Related papers: Pulsation-triggered dust production by asymptotic …

Dust production among post-main-sequence stars is investigated in the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) based on infrared photometry and spectroscopy. We identify metallic iron grains as the probable dominant opacity source in…

Mass fluxes J are computed for the extragalactic O stars investigated by Tramper et al. (2011; TSKK). For one early-type O star, computed and observed rates agree within errors. However, for two late-type O stars, theoretical mass-loss…

We discuss the dust chemistry and growth in the circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch (TP-AGB) star models computed with the COLIBRI code, at varying initial mass and metallicity (Z=0.001, 0.008, 0.02,…

Aims. We present a diagnostic tool to determine the abundance of the crystalline silicate forsterite in AGB stars surrounded by a thick shell of silicate dust. Using six infrared spectra of high mass-loss oxygen rich AGB stars we obtain the…

We study the evolved stellar population of the galaxy Sextans A. This galaxy is one of the lowest metallicity dwarfs in which variable asymptotic giant branch stars have been detected, suggesting that little metal enrichment took place…

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…

Interstellar dust forms during stellar mass-loss events, occurring either during a star's giant phase or during supernova explosions. This PhD thesis provides an in-depth investigation into the theory of dust condensation and growth,…

We present self-consistent dynamical models for dust driven winds of carbon-rich AGB stars. The models are based on the coupled system of frequency-dependent radiation hydrodynamics and time-dependent dust formation. We investigate in…

Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations have shown that O-rich Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars exhibit crystalline silicate features in their spectra only if their mass-loss rate is higher than a certain threshold value. Usually,…

Low- and intermediate-mass stars at the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) are known to be prevalent dust providers to galaxies. However, the mechanisms responsible for the formation and acceleration of dust in the cool extended atmospheres of…

We examine the envelope properties of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars as they evolve on the upper AGB and during the early post-AGB phase. Due to the high mass loss rate, the envelope mass decreases by more than an order of magnitude.…

The capability of reconstructing the past star formation history of dwarf elliptical galaxies out of the Local Volume relies on modelling bright stellar populations currently evolving through the red giant branch (RGB) and the asymptotic…

Context: Observations of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with increasing spatial resolution reveal new layers of complexity of atmospheric processes on a variety of scales. Aim: To analyze the physical mechanisms that cause asymmetries…

We review the various techniques through which wind properties of massive stars - O stars, AB supergiants, Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs), Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars and cool supergiants - are derived. The wind momentum-luminosity relation (e.g.…

We are currently studying carbon based dust types of relevance for carbon-rich AGB stars, to obtain a better understanding of the influence of the optical and chemical properties of the grains on the mass loss of the star. An investigation…

We extend the formalism presented in our recent calculations of dust ejecta from the Thermally Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch (TP-AGB) phase, to the case of super-solar metallicity stars. The TP-AGB evolutionary models are computed with…

It is still an unresolved problem how much AGB stars can contribute to the overall gas and dust enrichment processes in the interstellar medium within galaxies. We start tackling this problem, by using our test case observational data from…

Variable B supergiants (BSGs) constitute a heterogeneous group of stars with complex photometric and spectroscopic behaviours. They exhibit mass-loss variations and experience different types of oscillation modes, and there is growing…

Stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) play important roles in a number of astronomical contexts. To quantify these roles, it is necessary to establish the mass-loss characteristics of stars as they evolve up and beyond the AGB. We used…

Context: Low- and intermediate-mass stars lose most of their stellar mass at the end of their lives on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Determining gas and dust mass-loss rates (MLRs) is important in quantifying the contribution of…