Related papers: Mid-IR Imaging of AGB Circumstellar Envelopes

In this contribution we give a progress report on our systematic study of a large sample of post-AGB stars. The sample stars were selected on the basis of their infrared colours and the selection criteria were tuned to discover objects with…

Low- and intermediate-mass stars go through a period of intense mass-loss at the end of their lives in a phase known as the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). During the AGB a significant fraction of their initial mass is expelled in a stellar…

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 analyse continuum and molecular emission, observed with ALMA, from the dust-enshrouded intermediate-mass AGB star OH 30.1 -0.7. We find a secondary peak in the continuum maps, "feature B", separated by 4.6" from the AGB star, which…

We investigate the evolution of oxygen- and carbon-rich AGB stars, post-AGB objects, and planetary nebulae using data collected mainly from the MSX catalogue. Magnitudes and colour indices are compared with those calculated from a grid of…

Condensation of circumstellar dust begins with formation of molecular clusters close to the stellar photosphere. These clusters are predicted to act as condensation cores at lower temperatures and allow efficient dust formation farther away…

We present a SOFIA FORCAST grism spectroscopic survey to examine the mineralogy of the circumstellar dust in a sample of post-asymptotic giant branch yellow supergiants that are believed to be the precursors of planetary nebulae. Our…

By tracing the distribution of cool dust in the extended envelopes of post-AGB stars and (proto)-planetary nebulae ((P)PNe) we aim to recover, or constrain, the mass loss history experienced by these stars in their recent past. The…

This paper explores the effects of post-AGB winds driven solely by magnetic pressure from the stellar surface. It is found that winds can reach high speeds under this assumption, and lead to the formation of highly collimated…

I present integrated colors and surface brightness fluctuation magnitudes in the mid-IR, derived from stellar population synthesis models that include the effects of the dusty envelopes around thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch…

Using a radiation-hydrodynamics code I follow the formation of planetary nebulae around stars of different mass. Because a more massive central star evolves much faster than a lower mass one, it is to be expected that this will affect the…

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are good tracers of the Galactic structure. They are bright in the infrared and can therefore be detected even in the most obscured regions of the Galaxy. Maser emission from their circumstellar envelopes…

The goal of this study is to reconstruct the evolution and the dust formation processes during the final AGB phases of a sample of carbon-rich, post-AGB Galactic stars, with particular attention to the determination of the past mass-loss…

We present a new model atmosphere analysis of nine central stars of planetary nebulae. This study is based on a new generation of realistic stellar model atmospheres for hot stars; state-of-the-art, hydrodynamically consistent, spherically…

We report sub-arcsecond imaging of extended mid-infrared emission from a proto-planetary nebula (PPN), \iras 22272+5435, performed at the MMT observatory with its newly upgraded 6.5 m aperture telescope and at the Keck observatory. The…

Context: Red super-giant (RSG) stars exhibit significant mass loss through a slow and dense wind. They are often considered to be the more massive counter parts of Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. While the AGB mass loss is linked to…

The winds of cool luminous AGB stars are commonly assumed to be driven by radiative acceleration of dust grains which form in the extended atmospheres produced by pulsation-induced shock waves. The dust particles gain momentum by absorption…

We discuss the basic physical model and the relevant processes responsible for creating and shaping planetary nebulae out of a cool AGB wind envelope. We show that a hydrodynamical treatment along the upper AGB leads quite naturally to more…

AGB stars are the primary source of dust and complex molecules in the interstellar medium. The determination of outflow parameters is often hindered by the unknown geometry of the circumstellar environment, creating a demand for…

Context: Stars evolving through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase provide significant feedback to their host system, in form of both gas enriched in nuclear-burning products and dust formed in their winds, which they eject into the…