Dust formation and mass-loss in long-period variable stars

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM), 300 rue de la Piscine, 38406 St. Martin d'Hères, France

Corresponding author: winters@iram.fr

Abstract

An approach to describe dust forming circumstellar shells around pulsating Asymptotic Giant Branch stars is presented with the aim of understanding the mass-loss mechanism of these objects. The resulting model structures are discussed and the model predictions are compared with suitable observations. Finally, some implications of the mass-loss process on the evolution of the mass-losing star are discussed.