Infrared reradiation from circumstellar shells

[摘要] A catalogue of the stars known to emit excess infrared radiation is compiled, and a dust model is applied to 36 of these ;;infrared stars;;. In this model, the infrared excess is produced by thermally reradiating dust particles concentrated in a thin spherical shell around a central star. Photometric measurements of the observed continuum of an infrared star, and of the observed continuum of stars of similar spectral classification,are used to derive the energy distribution of the dust;;s infrared emission. The total energy emitted by the dust shell, the peak shell flux, and the temperature of the shell are computed from the derived shell energy distribution, and from these data the radius of the shell is determined by several means. The sizes of some of the stars are amenable to measurement, so that this dust model of infrared stars can be tested.

[发布机构] Rice University