A Systematic Study of Mid-Infrared Emission from Core-Collapse Supernovae with SPIRITS
Samaporn Tinyanont, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Ori D. Fox, Ryan Lau, Nathan Smith, Robert Williams, Jacob Jencson, Daniel Perley, Devin Dykhoff, Robert Gehrz, Joel Joha… 展开作者
Samaporn Tinyanont, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Ori D. Fox, Ryan Lau, Nathan Smith, Robert Williams, Jacob Jencson, Daniel Perley, Devin Dykhoff, Robert Gehrz, Joel Johansson, Schuyler D. Van Dyk, Frank Masci, Ann Marie Cody, Tom Prince
We present a systematic study of mid-infrared (mid-IR) emission from 141 nearby supernovae (SNe) observed with the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) on Spitzer.These SNe reside in one of the 190 galaxies within 20 Mpc drawn from the ongoing SPIRITS program. We detect 8 Type Ia SNe and 36 core-collapse SNe. All Type I SNe become undetectable within 3 years of explosion. About 22$\pm$11% of Type II SNe continue to be detected at late-times. Dust luminosity, temperature, and a lower liit on mass are obtained by fitting the SED using photometry with IRAC bands 1 and 2. The mass estimate does not distinguish between pre-existing and newly produced dust. We observe warm dust masses between $10^{-2}$ and $10^{-6}$ $\rm M_{\odot}$ and dust temperatures from 200 K to 1280 K.We present detailed case studies of two extreme Type II-P SNe: SN 2011ja and 2014bi. SN 2011ja was over-luminous ([4.5] = -15.6 mag) at 900 days post-explosion accompanied by the growing dust mass. This suggests either an episode of dust formation or an intensifying CSM interactions heating up pre-existing dust. SN 2014bi showed a factor of 10 decrease in dust mass over one month suggesting either an episode of dust destruction or a fading source of dust heating. A rebrightening of the Type Ib SN 2014C is observed and attributed to CSM interactions. This observation adds to a small number of stripped-envelope SNe that have mid-IR excess. The observations suggest that the CSM shell around SN 2014C is originated from an LBV-like eruption roughly 100 years before the explosion. We also report detections of SN1974E, 1979C, 1980K, 1986J, and 1993J detected more than 20 years post-explosion. The number of outlying SNe identified in this work demonstrates the power of late time mid-IR observations of a large sample of SNe to identify events with unusual evolution.
SPIRITS---SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey---is an ongoing survey of nearby galaxies searching for infrared (IR) transients with Spitzer/IRAC. We present the discovery and follow-up observations of one of our most luminous ($M_{[4.5]} = -17.1\pm0.4$ mag, Vega) and red ($[3.6] - [4.5] = 3.0 \pm 0.2$ mag) transients, SPIRITS 15c. The transient was detected in a dusty spiral arm of IC 2163 ($D\approx35.5$ Mpc). Pre-discovery ground-based imaging revealed an associated, shorter-duration transient in the optical and near-IR (NIR). NIR spectroscopy showed a broad ($\approx 8400$ km s$^{-…
The mid-infrared (mid-IR) wavelength regime offers several advantages for following the late-time evolution of supernovae (SNe). First, the peaks of the SN spectral energy distributions shift toward longer wavelengths following the photospheric phase. Second, mid-IR observations suffer less from effects of interstellar extinction. Third, and perhaps most important, the mid-IR traces dust formation and circumstellar interaction at late-times (>100 days) after the radioactive ejecta component fades. The Spitzer Space Telescope has provided substantial mid-IR observations of SNe since its launch …
We present the mid-infrared (MIR) light curves (LC) of 10 superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) at $z<0.12$ based on WISE data at 3.4 and 4.6 $μ$m. Three of them, including PS15br, SN 2017ens, and SN 2017err show rebrightening which started at 200--400 days and ended at 600--1000 days, indicating the presence of dust. In four of the left seven SLSNe, dust emission was detected with monochromatic luminosities of $10^7\sim10^8\ L_\odot$ at epochs of 100--500 days based on MIR colors $W1-W2\sim1$. Among the three SLSNe which show rebrightening, we further analysed PS15br and SN 2017ens. We modeled the…
