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With the advent of large spectroscopic surveys, automated stellar parameter determination has become commonplace. Nevertheless, spectral classification still offers a quick and useful alternative for obtaining parameter estimates for large samples of spectra of varying quality. We present a new atlas of stellar spectra covering the B-type range, with the intention of providing detailed classification criteria valid for modern spectra and improving the grid of reliable standards. This new grid will be used in future works to provide classification criteria beyond the classical classification range and addressing, in particular, the use of Gaia/RVS spectra. We analysed historical standards by means of multiple high-resolution spectra, marking out problematic cases and complementing the grid with a new set of reliable comparators. We then elaborated on a new set of classification criteria based on high-quality R=4000 spectra. Our new classification grid is much thicker than any previous set of standards, presenting a high degree of self-consistency. Although it is based entirely on morphological criteria, the grid demonstrates a much better correlation with different physical parameters. The new grid can be used to study classification criteria in other spectral ranges, providing a valuable tool for the study of B-type stars that covers a very wide range of temperatures, luminosities, and stellar masses. The very process of classification also offers valuable insights into stellar evolution., Comment: This is the authors' version, where content and readability take priority over the A&A style book. Table F is online-only in the published version, which is accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics. All the spectra are downloadable from https://astroplus.ua.es/mkbtypestds/. Please report mistakes, errors and typos, which are bound to be numerous in a project of this size

The properties of blue supergiants are key for constraining the end of the main sequence (MS) of massive stars. Whether the observed drop in the relative number of fast-rotating stars below $\sim$21$\,$kK is due to enhanced mass-loss rates at the location of the bistability jump, or the result of the end of the MS is still debated. Here, we combine newly derived estimates of photospheric and wind parameters with Gaia distances and wind terminal velocities from the literature to obtain upper limits on the mass-loss rates for a sample of 116 Galactic luminous blue supergiants. The parameter space covered by the sample ranges between 35-15$\,$kK in $T_{\rm eff}$ and 4.8-5.8$\,$dex in log(L/L$_{\odot}$). Our results show no increase in the mass-loss rates over the bistability jump. Therefore, we argue that the drop in rotational velocities cannot be explained by enhanced mass loss. Since a large jump in the mass-loss rates is commonly included in evolutionary models, we suggest an urgent revision of the currently used default prescriptions., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 9 pages, 5 figures

This paper presents the validation of shared control strategies for critical maneuvers in automated driving systems. Shared control involves collaboration between the driver and automation, allowing both parties to actively engage and cooperate at different levels of the driving task. The involvement of the driver adds complexity to the control loop, necessitating comprehensive validation methodologies. The proposed approach focuses on two critical maneuvers: overtaking in low visibility scenarios and lateral evasive actions. A modular architecture with an arbitration module and shared control algorithms is implemented, primarily focusing on the lateral control of the vehicle. The validation is conducted using a dynamic simulator, involving 8 real drivers interacting with a virtual environment. The results demonstrate improved safety and user acceptance, indicating the effectiveness of the shared control strategies in comparison with no shared-control support. Future work involves implementing shared control in drive-by-wire systems to enhance safety and driver comfort during critical maneuvers. Overall, this research contributes to the development and validation of shared control approaches in automated driving systems., Comment: 8 pages, 19 figures. Published in IEEE 26th International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC)

Massive stars condition the evolution of the interstellar medium by the amount of energy released during their lives and especially by their deaths as supernova explosions. The vast amounts of spectroscopic data for massive stars provided by previous and existing instruments on ground-based and space-based telescopes have already saturated our capability to process them by the use of human routines. As a consequence, there is a pressing need for machine-assisted tools to help handle incoming data. To this end, we present the development of a massive star spectroscopic multiwavelength interactive database designed for scientific research and a fully automatic stellar parameter determination tool. Here we show the preliminary results of the application of these tools to optical spectra of O-type stars., Comment: Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics XI, Proceedings of the XV Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society

