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High angular resolution observations of AGB stars
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 December 2019
Abstract
Mass loss of AGB stars is a key process for the late stages of evolution of low and intermediate mass stars and the chemical enrichment of galaxies. It is not fully understood yet, as it is the result of a complex combination of pulsation, convection, chemistry, shocks and dust formation.
In this review I present what high angular resolution observations can teach us about this mass-loss process. Instruments such as SPHERE/VLT, Gravity and AMBER at the VLTI, and ALMA give us the possibility to map AGB stars from the optical to millimetre wavelengths with resolutions down to 1 milliarcsec. Moving from the surface of the star outwards, I present how high angular resolution observations can now produce images of the surface of the closest AGB stars and study convective motion at their surfaces, map their extended molecular atmospheres and the seeds for dust. The dust formation zone can also be mapped and its dust content characterized with mid-infrared interferometry, while ALMA can map the gas and its kinematics. I will conclude by showing how high angular resolution can help us study the impact of a companion on mass loss.
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- © International Astronomical Union 2019