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1. Spectroscopic Line Modeling of the Fastest Rotating O-type Stars

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac66e6  

   Shepard, Katherine; Gies, Douglas; Kaper, Lex; de Koter, Alex (June 2022, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society)

   We present a spectroscopic analysis of the most rapidly rotating stars currently known, VFTS 102 (ve sini = 649 ± 52 km s-1; O9: Vnnne+) and VFTS 285 (ve sini = 610 ± 41 km s-1; O7.5: Vnnn), both members of the 30 Dor complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This study is based on high resolution ultraviolet spectra from HST/COS and optical spectra from VLT X-shooter plus archival VLT GIRAFFE spectra. We utilize numerical simulations of their photospheres, rotationally distorted shape, and gravity darkening to calculate model spectral line profiles and predicted monochromatic absolute fluxes. We use a guided grid search to investigate parameters that yield best fits for the observed features and fluxes. These fits produce estimates of the physical parameters for these stars (plus a Galactic counterpart, ζ Oph) including the equatorial rotational velocity, inclination, radius, mass, gravity, temperature, and reddening. We find that both stars appear to be radial velocity constant. VFTS 102 is rotating at critical velocity, has a modest He enrichment, and appears to share the motion of the nearby OB association LH 99. These properties suggest that the star was spun up through a close binary merger. VFTS 285 is rotating at 95% of critical velocity, has a strong He enrichment, and is moving away from the R136 cluster at the center of 30 Dor. It is mostly likely a runaway star ejected by a supernova explosion that released the components of the natal binary system. 

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2. Flattening and surface-brightness of the fast-rotating star δ Persei with the visible VEGA/CHARA interferometer

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629934  

   Challouf, M.; Nardetto, N.; Domiciano de Souza, A.; Mourard, D.; Tallon-Bosc, I.; Aroui, H.; Farrington, C.; Ligi, R.; Meilland, A.; Mouelhi, M. (August 2017, Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   null (Ed.)

   Context. Rapid rotation is a common feature for massive stars, with important consequences on their physical structure, flux distribution and evolution. Fast-rotating stars are flattened and show gravity darkening (non-uniform surface intensity distribution). Another important and less studied impact of fast-rotation in early-type stars is its influence on the surface brightness colour relation (hereafter SBCR), which could be used to derive the distance of eclipsing binaries. Aims. The purpose of this paper is to determine the flattening of the fast-rotating B-type star δ Per using visible long-baseline interferometry. A second goal is to evaluate the impact of rotation and gravity darkening on the V − K colour and surface brightness of the star. Methods. The B-type star δ Per was observed with the VEGA/CHARA interferometer, which can measure spatial resolutions down to 0.3 mas and spectral resolving power of 5000 in the visible. We first used a toy model to derive the position angle of the rotation axis of the star in the plane of the sky. Then we used a code of stellar rotation, CHARRON, in order to derive the physical parameters of the star. Finally, by considering two cases, a static reference star and our best model of δ Per, we can quantify the impact of fast rotation on the surface brightness colour relation (SBCR). Results. We find a position angle of 23 ± 6 degrees. The polar axis angular diameter of δ Per is θ p = 0.544 ± 0.007 mas, and the derived flatness is r = 1.121 ± 0.013. We derive an inclination angle for the star of i = 85 + 5 -20 degrees and a projected rotation velocity V sin i = 175 + 8 -11 km s -1 (or 57% of the critical velocity). We find also that the rotation and inclination angle of δ Per keeps the V − K colour unchanged while it decreasing its surface-brightness by about 0.05 mag. Conclusions. Correcting the impact of rotation on the SBCR of early-type stars appears feasible using visible interferometry and dedicated models. 

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3. Zeta-Payne: A Fully Automated Spectrum Analysis Algorithm for the Milky Way Mapper Program of the SDSS-V Survey

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ac5f49  

   Straumit, Ilya; Tkachenko, Andrew; Gebruers, Sarah; Audenaert, Jeroen; Xiang, Maosheng; Zari, Eleonora; Aerts, Conny; Johnson, Jennifer A.; Kollmeier, Juna A.; Rix, Hans-Walter; et al (April 2022, The Astronomical Journal)

