A newly identified Luminous Blue Variable in the galactic starburst cluster Westerlund 1

Abstract

We present observations of the massive transitional star W243 in Westerlund 1. We find an apparent spectral type of early-mid A from our data, in contrast to an earlier classification of B2I, made from data obtained in 1981. The concurrent development of a rich emission line spectrum suggests a very high mass loss rate; the continued presence of HeI emission suggesting that the underlying star remains significantly hotter than implied by its apparent spectral type. We suggest that W243 is a Luminous Blue Variable undergoing an eruptive phase, leading to an extreme mass loss rate and the formation of a pseudo photosphere.

5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronony & Astrophysics Letters. Uses new A&A macro (included)

References in corpus (2)

• Crossing the `Yellow Void' -- Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the Post- Red Supergiant IRC+10420 and Its Circumstellar Ejecta
• A hidden population of Wolf-Rayet stars in the massive galactic cluster Westerlund 1

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