An explosive end to intermediate-mass zero-metallicity stars and early Universe nucleosynthesis

We use the Cambridge stellar evolution code stars to model the evolution of 5 and  7 M_⊙  zero-metallicity stars. With enhanced resolution at the hydrogen- and helium-burning shell in the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phases, we are able to model the entire thermally pulsing AGB (TP-AGB) phase. The helium luminosities of the thermal pulses are significantly lower than in higher metallicity stars so there is no third dredge-up. The envelope is enriched in nitrogen by hot-bottom burning of carbon that was previously mixed in during second dredge-up. There is no s -process enrichment owing to the lack of third dredge-up. The thermal pulses grow weaker as the core mass increases and they eventually cease. From then on the star enters a quiescent burning phase which lasts until carbon ignites at the centre of the star when the CO core mass is  1.36 M_⊙  . With such a high degeneracy and a core mass so close to the Chandrasekhar mass, we expect these stars to explode as type 1.5 supernovae, very similar to type Ia supernovae but inside a hydrogen-rich envelope.     

AGB star intershell abundances inferred from UV spectra of extremely hot post-AGB stars

The hydrogen-deficiency in extremely hot post-AGB stars of spectral class PG1159 is probably caused by a (very) late helium-shell flash or a AGB final thermal pulse that consumes the hydrogen envelope, exposing the usually-hidden intershell region. Thus, the photospheric element abundances of these stars allow us to draw conclusions about details of nuclear burning and mixing processes in the precursor AGB stars. We compare predicted element abundances to those determined by quantitative spectral analyses performed with advanced non-LTE model atmospheres. A good qualitative and quantitative agreement is found for many species (He, C, N, O, Ne, F, Si, Ar) but discrepancies for others (P, S, Fe) point at shortcomings in stellar evolution models for AGB stars. Almost all of the chemical trace elements in these hot stars can only be identified in the UV spectral range. The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope played a crucial role for this research.     

Evolution on the AGB and beyond: on the formation of H-deficient post-AGB stars

The evolution on the AGB and beyond is reviewed with respect to the origin of Wolf-Rayet central stars. We focus on thermal pulses due to their particular importance for the evolution of hydrogen deficient stars. It is shown that overshoot applied to all convection regions is a key ingredient to model these objects leading to intershell abundances already close to the surface abundances of Wolf-Rayetcentral stars. In contrast to standard evolutionary calculations, overshoot models do show dredge up for very low envelope masses and efficient dredge up was found even during the post-AGB stage. Three thermal pulse scenarios for Wolf-Rayet central stars can nowbe distinguished: an AGB Final Thermal Pulse (AFTP) occurring at the very end of the AGB evolution, a Late Thermal Pulse (LTP) occurring during the post-AGBevolution when hydrogen burning is still on, and a Very Late Thermal Pulse (VLTP) occurring on the cooling branch when hydrogen burning has already ceased. All scenarios lead to hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars with carbon and oxygen abundances as observed for Wolf-Rayet stars.Hydrogen is either diluted by dredge up (AFTP, LTP) or completely burnt (VLTP).     

The infrared [WC] stars

A number of late [WC] stars have unique infrared properties, not foundamong the non-[WC] planetary nebulae, and together define a class of IR-[WC]stars. They have unusual IRAS colours, resembling stars in theearliest 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 indicaterecent evolution from the AGB, suggesting a fatal-thermal-pulse (FTP)scenario. Although both the colours and the stellar characteristicspredict fast evolution, it is shown that this phase must last for10⁴ yr. The morphologies of the nebulae are discussed. Forone object in Sgr, the progenitor mass (1.3 M_⊙) is known.The stellar temperatures of the IR-[WC] stars appear much higher inlow metallicity systems (LMC, Sgr). This may be indicative of anextended `pseudo' photosphere. It is proposed that re-accretion ofejected gas may slow down the post-AGB evolution and so extend the lifetime of the IR-[WC] stars.     

