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Title: Flux-limited sample of Galactic carbon stars

Journal Article · · Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/191229· OSTI ID:5345378

Published observational data (including IRAS observations) for a flux-limited sample of 215 Galactic carbon stars (CSs) selected from the 2-micron sky survey of Neugebauer and Leighton (1969) are compiled in extensive tables and graphs and analyzed statistically. The sample is found to penetrate a volume of radius 1.5 kpc, and the local CS space density and surface density are calculated as log rho0 (per cu kpc) = 2.0 + or - 0.4 and log N (per sq kpc) = 1.6 + or - 0.2, respectively. The total Galactic mass-return rate from these CSs is estimated as 0.013 solar mass/yr, implying a time scale of 0.1-1 Myr for the CS evolutionary phase and a mass of 1.2-1.6 solar mass for the (probably F-type) main-seqence progenitors of CSs. 81 references.

Research Organization:
Massachusetts Univ., Amherst; Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ; California Univ., Los Angeles
OSTI ID:
5345378
Journal Information:
Astrophys. J., Suppl. Ser.; (United States), Vol. 65
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English