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Automated analysis of Gaia astrometric data has led to the discovery of many new high-quality open cluster candidates. With a good determination of their parameters, these objects become excellent tools to investigate the properties of our Galaxy. We explore whether young open clusters can be readily identified from Gaia data alone by studying the properties of their Gaia colour-magnitude diagrams. We also want to compare the results of a traditional cluster analysis with those of automated methods. We selected three young open cluster candidates from the UBC catalogue, ranging from a well-populated object with a well-defined sequence to a poorly-populated, poorly-defined candidate. We obtained classification spectra for the brightest stars in each. We redetermined members based on EDR3 data and fitted isochrones to derive age, distance and reddening. All three candidates are real clusters with age below 100 Ma. UBC103 is a moderately populous cluster, with an age around 70 Ma. At a distance of $\sim$ 3 kpc, it forms a binary cluster with the nearby NGC6683. UBC114 is a relatively nearby ($\sim1.5$kpc) poorly-populated cluster containing two early-B stars. UBC587 is a dispersed, very young ($, Accepted for publication in A&A

This is an Open Access article, published by EDP Sciences, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Context. The Carina Nebula is one of the major massive star-forming regions in the Galaxy. Its relatively nearby distance (2.35 kpc) makes it an ideal laboratory for the study of massive star formation, structure, and evolution, both for individual stars and stellar systems. Thanks to the high-quality spectra provided by the Gaia-ESO survey and the LiLiMaRlin library, as well as Gaia EDR3 astrometry, a detailed and homogeneous spectroscopic characterization of its massive stellar content can be carried out. Aims. Our main objective is to spectroscopically characterize all massive members of the Carina Nebula in the Gaia-ESO survey footprint to provide an updated census of massive stars in the region and an updated estimate of the binary fraction of O stars. Methods. We performed accurate spectral classification using an interactive code that compares spectra with spectral libraries of OB standard stars, as well as line-based classic methods. We calculated membership using our own algorithm based on Gaia EDR3 astrometry. To check the correlation between the spectroscopic n-qualifier and the rotational velocity, we used a semi-automated tool for the line-broadening characterization of OB stars based on a combined Fourier transform and goodness-of-fit methodology. Results. The Gaia-ESO survey sample of massive OB stars in the Carina Nebula consists of 234 stars. The addition of brighter sources from the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey and additional sources from the literature allows us to create the most complete census of massive OB stars so far in the region. It contains a total of 316 stars, with 18 of them in the background and 4 in the foreground. Of the 294 stellar systems in Car OB1, 74 are of O type, 214 are of nonsupergiant B type, and 6 are of WR or nonO supergiant (II to Ia) spectral class. We identify 20 spectroscopic binary systems with an O-star primary, of which 6 are reported for the first time, and another 18 with a B-star primary, of which 13 are new detections. The average observed double-lined binary fraction of O-type stars in the surveyed region is 0.35, which represents a lower limit. We find a good correlation between the spectroscopic n-qualifier and the projected rotational velocity of the stars. The fraction of candidate runaways among the stars with and without the n-qualifier is 4.4% and 2.4%, respectively, although nonresolved double-lined binaries could be contaminating the sample of fast rotators. © The Authors 2023., This paper is based mainly on data products from spectroscopic observations made with ESO Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory under programme ID 188.B-3002. These data products have been processed by the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit (CASU) at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, and by the FLAMES/UVES reduction team at INAF/Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri. These data have been obtained from the Gaia-ESO Survey Data Archive, prepared and hosted by the Wide Field Astronomy Unit, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, which is funded by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. This work was partly supported by the European Union FP7 programme through ERC grant number 320360 and by the Leverhulme Trust through grant RPG-2012-541. We acknowledge the support from INAF and Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca (MIUR) in the form of the grant ‘Premiale VLT 2012’. The results presented here benefit from discussions held during the Gaia-ESO workshops and conferences supported by the ESF (European Science Foundation) through the GREAT Research Network Programme. Additional spectra were obtained using the http://www.lco.cl/irenee-du-pont-telescope/ at the Observatorio de Las Campanas (LCO) and the https://www.eso.org/public/teles-instr/lasilla/mpg22/ at the Observatorio de La Silla (LSO). This work has made use of data from the European Space Agency (ESA) mission https://www.cosmos.esa.int/gaia, processed by the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium (https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac/consortium). Funding for the DPAC has been provided by national institutions, in particular the institutions participating in the Gaia Multilateral Agreement. This research is partially funded by the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MCIN/AEI/10.130 39/501 100 011 033/FEDER, UE) through grants PGC2018-093 741-B-C21/C22, PGC2018-095 049-B-C21/C22 and PID2021-122 397NB-C21/C22. SRB also acknowledges funding by MCIN under the Juan de la Cierva – Formación grant (contract FJC 2020-045 785-I) and NextGeneration EU/PRTR and MIU (UNI/551/2021) through grant Margarita Salas-ULL. AH also acknowledges support by the Severo Ochoa Program through CEX2019-000920-S. EJA also acknowledges financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the ‘Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa’ award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). MB is supported through the Lise Meitner grant from the Max Planck Society. We acknowledge support by the Collaborative Research centre SFB 881 (projects A5, A10), Heidelberg University, of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation). This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 949173)., With funding from the Spanish government through the "Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence" accreditation (CEX2021-001131-S).