Abundances in intermediate-mass AGB stars undergoing third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning

High-dispersion near-infrared spectra have been taken of seven highly evolved, variable, intermediate-mass (4–6 M_⊙) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud in order to look for C, N and O variations that are expected to arise from third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning. The pulsation of the objects has been modelled, yielding stellar masses, and spectral synthesis calculations have been performed in order to derive abundances from the observed spectra. For two stars, abundances of C, N, O, Na, Al, Ti, Sc and Fe were derived and compared with the abundances predicted by detailed AGB models. Both stars show very large N enhancements and C deficiencies. These results provide the first observational confirmation of the long-predicted production of primary nitrogen by the combination of third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning in intermediate-mass AGB stars. It was not possible to derive abundances for the remaining five stars: three were too cool to model, while another two had strong shocks in their atmospheres which caused strong emission to fill the line cores and made abundance determination impossible. The latter occurrence allows us to predict the pulsation phase interval during which observations should be made if successful abundance analysis is to be possible.     

The evolution of low-metallicity asymptotic giant branch stars and the formation of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars

We investigate the behaviour of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars between metallicities   Z = 10⁻⁴  and 10⁻⁸. We determine which stars undergo an episode of flash-driven mixing, where protons are ingested into the intershell convection zone, as they enter the thermally pulsing AGB phase and which undergo third dredge-up. We find that flash-driven mixing does not occur above a metallicity of   Z = 10⁻⁵  for any mass of star and that stars above  2 M_⊙  do not experience this phenomenon at any metallicity. We find carbon ingestion (CI), the mixing of carbon into the tail of hydrogen-burning region, occurs in the mass range  2 M_⊙  to around  4 M_⊙  . We suggest that CI may be a weak version of the flash-driven mechanism. We also investigate the effects of convective overshooting on the behaviour of these objects. Our models struggle to explain the frequency of Carbon-Enhanced Metal-Poor (CEMP) stars that have both significant carbon and nitrogen enhancement. Carbon can be enhanced through flash-driven mixing, CI or just third dredge-up. Nitrogen can be enhanced through hot bottom burning and the occurrence of hot dredge-up also converts carbon into nitrogen. The C/N ratio may be a good indicator of the mass of the primary AGB stars.     

Stellar evolution and mass loss on the asymptotic giant branch

Mass loss dominates the stellar evolution on the Asymptotic Giant Branch. The phase of highest mass-loss occurs during the last 1–10% of the AGB and includes the so-called Miras and OH/IR stars. In this review I will discuss the characteristics and evolution of especially Miras, and discuss how they are linked to the mass loss. There are indications that high mass-loss rates are only reached for relatively young stars with massive progenitors. The mass loss rates vary both on long and short time scales: the short-term variations are likely linked to luminosity variations associated with the thermal-pulse cycle. The influence of mass loss in the post-AGB phase is also discussed.     

The eccentricities of the barium stars

We investigate the eccentricities of barium (Ba  ii ) stars formed via a stellar wind accretion model. We carry out a series of Monte Carlo simulations using a rapid binary evolution algorithm, which incorporates full tidal evolution, mass loss and accretion, and nucleosynthesis and dredge-up on the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch. We follow the enhancement of barium in the envelope of the accreting main-sequence companion and dilution into its convective envelope once the star ascends the giant branch.
The observed eccentricities of Ba  ii stars are significantly smaller than those of an equivalent set of normal red giants but are nevertheless non-zero. We show that such a distribution of eccentricities is consistent with a wind accretion model for Ba  ii star production with weak viscous tidal dissipation in the convective envelopes of giant stars. We successfully model the distribution of orbital periods and the number of observed Ba  ii stars. The actual distribution of eccentricities is quite sensitive to the strength of the tides, so that we are able to confirm that this strength is close to, but less than, what is expected theoretically and found with alternative observational tests. Two systems – one very short-period but eccentric, and one long-period and highly eccentric – still lie outside the envelope of our models, and so require a more exotic formation mechanism. All our models, even those which were a good fit to the observed distributions, overproduced the number of high-period barium stars, a problem that could not be solved by some combination of the three parameters: tidal strength, tidal enhancement and wind accretion efficiency.     

