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- Mattsson, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Mass loss evolution and the formation of detached shells around TP-AGB stars
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 470:1, s. 339-352
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: The origin of the so called “detached shells” around AGB stars is not fully understood, but two common hypotheses state that these shells form either through the interaction of distinct wind phases or an eruptive mass loss associated with a He-shell flash. We present a model of the formation of detached shells around thermal pulse asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars, based on detailed modelling of mass loss and stellar evolution, leading to a combination of eruptive mass loss and wind interaction. Aims: The purpose of this paper is first of all to connect stellar evolution with wind and mass loss evolution and demonstrate its consistency with observations, but also to show how thin detached shells around TP-AGB stars can be formed. Previous attempts to link mass loss evolution with the formation of detached shells were based on approximate prescriptions for the mass loss and have not included detailed modelling of the wind formation as we do here. Methods: Using stellar parameters sampled from an evolutionary track for a 2 ~M_ȯ star, we have computed the time evolution of the atmospheric layers and wind acceleration region during a typical thermal pulse with detailed radiation hydrodynamical models including dust formation. Based on these results, we simulate the subsequent circumstellar envelope (CSE) evolution using a spherical hydrodynamic model. Results: We find that existing simple mass loss prescriptions all suggest different mass loss evolutions and that they differ from our detailed wind modelling. The most important factor for the formation of a detached shell is the wind velocity evolution which has a strong impact on the wind interaction and the resulting pile-up of matter. Our CSE model shows that a thin shell structure may be formed as a consequence of a rather short phase of intense mass loss in combination with a significant variation in the wind velocity, as obtained by our wind models. This situation can only be obtained for a limited range of amplitudes for the piston boundary used in the dynamic atmosphere models. Conclusions: The combined mass loss eruption and wind interaction scenario for the formation of detached shells around AGB stars (suggested by previous work) is confirmed by the present modelling. Changes in mass loss rate and wind velocity due to a He-shell flash are adequate for creating distinct wind phases and a “snow plow effect” that is necessary to form a geometrically thin detached shell. The derived properties of the shell (i.e. radius, thickness and density) are more or less consistent with existing observational constraints.
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| 2. |
- Mattsson, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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On the Connection between Mass Loss and Evolution of C-rich AGB Stars
- 2007
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Ingår i: Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars: Their Importance as Actors and Probes. - 9781583813188 ; , s. 239-243
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The mass-loss properties of carbon rich AGB stars are not very well constrained at present. A variety of empirical or theoretical formulae with different parameterisations are available in the literature and the agreement between them is anything but good. These simple mass-loss prescriptions are nonetheless used in many models of stellar evolution without much consideration of their applicability in various cases. We present here an on-going project aiming at a better description of the mass loss, that could be used to improve stellar evolution models -- especially the evolution during the TP-AGB phase. As a first step, we have considered the mass-loss evolution during a He-shell flash. Using stellar parameters sampled from a stellar evolutionary track, we have computed the time evolution of the atmospheric layers and wind acceleration region during a flash event with detailed frequency-dependent radiation-hydrodynamical models including dust formation. We find that existing simple mass-loss prescriptions imply mass-loss evolutions different than our model. Based on these results, we have also simulated the subsequent long-term dynamical evolution of the circumstellar envelope (CSE), including the formation of a detached shell. The second step of the project deals with the dependence of mass loss on the basic stellar parameters. At the moment we are computing a large grid of wind models for C-rich AGB stars. Preliminary results show that simple parameterisations are difficult to obtain in certain regions of the parameter space considered, due to strong non-linearities in the wind mechanism.
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