Full list of authors: Blomme, R.; Daflon, S.; Gebran, M.; Herrero, A.; Lobel, A.; Mahy, L.; Martins, F.; Morel, T.; Berlanas, S. R.; Blazère, A.; Frémat, Y.; Gosset, E.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Santos, W.; Semaan, T.; Simón-Díaz, S.; Volpi, D.; Holgado, G.; Jiménez-Esteban, F.; Nieva, M. F.; Przybilla, N.; Gilmore, G.; Randich, S.; Negueruela, I.; Prusti, T.; Vallenari, A.; Alfaro, E. J.; Bensby, T.; Bragaglia, A.; Flaccomio, E.; Francois, P.; Korn, A. J.; Lanzafame, A.; Pancino, E.; Smiljanic, R.; Bergemann, M.; Carraro, G.; Franciosini, E.; Gonneau, A.; Heiter, U.; Hourihane, A.; Jofré, P.; Magrini, L.; Morbidelli, L.; Sacco, G. G.; Worley, C. C.; Zaggia, S., Context. The Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) is a large public spectroscopic survey that has collected, over a period of six years, spectra of ~105 stars. This survey provides not only the reduced spectra, but also the stellar parameters and abundances resulting from the analysis of the spectra. Aims. The GES dataflow is organised in 19 working groups. Working group 13 (WG13) is responsible for the spectral analysis of the hottest stars (O, B, and A type, with a formal cutoff of Teff > 7000 K) that were observed as part of GES. We present the procedures and techniques that have been applied to the reduced spectra in order to determine the stellar parameters and abundances of these stars. Methods. The procedure used was similar to that of other working groups in GES. A number of groups (called Nodes) each independently analyse the spectra via state-of-the-art techniques and codes. Specific for the analysis in WG13 was the large temperature range covered (Teff ≈ 7000–50 000 K), requiring the use of different analysis codes. Most Nodes could therefore only handle part of the data. Quality checks were applied to the results of these Nodes by comparing them to benchmark stars, and by comparing them to one another. For each star the Node values were then homogenised into a single result: the recommended parameters and abundances. Results. Eight Nodes each analysed part of the data. In total 17 693 spectra of 6462 stars were analysed, most of them in 37 open star clusters. The homogenisation led to stellar parameters for 5584 stars. Abundances were determined for a more limited number of stars. The elements studied are He, C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Al, Si, and Sc. Abundances for at least one of these elements were determined for 292 stars. Conclusions. The hot-star data analysed here, as well as the GES data in general, will be of considerable use in future studies of stellar evolution and open clusters. © ESO 2022., This paper is based on data products from observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programmes ID 188.B-3002, 193.B-0936, and 197.B-1074. These data products have been processed by the Cambridge Astronomy Survey Unit (CASU) at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, and by the FLAMES/UVES reduction team at INAF/Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri. This work was partly supported by the European Union FP7 programme through ERC grant number 320360 and by the Leverhulme Trust through grant RPG-2012-541. We acknowledge the support from INAF and Ministero dell’ Istruzione, dell’ Université’ e della Ricerca (MIUR) in the form of the grant ‘Premiale VLT 2012’. The results presented here benefitted from discussions held during the Gaia-ESO workshops and conferences supported by the ESF (European Science Foundation) through the GREAT Research Network Programme. We are grateful to E. Bertone for making their high-resolution models available, as well as to R. Sordo for making the high-resolution Munari models available. This research has made use of the WEBDA database, originally developed by J.