Wolf-Rayet stars are regarded as candidates for progenitors of core-collapse supernovae, and they are expected to be progenitors of long gamma-ray bursts. These types of stars are considered to be fast rotators. Their high rotation speed breaks the sphericity of the star and leads to an axisymmetric wind density structure. In such a case, the electron scattering takes place in a nonspherical environment, and as a result, we might expect an intrinsic polarization. We present a 2.5D radiation hydrodynamic stellar wind model of these stars. The model simulations account for the deformation of the stellar surface due to rotation, gravity darkening, and nonradial forces. We computed the polarization from the density variable of the hydrodynamic model, derived the upper limit of rotational velocities, and found no conflict with the previous studies of Wolf-Rayet stars.

Spectropolarimetic campaigns have established that large-scale magnetic fields are present at the surfaces of approximately 10% of massive dwarf stars. However, there is a dearth of magnetic field measurements for their deep interiors. Asteroseismology of gravity-mode pulsations combined with rotating magneto-hydrodynamical calculations of the early-B main-sequence star HD 43317 constrain its magnetic field strength to be approximately 5 × 105 G just outside its convective core. This proof-of-concept study for magneto-asteroseismology opens a new window into the observational characterisation of magnetic fields inside massive stars.

We probe how common extremely rapid rotation is among massive stars in the early universe by measuring the OBe star fraction in nearby metal-poor dwarf galaxies. We apply a new method that uses broad-band photometry to measure the galaxy-wide OBe star fractions in the Magellanic Clouds and three more distant, more metal-poor dwarf galaxies. We find OBe star fractions of ∼20% in the Large Magallanic Cloud (0.5Zȯ), and ∼30% in the Small Magellanic Cloud (0.2Zȯ) as well as in the so-far unexplored metallicity range 0.1 Z/Zȯ < 0.2 occupied by the other three dwarf galaxies. Our results imply that extremely rapid rotation is common among massive stars in metal-poor environments such as the early universe.

We present results from a recent study of the spin rate properties of a sample of more than 400 Galactic O-type stars surveyed by the IACOB and OWN projects. We combine vsini, Teff, and logg estimates with information about the spectroscopic binarity status for 285 of the stars in the sample, and provide a renewed overview about how the empirical distribution of projected rotational velocities in the O-star domain depends on mass, evolutionary and binary status. The obtained distributions are then compared with predictions of state-of-the-art population synthesis simulations including binary interaction, and used to provide hints about the initial velocity distribution of stars with masses in the range 15-80 M⊙.

Whether it be due to rapid rotation or binary interactions, deviations from spherical symmetry are common in massive stars. These deviations from spherical symmetry are known to cause non-uniform distributions of various parameters across the surface including temperature, which can drive internal mixing processes within the envelopes of these massive stars. Despite how common these 3D distortions are, they are often neglected in spectroscopic analyses. We present a new spectral analysis code called spamms (Spectroscopic PAtch Model for Massive Stars) specifically designed to analyze non-spherical systems. We discuss how the code works and discuss its assumptions. Furthermore, we demonstrate how spamms can be applied to a variety of different types of systems and we show how it can model 3D effects in a way that current analysis techniques are not able to.

Empirical constraints are master keys for testing theoretical evolutionary model predictions. In massive stars, the region in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) in which the Blue Supergiants (BSGs) are located sets several important constraints to the models, and in particular to the theoretical end of the main sequence (MS). So far, we are missing from a full quantitative spectroscopic analysis (QSA) of a sample of BSGs large enough to be statistically significant and without observational biases. We present results from a QSA of a sample of ∼700 Galactic BSGs for which we have high-resolution multi-epoch optical spectra.

When a star is rapidly rotating, it deviates from spherical symmetry causing non-uniform distributions of the surface gravity and temperature across the surface. These three-dimensional effects lead to an inclination dependence of many observable spectroscopic parameters, however this is often neglected when analyzing rapidly rotating systems. Using spamms, we generate synthetic spectra that account for the 3D geometry of the system and fit them with 1D models to investigate how much the 3D effects can change the derived stellar parameters. We show that these 3D effects can lead to observed temperature differences of thousands of kelvin for the same star viewed at different inclinations, and a systematic underestimation of the helium abundance.

The galactic binary star LB-1 contains a recently stripped B-type star. Comparing its properties to detailed binary star models shows that tidal braking and magnetic torques lead to low surface rotational velocities in the stripped donors after Roche-lobe overffiow. Models without magnetic torques cannot reproduce the observed low surface rotation.

