Speaker
Description
Hot luminous massive stars usually have stellar winds. These winds are accelerated by light scattering or absorption on different particles. Not all particles are equally efficient in gaining momentum. For massive hot stars, the dominant accelerating mechanism is scattering in resonance spectral lines of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. The momentum is distributed throughout the matter via Coulomb collisions. Both processes, namely acceleration of particles by radiation and transfer of momentum to other particles, will be described in more detail.
The theory of line radiatively driven stellar winds is being verified only by comparison of theoretical stellar spectra based on sophisticated model atmospheres and winds with the observed ones. Based on this comparison, mass-loss rates and terminal wind velocities as main stellar wind parameters are being derived and subsequently used in further astronomical research.
However, direct laboratory experimental verification of the process of particle acceleration of a gas flow by light has not been done yet.
