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C. J. Evans

Publications and source records attributed to C. J. Evans.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The R136 star cluster dissected with Hubble Space Telescope/STIS. I. Far-ultraviolet spectroscopic census and the origin of HeII 1640 in young star clusters

We introduce a HST/STIS stellar census of R136a, the central ionizing star cluster of 30 Doradus. We present low resolution far-ultraviolet STIS/MAMA spectroscopy of R136 using 17 contiguous 52x0.2 arcsec slits which together provide complete coverage of the central 0.85 parsec (3.4 arcsec). We provide spectral types of 90% of the 57 sources brighter than m_F555W = 16.0 mag within a radius of 0.5 parsec of R136a1, plus 8 additional nearby sources including R136b (O4\,If/WN8). We measure wind velocities for 52 early-type stars from CIV 1548-51, including 16 O2-3 stars. For the first time we spectroscopically classify all Weigelt & Baier members of R136a, which comprise three WN5 stars (a1-a3), two O supergiants (a5-a6) and three early O dwarfs (a4, a7, a8). A complete Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for the most massive O stars in R136 is provided, from which we obtain a cluster age of 1.5+0.3_-0.7 Myr. In addition, we discuss the integrated ultraviolet spectrum of R136, and highlight the central role played by the most luminous stars in producing the prominent HeII 1640 emission line. This emission is totally dominated by very massive stars with initial masses above ~100 Msun. The presence of strong HeII 1640 emission in the integrated light of very young star clusters (e.g A1 in NGC 3125) favours an initial mass function extending well beyond a conventional upper limit of 100 Msun. We include montages of ultraviolet spectroscopy for LMC O stars in the Appendix. Future studies in this series will focus on optical STIS/CCD medium resolution observations.

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Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project. III. Photometric Catalog and Resulting Constraints on the Progression of Star Formation in the 30 Doradus Region

We present and describe the astro-photometric catalog of more than 800,000 sources found in the Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project (HTTP). HTTP is a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Treasury program designed to image the entire 30 Doradus region down to the sub-solar (~0.5 solar masses) mass regime using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). We observed 30 Doradus in the near ultraviolet (F275W, F336W), optical (F555W, F658N, F775W), and near infrared (F110W, F160W) wavelengths. The stellar photometry was measured using point-spread function (PSF) fitting across all the bands simultaneously. The relative astrometric accuracy of the catalog is 0.4 mas. The astro-photometric catalog, results from artificial star experiments and the mosaics for all the filters are available for download. Color-magnitude diagrams are presented showing the spatial distributions and ages of stars within 30 Dor as well as in the surrounding fields. HTTP provides the first rich and statistically significant sample of intermediate and low mass pre-main sequence candidates and allows us to trace how star formation has been developing through the region. The depth and high spatial resolution of our analysis highlight the dual role of stellar feedback in quenching and triggering star formation on the giant HII region scale. Our results are consistent with stellar sub-clustering in a partially filled gaseous nebula that is offset towards our side of the Large Magellanic Cloud.

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Red Supergiants as cosmic abundance probes: the first direct metallicity determination of NGC 4038 in the Antennae

We present a direct determination of the stellar metallicity in the close pair galaxy NGC~4038 (D = 20 Mpc) based on the quantitative analysis of moderate resolution KMOS/VLT spectra of three super star clusters (SSCs). The method adopted in our analysis has been developed and optimised to measure accurate metallicities from atomic lines in the $J$-band of single red supergiant (RSG) or RSG-dominated star clusters. Hence, our metallicity measurements are not affected by the biases and poorly understood systematics inherent to strong line HII methods which are routinely applied to massive data sets of galaxies. We find [Z]= +0.07 $\pm$ 0.03 and compare our measurements to HII strong line calibrations. Our abundances and literature data suggest the presence of a flat metallicity gradient, which can be explained as redistribution of metal-rich gas following the strong interaction.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey. XXIII: two massive double-lined binaries in 30~Doradus