Here we present new - and, nevertheless, last - mid-infrared (mid-IR) data for supernovae (SNe) based on measurements with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Comparing our recent 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m photometry with previously published mid-IR and further multiwavelength datasets, we were able to draw some conclusions about the origin and heating mechanism of the dust in these SNe or in their environments, as well as on possible connection with circumstellar matter (CSM) originating from pre-explosion mass-loss events in the progenitor stars. We also present new results regarding both certain SN classes…
The environmental dependence of mid-IR luminous dusty Supernovae
Hebei University（河北大学）；Institute of Space Sciences (ICE, CSIC)（空间科学研究所（ICE，CSIC））；University of Szeged（塞格德大学）；Space Telescope Science Institute（太空望远镜科学研究所）；Carnegie Mellon University（卡内基梅隆大学）
We present Spitzer/IRAC observations of dust formation from six extragalactic carbon-rich Wolf-Rayet (WC) binary candidates in low-metallicity (Z $\lesssim0.65$ Z$_\odot$) environments using multi-epoch mid-infrared (IR) imaging data from the SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS). Optical follow-up spectroscopy of SPIRITS~16ln, 19q, 16df, 18hb, and 14apu reveals emission features from C IV $\lambda5801\text{-}12$~and/or the C III-IV $\lambda4650$ He II $\lambda4686$~blend that are consistent with early-type WC stars. We identify SPIRITS~16ln as the variable mid-IR counterpart …
We present an ongoing, systematic search for extragalactic infrared transients, dubbed SPIRITS --- SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey. In the first year, using Spitzer/IRAC, we searched 190 nearby galaxies with cadence baselines of one month and six months. We discovered over 1958 variables and 43 transients. Here, we describe the survey design and highlight 14 unusual infrared transients with no optical counterparts to deep limits, which we refer to as SPRITEs (eSPecially Red Intermediate Luminosity Transient Events). SPRITEs are in the infrared luminosity gap between novae and supe…
We present multi-epoch mid-infrared (IR) photometry and the optical discovery observations of the "impostor" supernova (SN) 2010da in NGC 300 using new and archival Spitzer Space Telescope images and ground-based observatories. The mid-IR counterpart of SN 2010da was detected as SPIRITS 14bme in the SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transient Survey (SPIRITS), an ongoing systematic search for IR transients. A sharp increase in the 3.6 $μ$m flux followed by a rapid decrease measured ~150 d before and ~80 d after the initial outburst, respectively, reveal a mid-IR counterpart to the coincident optical …
Classic massive binary evolutionary scenarios predict that a transitional common-envelope (CE) phase could be preceded as well as succeeded by the evolutionary stage when a binary consists of a compact object and a massive star, that is, a high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB). The observational manifestations of common envelope are poorly constrained. We speculate that its ejection might be observed in some cases as a transient event at mid-infrared (IR) wavelengths. We estimate the expected numbers of CE ejection events and HMXBs per star formation unit rate, and compare these theoretical estimates …
WTP19aalnxx: Discovery of a bright mid-infrared transient in the emerging class of low luminosity supernovae revealed by delayed circumstellar interaction
Supernovae have long been proposed to be efficient dust producers in galaxies. Observations in the mid-infrared indicate that dust forms a few hundred days after the stellar explosion. Yet, the chemical type and the amount of dust produced by supernovae are not well quantified. In this review, we summarise our current knowledge of dust formation derived from observations of supernovae, present the various theoretical models on dust synthesis and their predictions, and discuss these results in the context of the most recent observations of dust in supernova remnants.