对OH/IR星演化的模型研究

渐近巨星分支恒星 (AGB星 )是一种晚期演化恒星 ,它是恒星作为以核反应释能为发光能源的天体的最后演化阶段。AGB星阶段的恒星具有许多有趣的性质 ,如很大的质量损失率 (因此形成很厚的拱星尘埃气体包层 ) ,光变 ,热脉动 (或He闪耀 ) ,强的红外超量发射 ,分子脉泽发射等 ,弄清AGB星的演化规律是研究恒星演化理论的重要任务。目前人们所知道的AGB星的演化图景是 ,恒星经过漫长的主序演化之后 ,将经过红巨星 (RGB)阶段 ,然后才进入AGB阶段 ,在其演化过程中AGB星的光度和质量损失率要逐渐增大 ,它的光变周期也逐渐变长 ,在其中心星经历了一系列的由He核反应不稳定性引起的热脉动之后 ,它的质量损失很快停止 ,恒星开始向行星状星云 (PN)演化 ,最后行星状星云将会变成一个白矮星 ,这将是许多初始质量不很大的恒星的最终结局。OH/IR星阶段是AGB星演化的一个阶段 ,OH/IR星是那些质量稍大的恒星在AGB阶段后期演化而成的天体。现阶段人们对OH/IR星的具体演化过程还知道得很少。我们利用了球对称包层中的尘埃辐射转移模型来研究OH/IR星的演化性质 ,并且收集了尽量多的具有可靠距离的OH/IR星来研究他们的光度和质量损失率的演化性质。在本文的研究工作中 ,我们主要讨论了OH/IR星在远红外双色图中的分布规律 ,还发现     

8M_■恒星演化过程中湍流应力作用效果的分析

以恒星结构与演化理论中常用的混合程理论为基础,将湍流作用表现出来的宏 观应力引入恒星结构与演化模型中的流体静力学平衡方程．通过计算8M(?)恒星从主序星 到早期AGB星演化过程中湍流应力梯度与引力的比值来研究湍流作用对恒星演化与结构 的影响．结果发现:在核燃烧阶段其比值很小,湍流作用几乎可以忽略;但在RGB和早 期AGB演化阶段,发现在恒星外部存在一个湍流应力梯度为引力的几倍到几十倍的很小 区域,而该小区域以外的对流区内湍流作用力能达到引力的65％,这些对AGB星的中心 温度变化与热脉动发生的时间等恒星结构与演化规律有不同程度的影响．     

An essay on stellar oscillations and evolution

It is cautioned that solar models adjusted in such a way as to achieve a match between theoretical solar oscillation characteristics and observed ones may produce neutrino fluxes inconsistent with the observations and that this is likely to be explicable as a deficiency in modeling that portion of the envelope which is most strongly affected by uncertainties in the treatment of convection. Then follows a summary of how the results of pulsation theory and of stellar evolution theory have been used together to learn about the structure and evolution of RR Lyrae stars, classical Cepheids, and high luminosity AGB stars.     

Short‐lived radioactivity in the early solar system: The Super‐AGB star hypothesis

Abstract– The composition of the most primitive solar system condensates, such as calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) and micron‐sized corundum grains, show that short‐lived radionuclides (SLR), e.g., ²⁶Al, were present in the early solar system. Their abundances require a local or stellar origin, which, however, is far from being understood. We present for the first time the abundances of several SLR up to ⁶⁰Fe predicted from stars with initial mass in the range approximately 7–11 M_⊙. These stars evolve through core H, He, and C burning. After core C burning they go through a “Super”‐asymptotic giant branch (Super‐AGB) phase, with the H and He shells activated alternately, episodic thermal pulses in the He shell, a very hot temperature at the base of the convective envelope (approximately 10⁸ K), and strong stellar winds driving the H‐rich envelope into the surrounding interstellar medium. The final remnants of the evolution of Super‐AGB stars are mostly O–Ne white dwarfs. Our Super‐AGB models produce ²⁶Al/²⁷Al yield ratios approximately 0.02–0.26. These models can account for the canonical value of the ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio using dilutions with the solar nebula of the order of 1 part of Super‐AGB mass per several 10² to several 10³ of solar nebula mass, resulting in associated changes in the O‐isotope composition in the range Δ¹⁷O from 3 to 20‰. This is in agreement with observations of the O isotopic ratios in primitive solar system condensates, which do not carry the signature of a stellar polluter. The radionuclides ⁴¹Ca and ⁶⁰Fe are produced by neutron captures in Super‐AGB stars and their meteoritic abundances are also matched by some of our models, depending on the nuclear and stellar physics uncertainties as well as the meteoritic experimental data. We also expect and are currently investigating Super‐AGB production of SLR heavier than iron, such as ¹⁰⁷Pd.     