We investigate the characteristics of two newly discovered short-period, double-lined, massive binary systems, VFTS 450 (O9.7$\;$II--Ib$\,$+$\,$O7::) and VFTS 652 (B1$\;$Ib$\,+\,$O9:$\;$III:). We perform model-atmosphere analyses to characterise the photospheric properties of both members of each binary (denoting the `primary' as the spectroscopically more conspicuous component). Radial velocities and optical photometry are used to estimate the binary-system parameters. We estimate $T_{\rm eff}=27$ kK, $\log{(g)}=2.9$ (cgs) for the VFTS 450 primary spectrum (34kK, 3.6: for the secondary spectrum); and $T_{\rm eff} = 22$kK, $\log{(g)}=2.8$ for the VFTS 652 primary spectrum (35kK, 3.7: for the secondary spectrum). Both primaries show surface nitrogen enrichments (of more than 1 dex for VFTS 652), and probable moderate oxygen depletions relative to reference LMC abundances. We determine orbital periods of 6.89d and 8.59d for VFTS 450 and VFTS 652, respectively, and argue that the primaries must be close to filling their Roche lobes. Supposing this to be the case, we estimate component masses in the range $\sim$20--50M$_\odot$. The secondary spectra are associated with the more massive components, suggesting that both systems are high-mass analogues of classical Algol systems, undergoing case-A mass transfer. Difficulties in reconciling the spectroscopic analyses with the light-curves and with evolutionary considerations suggest that the secondary spectra are contaminated by (or arise in) accretion disks.

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2dF-AAOmega spectroscopy of massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds: The north-eastern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present spectral classifications from optical spectroscopy of 263 massive stars in the north-eastern region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The observed two-degree field includes the massive 30 Doradus star-forming region, the environs of SN1987A, and a number of star-forming complexes to the south of 30 Dor. These are the first classifications for the majority (203) of the stars and include eleven double-lined spectroscopic binaries. The sample also includes the first examples of early OC-type spectra (AAOmega 30 Dor 248 and 280), distinguished by the weakness of their nitrogen spectra and by C IV 4658 emission. We propose that these stars have relatively unprocessed CNO abundances compared to morphologically normal O-type stars, indicative of an earlier evolutionary phase. From analysis of observations obtained on two consecutive nights, we present radial-velocity estimates for 233 stars, finding one apparent single-lined binary and nine (>3sigma) outliers compared to the systemic velocity; the latter objects could be runaway stars or large-amplitude binary systems and further spectroscopy is required to investigate their nature.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XXI. Stellar spin rates of O-type spectroscopic binaries

The initial distribution of spin rates of massive stars is a fingerprint of their elusive formation process. It also sets a key initial condition for stellar evolution and is thus an important ingredient in stellar population synthesis. So far, most studies have focused on single stars. Most O stars are however found in multiple systems. By establishing the spin-rate distribution of a sizeable sample of O-type spectroscopic binaries and by comparing the distributions of binary sub-populations with one another as well as with that of presumed single stars in the same region, we aim to constrain the initial spin distribution of O stars in binaries, and to identify signatures of the physical mechanisms that affect the evolution of the massive stars spin rates. We use ground-based optical spectroscopy obtained in the framework of the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS) to establish the projected equatorial rotational velocities (\vrot) for components of 114 spectroscopic binaries in 30 Doradus. The \vrot\ values are derived from the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of a set of spectral lines, using a FWHM vs. \vrot\ calibration that we derive based on previous line analysis methods applied to single O-type stars in the VFTS sample. The overall \vrot\ distribution of the primary stars resembles that of single O-type stars in the VFTS, featuring a low-velocity peak (at $\vrot < 200$ kms) and a shoulder at intermediate velocities ($200 < \vrot < 300$ kms). The distributions of binaries and single stars however differ in two ways. First, the main peak at $\vrot \sim$100 kms is broader and slightly shifted toward higher spin rates in the binary distribution compared to that of the presumed-single stars. Second, the \vrot distribution of primaries lacks a significant population of stars spinning faster than 300 kms while such a population is clearly present in the single star sample.

