Related papers: Secular Evolution in Mira Variable Pulsations
Pulsation period changes in Mira type variables are investigated using the stellar evolution and nonlinear stellar pulsation calculations. We considered the evolutionary sequence of stellar models with initial mass 3 Msol and population I…
Mira variables, RR Lyrae variables, and type II Cepheids all represent evolved states of low-mass stars, and long term observations have revealed that changes in pulsation period occur for each of these classes of variable. Most Mira…
Context: Miras are long-period variables thought to be in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of evolution. In about one percent of known Miras, the pulsation period is changing. It has been speculated that this changing period is the…
In order to extend our previous studies of the unexplained phenomenon of cyclic amplitude variations in pulsating red giants, we have used the AAVSO time-series analysis package VSTAR to analyze long-term AAVSO visual observations of 50…
Long-period variables are bright, evolved red giant stars showing periodic photometric changes due to stellar pulsation. They follow one or more period-luminosity and period-age relations, which make them highly promising distance…
We review ways in which observations of the changing periods of pulsating variable stars can be used to detect and directly measure their evolution. We briefly describe the two main techniques of analysis -- (O-C) analysis and wavelet…
Most aspects of stellar evolution proceed far too slowly to be directly observable in a single star on human timescales. The thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch is one exception. The combination of state-of-the-art modelling…
A new analysis of a sample of visual light curves of Mira variables is presented. The curves cover the past four decades and are selected from the AAVSO database as including a very large number of high-density and high-quality…
Secular period variations, $\beta=\dot{P}$, in 76 RR Lyrae stars in the globular cluster M5 are analysed using our most recent CCD $V$ photometry and the historical photometric database available in the literature since 1889. This provides…
Stellar evolution calculations were carried out from the main sequence to the final AGB stage of stars with initial masses from 1 to $2M_\odot$ and metallicity $Z=0.01$. Selected models of evolutionary sequences were used as initial…
We have carried out a new photometric V,Rc study of 12 protoplanetary nebulae, objects in the short-lived transition between the AGB and PN phases of stellar evolution. These had been the subjects of an earlier study, using data from…
Some Miras -- long-period variables in late evolutionary stages -- have meandering pulsation periods and light curve asymmetries, the causes of which are still unclear. We aim to understand better the origin of these phenomena by…
Period changes of Delta Scuti stars have been collected or redetermined from the available observations and are compared with values computed from evolutionary models with and without convective core overshooting. For the radial pulsators…
Our understanding of large amplitude pulsating stars and their status in stellar evolution is briefly reviewed. The paper then describes the near-infrared light curves of various asymptotic giant branch stars, concentrating on possible…
There is growing observational evidence that the irregular changes in the light curves of certain variable stars might be due to deterministic chaos. Supporting these conclusions, several simple models of non-linear oscillators have been…
Pulsation is believed to be the leading cause of dusty mass loss from Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. We present a temporal study of T Cep, a long-period Mira variable, using seven ISO SWS spectra, covering a 16-month period over a…
The SC and CS stars are thermal-pulsing AGB stars with C/O ratio close to unity. Within this small group, the Mira variable BH Cru recently evolved from spectral type SC (showing ZrO bands) to CS (showing weak C2). Wavelet analysis shows…
The theory of stellar evolution can be more closely tested if we have the opportunity to measure new quantities. Nowadays, observations of galactic RR Lyr stars are available on a time baseline exceeding 100 years. Therefore, we can exploit…
The AAVSO-based historical light curve of the oxygen-rich Mira variable R Leonis is used to determine and analyse the properties of the star's maxima and minima. The pulsation period is found to have shortened by about 3 days over the past…
Evolutionary sequences of AGB stars with initial masses on the main sequence $M_\mathrm{ZAMS}=1.5M_\odot$, $2M_\odot$ and $3M_\odot$ were computed for the initial metallicity $Z=0.014$. Selected models of evolutionary sequences with…