Mass—luminosity relation and pulsational properties of Wolf—Rayet stars

Abstract

The evolution of Population I stars with initial masses 70M ⊙ ≤ M ZAMS ≤ 130M ⊙ is considered. The computations were performed under various assumptions about the mass loss rate and were terminated at the phase of gravitational contraction after core helium exhaustion. The mass loss rate at the helium burning phase, Ṁ3α , is shown to be the main parameter that determines the coefficients of the mass—luminosity relation for Wolf—Rayet stars. Several more accurate mass—luminosity relations for mass loss rates Ṁ = f 3α Ṁ3α , where 0.5 ≤ f 3α ≤ 3, are suggested, along with the mass—luminosity relation that combines all of the evolutionary sequences considered. The results of the stellar evolution computations were used as initial conditions in solving the hydrodynamic equations describing the spherically symmetric motions of a self-gravitating gas. The outer layers of massive Population I stars are unstable against radial oscillations throughout the helium burning phase. The oscillation amplitude is largest at enhanced carbon and oxygen abundances in the outer stellar layers, i.e., at a lower initial stellar mass M ZAMS or a lower mass loss rate during the entire preceding evolution. In the course of evolution, the radial oscillation amplitude decreases and the small nonlinearity of the oscillations at M < 10M ⊙ allow the integral of mechanical work W done by an elementary spherical layer of gas in a closed thermodynamic cycle to be calculated with the necessary accuracy. The maximum of the radial dependence of W is shown to be located in layers with a gas temperature T ∼ 2 × 105 K, where the oscillations are excited by the iron Z-bump κ-mechanism. Comparison of the radial dependences of the integral of mechanical work W and the amplitude of the radiative flux variations suggests that the nonlinear radial oscillations of more massive Wolf—Rayet stars are also excited by the κ-mechanism.