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Low-metallicity massive single stars with rotation. Evolutionary models applicable to I Zwicky 18

Massive rotating single stars with an initial metal composition appropriate for the dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 ([Fe/H]=$-$1.7) are modelled during hydrogen burning for initial masses of 9-300 M$_{\odot}$ and rotational velocities of 0-900 km s$^{-1}$. Internal mixing processes in these models were calibrated based on an observed sample of OB-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds. Even moderately fast rotators, which may be abundant at this metallicity, are found to undergo efficient mixing induced by rotation resulting in quasi chemically-homogeneous evolution. These homogeneously-evolving models reach effective temperatures of up to 90 kK during core hydrogen burning. This, together with their moderate mass-loss rates, make them Transparent Wind Ultraviolet INtense stars (TWUIN star), and their expected numbers might explain the observed HeII ionizing photon flux in I Zw 18 and other low-metallicity HeII galaxies. Our slowly rotating stars above $\sim$80 M$_{\odot}$ evolve into late B- to M-type supergiants during core hydrogen burning, with visual magnitudes up to 19$^{\mathrm{m}}$ at the distance of I Zw 18. Both types of stars, TWUIN stars and luminous late-type supergiants, are only predicted at low metallicity. Massive star evolution at low metallicity is shown to differ qualitatively from that in metal-rich environments. Our grid can be used to interpret observations of local star-forming dwarf galaxies and high-redshift galaxies, as well as the metal-poor components of our Milky Way and its globular clusters.

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Star Formation & Stellar Evolution: Future Surveys & Instrumentation

The next generation of multi-object spectrographs (MOS) will deliver comprehensive surveys of the Galaxy, Magellanic Clouds and nearby dwarfs. These will provide us with the vast samples, spanning the full extent of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, that are needed to explore the chemistry, history and dynamics of their host systems. Further ahead, the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) will have sufficient sensitivity and angular resolution to extend stellar spectroscopy well beyond the Local Group, opening-up studies of the chemical evolution of galaxies across a broad range of galaxy types and environments. In this contribution I briefly reflect on current and future studies of stellar populations, and introduce plans for the MOSAIC instrument for the European ELT.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XXII. Multiplicity properties of the B-type stars

We investigate the multiplicity properties of 408 B-type stars observed in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud with multi-epoch spectroscopy from the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS). We use a cross-correlation method to estimate relative radial velocities from the helium and metal absorption lines for each of our targets. Objects with significant radial-velocity variations (and with an amplitude larger than 16 km/s) are classified as spectroscopic binaries. We find an observed spectroscopic binary fraction (defined by periods of <10^3.5 d and mass ratios >0.1) for the B-type stars, f_B(obs) = 0.25 +/- 0.02, which appears constant across the field of view, except for the two older clusters (Hodge 301 and SL 639). These two clusters have significantly lower fractions of 0.08 +/- 0.08 and 0.10 +/- 0.09, respectively. Using synthetic populations and a model of our observed epochs and their potential biases, we constrain the intrinsic multiplicity properties of the dwarf and giant (i.e. relatively unevolved) B-type stars in 30 Dor. We obtain a present-day binary fraction f_B(true) = 0.58 +/- 0.11, with a flat period distribution. Within the uncertainties, the multiplicity properties of the B-type stars agree with those for the O stars in 30 Dor from the VFTS.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula survey XX. The nature of the X-ray bright emission line star VFTS 399

