The Evolution of Massive Helium Stars, Including Mass Loss

2019/01/31 by S. E. Woosley · 244 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Black hole (networking) #Helium #Initial mass function #RADIUS #Stars #Stellar evolution #Stellar mass loss #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Supergiant #Supernova #astro-ph.SR

paper · pdf · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab1b41

published in The Astrophysical Journal 878(1), 49 (IOP Publishing) · 23 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables, submitted Astrophysical Journal Dec. 23, 2018; accepted April 21, 2019

openalex created_date 2019/01/11 · arxiv created 2019/04/23 · openalex publication_date 2019/06/10 · arxiv updated 2019/06/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

Abstract The evolution of helium stars with initial masses in the range 1.6–120 is studied, including the effects of mass loss by winds. These stars are assumed to form in binary systems when their expanding hydrogenic envelopes are promptly lost just after helium ignition. Significant differences are found with single-star evolution, chiefly because the helium core loses mass during helium burning rather than gaining it from hydrogen shell burning. Consequently, presupernova stars for a given initial mass function have considerably smaller mass when they die and will be easier to explode. Even accounting for this difference, the helium stars with mass loss develop more centrally condensed cores that should explode more easily than their single-star counterparts. The production of low-mass black holes may be diminished. Helium stars with initial masses below 3.2 experience significant radius expansion after helium depletion, reaching blue supergiant proportions. This could trigger additional mass exchange or affect the light curve of the supernova. The most common black hole mass produced in binaries is estimated to be about 9 . A new maximum mass for black holes derived from pulsational pair-instability supernovae is derived, 46 , and a new potential gap at 10–12 is noted. Models pertinent to SN 2014ft are presented, and a library of presupernova models is generated.

Citations

• A two-parameter criterion for classifying the explodability of massive stars by the neutrino-driven mechanism
• The Neutron Star and Black Hole Initial Mass Function
• Off‐Center Carbon Ignition in Rapidly Rotating, Accreting Carbon‐Oxygen White Dwarfs
• The evolution and explosion of massive stars
• Progenitors of Core-Collapse Supernovae
• Nucleosynthesis in Massive Stars with Improved Nuclear and Stellar Physics

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