A CO,2-1 line survey is performed toward a sample of 58 high Galactic latitude post-AGB (pAGB) stars. To complement the observations, a compilation of literature CO,2-1 line data of known pAGB stars is done. After combining the datasets, CO,2-1 line
data are available for 133 pAGB stars (about 34 per cent of known pAGB stars) among which 44 are detections. The CO line strengths are compared with infrared dust emission for these pAGB stars by defining a ratio between the integrated CO,2-1 line flux and {it IRAS} 25,mu flux density (CO-IR ratio). The relationship between the CO-IR ratio and the {it IRAS} color C23 (defined with the 25 and 60,mu flux densities) is called here the CO-IR diagram. The pAGB objects are found to be located between AGB stars and planetary nebulae (PNe), and segregate into three distinctive groups (I, II and III) on the CO-IR diagram. By analyzing their various properties such as chemical types, spectral types, binarity, circumstellar envelope expansion velocities, and pAGB sub-types on the CO-IR diagram, it is argued that the group-I objects are mainly intermediate mass C-rich pAGB stars in early pAGB stage (almost all of the considered carbon rich `21,mu stars belong to this group); the group-II objects are massive or intermediate mass pAGB stars which already follow the profound trend of PNe; and the group-III objects are mainly low mass binary pAGB stars with very weak CO,2-1 line emission (almost all of the considered RV,Tau variables belong to this group). The CO-IR diagram is proven to be a powerful tool to investigate the co-evolution of circumstellar gas and dust during the short pAGB stage of stellar evolution.
We revised the treatment of interstellar dust in the KOSMA-tau PDR model code to achieve a consistent description of the dust-related physics in the code. The detailed knowledge of the dust properties is then used to compute the dust continuum emissi
on together with the line emission of chemical species. We coupled the KOSMA-tau PDR code with the MCDRT (multi component dust radiative transfer) code to solve the frequency-dependent radiative transfer equations and the thermal balance equation in a dusty clump under the assumption of spherical symmetry, assuming thermal equilibrium in calculating the dust temperatures, neglecting non-equilibrium effects. We updated the calculation of the photoelectric heating and extended the parametrization range for the photoelectric heating toward high densities and UV fields. We revised the computation of the H2 formation on grain surfaces to include the Eley-Rideal effect, thus allowing for high-temperature H2 formation. We demonstrate how the different optical properties, temperatures, and heating and cooling capabilities of the grains influence the physical and chemical structure of a model cloud. The most influential modification is the treatment of H2 formation on grain surfaces that allows for chemisorption. This increases the total H2 formation significantly and the connected H2 formation heating provides a profound heating contribution in the outer layers of the model clumps. The contribution of PAH surfaces to the photoelectric heating and H2 formation provides a boost to the temperature of outer cloud layers, which is clearly traced by high-J CO lines. Increasing the fraction of small grains in the dust size distribution results in hotter gas in the outer cloud layers caused by more efficient heating and cooler cloud centers, which is in turn caused by the more efficient FUV extinction.
The investigation of post-AGB objects (proto-planetary nebulae) is very important from the standpoint of physical and chemical changes occurring during the late stages of stellar evolution. The Torun catalogue of Galactic post-AGB and related objects
is an evolutive catalogue containing astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic data as well as HST images for all known post-AGB objects and candidates in our Galaxy. This free-access catalogue can serve as an ideal tool to study different groups of post-AGB objects, especially due to the fact that all information is gathered in one place. The second release of our catalogue introduces a simple classification scheme of post-AGB objects and includes a significant number of new objects, photometric data, spectra and images. Here, using objects from the catalogue we consider the problem of the termination of the AGB phase.
It has been shown that the diversity of the aromatic emission features can be rationalized into different classes of objects, in which differences between circumstellar and interstellar matter are emphasised. We probe the links between the mid-IR emi
tters observed in planetary nebulae (PNe) and their counterparts in the interstellar medium in order to probe a scenario in which the latter have been formed in the circumstellar environment of evolved stars. The mid-IR (6-14 um) emission spectra of PNe and compact HII regions were analysed on the basis of previous work on photodissociation regions (PDRs). Galactic, Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) objects were considered in our sample.We show that the mid-IR emission of PNe can be decomposed as the sum of six components. Some components made of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and very small grain (VSG) populations are similar to those observed in PDRs. Others are fitted in an evolutionary scenario involving the destruction of the aliphatic component observed in the post-AGB stage, as well as strong processing of PAHs in the extreme conditions of PNe that leads to a population of very large ionized PAHs. This species called PAH^x are proposed as the carriers of a characteristic band at 7.90 um. This band can be used as part of diagnostics that identify PNe in nearby galaxies and is also observed in galactic compact HII regions. These results support the formation of the aromatic very small dust particles in the envelopes of evolved stars, in the Milky Way, as well as in the LMC and SMC, and their subsequent survival in the interstellar medium.
We discuss phenomenon of simultaneous presence of O- and C-based material in surroundings of evolutionary advanced stars. We concentrate on silicate carbon stars and present observations that directly confirm the binary model scenario for them. We di
scuss also class of C-stars with OH emission detected, to which some [WR] planetary nebulae do belong.
