Mechanics of Late Stellar Evolution

Chris Sneden (University of Texas)

Abstract:

Stars do not live forever, and their late middle ages as red giants provide important clues to the entire stellar evolutionary process. This talk will present an overview of some current topics of giant-star evolution, including: a) still-unsettled questions surrounding the red-giant ascent; b) chemical evolution along the first- and second- ascent giant branches; c) differences in giants of Population I and II; d) asymptotic giant-branch evolution; and e) mass loss.

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References:

• Tests of Evolutionary Sequences Using Color-Magnitude Diagrams of Globular Clusters
  A. Renzini and F. Fusi Pecci, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 1998, 199

• Asymptotic Giant Branch Evolution and Beyond
  I. Iben Jr. and A. Renzini, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 1983, 271