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H. Sana

Publications and source records attributed to H. Sana.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

The observed multiplicity properties of B-type stars in the Galactic young open cluster NGC 6231

It is well known that massive O-stars are frequently (if not always) found in binary or higher-order multiple systems, but this fact has been less robustly investigated for the lower mass range of the massive stars, represented by the B-type stars. Obtaining the binary fraction and orbital parameter distributions of B-type stars is crucial to understand the impact of multiplicity on the archetypal progenitor of core-collapse supernovae as well as to properly investigate formation channels for gravitational wave progenitors. This work aims to characterise the multiplicity of the B-star population of the young open cluster NGC 6231 through multi-epoch optical spectroscopy of 80 B-type stars. We analyse 31 FLAMES/GIRAFFE observations of 80 B-type stars, monitoring their radial velocities (RVs) and performing a least-squares spectral analysis (Lomb-Scargle) to search for periodicity in those stars with statistically significant variability in their RVs. We constrain an observed spectroscopic binary fraction of $33\pm5$% for the B-type stars of NGC 6231, with a first order bias-correction giving a true spectroscopic binary fraction of $52\pm8$%. Out of 27 B-type binary candidates, we obtained orbital solutions for 20 systems: 15 single-lined (SB1) and 5 double-lined spectroscopic binaries (SB2s). We present these orbital solutions and the orbital parameter distributions associated with them. Our results indicate that Galactic B-type stars are less frequently found in binary systems than their more massive O-type counterparts, but their orbital properties generally resemble those of B- and O-type stars in both the Galaxy and Large Magellanic Cloud.

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The B-type Binaries Characterisation Programme I. Orbital solutions for the 30 Doradus population

We present results from the B-type Binaries Characterisation (BBC) programme, a multi-epoch spectroscopic study of 88 early B-type binary candidates in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). From radial-velocity analysis of 29 observational epochs we confirm the binary status of 64 of our targets, comprising 50 SB1 and 14 SB2 B-type binaries. A further 20 systems (classified as SB1*) show clear signs of periodicity but with more tentative periods. Orbital solutions are presented for these 84 systems, providing the largest homogeneous sample to date of the binary properties of early B-type stars. Our derived orbital-period distribution is generally similar to those for samples of more massive (O-type) binaries in both the LMC and the Galaxy. This similarity with the properties of the more massive O-type binaries is important as early B-type stars are expected to account for the majority of core-collapse supernovae. Differences in the period distributions of the different samples start to increase above 4 d, and are also present between the earliest (B0-0.7) and later-type (B1-2.5) systems within the BBC sample, although further study is required to understand if this is an observational bias or a real physical effect. We have examined the semi-amplitude velocities and orbital periods of our sample to identify potential candidates that could hide compact companions. Comparing with probability distributions of finding black hole companions to OB-type stars from a recent theoretical study, we have found 16 binaries in the higher probability region that warrant further study.

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Multiplicity of Galactic Luminous Blue Variable stars

Context. Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) are thought to be in a transitory phase between O stars on the main-sequence and the Wolf-Rayet stage. Recent studies suggest that they might be formed through binary interaction. Only a few are known in binary systems but their multiplicity fraction is uncertain. Aims. This study aims at deriving the binary fraction among the Galactic (confirmed and candidate) LBV population. We combine multi-epoch spectroscopy and long-baseline interferometry. Methods. We use cross-correlation to measure their radial velocities. We identify spectroscopic binaries through significant RV variability (larger than 35 km/s). We investigate the observational biases to establish the intrinsic binary fraction. We use CANDID to detect interferometric companions, derive their parameters and positions. Results. We derive an observed spectroscopic binary fraction of 26 %. Considering period and mass ratio ranges from Porb=1 to 1000 days, and q = 0.1-1.0, and a representative set of orbital parameter distributions, we find a bias-corrected binary fraction of 62%. From interferometry, we detect 14 companions out of 18 objects, providing a binary fraction of 78% at projected separations between 1 and 120 mas. From the derived primary diameters, and the distances of these objects, we measure for the first time the exact radii of Galactic LBVs to be between 100 and 650 Rsun, making unlikely to have short-period systems. Conclusions. This analysis shows that the binary fraction among the Galactic LBV population is large. If they form through single-star evolution, their orbit must be initially large. If they form through binary channel that implies that either massive stars in short binary systems must undergo a phase of fully non-conservative mass transfer to be able to sufficiently widen the orbit or that LBVs form through merging in initially binary or triple systems.

