2008/08/09 by W. J. de Wit, R. D. Oudmaijer, T. Fujiyoshi +15 · 31 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Nebula #Optics #Physics #RADIUS #Radiative transfer #Red supergiant #Spectral energy distribution #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Supergiant #Supernova #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/592384
published in The Astrophysical Journal 685(1), L75-L78 (IOP Publishing) · Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
arxiv created 2008/08/09 · openalex publication_date 2008/09/05 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We present diffraction-limited (0.6'') 24.5 μm Subaru COMICS images of the red supergiant μ Cep. We report the detection of a circumstellar nebula, which was not detected at shorter wavelengths. It extends to a radius of at least 6'' in the thermal infrared. On these angular scales, the nebula is roughly spherical; in contrast, it displays a pronounced asymmetric morphology closer in. We simultaneously model the azimuthally averaged intensity profile of the nebula and the observed spectral energy distribution (SED) using spherical dust radiative transfer models. The models indicate a constant mass-loss process over the past 1000 years, for mass-loss rates of a few × 10 −7 M ☉ yr −1 . This work supports the idea that at least part of the asymmetries in shells of evolved massive stars and supernovae may be due to the mass-loss process in the red supergiant phase.