Year: 2005
Type: article
Abstract: We present a new semiempirical relation for the mass loss of cool stellar winds, which so far has frequently been described by "Reimers' law." Originally, this relation was based solely on dimensional scaling arguments without any physical interpretation. In our approach, the wind is assumed to result from the spillover of the extended chromosphere, possibly associated with the action of waves, especially Alfvén waves, which are used as guidance in the derivation of the new formula. We obtain a relation akin to the original Reimers law, but which includes two new factors. They reflect how the chromospheric height depends on gravity and how the mechanical energy flux depends, mainly, on the effective temperature. The new relation is tested and sensitively calibrated by modeling the blue end of the horizontal branch of globular clusters. The most significant difference from mass-loss rates predicted by the Reimers relation is an increase by up to a factor of 3 for luminous late-type (super)giants, in good agreement with observations.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.1086/491579
Authors: K.-P. Schröder, M. Cuntz
Institutions: University of Sussex, The University of Texas at Arlington
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: National Science Foundation
OpenAlex ID: W2084711913