Events at Physics |
Massive stars are rapidly-evolving astrophysical systems with intense radiation fields and powerful stellar winds that drive the chemistry, structure and evolution of galaxies. The evolution of a massive star is intimately tied to the mass it loses by its stellar wind and to its rapid rotation, both of which can be strongly influenced by magnetic fields. The Magnetism in Massive Stars (MiMeS) Project is a consensus collaboration among the foremost international researchers of the physics of hot, massive stars, with the basic aim of understanding the origin, evolution and impact of magnetic fields in these objects. The cornerstone of the project is the Franco-Canadian MiMeS Large Program at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, which represents a dedication of 640 hours of telescope time from 2008-2012. The MiMeS Large Program exploits the unique capabilities of the ESPaDOnS spectropolarimeter to obtain critical missing information about the poorly-studied magnetic properties of these important stars, to confront current models and to guide theory. This talk will review the goals and strategy of the Large Program, and will present the results of the first three semesters of observations and data analysis.