On the metallicity dependence of crystalline silicates in oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and red supergiants

TL;DR

This study examines how the presence and characteristics of crystalline silicates in oxygen-rich evolved stars vary with metallicity and mass-loss rates across different galaxies, revealing correlations and mineralogical changes.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of crystalline silicate features across a wide metallicity range in evolved stars, combining spectroscopic data with radiative transfer models.

Findings

Crystalline silicates are detected in stars with a wide range of mass-loss rates.

Higher mass-loss rate stars show more prevalent crystalline silicate features.

A shift in mineralogy from forsterite to enstatite occurs at lower metallicities.

Abstract

We investigate the occurrence of crystalline silicates in oxygen-rich evolved stars across a range of metallicities and mass-loss rates. It has been suggested that the crystalline silicate feature strength increases with increasing mass-loss rate, implying a correlation between lattice structure and wind density. To test this, we analyse Spitzer IRS and Infrared Space Observatory SWS spectra of 217 oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars and 98 red supergiants in the Milky Way, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and Galactic globular clusters. These encompass a range of spectral morphologies from the spectrally-rich which exhibit a wealth of crystalline and amorphous silicate features to 'naked' (dust-free) stars. We combine spectroscopic and photometric observations with the GRAMS grid of radiative transfer models to derive (dust) mass-loss rates and temperature. We then measure the strength of the crystalline silicate bands at 23, 28 and 33 microns. We detect crystalline silicates in stars with dust mass-loss rates which span over 3 dex, down to rates of ~10^-9 solar masses/year. Detections of crystalline silicates are more prevalent in higher mass-loss rate objects, though the highest mass-loss rate objects do not show the 23-micron feature, possibly due to the low temperature of the forsterite grains or it may indicate that the 23-micron band is going into absorption due to high column density. Furthermore, we detect a change in the crystalline silicate mineralogy with metallicity, with enstatite seen increasingly at low metallicity.