-C. Mermilliod, and now operated at the Department of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics of the Masaryk University. This research has also made use of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France. A.H. acknowledges support by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through grants PGC2018-091, 3741-B-C22 and CEX-2019-000920-S. The work of S.R.B, I.N., and S.S.D. is partially supported by the Spanish Government Ministerio de Economía y Competitivad (MINECO/FEDER) under grants PGC2018-093741-B-C21/C22 (MICIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). A.L. acknowledges that his research has been funded in part by the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office under contract No. BR/143/A2/BRASS. The Liège Node is grateful to Belgian F.R.S.-FNRS for various supports. They are also indebted for an ESA/PRODEX Belspo contract related to the Gaia Data Processing and Analysis Consortium and for support through an ARC grant for Concerted Research Actions financed by the Federation Wallonie-Brussels. J.M.A. acknowledges support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia through grants AYA2016-75 931-C2-2-P and PGC2018-095 049-B-C22. W.S. acknowledges CAPES for a Ph.D. Fellowship. G.H. acknowledges that this research has been partially funded by the Canarian Agency for Economy, Knowledge, and Employment and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF/EU), under grant with reference ProID2020010016. F.J.E. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish MINECO/FEDER through the grant AYA2017-84089 and MDM-2017-0737 at Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Unidad de Excelencia María de Maeztu, and from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 824064 through the ESCAPE - The European Science Cluster of Astronomy & Particle Physics ESFRI Research Infrastructures project. E.J.A acknowledges funding from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the ‘Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa’ award to the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709) and from MCIU grant PGC2018-095049-B-C21. T.B. acknowledges financial support by grant No. 2018-04857 from the Swedish Research Council. A.J.K. and U.H. acknowledge support from the Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA). R.S. acknowledges support from the National Science Centre (2014/15/B/ST9/03981).

We present EMIR, a powerful near-infrared (NIR) camera and multi-object spectrograph (MOS) installed at the Nasmyth focus of the 10.4 m GTC. EMIR was commissioned in mid-2016 and is offered as a common-user instrument. It provides spectral coverage of 0.9–2.5 µm over a field of view (FOV) of 6.67′ × 6.67′ in imaging mode, and 6.67′ × 4′ in spectroscopy. EMIR delivers up to 53 spectra of different objects thanks to a robotic configurable cold slit mask system that is located inside the cryogenic chamber, allowing rapid reconfiguration of the observing mask. The imaging mode is attained by moving all bars outside the FOV and then leaving an empty space in the GTC focal surface. The dispersing suite holds three large pseudo-grisms, formed by the combination of high-efficiency FuSi ion-etched ruled transmission grating sandwiched between two identical ZnSe prisms, plus one standard replicated grism. These dispersing units offer the spectral recording of an atmospheric window J, H, K in a single shot with resolving powers of 5000, 4250, 4000, respectively for a nominal slit width of 0.6″, plus the combined bands Y J or HK, also in a single shot, with resolution of ~1000. The original Hawaii2 FPA detector, which is prone to instabilities that add noise to the signal, is being replaced by a new Hawaii2RG detector array, and is currently being tested at the IAC. This paper presents the most salient features of the instrument, with emphasis on its observing capabilities and the functionality of the configurable slit unit. Sample early science data is also shown. EMIR has been funded by GRANTECAN S.L. via a procurement contract; by the Spanish funding agency grants AYA2001-1656, AYA2002-10256-E, FIT-020100-2003-587, AYA2003-01186, AYA2006-15698-C02-01, AYA2009-06972, AYA2012-33211, AYA2015-63650-P and AYA2015-70498-C2-1-R; and by the Canarian funding agency grant ACIISI-PI 2008/226. Part of this work was supported by AYA2018-RTI-096188-B-I00 and the French CNRS, the Aix-Marseille University, the French Programme National de Cosmologie et Galaxies (PNCG) of CNRS/INSU with INP and IN2P3, co-funded by CEA and CNES.

