Publications
of the
MPIfR
Optical & Infrared
Interferometry Group
R. Osterbart, Y. Balega, T. Blöcker, A.
Men'shchikov and G. Weigelt:
The dynamical evolution of the dust shell of
IRC+10216
in
The
Changes in Abundances in Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars,
Mem. Soc. Astron. Ital. 71, 701-708 (2000)
Abstract.
We present high-resolution J-, H-, and K-band observations of
the carbon star IRC+10216. The images were reconstructed from 6 m
telescope speckle interferograms using the bispectrum speckle
interferometry method. The H and K images consist of several
compact components within a 0.2" radius and a fainter asymmetric
nebula.
The brightest four components are denoted with A to D in the order of
decreasing brightness.
A comparison of our images gives - almost like a movie of five frames -
insight to the dynamical
evolution of the inner nebula. For instance, the separation of the two
brightest components A and B increased by almost 40% from 191 mas in
1995 to 265 mas in 1998. At the same time, component B is fading and
the components C and D become brighter. The X-shaped bipolar
structure of the nebula implies an asymmetric mass-loss suggesting that
IRC+10216 is very advanced in its AGB evolution, shortly before
turning into a protoplanetary nebula. The cometary shape of component A
suggests that the core of A is not the central star, but the southern
lobe of a bipolar structure. The position of the central star is
probably at or near the position of component B.
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