Blue supergiants (BSGs) are key objects for understanding the evolution of massive stars. However, discrepancies between theoretical predictions and empirical observations have opened up important questions yet to be answered. Studying statistically significant and unbiased samples of BSGs can help to improve the situation. We aim to perform a homogeneous and comprehensive quantitative spectroscopic analysis of a large sample of Galactic luminous blue stars (being the majority BSGs) from the IACOB spectroscopic database. We derive the projected rotational velocity ($v\sin i$) and macroturbulent broadening ($v_{\rm mac}$) using IACOB-BROAD. We used FASTWIND computations to derive effective temperatures ($T_{\rm eff}$), surface gravities, microturbulences ($\xi$), Si and He surface abundances, and the wind-strength parameter. We provide estimates of these quantities for the largest sample of Galactic luminous O9-B5 stars spectroscopically analyzed to date, with 527 targets. We find a drop in the relative number of stars at ~21 kK, coinciding with a scarcity of fast rotating stars below that temperature. We speculate that this feature might be roughly delineating the location of the Terminal-Age-Main-Sequence in the 15-85M$_\odot$ range. By investigating the main characteristics of the $v\sin i$ distribution as a function of $T_{\rm eff}$, we propose that an efficient mechanism transporting angular momentum from the stellar core to the surface might be operating along the main sequence. We find correlations between $\xi$, $v_{\rm mac}$ and the spectroscopic luminosity. We also find that no more than 20% of the stars in our sample have atmospheres clearly enriched in He, and suggest that the origin of this specific sub-sample might be in binary evolution. We do not find clear empirical evidence of an increase in the wind-strength over the wind bi-stability region towards lower temperatures., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 22 pages, 20 figures

Massive stars are progenitors of supernovae, neutron stars and black holes. During the hydrogen-core burning phase their convective cores are the prime drivers of their evolution, but inferences of core masses are subject to unconstrained boundary mixing processes. Moreover, uncalibrated transport mechanisms can lead to strong envelope mixing and differential radial rotation. Ascertaining the efficiency of the transport mechanisms is challenging because of a lack of observational constraints. Here we deduce the convective core mass and robustly demonstrate non-rigid radial rotation in a supernova progenitor, the $12.0^{+1.5}_{-1.5}$ solar-mass hydrogen-burning star HD 192575, using asteroseismology, TESS photometry, high-resolution spectroscopy, and Gaia astrometry. We infer a convective core mass ($M_{\rm cc} = 2.9^{+0.5}_{-0.8}$ solar masses), and find the core to be rotating between 1.4 and 6.3 times faster than the stellar envelope depending on the location of the rotational shear layer. Our results deliver a robust inferred core mass of a massive star using asteroseismology from space-based photometry. HD 192575 is a unique anchor point for studying interior rotation and mixing processes, and thus also angular momentum transport mechanisms inside massive stars., Comment: 41 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Version comment: updated erroneous affiliation

Blue supergiants (BSGs) are important objects to study the intermediate phases of massive star evolution, helping to constrain evolutionary models. However, the lack of a holistic study of a statistically significant and unbiased sample of these objects makes several long-standing questions about their nature to remain unsolved. The present and other upcoming papers of the IACOB series are focused in studying - from a pure empirical point of view - a sample of 500 Galactic O9 - B9 stars with luminosity classes I and II (plus 250 late O- and early B-type stars with luminosity classes III, IV and V) and covering distances up to 4 kpc from the Sun. We compile an initial set of 11000 high-resolution spectra of 1600 Galactic late O- and B-type stars. We use a new novel spectroscopic strategy based on a simple fitting of the Hbeta line to select stars in a specific region of the spectroscopic HR diagram. We evaluate the completeness of our sample using the Alma Luminous Star catalog (ALS III) and Gaia-DR3 data. We show the benefits of the proposed strategy for identifying BSGs descending from stellar objects born as O-type stars, in the context of single star evolution. The resulting sample reaches a high level of completeness with respect to the ALS III catalog, gathering the 80% for all-sky targets brighter than Bmag < 9 located within 2 kpc. However, we identify the need for new observations in specific regions of the Southern hemisphere. In conclusion, we have explored a very fast and robust method to select BSGs, providing a valuable tool for large spectroscopic surveys like WEAVE-SCIP or 4MIDABLE-LR, and highlighting the risk of using spectral classifications from the literature. Upcoming works will make use of this large and homogeneous spectroscopic sample to study specific properties of these stars in detail. We initially provide first results about their rotational properties., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 59 pages, 20 figures