Rotation is one of the important parameters affecting the evolution and final fate of massive stars but the origin of fast rotators remains unclear (imprint of the star formation process, result of binary interactions). In this work, we aim at investigating the binary status, photometric variability, and runaway status of a statistically meaningful sample of Galactic fast-rotating O stars. We perform a comprehensive multi-epoch analysis of new high-quality spectroscopic observations gathered by the IACOB and OWN surveys. Notably, we find that the total percentage of spectroscopic binaries in the investigated sample range between 25 and 40%, in agreement with previous finding for the case of O-type stars with lower projected rotational velocities. On the contrary, the fraction of runaway stars among fast rotators (∼35–50%) is significantly higher than in the case of slow rotators (∼20–30%). By combining all these observational results we will evaluate each scenario about the origin of fast rotators.

The first stars in the Universe have inherited their composition from primordial nucleosynthesis, so they have no metal. These stars, which are also named population III (pop III) stars, began the process of reionization in the Universe and contributed to the metal enrichment with heavy elements. Previous studies showed that they should have been rotating fast due to small or no angular momentum loss, reaching easily the critical velocity since they are massive and have very low stellar winds, thus their mass loss is very low or zero. Our aim is to study how the production of primary nitrogen is affected due to high rotation in the pop III stars. So, we compared grids of pop III stars with zero, average, and high rotation. All these models have been computed using Geneva code (GENEC) in the mass range of 9M⊙ ≤ Mini ≤ 120M⊙. Due to the rotational mixing, the carbon produced in the He-burning core is diffused towards the H-burning shell, triggering the CNO cycle and producing primary nitrogen. In some models the transition of the shell from a pp-chain H-burning to a CNO H-burning induces a strong energy release and a complete change of the stellar structure and the nucleosynthesis. The production of nitrogen is boosted for the high rotation models.

Magnetism can greatly impact the evolution of stars. In some stars with OBA spectral types there is direct evidence via the Zeeman effect for stable, large-scale magnetospheres, which lead to the spin-down of the stellar surface and reduced mass loss. So far, a comprehensive grid of stellar structure and evolution models accounting for these effects was lacking. For this reason, we computed and studied models with two magnetic braking and two chemical mixing schemes in three metallicity environments with the mesa software instrument. We find notable differences between the subgrids, which affects the model predictions and thus the detailed characterisation of stars. We are able to quantify the impact of magnetic fields in terms of preventing quasi-chemically homogeneous evolution and producing slowly-rotating, nitrogen-enriched (“Group 2”) stars. Our model grid is fully open access and open source.

Recent evidence of super-Chandrasekhar white dwarfs (WDs), from the observations of over-luminous type Ia supernovae (SNeIa), has been a great astrophysical discovery. However, no such massive WDs have so far been observed directly as their luminosities are generally quite low. Hence it immediately raises the question of whether there is any possibility of detecting them directly. The search for super-Chandrasekhar WDs is very important as SNeIa are used as standard candles in cosmology. In this article, we show that continuous gravitational wave can allow us to detect such super-Chandrasekhar WDs directly.

We study a class of Newtonian models for the deformations of non-magnetised neutron stars during their spin-down. All the models have an analytical solution which allows to easily grasp the dependence of the strain on the star’s main physical quantities, such as radius, mass, and crust thickness.

We first use the model proposed by Franco, Link, and Epstein that depicts the star as made of a fluid core and an elastic crust with the same density, to compare the response to a decreasing centrifugal force on stars having different masses and equations of state. We find that the strain angle is peaked at the equator and its maximum value decreases as a function of the mass.

Afterwards, we introduce a second, more refined, model in which the core and the crust have different densities, and the gravitational potential of the deformed body is self-consistently accounted for. The strain angle is still a decreasing function of the stellar mass, but now its maximum value is typically peaked at the poles and is larger (by a factor of four) than the corresponding value in the one-density model.

Finally, within the present analytic approach, we evaluate the impact of the Cowling approximation: when the perturbations of the gravitational potential are neglected, we find an underestimation of the centrifugal effect on the star, since the strain angle is about 40% of the one obtained with the complete model.

