A number of late [WC] stars have unique infrared properties, not found among the non-[WC] planetary nebulae, and together define a class of IR-[WC] stars. They have unusual IRAS colours, resembling stars in the earliest post-AGB evolution and possibly related to PAH formation. Most or all show a double chemistry, with both a neutral (molecular) oxygen-rich and an inner carbon-rich region. Their dense nebulae indicate recent evolution from the AGB, suggesting a fatal-thermal-pulse (FTP) scenario. Although both the colours and the stellar characteristics predict fast evolution, it is shown that this phase must last for 10^4 yr. The morphologies of the nebulae are discussed. For one object in Sgr, the progenitor mass (1.3 solar masses) is known. The stellar temperatures of the IR-[WC] stars appear much higher in low metallicity systems (LMC, Sgr). This may be indicative of an extended 'pseudo' photosphere. It is proposed that re-accretion of ejected gas may slow down the post-AGB evolution and so extend the life time of the IR-[WC] stars.
We present various infrared two-color diagrams (2CDs) for AGB stars, post-AGB stars, and Planetary Nebulae (PNe) and investigate possible evolutionary tracks. We use catalogs from the available literature for the sample of 4903 AGB stars (3373 O-rich; 1168 C-rich; 362 S-type), 660 post-AGB stars (326 post-AGB; 334 pre-PNe), and 1510 PNe in our Galaxy. For each object in the catalog, we cross-identify the IRAS, AKARI, MSX, and 2MASS counterparts. The IR 2CDs can provide useful information about the structure and evolution of the dust envelopes as well as the central stars. To find possible evol…
Since asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are bright and extended infrared objects, most Galactic AGB stars saturate the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) detectors and therefore the WISE magnitudes that are restored by applying point-spread-function fitting need to be verified. Statistical properties of circumstellar envelopes around AGB stars are discussed on the basis of a WISE AGB catalog verified in this way. We cross-matched an AGB star sample with the WISE All-Sky Source Catalog and the Two Mircon All Sky Survey catalog. Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) spectra of a subsample o…
Using a revised version of the catalog of AGB stars by Suh & Kwon (2009), we present various infrared two-colour diagrams (2CDs) for 3003 O-rich, 1168 C-rich, 362 S-type and 35 silicate carbon stars in our Galaxy. For each object in the new catalog, we cross-identify the AKARI, MSX and 2MASS counterparts by finding the nearest one from the position information in the IRAS PSC. For the large sample of AGB stars, we present infrared two-colour diagrams using IRAS (PSC), AKARI (PSC and BSC), MSX (PSC) and near infrared (K and L bands; including 2MASS data at KS band) data for different classes of…
By tracing the distribution of cool dust in the extended envelopes of post-AGB stars and (proto)-planetary nebulae ((P)PNe) we aim to recover, or constrain, the mass loss history experienced by these stars in their recent past. The Far-Infrared Surveyor (FIS) instrument on board the AKARI satellite was used to obtain far-infrared maps for a selected sample of post-AGB stars and (P)PNe. We derived flux densities (aperture photometry) for 13 post-AGB stars and (P)PNe at four far-infrared wavelengths (60, 90, 140, and 160 um). Radial (azimuthally averaged) profiles are used to investigate the pre…
Obscured by their circumstellar dusty envelopes post-AGB stars emit a large fraction of their energy in the infrared and thus, infrared sky surveys like IRAS were essential for discoveries of post-AGBs in the past. Now, with the AKARI infrared sky survey we can extend our knowledge about the late stages of stellar evolution. The long-term goal of our work is to define new photometric criteria to distinguish new post-AGB candidates from the AKARI data.
