2001/12/10 by M. Jura, C. Chen, Christine Chen +2 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/339207
ApJ, in press
arxiv created 2001/12/10 · openalex publication_date 2002/04/20 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
We have obtained 11.7 and 17.9 μm images at the Keck I telescope of the circumstellar dust emission from L 2 Pup, which is one of the nearest ( D = 61 pc) mass-losing, pulsating red giants that has a substantial infrared excess. We propose that the star is losing mass at a rate of ~3 × 10 -7 M ☉ yr -1 . Given its relatively low luminosity (~1500 L ☉ ), relatively high effective temperature (near 3400 K), relatively short period (~140 days), and inferred gas outflow speed of 3.5 km s -1 , standard models for dust-driven mass loss do not apply. Instead, the wind may be driven by the stellar pulsations, with radiation pressure on dust being relatively unimportant, as described in some recent calculations. L 2 Pup may serve as the prototype of this phase of stellar evolution, in which a star could lose ~15% of its initial main-sequence mass.