The masses, and the mass discrepancy of O-type stars

TL;DR

This study compares model-derived and dynamical masses of O-type stars across different metallicities, finding good agreement and potentially resolving the long-standing mass discrepancy issue in stellar astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces a new method to convert spectral types into model masses and compares these with dynamical masses, addressing the mass discrepancy problem.

Findings

Good agreement between model and dynamical masses.

Mass discrepancy problem may be resolved.

Provides error ranges and age estimates for spectral types.

Abstract

Context. The "mass discrepancy" in massive O stars represents a long-standing problem in stellar astrophysics with far-reaching implications for the chemical and dynamical feedback in galaxies. Aims. Our goal is to investigate this mass discrepancy by comparing state-of-the-art model masses with model-independent masses determined from eclipsing binaries. Methods. Using stellar evolution models and a recent calibration of stellar parameters for O-star spectral sub-classes, we present a convenient way to convert observed solar metallicity O star spectral types into model masses, which we subsequently compare to our dynamical mass compilation. We also derive similar conversions for LMC and SMC metallcities. Results. We obtain good agreement between model and dynamical masses, suggesting the long-standing problem of a systematic mass discrepancy problem might have been solved. We also provide error ranges for the model masses, as well as minimal and maximal age estimates for when the model stars are in a given spectral type box.