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Resolving the dynamical mass tension of the massive binary 9 Sagittarii

Direct dynamical mass measurements of stars with masses above 30 M${}_\odot$ are rare. This is the result of the low yield of the upper initial mass function and the limited number of such systems in eclipsing binaries. Long-period, double-lined spectroscopic binaries that are also resolved astrometrically offer an alternative for obtaining absolute masses of stellar objects. 9 Sgr is one such long-period, high-mass binary. Unfortunately, a large amount of tension exists between its total dynamical mass inferred from radial velocity measurements and that from astrometric data. We obtained the astrometric orbit from VLTI/PIONIER and VLTI/GRAVITY interferometric measurements. Using archival and new spectroscopy, we performed a grid-based spectral disentangling search to constrain the semi-amplitudes of the radial velocity curves. We computed atmospheric parameters and surface abundances by adjusting \textsc{fastwind} atmosphere models and we compared our results with evolutionary tracks computed with the Bonn Evolutionary Code (BEC). Grid spectral disentangling of 9 Sgr supports the presence of a 53 M${}_\odot$ primary and a 39 M${}_\odot$ secondary. Comparison with BEC evolutionary tracks shows the components of 9 Sgr are most likely coeval with an age of roughly 1 Myr. Our analysis clears up the contradiction between mass and orbital inclination estimates reported in previous studies. We detect the presence of significant CNO-processed material at the surface of the primary, suggesting enhanced internal mixing compared to currently implemented in the BEC models. The present measurements provide a high-quality high-mass anchor to validate stellar evolution models and to test the efficiency of internal mixing processes.

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The young massive SMC cluster NGC 330 seen by MUSE II. Multiplicity properties of the massive-star population

Observations of massive stars in young open clusters (< ~8 Myr) have shown that a majority of them are in binary systems, most of which will interact during their life. Populations of massive stars older than ~20 Myr allow us to probe the outcome of such interactions after many systems have experienced mass and angular momentum transfer. Using multi-epoch integral-field spectroscopy, we investigate the multiplicity properties of the massive-star population in NGC 330 (~40 Myr) in the Small Magellanic Cloud to search for imprints of stellar evolution on the multiplicity properties. From six epochs of VLT/MUSE observations supported by adaptive optics we extract spectra and measure radial velocities for stars brighter than F814W = 19. We identify single-lined spectroscopic binaries through significant RV variability as well as double-lined spectroscopic binaries, and quantify the observational biases for binary detection. The observed spectroscopic binary fraction is 13.2+/-2.0 %. Considering period and mass ratio ranges from log(P)=0.15-3.5, and q = 0.1-1.0, and a representative set of orbital parameter distributions, we find a bias-corrected close binary fraction of 34 +8 -7 %. This seems to decline for the fainter stars, which indicates either that the close binary fraction drops in the B-type domain, or that the period distribution becomes more heavily weighted towards longer orbital periods. Both fractions vary strongly in different regions of the color-magnitude diagram which probably reveals the imprint of the binary history of different groups of stars. We provide the first homogeneous RV study of a large sample of B-type stars at a low metallicity. The overall bias-corrected close binary fraction of B stars in NGC 330 is lower than the one reported for younger Galactic and LMC clusters. More data are needed to establish whether this result from an age or a metallicty effect.

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Analytic, dust-independent mass-loss rates for red supergiant winds initiated by turbulent pressure

Context. Red supergiants are observed to undergo vigorous mass-loss. However, to date, no theoretical model has succeeded in explaining the origins of these objects' winds. This strongly limits our understanding of red supergiant evolution and Type II-P and II-L supernova progenitor properties. Aims. We examine the role that vigorous atmospheric turbulence may play in initiating and determining the mass-loss rates of red supergiant stars. Methods. We analytically and numerically solve the equations of conservation of mass and momentum, which we later couple to an atmospheric temperature structure, to obtain theoretically motivated mass-loss rates. We then compare these to state-of-the-art empirical mass-loss rate scaling formulae as well as observationally inferred mass-loss rates of red supergiants. Results. We find that the pressure due to the characteristic turbulent velocities inferred for red supergiants is sufficient to explain the mass-loss rates of these objects in the absence of the normally employed opacity from circumstellar dust. Motivated by this initial success, we provide a first theoretical and fully analytic mass-loss rate prescription for red supergiants. We conclude by highlighting some intriguing possible implications of these rates for future studies of stellar evolution, especially in light of the lack of a direct dependence on metallicity.