We explored an efficient method to identify evolved stars with oxygen-rich envelopes in the late AGB or post-AGB phase of stellar evolution, which include a rare class of objects - the "water fountains". Our method considers the OH and H2O maser spectra, the near infrared Q-parameters (these are colour indices accounting for the effect of extinction), and far-infrared AKARI colours. Here we first present the results of a new survey on OH and H2O masers. There were 108 colour-selected objects: 53 of them were observed in the three OH maser lines (1612, 1665, and 1667 MHz), with 24 detections (1…
Context. The asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase marks the end of the evolution for low- and intermediate-mass stars, which are fundamental contributors to the mass return to the interstellar medium and to the chemical evolution of galaxies. The detailed understanding of mass loss processes is hampered by the poor knowledge of the luminosities and distances of AGB stars. Aims. In a series of papers we are trying to establish criteria permitting a more quantitative determination of luminosities for the various types of AGB stars, using the infrared (IR) fluxes as a basis. An updated compilation…
We investigate infrared properties of OGLE4 Mira variables in our Galaxy. For each object, we cross-identify the AllWISE, 2MASS, Gaia, and IRAS counterparts. We present various IR two-color diagrams (2CDs) and period-magnitude and period-color relations for the Mira variables. Generally, the Mira variables with longer periods are brighter in the IR fluxes and redder in the IR colors. In this work, we also revise and update the previous catalog of AGB stars in our Galaxy using the new sample of OGLE4 Mira variables. Now, we present a new catalog of 74,093 (64,609 O-rich and 9484 C-rich) AGB sta…
The uniform disk (UD) angular diameter measurements of two oxygen-rich Mira variables (AW Aur and BS Aur) and three semiregular (SRb) variables (GP Tau, RS Cap, RT Cap), in near Infrared K-band (2.2 micron) by lunar occultation observations are reported. UD angular diameters of the two Miras and one SRV are first time measurements. In addition a method of predicting angular diameters from (V-K) colour is discussed and applied to the five sources. The effect of mass-loss enhancing measured K-band diameters is examined for Miras using (K-[12]) colour excess as an index. In our sample the measure…
We combine variability information from the MAssive Compact Halo Objects (MACHO) survey of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution (SAGE) survey to create a dataset of ~30 000 variable red sources. We photometrically classify these sources as being on the first ascent of the Red Giant Branch (RGB), or as being in one of three stages along the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB): oxygen-rich, carbon-rich, or highly reddened with indeterminate chemistry ("extreme" AGB candidates). We present linear period-l…
K-band spectra are presented for a sample of 39 Spitzer IRS SAGE-Spec sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra exhibit characteristics in very good agreement with their positions in the near infrared - Spitzer color-magnitude diagrams and their properties as deduced from the Spitzer IRS spectra. Specifically, the near infrared spectra show strong atomic and molecular features representative of oxygen-rich and carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch stars, respectively. A small subset of stars were chosen from the luminous and red extreme "tip" of the color magnitude diagram. These object…
Context. The circumstellar environment of evolved stars is generally rich in molecular gas and dust. Typically, the entire environment is either oxygen-rich or carbon-rich, depending on the evolution of the central star. Aims. In this paper we discuss three evolved disc sources with evidence of atypical emission lines in their infrared spectra. The stars were taken from a larger sample of post-AGB binaries for which we have Spitzer infrared spectra, characterised by the presence of a stable oxygen-rich circumbinary disc. Our previous studies have shown that the infrared spectra of post-AGB dis…
Post-AGB stars are key objects for the study of the dramatic morphological changes of low- to intermediate-mass stars on their evolution from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) towards the Planetary Nebula stage. There is growing evidences that binary interaction processes may very well have a determining role in the shaping process of many objects, but so far direct evidence is still weak. We aim at a systematic study of the dust distribution around a large sample of Post-AGB stars as a probe of the symmetry breaking in the nebulae around these systems. We used imaging in the mid-infrared to s…
A sample of 27 sources, catalogued as pre-main sequence stars by the Pico dos Dias Survey (PDS), is analyzed to investigate a possible contamination by post-AGB stars. The far-infrared excess, due to dust present in the circumstellar envelope, is typical for both categories: young stars and objects that have already left the main sequence and are suffering a severe mass-loss. The presence of two known post-AGB stars in our sample inspired us to seek for other very likely or possible post-AGB objects among PDS sources previously suggested to be Herbig Ae/Be stars, by revisiting the observationa…
