Infrared properties of carbon stars in our Galaxy

In this study, we explore the characteristics of carbon stars within our Galaxy through a comprehensive analysis of observational data spanning visual and infrared (IR) bands. Leveraging datasets from IRAS, ISO, Akari, MSX, 2MASS, WISE, Gaia DR3, AAVSO, and the SIMBAD object database, we conduct a detailed comparison between the observational data and theoretical models. To facilitate this comparison, we introduce various IR two-color diagrams (2CDs), IR color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and spectral energy distributions (SEDs). We find that the CMDs, which utilize the latest distance and extinction data from Gaia DR3 for a substantial number of carbon stars, are very useful to distinguish carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (CAGB) stars from extrinsic carbon stars that are not in the AGB phase. To enhance the accuracy of our analysis, we employ theoretical radiative transfer models for dust shells around CAGB stars. These theoretical dust shell models demonstrate a commendable ability to approximate the observations of CAGB stars across various SEDs, 2CDs, and CMDs. We present the infrared properties of known pulsating variables and explore the infrared variability of the sample stars by analyzing WISE photometric data spanning the last 14 yr. Additionally, we present a novel catalog of CAGB stars, offering enhanced reliability and a wealth of additional information.