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The inner circumstellar dust of the red supergiant Antares as seen with VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL

The processes by which red supergiants lose mass are not fully understood thus-far and their mass-loss rates lack theoretical constraints. The ambient surroundings of the nearby M0.5 Iab star Antares offers an ideal environment to obtain detailed empirical information on the outflow properties at its onset, and hence indirectly, on the mode(s) of mass loss. We present and analyse optical VLT/SPHERE/ZIMPOL polarimetric imaging with angular resolution down to 23 milli-arcsec, sufficient to spatially resolve both the stellar disk and its direct surroundings. We detect a conspicuous feature in polarised intensity that we identify as a clump containing dust, which we characterise through 3D radiative transfer modelling. The clump is positioned behind the plane of the sky, therefore has been released from the backside of the star, and its inner edge is only 0.3 stellar radii above the surface. The current dust mass in the clump is $1.3^{+0.2}_{-1.0} \times 10^{-8}$ M$_{\odot}$, though its proximity to the star implies that dust nucleation is probably still ongoing. The ejection of clumps of gas and dust makes a non-negligible contribution to the total mass lost from the star which could possibly be linked to localised surface activity such as convective motions or non-radial pulsations.

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A relation between the radial velocity dispersion of young clusters and their age: Evidence for hardening as the formation scenario of massive close binaries

The majority of massive stars ($>8$ $\rm{M_{\odot}}$) in OB associations are found in close binary systems. Nonetheless, the formation mechanism of these close massive binaries is not understood yet. Using literature data, we measured the radial-velocity dispersion ($σ_\mathrm{RV}$) as a proxy for the close binary fraction in ten OB associations in the Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud, spanning an age range from 1 to 6 Myrs. We find a positive trend of this dispersion with the cluster's age, which is consistent with binary hardening. Assuming a universal binary fraction of $f_\mathrm{bin}$ = 0.7, we converted the $σ_\mathrm{RV}$ behavior to an evolution of the minimum orbital period $P_\mathrm{cutoff}$ from $\sim$9.5 years at 1 Myr to $\sim$1.4 days for the oldest clusters in our sample at $\sim$6 Myr. Our results suggest that binaries are formed at larger separations, and they harden in around 1 to 2 Myrs to produce the period distribution observed in few million year-old OB binaries. Such an inward migration may either be driven by an interaction with a remnant accretion disk or with other young stellar objects present in the system. Our findings constitute the first empirical evidence in favor of migration as a scenario for the formation of massive close binaries.

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Dynamically inflated wind models of classical Wolf-Rayet stars

Vigorous mass loss in the classical Wolf-Rayet (WR) phase is important for the late evolution and final fate of massive stars. We develop spherically symmetric time-dependent and steady-state hydrodynamical models of the radiation-driven wind outflows and associated mass loss from classical WR stars. The simulations are based on combining the opacities typically used in static stellar structure and evolution models with a simple parametrised form for the enhanced line-opacity expected within a supersonic outflow. Our simulations reveal high mass-loss rates initiated in deep and hot optically thick layers around T\approx 200kK. The resulting velocity structure is non-monotonic and can be separated into three phases: i) an initial acceleration to supersonic speeds ii) stagnation and even deceleration, and iii) an outer region of rapid re-acceleration. The characteristic structures seen in converged steady-state simulations agree well with the outflow properties of our time-dependent models. By directly comparing our dynamic simulations to corresponding hydrostatic models, we demonstrate explicitly that the need to invoke extra energy transport in convectively inefficient regions of stellar structure and evolution models is merely an artefact of enforcing a hydrostatic outer boundary. Moreover, the "dynamically inflated" inner regions of our simulations provide a natural explanation for the often-found mismatch between predicted hydrostatic WR radii and those inferred from spectroscopy. Finally, we contrast our simulations with alternative recent WR wind models based on co-moving frame radiative transfer for computing the radiation force. Since CMF transfer currently cannot handle non-monotonic velocity fields, the characteristic deceleration regions found here are avoided in such simulations by invoking an ad-hoc very high degree of clumping.

