The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey: The fastest rotating O-type star and shortest period LMC pulsar – remnants of a supernova disrupted binary?
P. L. Dufton, P. R. Dunstall, C. J. Evans, I. Brott, M. Cantiello, A. de Koter, S.E. de Mink, M. Fraser, V. Hénault-Brunet, I. D. Howarth, N. Langer, D. J. Lennon, N. Markova, H. Sana, W. D. Taylor
We present a spectroscopic analysis of an extremely rapidly rotating late O-type star, VFTS102, observed during a spectroscopic survey of 30 Doradus. VFTS102 has a projected rotational velocity larger than 500kms and probably as large as 600kms; as such it would appear to be the most rapidly rotating massive star currently identified. Its radial velocity differs by 40kms from the mean for 30 Doradus, suggesting that it is a runaway. VFTS102 lies 12 pcs from the X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910 in the tail of its X-ray diffuse emission. We suggest that these objects originated from a binary system with the rotational and radial velocities of VFTS102 resulting from mass transfer from the progenitor of PSR J0537-691 and the supernova explosion respectively.
Comments: Accepted by ApJL, arXiv:1111.0157v1
Comments are closed