AGBsterren

AGBsterren is a term used to describe a specific type of star, often referred to as an "aging star" or "late-stage star." These celestial objects are characterized by their advanced evolutionary phase, typically having exhausted the hydrogen fuel in their core and begun to fuse heavier elements. The most common types of AGBsterren are red giants and asymptotic giant branch stars.

During their red giant phase, stars expand significantly and their outer layers cool, giving them a reddish appearance. As they progress to the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), they become even larger and more luminous. These stars experience thermal pulses, which are brief, intense periods of helium fusion in a shell around the core. These pulses can cause the star to shed a substantial amount of its outer material in the form of stellar winds, forming a circumstellar envelope.

AGBsterren play a crucial role in galactic chemical evolution. The material expelled from these stars is enriched with heavier elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, which are synthesized during their later burning stages. This enriched material is then dispersed into the interstellar medium, providing the raw ingredients for the formation of new stars and planetary systems. Eventually, an AGB star will shed its outer layers entirely, leaving behind a dense core that will evolve into a white dwarf. Studying AGBsterren provides valuable insights into stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, and the life cycle of stars within galaxies.