Context. Massive stars are a key element for understanding the chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies. Stellar evolution is conditioned by many factors: Rotation, mass loss, and interaction with other objects are the most important ones for massive stars. During the first evolutionary stages of stars with initial masses (i.e., MZAMS) in the MZAMS ∼ 18–70 M⊙ range, they are of spectral type O. Given that stars in this mass range spend roughly 90% of their lifetime as O-type stars, establishing the multiplicity frequency and binary properties of O-type stars is crucial for many fields of modern astrophysics. Aims. The aim of the MONOS project is to collect information to study northern Galactic O-type spectroscopic binaries. In this second paper, we tackle the study of the 35 single-line spectroscopic binary (SB1) systems identified in the previous paper of the series, analyze our data, and review the literature on the orbits of the systems. Methods. We have measured ∼4500 radial velocities for a selection of diagnostic lines for the ∼700 spectra of the studied systems in our database, for which we have used two different methods: a Gaussian fit for several lines per object and cross-correlation with synthetic spectra computed with the FASTWIND stellar atmospheric code. We have also explored the photometric data delivered by the TESS mission to analyze the light curve (LC) of the systems, extracting 31 of them. We have explored the possible periods with the Lomb-Scargle method and, whenever possible, calculated the orbital solutions using the SBOP and GBART codes. For those systems in which an improved solution was possible, we merged our radial velocities with those in the literature and calculated a combined solution. Results. As a result of this work, of the 35 SB1 systems identified in our first paper we have confirmed 21 systems as SB1 with good orbits, discarded the binary nature of six stars (9 Sge, HD 192 281, HDE 229 232 AB, 68 Cyg, HD 108, and α Cam), and left six stars as inconclusive due to a lack of data. The remaining two stars are 15 Mon Aa, which has been classified as SB2, and Cyg OB2-22 C, for which we find evidence that it is most likely a triple system where the O star is orbiting an eclipsing SB1. We have also recalculated 20 new orbital solutions, including the first spectroscopic orbital solution for V747 Cep. For Cyg OB2-22 C, we have obtained new ephemerides but no new orbit. E.T.P., I.N.D. and S.S.D. acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia through grant AYA2015-68 012-C2-1/2-P. E.T.P. and J.M.A. acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia through grants AYA2016-75 931-C2-2-P and PGC2018-095 049-B-C22. R.H.B. acknowledges support from the ESAC Faculty Council Visitor Program and ANID FONDECYT Project 1211903. G.H. acknowledges support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia through grant PGC2018-95049-B-CC22 and ESA Contract No. 4000-126507/19/ES/CM. This research has made use of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS (Strasbourg, France), NASA’s Astrophysics Data System Bibliographic Services and the Python programming language (Python Software Foundation), Lightkurve, a Python package for Kepler and TESS data analysis (Lightkurve Collaboration 2018).

Observations of massive stars in young open clusters (< ~8 Myr) have shown that a majority of them are in binary systems, most of which will interact during their life. Populations of massive stars older than ~20 Myr allow us to probe the outcome of such interactions after many systems have experienced mass and angular momentum transfer. Using multi-epoch integral-field spectroscopy, we investigate the multiplicity properties of the massive-star population in NGC 330 (~40 Myr) in the Small Magellanic Cloud to search for imprints of stellar evolution on the multiplicity properties. From six epochs of VLT/MUSE observations supported by adaptive optics we extract spectra and measure radial velocities for stars brighter than F814W = 19. We identify single-lined spectroscopic binaries through significant RV variability as well as double-lined spectroscopic binaries, and quantify the observational biases for binary detection. The observed spectroscopic binary fraction is 13.2+/-2.0 %. Considering period and mass ratio ranges from log(P)=0.15-3.5, and q = 0.1-1.0, and a representative set of orbital parameter distributions, we find a bias-corrected close binary fraction of 34 +8 -7 %. This seems to decline for the fainter stars, which indicates either that the close binary fraction drops in the B-type domain, or that the period distribution becomes more heavily weighted towards longer orbital periods. Both fractions vary strongly in different regions of the color-magnitude diagram which probably reveals the imprint of the binary history of different groups of stars. We provide the first homogeneous RV study of a large sample of B-type stars at a low metallicity. The overall bias-corrected close binary fraction of B stars in NGC 330 is lower than the one reported for younger Galactic and LMC clusters. More data are needed to establish whether this result from an age or a metallicty effect., 19 page (incl. appendix), 10 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

