No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 May 2016
The structure and evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe) is reviewed. CSPNe represent the rapid transitional stage between the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and the white-dwarf domain. It is shown that the whole evolution off the AGB through the central-star regime depends on the evolutionary history. The detailed evolution into a white dwarf is controlled by the internal stellar structure which, in turn, is determined by the duration of the preceding AGB evolution and therefore by the AGB mass-loss history. The evolution of hydrogen-deficient central stars has been a matter of debate since many years. Convective overshoot appears to be a key ingredient to model these objects. Various thermal-pulse scenarios with inclusion of overshoot are discussed, leading to surface abundances in general agreement with those observed for Wolf-Rayet central stars.