Exploring the Final Frontier: A Computation Study of WR47
Binary star systems make up a vast majority of space and yet there is little known about these stars. Wolf Rayet (WR) stars have strong wind interactions with their companion stars and we’re looking to understand the interaction between these winds within the systems. This wind affects the light leaving the star and how we interpret the light once it reaches us. My team uses data from the South African Large Telescope (SALT) and uses polarimetry techniques to analyze this data. Polarimetry allows for comparison between the star’s emission lines and finding intrinsic polarization within each line. My initial results show that WR47 has some emission lines that differ greatly from others of the same spectral type. This is an indication that those lines may have different intrinsic polarization. As this project continues the goal is to compare WR47 with multiple other stars as well as develop new techniques of analysis.
