SPECTROPOLARIMETRIC MODELING OF HOT STAR WIND STRUCTURE

A short overview is given of some recent progress in the theory of spe ctropolarimetry as a diagnostic of axisymmetric hot star wind density and velocity structure, covering the inferences possible from broad ba nd polarimetry, from polarimetric light curves and simultaneous absorp tion line data, and from spectropolarimetric line profiles. Recent wor k on joint spectro-, photo-, and polari-metric study of the properties of wind inhomogeneities is also summarised. One of the most important conclusions is that the blobs necessary in WR winds to produce narrow emission line features cannot also produce polarimetric light curve f eatures unless they originate in enhanced mass loss sources at the ste llar surface rather than solely in density redistribution processes, s uch as turbulence, in the wind itself.