Bibcode
Renzo, M.; de Mink, S. E.; Lennon, D. J.; Platais, I.; van der Marel, R. P.; Laplace, E.; Bestenlehner, J. M.; Evans, C. J.; Hénault-Brunet, V.; Justham, S.; de Koter, A.; Langer, N.; Najarro, F.; Schneider, F. R. N.; Vink, J. S.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Volume 482, Issue 1, p.L102-L106
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1
2019
Citations
16
Refereed citations
15
Description
How very massive stars form is still an open question in astrophysics.
VFTS682 is among the most massive stars known, with an inferred initial
mass of ≳150 M_⊙. It is located in 30 Doradus at a projected
distance of 29 pc from the central cluster R136. Its apparent isolation
led to two hypotheses: either it formed in relative isolation or it was
ejected dynamically from the cluster. We investigate the kinematics of
VFTS682 as obtained by Gaia and Hubble Space Telescope astrometry. We
derive a projected velocity relative to the cluster of 38± 17{ km
s^{-1}} (1σ confidence interval). Although the error bars are
substantial, two independent measures suggest that VFTS682 is a runaway
ejected from the central cluster. This hypothesis is further supported
by a variety of circumstantial clues. The central cluster is known to
harbour other stars more massive than 150 M_⊙ of similar spectral
type and recent astrometric studies on VFTS16 and VFTS72 provide direct
evidence that the cluster can eject some of its most massive members, in
agreement with theoretical predictions. If future data confirm the
runaway nature, this would make VFTS682 the most massive runaway star
known to date.
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Physical properties and evolution of Massive Stars
This project aims at the searching, observation and analysis of massive stars in nearby galaxies to provide a solid empirical ground to understand their physical properties as a function of those key parameters that gobern their evolution (i.e. mass, spin, metallicity, mass loss, and binary interaction). Massive stars are central objects to
Sergio
Simón Díaz