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Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 131, 469-478

High resolution spectroscopy of the galactic candidate LBV
MWC 314[*]

A.S. Miroshnichenko1,2 - Y. Frémat3[*] - L. Houziaux3 - Y. Andrillat4 - E.L. Chentsov5 - V.G. Klochkova5

Send offprint request: A.S.Miroshnichenko


1 - Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, Univeristy of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, U.S.A.
e-mail: anatoly@physics.utoledo.edu
2 - Central Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences at Pulkovo, Saint-Petersburg, 196140, Russia
3 - Université de Mons-Hainaut, Groupe d'Astrophysique et de Spectroscopie, 20 place du Parc, B-7000 Mons, Belgium
4 - Laboratoire d'Astronomie, Université de Montpellier 2, URA 1280 and 1981, CNRS, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Monpellier Cedex 5, France
5 - Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Karachai-Cherkess Republic, Nizhnyi Arkhyz, 357147, Russia

Received February 5; accepted March 20, 1998

Abstract:

The results of high-resolution optical spectroscopy obtained for a recently suggested LBV candidate, MWC 314, are presented. Photospheric lines mostly of N II and S II have been found for the first time with a resolution of 0.4 - 0.8 Å. They imply a N/O overabundance previously reported for AG and HR Car since no O II absorptions were detected. Nearly 400 emission lines have been identified in the spectrum between 4190 and 8864 Å many of which appear double-peaked. No significant P Cyg-type absorption components have been found for the optically thick Balmer lines. This suggests that the stellar wind of MWC 314 is non-spherical and the circumstellar envelope is viewed not edge-on. The systemic velocity measured using the emission lines of ionized metals turned out to be +55 km s-1, which corresponds to a distance towards the object of 3.0 $\pm$ 0.2 kpc, according to the galactic rotation curve. Our analysis of the characteristics of both photospheric and wind lines resulted in an estimate of the object's $T_{\rm eff}$of nearly 25000 K, which, however, needs further improvement. The other stellar parameters were found to be as follows: log $L_{\rm bol} /
L\odot = 6.1 \pm 0.3$, $R_* = 60^{+30}_{-10}\ R\odot$. Our study confirms that MWC 314 is one of the most luminous stars in the Milky Way.

Key words: stars: early-type; supergiants; abundances -- stars: mass loss -- stars: individual: MWC 314



 
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