836 research outputs found
THROES: a caTalogue of HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars. I. PACS range spectroscopy
This is the first of a series of papers presenting the THROES (A caTalogue of
HeRschel Observations of Evolved Stars) project, intended to provide a
comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic results obtained in the
far-infrared (55-670 microns) with the Her- schel space observatory on
low-to-intermediate mass evolved stars in our Galaxy. Here we introduce the
catalogue of interactively reprocessed PACS (Photoconductor Array Camera and
Spectrometer) spectra covering the 55-200 microns range for 114 stars in this
category for which PACS range spectroscopic data is available in the Herschel
Science Archive (HSA). Our sample includes objects spanning a range of
evolutionary stages, from the asymptotic giant branch to the planetary nebula
phase, displaying a wide variety of chemical and physical properties. The
THROES/PACS catalogue is accessible via a dedicated web-based inter- face
(https://throes.cab.inta-csic.es/) and includes not only the science-ready
Herschel spectroscopic data for each source, but also complementary photometric
and spectroscopic data from other infrared observatories, namely IRAS (Infrared
Astronomical Satellite), ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) or AKARI, at
overlapping wavelengths. Our goal is to create a legacy-value Herschel dataset
that can be used by the scientific community in the future to deepen our
knowledge and understanding of these latest stages of the evolution of
low-to-intermediate mass stars.Comment: 38 page
Why are massive O-rich AGB stars in our Galaxy not S-stars?
We present the main results derived from a chemical analysis carried out on a
large sample of galactic O-rich AGB stars using high resolution optical
spectroscopy (R~40,000-50,000) with the intention of studying their lithium
abundances and/or possible s-process element enrichment. Our chemical analysis
shows that some stars are lithium overabundant while others are not. The
observed lithium overabundances are interpreted as a clear signature of the
activation of the so-called ``Hot Bottom Burning'' (HBB) process in massive
galactic O-rich AGB stars, as predicted by the models. However, these stars do
not show the zirconium enhancement (taken as a representative for the s-process
element enrichment) associated to the third dredge-up phase following thermal
pulses. Our results suggest that the more massive O-rich AGB stars in our
Galaxy behave differently from those in the Magellanic Clouds, which are both
Li- and s-process-rich (S-type stars). Reasons for this unexpected result are
discussed. We conclude that metallicity is probably the main responsible for
the differences observed and suggest that it may play a more important role
than generally assumed in the chemical evolution of AGB stars.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of the conference
"Planetary Nebulae as astronomical tools" held in Gdansk, Poland, jun 28/jul
02, 200
New observations and models of circumstellar CO line emission of AGB stars in the Herschel SUCCESS programme
CONTEXT: Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are in one of the latest
evolutionary stages of low to intermediate-mass stars. Their vigorous mass loss
has a significant effect on the stellar evolution, and is a significant source
of heavy elements and dust grains for the interstellar medium. The mass-loss
rate can be well traced by carbon monoxide (CO) line emission.
AIMS: We present new Herschel HIFI and IRAM 30m telescope CO line data for a
sample of 53 galactic AGB stars. The lines cover a fairly large range of
excitation energy from the line to the line, and even the
line in a few cases. We perform radiative transfer modelling for 38
of these sources to estimate their mass-loss rates.
METHODS: We used a radiative transfer code based on the Monte Carlo method to
model the CO line emission. We assume spherically symmetric circumstellar
envelopes that are formed by a constant mass-loss rate through a smoothly
accelerating wind.
RESULTS: We find models that are consistent across a broad range of CO lines
for most of the stars in our sample, i.e., a large number of the circumstellar
envelopes can be described with a constant mass-loss rate. We also find that an
accelerating wind is required to fit, in particular, the higher-J lines and
that a velocity law will have a significant effect on the model line
intensities. The results cover a wide range of mass-loss rates (
to ) and gas expansion
velocities (2 to km s), and include M-, S-, and C-type AGB stars.
Our results generally agree with those of earlier studies, although we tend to
find slightly lower mass-loss rates by about 40%, on average. We also present
"bonus" lines detected during our CO observations.Comment: 36 page
- …