Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Context. Low- and intermediate-mass stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) account for a significant portion of the dust and chemical enrichment in their host galaxy. Understanding the dust formation process of these stars and their more massive counterparts, the red supergiants, is essential for quantifying galactic chemical evolution. Aims. To improve our understanding of the dust nucleation and growth process, we aim to better constrain stellar properties at millimetre wavelengths. To characterise how this process varies with the mass-loss rate and pulsation period, we studied a sample of oxygen-rich and S-type evolved stars. Methods. Here we present ALMA observations of the continuum emission around a sample of 17 stars from the ATOMIUM survey. We analysed the stellar parameters at 1.24 mm and the dust distributions at high angular resolutions. Results. From our analysis of the stellar contributions to the continuum flux, we find that the semi-regular variables all have smaller physical radii and fainter monochromatic luminosities than the Mira variables. Comparing these properties with pulsation periods, we find a positive trend between the stellar radius and period only for the Mira variables with periods of more than 300 days, and we find and a positive trend between the period and the monochromatic luminosity only for the red supergiants and the most extreme AGB stars with periods of more than 500 days. We find that the continuum emission at 1.24 mm can be classified into four groups; (i) ‘featureless’ continuum emission is confined to the (unresolved) regions close to the star for five stars in our sample, (ii) relatively uniform extended flux is seen for four stars, (iii) tentative elongated features are seen for three stars, and (iv) the remaining five stars have unique or unusual morphological features in their continuum maps. These features can be explained by the fact that 10 of the 14 AGB stars in our sample have binary companions. Conclusions. Based on our results, we conclude that there are two modes of dust formation: well-established pulsation-enhanced dust formation and our newly proposed companion-enhanced dust formation. If the companion is located close to the AGB star, in the wind acceleration region, then additional dust formed in the wake of the companion can increase the amount of mass lost through the dust-driven wind. This explains the different dust morphologies seen around our stars and partly accounts for the large scatter in literature mass-loss rates, especially among semi-regular stars with small pulsation periods.
Authors: T. Danilovich, N. Samaratunge, Y. L. Mori, A. M. S. Richards, A. Baudry, S. Etoka, M. Montargès, P. Kervella, I. McDonald, C. A. Gottlieb, A. Wallace, D. J. Price, L. Decin, J. Bolte, T. Ceulemans, F. De Ceuster, A. de Koter, D. Dionese, I. El Mellah, M. Esseldeurs, M. Gray, F. Herpin, T. Khouri, E. Lagadec, C. Landri, L. Marinho, K. M. Menten, T. J. Millar, H. S. P. Müller, B. Pimpanuwat, J. M. C. Plane, R. Sahai, L. Siess, M. Van de Sande, O. Vermeulen, K. T. Wong, J. Yates, A. Zijlstra
Institutions: Monash University, KU Leuven, University of Manchester, Université de Bordeaux, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, The Open University, Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, University of Leeds, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, University of Amsterdam, Université Libre de Bruxelles, University of Warsaw, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, Chalmers University of Technology, Université Côte d'Azur, Lagrange Laboratory, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Física Fundamental, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Queen's University Belfast, University of Cologne, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Leiden University, Leiden Observatory, Uppsala University, Université Paris Cité, CY Cergy Paris Université, University College London
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Australian Government, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Swinburne University of Technology, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, KU Leuven, Onderzoeksraad, KU Leuven, State Government of Victoria, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Vlaamse regering, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Science and Technology Facilities Council, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Awards: The orbital evolution of planets orbiting ageing stars, Physics of cool Evolved stars: from the PhotosPhere to circumstellar EnviRonment, G2353418074, UK ALMA Regional Centre Node Support: 2016 - 2020, G3002814323, Beyond the Treachery of Images: training an algorithm to turn astronomical observations into probabilistic models, Queen's University Belfast Astronomy Observation and Theory Consolidated Grant 2020-2023, SOUL: Stellar evOlution in fUll gLory: rotation, magnetism, oscillations, outflows, tides, and binarity, A Programme of Astrophysical Theory and Observations at Leeds, G5061147345, G5328246531, G5814490246, Probabilistically modelling the birth and death of stars: changing the game with fast and precise emulation-enabled radiative cooling, G612732458, Deriving a novel mass-loss rate relation for AGB stars with minimal bias against binarity, FEEDING THE COMPACT SPINNING MAGNETS IN X-RAY BINARIES, G6538146699, G6715138430, ATOMIUM: ALMA Tracing the Origins of Molecules formIng dUst in oxygen-rich M-type stars, G7258890752, G780458200, G7823692103, SFB 1601: Die kosmische Entwicklung der Lebensräume massereicher Sterne, G8278442522
OpenAlex ID: W7115886935
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