Model atmospheres of red giants

Techniques and results of computations of model atmospheres are discussed for M and C giants and for giants with abundance anomalies. The SAM12 code, a modification of the ATLAS 12 code developed by Kurucz, is used. Blanketing effects due to atomic and molecular line absorption are taken into account using the opacity-sampling approach. The computed model atmosphere for the Sun (G2V) is used as a test of the SAM12 code. The model red-giant atmospheres are compared with models reported in other studies. Comparisons between the computed and observed spectral energy distributions are given for the C giant WX Cyg(C-J6) and Sakurai's object (V4334 Sgr). (C) 2003 MAIK 'Nauka/Interperiodica.