We present Trieste, an open-source Python package for Bayesian optimization and active learning benefiting from the scalability and efficiency of TensorFlow. Our library enables the plug-and-play of popular TensorFlow-based models within sequential decision-making loops, e.g. Gaussian processes from GPflow or GPflux, or neural networks from Keras. This modular mindset is central to the package and extends to our acquisition functions and the internal dynamics of the decision-making loop, both of which can be tailored and extended by researchers or engineers when tackling custom use cases. Trieste is a research-friendly and production-ready toolkit backed by a comprehensive test suite, extensive documentation, and available at https://github.com/secondmind-labs/trieste.

WEAVE, the new wide-field, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope, will see first light in late 2022. WEAVE comprises a new 2-degree field-of-view prime-focus corrector system, a nearly 1000-multiplex fibre positioner, 20 individually deployable 'mini' integral field units (IFUs), and a single large IFU. These fibre systems feed a dual-beam spectrograph covering the wavelength range 366$-$959\,nm at $R\sim5000$, or two shorter ranges at $R\sim20\,000$. After summarising the design and implementation of WEAVE and its data systems, we present the organisation, science drivers and design of a five- to seven-year programme of eight individual surveys to: (i) study our Galaxy's origins by completing Gaia's phase-space information, providing metallicities to its limiting magnitude for $\sim$3 million stars and detailed abundances for $\sim1.5$ million brighter field and open-cluster stars; (ii) survey $\sim0.4$ million Galactic-plane OBA stars, young stellar objects and nearby gas to understand the evolution of young stars and their environments; (iii) perform an extensive spectral survey of white dwarfs; (iv) survey $\sim400$ neutral-hydrogen-selected galaxies with the IFUs; (v) study properties and kinematics of stellar populations and ionised gas in $z<0.5$ cluster galaxies; (vi) survey stellar populations and kinematics in $\sim25\,000$ field galaxies at $0.3\lesssim z \lesssim 0.7$; (vii) study the cosmic evolution of accretion and star formation using $>1$ million spectra of LOFAR-selected radio sources; (viii) trace structures using intergalactic/circumgalactic gas at $z>2$. Finally, we describe the WEAVE Operational Rehearsals using the WEAVE Simulator., Comment: 41 pages, 27 figures, accepted for publication by MNRAS; updated version including information on individual grants in a revised Acknowledgements section, corrections to the affiliation list, and an updated references list

We present an optical analysis of 55 members of R136, the central cluster in the Tarantula Nebula of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Our sample was observed with STIS aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, is complete down to about 40\,$M_{\odot}$, and includes 7 very massive stars with masses over 100\,$M_{\odot}$. We performed a spectroscopic analysis to derive their physical properties. Using evolutionary models we find that the initial mass function (IMF) of massive stars in R136 is suggestive of being top-heavy with a power-law exponent $\gamma \approx 2 \pm 0.3$, but steeper exponents cannot be excluded. The age of R136 lies between 1 and 2\,Myr with a median age of around 1.6\,Myr. Stars more luminous than $\log L/L_{\odot} = 6.3$ are helium enriched and their evolution is dominated by mass loss, but rotational mixing or some other form of mixing could be still required to explain the helium composition at the surface. Stars more massive than 40\,$M_{\odot}$ have larger spectroscopic than evolutionary masses. The slope of the wind-luminosity relation assuming unclumped stellar winds is $2.41\pm0.13$ which is steeper than usually obtained ($\sim 1.8$). The ionising ($\log Q_0\,[{\rm ph/s}] = 51.4$) and mechanical ($\log L_{\rm SW}\,[{\rm erg/s}] = 39.1$) output of R136 is dominated by the most massive stars ($>100\,M_{\odot}$). R136 contributes around a quarter of the ionising flux and around a fifth of the mechanical feedback to the overall budget of the Tarantula Nebula. For a census of massive stars of the Tarantula Nebula region we combined our results with the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey plus other spectroscopic studies. We observe a lack of evolved Wolf-Rayet stars and luminous blue and red supergiants., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 21 pages, 14 figures, 2 tables plus 33 pages of supplementary material

