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We analyse continuum and molecular emission, observed with Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array, from the dust-enshrouded intermediate-mass asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star OH 30.1−0.7. We find a secondary peak in the continuum maps, 'feature B', separated by 4.6 arcsec from the AGB star, which corresponds to a projected separation of |$1.8\times 10^{4}$| au, placing a lower limit on the physical separation. This feature is most likely composed of cold dust and is likely to be ejecta associated with the AGB star, though we cannot rule out that it is a background object. The molecular emission we detect includes lines of CO, SiS, CS, |$\mathrm{SO}_2$|⁠ , NS, NaCl, and KCl. We find that the NS emission is off centre and arranged along an axis perpendicular to the direction of feature B, indicative of a UV-emitting binary companion (e.g. a G-type main sequence star or hotter), perhaps on an eccentric orbit, contributing to its formation. However, the NaCl and KCl emission constrain the nature of that companion to not be hotter than a late B-type main-sequence star. We find relatively warm emission arising from the inner wind and detect several vibrationally excited lines of SiS (⁠|$\upsilon =1$|⁠), NaCl (up to |$\upsilon =4$|⁠), and KCl (up to |$\upsilon =2$|⁠), and emission from low-energy levels in the mid to outer envelope, as traced by |$\mathrm{SO}_2$|⁠. The CO emission is abruptly truncated around 3.5 arcsec or 14 000 au from the continuum peak, suggesting that mass loss at a high rate may have commenced as little as 2800 yr ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When low- and intermediate-mass stars pass through the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) they experience dramatic changes in their circumstellar shell (CSE) influenced by their mass loss, the possible presence of a (closeby) companion and the magnetic field. Masers, well spread in this environment, provide a powerful tool to reveal the CSE changes occurring when the stars undergo a transitional phase on the AGB. These can be indirect, via for instance the modification of the pumping conditions or a direct consequence of e.g. a companion and/or of the magnetic field. Evidences of such changes have been observed towards Miras, materialized by strong - both in intensity and degree of polarisation - (OH) flaring events and towards stars believed to be transitioning from the Mira to the OH/IR phase, showing an unusual high degree of polarisation. How OH maser emission can be used as a signpost of transitional phases along the AGB is explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OH/IR stars evolving on the Asymptotic Giant Branch are large-amplitude variable stars with periods in the range of ~400 to 2500 days, significantly longer than those of the related Mira variables. We use preliminary results from a monitoring program of the 1612-MHz OH maser variations of a sample of > 70 OH/IR stars to study a possible extension of Mira Period-Luminosity Relations to longer periods. The period distribution of the sample is split around P ~ 1100 days. Using WISE W 3 absolute magnitudes as proxies for the luminosity and the best available distances, we found no convincing relation between periods and absolute magnitudes. A cause could be rapid evolution of the 'extreme OH/IR stars' (the group with P >1100 days) close to the tip of the AGB, where no increase of luminosity is expected on the short time-scales involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low- and intermediate-mass stars end their life dispersing their outer layers into the circumstellar medium, during the asymptotic and post-asymptotic giant branch phases. OH masers at 18 cm offer an effective way to probe their circumstellar environment. In this work, we present the discovery of seven OH maser sources likely associated with such evolved stars from the visual inspection of Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) continuum images. These seven sources do not emit real continuum emission, but the high sensitivity of our images allows us to detect their maser emission, resembling continuum sources. To confirm their nature, we carried out spectral-line observations with ATCA. All the sources showed the double-peaked spectra at 1612 MHz, typical of evolved stars. The detection of maser emission in continuum images can be a complementary and easy-to-use method to discover new maser sources with the large-area deep surveys conducted with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursors. The implication for radio stars studies are remarkable since pure OH maser sources (i.e. with no continuum associated) represent, at a sensitivity of |$100\,\mu \mathrm{Jy\,beam}^{-1}$|⁠ , about 4 per cent of all Galactic sources and by far the most numerous stellar population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the results of an on-going monitoring program of 1612 MHz OH masers in OH/IR stars, we determined a lifetime encompassing late AGB and early post-AGB evolution of at least 4500 years. Fading of the OH masers observed with the Nançay Radio Telescope is detected in several post-AGB OH/IR stars on timescales of decades, while AllWISE/NEOWISE light curves taken almost in parallel show diverse behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The aim is to investigate the use of 183 GHz H2O masers for characterization of the physical conditions and mass loss process in the circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars. Methods. We used APEX SEPIA Band 5 (an ALMA Band 5 receiver on the APEX telescope) to observe the 183 GHz H2O line towards two red supergiant (RSG) and three asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Simultaneously, we observed the J = 4−3 line for 28SiO v = 0, 1, 2 and 3, and for 29SiO v = 0 and 1. We compared the results with simulations and radiative transfer models for H2O and SiO, and examined data for the individual linear orthogonal polarizations. Results. We detected the 183 GHz H2O line towards all the stars with peak flux densities >100 Jy, including a new detection from VY CMa. Towards all five targets, the water line had indications of being caused by maser emission and had higher peak flux densities than for the SiO lines. The SiO lines appear to originate from both thermal and maser processes. Comparison with simulations and models indicate that 183 GHz maser emission is likely to extend to greater radii in the circumstellar envelopes than SiO maser emission and to similar or greater radii than water masers at 22, 321 and 325 GHz. We speculate that a prominent blue-shifted feature in the W Hya 183 GHz spectrum is amplifying the stellar continuum, and is located at a similar distance from the star as mainline OH maser emission. We note that the coupling of an SiO maser model to a hydrodynamical pulsating model of an AGB star yields qualitatively similar simulated results to the observations. From a comparison of the individual polarizations, we find that the SiO maser linear polarization fraction of several features exceeds the maximum fraction allowed under standard maser assumptions and requires strong anisotropic pumping of the maser transition and strongly saturated maser emission. The low polarization fraction of the H2O maser however, fits with the expectation for a non-saturated maser. Conclusions. 