Analyzing the Lack of X-ray Production in Wolf-Rayet Winds through Computational Modeling.

Abstract

Typical hot massive stars (OB stars) produce X-ray emissions that are attributed to the shock production in their winds. Wolf-Rayet stars are unique in that despite similar characteristics to other OB stars, they produce extremely weak X-ray emission. Using the modeling program Spect3D (developed by Prism Corporation), we construct models of Wolf-Rayet winds. We can then analyze the effects of shock features in the wind, and what impact they have on the optical depth and populations of elemental ions. We then run comparison models of typical X-ray producing stars to see what features differ in the Wolf-Rayet models that could explain the lack of X-ray emissions.