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EUV/X-ray Emission and the Thermal and Ionization Structure of B Star Winds

2000/08/22 by David H. Cohen, Cohen, David H., J. P. Cassinelli +8
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0008351

To appear in A.S.P. conf. ser. 204, Thermal and Ionization Structure of Flows from Hot Stars: Observation and Theory, eds. Lamers and Sapar; paper also available at http://hven.swarthmore.edu/~cohen/Papers/tartu.ps

arxiv created 2000/08/22 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

We discuss the EUV and X-ray properties of B stars, focusing on ε CMa (B2 II) which is the only star with both emission lines and a photospheric continuum detected with EUVE. We explore the modest effects of the photospheric EUV continua on the wind, as well as the much stronger effects of the short-wavelength EUV and soft X-ray emission lines. Attenuation of the EUV and soft X-ray emission by the wind plays an important role, and leads to the reprocessing of X-rays via He+ ionization and the Bowen mechanism in the wind. Finally, we explore some of the new diagnostics that will shortly become available with the next generation of high spectral resolution X-ray telescopes. All of this analysis is presented in the context of a two component stellar wind--a dense component (clumps) that contains most of the mass but fills a negligible fraction of the volume, and a rarefied component that fills most of the volume but accounts for only a small fraction of the mass.

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