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(Sub)stellar companions shape the winds of evolved stars

Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary nebula (PN) could be due to binary interactions. We observed a sample of AGB stars with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and found that their winds exhibit distinct nonspherical geometries with morphological similarities to planetary nebulae (PNe). We infer that the same physics shapes both AGB winds and PNe; additionally, the morphology and AGB mass-loss rate are correlated. These characteristics can be explained by binary interaction. We propose an evolutionary scenario for AGB morphologies that is consistent with observed phenomena in AGB stars and PNe.

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The Wolf-Rayet binaries of the nitrogen sequence in the Large Magellanic Cloud: spectroscopy, orbital analysis, formation, and evolution

Massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars dominate the radiative and mechanical energy budget of galaxies and probe a critical phase in the evolution of massive stars prior to core-collapse. It is not known whether core He-burning WR stars (classical WR, cWR) form predominantly through wind-stripping (w-WR) or binary stripping (b-WR). With spectroscopy of WR binaries so-far largely avoided due to its complexity, our study focuses on the 44 WR binaries / binary candidates of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC, metallicity Z~0.5 Zsun), identified on the basis of radial velocity variations, composite spectra, or high X-ray luminosities. Relying on a diverse spectroscopic database, we aim to derive the physical and orbital parameters of our targets, confronting evolution models of evolved massive stars at sub-solar metallicity, and constraining the impact of binary interaction in forming them. Spectroscopy is performed using the Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) code and cross-correlation techniques. Disentanglement is performed using the code Spectangular or the shift-and-add algorithm. Evolutionary status is interpreted using the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) code, exploring binary interaction and chemically-homogeneous evolution. No obvious dichotomy in the locations of apparently-single and binary WN stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is apparent. According to commonly used stellar evolution models (BPASS, Geneva), most apparently-single WN stars could not have formed as single stars, implying that they were stripped by an undetected companion. Otherwise, it must follow that pre-WR mass-loss/mixing (e.g., during the red supergiant phase) are strongly underestimated in standard stellar evolution models.

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The 'hidden' companion in LB-1 unveiled by spectral disentangling

The intriguing binary LS V +22 25 (LB-1) has drawn much attention following claims of it being a single-lined spectroscopic binary with a 79-day orbit comprising a B-type star and a ~70 Msun black hole. Recent analyses have implied that the visible primary star is a stripped He-rich star. However, the nature of the secondary, which was proposed to be a black hole, a neutron star, or a main sequence star, remains unknown. Based on 26 newly acquired spectroscopic observations, we perform an orbital analysis and spectral disentangling of LB-1 to elucidate the nature of the system. Our analysis reveals that LB-1 contains two components of comparable brightness in the optical. The narrow-lined primary, which we estimate to contribute ~55% in the optical, has spectral properties that suggest that it is a stripped star: it has a small spectroscopic mass (~1 Msun) for a B-type star and it is He- and N-rich. The "hidden" secondary, which contributes about 45% of the optical flux, is a rapidly rotating (vsini ~ 300 km/s) B3 V star with a decretion disk -- a Be star. Hence, LB-1 does not contain a compact object. Instead, it is a rare Be binary system consisting of a stripped star (the former mass donor) and a Be star rotating at near its critical velocity (the former mass accretor). This system is a clear example that binary interactions play a decisive role in the production of rapid stellar rotators and Be stars.

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Investigating the lack of main-sequence companions to massive Be stars

