The influence of clumping on predicted O star wind parameters

TL;DR

This paper investigates how different assumptions about clumping in stellar winds affect the predicted wind parameters of O-type stars, highlighting the importance of clump optical depth in modeling radiative forces.

Contribution

It introduces a method to incorporate clumping into stationary wind models and analyzes the impact of optically thin and thick clumps on wind predictions.

Findings

Optically thin clumping increases radiative line force.

Clumping affects mass-loss rate and terminal velocity.

Optically thick clumps may decrease radiative force.

Abstract

We study the influence of clumping on the predicted wind structure of O-type stars. For this purpose we artificially include clumping into our stationary wind models. When the clumps are assumed to be optically thin, the radiative line force increases compared to corresponding unclumped models, with a similar effect on either the mass-loss rate or the terminal velocity (depending on the onset of clumping). Optically thick clumps, alternatively, might be able to decrease the radiative force.