| Mass Loss from Red Giants: Proceedings of a Conference Held at the University of California at Los Angeles, U.S.A., June 20-21, 1984 Softcover Repri Edition Contributor(s): Morris, Mark (Editor), Zuckerman, Arie J. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 9401088969 ISBN-13: 9789401088961 Publisher: Springer OUR PRICE: $208.99 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2011 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Gardening - Science | Astronomy |
| Dewey: 520 |
| Series: Astrophysics and Space Science Library (Paperback) |
| Physical Information: 0.71" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.06 lbs) 320 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Red giant and supergiant stars have long been favorites of professional 6 and amateur astronomers. These enormous stars emit up to 10 times more energy than the Sun and, so, are easy to study. Some of them, specifically the pulsating long-period variables, significantly change their size, brightness, and color within about a year, a time scale of interest to a single human being. Some aspects of the study of red giant stars are similar to the study of pre-main-sequence stars. For example, optical astronomy gives us a tantalizing glimpse of star forming regions but to really investi- gate young stars and protostars requires infrared and radio astronomy. The same is true of post-main-sequence stars that are losing mass. Optical astronomers can measure the atomic component of winds from red giant stars that are undergoing mass loss at modest rates 6 (M $ 10- M9/yr.). But to see dust grains and molecules properly, 5 especially in stars with truly large mass loss rates, 10- M9/yr, one requires IR and radio astronomy. As this stage of copious mass loss only lasts for 105 years one might be tempted to ask, "who cares?". |