Constraining the X-Ray Luminosities of Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars: TX Camelopardalis and T Cassiopeia
Abstract
To probe the magnetic activity levels of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we used XMM-Newton to search for X-ray emission from two well-studied objects, TX Cam and T Cas. The former star displays polarized maser emission, indicating magnetic field strengths of B~5 G, and the latter is one of the nearest known AGB stars. Neither star was detected by XMM-Newton. We use the upper limits on EPIC (CCD detector) count rates to constrain the X-ray luminosities of these stars and derive LX<1031 ergs s-1 (<1030 ergs s-1) for an assumed X-ray emission temperature TX=3×106 K (107 K). These limits represent <~10% (<~1%) of the X-ray luminosity expected under models in which AGB magnetic fields are global and potentially play an important role in collimating and/or launching AGB winds. We suggest, instead, that the B field strengths inferred from maser observations are representative of localized magnetic clouds.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1086/420877
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0403063
- Bibcode:
- 2004ApJ...608..978K
- Keywords:
-
- Stars: AGB and Post-AGB;
- Stars: Magnetic Fields;
- Stars: Mass Loss;
- Stars: Winds;
- Outflows;
- X-Rays: ISM;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 12 pages, 1 figure