I took part in this Pro-Am campaign which ran from December
2008
to March
2009 (PI Dr Tony Moffat,
Amateur coordinator Dr Thomas Eversberg) This is the region of the spectrum of interest which was
expected to show the effect of the colliding winds from
the Wolf Rayet and its
companion O
star as they came close
at
periastron (Recorded using the LHIRES III spectrograph with a 600 l/mm
grating) Zooming in on the flat topped WR140 CIII line we clearly see the
effect of the wind
interaction
during
periastron
(black),
superimposed on
the
pre
periastron spectrum
(red) Note also the small peak from the O star in the centre of
the CIII line which moves relative to the broad
WR140 line as the
stars move in
their
respective orbits
(The
animation is plotted relative
toWR140) The results from the campaign at all wavelengths
from Infra-Red to X Ray
were
discussed at a
Pro-Am workshop held in Portugal the following
year. The
proceedings can be
downloaded here The results were finally published as a peer reviewed paper in
2011 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society The amateur campaign was also the subject of magazine articles in
Sterne und Weltraum December 2009 and Sky and Telescope
April 2011
As a result of the successful collaboration a new Pro-Am group "Convento"
was formed. More information
on amateur involvement in the campaign Peredur Williams'
page
on
WR140
