Revealing evolved massive stars with Spitzer

Author： Gvaramadze V. V. Kniazev A. Y. Fabrika S.

ISSN： 0035-8711

Source： Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol.405, Iss.2, 2010-06, pp. : 1047-1060

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

ABSTRACTMassive evolved stars lose a large fraction of their mass via copious stellar wind or instant outbursts. During certain evolutionary phases, they can be identified by the presence of their circumstellar nebulae. In this paper, we present the results of a search for compact nebulae (reminiscent of circumstellar nebulae around evolved massive stars) using archival 24-μm data obtained with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We have discovered 115 nebulae, most of which bear a striking resemblance to the circumstellar nebulae associated with luminous blue variables (LBVs) and late WN-type (WNL) Wolf–Rayet (WR) stars in the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We interpret this similarity as an indication that the central stars of detected nebulae are either LBVs or related evolved massive stars. Our interpretation is supported by follow-up spectroscopy of two dozen of these central stars, most of which turn out to be either candidate LBVs (cLBVs), blue supergiants or WNL stars. We expect that the forthcoming spectroscopy of the remaining objects from our list, accompanied by the spectrophotometric monitoring of the already discovered cLBVs, will further increase the known population of Galactic LBVs. This, in turn, will have profound consequences for better understanding the LBV phenomenon and its role in the transition between hydrogen-burning O stars and helium-burning WR stars. We also report on the detection of an arc-like structure attached to the cLBV HD 326823 and an arc associated with the LBV R99 (HD 269445) in the LMC.

Related content

Mid-infrared diagnostics of metal-rich H iiregions from VLT and Spitzer spectroscopy of young massive stars in W31

By Furness J. P. Crowther P. A. Morris P. W. Barbosa C. L. Blum R. D. Conti P. S. van Dyk S. D.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 403, Iss. 3, 2010-04 ,pp. : 1433-1447 (15)

Oxford University Press

Access to resources Recommend Favorite

A study of the massive star-forming region M8 using images from the Spitzer Infrared Array Camera

By Lokesh Kumar Dewangan Anandarao B. G.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 407, Iss. 2, 2010-09 ,pp. : 1170-1181 (12)

Oxford University Press

Access to resources Recommend Favorite

Spitzer IRAC imaging photometric study of the massive star-forming region AFGL 437

By Kumar Dewangan Lokesh Anandarao B. G.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 402, Iss. 4, 2010-03 ,pp. : 2583-2590 (8)

Oxford University Press

Access to resources Recommend Favorite

Spitzer mid-infrared observations of seven bipolar planetary nebulae

By Phillips J. P. Ramos-Larios G.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 405, Iss. 4, 2010-07 ,pp. : 2179-2205 (27)

Oxford University Press

Access to resources Recommend Favorite

Spitzer reveals what is behind Orion’s Bar

By Rubin Robert H. Simpson Janet P. O’Dell C. R. McNabb Ian A. Colgan Sean W. J. Zhuge Scott Y. Ferland Gary J. Hidalgo Sergio A.

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 410, Iss. 2, 2011-01 ,pp. : 1320-1348 (29)

Oxford University Press

Access to resources Recommend Favorite