The mass, origin and evolutionary stage of the binary system LB-1 has been the subject of intense debate, following the claim that it hosts an $\sim$70$M_{\odot}$ black hole, in stark contrast with the expectations for stellar remnants in the Milky Way. We conducted a high-resolution, phase-resolved spectroscopic study of the near-infrared Paschen lines in this system, using the 3.5-m telescope at Calar Alto Observatory. We find that Pa$\beta$ and Pa$\gamma$ (after proper subtraction of the stellar absorption component) are well fitted with a standard double-peaked model, typical of disk emission. We measured the velocity shifts of the red and blue peaks at 28 orbital phases: the line center has an orbital motion in perfect antiphase with the stellar motion, and the radial velocity amplitude ranges from 8 to 13 km/s for different choices of lines and profile modelling. We interpret this curve as proof that the disk is tracing the orbital motion of the primary, ruling out the circumbinary disk and the hierarchical triple scenarios. The phase-averaged peak-to-peak half-separation (proxy for the projected rotational velocity of the outer disk) is $\sim$70 km s$^{-1}$, larger than the stellar orbital velocity and also inconsistent with a circumbinary disk. From those results, we infer a primary mass 4--8 times higher than the secondary mass. Moreover, we show that the ratio of the blue and red peaks (V/R intensity ratio) has a sinusoidal behaviour in phase with the secondary star, which can be interpreted as the effect of external irradiation by the secondary star on the outer disk. Finally, we briefly discuss our findings in the context of alternative scenarios recently proposed for LB-1. Definitive tests between alternative solutions will require further astrometric data from $Gaia$., Comment: To be submitted to ApJ. Comments are welcome

Being relatively rare, the properties of magnetic O stars are not fully understood. To date fewer than a dozen of these stars have been confirmed, making any inference of their global properties uncertain due to small number statistics. To better understand these objects it is necessary to increase the known sample. The MOBSTER collaboration aims to do this by identifying candidate magnetic O, B, and A stars from the identification of rotational modulation in high-precision photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Here we discuss the collaboration's efforts to detect rotational modulation in TESS targets to identify candidate magnetic O stars for future spectropolarimetric observations., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, Conference proceedings: "Stellar Magnetic Fields - A workshop in honour of the career and contributions of John Landstreet", London, Canada, July 2019 (to be published in the Proceedings of the Polish Astronomical Society)

Empowerment is an information-theoretic method that can be used to intrinsically motivate learning agents. It attempts to maximize an agent's control over the environment by encouraging visiting states with a large number of reachable next states. Empowered learning has been shown to lead to complex behaviors, without requiring an explicit reward signal. In this paper, we investigate the use of empowerment in the presence of an extrinsic reward signal. We hypothesize that empowerment can guide reinforcement learning (RL) agents to find good early behavioral solutions by encouraging highly empowered states. We propose a unified Bellman optimality principle for empowered reward maximization. Our empowered reward maximization approach generalizes both Bellman's optimality principle as well as recent information-theoretical extensions to it. We prove uniqueness of the empowered values and show convergence to the optimal solution. We then apply this idea to develop off-policy actor-critic RL algorithms which we validate in high-dimensional continuous robotics domains (MuJoCo). Our methods demonstrate improved initial and competitive final performance compared to model-free state-of-the-art techniques., Comment: Proceedings of the 33rd Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS), Vancouver, Canada, 2019

