Physics
Scientific paper
Jun 2005
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005sptz.prop20298r&link_type=abstract
Spitzer Proposal ID #20298
Physics
Scientific paper
The main goal of this proposal is to take a major step forward in the understanding of mass loss (ML) in first ascent Population II giants with varying stellar parameters and metal content. To do this we use globular clusters as metallicity-selected red giant reservoir. We propose deep IRAC imaging of the dense centers of 17 globular clusters, spanning the entire range of metallicity between approximately a hundredth solar up to solar. Our experience with similar observations made with ISOCAM (Origlia, et al. 2002) indicates that we will be able to detect warm circumstellar dust in the stellar winds of many red giants in the IRAC 5.8 and 8 micron bands. With the 3.6 and 4.5 micron bands and our near-IR database we can accurately account for any photospheric contribution and derive ML rates. The ISOCAM observations suggested that the ML occurs well below the red giant branch tip and that even near the tip many stars were undergoing ML at rates below the detection limit. To improve significantly upon the ISOCAM results requires that we go significantly deeper than any existing Spitzer observations of globular clusters. Special care has been devoted to the cluster selection. At a given metallicity we have chosen pairs of globular clusters which should have high and normal mass loss rates based on their horizontal branch (HB) morphology. The proposed observations will yield the first empirical mass loss formula calibrated over a large range of metallicity. It will also show whether observed mass loss in individual stars within a cluster correlates as expected with that cluster's HB morphology. How the observed mass loss rates correlate with stellar parameters--luminosity, atmospheric opacities, isotopic ratios, etc--will yield insight to the processes which drive the mass loss.
Ferraro Francesco
Fusi Pecci Flavio
Origlia Livia
Rich Robert Michael
Rood Robert
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