Super-AGB stars -
bridging the divide between low/intermediate-mass and high-mass stars

Carolyn Doherty
Monash University, Australia


Super Asymptotic Giant Branch (Super-AGB) stars reside in the mass range ~ 6.5-10 Msun and are characterised by off-centre carbon ignition prior to a thermally pulsing phase which can consist of many tens to even thousands of thermal pulses. The final fate of these stars is quite uncertain and depends primarily on the competition between the core growth and mass-loss rates. If the stellar envelope is removed prior to the core reaching the Chandrasekhar mass, an O-Ne white dwarf will remain, otherwise the star will undergo an electron-capture supernova leaving behind a neutron star. I describe the factors which influence these different final fate channels, determine their relative fractions and provide a mass limit for the lowest mass supernova over a broad range of metallicities.