Samuel Shipkoff

Slow Massive-Star Formation and the O-Star ZAMS Deficit

The scarcity of optically visible O stars near the theoretical zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) has puzzled astronomers for over four decades. We argue that it reflects prolonged accretion. If massive stars assemble over Myr timescales, as the inertial-inflow model predicts, core-hydrogen burning begins before accretion e...