The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: observations centered on the Magellanic Cloud clusters NGC 330, NGC 346, NGC 2004, and the N11 region

By Christopher H. Evans, D. Lennon, S. Smartt, C. Trundle. 2006

157 citations recorded by the source corpus.

We present new observations of 470 stars using the Fibre Large Array Multi-Element Spectrograph (FLAMES) instrument in fields centered on the clusters NGC 330 and NGC 346 in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and NGC 2004 and the N11 region in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). A further 14 stars were observed in the N11 and NGC 330 fields using the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) for a separate programme. Spectral classifications and stellar radial velocities are given for each target, with careful attention to checks for binarity. In particular, we have investigated previously unexplored regions around the central LH9/LH10 complex of N11, finding ~25 new O-type stars from our spectroscopy. We have observed a relatively large number of Be-type stars that display permitted Fe II emission lines. These are primarily not in the cluster cores and appear to be associated with classical Be-type stars, rather than pre main-sequence objects. The presence of the Fe II emission, as compared to the equivalent width of H α , is not obviously dependent on metallicity. We have also explored the relative fraction of Be- to normal B-type stars in the field-regions near to NGC 330 and NGC 2004, finding no strong evidence of a trend with metallicity when compared to Galactic results. A consequence of service observations is that we have reasonable time-sampling in three of our FLAMES fields. We find lower limits to the binary fraction of O- and early B-type stars of 23 to 36%. One of our targets (NGC 346-013) is especially interesting with a massive, apparently hotter, less luminous secondary component.

Subfields: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Instrumentation

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/93ff9972938438b751b0315439dcb6db77392286

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In Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. N. Smith
2. N. Langer
3. S. Smartt
4. Selma de Mink
5. J. Vink
6. A. D. Koter
7. J. Puls
8. F. Najarro

In Instrumentation

1. N. Smith
2. N. Langer
3. J. Vink
4. A. D. Koter
5. S. Smartt
6. F. Najarro
7. D. Lennon
8. J. Puls

Citations in the corpus

• Mass Loss: Its Effect on the Evolution and Fate of High-Mass Stars (2014, background): “…stars in clusters using radial velocities, which typically find an observed binary fraction of 20-60% (Chini et al. 2012, De Becker et al. 2006, Evans et al. 2006, Garcia & Mermilliod 2001, Gies 1987, Kiminki & Kobulnicky 2012, Kiminki et al. 2012, Mahy et al. 2009, Sana et al. 2008, 2009,…”
• Luminous blue variables are antisocial: their isolation implies that they are kicked mass gainers in binary evolution (2014, background): “…in binary systems whose separation is small enough that they will exchange mass (Sana et al. 2012, 2008, 2009; Kiminki & Kobulnicky 2012; Kiminki et al. 2012; Kobulnicky et al. 2014; Chini et al. 2012; Mahy et al. 2009; Evans et al. 2006; De Becker et al. 2006; Garcia & Mermilliod 2001; Gies 1987).”
• The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: surface chemical compositions of B-type stars in the Magellanic Clouds (2006, methodology): “The target selection, observational details and data reduction procedures for clusters in our Galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds have been described in Evans et al. (2005) (hereafter Paper I) and Evans et al. (2006) (hereafter Paper II) respectively.”
• SPITZER SAGE INFRARED PHOTOMETRY OF MASSIVE STARS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD (2009, background): “…al. (BI; 1975); Lucke (LH; 1972); Henize (S; 1956). b Reference key: (B01) Bartzakos et al. 2001; (B09) Bonanos 2009; (C86) Conti et al. 1986; (E06) Evans et al. 2006; (F88) Fitzpatrick 1988, 1991; (F02) Fitzpatrick et al. 2002; (F03a) Fitzpatrick et al. 2003; (F03) Foellmi et al. 2003; (G94)…”
• The VLT FLAMES Survey of Massive Stars: Rotation and Nitrogen Enrichment as the Key to Understanding Massive Star Evolution (2007, background): “A discussion of target selection, observational details, and initial data reduction can be found in Evans et al. (2005, 2006).”
• The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: evolution of surface N abundances and effective temperature scales in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds (2007, methodology): “The Galactic and Magellanic Cloud samples have been discussed in Evans et al. (2005, 2006) respectively.”
• Mass loss from hot massive stars (2008, methodology): “This scenario, however, would not only fail to produce the many RSG stars observed, but there is also observational evidence againstall WR-stars being in close binary systems (only 30-40% in the Magellanic Clouds, Foellmi et al 2003a,b).”
• The VLT-FLAMES survey of massive stars: constraints on stellar evolution from the chemical compositions of rapidly rotating Galactic and Magellanic Cloud B-type stars (2009, background): “: S.J. Smartt) focused on OB-type stars in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds (Evans et al. 2005; Evans et al. 2006, hereafter Paper I and Paper II).”