Astronomy:Westerlund 1-243

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Short description: Luminous blue variable star undergoing an eruptive phase in Westerlund 1

Coordinates: Sky map 16h 47m 7.503s, −45° 52′ 29.152″

Westerlund 1-243
Westerlund 1 super star cluster (north is towards top left). The location of Wd 1-243 is circled.
Credit: ESO
Observation data
Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS)
Constellation Ara[1]
Right ascension  16h 47m 7.5041s[2]
Declination −45° 52′ 29.123″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 15.807[3]
Characteristics
Spectral type A3Ia+[4]
Apparent magnitude (J) 6.407[5]
Apparent magnitude (H) 5.271[5]
Apparent magnitude (K) 4.632[5]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: −1.574[2] mas/yr
Dec.: −4.036[2] mas/yr
Parallax (π)0.0119 ± 0.0812[2] mas
Distance13,400 ly
(4,120[6] pc)
Details[4]
Mass40 M
Radius376.9 R
Luminosity730,000 L
Surface gravity (log g)~0.65 cgs
Temperature~8,500 K
Rotational velocity (v sin i)10 km/s
Age10.4+1.3
−1.2
[6] Myr
Other designations
Westerlund 1 W 243, Westerlund 1 BKS G, 2MASS J16470749-4552290, Gaia DR3 5940105830990286208
Database references
SIMBADdata

Westerlund 1-243 or Wd 1-243 is a luminous blue variable (LBV) star undergoing an eruptive phase located within the outskirts of the super star cluster Westerlund 1.[7] Located about 13,400 ly (4,100 pc) from Earth,[6] it has a luminosity of 0.73 million L making it one of the most luminous stars known.[4]

Observation

Westerlund 1-243 is the second brightest star in Westerlund 1, behind only Westerlund 1-4.[3] It is one of several different hypergiant stars in Westerlund 1. It may also have a companion star, possibly an O-type supergiant.[8]

Spectrum

Westerlund 1-243 displays a complex, time-varying spectrum with emission lines of hydrogen, helium and Lyman-α pumped metals, forbidden lines of nitrogen and iron, and a large number of absorption lines from neutral and singly-ionized metals. Many lines are complex emission/absorption blends, with significant spectral evolution occurring on timescales of just a few days.[4]

Properties

Westerlund 1-243 has a temperature of ~8,500 K determined from modelling the absorption line spectrum. It has expanded to a radius of 376.9 R, and a Rosseland radius of 450 R. It is radiating at a luminosity of 730,000 L. It is losing mass at a rate of 6.1×10−7 M/yr.[4]

Evolution

Westerlund 1-243 is believed to be either in an advanced pre-red supergiant LBV phase, or has evolved through the RSG phase and returned to the blue side of the HR diagram. In the future it is expected to evolve toward a WR phase. The K-band spectrum also implies a higher temperature than that of a typical yellow hypergiant and suggests that Westerlund 1-243 may be evolving back towards a hotter state.[4]

References

  1. Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 99 (617): 695. doi:10.1086/132034. Bibcode1987PASP...99..695R  Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Vallenari, A. et al. (2022). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940  Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lim, Beomdu; Chun, Moo-Young; Sung, Hwankyung; Park, Byeong-Gon; Lee, Jae-Joon; Sohn, Sangmo T.; Hur, Hyeonoh; Bessell, Michael S. (February 2013). "The Starburst Cluster Westerlund 1: The Initial Mass Function and Mass Segregation". The Astronomical Journal 145 (2): 46. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/145/2/46. ISSN 0004-6256. Bibcode2013AJ....145...46L. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Ritchie, B. W.; Clark, J. S.; Negueruela, I.; Najarro, F. (December 2009). "Spectroscopic monitoring of the luminous blue variable Westerlund 1-243 from 2002 to 2009". Astronomy and Astrophysics 507 (3): 1597–1611. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200912986. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode2009A&A...507.1597R. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Cutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.; Van Dyk, Schuyler D.; Beichman, Charles A.; Carpenter, John M.; Chester, Thomas; Cambresy, Laurent; Evans, Tracey E. et al. (2003). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)". CDS/ADC Collection of Electronic Catalogues 2246: II/246. Bibcode2003yCat.2246....0C. http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-source=II/246. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Beasor, Emma R.; Davies, Ben; Smith, Nathan; Gehrz, Robert D.; Figer, Donald F. (May 2021). "The Age of Westerlund 1 Revisited". The Astrophysical Journal 2103 (1): arXiv:2103.02609. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/abec44. Bibcode2021ApJ...912...16B. 
  7. Clark, J. S.; Negueruela, I. (January 2004). "A newly identified Luminous Blue Variable in the galactic starburst cluster Westerlund 1". Astronomy and Astrophysics 413 (2): L15–L18. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20031700. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode2004A&A...413L..15C. 
  8. Ritchie, B. W.; Clark, J. S.; Negueruela, I.; Najarro, F. (2022). "A VLT/FLAMES survey for massive binaries in Westerlund 1. VIII. Binary systems and orbital parameters". Astronomy and Astrophysics 660: A89. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202142405. Bibcode2022A&A...660A..89R.