The stellar population of the 30 Doradus star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud contains a subset of apparently single, rapidly rotating O-type stars. The physical processes leading to the formation of this cohort are currently uncertain. One member of this group, the late O-type star VFTS 399, is found to be unexpectedly X-ray bright for its bolometric luminosity - in this study we aim to determine its physical nature and the cause of this behaviour. We find VFTS 399 to be an aperiodic photometric variable with an apparent near-IR excess. Its optical spectrum demonstrates complex emission profiles in the lower Balmer series and select HeI lines - taken together these suggest an OeBe classification. The highly variable X-ray luminosity is too great to be produced by a single star, while the hard, non-thermal nature suggests the presence of an accreting relativistic companion. Finally, the detection of periodic modulation of the X-ray lightcurve is most naturally explained under the assumption that the accretor is a neutron star. VFTS 399 appears to be the first high-mass X-ray binary identified within 30 Dor. Comparison of the current properties of VFTS 399 to binary-evolution models suggests a progenitor mass in excess of 25Msun for the putative neutron star, which may host a magnetic field comparable in strength to those of magnetars. VFTS 399 is now the second member of the cohort of rapidly rotating `single' O-type stars in 30 Dor to show evidence of binary interaction resulting in spin-up, suggesting that this may be a viable evolutionary pathway for the formation of a subset of this stellar population.

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Red Supergiant Stars as Cosmic Abundance Probes: KMOS Observations in NGC 6822

We present near-IR spectroscopy of red supergiant (RSG) stars in NGC 6822, obtained with the new VLT-KMOS instrument. From comparisons with model spectra in the J-band we determine the metallicity of 11 RSGs, finding a mean value of [Z] = -0.52 $\pm$ 0.21 which agrees well with previous abundance studies of young stars and HII regions. We also find an indication for a low-significance abundance gradient within the central 1 kpc. We compare our results with those derived from older stellar populations and investigate the difference using a simple chemical evolution model. By comparing the physical properties determined for RSGs in NGC 6822 with those derived using the same technique in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, we show that there appears to be no significant temperature variation of RSGs with respect to metallicity, in contrast with recent evolutionary models.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XVIII. Classifications and radial velocities of the B-type stars

We present spectral classifications for 438 B-type stars observed as part of the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey (VFTS) in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Radial velocities are provided for 307 apparently single stars, and for 99 targets with radial-velocity variations which are consistent with them being spectroscopic binaries. We investigate the spatial distribution of the radial velocities across the 30 Dor region, and use the results to identify candidate runaway stars. Excluding potential runaways and members of two older clusters in the survey region (SL 639 and Hodge 301), we determine a systemic velocity for 30 Dor of 271.6 +/- 12.2 km/s from 273 presumed single stars. Employing a 3-sigma criterion we identify nine candidate runaway stars (2.9% of the single stars with radial-velocity estimates). The projected rotational velocities of the candidate runaways appear to be significantly different to those of the full B-type sample, with a strong preference for either large (>345 km/s) or small (<65 km/s) rotational velocities. Of the candidate runaways, VFTS 358 (classified B0.5: V) has the largest differential radial velocity (-106.9 +/- 16.2 km/s), and a preliminary atmospheric analysis finds a significantly enriched nitrogen abundance of 12+log(N/H) > ~8.5. Combined with a large rotational velocity (vsini = 345 +/- 22 km/s), this is suggestive of past binary interaction for this star.

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The evolution of rotating very massive stars with LMC composition

We present a dense model grid with tailored input chemical composition appropriate for the Large Magellanic Cloud. We use a one-dimensional hydrodynamic stellar evolution code, which accounts for rotation, transport of angular momentum by magnetic fields, and stellar wind mass loss to compute our detailed models. We calculate stellar evolution models with initial masses of 70-500 Msun and with initial surface rotational velocities of 0-550 km/s, covering the core-hydrogen burning phase of evolution. We find our rapid rotators to be strongly influenced by rotationally induced mixing of helium, with quasi-chemically homogeneous evolution occurring for the fastest rotating models. Above 160 Msun, homogeneous evolution is also established through mass loss, producing pure helium stars at core hydrogen exhaustion independent of the initial rotation rate. Surface nitrogen enrichment is also found for slower rotators, even for stars that lose only a small fraction of their initial mass. For models above 150 MZAMS, and for models in the whole considered mass range later on, we find a considerable envelope inflation due to the proximity of these models to their Eddington limit. This leads to a maximum zero-age main sequence surface temperature of 56000 K, at 180 Msun, and to an evolution of stars in the mass range 50-100 Msun to the regime of luminous blue variables in the HR diagram with high internal Eddington factors. Inflation also leads to decreasing surface temperatures during the chemically homogeneous evolution of stars above 180 Msun. The cool surface temperatures due to the envelope inflation in our models lead to an enhanced mass loss, which prevents stars at LMC metallicity from evolving into pair-instability supernovae. The corresponding spin-down will also prevent very massive LMC stars to produce long-duration gamma-ray bursts, which might, however, originate from lower masses.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XIX. B-type Supergiants - Atmospheric parameters and nitrogen abundances to investigate the role of binarity and the width of the main sequence

