2007/03/23 by J. M. Pittard, Pittard, J. M., S. M. Dougherty +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0703618
To appear in the proceedings of "Massive Stars: Fundamental Parameters and Circumstellar Interactions"
arxiv created 2007/03/23 · openalex publication_date 2007/03/23 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Massive WR+O star systems produce high-temperature, shock-heated plasma where the wind of the WR star and that of its binary companion collide - the wind-collision region (WCR). The WCR is a source of thermal (e.g. hard X-rays) and non-thermal (e.g. synchrotron) emission, the latter arising from electrons and ions accelerated to relativistic energies. These colliding wind binaries provide an excellent laboratory for the study of particle acceleration at higher mass, photon and magnetic energy densities than exist in SNRs. Recent models of the non-thermal emission from WR 140 have provided insight into this process.