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) produce characteristic infrared emission bands that have been observed in a wide range of astrophysical environments, where carbonaceous material is subjected to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Although PAHs are expected to form in carbon-rich AGB stars, they have up to now only been observed in binary systems where a hot companion provides a hard radiation field. In this letter, we present low-resolution infrared spectra of four S-type AGB stars, selected from a sample of 90 S-type AGB stars observed with the infrared spectrograph aboard the Spitzer satelli…
The intermediate-age Magellanic Cloud clusters NGC 1978 and NGC 419 are each found to contain substantial numbers of pulsating AGB stars, both oxygen-rich and carbon-rich. Each cluster also contains two pulsating asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars which are infrared sources with a large mass loss rate. Pulsation masses have been derived for the AGB variables, from the lowest luminosity O-rich variables to the most evolved infrared sources. It is found that the stars in NGC 1978 have a mass of 1.55Msun early on the AGB while the NGC 419 stars have a mass of 1.87Msun early on the AGB. These mas…
The results of our second stage (1998-2018) of the detailed spectroscopy of peculiar supergiants identified with galactic infrared sources, performed mainly at the 6-meter BTA telescope are summarized. The main aspect of the program is a search for the evolutionary variations in the chemical composition of stars, past the AGB stage and the TDU, as well as an analysis of spectral manifestations of kinematic processes in their extended, often unstable, atmospheres and in the envelopes. The most significant result is detection of the s-process element excesses in seven single post-AGB stars, whic…
There is ample evidence for strong magnetic fields in the envelopes of (Post-)Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars as well as supergiant stars. The origin and role of these fields are still unclear. This paper updates the current status of magnetic field observations around AGB, post-AGB stars and describes their possible role during these stages of evolution. The discovery of magnetically aligned dust around a supergiant star is also highlighted. In our search for the origin of the magnetic fields, recent observations show the signatures of possible magnetic activity and rotation, indicating t…
Due to their brightness in infrared, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are in important evolutionary stage to be understood at this wavelength. In particular, in next decades, when the infrared optimised telescopes, such as the JWST and the ELT are in operation, it will be essential to include the AGB phase more precisely into the population synthesis models. However, the AGB phase is still one of the remaining major problems in the stellar evolution. This is because the AGB stellar evolution is strongly affected by the mass-loss process from the stars. It is important to describe mass loss …
We investigate infrared properties of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds using various infrared observational data and theoretical models. We use catalogs for the sample of 4996 AGB stars in our Galaxy and about 39,000 AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds from the available literature. For each object in the sample, we cross-identify the 2MASS, WISE, and Spitzer counterparts. To compare the physical properties of O-rich and C-rich AGB stars in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds, we present IR two color diagrams (2CDs) using various photometric data. We …
In this chapter the focus is on the properties of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars in binary systems. Their Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) are very characteristic: they show a near-infrared excess, indicative of the presence of warm dust, while the central stars are too hot to be in a dust-production evolutionary phase. This allows for an efficient detection of binary post-AGB candidates. It is now well established that the near-infrared excess is produced by the inner rim of a stable dusty disc that surrounds the binary system. These discs are scaled-up versions of protopla…
We present AKARI/IRC observations of a sample of six extremely red IRAS sources, of which three are variable OH/IR stars and the rest are early post-AGB stars. The OH/IR stars show a red continuum with the expected strong 10 micron silicate absorption feature, while the post-AGB stars show an even redder continuum accompanied with a comparably weak silicate absorption. We modelled the spectral energy distributions with DUSTY. While for the OH/IR stars a reasonable fit can be obtained with almost pure silicate dust, the post-AGB stars require a mixture of silicate and carbon-rich dust. We assum…
The literature is rich in analysis and results related to thermally pulsing-asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars, but the problem of the instabilities that arise and cause the divergence of models during the late stages of their evolution is rarely addressed. We investigate the physical conditions, causes and consequences of the interruption in the calculations of massive AGB stars in the late thermally-pulsing AGB phase. We have thoroughly analysed the physical structure of a solar metallicity 8.5 solar mass star and described the physical conditions at the base of the convective envelope (…
