The Origin of Outflows in Evolved Stars (IAU S366)

All stars are known to power strong stellar winds at the end of their lives, expelling stellar material that is recycled as building blocks of new planets and life. IAU S366 provides an overview of state-of-the-art observational, theoretical and numerical studies on the origin of winds in evolved stars.

The prime parameter determining the evolution of a star is its mass. Any modification to the stellar mass has large repercussions on its evolutionary path. Both low-mass and massive stars are known to power strong stellar winds at the end of their lives. These winds determine the type of the stellar end product and the amount by which these stars contribute to the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium, ultimately providing the building blocks of planets and life. A proper understanding of stellar evolution and the building blocks in the Universe cannot be achieved without a detailed understanding of stellar winds. IAU Symposium 366 provides an overview of state-of-the-art observational and theoretical studies on the origin of winds in low-mass and massive evolved stars, with topics including binarity, enrichment of the interstellar medium, astrochemistry, and theoretical, observational and numerical constraints on stellar outflows.