An extensive grid of mass fluxes for Galactic O stars

TL;DR

This paper improves a model for calculating mass fluxes in Galactic O stars by using a flexible non-parametric approach, enabling more accurate and consistent simulations of stellar winds across a range of stellar parameters.

Contribution

The authors develop an enhanced code for computing mass fluxes in O stars using a non-parametric radiative acceleration model, covering a broad parameter space with improved dynamical consistency.

Findings

Mass fluxes computed for 57 stellar models.

Significant differences found compared to traditional mass-loss formulas.

Potential for new spectroscopic tests to validate models.

Abstract

A previously-described code for constructing moving reversing layers (MRL) is improved by replacing a two-parameter model for the radiative acceleration due to lines with a flexible non-parametric description, thus allowing a greater degree of dynamical consistency to be achieved in modelling turbulent transonic flow in the outer atmospheric layers of O stars. With this new code, mass fluxes J are computed at fifty-seven points in (T_eff, g)-space. Specifically, J's are computed for all Lanz-Hubeny (2003) NLTE atmospheres with T_eff (kK) \in (27.5, 55) and log g \leq 4.5. Differences with widely-used mass-loss formulae are emphasized, and opportunities for differential spectroscopic tests identified.