AGB STARS & PRESOLAR GRAINS

Among presolar materials recovered in meteorites, abundant SiC and Al2O3 grains of AGB origins were found. They showed records of C, N, O, Al-26 and s-element isotopic ratios that proved invaluable in constraining the nucleosynthesis models for AGB stars [1, 2]. In particular, when these ratios are measured in SiC grains, they clearly reveal their prevalent origin in cool AGB circumstellar envelopes and provide information on both the local physics and the conditions at the nucleosynthesis site (the H-and He-burning layers deep inside the structure). Among the properties ascertained for the main part of the SiC data (the so-called mainstream ones), we mention a large range of N-14/N-15 ratios, extending below the solar value [3], and C-12/C-13 ratios greater than or similar to 30. Other classes of grains, instead, display low carbon isotopic ratios (greater than or similar to 10) and a huge dispersion for N isotopes, with cases of large N-15 excess. In the same grains, isotopes currently feeded by slow neutron captures reveal the characteristic pattern expected from this process at an efficiency slightly lower than necessary to explain the solar main s-process component. Complementary constraints can be found in oxide grains, especially Al2O3 crystals. Here, the oxygen isotopes and the content in 26Al are of a special importance for clarifying the partial mixing processes that are known to affect evolved low-mass stars. Successes in modeling the data, as well as problems in explaining some of the mentioned isotopic ratios through current nucleosynthesis models are briefly outlined.