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Peredur Williams

Publications and source records attributed to Peredur Williams.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

The orbit and stellar masses of the archetype colliding-wind binary WR 140

We present updated orbital elements for the Wolf-Rayet (WR) binary WR\,140 (HD\,193793; WC7pd + O5.5fc). The new orbital elements were derived using previously published measurements along with {\color{black}160} new radial velocity measurements across the 2016 periastron passage of WR 140. Additionally, four new measurements of the orbital astrometry were collected with the CHARA Array. With these measurements, we derive stellar masses of $M_{\rm WR} = 10.31\pm0.45 M_\odot$ and $M_{\rm O} = 29.27\pm1.14 M_{\odot}$. We also include a discussion of the evolutionary history of this system from the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) model grid to show that this WR star likely formed primarily through mass loss in the stellar winds, with only a moderate amount of mass lost or transferred through binary interactions.

astro-ph.SR

Observation of a Deep Visual "Eclipse" in the WC9-Type Wolf-Rayet Star, WR 76

The WC9-Type Wolf-Rayet star WR 76 is one of the most prolific dust makers identified from its infrared emission. WR 76 experienced a deep fading eclipse in 2016. The ~3.1 magnitude depth of the eclipse exceeds fadings in similar eclipses observed in WR stars thus far. Conclusions from recent and earlier analyses of eclipses observed suggests that WR 76 may be a prolific eclipser.

astro-ph.SR

WR 140 in the Infrared

Observations in the infrared have played a significant role in the development of our understanding of WR140. Two sets of observations are described here: the changing profile of the 1.083-μm He I line observed for the 2009 campaign to study evolution of the wind-collision region near periastron passage, and multiwavelength photometry and imaging of the dust made by WR140 in previous periastron passages.

astro-ph.SR