Runaway Stars as Possible Sources of the Elliptical Ring Structures in NGC 7538

Document Type

Article

Department or Administrative Unit

Physics

Publication Date

4-2021

Abstract

Two large, ~500 M elliptical ring structures have been identified in the high-mass star-forming region NGC 7538. The origin of these ring structures is unknown, so we investigate the possibility that a runaway O- or B-type star may have originated in or passed through the region and created either or both of the ring structures via stellar wind. In testing this hypothesis, we identify one candidate star, BD +61 2408, that may have formed the northern ring. It is a B3e star with a mass of ~8 M and a surface temperature of ~20,000 K. Its position, motion, timescale, and spectral type are all consistent with the star being a candidate for having formed one of the ring structures in NGC 7538.

Comments

This article was originally published in The Astronomical Journal. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.

Due to copyright restrictions, this article is not available for free download from ScholarWorks @ CWU.

Journal

The Astronomical Journal

Rights

© 2021. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

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