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Superwind

Dense stellar wind

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated April 21, 2026

A superwind is an extremely dense wind emanating from asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars towards the end of their lives. While the exact origin of the superwind is unknown, it is believed that it causes the AGB star to appear as an OH/IR star. At the latest stages of the star's life, an AGB star can lose around 10^{-4} solar masses per year to the superwind. This mass loss is so high that it causes nuclear fusion in AGB stars to be extinguished earlier than was predicted in early theories. After nuclear fusion has ceased, the star becomes a white dwarf, and the dense wind envelope becomes its planetary nebula.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Superwind”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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