Mass loss from evolved stars. IV - The dust-to-gas ratio in the envelopes of Mira variables and carbon stars

1985 ◽  
Vol 293 ◽  
pp. 273 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Knapp
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Carbon Stars ◽  
Evolved Stars ◽  
Mira Variables ◽  
Gas Ratio

scholarly journals Carbon star wind models at solar and sub-solar metallicities: a comparative study

2019 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. A119 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bladh ◽  
K. Eriksson ◽  
P. Marigo ◽  
S. Liljegren ◽  
B. Aringer
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Agb Stars ◽  
Carbon Stars ◽  
Dust Production ◽  
Grain Sizes ◽  
Solar Metallicity ◽  
Effective Temperatures ◽  
Carbon Excess ◽  
Thermal Pulses ◽  
Loss Rates

Context. The heavy mass loss observed in evolved stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) is usually attributed to dust-driven winds, but it is still an open question how much AGB stars contribute to the dust production in the interstellar medium, especially at lower metallicities. In the case of C-type AGB stars, where the wind is thought to be driven by radiation pressure on amorphous carbon grains, there should be significant dust production even in metal-poor environments. Carbon stars can manufacture the building blocks needed to form the wind-driving dust species themselves, irrespective of the chemical composition they have, by dredging up carbon from the stellar interior during thermal pulses. Aims. We investigate how the mass loss in carbon stars is affected by a low-metallicity environment, similar to the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC). Methods. The atmospheres and winds of C-type AGB stars are modeled with the 1D spherically symmetric radiation-hydrodynamical code Dynamic Atmosphere and Radiation-driven Wind models based on Implicit Numerics (DARWIN). The models include a time-dependent description for nucleation, growth, and evaporation of amorphous carbon grains directly out of the gas phase. To explore the metallicity-dependence of mass loss we calculate model grids at three different chemical abundances (solar, LMC, and SMC). Since carbon may be dredged up during the thermal pulses as AGB stars evolve, we keep the carbon abundance as a free parameter. The models in these three different grids all have a current mass of one solar mass; effective temperatures of 2600, 2800, 3000, or 3200 K; and stellar luminosities equal to logL*∕L⊙ = 3.70, 3.85, or 4.00. Results. The DARWIN models show that mass loss in carbon stars is facilitated by high luminosities, low effective temperatures, and a high carbon excess (C–O) at both solar and subsolar metallicities. Similar combinations of effective temperature, luminosity, and carbon excess produce outflows at both solar and subsolar metallicities. There are no large systematic differences in the mass-loss rates and wind velocities produced by these wind models with respect to metallicity, nor any systematic difference concerning the distribution of grain sizes or how much carbon is condensed into dust. DARWIN models at subsolar metallicity have approximately 15% lower mass-loss rates compared to DARWIN models at solar metallicity with the same stellar parameters and carbon excess. For both solar and subsolar environments typical grain sizes range between 0.1 and 0.5 μm, the degree of condensed carbon varies between 5 and 40%, and the gas-to-dust ratios between 500 and 10 000. Conclusions. C-type AGB stars can contribute to the dust production at subsolar metallicities (down to at least [Fe∕H] = −1) as long as they dredge up sufficient amounts of carbon from the stellar interior. Furthermore, stellar evolution models can use the mass-loss rates calculated from DARWIN models at solar metallicity when modeling the AGB phase at subsolar metallicities if carbon excess is used as the critical abundance parameter instead of the C/O ratio.

scholarly journals MESS (Mass-loss of Evolved StarS), aHerschelkey program

2011 ◽  
Vol 526 ◽  
pp. A162 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. T. Groenewegen ◽  
C. Waelkens ◽  
M. J. Barlow ◽  
F. Kerschbaum ◽  
P. Garcia-Lario ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Evolved Stars

scholarly journals Hot and cold running water: understanding evolved star winds

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (S336) ◽  
pp. 347-350
Author(s):  
A. M. S. Richards ◽  
M. D. Gray ◽  
A. Baudry ◽  
E. M. L. Humphreys ◽  
S. Etoka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Circumstellar Envelope ◽  
Number Density ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Evolved Stars ◽  
Order Of Magnitude ◽  
Homogeneous Regions ◽  
Maser Sources

AbstractOutstanding problems concerning mass-loss from evolved stars include initial wind acceleration and what determines the clumping scale. Reconstructing physical conditions from maser data has been highly uncertain due to the exponential amplification. ALMA and e-MERLIN now provide image cubes for five H2O maser transitions around VY CMa, at spatial resolutions comparable to the size of individual clouds or better, covering excitation states from 204 to 2360 K. We use the model of Gray et al. 2016, to constrain variations of number density and temperature on scales of a few au, an order of magnitude finer than is possible with thermal lines, comparable to individual cloud sizes or locally almost homogeneous regions. We compare results with the models of Decin et al. 2006 and Matsuura et al. 2014 for the circumstellar envelope of VY CMa; in later work this will be extended to other maser sources.