A growing number of observations reveal a subset of Type Ia supernovae undergoing circumstellar interaction (SNe Ia-CSM). We present unpublished archival Spitzer Space Telescope data on SNe Ia-CSM 2002ic and 2005gj obtained > 1300 and 500 days post-discovery, respectively. Both SNe show evidence for late-time mid-infrared (mid-IR) emission from warm dust. The dust parameters are most consistent with a pre-existing dust shell that lies beyond the forward-shock radius, most likely radiatively heated by optical and X-ray emission continuously generated by late-time CSM interaction. In the case of…
We present a study of SN 2009js in NGC 918. Multi-band Kanata optical photometry covering the first ~120 days show the source to be a Type IIP SN. Reddening is dominated by that due to our Galaxy. One-year-post-explosion photometry with the NTT, and a Subaru optical spectrum 16 days post-discovery, both imply a good match with the well-studied subluminous SN 2005cs. The plateau phase luminosity of SN 2009js and its plateau duration are more similar to the intermediate luminosity IIP SN 2008in. Thus, SN 2009js shares characteristics with both subluminous and intermediate luminosity SNe. Its rad…
Multidimensional Nebular-Phase Calculations of Dynamically-Driven Double-Degenerate Double-Detonation Models for Type Ia Supernovae
Queen’s University Belfast（贝尔法斯特女王大学）；Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)（宇宙黎明中心）；Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen（哥本哈根大学尼尔斯·玻尔研究所）；GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung（重离子研究中心）；Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik（马克斯·普朗克天体物理研究所）；School of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin（都柏林三一学院物理系）；Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien（海德堡理论研究所）
SPIRITS--the SPitzer InfraRed Intensive Transients Survey--searched for luminous infrared (IR) transients and variables in nearly 200 nearby galaxies from 2014 to 2019, using the warm Spitzer telescope at 3.6 and 4.5 microns. Among the SPIRITS variables are IR-bright objects that are undetected in ground-based optical surveys. We classify them as (1) transients, (2) periodic variables, and (3) irregular variables. The transients include "SPRITE"s (eSPecially Red Intermediate-luminosity Transient Events), having maximum luminosities fainter than supernovae, red IR colors, and a wide range of ou…
Recent observations suggest that Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) may exhibit late-time (>100 days) infrared (IR) emission from warm dust more than other types of core-collapse SNe. Mid-IR observations, which span the peak of the thermal spectral energy distribution, provide useful constraints on the properties of the dust and, ultimately, the circumstellar environment, explosion mechanism, and progenitor system. Due to the low SN IIn rate (<10% of all core-collapse SNe), few IR observations exist for this subclass. The handful of isolated studies, however, show late-time IR emission from warm du…
Two main physical mechanisms are used to explain supernova explosions: thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf(Type Ia) and core collapse of a massive star (Type II and Type Ib/Ic). Type Ia supernovae serve as distance indicators that led to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe. The exact nature of their progenitor systems however remain unclear. Radio emission from the interaction between the explosion shock front and its surrounding CSM or ISM provides an important probe into the progenitor star's last evolutionary stage. No radio emission has yet been detected from T…
We present Spitzer observations at 3.6 and 4.5um of the supernova SN2011dh (PTF11eon) in M51 from 18 days to 625 days after explosion. The mid-infrared emission peaks at 24 days after explosion at a few times 10^7 Lsun, and decays more slowly than the visible-light bolometric luminosity. The infrared color temperature cools for the first 90 days and then is constant. Simple numerical models of a thermal echo can qualitatively reproduce the early behavior. At late times, the mid-IR light curve cannot be explained by a simple thermal echo model, suggesting additional dust heating or line emissio…
Supernovae Type Iax (SNe Iax) are less energetic and less luminous than typical thermonuclear explosions. A suggested explanation for the observed characteristics of this subclass is a binary progenitor system consisting of a CO white dwarf primary accreting from a helium star companion. A single-degenerate explosion channel might be expected to result in a dense circumstellar medium (CSM), although no evidence for such a CSM has yet been observed for this subclass. Here we present recent Spitzer observations of the SN Iax 2014dt obtained by the SPIRITS program nearly one year post-explosion t…
