The superwind mass-loss rate of the metal-poor carbon star LI-LMC 1813
in the LMC cluster KMHK 1603
van Loon J.Th., Marshall J.R., Matsuura M., Zjilstra A.A., 2003,
MNRAS, 341, 1205
Abstract
LI-LMC 1813 is a dust-enshrouded asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star,
located in the small open cluster KMHK 1603 near the rim of the Large
Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Optical and infrared photometry between 0.5 and
60 μm is obtained to constrain the spectral energy distribution of
LI-LMC 1813. Near-infrared spectra unambiguously show it to be a carbon
star. Modelling with the radiation transfer code DUSTY yields accurate
values for the bolometric luminosity, L= 1.5 × 104
Lsolar, and mass-loss rate, . On the basis of
colour-magnitude diagrams, the age of the cluster KMHK 1603 is estimated
to be t= 0.9-1.0 Gyr, which implies a zero-age main-sequence mass for
LI-LMC 1813 of MZAMS= 2.2 +/- 0.1 Msolar. This
makes LI-LMC 1813 arguably the object with the most accurately and
reliably determined (circum)stellar parameters amongst all carbon stars
in the superwind phase.
paper (pdf, MNRAS reprint, 420kb)
Last update: Jan 10, 2003