Steady mass loss and the minimum stellar mass for carbon ignition.
Abstract
Summary. An assessment is made of the importance of steady mass loss for the evolution of stars of intermediate mass during the double-shell phase. The basis is an empirical formula due to Reimers for the massloss rate from red giants. It is combined with a linear core mass luminosity law and the location of the evolutionary tracks in the H-R diagram to obtain a relationship between the total mass and luminosity of stars evolving towards carbon ignition. This relationship yields estimates of the minimum initial mass MwD required for ignition to occur Although uncertainties prevent a precise calculation of MWD' the results suggest that steady mass loss determines the fate of stars of intermediate mass. The possibility exists that degenerate carbon ignition is precluded in single stars. Key words: stellar evolution - mass loss carbon ignition
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- April 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976A&A....48...83M
- Keywords:
-
- Carbon;
- Nuclear Fusion;
- Stellar Evolution;
- Stellar Mass;
- Stellar Mass Ejection;
- Stellar Models;
- Error Analysis;
- Giant Stars;
- Mass Transfer;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Astrophysics