000002795 001__ 2795
000002795 005__ 20160706140541.0
000002795 037__ $$aASTROimport-952
000002795 100__ $$aBoyer, M. L.
000002795 245__ $$aA Complete Census of Dusty Evolved Stars in Local Group Dwarf Galaxies with Spitzer: Description and First Results
000002795 260__ $$c2012
000002795 520__ $$aHighly evolved stars (massive stars and intermediate-mass Asymptotic Giant Branch -or AGB- stars) can become heavily enshrouded in dust. This material is ejected into the interstellar medium (ISM), driving galactic chemical evolution. The dwarf galaxies of the Local Group (LG) are ideal laboratories for studying dusty evolved stars since their stellar populations are resolvable and they span a wide range in metallicity, luminosity, star formation history, ISM content, and interaction history. The dust-producing phase is brief, so it is rare in low-luminosity dwarf galaxies. We must therefore observe a large sample of dwarf galaxies in order to build a sufficient evolved star database. We have obtained time with the Spitzer Space Telescope to complete a uniform census of LG dwarf galaxies (d  2 Mpc) with IRAC designed to detect and characterize the circumstellar dust around evolved stars. The scientific potential of such observations is immense, since IRAC provides the color information required for identifying dusty stars that are obscured in optical and near-infrared surveys. Our immediate science goals are to (1) analyze dust content and mass loss in AGB stars, (2) generate intermediate-age star formation histories using AGB stars, (3) analyze the infrared properties of massive evolved stars, and (4) identify targets for JWST follow-up. Here, we describe the program and present some first results.
000002795 700__ $$aBarmby, P.
000002795 700__ $$aBonanos, A. Z.
000002795 700__ $$aGehrz, R. D.
000002795 700__ $$aGordon, K. D.
000002795 700__ $$aGroenewegen, M. A. T.
000002795 700__ $$aLagadec, E.
000002795 700__ $$aLennon, D. J.
000002795 700__ $$aMarengo, M.
000002795 700__ $$aMcQuinn, K.
000002795 700__ $$aMeixner, M.
000002795 700__ $$aSkillman, E. D.
000002795 700__ $$aSloan, G. C.
000002795 700__ $$avan Loon, J. T.
000002795 700__ $$aZijlstra, A. A.
000002795 773__ $$c244.16$$pAmerican Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #219$$v219$$y2012
000002795 85642 $$ahttp://esoads.eso.org/abs/2012AAS...21924416B
000002795 905__ $$apublished in
000002795 980__ $$aNONREF