THE VLT-FLAMES TARANTULA SURVEY: THE FASTEST ROTATING O-TYPE STAR AND SHORTEST PERIOD LMC PULSAR—REMNANTS OF A SUPERNOVA DISRUPTED BINARY?
/ Authors
P. Dufton, P. Dunstall, C. Evans, I. Brott, M. Cantiello, M. Cantiello, A. D. Koter, A. D. Koter, S. D. Mink, Morgan Fraser
and 7 more authors
V. Hénault-Brunet, I. Howarth, N. Langer, D. Lennon, N. Markova, H. Sana, W. D. Taylor
/ Abstract
We present a spectroscopic analysis of an extremely rapidly rotating late O-type star, VFTS102, observed during a spectroscopic survey of 30 Doradus. VFTS102 has a projected rotational velocity larger than 500 km s−1 and probably as large as 600 km s−1; as such it would appear to be the most rapidly rotating massive star currently identified. Its radial velocity differs by 40 km s−1 from the mean for 30 Doradus, suggesting that it is a runaway. VFTS102 lies 12 pc from the X-ray pulsar PSR J0537-6910 in the tail of its X-ray diffuse emission. We suggest that these objects originated from a binary system with the rotational and radial velocities of VFTS102 resulting from mass transfer from the progenitor of PSR J0537-691 and the supernova explosion, respectively.
Journal: The Astrophysical Journal Letters