On the generation of mass loss in cool giant stars due to propagating shock waves

This paper investigates mass loss in late-type giant stars produced by propagating shock waves, assuming both monochromatic waves and acoustic frequency spectra. In monochromatic wave computations, the wave period is varied by a factor of 50. The wave models show that short-period waves produced in stellar convective zones do not play any direct role in generating the observed mass loss, except for episodic mass-loss events. However, these waves are important for heating stellar chromospheres. Continuous mass-loss solutions are obtained when the wavelengths are comparable to or larger than a stellar radius. In the case of Arcturus, a mass-loss rate between 10 to the -10th and 10 to the -11th solar mass/yr is found, and the final flow speed of the wind is larger than 40 km/s, which are close to the observed values. 54 refs