We present preliminary results of the determination of fundamental parameters of single O-type stars in the MiMeS survey. We present the sample and we focus on surface CNO abundances, showing how they change as stars evolve off the zero-age main sequence.

For the first time spectropolarimetric observations of Wolf-Rayet star WR156 (WN8h) were conducted. Medium resolution spectropolarimetric data in the range of 3500-7200 ÅÅ were obtained at Russian 6-m telescope of Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO RAS). These data show that the light from the star is significantly polarized, with the degree of polarization P=1.38±0.06%, and the position angle Θ=77.4°±1.2°. This polarization, most probably, has an interstellar origin, as its magnitude and orientation are similar to the ones of field stars. Also, we present results of numerical modeling of WR156 atmosphere performed using cmfgen code. According to it, WR156 is the richest hydrogen Wolf-Rayet star of WN8 type in the Galaxy.

UVMag is a medium-size space telescope equipped with a high-resolution spectropolarimetrer working in the UV and visible domains. It will be proposed to ESA for a future M mission. It will allow scientists to study all types of stars as well as e.g. exoplanets and the interstellar medium. It will be particularly useful for massive stars, since their spectral energy distribution peaks in the UV. UVMag will allow us to study massive stars and their circumstellar environment (in particular the stellar wind) spectroscopically in great details. Moreover, with UVMag's polarimetric capabilities we will be able, for the first time, to measure the magnetic field of massive stars simultaneously at the stellar surface and in the wind lines, i.e. to completely map their magnetosphere.

Blue supergiants (BSGs) to the right the main sequence band in the HR diagram can not be reproduced by standard stellar evolution calculations. We investigate whether a reduced convective core mass due to strong internal magnetic fields during the main sequence might be able to recover this population of stars. We perform calculations with a reduced mass of the hydrogen burning convective core of stars in the mass range 3–30 M⊙ in a parametric way, which indeed lead to BSGs. It is expected that these BSGs would still show large scale magnetic fields in the order of 10 G.

We present the overview of an observational program carring out on the 6-m telescope of Special Astrophysical Observatory from 2012. This program aims the searches of new Bp stars with surface magnetic field and the detailed study of known magnetic CP star from the stellar association Ori OB1. HD 34736 is the most interesting star that was found as magnetic within the program recently.

Magnetic Doppler imaging (MDI) from observations of four Stokes parameters can uncover new information that is of interest to the evolution and structure of magnetic fields of intermediate and high-mass stars. Our MDI study of the chemically peculiar star HD 24712 from four Stokes parameter observations, obtained with the HARPSpol instrument at the 3.6-m ESO telescope, revealed a magnetic field with strong dipolar component and weak small-scale contributions. This finding gives evidence for the hypothesis that old Ap stars have predominantly dipolar magnetic fields.

Magnetic B-type stars are often host to Centrifugal Magnetospheres (CMs). Here we describe the results of a population study encompassing the full sample of known magnetic early B-type stars, focusing on those with detectable CMs. We present revised rotational and magnetic parameters for some stars, clarifying their positions on the rotation-confinement diagram, and find that plasma densities within their CMs is much lower than those predicted by centrifugal breakout.

We present our analysis of 6 years of ESPaDOnS spectropolarimetry of the magnetic β Cep star ξ1 CMa (B1 III). This high-precision magnetometry is consistent with a rotational period Prot > 40 yr. Absorption line profiles can be reproduced with a non-rotating model. We constrain R⋆, L⋆, and the stellar age via a Baade-Wesselink analysis. Spindown due to angular momentum loss via the magnetosphere predicts an extremely long rotational period if the magnetic dipole Bd > 6 kG, a strength also inferred by the best-fit sinusoids to the longitudinal magnetic field measurements BZ when phased with a 60-year Prot.

We have obtained high-quality magnetic field measurements of 19 sharp-lined B-type stars with precisely-measured N/C abundance ratios (Nieva & Przybilla 2012). Our primary goal is to test the idea (Meynet et al. 2011) that a magnetic field may explain extra drag (through the wind) on the surface rotation, thus producing more internal shear and mixing, and thus could provide an explanation for the appearance of slowly rotating N-rich main sequence B stars.

Theory predicts that hydrodynamical instabilities transport angular momentum and chemical elements in rotating massive stars. An interplay of rotation and a magnetic field affects these transport processes. The complexity of the problem imposes that a comprehensive description cannot be developed on theoretical grounds alone, progress in the understanding of the evolution of massive stars has to be guided by observations. The challenge lies both in the derivation of accurate and precise observational constraints as well as in the extraction of the relevant information for identifying possible correlations – like between surface magnetic fields, abundances, and surface rotation – from a multivariate function of the many parameters involved. I review the most important steps recently made based on detailed studies of massive stars both in the field and in clusters towards finding such links that ultimately may guide the further development of the models.

Surveys of the resolved stellar content of entire galaxies are the natural tool to study fast evolutionary phases of massive stars. Therefore we launched the Magellanic Clouds Massive Stars and Feedback Survey (MCSF) and periodically imaged for 3 years the entire Small and Large Magellanic Cloud in u, B, V, R, I and Hα, [Oiii], [Sii] using the twin telescope RoBoTT at the University Observatory of the Ruhr-University Bochum at Cerro Armazones, Chile. Observations with short exposure times are included to ensure brightest stars not to be saturated, yielding a full coverage in luminosity. With this unique dataset we can study the massive stellar populations up to MB ∼ −10 mag and their feedback. Upon completion a high quality photometric and spatially complete catalog of the Magellanic Clouds will be established which is be comparable (or even beyond) the quality of HST based photometry of nearby galaxies.

In this article, we show how asteroseismology and spectropolarimetry allow to probe dynamical processes in massive star interiors. First, we give a summary of the state-of-the-art. Second, we recall the MHD mechanisms that take place in massive stars. Next, we show how asteroseismology gives strong constraints on the internal mixing and transport of angular momentum while spectropolarimetry allows to unravel the role played by magnetic fields.

Recent detection of a large number of apparently isolated massive stars within the inner 80 pc of the Galactic Center has raised fundamental questions regarding massive star formation in a such a dense and harsh environment. Are these isolated stars the results of tidal interactions between clusters, are they escapees from a disrupted cluster, or do they represent a new mode of massive star formation in isolation? Noting that most of the isolated massive stars have spectral analogs in the Quintuplet Cluster, we have undertaken a combined analysis of the infrared spectra of both selected Quintuplet stars and the isolated objects using Gemini North spectroscopy. We present preliminary results, aiming at α-elements vs iron abundances, stellar properties, ages and radial velocities which will differentiate the top-heavy and star-formation scenarios.

We present preliminary results from a survey of molecular H2 (2.12 μm) emission in massive young stellar objects (MYSO) candidates selected from the Red MSX Source survey. We observed 354 MYSO candidates through the H2 S(1) 1-0 transition (2.12 μm) and an adjacent continuum narrow-band filters using the Spartan/SOAR and WIRCam/CFHT cameras. The continuum-subtracted H2 maps were analyzed and extended H2 emission was found in 50% of the sample (178 sources), and 38% of them (66) have polar morphology, suggesting collimated outflows. The polar-like structures are more likely to be driven on radio-quiet sources, indicating that these structures occur during the pre-ultra compact H ii phase. We analyzed the continuum images and found that 54% (191) of the sample displayed extended continuum emission and only ~23% (80) were associated to stellar clusters. The extended continuum emission is correlated to the H2 emission and those sources within stellar clusters does display diffuse H2 emission, which may be due to fluorescent H2 emission. These results support the accretion scenario for massive star formation, since the merging of low-mass stars would not produce jet-like structures. Also, the correlation between jet-like structures and radio-quiet sources indicates that higher inflow rates are required to form massive stars in a typical timescale less than 105 years.

Early-type stars are well-known to be sources of soft X-rays. However, this high-energy emission can be supplemented by bright and hard X-rays when magnetically confined winds are present. In an attempt to clarify the systematics of the observed X-ray properties of this phenomenon, a large series of Chandra and XMM observations was analyzed, over 100 exposures of 60% of the known magnetic massive stars listed recently by Petit et al. (2013). It is found that the X-ray luminosity is strongly correlated with mass-loss rate, in agreement with predictions of magnetically confined wind models, though the predictions of higher temperature are not always verified. We also investigated the behaviour of other X-ray properties (absorption, variability), yielding additional constraints on models. This work not only advances our knowledge of the X-ray emission of massive stars, but also suggests new observational and theoretical avenues to further explore magnetically confined winds.

Asteroseismology and spectropolarimetry have allowed us to progress significantly in our understanding of the physics of hot stars over the last decade. It is now possible to combine these two techniques to learn even more information about hot stars and constrain their models. While only a few magnetic pulsating hot stars are known as of today and have been studied with both seismology and spectropolarimetry, new opportunities - in particular Kepler2 and BRITE - are emerging and will allow us to rapidly obtain new combined results.

In the subset of massive OB stars with strong global magnetic fields, X-rays arise from magnetically confined wind shocks (Babel & Montmerle 1997). However, it is not yet clear what the effect of stellar rotation and mass-loss rate is on these wind shocks and resulting X-rays. Here, we present results from a grid of Arbitrary Rigid-Field Hydrodynamic simulations (ARFHD) of a B-star centrifugal magnetosphere with an eye towards quantifying the effect of stellar rotation and mass-loss rate on the level of X-ray emission. The results are also compared to a generalized XADM model for X-rays in dynamical magnetospheres (ud-Doula et al. 2014).

We present the results of an abundance analysis of two magnetic B-type stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster that support the lack of a direct relationship between the existence of a magnetic field and a nitrogen excess in the photosphere.

Formation of massive stars (M > 8 M⊙) is still not well understood and lacks of observational constraints. We observed 7 MYSO candidates using the NIFS spectrometer at Gemini North Telescope to study the accretion process at high angular resolution (~ 50 mas) and very closer to the central star. Preliminary results for 2 sources have revealed circumstellar structures traced by Brackett-Gamma, CO lines and extended H2 emission. Both sources present kinematics in the CO absorption lines, suggesting rotating structures. The next step will derive the central mass of each source by applying a keplerian model for these CO features.

ξ1 CMa is a rare β Cep star with a strong magnetic field. To gain new insight on this object, a dedicated campaign using XMM-Newton was performed. These data reveal a new type of variations, X-ray pulsations, posing a new challenge to our understanding of stellar winds.