Related papers: Red Giant Branch stars: the theoretical framework
In spite of the spectacular progress accomplished by stellar evolution theory some simple questions remain unanswered. One of these questions is ``Why do stars become Red Giants?''. Here we present a relatively simple analytical answer to…
Deriving the physical properties of red supergiants (RSGs) depends upon accurate corrections for reddening by dust. We use our recent modeling of the optical spectra of RSGs to address this topic. We find: (1) Previous broad-band studies…
We present the sample for an abundance analysis of 25 members of M71 with luminosities ranging from the red giant branch tip to the upper main sequence. The spectra are of high dispersion and of high precision. We describe the observing…
Accurate determinations of masses and radii in binary stars, along with estimates of the effective temperatures, metallicities, and other properties, have long been used to test models of stellar evolution. As might be expected,…
The determination of stellar metallicity and its gradient in external galaxies is a difficult task, but crucial for the understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. The color of the Red Giant Branch (RGB) can be used to determine…
A grid of evolutionary sequences of stars in the mass range $1.2$-$7$ M$_{\odot}$, with solar-like initial composition is presented. We focus on this mass range in order to estimate the masses and calculate the CNO surface abundances of a…
Gravitational microlensing provides a new technique for studying the surfaces of distant stars. Microlensing events are detected in real time and can be followed up with precision photometry and spectroscopy. This method is particularly…
Red supergiants (RSGs) are an evolved stage in the life of intermediate massive stars (than than 25 solar masses). For many years, their location in the H-R diagram was at variance with the evolutionary models. Using the MARCS stellar…
It is currently impossible to determine the abundances of stellar populations star-by-star in dense stellar systems more distant than a few megaparsecs. Therefore, methods to analyse the composite light of stellar systems are required. I…
We have calculated the evolution of low metallicity red giant stars under the assumption of deep mixing between the convective envelope and the hydrogen burning shell. We find that the extent of the observed abundance anomalies, and in…
The recent progress in high-spatial-resolution techniques, spanning wavelengths from the visual to the radio regime, is leading to new valuable insights into the complex dynamical atmospheres of Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars and their…
The color-magnitude diagrams of $\sim 7 \times 10^5$ stars obtained for 12 fields across the Galactic bulge with the OGLE project reveal a well-defined population of bulge red clump giants. We find that the distributions of the apparent…
This is a brief overview of the elemental abundance patterns that have been observed in the different Galactic stellar populations. Main focus is on studies that are based on high-resolution spectra of dwarf and subgiant stars, and in some…
Most current models of low mass red giant stars do not reproduce the observed position of the red giant branch luminosity bump, a diagnostic of the maximum extent of the convective envelope during the first dredge up. Global asteroseismic…
Cool giant stars are highly dynamical objects, and complex micro-physical processes play an important role in their extended atmospheres and winds. The interpretation of observations, and in particular of high-resolution IR spectra,…
The study of the Milky Way relies on our ability to interpret the light from stars correctly. This calls for a reinvestigation of how reliably we can determine, e.g., iron abundances in such stars and how well they reproduce those of dwarf…
The present generation of large telescopes facilitates spectroscopy of blue supergiants in galaxies out to distances beyond the Local Group. Recent developments in NLTE spectrum synthesis techniques allow for an accurate determination of…
One of the challenges for stellar astrophysics is to reach the point at which we can undertake reliable spectral synthesis of unresolved populations in young, star-forming galaxies at high redshift. Here I summarise recent studies of…
Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars play a key role in the enrichment of galaxies with heavy elements. Due to their large amplitude variability, the measurement of elemental abundances is a highly challenging task that has not been solved…
We present color-magnitude diagrams and luminosity functions of stars in two halo regions of the irregular galaxy in M82, based on F555W and F814W photometry taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. The…