Study of the angular diameters of dust shells around red giants. Final report, 1 Nov 87-31 Oct 90

Technical Report · Tue May 07 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5225913

Dyck, H M; Benson, J A

A summary of observations of the angular diameters of the shells around evolved red giants is reported. Many of these sources are partially resolved with a ground-based 2.4-m telescope. The authors have concentrated their efforts in the 8 - 13 micrometer spectral range because this corresponds to the emission excesses observed in the spectra of oxygen-rich stars. These excesses are commonly thought to arise from small silicate mineral grains in the circumstellar shells. The shell structure has been fully resolved for the bright supergiant alpha Orionis. A study of the results shows that the opacity of the silicate mineral grains around that star is similar to that inferred for other evolved stars and for the Trapezium.

• Research Organization: Wyoming Univ., Laramie, WY (United States). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 5225913
• Report Number(s): AD-A-236228/3/XAB; CNN: AFOSR-88-0057
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
COSMIC DUST
DUSTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENT
GIANT STARS
INFRARED RADIATION
INFRARED SPECTRA
INTERMEDIATE INFRARED RADIATION
INTERSTELLAR GRAINS
MORPHOLOGY
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
PARTICLES
RADIATIONS
RED GIANT STARS
SPECTRA
STARS
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
SUPERGIANT STARS