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Description
We report on a multi-epoch study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, made with the Infrared Survey Facility, over an area of about 42x42arcmin^2^. The colour-magnitude diagram shows a broad well-populated giant branch with a tip that slopes downwards from red to blue, as might be expected given Fornax's known range of age and metallicity. The extensive asymptotic giant branch (AGB) includes seven Mira variables and 10 periodic semiregular variables. Five of the seven Miras are known to be carbon rich. Their pulsation periods range from 215 to 470d, indicating a range of initial masses. Three of the Fornax Miras are redder than typical Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) Miras of similar period, probably indicating particularly heavy mass-loss rates. Many, but not all, of the characteristics of the AGB are reproduced by isochrones from Marigo et al. (2008A&A...482..883M) for a 2Gyr population with a metallicity of Z=0.0025.
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