Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

Table of Contents - 2007 - Volume 3, Symposium S250 (Massive Stars as Cosmic Engines)  

Contributed Papers

Magnetic Massive Stars

Rich Townsenda1, David H. Cohena2, Luc Dessarta3, Swetlana Hubriga4, Yaël Nazéa5, Véronique Petita6, Asif ud-Doulaa1 and Nolan R. Walborna7

a1 Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA

a2 Swarthmore College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, 500 College Ave., Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA

a3 Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

a4 European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago, Chile

a5 Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Bât. B5c, Allée du VI Aût 17, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

a6 Département de Physique, de Génie Physique et d'Optique and Observatoire du mont Mégantic, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1K 7P4, Canada

a7 Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA

Abstract

Magnetic fields are unexpected in massive stars, due to the absence of a sub-surface convective dynamo. However, advances in instrumentation over the past three decades have led to their detection in a small but growing subset of these stars. Moreover, complementary theoretical developments have highlighted their potentially significant influence over the structure, evolution and circumstellar environments of massive stars. Here, we summarize a special session convened prior to the main conference, focused on presenting recent developments in the study of massive-star magnetic fields.

Keywords

  • stars: early-type;
  • magnetic fields;
  • stars: winds;
  • stars: mass-loss;
  • hydrodynamics;
  • MHD;
  • techniques: spectroscopic;
  • techniques: polarimetric;
  • X-rays: stars;
  • supernovae: general
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