We propose a novel framework for multi-task reinforcement learning (MTRL). Using a variational inference formulation, we learn policies that generalize across both changing dynamics and goals. The resulting policies are parametrized by shared parameters that allow for transfer between different dynamics and goal conditions, and by task-specific latent-space embeddings that allow for specialization to particular tasks. We show how the latent-spaces enable generalization to unseen dynamics and goals conditions. Additionally, policies equipped with such embeddings serve as a space of skills (or options) for hierarchical reinforcement learning. Since we can change task dynamics and goals independently, we name our framework Disentangled Skill Embeddings (DSE).

Almost all massive stars explode as supernovae and form a black hole or neutron star. The remnant mass and the impact of the chemical yield on subsequent star formation and galactic evolution strongly depend on the internal physics of the progenitor star, which is currently not well understood. The theoretical uncertainties of stellar interiors accumulate with stellar age, which is particularly pertinent for the blue supergiant phase. Stellar oscillations represent a unique method of probing stellar interiors, yet inference for blue supergiants is hampered by a dearth of observed pulsation modes. Here we report the detection of diverse variability in blue supergiants using the K2 and TESS space missions. The discovery of pulsation modes or an entire spectrum of low-frequency gravity waves in these stars allow us to map the evolution of hot massive stars towards the ends of their lives. Future asteroseismic modelling will provide constraints on ages, core masses, interior mixing, rotation and angular momentum transport. The discovery of variability in blue supergiants is a step towards a data-driven empirical calibration of theoretical evolution models for the most massive stars in the Universe., Comment: Publication date: 6 May 2019 at 16:00h (GMT)

We report an analysis of the first known Beta Cep pulsator observed by the TESS mission, the runaway star PHL 346 = HN Aqr. The star, previously known as a singly-periodic pulsator, has at least 34 oscillation modes excited, 12 of those in the g-mode domain and 22 p modes. Analysis of archival data implies that the amplitude and frequency of the dominant mode and the stellar radial velocity were variable over time. A binary nature would be inconsistent with the inferred ejection velocity from the Galactic disc of 420 km/s, which is too large to be survivable by a runaway binary system. A kinematic analysis of the star results in an age constraint (23 +- 1 Myr) that can be imposed on asteroseismic modelling and that can be used to remove degeneracies in the modelling process. Our attempts to match the excitation of the observed frequency spectrum resulted in pulsation models that were too young. Hence, asteroseismic studies of runaway pulsators can become vital not only in tracing the evolutionary history of such objects, but to understand the interior structure of massive stars in general. TESS is now opening up these stars for detailed asteroseismic investigation., Comment: accepted for ApJL

Uncertainties in stellar structure and evolution theory are largest for stars undergoing core convection on the main sequence. A powerful way to calibrate the free parameters used in the theory of stellar interiors is asteroseismology, which provides direct measurements of angular momentum and element transport. We report the detection and classification of new variable O and B stars using high-precision short-cadence (2-min) photometric observations assembled by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). In our sample of 154 O and B stars, we detect a high percentage (90%) of variability. Among these we find 23 multiperiodic pulsators, 6 eclipsing binaries, 21 rotational variables, and 25 stars with stochastic low-frequency variability. Several additional variables overlap between these categories. Our study of O and B stars not only demonstrates the high data quality achieved by TESS for optimal studies of the variability of the most massive stars in the Universe, but also represents the first step towards the selection and composition of a large sample of O and B pulsators with high potential for joint asteroseismic and spectroscopic modeling of their interior structure with unprecedented precision., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 1 Table, Accepted for publication in ApJL

