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Mass Loss from Red Giant Branch (and AGB) Stars in Globular Clusters Andrea Dupree Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics AGB Workshop: 20 May 2010
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Stellar Evolution Outline is solid Important aspects unresolved: mass loss, Second parameter…. Globular clusters a classical testing ground to confront these issues
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Problems remain Mass loss necessary for evolution, but not detected directly Mass lost not found in globular clusters Metallicity [Fe/H] creates differences (‘first parameter’), but…something else is at work…(‘second parameter’) Candidates for 2 nd parameter: total cluster mass; age; environment; free-floating planets; primordial He abundance; post-mixing surface He abundance; CNO abundance; stellar rotation; mass loss; more than one… Here focus on mass loss from the cool stars …
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How to detect mass loss Cool stars with 2 relevant attributes (based on the Sun, mostly) 1.Chromosphere and coronas T >T photosphere 2. Dynamics controlled by magnetic field configuration: not spherically symmetric. 3. Dust (historic mass loss) Thus, need to choose diagnostics wisely, and expect variability Yohkoh x-ray image of Sun Model of metal-poor giant
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Hectochelle at MMT Meszaros, S. et al. 2008, 2009, AJ Fibre (240)-fed echelle (A. Szentgyorgyi & D. Fabricant) R~34,000; 1 degree FOV Outstanding for cluster studies
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Dynamics from H-α Wing emission present in luminous stars Asymmetry varies But H-alpha core shift/asymmetry always indicates outflow (or static) Suggests pulsation in lower layers creates steady outflow at top of chromosphere Meszaros et al. 2009, AJ Red giants in M92
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Dynamics from H-α H-α core shift largest for luminous stars Velocities 0-~15 km s -1 ; variability in AGB stars Outflow speeds may distinguish AGB from RGB Meszaros et al. 2008 Meszaros et al. 2009 Flows are outflows; not escape speeds signaling a wind.
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Higher up… Ca II K Ca K 3 ( ● ) indicates higher outflow velocity than H-α (×) Meszaros et al. 2009, AJ K3K3 Magellan spectra of Omega Cen giants
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So, what about the mass loss rate? Only reliable way for M_dot from H-α uses non-LTE spherical models with mass flow Semi-empirical models of the atmospheres constructed for ~20 globular cluster red giants (M15, M92, M13) to match profiles Meszaros et al 2009
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Current ‘laws’ overestimate mass loss Mass loss increases with L and with decreasing T EFF Suggestion of metallicity dependence Rates are ~order magnitude less than ‘Reimers’ and IR results Meszaros et al 2009 ‘Dust’ rate (to be corrected; Boyer et al. 2010) “Reimer’s rate”
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AGB Stars with ‘dust’ Filled squares mark dusty AGB stars id’d by Spitzer (Boyer et al. 2006) H-α bisector velocity similar to stars with no dust. H-α mass loss rate similar to stars with no dust. K479 K421 K479 K421
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K825 in M15 (RGB/AGB at tip) Direct evidence for pulsation McDonald, I. et al. 2010, MNRAS ΔT [K] ΔL [solar luminosities] NO dust in K825: pulsations do not lead to dust production Pulsation period: ~350 days; LPV; [Fe/H]=-2.5 SED validates change in T and Luminosity Accelerating outflows
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Abundances returned to the ism… A lesson from the Sun… The helium abundance found in the solar wind varies depending on solar activity and wind speed…. (Kasper et al. 2007) YEAR HELIUM ABUNDANCE
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Conclusions Developing a consistent picture of mass loss in metal poor stars H-alpha, Ca K give evidence for accelerating fast outflows from the majority of metal-poor field RGB and AGB stars AGB objects show faster outflows and more variability than RGB stars No difference in dynamics between ‘dusty’ stars and stars with no IR excess Pulsation can drive outflow without dust Inferred mass loss provides confirmation needed for stellar evolution calculations
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