Related papers: High-gravity central stars
We explore modifications to the current scenario for the slow neutron capture process in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to account for the Pb deficiency observed in post-AGB stars of low metallicity ([Fe/H] ~ -1.2) and low initial mass…
We calculate NLTE models of stellar winds of hot compact stars (central stars of planetary nebulae and subdwarf stars). The studied range of subdwarf parameters is selected to cover a large part of these stars. The models predict the wind…
We discuss velocity variations in different layers of an AGB star's atmosphere. Periodic and nonperiodic changes are observed. From a large sample of data we derive mean velocity curves for miras and semiregular variables.
We present our recent results on mm-wave CO observations of proto-planetary nebulae. These include high-resolution interferometric maps of various CO lines in three well known bipolar PPNe: M1-92, M2-56 and OH231.8+4.2. The global…
We present the first attempt to determine the iron abundance in hot central stars of planetary nebulae. We perform an analysis with fully metal-line blanketed NLTE model atmospheres for a sample of ten stars (T_eff >= 70.000 K) for which…
We describe a self-consistent spectrum analysis technique employing non-LTE line formation, which allows precise atmospheric parameters of massive stars to be derived: 1sigma-uncertainties as low as ~1% in effective temperature and…
To better understand the mixing and mass loss experienced by low-mass stars as they ascend the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), I have gathered from the literature the abundances of CNO and s-process elements in post-AGB stars in Galactic…
Based on high-resolution spectral observations for a sample of very metal-poor stars, we investigate how well stellar chemical abundances can be derived with available theoretical methods and computational tools.
We have carried out an infrared search for obscured AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds. The survey uncovered a number of obscured AGB stars as well as some supergiants with infrared excess. We present photometry of the sources and discuss…
The detected variety in chemistry and circumstellar shell morphology of the limited sample of Galactic post-AGB stars is so large that there is no consensus yet on how the different objects are linked by evolutionary channels. The…
GRB afterglows close to their peak intensity are among the brightest sources in the sky. We discuss how GRB optical-to-X-ray afterglows can be used as probes of the metal enrichment of the interstellar matter in the GRB host galaxies and of…
I summarize the results of 15 years of research on the surface abundances of stars in globular clusters. Globular-cluster stars afford a unique view of the physical processes that shape the surface abundances of stars on and beyond the…
We report the results of an exploratory program to image the extended circumstellar envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in dust-scattered galactic light. The goal is to characterize the morphology of the envelopes as a probe of…
The heavy mass loss observed in evolved asymptotic giant branch stars is usually attributed to a two-step process: atmospheric levitation by pulsation-induced shock waves, followed by radiative acceleration of newly formed dust grains.…
We describe the first results from our project aimed at large-scale calculations of NLTE abundance corrections for important astrophysical atoms and ions. In this paper, the focus is on Fe which is a proxy of stellar metallicity and is…
We present a first systematic investigation of the iron abundance in very hot (Teff>50,000K) hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars. Our sample comprises 16 PG1159 stars and four DO white dwarfs. We use recent FUSE observations as well as HST…
We present early time, high resolution spectroscopy of three GRB afterglows: GRB050730, GRB050922C and GRB060418. These data give us precious information on the kinematics, ionization and metallicity of the interstellar matter of GRB host…
The study of the content, distribution and kinematics of interstellar gas is a key to understand the origin and maintenance of both starburst and nuclear (AGN) activity in galaxies. The processes involved in AGN fueling encompass a wide…
Barium stars are extrinsic Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. They present the s-enhancement characteristic for AGB and post-AGB stars, but are in an earlier evolutionary stage (main sequence dwarfs, subgiants, red giants). They are…
The search for binarity in AGB stars is of critical importance for our understanding of how planetary nebulae acquire the dazzling variety of aspherical shapes which characterises this class. However, detecting binary companions in such…