Related papers: Observational constraints on AGB mass loss and its…
Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are important players in the chemical evolution modelling of galaxies, because they are major producers of several chemical elements and excellent tracers of the structure and of the star formation…
A review is presented of the most relevant results obtained in the last few years on this rare class of astronomical sources. Multi-wavelength analysis of an increasing number of post-AGB stars reveal that they constitute a more…
We describe our first attempt at modelling nucleosynthesis in massive AGB stars which have undergone core carbon burning, the super-AGB stars. We fit a synthetic model to detailed stellar evolution models in the mass range 9<=M/Msun<=11.5…
We calculated theoretical evolutionary sequences of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, including formation and evolution of dust grains in their circumstellar envelope. By considering stellar populations of the Large Magellanic Cloud…
We summarise the evolution and nucleosynthesis in AGB and Super-AGB stars. We then examine the major sources of uncertainty, especially mass-loss.
I propose a mechanism for axisymmetrical mass loss on the asymptotic giant branch, that may account for the axially symmetric structure of elliptical planetary nebulae. The proposed model operates for slowly rotating AGB stars, having…
Current implementations of the stellar atmosphere typically derive boundary conditions for the interior model from either grey plane-parallel atmospheres or scaled solar atmospheres, neither of which can be considered to have appropriate…
We discuss the role of mass loss for the evolution of the most massive stars, highlighting the role of the predicted bi-stability jump that might be relevant for the evolution of rotational velocities during or just after the main sequence.…
Stars with masses between roughly 1 and 8~$M_\odot$ end their lives on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), when intense mass loss takes place. The outflows are generally accepted to be driven by radiation pressure acting on dust grains that…
We used a new generation of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar models that include dust formation in the stellar winds to find the links between evolutionary models and the observed properties of a homogeneous sample of Large Magellanic…
We link the onset of pulsation-enhanced, dust-driven winds from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Magellanic Clouds to the star's transition between period--luminosity sequences (from B to C'). This transition occurs at ~60 days…
We derive the conditions for a backflow toward the central star(s) of circumstellar material to occur during the post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. The backflowing material may be accreted by the post-AGB star and/or its companion,…
Recent observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope enable us to study the mid-infrared dust excess of Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using mid-infrared spectra, together with photometric data from…
To study the effect of metallicity on the mass-loss of AGB stars, we have conducted mid-infrared photometric measurements of AGB stars in the Sagittarius and Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies ([Fe/H]=-1.1 and -1.3) with the 10-micron camera…
The Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase is very short but its importance is seen in its nucleosynthesis. A revolution in stellar modelling has taken place in the last 20 years, inspired jointly by this rich nucleosynthesis and partly by new…
It is well appreciated that the description of overadiabatic convection affects the structure of the envelopes of luminous asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the phase of ``hot bottom burning '' (HBB). We stress that this important…
A parameter study of the spectral evolution of a typical post-AGB star, with particular emphasis on the evolution of the infrared colours, is presented. The models are based on the latest evolutionary tracks for hydrogen burning post-AGB…
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of stellar evolution is common to most stars of low and intermediate mass. Most of the carbon and nitrogen in the Universe is produced by AGB stars. The final fate of the AGB envelopes are represented…
The origin of the so called 'detached shells' around AGB stars is not fully understood, but two common hypotheses state that these shells form either through the interaction of distinct wind phases or an eruptive mass loss associated with a…
The S-type stars are believed to have a C/O-ratio close to unity (within a few percent). They are considered to represent an intermediate evolutionary stage as AGB stars evolve from oxygen-rich M-type stars into carbon stars. As possible…