Studying bright, massive stars in the era of large telescopes
II. Wind structures
Thierry Morel,
Institute for Astrophysics and Geophysics, Liège University, Allée du 6 Août, 17, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Abstract
There is strong observational evidence that the winds of massive stars are clumpy and/or exhibit large-scale spiral streams. Studying the structure of these outflows may not only provide more accurate estimates of the mass-loss rates that are critical for modelling their evolution, but also indirectly reveal the existence of pulsations and magnetic fields. After a description of the progress made in the study of these wind structures, we will briefly discuss the perspectives for the future and draw attention to the potential of spectroscopic campaigns carried out by amateur astronomers to lead to significant advances in the field.
Pour citer cet article
Thierry Morel, «Studying bright, massive stars in the era of large telescopes», Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège [En ligne], Volume 79 - Année 2010, 38 - 53 URL : http://popups.ulg.be/0037-9565/index.php?id=2350.