Related papers: The axisymmetric envelopes of RS Cnc and EP Aqr

The latest evolutionary phases of low- and intermediate mass stars are characterized by complex physical processes like turbulence, convection, stellar pulsations, magnetic fields, condensation of solid particles, and the formation of…

As part of a reanalysis of Galactic Asymptotic Giant Branch stars (hereafter AGB stars) at infrared wavelengths, we discuss here two samples (the first of carbon-rich stars, the second of S stars) for which photometry in the near- and…

Stars with initial masses between $\sim0.8$ and 8~$M_\odot$ present copious mass loss during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) at the end of their lives. The accepted mass-loss mechanism requires radiation pressure acting on dust grains…

We report results of a program to image the extended circumstellar envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in dust-scattered Galactic light. The goal is to characterize the shapes of the envelopes to probe the mass-loss geometry…

High-angular-resolution observations of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars often reveal non-spherical morphologies for the gas and dust envelopes. We aim to make a pilot study to quantify the impact of different geometries (spherically…

Context. The majority of stars that leave the main sequence are undergoing extensive mass loss, in particular during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of evolution. Observations show that the rate at which this phenomenon develops…

Context. The Mass loss of Evolved StarS (MESS) sample observed with PACS on board the Herschel Space Observatory revealed that several asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are surrounded by an asymmetric circumstellar envelope (CSE) whose…

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…

The mass loss process along the AGB phase is crucial for the formation of circumstellar envelopes (CSEs), which in the post-AGB phase will evolve into planetary nebulae (PNe). There are still important issues that need to be further…

Early-type galaxies exhibit thermal and molecular resonance emission from dust that is shed and heated through stellar mass loss as a subset of the population moves through the AGB phase of evolution. Because this emission can give direct…

Context: For stars with initial masses below about 1 solar mass, the mass loss during the first red giant branch (RGB) phase dominates mass loss in the later asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. Nevertheless, mass loss on the RGB is still…

High resolution observations of the extended atmospheres of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars can now directly confront the theories that describe stellar mass loss. Using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) high angular…

Context. The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase marks the end of the evolution for low- and intermediate-mass stars, which are fundamental contributors to the mass return to the interstellar medium and to the chemical evolution of…

During their late pulsating phase, AGB stars expel most of their mass in the form of massive dusty envelopes, an event that largely controls the composition of interstellar matter. The envelopes, however, are distant and opaque to visible…

Context: Mass loss plays a dominant role in the evolution of low mass stars while they are on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). The gas and dust ejected during this phase are a major source in the mass budget of the interstellar medium.…

We present a detailed study of the circumstellar gas distribution and kinematics of the semi-regular variable star RS Cnc on spatial scales ranging from ~1" (~150 AU) to ~6' (~0.25 pc). New modeling of CO1-0 and CO2-1 imaging observations…

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…

AGB stars, the precursors of Planetary Nebulae, exhibit high rates of mass loss and eject material in the form of a slow (10-20 km/s), dusty molecular wind. The general belief that the dust component of AGB circumstellar envelopes have…

The study of the gas in the envelopes surrounding asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars through observations in the millimetre wavelength range provides information about the history and nature of these molecular factories. Here we present…

We present submillimeter observations of rotational transitions of carbon monoxide from J = 2 -> 1 up to 7 -> 6 for a sample of Asymptotic Giant Branch stars and red supergiants. It is the first time that the high transitions J = 6 -> 5 and…