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Revealing the Mass Loss Structures of Four Key Massive Binaries Using Optical Spectropolarimetry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 January 2015

Jamie R. Lomax
Jamie R. Lomax*
Affiliation:
Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The majority of massive stars are members of binary systems. However, in order to understand their evolutionary pathways, mass and angular momentum loss from these systems needs to be well characterized. Self-consistent explanations for their behavior across many wavelength regimes need to be valid in order to illuminate key evolutionary phases. I present the results of linear spectropolarimetric studies of three key binaries (β Lyrae, V356 Sgr, V444 Cyg, and WR 140) which reveal important geometric information about their circumstellar material. β Lyrae exhibits a repeatable discrepancy between secondary eclipse in the total and polarized light curves that indicates an accretion hot spot has formed on the edge of the disk in the system. The existence of this hot spot and its relationship to bipolar outflows within the system is important in the understanding of mass transfer dynamics in Roche-lobe overflow binaries. Preliminary work on V356 Sgr suggests the system maybe surrounded by a common envelope. V444 Cyg shows evidence that its shock creates a cone with a large opening angle of missing material around the WN star. This suggests the effects of radiative inhibition or braking, can be significant contributors to the location and shape of the shock within colliding wind binaries. The intrinsic polarization component of WR 140 is likely due to the formation of dust within the system near periastron passages. Continued work on these and additional objects will provide new and important constraints on the mass loss structures within binary systems.

Keywords

techniques: photometric(stars:) binaries: eclipsingstars: individual (beta Lyr, V356 Sgr, V444 Cyg, WR 140)
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 9 , Issue S307: New windows on massive stars: asteroseismology, interferometry, and spectropolarimetry , June 2014 , pp. 336 - 341
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2015 

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