2007/04/30 by L. M. Oskinova, W. -R. Hamann, W.-R. Hamann +1 · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Educational Leadership and Practices #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066377
A&A (in press), see full abstract in the text
openalex publication_date 2007/10/26 · arxiv created 2007/11/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Context.The mass-loss rate is a key parameter of massive stars. Adequate stellar atmosphere models are required for spectral analyses and mass-loss determinations. Present models can only account for the inhomogeneity of stellar winds in the approximation of small-scale structures that are optically thin. Compared to previous homogeneous models, this treatment of “microclumping” has led to reducing empirical mass-loss rates by factors of two to three. Further reductions are presently discussed in the literature, with far-reaching consequences e.g. for stellar evolution and stellar yields.