Detection of `parent' molecules from the inner wind of AGB stars as tracers of non-equilibrium chemistry

Abstract

Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars are typified by strong dust-driven, molecular outflows. For long, it was believed that the molecular setup of the circumstellar envelope of AGB stars is primarily determined by the atmospheric C/O ratio. However, recent observations of molecules such as HCN, SiO, and SO reveal gas-phase abundances higher than predicted by thermodynamic equilibrium (TE) models. UV-photon initiated dissociation in the outer envelope or non-equilibrium formation by the effect of shocks in the inner envelope may be the origin of the anomolous abundances. We aim at detecting (i.) a group of `parent' molecules (CO, SiO, HCN, CS), predicted by the non-equilibrium study of Cherchneff (2006) to form with almost constant abundances independent of the C/O ratio and the stellar evolutionary stage on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), and (ii.) few molecules, such as SiS and SO,which are sensitive to the O- or C-rich nature of the star. Several low and high excitation rotational transitions of key molecules are observed at mm and sub-mm wavelengths with JCMT and APEX in four AGB stars: the oxygen-rich Mira WX Psc, the S star W Aql, and the two carbon stars V Cyg and II Lup. A critical density analysis is performed to determine the formation region of the high-excitation molecular lines. We detect the four `parent' molecules in all four objects, implying that, indeed, these chemical species form whatever the stage of evolution on the AGB. High-excitation lines of SiS are also detected in three stars with APEX, whereas SO is only detected in the oxygen-rich star WX Psc. This is the first multi-molecular observational proof that periodically shocked layers above the photosphere of AGB stars show some chemical homogeneity, whatever the photospheric C/O ratio and stage of evolution of the star.

8 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

References in corpus (6)

• Probing the mass-loss history of AGB and red supergiant stars from CO rotational line profiles I. Theoretical model -- Mass-loss history unravelled in VY CMa
• The abundance of SiS in circumstellar envelopes around AGB stars
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• Mass-loss properties of S-stars on the AGB
• The distribution of SiO in the circumstellar envelope around IRC+10216
• The variable mass loss of the AGB star WX Psc as traced by the CO J=1-0 through 7-6 lines and the dust emission

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• Water in IRC+10216: a genuine formation process by shock-induced chemistry in the inner wind
• ATOMIUM: ALMA tracing the origins of molecules in dust forming oxygen rich M-type stars: Motivation, sample, calibration, and initial results
• Dust Formation in Astrophysical Environments: The Importance of Kinetics
• Late Stages of Stellar Evolution - Herschel's contributions
• The surprisingly carbon-rich environment of the S-type star W Aql
• The dusty circumstellar environment of Betelgeuse during the Great Dimming as seen by VLTI/MATISSE
• Molecules, shocks, and disk in the axi-symmetric wind of the MS-type AGB star RS Cancri
• HI line observations of 290 evolved stars made with the Nancay Radio Telescope -- I. Data