Observed properties of red supergiant and massive AGB star populations


Jacco Th. van Loon

Lennard Jones Laboratories, Keele University, ST5 5BG, UK

This brief review describes some of the observed properties of the populations of massive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and red supergiants (RSGs) found in nearby galaxies, with a focus on their luminosity functions, mass-loss rates and dust production. I do this within the context of their role as potential supernova (SN) progenitors, and the evolution of SNe and their remnants. The paper ends with an outlook to the near future, in which new facilities such as the James Webb Space Telescope offer a step change in our understanding of the evolution and fate of the coolest massive stars in the Universe.

Reference: Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana, eds. Amanda Karakas, Paolo Ventura, Flavia Dell'Agli and Marcella Di Criscienzo
Status: Conference proceedings

Weblink: https://arxiv.org/abs/1706.01729

Comments: Invited review for "The AGB-Supernovae Mass transition" conference held in Rome in March 2017

Email: j.t.van.loon@keele.ac.uk