Macroturbulence, introduced as a fudge to reproduce the width and shape of stellar absorption lines, reflects gas motions in stellar atmospheres. While in cool stars, it is thought to be caused by convection zones immediately beneath the stellar surface, the origin of macroturbulence in hot stars is still under discussion. Recent works established a correlation between the turbulent-to-total pressure ratio inside the envelope of stellar models and the macroturbulent velocities observed in corresponding Galactic stars. To probe this connection further, we evaluated the turbulent pressure that arises in the envelope convective zones of stellar models in the mass range 1-125 Msun based on the mixing-length theory and computed for metallicities of the Large and Small Magellanic Cloud. We find that the turbulent pressure contributions in models with these metallicities located in the hot high-luminosity part of the Hertzsprung-Russel (HR) diagram is lower than in similar models with solar metallicity, whereas the turbulent pressure in low-metallicity models populating the cool part of the HR-diagram is not reduced. Based on our models, we find that the currently available observations of hot massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds appear to support a connection between macroturbulence and the turbulent pressure in stellar envelopes. Multidimensional simulations of sub-surface convection zones and a larger number of high-quality observations are necessary to test this idea more rigorously., Comment: Accepted A&A, 8 pg

Since its launch, the X-ray and gamma-ray observatory INTEGRAL satellite has revealed a new class of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) displaying fast flares and hosting supergiant companion stars. Optical and infrared (OIR) observations in a multi-wavelength context are essential to understand the nature and evolution of these newly discovered celestial objects. The goal of this multiwavelength study (from ultraviolet to infrared) is to characterise the properties of IGR J16465-4507, to confirm its HMXB nature and that it hosts a supergiant star. We analysed all OIR, photometric and spectroscopic observations taken on this source, carried out at ESO facilities. Using spectroscopic data, we constrained the spectral type of the companion star between B0.5 and B1 Ib, settling the debate on the true nature of this source. We measured a high rotation velocity of v = 320 +/- 8 km/s from fitting absorption and emission lines in a stellar spectral model. We then built a spectral energy distribution from photometric observations to evaluate the origin of the different components radiating at each energy range. We finally show that, having accurately determined the spectral type of the early-B supergiant in IGR J16465-4507, we firmly support its classification as an intermediate supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT)., Comment: A&A in press, 14 pages, 15 tables, 13 figures

On the basis of the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey (GOSSS), a detailed systematic investigation of the O Vz stars is presented. The currently used spectral classification criteria are rediscussed, and the Vz phenomenon is recalibrated through the addition of a quantitative criterion based on the equivalent widths of the He I 4471, He II 4542, and He II 4686 spectral lines. The GOSSS O Vz and O V populations resulting from the newly adopted spectral classification criteria are comparatively analyzed. The locations of the O Vz stars are probed, showing a concentration of the most extreme cases toward the youngest star forming regions. The occurrence of the Vz spectral peculiarity in a solar-metallicity environment, as predicted by the fastwind code, is also investigated, confirming the importance of taking into account several processes for the correct interpretation of the phenomenon., Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal

The young open cluster Dolidze 25, in the direction of the Galactic Anticentre, has been attributed a very low metallicity, with typical abundances between $-0.5$ and $-0.7$ dex below solar. We intend to derive accurate cluster parameters and accurate stellar abundances for some of its members. We have obtained a large sample of intermediate- and high-resolution spectra for stars in and around Dolidze 25. We used the FASTWIND code to generate stellar atmosphere models to fit the observed spectra. We derive stellar parameters for a large number of OB stars in the area, and abundances of oxygen and silicon for a number of stars with spectral types around B0. We measure low abundances in stars of Dolidze 25. For the three stars with spectral types around B0, we find $0.3$ dex (Si) and $0.5$ dex (O) below the values typical in the solar neighbourhood. These values, even though not as low as those given previously, confirm Dolidze 25 and the surrounding H II region Sh2-284 as the most metal-poor star-forming environment known in the Milky Way. We derive a distance $4.5\pm0.3\:$kpc to the cluster ($r_{\textrm{G}}\approx12.3\:$kpc). The cluster cannot be older than $\sim3\:$Myr, and likely is not much younger. One star in its immediate vicinity, sharing the same distance, has Si and O abundances at most $0.15\:$dex below solar. The low abundances measured in Dolidze 25 are compatible with currently accepted values for the slope of the Galactic metallicity gradient, if we take into account that variations of at least $\pm0.15\:$dex are observed at a given radius. The area traditionally identified as Dolidze 25 is only a small part of a much larger star-forming region that comprises the whole dust shell associated with Sh2-284 and very likely several other smaller H II regions in its vicinity., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy \& Astrophysics. 16 pages, 12 figures

