Polarimetry as a tool to study multi-dimensional winds and disks

Abstract

I start with a discussion of spherical winds and small-scale clumping, before continuing with various theories that have been proposed to predict how mass loss depends on stellar rotation -- both in terms of wind strength, as well as the latitudinal dependence of the wind. This very issue is crucial for our general understanding of angular momentum evolution in massive stars, and the B[e] phenomenon in particular. I then discuss the tool of linear polarimetry that allows us to probe the difference between polar and equatorial mass loss, allowing us to test B[e] and related disk formation theories.