The interaction of planetary nebulae and their asymptotic giant branch progenitors with the interstellar medium

Interaction with the interstellar medium (ISM) cannot be ignored in understanding planetary nebula (PN) evolution and shaping. In an effort to understand the range of shapes observed in the outer envelopes of PNe, we have run a comprehensive set of three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, from the beginning of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) superwind phase until the end of the post-AGB/PN phase. A 'triple-wind' model is used, including a slow AGB wind, fast post-AGB wind and third wind reflecting the linear movement through the ISM. A wide range of stellar velocities, mass-loss rates and ISM densities have been considered.
We find that ISM interaction strongly affects outer PN structures, with the dominant shaping occurring during the AGB phase. The simulations predict four stages of PN–ISM interaction whereby (i) the PN is initially unaffected, (ii) then limb-brightened in the direction of motion, (iii) then distorted with the star moving away from the geometric centre, and (iv) finally so distorted that the object is no longer recognizable as a PN and may not be classed as such. Parsec-size shells around PNe are predicted to be common. The structure and brightness of ancient PNe are largely determined by the ISM interaction, caused by rebrightening during the second stage; this effect may address the current discrepancies in Galactic PN abundance. The majority of PNe will have tail structures. Evidence for strong interaction is found for all known PNe in globular clusters.     

Extrasolar planets and the rotation and axisymmetric mass-loss of evolved stars

I examine the implications of the recently found extrasolar planets on the planet-induced axisymmetric mass-loss model for the formation of elliptical planetary nebulae (PNe). This model attributes the low departure from spherical mass-loss of upper asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars to envelope rotation which results from deposition of orbital angular momentum of the planets. Since about half of all PNe are elliptical, i.e., have low equatorial to polar density contrast, it was predicted that about 50 per cent of all Sun-like stars have Jupiter-like planets around them, i.e., a mass about equal to that of Jupiter, M _J, or more massive. In the light of the new findings that only 5 per cent of Sun-like stars have such planets, and a newly proposed mechanism for axisymmetric mass-loss, the cool magnetic spots model, I revise this prediction. I predict that indeed ∼50 per cent of PN progenitors do have close planets around them, but the planets can have much lower masses, as low as ∼0.01 M _J, in order to spin-up the envelopes of AGB stars efficiently. To support this claim, I follow the angular momentum evolution of single stars with main-sequence mass in the range of 1.3–2.4 M_⊙ , as they evolve to the post-AGB phase. I find that single stars rotate much too slowly to possess any significant non-spherical mass-loss as they reach the upper AGB. It seems, therefore, that planets, in some cases even Earth-like planets, are sufficient to spin-up the envelope of these AGB stars for them to form elliptical PNe. The prediction that on average several such planets orbit each star, as in the Solar system, still holds.     

低质量AGB星重元素的核合成

本文以（１３）Ｃ（α，ｎ）（１６）Ｏ作为中子源，考虑到恒星核心质量随热脉冲数的变化及星风、超星风质量损失的影响，采用从（５６）Ｆｅ到（２１０）Ｂｉ的无分支ｓ过程反应通道，拟合了ＭＳ、Ｓ的重元素超丰．本文特别将恒星质量与ＡＧＢ内Ｓ过程核合成模型结合起来讨论．结果表明质量较大的恒星因对流较强而稀释因子较大，ＭＳ、Ｓ星在轻、重Ｓ元素丰度关系图中分别落入四个不同区域，由此可以粗略估计这些恒星的质量．２．５Ｍ　的ＡＧＢ星形成具有环状空腔的星体，最后演化成Ｔｃ—ｎｏ单星，可以解释双星系统伴星为主序星的ＡＧＢ星无Ｔｃ现象．     

Mass loss of stars on the asymptotic giant branch

As low- and intermediate-mass stars reach the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), they have developed into intriguing and complex objects that are major players in the cosmic gas/dust cycle. At this stage, their appearance and evolution are strongly affected by a range of dynamical processes. Large-scale convective flows bring newly-formed chemical elements to the stellar surface and, together with pulsations, they trigger shock waves in the extended stellar atmosphere. There, massive outflows of gas and dust have their origin, which enrich the interstellar medium and, eventually, lead to a transformation of the cool luminous giants into white dwarfs. Dust grains forming in the upper atmospheric layers play a critical role in the wind acceleration process, by scattering and absorbing stellar photons and transferring their outward-directed momentum to the surrounding gas through collisions. Recent progress in high-angular-resolution instrumentation, from the visual to the radio regime, is leading to valuable new insights into the complex dynamical atmospheres of AGB stars and their wind-forming regions. Observations are revealing asymmetries and inhomogeneities in the photospheric and dust-forming layers which vary on time-scales of months, as well as more long-lived large-scale structures in the circumstellar envelopes. High-angular-resolution observations indicate at what distances from the stars dust condensation occurs, and they give information on the chemical composition and sizes of dust grains in the close vicinity of cool giants. These are essential constraints for building realistic models of wind acceleration and developing a predictive theory of mass loss for AGB stars, which is a crucial ingredient of stellar and galactic chemical evolution models. At present, it is still not fully possible to model all these phenomena from first principles, and to predict the mass-loss rate based on fundamental stellar parameters only. However, much progress has been made in recent years, which is described in this review. We complement this by discussing how observations of emission from circumstellar molecules and dust can be used to estimate the characteristics of the mass loss along the AGB, and in different environments. We also briefly touch upon the issue of binarity.     

