Columbia University Participation in the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Guest Obs. Program: Evolution of Near-Infrared Lines from the Formation of Supernova Remnant 1987A

Abstract

The goal of this project is to determine the mass loss history of a sample of seven mass losing Asymptotic Giant Branch stars. This is done by observing their circumstellar dust shells which contain a record of the most recent mass loss history. The further away from the star we are able to detect this increasingly fainter dust emission the further back we can look into the mass loss history.