Oxygen and carbon abundances for the WO stars

We present relative carbon and oxygen abundances derived via an optically thin recombination line analysis for five WO stars, and compare the derived abundances to recent evolutionary models. New recombination coefficients for O⁴⁺, O⁵⁺ and O⁶⁺ ions have allowed total oxygen abundances to be derived. The final C/He values range between 0.4 and 0.8 by number, consistent with C/He ratios previously derived for WC stars. O/He values range between 0.1–0.4, with C/O ratios between 2.1–4.8.A comparison of the derived abundances with the evolutionary models of Maeder (1990) and Schaller et al. (1992) shows promising agreement. We find reasonably tight agreement between the abundances derived for the WO stars. The degree of enhancement for the oxygen abundances in regions of low metallicity predicted by Maeder (1990) is not corroborated by our results.Additionally we present a revised, quantified classification scheme for WO subtypes. We extend the class to lower excitation, WO5, and place MS 4 (=WR 30a) in this class. Equivalent widths of the strongest lines of MS 4 are also presented. Finally, we present new observations of DR 1, a WO3 star located in the dwarf irregular galaxy IC 1613.     

New atomic data for the FeXII coronal ion

Various FeXII spectroscopic lines in the UV and EUV range have been proved to be ideal diagnostic tools for measuring electron temperature, density and iron abundance in the solar corona. In the framework of the “IRON PROJECT” we have provided improved theoretical calculations of the atomic data required to analyse the intensity of these lines and to apply the results to SOHO (Solar Heliospheric Observatory) observations. Extensive configuration interaction and relativistic effects have been allowed for in the atomic structure computations which have provided energy levels and an extensive set of radiative data. The e-FeXII collisional problem has been tackled with the multichannel R-matrix method, a close-coupling calculation for the determination of electron impact collision strengths. Final results are presented for FeXII thermally averaged collision strengths, for fine-structure forbidden transitions within the ground configuration.