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Analytic, dust-independent mass-loss rates for red supergiant winds initiated by turbulent pressure
- Source :
- Astronomy & Astrophysics, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 646:A180. EDP Sciences
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- EDP Sciences, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Context. Red supergiants are observed to undergo vigorous mass-loss. However, to date, no theoretical model has succeeded in explaining the origins of these objects' winds. This strongly limits our understanding of red supergiant evolution and Type II-P and II-L supernova progenitor properties. Aims. We examine the role that vigorous atmospheric turbulence may play in initiating and determining the mass-loss rates of red supergiant stars. Methods. We analytically and numerically solve the equations of conservation of mass and momentum, which we later couple to an atmospheric temperature structure, to obtain theoretically motivated mass-loss rates. We then compare these to state-of-the-art empirical mass-loss rate scaling formulae as well as observationally inferred mass-loss rates of red supergiants. Results. We find that the pressure due to the characteristic turbulent velocities inferred for red supergiants is sufficient to explain the mass-loss rates of these objects in the absence of the normally employed opacity from circumstellar dust. Motivated by this initial success, we provide a first theoretical and fully analytic mass-loss rate prescription for red supergiants. We conclude by highlighting some intriguing possible implications of these rates for future studies of stellar evolution, especially in light of the lack of a direct dependence on metallicity.<br />Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables
- Subjects :
- Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Metallicity
FOS: Physical sciences
Context (language use)
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Computer Science::Digital Libraries
01 natural sciences
outflows
massive [stars]
0103 physical sciences
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
winds [stars]
Red supergiant
010303 astronomy & astrophysics
Stellar evolution
Conservation of mass
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Physics
Science & Technology
010308 nuclear & particles physics
turbulence
Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
mass-loss [stars]
supergiants
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Physics::History of Physics
Supernova
Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science
Physical Sciences
Circumstellar dust
Supergiant
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14320746 and 00046361
- Volume :
- 646
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....63388820e997f1eab9770e1532f10b36
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202039224