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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
Unexpectedly large mass loss during the thermal pulse cycle of the red giant star R Sculptoris
Nature, Volume 490, No. 7419, Year 2012
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Description
The asymptotic-giant-branch star R Sculptoris is surrounded by a detached shell of dust and gas. The shell originates from a thermal pulse during which the star underwent a brief period of increased mass loss. It has hitherto been impossible to constrain observationally the timescales and mass-loss properties during and after a thermal pulse-parameters that determine the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch and the amount of elements returned by the star. Here we report observations of CO emission from the circumstellar envelope and shell around R Sculptoris with an angular resolution of 1.3 ′3. What was previously thought to be only a thin, spherical shell with a clumpy structure is revealed to also contain a spiral structure. Spiral structures associated with circumstellar envelopes have been previously seen, leading to the conclusion that the systems must be binaries. Combining the observational data with hydrodynamic simulations, we conclude that R Sculptoris is a binary system that underwent a thermal pulse about 1,800 years ago, lasting approximately 200 years. About 3 × 10 -3 solar masses of material were ejected at a velocity of 14.3 km s -1 and at a rate around 30 times higher than the pre-pulse mass-loss rate. This shows that about three times more mass was returned to the interstellar medium during and immediately after the pulse than previously thought. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Maercker, Matthias
Germany, Garching Bei Munchen
European Southern Observatory
Germany, Bonn
Universität Bonn
Mohamed, S. S.
South Africa, Cape Town
South African Astronomical Observatory
Vlemmings, Wouter H.T.
Sweden, Onsala
Onsala Space Observatory
Ramstedt, Sofia
Germany, Bonn
Universität Bonn
Groenewegen, Martin A.T.
Belgium, Brussels
Royal Observatory of Belgium
Humphreys, Elizabeth M.L.
Germany, Garching Bei Munchen
European Southern Observatory
Kerschbaum, Franz
Austria, Vienna
Universität Wien
Lindqvist, Michael
Sweden, Onsala
Onsala Space Observatory
Olofsson, Hans G.
Sweden, Onsala
Onsala Space Observatory
Paladini, C.
Austria, Vienna
Universität Wien
Wittkowski, M.
Germany, Garching Bei Munchen
European Southern Observatory
de Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar
Chile, Santiago
Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array
Nyman, Lars Åke
Chile, Santiago
Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array
Statistics
Citations: 13
Authors: 13
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/nature11511
ISSN:
00280836
e-ISSN:
14764687
Research Areas
Environmental