Spectra of a rare low-mass Wolf-Rayet star in LMC

The star is located on the outskirts of the LMC, and the observed radial velocity (~+250km/s) and proper motion strongly suggest membership. If indeed an LMC member, this is the first extragalactic late [WC] star, and the first with an accurately determined luminosity, as the Galactic examples are too distant for precise parallax determinations. A high-quality, broad-coverage spectrum of the prototype of the late [WC] class, CPD -56 8032, is also presented.

We discuss different excitation mechanisms capable of producing the great strength of the CII emission. Numerous autoionizing levels of C II are definitely populated by processes other than dielectronic recombination. Despite the spectacular emission spectra, observational selection makes objects such as these difficult to discover.

Members of the [WC11] class may in fact be considerably more common than the handful of previously known late [WC] stars.