This is an Open Access article, published by EDP Sciences, under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited., Context. The nuclear stellar disc (NSD) is, together with the nuclear star cluster (NSC) and the central massive black hole, one of the main components in the central parts of our Milky Way. However, until recently, only a few studies of the stellar content of the NSD have been obtained owing to extreme extinction and stellar crowding. Aims. We study the kinematics and global metallicities of the NSD based on the observations of K/M giant stars via a dedicated KMOS (VLT, ESO) spectroscopic survey. Methods. We traced radial velocities and metallicities, which were derived based on spectral indices (Na I and CO) along the NSD, and compared those with a Galactic bulge sample of APOGEE (DR16) and data from the NSC. Results. We find that the metallicity distribution function and the fraction of metal-rich and metal-poor stars in the NSD are different from the corresponding distributions and ratios of the NSC and the Galactic bulge. By tracing the velocity dispersion as a function of metallicity, we clearly see that the NSD is kinematically cool and that the velocity dispersion decreases with increasing metallicity contrary to the inner bulge sample of APOGEE (|b|< 4°). Using molecular gas tracers (H2CO, CO(4-3)) of the central molecular zone (CMZ), we find an astonishing agreement between the gas rotation and the rotation of the metal-rich population. This agreement indicates that the metal-rich stars could have formed from gas in the CMZ. On the other hand, the metal-poor stars show a much slower rotation profile with signs of counter-rotation, thereby indicating that these stars have a different origin. Conclusions. Coupling kinematics with global metallicities, our results demonstrate that the NSD is chemically and kinematically distinct with respect to the inner bulge, which indicates a different formation scenario. © M. Schultheis et al. 2021., M.S. acknowledges the Programme National de Cosmologie et Galaxies (PNCG) of CNRS/INSU, France, for financial support. We want to thank Karl Menten for discussing the molecular gas data. R.S. acknowledges financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the “Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa” award for the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (SEV-2017-0709). R.S. acknowledges financial support from national project PGC2018-095049-B-C21 (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE). F.N.L. and N.N. acknowledge funding by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – Project-ID 138713538 – SFB 881 (“The Milky Way System”, subproject B08). M.C.S. acknowledges financial support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) via the collaborative research center (SFB 881,Project-ID 138713538) “The Milky Way System” (subprojects B1, B2, and B8) and from the European Research Council via the ERC Synergy Grant “ECOGAL – Understanding our Galactic ecosystem: from the disc of the Milky Way to the formation sites of stars and planets” (grant 855130). A.R.A. acknowledges support from FONDECYT through grant 3180203.

Many galaxies host pronounced circumnuclear starbursts, fuelled by infalling gas. Such activity is expected to drive the secular evolution of the nucleus and generate super winds, while the intense radiation fields and extreme gas and cosmic ray densities present may act to modify the outcome of star formation with respect to more quiescent galactic regions. The centre of the Milky Way is the only example of this phenomenon where, by virtue of its proximity, individual stars may be resolved. Previous studies have revealed that it hosts a rich population of massive stars; these are located within three clusters, with an additional contingent dispersed throughout the Central Molecular Zone (CMZ). We employed VLT+KMOS to obtain homogeneous, high S/N spectroscopy of the later cohort for classification and quantitative analysis. Including previously identified examples, we found a total of 83 isolated massive stars within the Galactic Centre, which are biased towards objects supporting powerful stellar winds and/or extensive circumstellar envelopes. No further stellar clusters, or their tidally stripped remnants, were identified, although an apparent stellar overdensity was found to be coincident with the Sgr B1 star forming region. The cohort of isolated massive stars within the CMZ is comparable in size to that of the known clusters but, due to observational biases, is likely highly incomplete at this time. Combining both populations yields over 320 spectroscopically classified stars that are expected to undergo core collapse within the next 20Myr. Given that this is presumably an underestimate of the true number, the population of massive stars associated with the CMZ appears unprecedented amongst star formation complexes within the Milky Way, and one might anticipate that they play a substantial role in the energetics and evolution of the nuclear region., Comment: 28 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Aims. We present a spectroscopic analysis of the extremely luminous red star VX Sgr based on high-resolution observations combined with AAVSO light curve data. Given the puzzling characteristics of VX Sgr, we explore three scenarios for its nature: a massive red supergiant (RSG) or hypergiant (RHG), a Thorne Zytkow object (TZO), and an extreme Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) star. Methods. Sampling more than one whole cycle of photometric variability, we derive stellar atmospheric parameters by using state-of-the-art PHOENIX atmospheric models. We compare them to optical and near infrared spectral types. We report on some key features due to neutral elemental atomic species such as Li I, Ca I, and Rb I. Results. We provide new insights into its luminosity, evolutionary stage as well as its pulsation period. Based on all the