scholarly journals Dust driven mass loss from carbon stars as a function of stellar parameters

2010 ◽  
Vol 509 ◽  
pp. A14 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mattsson ◽  
R. Wahlin ◽  
S. Höfner
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Carbon Stars

scholarly journals The Production of Low Mass Carbon Stars; Carbon-rich Dredge Up or Oxygen-rich Mass Loss?

1989 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 229-231
Author(s):  
R.E. Stencel ◽  
J.E. Pesce ◽  
K.M. MacGregor
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Selective Removal ◽  
Secondary Effect ◽  
Agb Stars ◽  
Radiative Force ◽  
Conventional Theory ◽  
Carbon Stars ◽  
Solar Mass ◽  
Low Mass ◽  
Momentum Coupling

AbstractConventional theory explains the origin of carbon stars as due to dredge up of carbon enriched material from the stellar core during helium flash events late in the life of solar mass AGB stars (e.g. Boothroyd and Sackmann 1988). This relatively efficient process however, seems to produce a larger C/O ratio than observed (Lambert et al. 1987). A secondary effect which could contribute to the appearance of carbon stars, is the selective removal of oxygen from the atmosphere by radiative force expulsion of oxygen rich dust grains (e.g. silicates like [Mg, Fe2SiO4]). We present calculations for this scenario which evaluate the degree of momentum coupling between the grains and gas under the thermodynamical conditions of AGB star atmospheres.

scholarly journals Molecular gas around the Wolf-Rayet star WR 18 (WN4)

2003 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
pp. 732-733
Author(s):  
Anthony P. Marston
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Emission Lines ◽  
Molecular Gas ◽  
Evolved Stars ◽  
Ring Nebula ◽  
History Of ◽  
Optical Ring ◽  
Ring Nebulae ◽  
Rayet Star

Optically observed ring nebulae and H i cavities around Wolf-Rayet stars have enabled us to obtain information on the history of mass-loss associated with these massive evolved stars. However, such studies have left a number of unanswered questions regarding the amount of mass-loss and the conditions of the stars during a sequence of mass-loss phases. Here we discuss the molecular gas environments of the WR star WR 18, which has an associated optical ring nebula NGC 3199. Our observations show that significant amounts of molecular gas appear close to and associated with the star. Mapping of molecular CO near the star shows that molecular materials appear to substantially avoid areas of optical emission and, instead, form a distorted clumpy shell interior to NGC 3199. Molecular emission lines are broader than lines seen in the interstellar medium and suggest the shell is composed of ejecta. This is further corroborated by the enhanced abundances of molecules containing C, N and O. Implications of the observations for the evolution of WR 18 are discussed.

scholarly journals Miras, mass loss, and the origin of planetary nebulae

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 353-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Willson
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Fundamental Mode ◽  
Planetary Nebulae ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Mira Variables ◽  
Moderate Mass

Mira variables are found at the tip of the asymptotic giant branch, with L≈3000-5000Lʘ and TeH3000K. (Feast 1981; Willson 1981a). They are fundamental mode pulsators (Willson 1979, 1981a). A typical Mira has P~350 days, R~200-300Rʘ, M~1-2Mʘ (Willson 1979; 1981a). From the atmospheric velocities of the Miras plus a fundamental mode period-massradius relation one finds present masses for the Miras which are not very different from their progenitor masses (Willson 1981a). This suggests that pre-Mira mass loss is moderate -- ≲20% of the mass is lost before pulsation starts. In fact one expects only moderate mass loss before the Mira stage;

scholarly journals Red Giant Stars: Comparison of Observations and Theory

1984 ◽  
Vol 108 ◽  
pp. 195-206
Author(s):  
Jeremy Mould
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Parameter Space ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Mass Loss Rate ◽  
Magellanic Clouds ◽  
Asymptotic Giant Branch ◽  
Carbon Stars ◽  
Giant Stars ◽  
Theoretical Investigations ◽  
Red Giant

Recent observations in both the field and the clusters of the Magellanic Clouds suggest a higher mass loss rate during or at the end of the asymptotic giant branch phase than previously supposed. Recent theoretical investigations offer an explanation for the frequency of carbon stars in the Clouds, but a rich parameter space remains to be explored, before detailed agreement can be expected.

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