Stellar structure and mass loss on the upper asymptotic giant branch

We examine the envelope properties of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars as they evolve on the upper AGB and during the early post-AGB phase. Because of the high mass-loss rate, the envelope mass decreases by more than an order of magnitude. This makes the density profile below the photosphere much shallower, and the entropy profile much steeper. We discuss the possible role of these changes in the profiles in the onset of the high mass-loss rate (superwind) and the large deviation from spherical mass loss at the termination of the AGB. We concentrate on the idea that the shallower density profile and steeper entropy profile allow the formation of cool magnetic spots, above which dust forms much more easily.     

Shaping planetary nebulae: is it different for [WR] stars?

This review discusses the physics of the formation of planetarynebulae around low mass WR stars, or [WR] stars. It especially focuseson the differences which can be expected due to the differentcharacter of the fast winds from these [WR] stars. Their fast windsare more massive and are highly H deficient and metal enrichedcompared to the winds of normal central stars of planetarynebulae. This is expected to lead to faster expansion velocities forthe nebulae and a longer momentum-driven phase in the evolution of thewind-driven bubble, leading to more turbulent nebulae. Theobservational evidence also shows that the process which produces the[WR] stars is unlikely to influence the onset of aspherical mass loss,something which can be used as a test for models for aspherical massloss from AGB and post-AGB stars. Finally it is shown that thenebular characteristics rule out a very late He shell flash as theorigin of most [WR] stars.     

A detailed abundance analysis of the hot post-AGB star ZNG-1 in M10

We present a model-atmosphere analysis for the bright ( V ∼13) star ZNG-1, in the globular cluster M10. From high-resolution ( R ∼40 000) optical spectra we confirm ZNG-1 to be a post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) star. The derived atmospheric parameters are T _eff=26 500±1000 K and log  g =3.6±0.2 dex . A differential abundance analysis reveals a chemical composition typical of hot post-AGB objects, with ZNG-1 being generally metal poor, although helium is approximately solar. The most interesting feature is the large carbon underabundance of more than 1.3 dex. This carbon deficiency, along with an observed nitrogen enhancement relative to other elements, may suggest that ZNG-1 evolved off the AGB before the third dredge-up occurred. Also, iron depletions observed in other similar stars suggest that gas–dust fractionation in the AGB progenitor could be responsible for the observed composition of these objects. However, we need not invoke either scenario since the chemical composition of ZNG-1 is in good agreement with abundances found for a Population II star of the same metallicity.     

The Demarcation Point from E-AGB Stars to TP-AGB Stars in HR Diagram for Medium-mass Stars

Via a study of the evolutionary tracks of 3∼10 M stars on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, the variations of the energy, density, temperature at the peak of helium-shell burning, ratio of surface luminosity of helium shell to stellar surface luminosity as well as the stellar radius are analyzed. Then the demarcation point of medium-mass stars in the evolution from early AGB stars to thermally pulsing AGB stars on the HR diagram is determined, and for 119 carbon stars our analysis agrees rather well with observation. At the same time the following is suggested. After arriving at this demarcation point in stellar evolution, in the formula of the loss of stellar wind material it is probably needed to introduce a quantity which is not concerned with the surface luminosity, but it dominates the formation of super stellar wind. On this basis and via the analysis of the structure and evolution of 5 M stars as well as the rate of mass loss of stellar wind, it is found that the effect of turbulent pressure on the mass loss of stellar wind in the stage of thermally pulsing AGB stars is rather great, hence the turbulent pressure of thermally pulsing AGB stars cannot be overlooked. Furthermore, the physical factors which possibly affect the matter loss of the stellar winds of thermally pulsing AGB stars are suggested.