Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2002

Published In

Astrophysical Journal

Abstract

The Chandra spectrum of delta Ori A shows emission lines from hydrogen- and helium-like states of Si, Mg, Ne, and O, along with N VII Lyalpha and lines from ions in the range Fe XVII-Fe XXI In contrast to the broad lines seen in zeta Pup and zeta Ori (850 +/- 40 and 1000 +/- 240 km s(-1) half-width at half-maximum [HWHM], respectively), these lines are broadened to only 430 +/- 60 km s(-1) HWHM. This is much lower than the measured wind terminal velocity of 2000 km s(-1). The forbidden, intercombination, and resonance (fir) lines from He-like ions indicate that the majority of the X-ray line emission does not originate at the base of the wind, in agreement with the standard wind shock models for these objects. However, in that model the X-ray emission is distributed throughout an expanding, X-ray-absorbing wind, and it is therefore surprising that the emission lines appear relatively narrow, unshifted, and symmetric. We compare the observed line profiles to recent detailed models for X-ray line pro le generation in hot stars, but none of them offers a fully satisfactory explanation for the observed line profiles.

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of IOP Publishing and the American Astronomical Society.

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