The survey for DUST In Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS) has identified hundreds of candidate dust-producing Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in several nearby metal-poor galaxies. We have obtained multi-epoch follow-up observations for these candidates with the Spitzer Space Telescope and measured their infrared (IR) lightcurves. This has allowed us to confirm their AGB nature and investigate pulsation behavior at very low metallicity. We have obtained high-confidence pulsation periods for 88 sources in seven galaxies. We have confirmed DUSTiNGS variable star candidates with a 20% su…
We explore modifications to the current scenario for the slow neutron capture process in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to account for the Pb deficiency observed in post-AGB stars of low metallicity ([Fe/H] ~ -1.2) and low initial mass (~ 1 - 1.5 Msun) in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. We calculated the stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis for a 1.3 Msun star with [Fe/H]=-1.3 and tested different amounts and distributions of protons leading to the production of the main neutron source within the 13C-pocket and proton ingestion scenarios. No s-process models can fully reproduce th…
We present our study on the infrared variability of point sources in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We use the data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Program "Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud" (SAGE-SMC) and the "Spitzer Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud" (S$^{3}$MC) survey, over three different epochs, separated by several months to three years. Variability in the thermal infrared is identified using a combination of Spitzer's IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 $μ$m bands, and the MIPS 24 $μ$m band. An error-weighted…
The survey for DUST in Nearby Galaxies with Spitzer (DUSTiNGS) identified several candidate Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in nearby dwarf galaxies and showed that dust can form even in very metal-poor systems (Z ~ 0.008 $Z_\odot$). Here, we present a follow-up survey with WFC3/IR on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), using filters that are capable of distinguishing carbon-rich (C-type) stars from oxygen-rich (M-type) stars: F127M, F139M, and F153M. We include six star-forming DUSTiNGS galaxies (NGC 147, IC 10, Pegasus dIrr, Sextans B, Sextans A, and Sag DIG), all more metal-poor than the …
Barium (Ba) stars are polluted by material enriched in the slow neutron capture (s-process) elements synthesised in the interior of their former asymptotic giant branch (AGB) companion star, which is now a white dwarf. We compare individual Ba star abundance patterns to AGB nucleosynthesis models to verify if the AGB model mass is compatible with independently derived AGB mass. We selected a sample of 28 Ba stars for which both self-consistent spectroscopic observation and analysis are available and stellar mass determinations, via positioning the star on the HR diagram and comparing with evol…
Galactic globular clusters (GC) are known to have multiple stellar populations and be characterised by similar chemical features, e.g. O-Na anti-correlation. While second-population stars, identified by their Na overabundance, have been found from the main sequence turn-off up to the tip of the red giant branch in various Galactic GCs, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars have rarely been targeted. The recent finding that NGC 6752 lacks an Na-rich AGB star has thus triggered new studies on AGB stars in GCs, since this result questions our basic understanding of GC formation and stellar evolutio…
We present new spectro-photometric NIR observations of 16 post-starburst galaxies especially designed to test for the presence of strong carbon features of thermally pulsing AGB (TP-AGB) stars, as predicted by recent models of stellar population synthesis. Selection based on clear spectroscopic optical features indicating the strong predominance of stellar populations with ages between 0.5 and 1.5 Gyr and redshift around 0.2 allows us to probe the spectral region that is most affected by the carbon features of TP-AGB stars (unaccessible from the ground for z~0 galaxies) in the evolutionary pha…
Lithium is made up in the envelopes of massive Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars through the process of Hot Bottom Burning. In Globular Clusters, this processing is one possible source of the hot-CNO burning whose nuclear products are then ejected into the intracluster medium and take part in the formation of a second stellar generation, explaining the peculiar distribution of chemical elements among the cluster stars. We discuss the lithium yields from AGB stars in the mass range 3-6.3 Msun, and from super-AGB stars of masses in the range 6.5-9 Msun for metallicity Z=0.001. The qualitative …
Recent surveys confirm early results about a deficiency or even absence of CN-strong stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) of globular clusters (GCs), although with quite large cluster-to-cluster variations. In general, this is at odds with the distribution of CN band strengths among first ascent red giant branch (RGB) stars. Norris et al. proposed that the lack of CN-strong stars in some clusters is a consequence of a smaller mass of these stars that cannot evolve through the full AGB phase. In this short paper we found that the relative frequency of AGB stars can change by a factor of t…
