Massive non-thermal radio emitters: new data and their modelling

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent radio observations of non-thermal emitters among OB stars, focusing on binary systems like Cyg OB2 No. 9, and introduces a new emission model to compare theoretical predictions with observed data.

Contribution

It presents a new emission model for non-thermal radio emission in OB star binaries, aiming to improve understanding of stellar wind interactions and mass loss rates.

Findings

Radio data for Cyg OB2 No. 9 analyzed

A new emission model developed for comparison with observations

Potential to determine stellar mass loss rates more accurately

Abstract

During recent years some non-thermal radio emitting OB stars have been discovered to be binary, or multiple systems. The non-thermal emission is due to synchrotron radiation that is emitted by electrons accelerated up to high energies. The electron acceleration occurs at the strong shocks created by the collision of radiatively-driven winds. Here we summarize the available radio data and more recent observations for the binary Cyg OB2 No. 9. We also show a new emission model which is being developed to compare the theoretical total radio flux and the spectral index with the observed radio light curves. This comparison will be useful in order to solve fundamental questions, such as the determination of the stellar mass loss rates, which are perturbed by clumping.