Open AccessThe role of ballast in the helium‐shell flash
Author(s) -
Harpaz Amos
Publication year - 2010
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.1365-2966.2009.15628.x
Subject(s) - physics , ballast , helium , flash (photography) , shell (structure) , astrophysics , diagram , hertzsprung–russell diagram , envelope (radar) , astronomy , atomic physics , stellar evolution , optics , aerospace engineering , stars , statistics , ecology , materials science , mathematics , radar , engineering , composite material , biology
Calculations are presented of the evolutionary track of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, after most of its envelope is consumed and it starts moving to the right in the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram. On looking for the conditions that may create a helium‐shell flash at this stage, it is found that a necessary condition for the creation of a helium‐shell flash at this stage is the presence of mass ‘ballast’ over the helium‐burning shell. The effects of different amounts of such ballast are studied, and the detailed evolution of such a flash is presented.