Is Mira a magneto-dusty rotator?

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential presence and influence of magnetic fields in Mira, proposing a hybrid magnetohydrodynamic-dust-driven wind model that aligns with observed stellar wind properties.

Contribution

It extends existing magnetic wind models to low-mass stars like Mira, demonstrating the magnetic field's possible role in stellar mass loss.

Findings

Magnetic fields could be dynamically significant in Mira's wind formation.

The model produces wind velocities consistent with observations.

Temperatures from the model align with previous findings.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility that a magnetic field may be present in the star $o-$Ceti (hereafter, Mira) and that the field plays a role in the star's mass loss. The model presented here is an application of an earlier derived theory that has been successfully employed for intermediate and high-mass evolved stars, and is now extended to the low-mass end. The modelling shows that it is possible to obtain a hybrid magnetohydrodynamic-dust-driven wind scenario for Mira, in which the role of a magnetic field in the equatorial plane of the star is dynamically important for producing a stellar wind. The wind velocity and the temperatures obtained from the model appear consistent with findings elsewhere.