Quantitative Analysis Of Resolved X-Ray Emission Line Profiles Of O Stars

By quantitatively fitting simple emission line profile models that include both atomic opacity and porosity to the Chandra X-ray spectrum of ζ Pup, we are able to explore the trade-offs between reduced mass-loss rates and wind porosity. We find that reducing the mass-loss rate of ζ Pup by roughly a factor of four, to 1.5× 10 M⊙ yr , enables simple non-porous wind models to provide good fits to the data. If, on the other hand, we take the literature mass-loss rate of 6×10 M⊙ yr , then to produce X-ray line profiles that fit the data, extreme porosity lengths – of h∞ ≈ 3 R∗ – are required. Moreover, these porous models do not provide better fits to the data than the non-porous, low optical depth models. Additionally, such huge porosity lengths do not seem realistic in light of 2-D numerical simulations of the wind instability.