Astronomers have discovered a correlation between the varying dust intensity of asymptotic giant stars (AGB), a type of stars slightly larger and older than our Sun, and variations in the amount of dust these stars produce.
Astronomers from the University of Tokyo in Japan said that because the dust produced in this way could lead to the formation of planets, studying it could shed light on the origin of life on Earth and thus life on Earth.
AGB stars are generally known to be dust producers in the interstellar medium existing between and between stars. Among them, dusty AGBs are particularly prominent producers of dust, glowing light that varies widely
The results of the research team’s long-term survey come from studying data produced by AKARI and WISE, two infrared (IR) space telescopes probing the universe. While these telescopes have completed their initial missions, astronomers continue to make discoveries based on the data they have generated.
stars could shed light on the formation of planets
Research leader Kengo Tachibana said IR light coming from stars is a key source of information that helps astronomers uncover their secrets.
IR data has been from very short-term surveys due to a lack of advanced dedicated platforms. But missions like AKARI and WISE have allowed us to do long-term surveys of things. This means we can see how things can change over longer periods of time and what those changes can mean.
“Recently, we have turned our attention to a certain class of stars known as asymptotic giant branch stars, which are of interest because they are the main producers of interstellar dust,” Tachibana said.
Interstellar dust refers to the heavy elements scattered from stars, giving rise to solid objects including planets.Astronomers said it’s not yet clear what the main drivers of this dust production are, and where they should look to find out.
“Our latest study points us in the right direction,” Tachibana said. “Thanks to long-term IR observations, we found that the light from dusty AGBs varies with periods longer than a few hundred days.
Astronomers further discovered that the globular envelopes of dust produced and subsequently ejected by these stars have dust concentrations that vary with changes in the stars’ luminosities.
“Of the 169 dust AGBs examined, regardless of their variability time, the dust concentrations around them would match. So we are confident that they are related,” Tachibana said.
The team of astronomers intends to continue the research by observing various AGB stars continuously for many years to investigate the possible physical mechanisms behind dust production.
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