About 20% of all B-type stars are classical Be stars. The Be phenomenon is strongly correlated with rapid rotation, the origin of which remains unclear. It may be rooted in single- or binary-star evolution. In the framework of the binary channel, the initially more massive star transfers mass and angular momentum to the original secondary, which becomes a Be star. The system then evolves into a Be binary with a post-main-sequence companion, which may later be disrupted in a supernova event. Hence, if the binary channel dominates the formation of Be stars, one may expect a strong lack of close Be binaries with main sequence (MS) companions. Through an extensive, star-by-star review of the literature of a magnitude-limited sample of Galactic early-type Be stars, we investigate whether Be binaries with MS companions are known to exist. Our sample is constructed from the BeSS database and cross-matched with all available literature on the individual stars. Out of an initial list of 505 Be stars, we compile a final sample of 287 Galactic Be stars earlier than B1.5 with V<=12 mag. Out of those, 13 objects were reported as Be binaries with known post-MS companions and 11 as binaries with unknown, uncertain or debated companions. We find no confirmed reports of Be binaries with MS companions. For the remaining 263 targets, no significant reports of multiplicity exist in the literature, implying that they are either Be binaries with faint companions, or truly single. The clear lack of reported MS companions to Be stars, which stands in contrast to the high number of detected B+B MS binaries, strongly supports the hypothesis that early-type Be stars are binary interaction products that spun up after mass and angular momentum transfer from a companion star. Taken at face value, our results may suggest that a large majority of the early-type Be stars have formed through binary mass-transfer.

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Is HR 6819 a triple system containing a black hole? -- An alternative explanation

HR 6819 was recently proposed to be a triple system consisting of an inner B-type giant + black hole binary with an orbital period of 40d and an outer Be tertiary. This interpretation is mainly based on two inferences: that the emission attributed to the outer Be star is stationary, and that the inner star, which is used as mass calibrator for the black hole, is a B-type giant. We re-investigate the properties of HR 6819 by spectral disentangling and an atmosphere analysis of the disentangled spectra to search for a possibly simpler alternative explanation for HR 6819. Disentangling implies that the Be component is not a static tertiary, but rather a component of the binary in the 40-d orbit. The inferred radial velocity amplitudes imply an extreme mass ratio of M_2/M_1 = 15 +/- 3. We infer spectroscopic masses of 0.4$^{+0.3}_{-0.1}$ Msun and 6$^{+5}_{-3}$ Msun for the primary and secondary, which agree well with the dynamical masses for an inclination of i = 32 deg. This indicates that the primary might be a stripped star rather than a B-type giant. Evolutionary modelling suggests that a possible progenitor system would be a tight (P_i ~ 2d) B+B binary system that experienced conservative mass transfer. While the observed nitrogen enrichment of the primary conforms with the predictions of the evolutionary models, we find no indications for the predicted He enrichment. We suggest that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a stripped B-type primary and a rapidly-rotating Be star that formed from a previous mass-transfer event. In the framework of this interpretation, HR 6819 does not contain a black hole. Interferometry can distinguish between these two scenarios by providing an independent measurement of the separation between the visible components.

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The Carina High-Contrast Imaging Project for massive Stars (CHIPS) I. Methodology and proof of concept on QZ Car ($\equiv$ HD93206)

Massive stars like company. However, low-mass companions have remained extremely difficult to detect at angular separations ($ρ$) smaller than 1" (~1000-3000 au considering typical distance to nearby massive stars) given the large brightness contrast between the companion and the central star. Constraints on the low-mass end of the companions mass-function for massive stars are however needed, for example to help distinguishing between various scenarios for the formation of massive stars. To obtain statistically significant constraint on the presence of low-mass companions beyond the typical detection limit of current surveys ($Δ\mathrm{mag} \lesssim 5$ at $ρ\lesssim 1$"), we initiated a survey of O and Wolf-Rayet stars in the Carina region using the SPHERE coronagraphic instrument on the VLT. In this first paper, we aim to introduce the survey, to present the methodology and to demonstrate the capability of SPHERE for massive stars using the multiple system QZ~Car. High-contrast imaging techniques, such as angular- and spectral-differential imaging techniques as well as PSF-fitting, were applied to detect and measure the relative flux of companions in each spectral channel of the instrument. We detected 19 sources around the QZ~Car system with detection limits of 9~mag at $ρ> 200$~mas for IFS and as faint as 13~mag at $ρ$ > 1".8 for IRDIS (corresponding to sub-solar masses for potential companions). All but two are reported here for the first time. Based on this proof of concept, we showed that VLT/SPHERE allows us to reach the sub-solar mass regime of the companion mass function. This paves the way for this type of observation with a large sample of massive stars to provide novel constraints on the multiplicity of massive stars in a region of the parameter space that has remained inaccessible so far.

