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Infrared Observations of Late Type Stars
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
Abstract
Substantative mass-loss resulting in appreciable circumstellar dust envelopes is common in late-type stars. The evolutionary history and physical state of a cool star determine the chemistry within the outer stellar atmosphere mirrored by the molecular and particulate material present in the envelope. The observational consequences of this debri determined by moderate spectral resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 50-100) infrared spectrophotometry are reviewed. Significant information is provided by observations of the emergent energy flux of both the cool stellar photosphere and of the circumstellar dust envelope. While most of the infrared features observed in late-type stars can be plausibly identified, an as yet unknown emission mechanism marked by strong infrared band structure is known to be operative in a variety of infrared sources. The observed range in shell optical depth in both M and C stars suggests that mass-loss occurs to some degree throughout late stellar evolutionary phases and that occasional periods of high mass-loss are not uncommon.
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- Part III: Evolved Stars
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- Copyright
- Copyright © Veröff. Der Remeis-Sterwarte 1977
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