On the observability of bow shocks of Galactic runaway OB stars
  Massive stars that have been ejected from their parent cluster and
supersonically sailing away through the interstellar medium (ISM) are
classified as exiled. They generate circumstellar bow shock nebulae that can be
observed. We present two-dimensional, axisymmetric hydrodynamical simulations
of a representative sample of stellar wind bow shocks from Galactic OB stars in
an ambient medium of densities ranging from n_ISM=0.01 up to 10.0/cm3.
Independently of their location in the Galaxy, we confirm that the infrared is
the most appropriated waveband to search for bow shocks from massive stars.
Their spectral energy distribution is the convenient tool to analyze them since
their emission does not depend on the temporary effects which could affect
unstable, thin-shelled bow shocks. Our numerical models of Galactic bow shocks
generated by high-mass (~40 Mo) runaway stars yield H$\alpha$ fluxes which
could be observed by facilities such as the SuperCOSMOS H-Alpha Survey. The
brightest bow shock nebulae are produced in the denser regions of the ISM. We
predict that bow shocks in the field observed at Ha by means of
Rayleigh-sensitive facilities are formed around stars of initial mass larger
than about 20 Mo. Our models of bow shocks from OB stars have the emission
maximum in the wavelength range 3 <= lambda <= 50 micrometer which can be up to
several orders of magnitude brighter than the runaway stars themselves,
particularly for stars of initial mass larger than 20 Mo.
