Context. Dust is efficiently produced by cool giant stars, but the condensation of inorganic dust is poorly understood. Observations of key aluminum bearing molecules around evolved stars has enabled us to investigate the nucleation of alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) dust in the gas. Aims. We aim to identify and characterize aluminum bearing species in the circumstellar gas of Mira (o Ceti) in order to elucidate their role in the production of Al 2 O 3 dust. Methods. We used multiepoch spectral line observations at (sub-)millimeter, far-infrared, and optical wavelengths including: maps with ALMA that probe the gas distribution in the immediate vicinity of the star at ∼30 mas; observations with ALMA, APEX, and Herschel in 2013−2015 for studying cycle and inter-cycle variability of the rotational lines of Al-bearing molecules; optical records as far back as 1965 to examine variations in electronic transitions over time spans of days to decades; and velocity measurements and excitation analysis of the spectral features that constrain the physical parameters of the gas.Results. Three diatomic molecules AlO, AlOH, and AlH, and atomic Al i are the main observable aluminum species in Mira, although a significant fraction of aluminum might reside in other species that have not yet been identified. Strong irregular variability in the (sub-)millimeter and optical features of AlO (possibly the direct precursor of Al 2 O 3 ) indicates substantial changes in the excitation conditions, or varying abundance that is likely related to shocks in the star. The inhomogeneous distribution of AlO might influence the spatial and temporal characteristics of dust production. Conclusions. We are unable to quantitatively trace aluminum depletion from the gas, but the rich observational material constrains time-dependent chemical networks. Future improvements should include spectroscopic characterization of higher aluminum oxides, coordinated observations of dust and gas species at different variability phases, and tools to derive abundances in shock-excited gas.

HD 133880 is a rapidly rotating chemically peculiar B-type (Bp) star (v sin i 103 km s −1 ) and is host to one of the strongest magnetic fields of any Ap/Bp star. A member of the Upper Centaurus Lupus association, it is a star with a well-determined age of 16 Myr. 12 new spectra, four of which are polarimetric, obtained from the FEROS, ESPaDOnS and HARPS instruments, provide sufficient material from which to re-evaluate the magnetic field and obtain a first approximation to the atmospheric abundance distributions of He, O, Mg, Si, Ti, Cr, Fe, Ni, Pr and Nd.An abundance analysis was carried out using ZEEMAN, a program which synthesizes spectral line profiles for stars with permeating magnetic fields. The magnetic field structure was characterized by a colinear multipole expansion from the observed variations of the longitudinal and surface fields with rotational phase. Both magnetic hemispheres are clearly visible during the stellar rotation, and thus a three-ring abundance distribution model encompassing both magnetic poles and magnetic equator with equal spans in colatitude was adopted.Using the new magnetic field measurements and optical photometry together with previously published data, we refine the period of HD 133880 to P = 0.877 476 ± 0.000 009 d. Our simple axisymmetric magnetic field model is based on a predominantly quadrupolar component that roughly describes the field variations. Using spectrum synthesis, we derived mean abundances for O, Mg, Si, Ti, Cr, Fe and Pr. All elements, except Mg, are overabundant compared to the Sun. Mg appears to be approximately uniform over the stellar surface, while all other elements are more abundant in the negative magnetic hemisphere than in the positive magnetic hemisphere. In contrast to most Ap/Bp stars which show an underabundance in O, in HD 133880 this element is clearly overabundant compared to the solar abundance ratio.In studying the Hα and Paschen lines in the optical spectra, we could not unambiguously detect information about the magnetosphere of HD 133880. However, radio emission data at both 3 and 6 cm suggest that the magnetospheric plasma is held in rigid rotation with the star by the magnetic field and further supported against collapse by the rapid rotation. Subtle differences in the shapes of the optically thick radio light curves at 3 and 6 cm suggest that the large-scale magnetic field is not fully axisymmetric at large distances from the star.