Young solar analogs reaching the main sequence experience very strong magnetic activity, directly linked to their angular momentum loss through wind and mass ejections. We investigate here the surface and chromospheric activity of the ultra-rapid rotator AP 149 in the young open cluster alpha Persei. With a time-series of spectropolarimetric observations gathered over two nights with ESPaDOnS, we are able to reconstruct the surface distribution of brightness and magnetic field using the Zeeman-Doppler-Imaging (ZDI) method. Using the same data set, we also map the spatial distribution of prominences through tomography of H-alpha emission. We find that AP 149 shows a strong cool spot and magnetic field closed to the polar cap. This star is the first example of a solar-type star to have its magnetic field and prominences mapped together, which will help to explore the respective role of wind and prominences in the angular momentum evolution of the most active stars.

For the shortest period exoplanets, star-planet tidal interactions are likely to have played a major role in the ultimate orbital evolution of the planets and on the spin evolution of the host stars. Although low-mass stars are magnetically active objects, the question of how the star’s magnetic field impacts the excitation, propagation and dissipation of tidal waves remains open. We have derived the magnetic contribution to the tidal interaction and estimated its amplitude throughout the structural and rotational evolution of low-mass stars (from K to F-type). We find that the star’s magnetic field has little influence on the excitation of tidal waves in nearly circular and coplanar Hot-Jupiter systems, but that it has a major impact on the way waves are dissipated.

We report the results of three VLBI observations of the pre-main-sequence star AB Doradus A at 8.4 GHz. With almost three years between consecutive observations, we found a complex structure at the expected position of this star for all epochs. Maps at epochs 2007 and 2010 show a double core-halo morphology while the 2013 map reveals three emission peaks with separations between 5 and 18 stellar radii. Furthermore, all maps show a clear variation of the source structure within the observing time. We consider a number of hypothesis in order to explain such observations, mainly: magnetic reconnection in loops on the polar cap, a more general loop scenario and a close companion to AB Dor A.

Ionized winds from late-type main-sequence stars are important for stellar spin-down and therefore the evolution of stellar activity; winds blow an “astrosphere” into the interstellar medium that absorbs a large part of galactic cosmic rays; and the winds play a key role in shaping planetary environments, in particular their upper atmospheres. These issues have been well studied for the solar wind but little is known about winds escaping from other solar-type stars. Several methods have been devised to either detect winds directly or to infer the presence of such winds from features that are shaped by the winds. This paper summarizes these methods and discusses exemplary findings. There is need for more studies using multiple methods for the same stars.

While most of the exoplanets have been found orbiting around solar-type stars, low-mass stars have recently been recognized as ideal exo-life laboratory. Currently, stellar activity is one of the limiting factors for the characterization of Earth-twins and for assessing their habitability: understanding the activity of M dwarfs is thus crucial. In this contribution I present the spectroscopic analysis of the quiet early-M dwarfs monitored within the HADES (HArps-n red Dwarf Exoplanet Survey) radial velocity survey. The spectra allow us to analyze simultaneously the Ca ii H&K doublet and the Hydrogen Balmer series, while the intensive follow up gives us a large number of spectra ( 100) for each target. We complement this dataset with ground-based follow-up photometry and archival X-ray data. I present our results on the activity-rotation-stellar parameters and flux-flux relationships, and discuss the correlation of emission fluxes at low activity levels and the evolution timescales of active regions.

The dynamo mechanism, responsible for the solar magnetic activity, is still an open problem in astrophysics. Different theories proposed to explain such phenomena have failed in reproducing the observational properties of the solar magnetism. Thus, ab-initio computational modeling of the convective dynamo in a spherical shell turns out as the best alternative to tackle this problem. In this work we review the efforts performed in global simulations over the past decades. Regarding the development and sustain of mean-flows, as well as mean magnetic field, we discuss the points of agreement and divergence between the different modeling strategies. Special attention is given to the implicit large-eddy simulations performed with the EULAG-MHD code.

Together with the stellar rotation, the spotted surfaces of low-mass magnetically active stars produce modulations in their brightness. These modulations can be resolved by photometric variability surveys, allowing direct measurements of stellar spin rates. In this proceedings, we present results of a multisite photometric survey dedicated to the measurement of spin rates in the 30 Myr cluster NGC 3766. Inside the framework of the Monitor Project, the cluster was monitored during 2014 in the i-band by the Wide Field Imager at the MPG/ESO 2.2-m telescope. Data from Gaia-DR2 and grizY photometry from DECam/CTIO were used to identify cluster members. We present spin rates measured for ⁓200 cluster members.