Synthesis of line profiles from models of structured winds

On the basis of a careful analysis of resonance line formation (both for singlets and doublets) in structured winds, present time dependent models of the line driven winds of hot stars are shown to be able to explain a number of observational features with respect to variability and structure: they are (in principle) able to reproduce the black and broad troughs (without any artificial 'turbulence velocity') and the 'blue edge variability' observed in saturate resonance lines: they might explain the 'long lived narrow absorption components' often observed in unsaturated lines at high velocities; they predict a relation between the 'edge velocity' of UV-lines and the radiation temperature of the observed X-ray emission. As a first example of the extent to which theoretical models can be constrained by comparisons between observations and profiles calculated by spectrum synthesis from structured winds, we show here that models with deep-seated onset of structure formation (approximately greater than 1.1 R(sub *)) produce resonance lines which agree qualitatively with observational findings; in contrast, the here presented models with structure formation only well out in the wind (approximately greater than 1.6 R(sub *) fail in this respect.