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- Title
Wolf-Rayet stars: recent advances and persisting problems.
- Authors
Shenar, Tomer
- Abstract
Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars comprise a class of stars whose spectra are dominated by strong, broad emission lines that are associated with copious mass loss. In the massive-star regime, roughly 90% of the known WR stars are thought to have evolved off the main sequence. Dubbed classical WR (cWR) stars, these hydrogen-depleted objects represent a crucial evolutionary phase preceding core collapse into black holes, and offer a unique window into hot-star wind physics. Their formation is thought to be rooted in either intrinsic mass-loss or binary interactions. Results obtained from analyses using contemporary model atmospheres still fail to reconcile the derived properties of WR stars with predictions from stellar evolution. Importantly, stellar evolution models cannot reproduce the the bulk of cWR stars, a problem that becomes especially severe at subsolar metallicity. Next-generation model atmospheres and upcoming observational campaigns to hunt for undetected companions promise a venue for progress.
- Subjects
STELLAR evolution; WOLF-Rayet stars; BLACK holes; ATMOSPHERIC models; PHYSICS
- Publication
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2022, Vol 18, Issue S361, p465
- ISSN
1743-9213
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1017/S1743921322003015