Late States of Stellar Evolution

Abstract

The Square Kilometer Array will have the sensitivity, spatial resolution, and frequency resolution to provide new scientific knowledge of evolved stars. Four basic areas of scientific exploration are enhanced by the construction of the SKA: 1) detection and imaging of photospheric radio continuum emission and position correlation with maser distributions, 2) imaging of thermal dust emission around evolved stars and the detailed structures of their circumstellar winds (again, including comparison with maser distributions), 3) study of cm-wavelength molecular line transitions and the circumstellar chemistry around both O-rich and C-rich evolved stars and 4) the possible observation of polarized emission due to the influence of the magnetic fields of AGB stars. Since this short chapter is not meant to be a review article, a comprehensive reference list has not been generated. I have selected just one or perhaps two references for citations where appropriate.