A turbulent wake as a tracer of 30,000 years of Mira's mass loss history
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Astronomers discovered a vast ultraviolet-emitting wake behind the Mira variable star, revealing its wind
Area Of Science
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
- Stellar Evolution
Background
- Mira stars are low-to-intermediate-mass stars in late evolutionary stages.
- These stars significantly impact galactic evolution by returning mass to the interstellar medium (ISM).
- Previous observations of Mira-type stellar wind-ISM interactions were limited to infrared wavelengths.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate the interaction between Mira's stellar wind and the interstellar medium.
- To characterize the newly discovered ultraviolet-emitting structures associated with Mira.
Main Methods
- Observation of ultraviolet emissions from Mira and its surrounding environment.
- Analysis of the morphology and extent of the observed structures.
- Modeling the emission mechanism involving molecular hydrogen excitation.
Main Results
- Discovery of a 2-degree ultraviolet-emitting bow shock and turbulent wake.
- The wake is visible exclusively in the far-ultraviolet spectrum.
- An unusual emission mechanism involving turbulent mixing and shock-heated gas is proposed for molecular hydrogen excitation.
Conclusions
- The discovered wake traces Mira's mass-loss history over the past 30,000 years.
- This finding provides a unique laboratory for studying turbulent stellar wind-ISM interactions.
- The study highlights the significant impact of evolved stars on their surrounding galactic environment.