Related papers: Molecules and Chemistry in Red Supergiants
We present millimeter interferometric observations of the molecular envelope around the red supergiant VY CMa with the SubMillimeter Array (SMA). The high angular resolution (< 2'') allows us to derive the structure of the envelope as…
Mass-loss from evolved stars chemically enriches the ISM. Stellar winds from massive stars and their explosions as SNs shape the ISM and trigger star formation. Studying evolved stars is fundamental for understanding galaxy formation and…
The location of the Scutum Red-Supergiant (RSG) clusters at the end of the Galactic Bar makes them an excellent probe of the Galaxy's secular evolution; while the clusters themselves are ideal testbeds in which to study the predictions of…
Red ultra-compact massive galaxies, called red nuggets were formed at high redshifts ($\rm{z\sim2-3}$). Survivors of red nuggets, known as relics, observed at lower redshifts ($\rm{z<2}$) are believed to remain almost unchanged since their…
Mass loss during the red supergiant (RSG) phase plays a crucial role in the evolution of an intermediate massive star, however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We aim to increase the sample of well-characterized RSGs at subsolar…
A ring of dense molecular gas extending 2-7 pc orbits the supermassive black hole Sgr A* at the center of our Galaxy. Using the Green Bank Telescope, we detected water maser lines and both narrow (0.35 km/s) and broad (30 - 50 km/s)…
With a luminosity > 10^5 Lsun and a mass-loss rate of about 2.10-4 Msun/yr, the red supergiant VY CMa truly is a spectacular object. Because of its extreme evolutionary state, it could explode as supernova any time. Studying its…
Carbon monoxide (CO) is the most abundant molecule after molecular hydrogen and is important for the chemistry in circumstellar envelopes around evolved stars. When modelling the strength and shape of molecular lines, the size of the CO…
We report the detection of oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes in stars of the nearby (700 kpc) starburst galaxy IC 10. The star formation history and the chemical environment of this galaxy makes it an ideal target to observe dust…
The nearby Sy 1 galaxy NGC 1097 represents an ideal laboratory to explore the molecular chemistry in the presence and surroundings of an active galactic nucleus. Exploring the distribution of different molecular species allows us to…
Context: Mass-loss occurring in red supergiants (RSGs) is a major contributor to the enrichment of the interstellar medium in dust and molecules. The physical mechanism of this mass loss is however relatively poorly known. Betelgeuse is the…
We present near-IR spectroscopy of red supergiant (RSG) stars in NGC 6822, obtained with the new VLT-KMOS instrument. From comparisons with model spectra in the J-band we determine the metallicity of 11 RSGs, finding a mean value of [Z] =…
Red supergiants (RSGs) are important for our understanding of supernova progenitors, stellar populations, stellar evolution, mass loss and dust production. Extragalactic surveys of RSGs have a long history in the Local Group, but few…
Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are typified by strong dust-driven, molecular outflows. For long, it was believed that the molecular setup of the circumstellar envelope of AGB stars is primarily determined by the atmospheric C/O ratio.…
Circumstellar envelopes (CEs) around evolved stars are an active site for the production of molecules. After evolving through the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), proto-planetary nebula (PPN), to planetary nebula (PN) phases, CEs ultimately…
We compile a catalog of 578 highly probable and 62 likely red supergiants (RSGs) of the Milky Way, which represents the largest list of Galactic RSG candidates designed for continuous follow-up to date. We match distances measured by Gaia…
The outer Galaxy is characterized by a lower metallicity than regions near the Sun, suggesting differences in the formation and survival of molecules in star-forming regions. To understand chemical evolution across the Milky Way, deriving…
Massive star-forming regions exhibit a rich chemistry with complex gas distributions, especially on small scales. While surveys have yielded constraints on typical gas conditions, they often have coarse spatial resolution and limited…
This paper presents a study of the galactic environment of a chemically-pristine (<0.6% solar metallicity) Lyman Limit system (LLS) discovered along the sightline toward QSO SDSSJ135726.27+043541.4 (zQSO=1.233) at projected distance d=126…
In the past few years, several clusters containing large numbers of red supergiants have been discovered. These clusters are amongst the most massive young clusters known in the Milky Way, with stellar masses reaching a few…