And then they were two: detection of non-thermal radio emission from the bow shocks of two runaway stars

TL;DR

This study detects non-thermal radio emission from bow shocks of two runaway stars, providing high-resolution maps and analysis that suggest relativistic particle acceleration at these shocks, with implications for cosmic ray interactions.

Contribution

First high-resolution radio maps of NGC7635's bow shock and extended radio analysis of BD+433654, demonstrating non-thermal emission and modeling particle acceleration mechanisms.

Findings

Both bow shocks emit non-thermal radio emission.

NGC7635 shows clearer evidence of non-thermal emission.

Radio emission from BD+433654 extends to higher frequencies, with weaker signals at higher frequencies.

Abstract

Winds from massive stars have recently been deemed promising sites for investigating relativistic particle acceleration. Particularly, the resulting bow shock from the interaction of the winds of runaway stars with interstellar matter has been observed at multiple wavelengths. Here we investigate the O4If star, BD+433654, the bow shock of which is, so far, the only one proven to radiate both thermally and non-thermally at radio frequencies. We also consider NGC7635 as a bow shock candidate and examine its apex for indications of thermal and non-thermal radio emission. We observed both sources with the VLA at 4-8 GHz and 8-12 GHz, and with the Effelsberg telescope at 4-8 GHz. We analysed data from both telescopes individually and combined, obtained their spectral index maps and calculated their Spectral Energy Distributions. We present the first high-resolution maps of radio emission from NGC7635. We find that both emit non-thermal emission in the radio regime, with the clearest evidence for NGC7635. Our results are less conclusive for BD+433654, as the emission from its bow shock becomes weaker and fainter at higher radio frequencies. Our results extend the previous radio results for the BD+433654 bow shock to higher frequencies. Modelling of our data for both sources shows that accelerated electrons at the wind termination shock are a plausible source for the non-thermal radio emission, but energetics arguments suggest that any non-thermal X-ray and $\gamma$-ray emission could be significantly below existing upper limits. Enhanced synchrotron emission from compressed Galactic cosmic rays in the radiative bow shock could also explain the radio emission from the BD+433654 bow shock but not NGC7635. Non-detection of point-like radio emission from BD+433654 puts an upper limit on the mass-loss rate of the star that is lower than values quoted in the literature. [abridged]