X-rays from colliding stellar winds

Journal Article · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169263· OSTI ID:6164167

Luo, D; Mccray, R; Mac Low, M ^[1]

---

1. Columbia Univ., NY (USA) Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, Boulder, CO (USA) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (USA)

A stellar wind from a massive OB or Wolf-Rayet star in a binary system will strike the surface or stellar wind of its companion, forming shocked gas that can radiate X-rays. The X-ray spectrum from the shocked winds will vary in a predictable way with orbital phase, owing to photoelectric absorption by the stellar winds. Detailed models are calculated for the hydrodynamics and X-ray emission from two such systems. In one of these systems (HD 165052), the winds are nearly identical in strength. In the other (V444 Cygni), the wind of the Wolf-Rayet star overwhelms and crushes that of its companion. The calculated X-ray luminosities agree fairly well with the observed values for HD 165052 and for V444 Cygni. These results can be scaled to other such systems. 27 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6164167
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 362; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BINARY STARS
COLLISIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LUMINOSITY
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MASS
MECHANICS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SHOCK WAVES
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
SPECTRA
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR WINDS
VARIATIONS
WOLF-RAYET STARS
X RADIATION
X-RAY SPECTRA