The Evolution of Planetary Nebulae and Their Central Stars

在中等质量恒星的历史上，红超巨星驱逐它们的信封是一个关键时刻。被驱逐出的外包层从恒星炽热的残存核心发出光芒，被称为“行星状星云”。残骸最终冷却成一颗富含C、N、O、Ne等中间元素的白矮星。在这个为期三年的续展奖项中，首席研究员(PI)将根据各种分子的最新图像研究星云的结构，以及由不同质量和初始恒星的化学丰度确定的原始白矮星的演化路径。预计这个小组将对我们理解恒星演化的这一关键时刻做出更大的贡献。

The expulsion of their envelopes by red supergiants is a crucial moment in an intermediate-mass star's history. The expelled envelope glows from the light of the hot remant core of the star and is called a "planetary nebula." The remnant eventually cools to become a white dwarf star enriched in intermediate elements such as C,N,O,Ne. In this three-year renewal award, the Principal Investigator (PI) will study both the structure of the nebulae from recent images in the light of various molecules and the evolutionary paths of the proto- white dwarfs defined by different masses and chemical abundances of the initial star. It is expected that this group will add to their already substantial contributions to our understanding of this critical juncture in stellar evolution.