Title: The First Optical Spectra of Wolf Rayet Stars in M101 Revealed with Gemini/GMOS,
Abstract: Deep narrow-band HST imaging of the iconic spiral galaxy M101 has revealed
over a thousand new Wolf Rayet (WR) candidates. We report spectrographic
confirmation of 10 HeII emission line sources hosting 15 WR stars. We find WR
stars present at both sub- and super-solar metalicities with WC stars favouring
more metal-rich regions compared to WN stars. We investigate the association of
WR stars with HII regions using archival HST imaging and conclude that the
majority of WR stars are in or associated with HII regions. Of the 10 emission
lines sources, only one appears to be unassociated with a star-forming region.
Our spectroscopic survey provides confidence that our narrow-band photometric
candidates are in fact bonafide WR stars, which will allow us to characterise
the progenitors of any core-collapse supernovae that erupt in the future in
M101.