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13 - The effects of mass loss on stellar evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

Henny J. G. L. M. Lamers
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
Joseph P. Cassinelli
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Summary

Mass loss has a profound effect on the evolution of stars. In the case of stars with initial masses greater than about 30 M, mass loss occurs at a considerable rate throughout their whole life. So it affects their evolution from the beginning to the end. In the case of lower mass stars, mass loss is only important in the late stages of their evolution. For those stars only their late evolution is changed dramatically by mass loss. In this chapter we discuss some of the important effects of mass loss on the evolution of the stars. We first discuss the effects in general terms. Later we discuss the evolution of massive stars and of low mass stars under the influence of mass loss. We describe two characteristic examples in some detail: the evolution of a massive star of 60 M in § 13.2 and of a low mass star of 3 M in § 13.3. The effect of mass loss on stellar evolution has been described in several reviews: e.g. Iben and Renzini (1983), Chiosi and Maeder (1986) and at several conferences: e.g. Mennessier and Omont (1990) and Leitherer et al. (1996).

The main effects of mass loss

Changes in the surface composition

The outer layers of stars are peeled off by mass loss. Nuclear fusion occurs in the interior of stars. This nuclear fusion changes the chemical composition and the abundance ratios of the elements in the layers where the fusion occurs.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1999

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