Period-Luminosity-Colour distribution and classification of Galactic oxygen-rich LPVs II

Abstract

The kinematic and Period-Luminosity-Colour distribution of O-rich Long-Period Variable stars of the solar neighbourhood is interpreted in terms of pulsation modes, masses and metallicities. It is first shown that, because of input physics imperfections, the periods and mean colours derived from the existing linear and nonlinear nonadiabatic models must significantly depart from the actual behaviour of the stars. As a consequence systematic corrections have to be applied, as a first approximation, to our linear model grid. These free parameters, as well as the mixing length, are calibrated on the LPVs of the LMC and of some globular clusters, assuming a mean mass of one solar mass for the LMC Mira-like stars. Then, the masses and metallicities corresponding to the four kinematic/photometric populations of local LPVs are evaluated. The possibility of a varying mixing-length parameter is discussed and taken into account.