Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2009

Published In

Atomic Processes In Plasmas: Proceedings Of The 16th International Conference On Atomic Processes In Plasmas

Series Title

AIP Conference Proceedings

Abstract

Massive stars drive powerful, supersonic winds via the radiative momentum associated with the thermal UV emission from their photospheres. Shock phenomena are ubiquitous in these winds, heating them to millions, and sometimes tens of millions, of degrees. The emission line spectra from the shock-heated plasma provide powerful diagnostics of the winds' physical conditions, which in turn provide constraints on models of wind shock heating. Here I show how x-ray line transfer is affected by photoelectric absorption in the partially ionized component of the wind and how it can be modeled to determine the astrophysically important mass-loss rates of these stellar winds. I also discuss how photoexcitation out of metastable excited levels of helium-like ions can provide critical information about the location of the hot plasma in magnetically channeled massive star winds.

Published By

American Institute Of Physics

Editor(s)

K. B. Fournier

Conference

16th International Conference On Atomic Processes In Plasmas

Conference Dates

March 22-26, 2009

Conference Location

Monterey, CA

Comments

This work is freely available courtesy of the American Institute of Physics.

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