Spitzer Space Telescope spectral observations of AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy
M. Matsuura (1,2), A. A. Zijlstra (3), J. Bernard-Salas (4), J. W., Menzies (5), G. C. Sloan (4), P. A. Whitelock (5,6,7), P. R. Wood (8), M.-R., L. Cioni (9), M. W. Feast (6), E. Lagadec (3), J. Th. van Loon (10), M. A. T., Groenewegen (11), G. J. Harris (2) ((1) NAO of Japan

TL;DR
This study uses Spitzer spectra to analyze mass-loss rates of carbon-rich AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf galaxy, finding no metallicity dependence but differences compared to other galaxy types, informing galaxy evolution models.
Contribution
It provides the first detailed spectral analysis of AGB stars in Fornax, assessing mass-loss rates and dust properties across different metallicities.
Findings
Mass-loss rates are 4-7x10^-6 Msun/yr for some stars.
No clear dependence of mass-loss on metallicity.
Total gas return rate to the ISM is significantly lower than in similar galaxies.
Abstract
We have observed five carbon-rich AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, using the Infrared Spectrometer on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars were selected from a near-infrared survey of Fornax and include the three reddest stars, with presumably the highest mass-loss rates, in that galaxy. Such carbon stars probably belong to the intermediate-age population (2-8 Gyr old and metallicity of [Fe/H] -1) of Fornax. The primary aim of this paper is to investigate mass-loss rate, as a function of luminosity and metallicity, by comparing AGB stars in several galaxies with different metallicities. The spectra of three stars are fitted with a radiative transfer model. We find that mass-loss rates of these three stars are 4-7x10^-6 Msun yr-1. The other two stars have mass-loss rates below 1.3x10^-6 Msun yr-1. We find no evidence that these rates depend on metallicity,…
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