Detection of WR stars in the metal-poor starburst galaxy IZw 18

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dc.creatorLegrand, F.
dc.creatorKunth, D.
dc.creatorRoy, J. -R.
dc.creatorMas-Hesse, J. M.
dc.creatorWalsh, J. R.
dc.date1997-07-25
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:23:53Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:23:53Z
dc.descriptionWolf-Rayet stars (WR) have been detected in the NW region of the metal-poor starburst galaxy IZw 18. The integrated luminosity and FWHM of the bumps at 4650 A and 5808 A are consistent with the presence of a few individual stars of WC4 or WC5 type. Evolutionary synthesis models predict few WRs in this galaxy, but only of WN type. The presence of WC stars at such low metallicity could however be explained by high mass loss rates, which would constrain the IMF upper mass cut-off in IZw 18 to be higher than 80 Msol or alternatively favor a binary channel for WR formation. WC stars could also explain the strong and narrow HeII 4686 A emission line which peaks co-spatially with the WR bump emission, as suggested by Schaerer (1996). This detection shows that WR stars, even of WC type, are formed at metallicities below 1/40th solar.
dc.description4 pages, 2 postscript figures A&A in press
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9707279
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9707279
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/11423
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleDetection of WR stars in the metal-poor starburst galaxy IZw 18
dc.typetext

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