Magnetic Coupling between Hot Stars and their Radiatively Driven Winds and Decretion Disks
Abstract
Spectropolarimetric techniques have led to detection of strong dipole magnetic fields in several hot early-type stars Using a combination of analytic and numerical MHD models this talk will focus on the role of such magnetic fields in channelling and sometimes confining the radiatively driven mass outflows from such stars In particular I discuss how the resulting magnetically confined wind shocks MCWS can explain the moderately hard X-ray emission seen from the O7V star Theta-1 Ori C and how the trapping of material in a rigidly rotating magnetosphere RRM can explain the periodically modulated Balmer line emission seen from the magnetic B2pV star sigma Ori E I also discuss how magnetic reconnection heating from episodic centrifugal breakout events might also explain the occasional very hard X-ray flares seen from the latter star
- Publication:
-
36th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006cosp...36.3548O