Very Massive Stars – Prof Paul Crowther

This talk was part of the UH Centre for Astrophysics Research (CAR) 2023-2024 seminar series. For the ongoing programme, please see: https://www.herts.ac.uk/research/cent...

Date: 21 February 2024
Speaker: Prof Paul Crowther – University of Sheffield
Title: Very Massive Stars in the Local Universe

Abstract: I will summarise evidence for and against the existence of very massive stars (greater than 100 M_☉, VMS) in the Local Universe. Such stars will dominate the spectral appearance of young massive star clusters and their radiative and mechanical feedback due to their high luminoisities and proximity to the Eddington limit. VMS are potential progenitors for exotic explosion (pair-instability SNe) and LIGO black hole binaries. The strongest evidence for such stars locally is in R136, the central cluster of the Tarantula Nebula, for which new optical and X-ray observations will be presented revealing a mix of single and binary VMS.