Radiation-Hydrodynamics of optically thick winds

Throughout the Universe, the dynamics and chemical evolution of spiral galaxies like our Milky Way are largely controlled by the lives and deaths of stars with masses many times that of the Sun. But the evolution of these massive stars is, in turn, highly regulated by the huge amounts of mass expelled from their surfaces, by means of powerful starlight-driven wind outflows. These stellar winds critically determine how such massive stars evolve through their lives, how they finally die in giant supernova explosions, and how they after their violent deaths leave behind exotic remnants such as neutron stars and black holes. However, due to the very large quantitative uncertainties associated with this mass loss, present-day predictions for such massive-star evolution are seriously flawed. In this PhD, we will develop the first theoretical framework and radiation hydrodynamical models for the optically thick winds of highly evolved massive stars, and implement our results in contemporary evolution models for the pre-supernova stages of such massive stars.

Jaar van publicatie:2022

Toegankelijkheid:Open