Stellar wind

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This image shows the wind from the star LL Orionis generating a bow shock (the bright arc) as it collides with material in the surrounding Orion Nebula. 52706main hstorion lg.jpg
This image shows the wind from the star LL Orionis generating a bow shock (the bright arc) as it collides with material in the surrounding Orion Nebula.

A stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the upper atmosphere of a star. It is distinguished from the bipolar outflows characteristic of young stars by being less collimated, although stellar winds are not generally spherically symmetric.

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Different types of stars have different types of stellar winds.

Post-main-sequence stars nearing the ends of their lives often eject large quantities of mass in massive ( solar masses per year), slow (v = 10 km/s) winds. These include red giants and supergiants, and asymptotic giant branch stars. These winds are understood to be driven by radiation pressure on dust condensing in the upper atmosphere of the stars. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Young T Tauri stars often have very powerful stellar winds.[ citation needed ]

Massive stars of types O and B have stellar winds with lower mass loss rates ( solar masses per year) but very high velocities (v > 1–2000 km/s). Such winds are driven by radiation pressure on the resonance absorption lines of heavy elements such as carbon and nitrogen. [7] These high-energy stellar winds blow stellar wind bubbles.

In planetary nebula NGC 6565, a cloud of gas was ejected from the star after strong stellar winds. The long goodbye.jpg
In planetary nebula NGC 6565, a cloud of gas was ejected from the star after strong stellar winds.

G-type stars like the Sun have a wind driven by their hot, magnetized corona. The Sun's wind is called the solar wind. These winds consist mostly of high-energy electrons and protons (about 1 keV) that are able to escape the star's gravity because of the high temperature of the corona.

Stellar winds from main-sequence stars do not strongly influence the evolution of lower-mass stars such as the Sun. However, for more massive stars such as O stars, the mass loss can result in a star shedding as much as 50% of its mass whilst on the main sequence: this clearly has a significant impact on the later stages of evolution. The influence can even be seen for intermediate mass stars, which will become white dwarfs at the ends of their lives rather than exploding as supernovae only because they lost enough mass in their winds.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Groombridge 1618 is a star in the northern constellation Ursa Major. With an apparent visual magnitude of +6.6, it lies at or below the threshold of stars visible to the naked eye for an average observer. It is relatively close to Earth, at 15.89 light-years (4.87 pc). This is a main sequence star of spectral type K7.5 Ve, having just 67% of the Sun's mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asymptotic giant branch</span> Stars powered by fusion of hydrogen and helium in shell with an inactive core of carbon and oxygen

The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is a region of the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram populated by evolved cool luminous stars. This is a period of stellar evolution undertaken by all low- to intermediate-mass stars (about 0.5 to 8 solar masses) late in their lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convection zone</span> Region of a star which is unstable due to convection

A convection zone, convective zone or convective region of a star is a layer which is unstable due to convection. Energy is primarily or partially transported by convection in such a region. In a radiation zone, energy is transported by radiation and conduction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meissa</span> Star in the constellation Orion

Meissa, designated Lambda Orionis is a star in the constellation of Orion. It is a multiple star approximately 1,300 ly away with a combined apparent magnitude of 3.33. The main components are an O8 giant star and a B-class main sequence star, separated by about 4″. Despite Meissa being more luminous and only slightly further away than Rigel, it appears 3 magnitudes dimmer at visual wavelengths, with much of its radiation emitted in the ultraviolet due to its high temperature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R Hydrae</span> Variable star in the constellation Hydra

R Hydrae, abbreviated R Hya, is a single star in the equatorial constellation of Hydra, about 2.7° to the east of Gamma Hydrae. It is a Mira-type variable that ranges in apparent visual magnitude from 3.5 down to 10.9 over a period of 389 days. At maximum brightness the star can be seen with the naked eye, while at minimum a telescope of at least 5 cm is needed. This star is located at a distance of approximately 410 light-years from the Sun but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −10 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Superba</span> Variable star in the constellation Canes Venatici

La Superba is a strikingly red giant star in the constellation Canes Venatici. It is a carbon star and semiregular variable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">58 Eridani</span> Star in the constellation Eridanus

58 Eridani is a main-sequence star in the constellation Eridanus. It is a solar analogue, having similar physical properties to the Sun. The star has a relatively high proper motion across the sky, and it is located 43 light years distant. It is a probable member of the IC 2391 moving group of stars that share a common motion through space.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zeta Cygni</span> Star in the constellation Cygnus

Zeta Cygni is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Cygnus, the swan. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.26 and, based upon parallax measurements, is about 143 light-years away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOH G64</span> Red supergiant in the constellation Dorado

