Large Magellanic Cloud helium-rich peculiar blue supergiants and SN 1987A

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/169336· OSTI ID:6316176

Tuchman, Y; Wheeler, J C ^[1]

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1. Texas Univ., Austin (USA)

The theoretical distribution of massive stars in the H-R diagram is compared to the revised data of Fitzpatrick and Garmany for the LMC. Preferred models of about 20 M solar masses undergo a thermal contraction at T(eff) about 35,000 K at the end of core hydrogen burning but reestablish thermal equilibrium to the red of the main sequence at T(eff) about 20,000 K after ignition of a hydrogen-burning shell. They then evolve on a nuclear time scale to T(eff) about 6000 K where they lose thermal equilibrium and jump to the Hayashi track. The theoretical and observed distributions agree with two significant exceptions: the blue thermal contraction gap is overpopulated compared to the theory, and there is a ledge crossing the center of the H-R diagram. The hypothesis that some of the observed stars in the blue gap are secondaries that have accreted helium-rich matter from deep within the hydrogen envelope of a red supergiant primary is explored. Some preliminary observational justification is given. 27 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6316176
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 363; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SUPERGIANT STARS
STAR EVOLUTION
SUPERNOVAE
BINARY STARS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
HELIUM
HERTZSPRUNG-RUSSELL DIAGRAM
HYDROGEN BURNING
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
MASS
STARS
DIAGRAMS
ELEMENTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GASES
GIANT STARS
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
STAR BURNING
VARIABLE STARS
640102* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources