About the project
Solar-type stars eject a substantial amount of heavy elements and dust particles to the interstellar medium through strong stellar winds at late phases of stellar evolution, known as the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. They, therefore, significantly influence the chemical composition of galaxies. To trace the enrichment of the interstellar medium by outflows of evolved stars, it is critical to understand the chemical networks active in them. This project target two main gaps in our knowledge that can be significantly advanced with the current observational facilities, new laboratory molecular data, and upgraded chemical models. These concern the role of AGB stars in the production of fluorine, the essential element for the maintenance of solidity of our bones and teeth, in our Galaxy and the impact of a chromospheric UV radiation field on the chemistry and dust-formation process around AGB stars. We aim to make a more realistic picture of the recycled materials and stardust from evolved stars by considering the impact of internal UV radiation in the chemical models.
Objectives
We aim to understand how fluorine, an element found in our bones and teeth as fluoride, is forming in the Galaxy. We will also assess the impact of internal UV radiation on the efficiency of the stellar dust formation and the elemental isotopic ratios in the outflow around evolved stars.
Outcomes
This project will advance our knowledge in the late phases of stellar evolution and the role of evolved stars in the Galactic chemical enrichment. The main outcomes of the project are highlighted below:
- We will quantify the role of AGB stars in production of the total fluorine budget in our Galaxy. We will test the accuracy of theoretical stellar yield models regarding the formation of fluorine and will provide model constraints for chemical models of the outflows around AGB stars.
- We will make a more realistic chemical picture of the recycled material and isotopic chemistry from evolved stars by implementing the UV chemistry in the chemical simulations.
- We will test whether considering the effect of internal UV radiation will be able to answer the unexpectedly high efficient stellar dust production observed in AGB stars.
Financing
This project has received funding from the Research Council of Norway's call for Ground-breaking research (FRIPRO) under the category of "Young Research Talents".
Project period
Start - finish: February 2023 to November 2026
Tools
Observational facilities such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) radio telescope. Radiative Transfer (RT) models and spectroscopic data such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) database and the Cologne Database of Molecular Spectroscopy (CDMS).