The major mass fraction of the envelope of hot luminous stars is radiatively stable. However, the partial ionisation of hydrogen, helium and iron gives rise to extended sub-surface convection zones in all of them. In this work, we investigate the effect of the pressure induced by the turbulent motion in these zones based on the mixing length theory, and search for observable consequences. We find that the turbulent pressure fraction can amount up to ~5% in OB supergiants, and to ~30% in cooler supergiants. The resulting structural changes are, however, not significantly affecting the evolutionary tracks compared to previous calculations. Instead, a comparison of macroturbulent velocities derived from high quality spectra of OB stars with the turbulent pressure fraction obtained in corresponding stellar models reveals a strong correlation of these two quantities. We discuss a possible physical connection, and conclude that turbulent pressure fluctuations may drive high-order oscillations, which - as conjectured earlier - manifest themselves as macroturbulence in the photospheres of hot luminous stars., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

The blue supergiant Sher25 is surrounded by an asymmetric, hourglass-shaped circumstellar nebula, which shows similarities to the triple-ring structure seen around SN1987A. From optical spectroscopy over six consecutive nights, we detect periodic radial velocity variations in the stellar spectrum of Sher25 with a peak-to-peak amplitude of ~12 km/s on a timescale of about 6 days, confirming the tentative detec-tion of similar variations by Hendry et al. From consideration of the amplitude and timescale of the signal, coupled with observed line profile variations, we propose that the physical origin of these variations is related to pulsations in the stellar atmosphere, rejecting the previous hypothesis of a massive, short-period binary companion. The radial velocities of two other blue supergiants with similar bipolar nebulae, SBW1 and HD 168625, were also monitored over the course of six nights, but these did not display any significant radial velocity variations., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Tarantula Nebula (30 Dor) is a spectacular star-forming region in the Large Magellanic Cloud, seen through gas in the Galactic Disc and Halo. Diffuse Interstellar Bands offer a unique probe of the diffuse, cool-warm gas in these regions. The aim is to use DIBs as diagnostics of the local interstellar conditions, whilst at the same time deriving properties of the yet-unknown carriers. Spectra of over 800 early-type stars from the VLT Flames Tarantula Survey (VFTS) were analysed. Maps were created, separately, for the Galactic and LMC absorption in the DIBs at 4428 and 6614 Ang and - in a smaller region near the central cluster R136 - neutral sodium (Na I D); we also measured the DIBs at 5780 and 5797 Ang. The maps show strong 4428 and 6614 Ang DIBs in the quiescent cloud complex to the south of 30 Dor but weak absorption in the harsher environments to the north (bubbles) and near the OB associations. The Na maps show at least five kinematic components in the LMC and a shell-like structure surrounding R136, and small-scale structure in the Milky Way. The strengths of the 4428, 5780, 5797 and 6614 Ang DIBs are correlated, also with Na absorption and visual extinction. The strong 4428 Ang DIB is present already at low Na column density but the 6614, 5780 and 5797 Ang DIBs start to be detectable at subsequently larger Na column densities. The relative strength of the 5780 and 5797 Ang DIBs clearly confirm the Tarantula Nebula and Galactic high-latitude gas to represent a harsh radiation environment. The resilience of the 4428 Ang DIB suggests its carrier is large, compact and neutral. Structure is detected in the distribution of cool-warm gas on scales between one and >100 pc in the LMC and as little as 0.01 pc in the Sun's vicinity. Stellar winds from the central cluster R136 have created an expanding shell; some infalling gas is also detected, reminiscent of a galactic "fountain"., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The spectral and spatial characteristics of two special categories of O stars found in the VFTS dataset are presented. One of them comprises very rapid rotators, including several more extreme than any previously known. These objects are distributed around the peripheries of the main 30 Doradus clusters, suggesting a runaway nature for which their radial velocities already provide preliminary supporting evidence. The other category consists of a large number of Vz stars, previously hypothesized on spectroscopic grounds to be on or very near the ZAMS. Their distribution is the inverse of that of the rapid rotators: the Vz are strongly concentrated to the ionizing clusters, plus a newly recognized band of recent and current star formation to the north, which provides strong circumstantial evidence for their extreme youth., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Four Decades of Research on Massive Stars, Laurent Drissen, Nicole St-Louis, Carmelle Robert, and Anthony F. J. Moffat, eds., ASP