WOH G64 is an unusual red supergiant (RSG) star in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) satellite galaxy in the southern constellation of Dorado. It is the largest known star with a well-defined radius. It is also one of the most luminous and massive red supergiants, with a radius calculated to be around 1,540 times that of the Sun (R) and a luminosity around 282,000 times the solar luminosity (L).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypergiant</span> Rare star with tremendous luminosity and high rates of mass loss by stellar winds

A hypergiant (luminosity class 0 or Ia+) is a very rare type of star that has an extremely high luminosity, mass, size and mass loss because of its extreme stellar winds. The term hypergiant is defined as luminosity class 0 (zero) in the MKK system. However, this is rarely seen in literature or in published spectral classifications, except for specific well-defined groups such as the yellow hypergiants, RSG (red supergiants), or blue B(e) supergiants with emission spectra. More commonly, hypergiants are classed as Ia-0 or Ia+, but red supergiants are rarely assigned these spectral classifications. Astronomers are interested in these stars because they relate to understanding stellar evolution, especially star formation, stability, and their expected demise as supernovae. Notable examples of hypergiants include the Pistol Star, a blue hypergiant located close to the Galactic Center and one of the most luminous stars known; Rho Cassiopeiae, a yellow hypergiant that is one of the brightest to the naked eye; and Mu Cephei (Herschel's "Garnet Star"), one of the largest and brightest stars known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">V Hydrae</span> Variable star in the constellation Hydra

V Hydrae is a carbon star in the constellation Hydra. To date perhaps uniquely in our galaxy it has plasma ejections/eruptions on a grand scale that could be caused by its near, unseen companion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R Sculptoris</span> Variable star in the constellation Sculptor

R Sculptoris is a variable star system in the southern constellation of Sculptor. Parallax measurements provide a distance estimate of approximately 1,435 ± 98 light-years from the Sun. An independent estimate based on measurements of an ejected shell surrounding the star yield a distance of 1,180 ± 140 light-years. The star is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −5.4 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AS 314</span> Protoplanetary nebula in the constellation Scutum

AS 314, also known as V452 Scuti, is a protoplanetary nebula once believed to be a white hypergiant star or luminous blue variable located in the constellation of Scutum. It has an apparent magnitude of 9.85 and can be seen with small telescopes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S Canis Minoris</span> Variable star in the constellation Canis Minor

S Canis Minoris is a variable star in the equatorial constellation Canis Minor. It has a peak apparent visual magnitude of 6.5, so not normally visible to the naked eye. The star is located at a distance of approximately 1,530 light-years from the Sun based on stellar parallax, and is drifting further away with a radial velocity of about +68 km/s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W Aquilae</span> Variable star in the constellation Aquila

W Aquilae is a variable star in the constellation of Aquila. It is a type of evolved star known as an S-type star. Due to its relatively close distance of 1,200 light-years and equatorial location, it is easy to observe and heavily studied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EP Aquarii</span> Variable star in the constellation Aquarius

EP Aquarii is a semiregular variable star in the equatorial constellation of Aquarius. At its peak brightness, visual magnitude 6.37, it might be faintly visible to the unaided eye under ideal observing conditions. A cool red giant on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), its visible light brightness varies by about 1/2 magnitude over a period of 55 days. EP Aquarii has a complex circumstellar envelope (CSE), which has been the subject of numerous studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R Crateris</span> Variable star in the constellation Crater

R Crateris is a star about 700 light years from the Earth in the constellation Crater. It is a semiregular variable star, ranging in brightness from magnitude 8.1 to 9.5 over a period of about 160 days. It is not visible to the naked-eye, but can be seen with a small telescope, or binoculars. R Crateris is a double star; the variable star and its magnitude 9.9 F8V companion are separated by 65.4 arcseconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SW Virginis</span> Star in the constellation Virgo

SW Virginis is a star in the equatorial constellation of Virgo, abbreviated SW Vir. It is a variable star that ranges in brightness from an apparent visual magnitude of 6.65 down to 7.95, with a pulsation period of 153.8 days. The star is located at a distance of approximately 590 light years from the Sun based on parallax measurements, but is drifting closer with a radial velocity of −16 km/s. SW Vir is located near the ecliptic and is subject to lunar occultation, which has allowed its angular diameter to be directly measured.

References

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  6. Sandin, C.; Höfner, S. (January 2004). "Three-component modeling of C-rich AGB star winds". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 413 (3): 789–798. arXiv: astro-ph/0309822 . doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031530. ISSN   0004-6361. S2CID   15641925.
  7. Castor, J.; Abbott, D. C.; Klein, R. I. (1975). "Radiation-driven winds in Of stars". Astrophys. J. 195: 157–174. Bibcode:1975ApJ...195..157C. doi:10.1086/153315.
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