The following document lists the file abstract/MRIEKE_M31_M32.abs
from catalogue VI/111.
A plain copy of the file
(without headers/trailers) may be downloaded.
Almost any stellar population present in a galaxy should contain a number of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. This phase of stellar evolution is very difficult to model, and hence the inverse issue of trying to model the output of a composite stellar population as a function of time is extremely uncertain. We propose a search for emission from the circumstellar shells around the AGB stars present in the nuclei of M31 and M32, nearby, quiescent galaxies with old stellar populations. This emission will be characterized by the presence of a silicate feature at 10 microns.