Bibcode
Simón-Díaz, S.; Herrero, A.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 562, id.A135, 22 pp.
Advertised on:
2
2014
Journal
Citations
242
Refereed citations
214
Description
Context. Stellar rotation is an important parameter in the evolution of
massive stars. Accurate and reliable measurements of projected
rotational velocities in large samples of OB stars are crucial to
confront the predictions of stellar evolutionary models with
observational constraints. Aims: We reassess previous
determinations of projected rotational velocities (v sin i) in Galactic
OB stars using a large, high-quality spectroscopic dataset and a
strategy that accounts for other sources of line-broadening in addition
to rotation. Methods: We present a versatile and user-friendly
IDL tool - based on a combined Fourier transform (FT) + goodness-of-fit
(GOF) methodology - for the line-broadening characterization in OB-type
stars. We used this tool to (a) investigate the impact of macroturbulent
and microturbulent broadenings on v sin i measurements, and (b)
determine v sin i and the size of the macroturbulent broadening
(vm) in a sample of ~200 Galactic OB-type stars.
Results: We present observational evidence that illustrates the
strengths and limitations of the proposed FT+GOF methodology for OB
stars. We confirm previous statements (that were based on indirect
arguments or smaller samples) that the macroturbulent broadening is
ubiquitous in the massive-star domain. We compare the newly derived v
sin i for O stars and early-B supergiants and giants (where the effect
of macroturbulence was found to be stronger) with previous
determinations that did not account for this additional line-broadening
contribution, and show that cases with v sin i≤ 120 km
s-1need to be systematically revised downward by ~25
(±20) km s-1. We suggest that microturbulence may
impose an upper limit below which v sin i and vm may be
incorrectly derived by means of the proposed methodology as it is
currently used, and discuss the implications of this statement on the
study of relatively narrow-line massive stars. Conclusions: An
investigation of the impact of the revised v sin i distributions on the
predictions of massive star evolutionary models is now warranted. The
reliability of v sin i measurements in the low v sin i regime, using a
more precise description of the intrinsic profiles that are employed for
the line-broadening analysis, also needs to be investigated in more
detail.
Based on observations made with the Nordic Optical Telescope, operated
on the island of La Palma jointly by Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway,
and Sweden, in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of
the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.Appendix A is available
in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org
Related projects
The IACOB project: A new Era in the Study of Galactic OB Stars
IACOB is an ambitious long-term project whose main scientific goal is to provide an unprecedented empirical overview of the main physical properties of Galactic massive O- and B-type stars which can be used as definitive anchor point for our theories of stellar atmospheres, winds, interiors and evolution of massive stars
Sergio
Simón Díaz