C IV 5806 A in Wolf-Rayet stars

It is shown that the observed differences between the equivalent widths of the C IV λ5806 line in WC and WN stars can be understood using the fractional populations of the levels of the C atom predicted using a simple theory and the solar value for N C /N H . The dominant factor causing the difference in line strength between WC and WN types is the electron temperature. The electron density is a second significant factor. The line-emitting regions (LERs) of WN stars seem to have lower density than the LERs of WC spectra.