[12] In this mode of cosmic dust production, detritus enriched in silicon and carbon is periodically blown into the wider universe by certain stars toward the end of their lives.

Indeed, the spectrographic presence of these elements, along with a notable absence of hydrogen, were one of the original diagnostic criteria for classifying a star as Wolf–Rayet.

Once distant from the surface, the carbon fraction of this ejected material begins to glow at approximately 1000 K. The heating is due to the star's UV radiation, the wavelength of its greatest luminosity.

[3] Being less massive, less luminous, and probably less visually bright than its primary the Wolf–Rayet component is identified as the secondary star, despite the fact that it dominates the spectrum with its broad emission lines.

[6] Interest with this WR 140 system is principally observing the infrared light fluctuations during the component's orbit, being extensively studied because of its episodic dust formation.

[10] Shortly after periastron passage every eight years, the infrared brightness increases dramatically and then slowly drops again over a period of months.

This is thought to be the result of the dueling solar winds in binary systems, which compress clouds of dust into distinct shock fronts.

These nano-sized dust grains exist in excess and are either produced by grain-grain collision or by radiative torque disruption (RATD).

With the loss of the radiation pressure this fusion provided, the balance that determines the radii of all stars shifted decisively towards gravitational collapse.

However, at the surface this loss of internal radiation pressure had the effect of blowing the outermost layers of the star's photosphere into space.

It is not well understood whether the unusual concentricity of WR 140's dust is due to interactions between the two stellar winds or is the result of nuclear processes in the Wolf–Rayet member.

The immense surface temperature of Wolf–Rayet stars (up to 210,000 K) produces intense ultraviolet radiation, enough to make 20 or more layers visible to instrumentation.