   Abstract The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has recently initiated its fifth survey generation (SDSS-V), with a central focus on stellar spectroscopy. In particular, SDSS-V's Milky Way Mapper program will deliver multiepoch optical and near-infrared spectra for more than 5 × 10 6 stars across the entire sky, covering a large range in stellar mass, surface temperature, evolutionary stage, and age. About 10% of those spectra will be of hot stars of OBAF spectral types, for whose analysis no established survey pipelines exist. Here we present the spectral analysis algorithm, ZETA-PAYNE, developed specifically to obtain stellar labels from SDSS-V spectra of stars with these spectral types and drawing on machine-learning tools. We provide details of the algorithm training, its test on artificial spectra, and its validation on two control samples of real stars. Analysis with ZETA-PAYNE leads to only modest internal uncertainties in the near-IR with APOGEE (optical with BOSS): 3%–10% (1%–2%) for T eff , 5%–30% (5%–25%) for v sin i , 1.7–6.3 km s −1 (0.7–2.2 km s −1 ) for radial velocity, <0.1 dex (<0.05 dex) for log g , and 0.4–0.5 dex (0.1 dex) for [M/H] of the star, respectively. We find a good agreement between atmospheric parameters of OBAF-type stars when inferred from their high- and low-resolution optical spectra. For most stellar labels, the APOGEE spectra are (far) less informative than the BOSS spectra of these stars, while log g , v sin i , and [M/H] are in most cases too uncertain for meaningful astrophysical interpretation. This makes BOSS low-resolution optical spectra better for stellar labels of OBAF-type stars, unless the latter are subject to high levels of extinction. 

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4. The Nature of a Recently Discovered Wolf–Rayet Binary: Archetype of Stripping?*

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8a59  

   Massey, Philip; Neugent, Kathryn F; Morrell, Nidia I; Hillier, Desmond John; Penny, Laura R (December 2024, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract LMCe055-1 was recently discovered in a survey for Wolf–Rayets (WRs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and classified as a WN4/O4, a lower-excitation version of the WN3/O3 class discovered as part of the same survey. Its absolute magnitude precluded it from being a WN4+O4 binary. Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment photometry shows shallow primary and secondary eclipses with a 2.2 days period. The spectral characteristics and short period pointed to a possible origin due to binary stripping. Such stripped WR binaries should be common but have proven elusive to identify conclusively. In order to establish its nature, we obtained Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet and Magellan optical spectra, along with imaging. Our work shows that the WR emission and Heiiabsorption arise in one star, and the Heiabsorption in another. The Heicontributor is the primary of the 2.2 days system and exhibits ∼300 km s⁻¹radial velocity variations on that timescale. However, the WR star shows 30–40 km s⁻¹radial velocity variations, with a likely 35 days period and a highly eccentric orbit. Possibly LMCe055-1 is a physical triple, but that would require the 2.2 days pair to have been captured by the WR star. A more likely explanation is that the WR star has an unseen companion in a 35 days orbit and that the 2.2 days pair is in a longer-period orbit about the two. Such examples of multiple systems are well known among massive stars, such as HD 5980. Regardless, we argue that it is highly unlikely that the WR component of the LMCe055-1 system resulted from stripping. 

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5. Fast-rotating Blue Straggler Stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 3201*

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acf372  

   Billi, Alex; Ferraro, Francesco R.; Mucciarelli, Alessio; Lanzoni, Barbara; Cadelano, Mario; Monaco, Lorenzo; Mateo, Mario; Bailey, John I.; Reiter, Megan; Olszewski, Edward W. (October 2023, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract We used high-resolution spectra acquired with the Magellan Telescope to measure radial and rotational velocities of approximately 200 stars in the Galactic globular cluster NGC 3201. The surveyed sample includes blue straggler stars (BSSs) and reference stars in different evolutionary stages (main-sequence turnoff, subgiant, red giant, and asymptotic giant branches). The average radial velocity value (〈V_r〉 = 494.5 ± 0.5 km s⁻¹) confirms a large systemic velocity for this cluster and was used to distinguish 33 residual field interlopers. The final sample of member stars has 67 BSSs and 114 reference stars. Similarly to what is found in other clusters, the totality of the reference stars has negligible rotation (< 20 km s⁻¹), while the BSS rotational velocity distribution shows a long tail extending up to ∼200 km s⁻¹, with 19 BSSs (out of 67) spinning faster than 40 km s⁻¹. This sets the percentage of fast-rotating BSSs to ∼28%. Such a percentage is roughly comparable to that measured in other loose systems (ωCentauri, M4, and M55) and significantly larger than that measured in high-density clusters (as 47 Tucanae, NGC 6397, NGC 6752, and M30). This evidence supports a scenario where recent BSS formation (mainly from the evolution of binary systems) is occurring in low-density environments. We also find that the BSS rotational velocity tends to decrease for decreasing luminosity and surface temperature, similarly to what is observed in main-sequence stars. Hence, further investigations are needed to understand the impact of BSS internal structure on the observed rotational velocities. 

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