Program: GS-2019B-Q-210

Title:Unveiling large-scale ejecta around massive stars
PI:Lydia Cidale
Co-I(s): Tiina Liimets, María Laura Arias, Michaela Kraus

Abstract

The evolution of massive stars encompasses phases with strong mass-loss and outbursts. The ejected material can form shells, lobes, or spiral structures, depending on the physical mechanism behind the material release. These structures are visible on deep images in various emission features in the optical and infrared, depending on the physical conditions and the degree of ionization of the material. We propose to use GMOS to image four massive stars, that are known to be surrounded by molecular gas and circumstellar dust, witnesses of prior phases of mass ejections. We opt for two different filters, the narrow-band Hα and the broad-band CaT, because our objects display strong emission in both Hα and the CaII infrared triplet lines, so that these two wavelength regimes are ideal to trace the ejected material. With the proposed observations we expect to gain insight into the large-scale structure of the ionized circumstellar material of these objects, which then serves as basis for follow-up in-depth studies of the dynamics and the mass-loss history of the ejecta.

Publications using this program's data