183 GHz H2O masers can provide strong probes of the mass loss process of evolved stars. Higher angular resolution observations of this line using ALMA Band 5 will enable detailed investigation of the emission location in circumstellar envelopes and can also provide information on magnetic field strength and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Cool, evolved stars undergo copious mass loss but the detailed mechanisms and the form in which the matter is returned to the ISM are still under debate. Aims. We investigated the structure and evolution of the wind at 5 to 50 stellar radii from asymptotic giant branch and red supergiant stars. Methods. 22-GHz water masers around seven evolved stars were imaged using MERLIN, at sub-AU resolution. Each source was observed at between 2 and 7 epochs, covering several stellar periods. We compared our results with long-term single dish monitoring provided by the Pushchino radio telescope. Results. The 22-GHz emission is located in approximately spherical, thick, unevenly filled shells. The outflow velocity increases twofold or more between the inner and outer shell limits. Water maser clumps could be matched at successive epochs separated by less than two years for AGB stars, or at least 5 years for RSG. This is much shorter than the decades taken for the wind to cross the maser shell, and comparison with spectral monitoring shows that some features fade and reappear. In five sources, most of the matched maser features brighten or dim in concert from one epoch to the next. A number of individual maser features show idiosyncratic behaviour, including one cloud in W Hya caught in the act of passing in front of a background cloud leading to 50-fold, transient amplification. The masing clouds are one or two orders of magnitude denser than the wind average and contain a substantial fraction of the mass loss in this region, with a filling factor <1%. The RSG clouds are about ten times bigger than those round the AGB stars. Conclusions. Proper motions are dominated by expansion, with no systematic rotation. The maser clouds presumably survive for decades (the shell crossing time) but the masers are not always beamed in our direction. Only radiative effects can explain changes in flux density throughout the maser shells on short timescales. The size of the clouds is proportional to that of the parent star, being of a similar radius to the star once the clumps reach the 22-GHz maser shell. Stellar properties such as convection cells must determine the clumping scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first view of the magnetic field structure in the OH shell of the extreme OH/infrared star OH 26.5+0.6. Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) interferometric observations of this object were obtained in 1993 December in full polarization, at 1612, 1665 and 1667 MHz. The maser spots show a spheroidal distribution at both 1612 and 1667 MHz, while at 1665 MHz emission from the blueshifted maser peak is concentrated on the stellar position and the redshifted peak emission exhibits a filamentary structure oriented on a south-east–north-west axis. The linear polarization in both main lines is rather faint, ranging from 9 to 20 per cent at 1665 MHz and from 0 to 30 per cent at 1667 MHz. At 1612 MHz, most maser spots exhibit a similar range of linear polarization although those in the outermost parts of the envelope reach values as high as 66 per cent. This is particularly apparent in the southern part of the shell. The detailed distribution of the polarization vectors could only be obtained at 1612 MHz. The polarization vectors show a highly structured distribution indicative of a poloidal magnetic field inclined by 40°–60° to the line of sight. The velocity distribution of the maser spots with respect to the radial distance is well explained by an isotropic outflow at constant velocity in the case of a prolate-shaped spheroid envelope, also tilted about 45°–65° to the line of sight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2013, we are performing with the Nancay Radio Telescope (NRT) a monitoring program of > 100 Galactic disk OH/IR stars, having bright 1612-MHz OH maser emission. The variations of the maser emission are used to probe the underlying stellar variability. We wish to understand how the large-amplitude variations are lost during the AGB – post-AGB transition. The fading out of pulsations with steadily declining amplitudes seems to be a viable process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are currently performing a monitoring program of the 1612 MHz OH maser emission of several dozen Galactic disk OH/IR stars with the Nancay Radio Telescope (NRT). They are complemented by several OH/IR stars toward the Galactic center, which were monitored with the Hartebeesthoek radio telescope. We use the maser variations to probe the underlying stellar variability. As early monitoring programs already have shown, some stars are large amplitude variables with periods up to 7 years, others show small or even no amplitude variations. This dichotomy in the variability behaviour is assumed to mark the border between the AGB and the post-AGB stages. With the current program, we wish to find objects in transition and to describe their variability properties. We consider the fading out of pulsations with steadily declining amplitudes as a viable process. Promising candidates in the disk are the small-amplitude variables OH 138.0+7.2 and OH 51.8−0.2. 'Non-variable' OH/IR stars in the Galactic center region may be as frequent as in the disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]