Molecular and Dusty Layers of Asymptotic Giant Branch ...

24 The Messenger 145 September 2011 Markus Wittkowski1 Iva Karovicova1 David A. Boboltz2 Eric Fossat3 Michael Ireland4, 5 Keiichi Ohnaka6 Michael Scholz7, 8 Francois van Wyk9 Patricia Whitelock9, 10 Peter R. Wood11 Albert A. Zijlstra121 ESO2 United States Naval Observatory, Washington, DC, USA3 Laboratoire d Universit d Astrophysique de Nice, France4 Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia5 Australian Astronomical Observatory, Epping, Australia6 Max-Planck Institut f r Radioastrono mie, Bonn, Germany7 Zentrum f r Astronomie, University of Heidelberg, Germany8 School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia9 South African Astronomical Observa tory, Cape Town, South Africa10 Astronomy Dept., University of Cape Town, Rondebusch, South Africa11 Australian National University, Canberra, Australia12 Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester, United KingdomMass loss from Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars is the most important driver for the evolution of low to intermediate mass stars towards planetary nebulae.

sources of chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium. The mass-loss pro - cess originates in the extended atmos-phere, whose structure is affected by stellar pulsations, and where molecular and dusty layers are formed. Optical interferometry resolves the extended ... the opacity of molecular layers, at NIR wavelengths, most importantly H 2O

Tags:

  Course, Stellar, Opacity

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