Core-collapse supernovae (CC SNe), especially those of type II-plateau (II-P), are thought to be important contributors to cosmic dust production. The most obvious indicator of the presence of newly-formed and/or pre-existing dust is the time-dependent mid-infrared (MIR) excess coming from the environment of SNe. Our goal was to collect publicly available, previously unpublished measurements on type II-P (or peculiar IIP) SNe from the Spitzer database. The temporal changes of the observed fluxes may be indicative of the underlying supernova, while spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting to …
We present ultraviolet line identifications of near maximum-light HST observations of SN 2011fe using synthetic spectra generated from both SYNOW and $\texttt{PHOENIX}$. We find the spectrum to be dominated by blends of iron group elements Fe, Co, and Ni (as expected due to heavy line blanketing by these elements in the UV) and for the first time identify lines from C IV and Si IV in a supernova spectrum. We also find that classical delayed detonation models of Type Ia supernovae are able to accurately reproduce the flux levels of SN 2011fe in the UV. Further analysis reveals that photionizati…
Some metal-poor stars have abundance patterns which are midway between the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron capture processes. We show that the helium shell of a fast rotating massive star experiencing a jet-like explosion undergoes two efficient neutron capture processes: one during stellar evolution and one during the explosion. It eventually provides a material whose chemical composition is midway between the s- and r-process. A low metallicity 40~$M_{\odot}$ model with an initial rotational velocity of $\sim 700$~km~s$^{-1}$ was computed from birth to pre-supernova with a nuclear network fol…
On-sky performance and prospects of near-infrared CMOS detectors in exoplanet detection: first year of SPIRIT
Cavendish Laboratory（卡文迪许实验室）；ETH Zurich（苏黎世联邦理工学院）；Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)（加那利群岛天体物理研究所）；Astrobiology Research Unit, Université de Liège（列日大学天体生物学研究单元）；Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院地球、大气与行星科学系）；School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Birmingham（伯明翰大学物理与天文学院）
We present mid-infrared (IR) light curves of the Ultraluminous X-ray Source (ULX) Holmberg II X-1 from observations taken between 2014 January 13 and 2017 January 5 with the \textit{Spitzer Space Telescope} at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m in the \textit{Spitzer} Infrared Intensive Transients Survey (SPIRITS). The mid-IR light curves, which reveal the first detection of mid-IR variability from a ULX, is determined to arise primarily from dust emission rather than from a jet or an accretion disk outflow. We derived the evolution of the dust temperature ($T_\mathrm{d}\sim600 - 800$ K), IR luminosity ($L_\mat…
We present an extensive analysis of the late-time mid-infrared (mid-IR) evolution of Type IIb SN 1993J from 10 up to 26 years post-explosion based on archival $-$ mostly previously unpublished $-$ photometric data of Spitzer Space Telescope in conjunction with an archival IRS spectrum. SN 1993J is one of the best-studied supernovae (SNe) with an extensive, decade-long multi-wavelength dataset published in various papers; however, its detailed late-time mid-IR analysis is still missing from the literature. Mid-IR data follows not just the continuously cooling SN ejecta but also late-time dust f…
Electron-capture Supernova Candidates from Light Curves: Implications for Their Progenitors and Explosion Properties
The University of Tokyo（东京大学）；National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences（日本国立天文台，国立自然科学研究所）；Astronomical Science Program, Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI（SOKENDAI高等研究院天文学研究项目）；Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Konan University（近畿大学理工学部物理学科）；NRC Kurchatov Institute（库尔恰托夫国家研究中心）；Sternberg Astronomical Institute, MSU（莫斯科国立大学斯特恩伯格天文研究所）；Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics RAS（俄罗斯科学院凯尔迪什应用数学研究所）；School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University（蒙纳士大学物理与天文学院）
Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) are a rare (< 10%) subclass of core-collapse SNe that exhibit relatively narrow emission lines from a dense, pre-existing circumstellar medium (CSM). In 2009, a warm Spitzer survey observed 30 SNe IIn discovered in 2003 - 2008 and detected 10 SNe at distances out to 175 Mpc with unreported late-time infrared emission, in some cases more than 5 years post-discovery. For this single epoch of data, the warm-dust parameters suggest the presence of a radiative heating source consisting of optical/X-ray emission continuously generated by ongoing CSM interaction. Here we…