data, there are two strong reasons to believe that VX Sgr is some sort of extreme AGB star. Firstly, its Mira-like behaviour during active phases. VX Sgr shows light variations with amplitudes much larger than any known RSG and clearly larger than all RHGs. In addition, it displays Balmer line emission and, as shown here for the first time, line doubling of its metallic spectrum at maximum light, both characteristics typical of Miras. Secondly, unlike any known RSG or RHG, VX Sgr displays strong Rb I lines. In addition to the photospheric lines that are sometimes seen, it always shows circumstellar components whose expansion velocity is compatible with that of the OH masers in the envelope, demonstrating a continuous enrichment of the outer atmosphere with s-process elements, a behaviour that can only be explained by third dredge up during the thermal pulse phase., Comment: 16 pages, 10 Figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

(ABRIDGED) Disentangling line-of-sight alignments of young stellar populations is crucial for observational studies of star-forming complexes. This task is particularly problematic in a Cygnus-X subregion where several components, located at different distances, are overlapped: the Berkeley 87 young massive cluster, the poorly-known [DB2001] Cl05 embedded cluster, and the ON2 star-forming complex, in turn composed of several HII regions. We aim at providing a methodology for building an exhaustive census of young objects that can consistently deal with large differences in both extinction and distance. OMEGA2000 near-infrared observations of the Berkeley 87 / ON2 field are merged with archival data from Gaia, Chandra, Spitzer, and Herschel, as well as cross-identifications from the literature. To address the incompleteness effects and selection biases that arise from the line-of-sight overlap, we adapt existing methods for extinction estimation and young object classification, and we define the intrinsic reddening index, $R_\mathrm{int}$, a new tool to separate intrinsically red sources from those whose infrared color excess is caused by extinction. We also introduce a new method to find young stellar objects based on $R_\mathrm{int}$. The flexibility of our approach allows to overcome photometric biases in order to obtain homogeneous catalogs of young sources. As a result, we find 571 objects whose classification is related to recent or ongoing star formation. Together with other point sources with individual estimates of distance or extinction, we compile a catalog of 3005 objects to be used for further membership work. A new distance for Berkeley 87, ($1673 \pm 17$) pc, is estimated as a median of 13 spectroscopic members with accurate Gaia EDR3 parallaxes. Our multi-wavelength census will serve as a basis for disentangling the overlapped populations., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 19 pages, 10 figures. Full versions of Tables 2 and C.1 will be archived electronically at the CDS

The multiplicity properties of massive stars are one of the important outstanding issues in stellar evolution. Quantifying the binary statistics of all evolutionary phases is essential to paint a complete picture of how and when massive stars interact with their companions, and to determine the consequences of these interactions. We investigate the multiplicity of an almost complete census of red supergiant stars (RSGs) in NGC 330, a young massive cluster in the SMC. Using a combination of multi-epoch HARPS and MUSE spectroscopy, we estimate radial velocities and assess the kinematic and multiplicity properties of 15 RSGs in NGC 330. Radial velocities are estimated to better than +/-100 m/s for the HARPS data. The line-of-sight velocity dispersion for the cluster is estimated as 3.20 +0.69-0.52 km/s. When virial equilibrium is assumed, the dynamical mass of the cluster is log (M{dyn} /M{sun}) = 5.20+/-0.17, in good agreement with previous upper limits. We detect significant radial velocity variability in our multi-epoch observations and distinguish between variations caused by atmospheric activity and those caused by binarity. The binary fraction of NGC 330 RSGs is estimated by comparisons with simulated observations of systems with a range of input binary fractions. In this way, we account for observational biases and estimate the intrinsic binary fraction for RSGs in NGC 330 as f{RSG} = 0.3+/-0.1 for orbital periods in the range 2.3< log P [days] 0.1. Using the distribution of the luminosities of the RSG population, we estimate the age of NGC 330 to be 45+/-5 Myr and estimate a red straggler fraction of 50%. We estimate the binary fraction of RSGs in NGC 330 and conclude that it appears to be lower than that of main-sequence massive stars, which is expected because interactions between an RSG and a companion are assumed to effectively strip the RSG envelope., Accepted to A&A. 14 pages

