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The asymptotic giant branch star R Sculptoris is surrounded by a detachedshell of dust and gas. The shell originates from a thermal pulse during whichthe star undergoes a brief period of increased mass loss. It has hitherto beenimpossible to constrain observationally the timescales and mass-loss propertiesduring and after a thermal pulse - parameters that determine the lifetime onthe asymptotic giant branch and the amount of elements returned by the star.Here we report observations of CO emission from the circumstellar envelope andshell around R Sculptoris with an angular resolution of 1.3 arcsec. What washitherto thought to be only a thin, spherical shell with a clumpy structure, isrevealed to contain a spiral structure. Spiral structures associated withcircumstellar envelopes have been seen previously, from which it was concludedthat the systems must be binaries. Using the data, combined with hydrodynamicsimulations, we conclude that R Sculptoris is a binary system that underwent athermal pulse approximately 1800 years ago, lasting approximately 200 years.About 0.003 Msun of mass was ejected at a velocity of 14.3 km s-1 and at a rateapproximately 30 times higher than the prepulse mass-loss rate. This shows thatapproximately 3 times more mass is returned to the interstellar medium duringand immediately after a pulse than previously thought.

Unexpectedly large mass loss during the thermal pulse cycle of the red giant R Sculptoris!