Context. Extremely reddened AGB stars lose mass at high rates of >10^-5 Msun/yr. This is the very last stage of AGB evolution, in which stars in the mass range 2.0--4.0 Msun (for solar metallicity) should have been converted to C stars already. The extremely reddened AGB stars in the Galactic bulge are however predominantly O-rich, implying that they might be either low-mass stars or stars at the upper end of the AGB mass range. Aims. To determine the mass range of the most reddened AGB stars in the Galactic bulge. Methods. Using Virtual Observatory tools, we constructed spectral energy distri…
A number of empirical correlations that allows us to calculate the effective temperature and surface gravity for a set evolved post-AGB and RV Tauri stars are determined using as calibrators the intrinsic colours of 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) photometry. We have analyzed a total sample of 36 stars where 25 are post-AGB stars and 11 are RV Tauri stars, respectively. A group of 11 stars with parallaxes measures were used as calibrators of the absolute magnitude. The result for T$_{\rm eff}$ and log g from intrinsic colours (J-H)$_{0}$ and (H-K$_{s}$)$_{0}$ at the near-infrared pass bands …
We present AKARI/IRC and Spitzer/IRS observations of a selected sample of galactic IRAS sources considered to be heavily obscured AGB/post-AGB stars based on their characteristic IRAS colours. All of them are completely invisible in the optical range but extremely bright in the infrared. Based on AKARI and Spitzer spectroscopy and using DUSTY we are able to determine the dominant chemistry of their circumstellar shells as well as the properties of the dust grains contained in these shells. Most of the sources are found to be C-rich (being the reddest C-rich stars observed so far). We find only…
Understanding the nucleosynthesis and evolution of Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars is of primary importance as they are the main producers of some of the key elements in the Universe. They are the predominant sites for the slow neutron-capture nucleosynthesis. The exact physical conditions and nucleosynthetic processes occuring at the interior of AGB stars are not clearly understood, that hinders a better understanding of the contribution of these stars to the Galactic chemical enrichment. The extrinsic stars, which are known to have received products of AGB phase of evolution via binary m…
Post-AGB stars evolve on a very fast track and hence not many are known. Their spectral properties make them, in principle, ideal objects to test our theories on the late phases of stellar evolution. This has, however, proven much more difficult than anticipated, mainly because the morphological, dynamical and chemical diversity in Galactic post-AGB stars is very large indeed. Here I focus on recent results and touch upon the bright near future of post-AGB research.
During the last years, many observational studies have revealed that binaries play an active role in the shaping of non spherical planetary nebulae. We review the different works that lead to the direct or indirect evidence for the presence of binary companions during the Asymptotic Giant Branch, proto-Planetary Nebula and Planetary Nebula phases. We also discuss how these binaries can influence the stellar evolution and possible future directions in the field.
We present the discovery of a source with broadband infrared photometric characteristics similar to Sakurai's Object. WISE J180956.27-330500.2 (hereafter, J1810-3305) shows very red WISE colors, but a very blue 2MASS [K] vs. WISE [W1 (3.4 micron)] color. It was not visible during the IRAS era, but now has a 12 micron flux well above the IRAS point source catalog detection limit. There are also indications of variability in historical optical photographic plates, as well as in multi-epoch AKARI mid-infrared measurements. The broadband infrared spectral energy distribution, post-IRAS brightening…
The S-type stars are believed to have a C/O-ratio close to unity (within a few percent). They are considered to represent an intermediate evolutionary stage as AGB stars evolve from oxygen-rich M-type stars into carbon stars. As possible transition objects the S-type stars could give important clues to the mass-loss mechanism(s) and to the chemical evolution along the AGB. Using observations of circumstellar radio line emission in combination with a detailed radiative transfer analysis, we have estimated mass-loss rates and abundances of chemically important molecules (SiO, HCN) for a sample o…
It is important to properly describe the mass-loss rate of AGB stars, in order to understand their evolution from the AGB to PN phase. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the influence of metallicity on the mass-loss rate, under well determined luminosities. The luminosity of the star is a crucial parameter for the radiative driven stellar wind. Many efforts have been invested to constrain the AGB mass-loss rate, but most of the previous studies use Galactic objects, which have poorly known distances, thus their luminosities. To overcome this problem, we have studied mass loss fro…
We present the results of our search for low- and intermediate mass evolved stars in the outer Galaxy using AllWISE catalogue photometry. We show that the [3.4]-[12] versus [4.6]-[22] colour-colour diagram is most suitable for separating C-rich/O-rich AGB and post- AGB star candidates. We are able to select 2,510 AGB and 24,821 post-AGB star candidates. However, the latter are severely mixed with the known young stellar objects in this diagram.
