On the Luminosity and Mass Loss of Galactic AGB Stars
  As part of a reanalysis of Galactic Asymptotic Giant Branch stars (hereafter AGB stars) at infrared wavelengths, we discuss here two samples (the first of carbon-rich stars, the second of S stars) for which photometry in the near- and mid-IR and distance estimates are available. Whenever possible we searched also for mass-loss rates. The observed spectral energy distributions extended in all cases up to 20 $\mu$m and for the best-observed sources up to 45 $\mu$m. The wide wavelength coverage allows us to obtain reliable bolometric corrections, and hence bolometric magnitudes. We show that mid-IR fluxes are crucial for estimating bolometric magnitudes for stars with dusty envelopes and that the so-called luminosity problem of C stars (i.e. the suggestion that they are less luminous than predicted by models) does not appear to exist. 
R. Guandalini, M. Busso and M. Cardinali (Dipartimento di Fisica,   Universit\'a di Perugia)