Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Magnetically Confined Wind Shock

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:
Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics

Abstract

Many stars across all classes possess strong enough magnetic fields to influence dynamical flow of material off the stellar surface. For the case of massive stars (O and B types), about 10% of them harbor strong, globally ordered (mostly dipolar) magnetic fields. The trapping and channeling of their stellar winds in closed magnetic loops leads to magnetically confined wind shocks (MCWS), with pre-shock flow speeds that are some fraction of the wind terminal speed that can be a few thousand km s−1. These shocks generate hot plasma, a source of X-rays. In the last decade, several developments took place, notably the determination of the hot plasma properties for a large sample of objects using XMM-Newton and Chandra, as well as fully self-consistent MHD modeling and the identification of shock retreat effects in weak winds. In addition, these objects are often sources of Hα emission which is controlled by either sufficiently high mass loss rate or centrifugal breakout. Here we review the theoretical aspects of such magnetic massive star wind dynamics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • J. Babel, T. Montmerle, X-ray emission from Ap-Bp stars: a magnetically confined wind-shock model for IQ Aur. A&A 323, 121–138 (1997a)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • J. Babel, T. Montmerle, On the periodic X-ray emission from the O7 V star theta 1 orionis C. ApJ 485, L29 (1997b)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • T.W. Berghoefer, J.H.M.M. Schmitt, R. Danner, J.P. Cassinelli, X-ray properties of bright OB-type stars detected in the ROSAT all-sky survey. A&A 322, 167–174 (1997)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • T. Chlebowski, F.R. Harnden Jr., S. Sciortino, The Einstein X-ray observatory catalog of O-type stars. ApJ 341, 427–455 (1989)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • A. David-Uraz, C. Erba, V. Petit, A.W. Fullerton, F. Martins, N.R. Walborn, R. MacInnis, R.H. Barbá, D.H. Cohen, J. Maíz Apellániz, Y. Nazé, S.P. Owocki, J.O. Sundqvist, A. ud-Doula, G.A. Wade, Extreme resonance line profile variations in the ultraviolet spectra of NGC 1624-2: probing the giant magnetosphere of the most strongly magnetized known O-type star. MNRAS 483, 2814–2824 (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. David-Uraz, V. Petit, M.E. Shultz, A.W. Fullerton, C. Erba, Z. Keszthelyi, S. Seadrow, G.A. Wade, New observations of NGC 1624-2 reveal a complex magnetospheric structure and underlying surface magnetic geometry, MNRAS 501, 2677–2687 (2021)

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Erba, A. David-Uraz, V. Petit, S.P. Owocki, New insights into the puzzling P-Cygni profiles of magnetic massive stars, in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, IAU Symposium, ed. by J.J. Eldridge, J.C. Bray, L.A.S. McClelland, L. Xiao, vol. 329 (2017), pp. 246–249

    Google Scholar 

  • C. Erba, A. David-Uraz, V. Petit, Quantitative modeling of the ultraviolet spectra of magnetic massive stars. HST Proposal (2019)

    Google Scholar 

  • M. Gagné, M.E. Oksala, D.H. Cohen, S.K. Tonnesen, A. ud-Doula, S.P. Owocki, R.H.D. Townsend, J.J. MacFarlane, Chandra HETGS multiphase spectroscopy of the young magnetic O star θ1 orionis C. ApJ 628, 986–1005 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  • Z. Keszthelyi, G. Meynet, M.E. Shultz, A. David-Uraz, A. ud-Doula, R.H.D. Townsend, G.A. Wade, C. Georgy, V. Petit, S.P. Owocki, The effects of surface fossil magnetic fields on massive star evolution – II. Implementation of magnetic braking in MESA and implications for the evolution of surface rotation in OB stars. MNRAS 493, 518–535 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. Nazé, P.S. Broos, L. Oskinova, L.K. Townsley, D. Cohen, M.F. Corcoran, N.R. Evans, M. Gagné, A.F.J. Moffat, J.M. Pittard, G. Rauw, A. ud-Doula, N.R. Walborn, Global X-ray properties of the O and B stars in Carina. ApJS 194, 7 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  • Y. Nazé, V. Petit, M. Rinbrand, D. Cohen, S. Owocki, A. ud-Doula, G.A. Wade, X-ray emission from magnetic massive stars. ApJS 215, 10 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  • M.E. Oksala, G.A. Wade, R.H.D. Townsend, S.P. Owocki, O. Kochukhov, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, J. Grunhut, Revisiting the rigidly rotating magnetosphere model for σ Ori E – I. Observations and data analysis. MNRAS 419, 959–970 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • S.P. Owocki, S.R. Cranmer, Diffusion-plus-drift models for the mass leakage from centrifugal magnetospheres of magnetic hot-stars. MNRAS 474, 3090–3100 (2018)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • S.P. Owocki, A. ud-Doula, J.O. Sundqvist, V. Petit, D.H. Cohen, R.H.D. Townsend, An ‘analytic dynamical magnetosphere’ formalism for X-ray and optical emission from slowly rotating magnetic massive stars. MNRAS 462, 3830–3844 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  • S.P. Owocki, M.E. Shultz, A. ud-Doula, J.O. Sundqvist, R.H.D. Townsend, S.R. Cranmer, How the breakout-limited mass in B-star centrifugal magnetospheres controls their circumstellar H α emission. MNRAS 499, 5366–5378 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • V. Petit, S.P. Owocki, G.A. Wade, D.H. Cohen, J.O. Sundqvist, M. Gagné, J. Maíz Apellániz, M.E. Oksala, D.A. Bohlender, T. Rivinius, H.F. Henrichs, E. Alecian, R.H.D. Townsend, A. ud-Doula, MiMeS Collaboration, A magnetic confinement versus rotation classification of massive-star magnetospheres. MNRAS 429, 398–422 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  • V. Petit, Z. Keszthelyi, R. MacInnis, D.H. Cohen, R.H.D. Townsend, G.A. Wade, S.L. Thomas, S.P. Owocki, J. Puls, A. ud-Doula, Magnetic massive stars as progenitors of ‘heavy’ stellar-mass black holes. MNRAS 466, 1052–1060 (2017)