The formation, properties, and evolution of massive stars remain subject to considerable uncertainty; impacting on fields as diverse as galactic feedback and the nature of the progenitors of both electromagnetic and gravitational wave transients. The clusters many such stars reside within provide a unique laboratory for addressing these issues, and in this work we provide a comprehensive stellar census of Westerlund 1 to underpin such efforts. 69 new members were identified via I-band spectroscopy, yielding a total cluster population of 166 stars with initial masses of ~25Msun to ~50Msun, with more massive stars already lost to supernova. The stellar population follows a smooth and continuous morphological sequence from late-O giant through to OB supergiant. Subsequently, the progression bifurcates, with one branch yielding mid- to late-B hypergiants and cool super-/hypergiants, and the other massive blue stragglers, prior to a diverse population of H-depleted Wolf-Rayets. A substantial population of O-type stars with anomalously broad Paschen series lines are seen, a property which we attribute to binarity. Binary interaction is clearly required to yield the uniquely rich cohort of hypergiants, which includes both mass-stripped primaries and rejuvenated secondaries/stellar mergers. As a consequence future observations of Wd1 and similar stellar aggregates hold out the prospect of characterising both single- and binary- evolutionary channels for massive stars and determining their relative contributions. This in turn will permit the physical properties of such objects at the point of core-collapse to be predicted; of direct relevance for understanding the formation of relativistic remnants such as the magnetars associated with Wd1 and other young massive clusters (Abridged)., Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context. The Perseus OB1 association, including the h and χ Persei double cluster, is an interesting laboratory for the investigation of massive star evolution as it hosts one of the most populous groupings of blue and red supergiants (Sgs) in the Galaxy at a moderate distance and extinction. Aims. We discuss whether the massive O-type, and blue and red Sg stars located in the Per OB1 region are members of the same population, and examine their binary and runaway status. Methods. We gathered a total of 405 high-resolution spectra for 88 suitable candidates around 4.5 deg from the center of the association, and compiled astrometric information from Gaia DR2 for all of them. This was used to investigate membership and identify runaway stars. By obtaining high-precision radial velocity (RV) estimates for all available spectra, we investigated the RV distribution of the global sample (as well as different subsamples) and identified spectroscopic binaries (SBs). Results. Most of the investigated stars belong to a physically linked population located at d = 2.5 ± 0.4 kpc. We identify 79 confirmed or likely members, and 5 member candidates. No important differences are detected in the distribution of parallaxes when stars in h and χ Persei or the full sample are considered. In contrast, most O-type stars seem to be part of a differentiated population in terms of kinematical properties. In particular, the percentage of runaways among them (45%) is considerable higher than for the more evolved targets (which is lower than ∼5% in all cases). A similar tendency is also found for the percentage of clearly detected SBs, which already decreases from 15% to 10% when the O star and B Sg samples are compared, respectively, and practically vanishes in the cooler Sgs. Concerning this latter result, our study illustrates the importance of taking the effect of the ubiquitous presence of intrinsic variability in the blue-to-red Sg domain into account to avoid the spurious identification of pulsating stars as SBs. Conclusions. All but 4 stars in our working sample (including 10 O giants/Sgs, 36 B Sgs, 9 B giants, 11 A/F Sgs, and 18 red Sgs) can be considered as part of the same (interrelated) population. However, any further attempt to describe the empirical properties of this sample of massive stars in an evolutionary context must take into account that an important fraction of the O stars is or likely has been part of a binary/multiple system. In addition, some of the other more evolved targets may have also been affected by binary evolution. In this line of argument, it is also interesting to note that the percentage of spectroscopic binaries within the evolved population of massive stars in Per OB1 is lower by a factor 4−5 than in the case of dedicated surveys of O-type stars in other environments that include a much younger population of massive stars. We acknowledge funding from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through grants PGC-2018-091 3741-B-C211/C22, SEV 2015-0548, and CEX2019-000920-S and from the Canarian Agency for Research, Innovation and Information Society (ACIISI), of the Canary Islands Government, and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under grant with reference ProID2017010115.

The wrong versions of Figs. 1 and 2 were published in the paper. The points corresponding to Table 6 in the top panels were missing and a single “dummy” unlabeled point was shown instead. The correct versions are given here. Erratum for: A&A, 616, A149 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201832787 With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737) Peer review

Despite the first detection of X-rays from massive stars occurring four decades ago, the physical dependence of the emission mechanism(s) on the underlying stellar and binary properties of the emitters remains uncertain. The young massive cluster Westerlund 1 provides an ideal testbed for understanding this phenomenon, with over 50 cluster members detected in historical X-ray observations. In the decade since these data were obtained, significant new multi-epoch observations of the cluster have been made, allowing a fundamental reappraisal of the nature of both X-ray bright and dark stars. A total of 45 X-ray sources within Wd1 now have precise spectral classifications. These observations identify 16 candidate and confirmed massive binaries; by comparison 22 stars have X-ray properties that imply a contribution from a wind collision zone. X-ray emission appears confined to O9-B0.5 