Related papers: Stellar Structure and Mass Loss on the Upper AGB
New stellar models with mass ranging between 4 and 8 Mo, Z=0 and Y=0.23 are presented. The models have been evolved from the pre Main Sequence up to the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB). At variance with previous claims, we find that these…
Observational evidence for strong magnetic fields throughout the envelopes of evolved stars is increasing. Many of the instruments coming on line in the near-future will be able to make further contributions to this field. Specifically,…
I discuss recent new models of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch stellar evolution. These models aim to clarify the evolutionary origin and status of a variety of hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars such as central stars of planetary nebulae of…
I suggest that the behavior of the photospheric opacity in oxygen-rich (similar to solar abundance) upper asymptotic giant branch stars may cause these stars to substantially expand for a few thousand years. I term this process…
In the course of a systematic exploration of the uncertainties associated to the input micro- and macro-physics in the modeling of the evolution of intermediate mass stars during their Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase, we focus on the…
Although most white dwarf stars have hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, a significant fraction have atmospheres in which hydrogen is spectroscopically absent, with the fraction of hydrogen-free atmospheres varying with effective temperature.…
Recent advances in constructing stellar evolution models of hydrogen-deficient post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are presented. Hydrogen-deficiency can originate from mixing and subsequent convective burning of protons in the deeper…
Stars with initial masses between $\sim0.8$ and 8~$M_\odot$ present copious mass loss during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) at the end of their lives. The accepted mass-loss mechanism requires radiation pressure acting on dust grains…
We investigate the uncertainty in surface abundances and yields of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. We apply three different mass loss laws to a 1.5 solar mass star of metallicity Z=0.008 at the beginning of the thermally pulsing…
Post-AGB stars are key objects for the study of the dramatic morphological changes of low- to intermediate-mass stars on their evolution from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) towards the Planetary Nebula stage. There is growing evidences…
Eleven nearby (<300 pc), short-period (50-130 days) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars were observed in the CO J = (2-1) line. Detections were made towards objects that have evidence for dust production (Ks-[22] >~ 0.55 mag; AK Hya, V744…
The study of post asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars is a valuable tool to study still poorly known aspects of the evolution of the stars through the AGB. This is due to the accurate determination of their surface chemical composition…
Current implementations of the stellar atmosphere typically derive boundary conditions for the interior model from either grey plane-parallel atmospheres or scaled solar atmospheres, neither of which can be considered to have appropriate…
Since 2013 we are performing with the Nancay Radio Telescope (NRT) a monitoring program of >100 Galactic disk OH/IR stars, having bright 1612-MHz OH maser emission. The variations of the maser emission are used to probe the underlying…
The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase is the penultimate stage of evolution for low- and intermediate-mass stars. AGB star outflows inject a significant amount of material into the interstellar medium (ISM), seeding new star formation.…
Recent observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope enable us to study the mid-infrared dust excess of Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using mid-infrared spectra, together with photometric data from…
Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary…
The goal is to build up a simple dynamical model for the out-flowing circumstellar envelope around AGB stars in a wide binary system to explore the parameter dependence of the geometrical characteristics of column density patterns. An AGB…
The studies focused on the Thermally-Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch phase experienced by low- and intermediate-mass stars are extremely important in many astrophysical contexts. In particular, a detailed computation of their chemical…
We investigate the population of cool, evolved stars in the Local Group dwarf elliptical galaxy M32, using Infrared Array Camera observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope. We construct deep mid-infrared colour-magnitude diagrams for the…