The Role of Dust in Defining the Structure of Red Giant Winds

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

At the end of their active lives, most stars become large, very cool but bright red giants. As they finish this stage, many begin to lose their outer layers through outflows known as winds. It is thought that an important factor driving these winds is the formation of small solid particles commonly referred to as dust. The role played by this dust in driving the outflow and the dynamics of such outflows will be investigated. An investigation will also be conducted of the effects on the wind of the presence of a binary companion to the star in question. Submillimeter observations will be undertaken to verify some of the predictions of the theory. Since the strong winds from red giants completely alter the evolution of the stars and provide enriched material to the interstellar medium, this work has broad ramifications to several areas of astronomy.