TLUSTY non-LTE model atmosphere calculations have been used to determine atmospheric parameters and nitrogen (N) abundances for 34 single and 18 binary B-type supergiants (BSGs). The effects of flux contribution from an unseen secondary were considered for the binary sample. We present the first systematic study of the incidence of binarity for a sample of BSGs across the theoretical terminal age main sequence (TAMS). To account for the distribution of effective temperatures of the BSGs it may be necessary to extend the TAMS to lower temperatures. This is consistent with the derived distribution of mass discrepancies, projected rotational velocities (vsini) and N abundances, provided that stars cooler than this temperature are post RSG objects. For the BSGs in the Tarantula and previous FLAMES surveys, most have small vsini. About 10% have larger vsini (>100 km/s) but surprisingly these show little or no N enhancement. All the cooler BSGs have low vsini of <70km/s and high N abundance estimates, implying that either bi-stability braking or evolution on a blue loop may be important. A lack of cool binaries, possibly reflects the small sample size. Single star evolutionary models, which include rotation, can account for the N enhancement in both the single and binary samples. The detailed distribution of N abundances in the single and binary samples may be different, possibly reflecting differences in their evolutionary history. The first comparative study of single and binary BSGs has revealed that the main sequence may be significantly wider than previously assumed, extending to Teff=20000K. Some marginal differences in single and binary atmospheric parameters and abundances have been identified, possibly implying non-standard evolution for some of the sample. This sample as a whole has implications for several aspects of our understanding of the evolution of BSGs. Full abstract in paper

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The IACOB project: II. On the scatter of O-dwarf spectral type -- effective temperature calibrations

We are now in an era of large spectroscopic surveys of OB-type stars. Quantitative spectroscopic analysis of these modern datasets is enabling us to review the physical properties of blue massive stars with robust samples, not only revisiting mean properties and general trends, but also incorporating information about the effects of second-order parameters. We investigate the spectral type -- effective temperature (SpT - Teff) calibration for O-type dwarfs, and its claimed dependence on metallicity, using statistically-meaningful samples of stars extracted from the IACOB and VFTS surveys. We perform a homogeneous differential spectroscopic analysis of 33 Galactic and 53 LMC O~dwarfs (spanning spectral types of O4 -- O9.7) using the IACOB-GBAT package, a $χ^2$-fitting algorithm based on a large pre-computed grid of FASTWIND models, and standard techniques for the hydrogen/helium analysis of O-type stars. We compare the estimated effective temperatures and gravities as a function of (internally consistent) spectral classifications. While the general trend is that the temperature of a star increases with earlier spectral types and decreasing metallicity, we show that the large range of gravities found for O-type dwarfs -- spaning up to 0.45-0.50 dex in some spectral bins -- plays a critical role on the dependence of the effective temperature calibrations as a function of spectral type and metallicity. This result warns us about the use of SpT - Teff calibrations for O-dwarfs which ignore the effects of gravity, and highlights the risks of employing calibrations based on small samples. The effects of this scatter in gravities (evolutionary status) for O-type dwarfs should be included in future recipes which employ SpT - Teff calibrations.

