Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 130, 407-414

A dedicated photometric system for the classification of Wolf-Rayet stars

P. Royer - J.-M. Vreux - J. Manfroid

Send offprint request: P. Royer, proyer@ulg.ac.be

Institut d'Astrophysique, Université de Liège, 5, avenue de Cointe, B-4000 Liège, Belgium

Received October 20; accepted December 17, 1997

Abstract:

We present here tests of a five-filter photometric system aimed at WR classification. In addition to the well-known easy separation between the WN and WC spectral types, these tests indicate interesting potentialities in the discrimination of subgroups among the WN and the WC which look well related to the classical subtypes. The proposed combinations of filters (or derived ones) bear enough discriminating power to satisfy some evolutionary studies in crowded fields where spectroscopic follow-up is not possible.

Key words: stars: Wolf-Rayet -- techniques: photometry