The effect of metallicity on the observed light of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) could lead to systematic errors as the absolute magnitudes of local and distant SNe Ia are compared to measure luminosity distances and determine cosmological parameters. The UV light may be especially sensitive to metallicity, though different modeling methods disagree as to the magnitude, wavelength dependence, and even the sign of the effect. The outer density structure, ^56 Ni, and to a lesser degree asphericity, also impact the UV. We compute synthetic photometry of various metallicity-dependent models and comp…
We present a time series of 8 - 13 $μ$m spectra and photometry for SN 2014J obtained 57, 81, 108, and 137 d after the explosion using CanariCam on the Gran Telescopio Canarias. This is the first mid-IR time series ever obtained for a Type Ia supernova. These observations can be understood within the framework of the delayed detonation model and the production of $\sim$0.6 $\rm M_\odot$ of $^{56}$Ni, consistent with the observed brightness, the brightness decline relation, and the $γ$-ray fluxes. The [Co III] line at 11.888 $μ$m is particularly useful for evaluating the time evolution of the ph…
The spectral signatures of asymmetry in Type Ia Supernova (SN Ia) explosions are investigated, using a sample of late-time nebular spectra. First, a kinematical model is constructed for SN Ia 2003hv, which can account for the main features in its optical, Near-Infrared (NIR), and Mid-Infrared (Mid-IR) late-time spectra. It is found that an asymmetric off-center model can explain the observed characteristics of SN 2003hv. This model includes a relatively high density, Fe-rich region which displays a large velocity off-set, and a relatively low density, extended 56Ni-rich region which is more sp…
Modelling the red-blue asymmetries seen in the broad emission lines of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) is a powerful technique to quantify total dust mass formed in the ejecta at late times ($>5$ years after outburst) when ejecta dust temperatures become too low to be detected by mid-IR instruments. Following our success in using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code DAMOCLES to measure the dust mass evolution in SN~1987A and other CCSNe, we present the most comprehensive sample of dust mass measurements yet made with DAMOCLES, for CCSNe aged between four and sixty years after outburst. Our…
SN 2004et is one of the nearest and best-observed Type IIP supernovae, with a progenitor detection as well as good photometric and spectroscopic observational coverage well into the nebular phase. Based on nucleosynthesis from stellar evolution/explosion models we apply spectral modeling to analyze its 140-700 day evolution from ultraviolet to mid-infrared. We find a M_ZAMS= 15 Msun progenitor star (with an oxygen mass of 0.8 Msun) to satisfactorily reproduce [O I] 6300, 6364 Å and other emission lines of carbon, sodium, magnesium, and silicon, while 12 Msun and 19 Msun models under- and overp…
The measurement of precise absolute fluxes for stellar sources has been pursued with increased vigor since the discovery of the dark energy and the realization that its detailed understanding requires accurate spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of redshifted Ia supernovae in the rest frame. The flux distributions of spectrophotometric standard stars were initially derived from the comparison of stars to laboratory sources of known flux but are now mostly based on calculated model atmospheres. For example, pure hydrogen white dwarf (WD) models provide the basis for the HST CALSPEC archive of …
Observational signatures of thermonuclear electron-capture supernovae -- Ne II line strengthening and color evolution as traces of the explosion mechanism
Heidelberger Institut für Theoretische Studien（海德堡理论研究所）；Queen’s University Belfast（贝尔法斯特女王大学）；Los Alamos National Laboratory（洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室）；Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik（海德堡大学天体物理中心，理论天体物理研究所）；Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik（马克斯·普朗克天体物理研究所）；Sapienza Università di Roma, Dipartimento di Fisica（罗马智慧大学，物理系）；Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin（都柏林三一学院，都柏林大学）；GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung（GSI亥姆霍兹重离子研究中心）
Recent observations of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) suggest that some of the progenitor white dwarfs (WDs) had masses up to 2.4-2.8 M_sun, highly exceeding the Chandrasekhar mass limit. We present a new single degenerate (SD) model for SN Ia progenitors, in which the WD mass possibly reaches 2.3-2.7 M_sun. Three binary evolution processes are incorporated; optically thick winds from mass-accreting WDs, mass-stripping from the binary companion star by the WD winds, and WDs being supported by differential rotation. The WD mass can increase by accretion up to 2.3 (2.7) M_sun from the initial value…
