10–14 Jun 2024
INAF - Observatory of Rome
UTC timezone

A “Wonderful” Set of Mira Variables

11 Jun 2024, 10:00
20m
Sala Gratton (INAF - Observatory of Rome)

Sala Gratton

INAF - Observatory of Rome

Via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone

Speaker

Dana Baylis-Aguirre (New Mexico Tech)

Description

The conditions in Mira variable atmospheres make them wonderful laboratories to study a variety of stellar physics such as molecule+grain formation, dust production, shock chemistry, stellar winds, mass-loss, opacity driven pulsation, and shocks.

We are currently curating a Reference Set of 106 Mira variables based upon over a decade of synoptic observations made with the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI). The Miras included in this dataset set include M-types, S-types, and C-types, and span a wide range of pulsation periods. PTI measured k-band angular sizes that when combined with a distance allow us to directly determine fundamental stellar parameters such as effective temperature, radial size, bolometric flux etc.

Supplementing observations with interferometric measurements of the stars opens the Mira laboratory to a wealth of different experiments. I will provide an example of combining PTI measurements with Spitzer IRS spectra of 13 M-type variables, which allowed us to fully characterize CO$_2$ gas in their atmospheres.

Primary authors

Dana Baylis-Aguirre (New Mexico Tech) Gerard van Belle Michelle Creech-Eakman (New Mexico Tech)

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.