Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys, and Wide Fields, Date: 2015/03/02 - 2015/03/06, Location: Teatro Circo de Marte, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

Publication date: 2016-10-01
Volume: 507 Pages: 147 - 157
ISSN: 978-1-58381-898-5
Publisher: Astronomical Society of the Pacific

Multi-Object Spectroscopy in the Next Decade: Big Questions, Large Surveys, and Wide Fields

Author:

de Koter, Alex
Skillen, Ian ; Barcells, Marc ; Trager, Scott

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Astronomy & Astrophysics, RED SUPERGIANT RATIO, VLT-FLAMES SURVEY, MAIN-SEQUENCE, 1ST STARS, BINARY INTERACTION, LOSS PREDICTIONS, I., GALAXIES, CLUSTERS, SUPERNOVAE

Abstract:

The advent of multi-object spectrographs on 8-10 m class telescopes has provided the opportunity to perform detailed atmospheric analysis of samples of several hundreds of massive stars, prior studies being limited to several tens of objects at most. These analyses have highlighted some serious problems regarding our understanding of massive-star evolution. A central theme in the findings is the prominent role of multiplicity, with the majority of high-mass stars being in close binary systems of which the components will interact at some point in their lives.