Multi-Wavelength Identification of a Luminous Mid-Infrared Supernova Powered by Circumstellar Interaction with Binary-Driven Pre-supernova Mass Loss
Columbia University（哥伦比亚大学）；Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute（西蒙斯基础研究所计算天体物理中心）；California Institute of Technology（加州理工学院）；The Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science（卡内基科学机构天文台）
We present new data for five under-luminous type II-plateau supernovae (SNe IIP), namely SN 1999gn, SN 2002gd, SN 2003Z, SN 2004eg and SN 2006ov. This new sample of low-luminosity SNe IIP (LL SNe IIP) is analyzed together with similar objects studied in the past. All of them show a flat light curve plateau lasting about 100 days, an under luminous late-time exponential tail, intrinsic colours that are unusually red, and spectra showing prominent and narrow P-Cygni lines. A velocity of the ejected material below 10^3 km/s is inferred from measurements at the end of the plateau. The 56Ni masses …
We measure the decay rate of the mid-IR luminosity from type Ia supernova 2011fe between six months and one year after explosion using Spitzer/IRAC observations. The fading in the 3.6 micron channel is 1.48+/-0.02 mag/100d, which is similar to that seen in blue optical bands. The supernova brightness fades at 0.78+/-0.02 mag/100d in the 4.5 micron channel which is close to that observed in the near-IR. We argue that the difference is a result of doubly ionized iron-peak elements dominating the bluer IRAC band while singly ionized species are controlling the longer wavelength channel. To test t…
Nucleosynthesis in the Accretion-induced Collapse of magnetised, Rotating White Dwarfs
ETH Zürich（苏黎世联邦理工学院）；Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik（马克斯·普朗克引力物理研究所）；Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto University（京都大学汤川理论物理研究所）
R Coronae Borealis stars (RCBs) are hydrogen-deficient and carbon-rich supergiant stars. They are very rare, as only $\sim50$ are actually known in our Galaxy. Interestingly, RCBs are strongly suspected to be the evolved merger product of two white dwarfs and could therefore be an important tool to understand Supernovae type Ia in the double degenerate scenario. Constraints on the spatial distribution and the formation rate of such stars are needed to picture their origin and test it in the context of actual population synthesis results. To do so, it is crucial to increase significantly the nu…
Narrow absorption features in nearby supernova (SN) spectra are a powerful diagnostic of the slow-moving material in the line of sight: they are extensively used to infer dust extinction from the host galaxies, and they can also serve in the detection of circumstellar material originating from the SN progenitor and present in the vicinity of the explosion. Despite their wide use, very few studies have examined the biases of the methods to characterize narrow lines, and not many statistical analyses exist. This is the first paper of a series in which we present a statistical analysis of narrow …
The experiment on recording neutrino bursts operates since the mid-1980. As the target, we use two parts of the facility with the total mass of 240 tons. The current status of the experiment and some results related to the investigation of background events and the stability of facility operation are presented. Over the period of June 30, 1980 to December 31, 2018, the actual observational time is 33.02 years. No candidate for the stellar core collapse has been detected during the observation period. An upper bound of the mean frequency of core collapse supernovae in our Galaxy is 0.070 year$^…
Recent observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope enable us to study the mid-infrared dust excess of Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Using mid-infrared spectra, together with photometric data from the SAGE programme, we establish a colour selection of carbon-rich AGB stars with intermediate and high mass-loss rates. We also established mass-loss rate versus colour relations for carbon-rich AGB stars. The integrated mass-loss rate over all intermediate and high mass-loss rate carbon-rich AGB candidates in the LMC is 8.5x10^-3 solar mass per year. This…
Betelgeuse, one of the most studied red supergiant stars, dimmed in the optical by ~1.2 mag between late 2019 and early 2020, reaching an historical minimum called "the Great Dimming." Thanks to enormous observational effort to date, two hypotheses remain that can explain the Dimming: a decrease in the effective temperature and an enhancement of the extinction caused by newly produced circumstellar dust. However, the lack of multi-wavelength monitoring observations, especially in the mid infrared where emission from circumstellar dust can be detected, has prevented us from closely examining th…