The star HD 193322 is a remarkable multiple system of massive stars that lies at the heart of the cluster Collinder 419. Here we report on new spectroscopic observations and radial velocities of the narrow-lined component Ab1 that we use to determine its orbital motion around a close companion Ab2 ($P = 312$ d) and around a distant third star Aa ($P = 35$ y).We have also obtained long baseline interferometry of the target in the $K^\prime$-band with the CHARA Array that we use in two ways. First, we combine published speckle interferometric measurements with CHARA separated fringe packet measurements to improve the visual orbit for the wide Aa,Ab binary. Second, we use measurements of the fringe packet from Aa to calibrate the visibility of the fringes of the Ab1,Ab2 binary, and we analyze these fringe visibilities to determine the visual orbit of the close system. The two most massive stars, Aa and Ab1, have masses of approximately 21 and $23 M_\odot$, respectively, and their spectral line broadening indicates that they represent extremes of fast and slow projected rotational velocity, respectively.

Early B-type stars are invaluable indicators for elemental abundances of their birth environments. In contrast to the surrounding neutral interstellar matter (ISM) and HII regions their chemical composition is unaffected by depletion onto dust grains and by the derivation of different abundances from recombination and collisional lines. In combination with ISM or nebular gas-phase abundances they facilitate the dust-phase composition to be constrained. Precise abundances of C, N, Mg, Ne, Fe in early B-type stars in the Orion star-forming region are determined in order to: a) review previous determinations using a self-consistent quantitative spectral analysis based on modern stellar atmospheres and recently updated model atoms, b) complement results found in Paper I for oxygen and silicon, c) establish an accurate and reliable set of stellar metal abundances to constrain the dust-phase composition of the Orion HII region in Paper II of the series. A detailed, self-consistent spectroscopic study of a sample of 13 narrow-lined B0V-B2V stars in Ori OB1 is performed. High-quality spectra obtained with FIES@NOT are analysed using a non-LTE method and line-profile fitting techniques, validating the approach by comparison with results obtained in Paper I using line-blanketed non-LTE model atmospheres and a curve-of-growth analysis. The two independent analysis strategies give consistent results for basic stellar parameters and abundances of oxygen and silicon. The extended analysis to C, N, Mg, Ne, and Fe finds a high degree of chemical homogeneity, with the 1sigma-scatter adopting values of 0.03--0.07 dex around the mean for the various elements. Present-day abundances from B-type stars in Ori OB1 are compatible at similar precision with cosmic abundance standard values as recently established from early-type stars in the solar neighbourhood and also with the Sun. (abridged), Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures. Recommended for acceptance in A&A

The search of consistency between nebular and massive star abundances has been a longstanding problem. I briefly review what has been done regarding to this topic, also presenting a recent study focused on the Orion nebula: the O and Si stellar abundances resulting from a detailed and fully consistent spectroscopic analysis of the group of B stars associated with the Orion nebula are compared with the most recent nebular gas-phase results., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in "The Metal Rich Universe" Conference Proceedings