Dust formation in stellar winds. V - The minimum mass loss rate for dust-driven winds
Abstract
It is shown that the rapid acceleration of the gas after the onset of dust formation and the subsequent strong dilution of the gas limits the growth of dust grains in circumstellar shells around late type giants. As a consequence of this there exists a lower limit for the mass loss rate M(≈2×10-6M_sun;yr-1 for C-stars and ≈5×10-6M_sun;yr-1 for M-stars) for which sufficient material is collected from the gas phase in order that radiation pressure on dust grains becomes dynamically important. Above this limit dust formation is a possible mechanism for driving a circumstellar wind. Below this limit a wind cannot be driven by this mechanism.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- May 1987
- Bibcode:
- 1987A&A...177..186G
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Dust;
- Interstellar Matter;
- Mass Flow Rate;
- Stellar Envelopes;
- Stellar Winds;
- Giant Stars;
- Late Stars;
- Radiation Pressure;
- Stellar Physics;
- Astrophysics