velocity of the stellar wind is 3000 km/s. The mass-loss rate is 4 {times} 10 to the {minus}6th M(solar)/yr, with a large uncertainty. The excellent quality GHRS spectrum taken in a crowded region of the LMC demonstrates the superiority of the HST for quantitative ultraviolet spectroscopy of hot stars in other galaxies. 17 refs.
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| Authors: |
Heap, S.R.;
Altner, B.;
Ebbets, D.;
Hubeny, I.;
Hutchings, J.B. (NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center (United States) Computer Sciences Corp., Greenbelt, MD (United States) Ball Aerospace Systems Group, Boulder, CO (United States) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt (United States) Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, MD (United States) Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Victoria (Canada))
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| Publication Date: | 1991 Aug 01 |
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| OSTI Identifier: | 5225537 |
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| Resource Type: | Journal Article |
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| Resource Relation: | Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States); Journal Volume: 377; Other Information: L29-L32 |
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| Country of Publication: | United States |
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| Language: | English |
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| Format: | Size: Pages: L29-L32 |
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| Other Number(s): | Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X; CODEN: ASJOA |
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| Subject: | 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; SUPERMASSIVE STARS; ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA; VISIBLE SPECTRA; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; ELEMENT ABUNDANCE; LUMINOSITY; MAGELLANIC CLOUDS; MASS TRANSFER; SATELLITES; STELLAR WINDS; TELESCOPES; ABUNDANCE; GALAXIES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; SPECTRA; STARS; STELLAR ACTIVITY |
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| Update Date: | 2009 Dec 16 |
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