We present results of a survey of post-asymptotic giant branch stars (post-AGBs) at high galactic latitude. To date, few post-AGB stars are known throughout the Galaxy and the number of known members of the older populations like the galactic halo is even smaller. This study looks at the number of post-AGB stars which are produced using different synthetic population methods and compare the results with observations. The resulting synthetic populations are compared to observational results from a complete and studied subsample from the photographic Palomar-Green (PG) survey (with high resoluti…
Half or more of stars more massive than our Sun are orbited by a companion star in a binary system. Many binaries have short enough orbits that the evolution of both stars is greatly altered by an exchange of mass and angular momentum between the stars. Such mass transfer is highly likely on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) because this is when a star is both very large and has strong wind mass loss. Direct mass transfer truncates the AGB, and its associated nucleosynthesis, prematurely compared to in a single star. In wide binaries we can probe nucleosynthesis in the long-dead AGB primary st…
We present here $Spitzer$ mid-infrared (IR) spectra and modeling of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a selection of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (PAGB) stars. The mid-IR spectra of majority of these sources showed spectral features such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and silicates in emission. Our results from SED modeling showed interesting trends of dependency between the photospheric and circumstellar parameters. A trend of dependency is also noticed between the ratios of equivalent widths (EWs) of various vibrational modes of PAHs and the photospheric temperature T$_{*…
We present 43 GHz VLA spectra for 51 AGB sources with the goal of verifying an infrared (IR) color cut intended to separate Carbon-rich (C) and Oxygen-rich (O) AGB sources throughout the Galaxy. The color cut is a simple line in the $[K_s]-[A]$ versus $[A]-[E]$ color-color diagram based on 2MASS and MSX photometry, and was originally derived from SiO detection rates in the Bulge Asymmetries and Dynamical Evolution (BAaDE) sample. The division is fully supported by the spectra presented here, which show that SiO maser detections lie on the O-rich side, and SiO nondetections and a single HC$_3$N…
This review presents the latest advances in the nebular studies of post-AGB objects. Post-AGB stars are great tools to test nucleosynthesis and evolution models for stars of low and intermediate masses, and the evolution of dust in harsh environment. I will present the newly discovered class of post-RGB stars, formed via binary interaction on the RGB. Binary systems can also lead to the formation of two class of aspherical post-AGB, the Proto-Planetary Nebulae and the naked post-AGBs (dusty RV Taus , a.k.a. Van Winckel's stars).
We present nucleosynthesis predictions for massive (5-7 solar masses) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars of solar metallicity where we delay the onset of the superwind to pulsation periods of P =700-800 days. We found that delaying the superwind in solar metallicity massive AGB stars results in a larger production of s-process elements, something that would be also expected at lower metallicities. These new models and the available observations show that massive C-O core AGB stars in our Galaxy and in the Magellanic Clouds experience considerable third dredge-up (TDU). Thus, if massive AGB st…
An analysis of high-resolution near-infrared spectra of a sample of 45 asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars towards the Galactic bulge is presented. The sample consists of two subsamples, a larger one in the inner and intermediate bulge, and a smaller one in the outer bulge. The data are analysed with the help of hydrostatic model atmospheres and spectral synthesis. We derive the radial velocity of all stars, and the atmospheric chemical mix ([Fe/H], C/O, $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C, Al, Si, Ti, and Y) where possible. Our ability to model the spectra is mainly limited by the (in)completeness of atomic an…
Hot (OB) post-AGB stars are immediate progenitors of planetary nebulae (PNe). Very few hot post-AGB stars are known. Detecting new hot post-AGB candidates and follow-up multiwavelength studies will enable us to further understand the processes during the post-AGB evolution that lead to the formation of PNe. Case-Hamburg OB star surveys and their extension (LS, LSS, and LSE catalogues) and IRAS (point source) catalogues are good sources for detecting new hot post-AGB candidates from low resolution spectroscopy. Spectral types are determined from low resolution optical spectra of 44 stars select…
