Calibrating Eruptive Mass Loss in Red Supergiants with Local Group Data
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| Formato: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866909042744492032 |
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| author | Cheng, Shelley J. Conroy, Charlie Goldberg, Jared A. |
| author_facet | Cheng, Shelley J. Conroy, Charlie Goldberg, Jared A. |
| contents | We calibrate a physically motivated, super-Eddington eruptive mass-loss prescription for red supergiants (RSGs) using Local Group stellar populations. Building on MESA models that add eruptive mass loss with a free scaling parameter $ξ$, we generate stellar evolution tracks and isochrones, and synthesize mock populations at metallicities of $Z/Z_\odot=0.2,\ 0.4$, and $1.0$. We compare model luminosity functions to observations of RSGs in the SMC, LMC, and M31, restricting to $3.5<\log T_{\rm eff}/K<3.75$ and $\log(L/L_\odot)>4.5$. By-eye fits to the observations yield values of $ξ_\mathrm{SMC}=0.0-0.05$, $ξ_\mathrm{LMC}=0.1$, and $ξ_\mathrm{M31}=0.35$, implying a positive, linear trend between the strength of eruptive mass-loss and metallicity. This calibrated eruptive mass loss prevents stars with initial masses $\gtrsim 20~M_\odot$ from evolving to become red supergiants, with implications for the mass spectrum of core-collapse progenitors, compact remnants, early supernova interaction signatures, and the spectral energy distributions of unresolved galaxies. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_00231 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Calibrating Eruptive Mass Loss in Red Supergiants with Local Group Data Cheng, Shelley J. Conroy, Charlie Goldberg, Jared A. Solar and Stellar Astrophysics We calibrate a physically motivated, super-Eddington eruptive mass-loss prescription for red supergiants (RSGs) using Local Group stellar populations. Building on MESA models that add eruptive mass loss with a free scaling parameter $ξ$, we generate stellar evolution tracks and isochrones, and synthesize mock populations at metallicities of $Z/Z_\odot=0.2,\ 0.4$, and $1.0$. We compare model luminosity functions to observations of RSGs in the SMC, LMC, and M31, restricting to $3.5<\log T_{\rm eff}/K<3.75$ and $\log(L/L_\odot)>4.5$. By-eye fits to the observations yield values of $ξ_\mathrm{SMC}=0.0-0.05$, $ξ_\mathrm{LMC}=0.1$, and $ξ_\mathrm{M31}=0.35$, implying a positive, linear trend between the strength of eruptive mass-loss and metallicity. This calibrated eruptive mass loss prevents stars with initial masses $\gtrsim 20~M_\odot$ from evolving to become red supergiants, with implications for the mass spectrum of core-collapse progenitors, compact remnants, early supernova interaction signatures, and the spectral energy distributions of unresolved galaxies. |
| title | Calibrating Eruptive Mass Loss in Red Supergiants with Local Group Data |
| topic | Solar and Stellar Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00231 |