RV Tauri stars as post-asymptotic giant branch objects

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Abstract
RV Tau stars are rare, luminous pulsators of spectral types F, G, and K. Analysis of the IRAS data shows that the mass-loss rates from RV Tau stars have apparently significantly decreased during the past ≡500 yr from about 10-5M_sun;yr-1. It seems likely that these stars have just evolved from the phase of rapid mass loss, characteristic of the last stages of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). The birthrate of RV Tau stars in the solar neighborhood is roughly 6×10-4kpc-3yr-1, about a tenth of the birthrate of all planetary nebulae, and this is consistent with the view that we are witnessing the subset of stars undergoing post-AGB evolution that are of low mass.

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