Dust Production in Local Group Dwarf Galaxies

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Scientific paper

The superwind phase on the Asymptotic Giant Branch is a crucial ingredient of stellar and galactic evolution. The superwind ejecta are responsible for much of the interstellar hydrogen of evolved galaxies, and are a dominant contributor to the dust input into the ISM. The superwind determines the final mass of stellar remnants, and therefore affects, e.g., the type-I supernova rate. The characteristics of the superwind are still very poorly known, especially at non-solar metallicities. Spitzer has contributed a large and invaluable dataset on Magellanic Cloud stars, measuring dust, molecular bands and allowing accurate mass-loss measurements. We now propose to extend the (age, metallicity) parameter range by observing a number of other Milky Way satellites. The carbon stars in these galaxies trace an older population than the Magellanic Clouds, and extend to much lower metallicities. They are therefore crucial to allow us to extrapolate the Magellanic Cloud measurements to metal-poor environments. We propose to acquire low-resolution spectra of stars in the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, Carina, Sculptor and Fornax. The selected stars range in metallicity from -0.55 to -2.0, and in age from 5-8 Gyr. Two low-metallicity planetary nebulae in these galaxies are also included. We will study the dust continuum, dust minerals (SiC, MgS) and gas-phase molecular bands (especially acetylene). Mass loss rates will be determined using our dust models, and we will measure the fractional abundances of amorphous carbon dust and SiC grains. Only Spitzer can provide these crucial measurements of extra-galactic AGB stars. The result will be our first knowledge of mass loss efficiency, dust formation, and dust abundances, at low to very low metallicities. These data are necessary to obtain reliable models of mass loss and of stellar evolution.

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