Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars PDF Download

In this thesis, we focus on the study of structure and evolution of low mass sta rs of masses 2M (solar) and 3M (solar) and initial solar-like composition. The m ost interesting evolutionary phase of such stars is the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stage. On the Asymptotic Giant Branch, these stars exhibit remarkably high lum inosities and suffer the so called Thermal Pulsation. During these pulsations, s uch stars are considered to synthesize the bulk of heavy elements by the so call ed s-process nucleosynthesis. Also, other elements are produced like Carbon, Oxy gen, and Fluorine. Our study will deal with the influence of mass loss and convection tre atment on the evolution through the AGB phase. Since such stars are numerous and very bright, they can be observed in external galaxies. Their association with a fundamental site of nucleosynthesis in the un iverse illuminates their importance for the chemical evolution of the galaxy. We studied the 2M (solar) star up to the Asymptotic Giant Branch phase. We foll owed its evolution through the 'Helium Flash' and the thermal pulsating phase. Y et the third dredge up was not obtained. So, we adopted a new mass loss formula that is believed to affect the occurrence of the third dredge up. We applied tha t on a 3M (solar) star but our results were not as expected, but we studied in t he process the effect of neutrino losses on the thermal pulsating phase and the interpulse period. Eventually, we applied convective mixing in to radiative regi ons by two methods, instantaneous mixing and exponential mixing. In the exponent ial mixing, we used two different mixing parameters and we obtained that as the parameter increases, the earlier we obtain the third dredge up, the longer is th e interpulse period, and the more dredged up materials to the surface. This is t o be expected, since longer interpulse period means the more materials are proce ssed, thus more dredged up. As for the instantaneous overshooting, the third dre dge up was obtained and compared to the exponential overshooting.