Context. High angular resolution (sub)millimetre observations of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, now possible with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), allow direct imaging of these objects' photospheres. The physical properties of the molecular material around these regions, which until now has only been studied by imaging of maser emission and spatially unresolved absorption spectroscopy, can be probed with radiative transfer modelling and compared to hydrodynamical model predictions. The prototypical Mira variable, o Cet (Mira), was observed as a Science Verification target in the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign, offering the first opportunity to study these physical conditions in detail. Aims. With the longest baseline of 15 km, ALMA produces clearly resolved images of the continuum and molecular line emission/absorption at an angular resolution of ∼30 mas at 220 GHz. Models are constructed for Mira's extended atmosphere to investigate the physics and molecular abundances therein. Methods. We imaged the data of 28 SiO = 0, 2 J = 5−4 and H 2 O v 2 = 1 J Ka,Kc = 5 5,0 −6 4,3 transitions and extracted spectra from various lines of sight towards Mira's extended atmosphere. In the course of imaging the emission/absorption, we encountered ambiguities in the resulting images and spectra that appear to be related to the performance of the CLEAN algorithm when applied to a combination of extended emission, and compact emission and absorption. We addressed these issues by a series of tests and simulations. We derived the gas density, kinetic temperature, molecular abundance, and outflow/infall velocities in Mira's extended atmosphere by modelling the SiO and H 2 O lines. Results. We resolve Mira's millimetre continuum emission and our data are consistent with a radio photosphere with a brightness temperature of 2611 ± 51 K. In agreement with recent results obtained with the Very Large Array, we do not confirm the existence of a compact region (<5 mas) of enhanced brightness. Our modelling shows that SiO gas starts to deplete beyond 4 R and at a kinetic temperature of 600 K. The inner dust shells are probably composed of grain types other than pure silicates. During this ALMA observation, Mira's atmosphere generally exhibited infall motion with a shock front of velocity 12 km s −1 outside the radio photosphere. Despite the chaotic nature of Mira's atmosphere, the structures predicted by the hydrodynamical model, codex, can reproduce the observed spectra in astonishing detail, while some other models fail when confronted with the new data. Conclusions. For the first time, millimetre-wavelength molecular absorption against the stellar continuum has been clearly imaged. Combined with radiative transfer modelling, the ALMA data successfully demonstrates the ability to reveal the physical conditions of the extended atmospheres and inner winds of AGB stars in unprecedented detail. Long-term monitoring of oxygen-rich evolved stars will be the key to understanding the unsolved problem of dust ...

Binary interactions dominate the evolution of massive stars, but their role is less clear for low- and intermediate-mass stars. The evolution of a spherical wind from an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star into a nonspherical planetary nebula (PN) could be due to binary interactions. We observed a sample of AGB stars with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and found that their winds exhibit distinct nonspherical geometries with morphological similarities to planetary nebulae (PNe). We infer that the same physics shapes both AGB winds and PNe; additionally, the morphology and AGB mass-loss rate are correlated. These characteristics can be explained by binary interaction. We propose an evolutionary scenario for AGB morphologies that is consistent with observed phenomena in AGB stars and PNe.

Decades ago, γ-ray observatories identified diffuse Galactic emission at 1.809 MeV (1-3) originating from β + decays of an isotope of aluminium, 26 Al, that has a mean-life time of 1.04 million years (4). Objects responsible for the production of this radioactive isotope have never been directly identified, owing to insufficient angular resolutions and sensitivities of the γ-ray observatories. Here, we report observations of millimetre-wave rotational lines of the isotopologue of aluminium monofluoride that contains the radioactive isotope ( 26 AlF). The emission is observed toward CK Vul which is thought to be a remnant of a stellar merger (5-7). Our constraints on the production of 26 Al combined with the estimates on the merger rate make it unlikely that objects similar to CK Vul are major producers of Galactic 26 Al. However, the observation may be a stepping stone for unambiguous identification of other Galactic sources of 26 Al. Moreover, a high content of 26