Mass Loss Rates for K-M Giants and Supergiants
Abstract
This proposal is an essential component of a larger program aimed at deriving for the first time accurate mass loss rates from K-M giants and supergiants. The program consists of the development of a PRD radiative transfer code to model spherically symmetric expanding atmospheres and to compute emergent line profiles, the application of this code to determining mass loss rates and atmospheric properties of a selected sample of K-M giants and supergiants, and a VLA observing program to obtain mass loss rates for these stars independently from their free-free microwave emission. This proposal is to obtain new IUE high dispersion spectra of the Mg II h and k and Mg I 2852 A resonance lines and spectra of these lines from the IUE archives, and then to use our radiative transfer code to derive the mass loss rates and atmospheric properties. An important selection criterion for the target stars is that the circumstellar and interstellar absorption features be widely separated so as not to be confused. This selection criterion is essential for the unambiguous analysis of the data, but it does limit the stars that can be studied.
- Publication:
-
IUE Proposal
- Pub Date:
- 1983
- Bibcode:
- 1983iue..prop.1481L