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Paper: The AGB Superwind in Nearby Galaxies
Volume: 412, The Biggest, Baddest, Coolest Stars
Page: 65
Authors: Zijlstra, A.A.; Lagadec, E.; Sloan, G.; Matsuura, M.
Abstract: Most stars end their lives with a phase of spectacular mass loss, the so-called superwind. The physics of this process is still poorly understood. It determines the final mass of stars and, as a consequence, the lower mass limit of supernovae. Theoretical models suggest that this process is strongly dependent on metallicity, but before now, this has not been confirmed observationally. We have conducted observations of these superwind stars in the Magellanic Clouds, the Sagittarius dwarf elliptical galaxy, the Fornax dwarf spheroidal, and other Local Group galaxies, using the IRS on the Spitzer Space Telescope and the VLT in Chile. These systems enable a comparison of late stellar evolution, mass-loss rates, and dust production over a range of metallicities, ages, and progenitor mass.
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