Open AccessA binary origin for low‐luminosity carbon stars
Author(s) -
Izzard Robert G.,
Tout Christopher A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07466.x
Subject(s) - physics , asymptotic giant branch , astrophysics , stars , carbon star , luminosity , astronomy , giant star , luminosity function , large magellanic cloud , binary number , k type main sequence star , t tauri star , galaxy , arithmetic , mathematics
We show that mass transfer from thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars in binary systems naturally leads to a population of dim, extrinsic carbon stars in the Magellanic Clouds. This explains the existence of the dim tail in the carbon star luminosity functions of the clouds. We also conclude that the majority of these extrinsic stars are first giant‐branch stars rather than early asymptotic giant branch stars.