Although the majority of known binary Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are symbiotic systems (i.e. with a WD as a secondary star), main-sequence companions of AGB stars can be more numerous, even though they are more difficult to find because the primary high luminosity hampers the detection of the companion at visual wavelengths. However, in the ultraviolet the flux emitted by a secondary with T eff > 5500 ~ 6000 K may prevail over that of the primary, and then it can be used to search for candidates to binary AGB stars. In this work, theoretical atmosphere models are used to calculate the…
AGB stars are responsible for producing a variety of elements, including carbon, nitrogen, and the heavy elements produced in the slow neutron-capture process ($s$-elements). There are many uncertainties involved in modelling the evolution and nucleosynthesis of AGB stars, and this is especially the case at low metallicity, where most of the stars with high enough masses to enter the AGB have evolved to become white dwarfs and can no longer be observed. The stellar population in the Galactic halo is of low mass ($\lesssim 0.85M_{\odot}$) and only a few observed stars have evolved beyond the fi…
This paper is part of a larger project in which we systematically study the chemical abundances of Galactic and extragalactic post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars. Lead (Pb) is the final product of the s-process nucleosynthesis and is predicted to have large overabundances with respect to other s-process elements in AGB stars of low metallicities. However, Pb abundance studies of enriched post-AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds show the Pb overabundance is not observed. We used high-resolution UVES and HERMES spectra for detailed spectral abundance studies of our sample of 14 Galactic…
Many disc-type post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars are chemically peculiar, showing underabundances of refractory elements in their photospheres that correlate with condensation temperature. The aim of this paper is to investigate how accretion from a circumbinary disc can cause this phenomenon of depletion and how this impacts the evolution of post-AGB stars. We used the \texttt{MESA} code to evolve stars in the post-AGB phase, while including accretion of metal-poor gas. We compared the models to a sample of 58 observed disc-type post-AGB stars with chemical abundance data. For eac…
The study of the evolutionary properties of Asymptotic Giant Branch stars still presents unresolved topics. Progress in the theoretical understanding of their evolution is hampered by the difficulty to empirically explain key physical parameters like their luminosity, mass loss rate and chemical abundances. We are performing an analysis of Galactic AGB stars trying to find constraints for these parameters. Our aim is of extending this analysis to the AGB stars of the Magellanic Clouds and of the Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies using also mid-infrared observations from the Antarctic telescope IRAIT. …
To measure the mass loss from dusty oxygen-rich (O-rich) evolved stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), we have constructed a grid of models of spherically-symmetric dust shells around stars with constant mass-loss rates using 2Dust. These models will constitute the O-rich model part of the "Grid of Red supergiant and Asymptotic giant branch star ModelS" (GRAMS). This model grid explores 4 parameters - stellar effective temperature from 2100 K - 4700 K; luminosity from 10^3-10^6 L_Sun; dust shell inner radii of 3, 7, 11, and 15 R_Star; and 10.0 micron optical depth from 10^-4 to 26. From a…
(Abridged) In the recent controversy about the role of TP-AGB stars in evolutionary population synthesis (EPS) models of galaxies, one particular aspect is puzzling: TP-AGB models aimed at reproducing the lifetimes and integrated fluxes of the TP-AGB phase in Magellanic Cloud (MC) clusters, when incorporated into EPS models, are found to overestimate the TP-AGB contribution in resolved star counts and integrated spectra of galaxies. In this paper, we call attention to a particular evolutionary aspect that in all probability is the main cause of this conundrum. As soon as stellar populations in…
We present a complete study of the morphology of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. Post-AGB is a very short evolutionary phase between the end of the AGB and the beginning of the Planetary Nebula (PN) stage (between 100 and 10,000 yrs). We have defined the end of the post-AGB phase and the beginning of the PN phase when the star is hot enough to fully ionize the hydrogen envelope. Post-AGB stars have a circumstellar shell that is illuminated by the central stars or partially ionized. However, this circumstellar shell is too small to be resolved from ground-based observations. Thus, we …
We identify three isotopic tracers that can be used to constrain the $^{13}C$-pocket and show the correlated isotopic ratios of Sr and Ba in single mainstream presolar SiC grains. These newly measured data can be explained by postprocess AGB model calculations with large $^{13}C$-pockets with a range of relatively low $^{13}C$ concentrations, which may suggest that multiple mixing processes contributed to the $^{13}C$-pocket formation in parent AGB stars.
