Is Mira a magneto-dusty rotator?

Abstract

We investigate the possibility that a magnetic field may be present in the star $o-$Ceti (hereafter, Mira) and that the field plays a role in the star's mass loss. The model presented here is an application of an earlier derived theory that has been successfully employed for intermediate and high-mass evolved stars, and is now extended to the low-mass end. The modelling shows that it is possible to obtain a hybrid magnetohydrodynamic-dust-driven wind scenario for Mira, in which the role of a magnetic field in the equatorial plane of the star is dynamically important for producing a stellar wind. The wind velocity and the temperatures obtained from the model appear consistent with findings elsewhere.