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Rotational velocities of single and binary O-type stars in the Tarantula Nebula

Rotation is a key parameter in the evolution of massive stars, affecting their evolution, chemical yields, ionizing photon budget, and final fate. We determined the projected rotational velocity, $v_e\sin i$, of $\sim$330 O-type objects, i.e. $\sim$210 spectroscopic single stars and $\sim$110 primaries in binary systems, in the Tarantula nebula or 30 Doradus (30\,Dor) region. The observations were taken using VLT/FLAMES and constitute the largest homogeneous dataset of multi-epoch spectroscopy of O-type stars currently available. The most distinctive feature of the $v_e\sin i$ distributions of the presumed-single stars and primaries in 30 Dor is a low-velocity peak at around 100\,$\rm{km s^{-1}}$. Stellar winds are not expected to have spun-down the bulk of the stars significantly since their arrival on the main sequence and therefore the peak in the single star sample is likely to represent the outcome of the formation process. Whereas the spin distribution of presumed-single stars shows a well developed tail of stars rotating more rapidly than 300\,$\rm{km s^{-1}}$, the sample of primaries does not feature such a high-velocity tail. The tail of the presumed-single star distribution is attributed for the most part -- and could potentially be completely due -- to spun-up binary products that appear as single stars or that have merged. This would be consistent with the lack of such post-interaction products in the binary sample, that is expected to be dominated by pre-interaction systems. The peak in this distribution is broader and is shifted toward somewhat higher spin rates compared to the distribution of presumed-single stars. Systems displaying large radial velocity variations, typical for short period systems, appear mostly responsible for these differences.

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The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey XVII. Physical and wind properties of massive stars at the top of the main sequence

The evolution and fate of very massive stars (VMS) is tightly connected to their mass-loss properties. Their initial and final masses differ significantly as a result of mass loss. VMS have strong stellar winds and extremely high ionising fluxes, which are thought to be critical sources of both mechanical and radiative feedback in giant Hii regions. However, how VMS mass-loss properties change during stellar evolution is poorly understood. In the framework of the VLT-Flames Tarantula Survey (VFTS), we explore the mass-loss transition region from optically thin O to denser WNh star winds, thereby testing theoretical predictions. To this purpose we select 62 O, Of, Of/WN, and WNh stars, an unprecedented sample of stars with the highest masses and luminosities known. We perform a spectral analysis of optical VFTS as well as near-infrared VLT/SINFONI data using the non-LTE radiative transfer code CMFGEN to obtain stellar and wind parameters. For the first time, we observationally resolve the transition between optically thin O and optically thick WNh star winds. Our results suggest the existence of a kink between both mass-loss regimes, in agreement with recent MC simulations. For the optically thick regime, we confirm the steep dependence on the Eddington factor from previous theoretical and observational studies. The transition occurs on the MS near a luminosity of 10^6.1Lsun, or a mass of 80...90Msun. Above this limit, we find that - even when accounting for moderate wind clumping (with f = 0.1) - wind mass-loss rates are enhanced with respect to standard prescriptions currently adopted in stellar evolution calculations. We also show that this results in substantial helium surface enrichment. Based on our spectroscopic analyses, we are able to provide the most accurate ionising fluxes for VMS known to date, confirming the pivotal role of VMS in ionising and shaping their environments.

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The VMC ESO Public Survey

The VISTA near-infrared YJKs survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC) has entered its core phase: about 40% of the observations across the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC, SMC), the Magellanic Bridge and Stream have already been secured and the data are processed and analysed regularly. The initial analyses, concentrated in the first two completed tiles in the LMC (6_6 including 30 Doradus and 8_8 including the South Ecliptic Pole), show the superior quality of the data. The depth of the VMC survey allows the derivation of the star formation history (SFH) with unprecedented quality compared to previous wide-area surveys while reddening maps of high angular resolution are constructed using red clump stars. The multi-epoch Ks-band data reveal tight period-luminosity relations for variable stars and they permit the measurement of accurate proper motions of the stellar populations. The VMC survey continues to acquire data that will address many issues in the field of star and galaxy evolution.

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