Superluminous object in the Large Cloud of Magellan

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Sci. Am.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0884-52· OSTI ID:6213799

Mathis, J S; Savage, B D; Cassinelli, J P

A superluminous and possibly supermassive object has been observed in the Large Cloud of Magellan. The object is designated R136 and is in the Tarantula Nebula. In 1980, it was discovered that R136 actually has 3 distinct components. The brightest was designated R136a. The ultraviolet spectra of R136a implies that it is a very hot star, similar to 03 stars, and that it has a steller wind of speeds up 3500 km/sec., also similar to 03 stars. The broad emission lines of the II are similar to those found in the spectrum of Wolf-Rayet stars. In 1983, Y.H. Chu of the University of Wisconsin after analyzing many images of R136 concluded that within the R136a component one can identify four steller objects. The dominate object was labeled R136a1 and it is this object that is now the candidate for a superluminous star. If R136a1 is a single star, it must have a mass of between 400 and 1000 solar masses. The ultraviolet spectroscopic data are consistent with a single-star hypothesis. However, the data do not rule out other possibilities.

• OSTI ID: 6213799
• Journal Information: Sci. Am.; (United States), Vol. 251:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
MAGELLANIC CLOUDS
SUPERMASSIVE STARS
COSMIC DUST
COSMIC GASES
INTERFEROMETRY
LUMINOSITY
MASS
MORPHOLOGY
NEBULAE
STAR CLUSTERS
STAR EVOLUTION
STELLAR WINDS
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
DUSTS
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GASES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SPECTRA
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies