Related papers: Nucleosynthesis in massive AGB stars with delayed …
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) of the globular cluster NGC 4372 appears to extend to unexpectedly high luminosities. We show, on the basis of proper motions and spatial distribution, that the extended AGB is indeed a likely part of the…
We present the main results derived from a chemical analysis carried out on a large sample of galactic O-rich AGB stars using high resolution optical spectroscopy (R~40,000-50,000) with the intention of studying their lithium abundances…
Lithium is made up in the envelopes of massive Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars through the process of Hot Bottom Burning. In Globular Clusters, this processing is one possible source of the hot-CNO burning whose nuclear products are…
Convection and mass loss by stellar winds are two dynamical processes that shape asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and their evolution. Observations and earlier 3D models indicate that giant convection cells cause high-contrast surface…
The Magellanic Clouds (MCs) offer a unique opportunity to study the stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis of massive Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in low metallicity environments where distances are known. Rubidium is a key element to…
This thesis is aimed at clarifying one of the least studied phases of stellar evolution: the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Recent results obtained for Galactic globular clusters (GCs) suggest that the AGB stage may contain crucial…
Context: Stars evolving through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase provide significant feedback to their host system, in form of both gas enriched in nuclear-burning products and dust formed in their winds, which they eject into the…
I discuss the relationship between mass loss and nucleosynthesis on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). Because of thermal pulses and possibly other mixing processes, products of nucleosynthesis can be brought to the surface of AGB stars,…
The literature is rich in analysis and results related to thermally pulsing-asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars, but the problem of the instabilities that arise and cause the divergence of models during the late stages of their evolution…
We present a summary of the main sites for nucleosynthesis in intermediate mass Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. We then discuss some detailed evolutionary models and how these have been used to create a synthetic evolution code which…
In the course of a systematic exploration of the uncertainties associated to the input micro- and macro-physics in the modeling of the evolution of intermediate mass stars during their Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase, we focus on the…
A large sample of carbon enhanced metal-poor stars enriched in s-process elements (CEMP-s) have been observed in the Galactic halo. These stars of low mass (M ~ 0.9 Msun) are located on the main-sequence or the red giant phase, and do not…
The driving mechanism of the AGB superwind has become controversial in recent years. The efficacy of dust-driven mass loss has been queried. Spitzer observation of AGB stars in Local Group Galaxies show the surprising result that at low…
Around half of the heavy elements in the universe are formed through the slow neutron capture (s-) process, which takes place in thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with masses $1-6\;M_{\odot}$. The nucleosynthetic imprint…
Contrary to previous expectations, recent evolutionary models of zero-metallicity stars show that the development of mixing episodes at the beginning of the AGB phase allows low- and intermediate-mass stars to experience thermal pulses. If…
The Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) scenario for the formation of multiple populations has been quantitatively studied in the course of the latest twenty years, examining the aspects both of nucleosynthesis and of the dynamics of formation of…
Eleven nearby (<300 pc), short-period (50-130 days) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars were observed in the CO J = (2-1) line. Detections were made towards objects that have evidence for dust production (Ks-[22] >~ 0.55 mag; AK Hya, V744…
We present dust yields for asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and super--asymptotic giant branch (SAGB) stars of solar metallicity. Stars with initial mass $1.5~M_{\odot} \leq M_{\rm ini} \leq 3~M_{\odot}$ reach the carbon star stage during the…
We compare theoretical dust yields for stars with mass 1 Msun < mstar < 8 Msun, and metallicities 0.001 < Z < 0.008 with observed dust production rates (DPR) by carbon- rich and oxygen-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (C-AGB and O-AGB) stars in…
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…