Related papers: AGB stars in extragalactic systems
Stars evolving off the asymptotic giant branch and passing through spectral types F and A are excellent candidates for a new extragalactic candle. These post-AGB (PAGB) stars are the brightest members of Population II systems. They should…
We present new optical broad-band (UBVRI) aperture polarimetric observations of 53 post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars selected to exhibit a large near-infrared excess. 24 out of the 53 stars (45% of our sample) are presented for the…
Emission and absorption line observations of molecules in late-type stars are a vital component in our understanding of stellar evolution, dust formation and mass loss in these objects. The molecular composition of the gas in the…
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 determinations of element abundances in red-giant stars and in particular in AGB stars are reviewed and the resulting abundances are compared with those obtained for planetary nebulae in the Galaxy and in nearby galaxies. The problems,…
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…
AGB variables, particularly the large amplitude Mira type, are a vital step on the distance scale ladder. They will prove particularly important in the era of space telescopes and extremely large ground-based telescopes with adaptive…
The Thermally-Pulsating Asymptotic Giant Branch (TP-AGB) phase of stellar evolution has received attention only recently in galaxy evolution, but is now an important player in our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve. Because it is…
This thesis is aimed at clarifying one of the least studied phases of stellar evolution: the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). Recent results obtained for Galactic globular clusters (GCs) suggest that the AGB stage may contain crucial…
Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are important players in the chemical evolution modelling of galaxies, because they are major producers of several chemical elements and excellent tracers of the structure and of the star formation…
Binary systems in the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase are widely recognized as a leading theoretical framework underpinning the observed asymmetric morphologies of planetary nebulae. However, the detection of binary companions in AGB…
Intermediate mass stars (1-8 solar masses) evolve along the Asymptotic Giant Branch after completion of hydrogen and helium core burning. At the tip they lose for several ten to hundred thousand years copious amounts of mass and exhibit…
Multiple stellar populations (MPs) are a distinct characteristic of Globular Clusters (GCs). Their general properties have been widely studied among main sequence, red giant branch (RGB) and horizontal branch (HB) stars, but a common…
Wide-field JHKs near-infrared observations covering an area of 1.8x1.8 sq. deg. centred on M33 were obtained using WFCAM at UKIRT. These data show a large population of intermediate-age asymptotic giant branch stars (AGB). We have used both…
We have carried out a search for optically visible post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). First, we selected candidates with a mid-IR excess and then obtained their optical spectra. We…
To investigate the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population in the Galactic halo, we search for pulsating AGB stars at a heliocentric distance over 50kpc. Our research is based on the Catalina Southern Survey (CSS) catalogue of variables,…
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…
B[e] stars are among the most peculiar objects in the sky. This spectral type, characterised by allowed and forbidden emission lines, and a large infrared excess, does not represent an homogenous class of objects, but instead, a mix of…
Due to their brightness in infrared, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are in important evolutionary stage to be understood at this wavelength. In particular, in next decades, when the infrared optimised telescopes, such as the JWST and…
Some recent results on AGB research in the Magellanic Clouds are reviewed. Discussed are optical and IRAS based surveys, and recent results from the near-infrared DENIS survey, and ISO observations.