Evidence for mass ejection associated with long secondary periods in red giants

TL;DR

This study provides evidence that long secondary periods in red giants are associated with mass ejection and circumstellar dust, suggesting a link between LSPs and stellar mass loss mechanisms.

Contribution

It demonstrates a correlation between LSPs and mid-IR excess in red giants, indicating mass ejection linked to LSPs, a novel insight into their nature.

Findings

Stars with LSPs show significant mid-IR excess.

LSPs are associated with mass ejection and circumstellar dust.

The $J$-$K$ color remains unaffected by LSPs.

Abstract

Approximately 30% of luminous red giants exhibit a Long Secondary Period (LSP) of variation in their light curves, in addition to a shorter primary period of oscillation. The cause of the LSP has so far defied explanation: leading possibilities are binarity and a nonradial mode of oscillation. Here, large samples of red giants in the Large Magellanic Cloud both with and without LSPs are examined for evidence of an 8 or 24 $\mu$m mid-IR excess caused by circumstellar dust. It is found that stars with LSPs show a significant mid-IR excess compared to stars without LSPs. Furthermore, the near-IR $J$-$K$ color seems unaffected by the presence of the 24 $\mu$m excess. These findings indicate that LSPs cause mass ejection from red giants and that the lost mass and circumstellar dust is most likely in either a clumpy or a disk-like configuration. The underlying cause of the LSP and the mass ejection remains unknown.