Late stages of stellar evolution: planetary nebulae and radio supernovae

The main goal of this reasearch is to improve our basic knowledge of the late stages of stellar evolution. For low- and intermediate-mass stars, we study the short transition from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase to the planetary nebula stage. The primary objective of this research is to understand the effects of the different shaping agents (stellar winds, fast collimated outflows, central star strong radiation field) in the formation of planetary nebulae and to assess their relative importance in different phases of the nebular evolution.

We also study the angular expansion and spectral evolution of young type Ib/c and type II radio supernovae. Moreover, we identifify radio supernovae in a complete sample of nearby galaxies with intense far infra-red emission, with the aim of determining the supernova production rate and its relation with the massive star formation rate.

A special emphasis is made in high angular resolution studies. In particular, we make an intensive use of radio interferometers, ground-based optical+infrared telescopes, and X-ray space facilities.