Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 July 2016
Current knowledge of the chemical nature of WR stars determined from UV, optical and IR spectral analyses, is reviewed. By number, the H/He ratio is low in most WN stars: 10 ≥ H/He ≥ 0.4 for WNL stars; 3.0 ≥ H/He ≥ 0.0 for WNE stars with most having near zero H-abundances. The C/N ratio in WN stars lies in the range 1–6 × 10−2, whilst N/He ∼10−4 − 4 × 10−3. These abundances for WN stars are broadly consistent with equilibrium CNO-burning products. In WC stars H/He=0 whilst C/He ∼ 0.1 − 0.7 with some evidence for increasing values from WC7 → WC4. N is highly deficient in WC stars, with C/N≥ 60, and for HD 165763 O/C ≤ 0.2 is deduced. In γ Velorum (WC8+O9), IR spectra give a value of Ne/He = 1.0×10-3 (about twice solar). Thus WC abundances are broadly consistent with He-burning products, although the Ne abundance appears lower than predicted. WO stars show C/He ∼ 0.2 − 0.7, and O/He ∼ 0.03 − 0.1, revealing both He-burning and α-capture products. Ring nebulae around several WN stars shown enhanced He and N, consistent with mass loss enrichment expectations from their chemically evolved central stars. Enhanced He (and probably N) is also seen in the atmospheres of several LBVs, OBN and Of stars - potential precursors of, at least, some WN subtypes.