Constraining the X-Ray Luminosities of Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars: TX Camelopardalis and T Cassiopeia

Abstract

To probe the magnetic activity levels of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we used XMM-Newton to search for X-ray emission from two well-studied objects, TX Cam and T Cas. The former star displays polarized maser emission, indicating magnetic field strengths of B~5 G, and the latter is one of the nearest known AGB stars. Neither star was detected by XMM-Newton. We use the upper limits on EPIC (CCD detector) count rates to constrain the X-ray luminosities of these stars and derive L_X<10³¹ ergs s^-1 (<10³⁰ ergs s^-1) for an assumed X-ray emission temperature T_X=3×10⁶ K (10⁷ K). These limits represent <~10% (<~1%) of the X-ray luminosity expected under models in which AGB magnetic fields are global and potentially play an important role in collimating and/or launching AGB winds. We suggest, instead, that the B field strengths inferred from maser observations are representative of localized magnetic clouds.