Explorative approach to the dust evolution in binary star systems

Abstract

This thesis discusses dust formation in binary systems, in particular for binary systems consisting of a Mira like star and a brown dwarf. A Mira-like star is an intermediate mass star in a late stage of their stellar evolution on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB), and a brown dwarf, is a sub-stellar object with a mass below that necessary to maintain hydrogen-burning nuclear fusion reactions in their cores. In their radial pulsating elevated convective atmospheres, Mira-stars often develop strong stellar winds, which are driven by radiation pressure on the dust and lead to a substantial mass-loss of the star. Stellar winds are of central importance for the development of medium-heavy-AGB stars. Also, they are a reliable source for the production of dust particles and heavy elements for the interstellar medium and the chemical evolution of galaxies. In fact, most stars are in binary or multiple star systems.For a complete description of the processes of dust formation in binary star systems it is necessary to study the perturbative influence of a second star in the vicinity of a AGB-star with a strong stellar wind. This endeavour is embedded in a long standing tradition of scientific investigation of dust formation at the Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik (ZAA) at the Technical University of Berlin...