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The high-energy emission from HD~93129A near periastron

We conducted an observational campaign towards one of the most massive and luminous colliding wind binaries in the Galaxy, HD~93129A, close to its periastron passage in 2018. During this time the source was predicted to be in its maximum of high-energy emission. Here we present our data analysis from the X-ray satellites \textit{Chandra} and \textit{NuSTAR} and the $γ$-ray satellite \textit{AGILE}. High-energy emission coincident with HD~93129A was detected in the X-ray band up to $\sim$18~keV, whereas in the $γ$-ray band only upper limits were obtained. We interpret the derived fluxes using a non-thermal radiative model for the wind-collision region. We establish a conservative upper limit for the fraction of the wind kinetic power that is converted into relativistic electron acceleration, $f_\mathrm{NT,e} < 0.02$. In addition, we set a lower limit for the magnetic field in the wind-collision region as $B_\mathrm{WCR} > 0.3$~G. We also argue a putative interpretation of the emission from which we estimate $f_\mathrm{NT,e} \approx 0.006$ and $B_\mathrm{WCR} \approx 0.5$~G. We conclude that multi-wavelength, dedicated observing campaigns during carefully selected epochs are a powerful tool for characterising the relativistic particle content and magnetic field intensity in colliding wind binaries.

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Properties of OB star-black hole systems derived from detailed binary evolution models

The recent gravitational wave measurements have demonstrated the existence of stellar mass black hole binaries. It is essential for our understanding of massive star evolution to identify the contribution of binary evolution to the formation of double black holes. A promising way to progress is investigating the progenitors of double black hole systems and comparing predictions with local massive star samples such as the population in 30 Doradus in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Methods. To this purpose, we analyse a large grid of detailed binary evolution models at LMC metallicity with initial primary masses between 10 and 40 Msun, and identify which model systems potentially evolve into a binary consisting of a black hole and a massive main sequence star. We then derive the observable properties of such systems, as well as peculiarities of the OB star component. We find that about 3% of the LMC late O and early B stars in binaries are expected to possess a black hole companion, when assuming stars with a final helium core mass above 6.6 M to form black holes. While the vast majority of them may be X-ray quiet, our models suggest that these may be identified in spectroscopic binaries, either by large amplitude radial velocity variations ( > 50 km s ) and simultaneous nitrogen surface enrichment, or through a moderate radial velocity ( > 10 km/s ) and simultaneously rapid rotation of the OB star. The predicted mass ratios are such that main sequence companions could be excluded in most cases. A comparison to the observed OB+WR binaries in the LMC, Be/X-ray binaries, and known massive BH binaries supports our conclusion. We expect spectroscopic observations to be able to test key assumptions in our models, with important implications for massive star evolution in general, and for the formation of double-black hole mergers in particular.

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VLT/X-shooter spectroscopy of massive young stellar objects in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud

The process of massive star ($M\geq8~M_\odot$) formation is still poorly understood. Observations of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) are challenging due to their rarity, short formation timescale, large distances, and high circumstellar extinction. Here, we present the results of a spectroscopic analysis of a population of MYSOs in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We took advantage of the spectral resolution and wavelength coverage of X-shooter (300-2500 nm), mounted on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, to detect characteristic spectral features in a dozen MYSO candidates near 30 Doradus, the largest starburst region in the Local Group hosting the most massive stars known. The X-shooter spectra are strongly contaminated by nebular emission. We used a scaling method to subtract the nebular contamination from our objects. We detect H$α,β$, [O I] 630.0 nm, Ca II infrared triplet, [Fe II] 1643.5 nm, fluorescent Fe II 1687.8 nm, H$_2$ 2121.8 nm, Br$γ$, and CO bandhead emission in the spectra of multiple candidates. This leads to the spectroscopic confirmation of 10 candidates as bona fide MYSOs. We compare our observations with photometric observations from the literature and find all MYSOs to have a strong near-infrared excess. We compute lower limits to the brightness and luminosity of the MYSO candidates, confirming the near-infrared excess and the massive nature of the objects. No clear correlation is seen between the Br$γ$ luminosity and metallicity. Combining our sample with other LMC samples results in a combined detection rate of disk features such as fluorescent Fe II and CO bandheads which is consistent with the Galactic rate (40\%). Most of our MYSOs show outflow features.

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