    Google Scholar 

  • S.N. Shore, D.N. Brown, Magnetically controlled circumstellar matter in the helium-strong stars. ApJ 365, 665–676 (1990)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • M.E. Shultz, S. Owocki, T. Rivinius, G.A. Wade, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, O. Kochukhov, D. Bohlender, A. ud-Doula, J.D. Landstreet, J. Sikora, A. David-Uraz, V. Petit, P. Cerrahoğlu, R. Fine, G. Henson, MiMeS Collaboration, BinaMIcS Collaboration, The magnetic early B-type stars – IV. Breakout or leakage? H α emission as a diagnostic of plasma transport in centrifugal magnetospheres. MNRAS 499, 5379–5395 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • M.E. Shultz, S. Owocki, T. Rivinius, G.A. Wade, C. Neiner, E. Alecian, O. Kochukhov, D. Bohlender, A. ud-Doula, J.D. Landstreet, J. Sikora, A. David-Uraz, V. Petit, P. Cerrahoğlu, R. Fine, G. Henson, G. Henson, MiMeS Collaboratio, BinaMIcS Collaboration, The magnetic early B-type stars – IV. Breakout or leakage? H α emission as a diagnostic of plasma transport in centrifugal magnetospheres. MNRAS 499, 5379–5395 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  • J.O. Sundqvist, S.P. Owocki, Clumping in the inner winds of hot, massive stars from hydrodynamical line-driven instability simulations. MNRAS 428(2), 1837–1844 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • R.H.D. Townsend, Exploring the photometric signatures of magnetospheres around helium-strong stars. MNRAS 389, 559–566 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • R.H.D. Townsend, S.P. Owocki, D. Groote, The rigidly rotating magnetosphere of σ orionis E. ApJ 630, L81–L84 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • R.H.D. Townsend, M.E. Oksala, D.H. Cohen, S.P. Owocki, A. ud-Doula, Discovery of rotational braking in the magnetic helium-strong star sigma orionis E. ApJ 714, L318–L322 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. ud-Doula, The effects of magnetic fields and field-aligned rotation on line-driven hot-star winds. PhD thesis, University of Delaware (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. ud-Doula, S.P. Owocki, Dynamical simulations of magnetically channeled line-driven stellar winds. I. Isothermal, nonrotating, radially driven flow. ApJ 576, 413–428 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. ud-Doula, S.P. Owocki, R.H.D. Townsend, Dynamical simulations of magnetically channelled line-driven stellar winds – II. The effects of field-aligned rotation. MNRAS 385, 97–108 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  • A. ud-Doula, S.P. Owocki, R.H.D. Townsend, Dynamical simulations of magnetically channelled line-driven stellar winds – III. Angular momentum loss and rotational spin-down. MNRAS 392(3), 1022–1033 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.14134.x

  • A. ud-Doula, S. Owocki, R. Townsend, V. Petit, D. Cohen, X-rays from magnetically confined wind shocks: effect of cooling-regulated shock retreat. MNRAS 441, 3600–3614 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  • E.J. Weber, L. Davis Jr., The angular momentum of the solar wind. ApJ 148, 217–227 (1967)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Penn State Scranton, Dunmore, PA, USA

    Asif ud-Doula

  2. University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA

    Stan Owocki

Authors
  1. Asif ud-Doula
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Stan Owocki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Asif ud-Doula .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Cosimo Bambi

  2. Inst. for Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

    Andrea Santangelo

Section Editor information

  1. No affiliation provided

    Giuseppina Micela

  2. No affiliation provided

    Beate Stelzer

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

ud-Doula, A., Owocki, S. (2023). Magnetically Confined Wind Shock. In: Bambi, C., Santangelo, A. (eds) Handbook of X-ray and Gamma-ray Astrophysics. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4544-0_80-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-4544-0_80-1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-4544-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-4544-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation