A comprehensive variability study of the enigmatic WN8 stars: Final results

Abstract

As a conclusion of our all-sky variability survey of the 'enigmatic' variable WN8 stars, we have carried out coordinated multisite photometric and spectroscopic observations of WN8 stars in 1989 and 1994-1995. We confirm the leading role of the stellar core in restructuring the whole wind. This emerges as a statistical trend: the higher the level of the ∼ continuum (i.e. ∼core) light variations, the higher the variability of the P Cygni edges of the optical emission lines. However, the form of the correlation between the light and profile variations is generally different for each individual star. The high level of activity of WN8 stars may be supported/induced by pulsational instability.