Related papers: Chemical tracers of a highly eccentric AGB-main se…
We present the first-ever images of the circumstellar environment of the carbon-rich AGB star II Lup in the infrared and sub-mm wavelengths, and the discovery of the envelope's non-spherical morphology with the use of high-angular…
The dusty winds of cool evolved stars are a major contributor of the newly synthesised material enriching the Galaxy and future generations of stars. However, the details of the physics and chemistry behind dust formation and wind launching…
Whether SiC$_2$ is a parent species, that is formed in the photosphere or as a by-product of high-temperature dust formation, or a daughter species, formed in a chemistry driven by the photodestruction of parent species in the outer…
We present asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models of solar metallicity, to allow the interpretation of observations of Galactic AGB stars, whose distances should be soon available after the first release of the Gaia catalogue. We find an…
We present new observations of the central binary inside the Red Rectangle nebula. The detection of zinc in the optical spectrum confirms that the peculiar photospheric abundances are due to accretion of circumstellar gas. Grey brightness…
Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are known to lose a significant amount of mass by a stellar wind, which controls the remainder of their stellar lifetime. High angular-resolution observations show that the winds of these cool stars…
New observations are presented of millimetre line emissions of the circumstellar envelope (CSE) of AGB star $\chi$ Cygni using the recently upgraded NOEMA array. $\chi$ Cygni is an S-type Mira variable, at the border between oxygen-rich and…
Planetary engulfment events involve the chemical assimilation of a planet into a star's external layer. This can cause a change in the chemical pattern of the stellar atmosphere in a way that mirrors the composition of the rocky object…
OO Aql is a rare W UMa-type eclipsing binary in which the two solar-type stars may have only recently evolved into contact. The binary has an unusually high mass ratio (0.84), and a relatively long orbital period (0.506 d) for it spectral…
The origin of chemically peculiar stars and non-zero eccentricity in evolved close binaries have been long-standing problems in binary stellar evolution. Answers to these questions may trace back to an intense mass transfer during AGB…
Abell 70 (PN G038.1-25.4, hereafter A 70) is a planetary nebula (PN) known for its diamond ring appearance due a superposition with a background galaxy. The previously unstudied central star is found to be a binary consisting of a G8IV-V…
CONTEXT: Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are in one of the latest evolutionary stages of low to intermediate-mass stars. Their vigorous mass loss has a significant effect on the stellar evolution, and is a significant source of heavy…
Our Galaxy hosts a very massive object at its centre, often referred to as the supermassive black hole Sgr A*. Its gravitational tidal field is so intense that can strip apart a binary star passing its vicinity and accelerate one of the…
Aims. The carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star TX Piscium (TX Psc) has been observed multiple times during multiple epochs and at different wavelengths and resolutions, showing a complex molecular CO line profile and a ring-like…
The hydrogen-deficiency in extremely hot post-AGB stars of spectral class PG1159 is probably caused by a (very) late helium-shell flash or a AGB final thermal pulse that consumes the hydrogen envelope, exposing the usually-hidden intershell…
Post-RGB and post-AGB binaries consist of a primary star that has recently evolved off either the RGB or AGB after losing most of its envelope, and a main-sequence companion. They are distinguished by luminosities below and above the RGB…
We review the lives, deaths and nucleosynthetic signatures of intermediate mass stars in the range approximately 6.5-12 Msun, which form super-AGB stars near the end of their lives. We examine the critical mass boundaries both between…
Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars play a significant role in our understanding of the origin of the elements. They contribute to the abundances of C, N, and approximately $50\%$ of the abundances of the elements heavier than iron. An…
We present continuum and molecular line emission ALMA observations of OH 231.8+4.2, a well studied bipolar nebula around an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star. The high angular resolution (~0.2-0.3 arcsec) and sensitivity of our ALMA maps…
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…