SIMBAD references

Using available data for C and M giants with M_bol←3.6 in Magellanic Cloud clusters, we derive limits to the lifetimes for the corresponding evolutionary phases, as a function of stellar mass. The C-star phase is found to have a duration between 2 and 3Myr for stars in the mass range from ∼1.5 to 2.8M_☉. There is also an indication that the peak of C-star lifetime shifts to lower masses (from slightly above to slightly below 2M_☉) as we move from LMC to SMC metallicities. The M-giant lifetimes also peak at ∼2M_☉ in the LMC, with a maximum value of about 4Myr, whereas in the SMC their lifetimes appear much shorter, but, actually, they are poorly constrained by the data. These numbers constitute useful constraints to theoretical models of the TP-AGB phase. We show that several models in the literature underestimate the duration of the C-star phase at LMC metallicities.