supergiants, Wolf-Rayets and a small group of highly luminous interacting/post-interaction binaries. Despite their presence in large numbers, no emission is seen from earlier, less evolved O stars or later, cooler B super-/hypergiants. We suppose that the lack of X-ray emission from O giants is due to their comparatively low bolometric luminosities if, as expected, they follow the canonical L_X/L_bol relation for hot stars. The transition away from X-ray emission for OB supergiants occurs at the location of the bistability jump; we speculate that below this limit, stellar wind velocities are insufficient for internal, X-ray emitting shocks to form. Our results are consistent with recent findings that massive binaries are not uniformly brighter than single stars of comparable luminosity and spectral type, although it is noteworthy that the brightest and hardest stellar X-ray sources within Wd1 are all either confirmed or candidate massive, interacting/post-interaction binaries (Abridged)., Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context. The first Gaia Data Release (DR1) significantly improved the previously available proper motions for the majority of the Tycho-2 stars. Aims: We wish to detect runaway stars using Gaia DR1 proper motions and compare our results with previous searches. Methods: Runaway O stars and BA supergiants were detected using a 2D proper motion method. The sample was selected using Simbad, spectra from our GOSSS project, literature spectral types, and photometry processed using the code CHORIZOS. Results: We detect 76 runaway stars, 17 (possibly 19) of them with no prior identification as such, with an estimated detection rate of approximately one half of the real runaway fraction. An age effect appears to be present, with objects of spectral subtype B1 and later having traveled for longer distances than runaways of earlier subtypes. We also tentatively propose that the fraction of runaways is lower among BA supergiants that among O stars, but further studies using future Gaia data releases are needed to confirm this. The frequency of fast rotators is high among runaway O stars, which indicates that a significant fraction of them (and possibly the majority) is produced in supernova explosions. The spectral types in Table 2 will be added to the spectral types in the three GOSSS survey papers and in Maíz Apellániz et al. (2018 and the resulting table will be available from the GOSC web site http://gosc.cab.inta-csic.es.© ESO 2018, J.M.A., A.S., and E.T.P. acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO/FEDER) through grant No. AYA2016-75931-C2-2-P. M.P.G. acknowledges support from the ESAC Trainee program. R.H.B. acknowledges support from the ESAC Faculty Council Visitor Program. S.S.-D., I.N., and E.T.P. acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO/FEDER) through grant No. AYA2015-68012-C2-1/2-P.

Context. Many massive stars have nearby companions whose presence hamper their characterization through spectroscopy. Aims: We want to obtain spatially resolved spectroscopy of close massive visual binaries to derive their spectral types. Methods: We obtained a large number of short long-slit spectroscopic exposures of five close binaries under good seeing conditions. We selected those with the best characteristics, extracted the spectra using multiple-profile fitting, and combined the results to derive spatially separated spectra. Results: We demonstrate the usefulness of Lucky Spectroscopy by presenting the spatially resolved spectra of the components of each system, in two cases with separations of only 0.''3. Those are ¿ Ori Aa+Ab (resolved in the optical for the first time) and ¿ Ori AaAb+B (first time ever resolved). We also spatially resolve 15 Mon AaAb+B, ¿ Ori AaAb+B (both previously resolved with GOSSS, the Galactic O-Star Spectroscopic Survey), and ¿ Ori AaAb+B, a system with two spectroscopic B+B binaries and a fifth visual component. The systems have in common that they are composed of an inner pair of slow rotators orbited by one or more fast rotators, a characteristic that could have consequences for the theories of massive star formation.© 2018 EDP Sciences. All rights reserved., We acknowledge support from the Spanish Government Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) through grants AYA2016-75 931-C2-1/2-P (J.M.A., A.S., E.T.P., and E.J.A), AYA2015-68 012-C2-1/2-P (S.S.-D. and E.T.P.) and AYA2016-79 425-C3-2-P (J.A.C.)

The CARMENES radial velocity (RV) survey is observing 324 M dwarfs to search for any orbiting planets. In this paper, we present the survey sample by publishing one CARMENES spectrum for each M dwarf. These spectra cover the wavelength range 520¿1710 nm at a resolution of at least R >80 000, and we measure its RV, H¿ emission, and projected rotation velocity. We present an atlas of high-resolution M-dwarf spectra and compare the spectra to atmospheric models. To quantify the RV precision that can be achieved in low-mass stars over the CARMENES wavelength range, we analyze our empirical information on the RV precision from more than 6500 observations. We compare our high-resolution M-dwarf spectra to atmospheric models where we determine the spectroscopic RV information content, Q, and signal-to-noise ratio. We find that for all M-type dwarfs, the highest RV precision can be reached in the wavelength range 700¿900 nm. Observations at longer wavelengths are equally precise only at the very latest spectral types (M8 and M9). We demonstrate that in this spectroscopic range, the large amount of absorption features compensates for the intrinsic faintness of an M7 star. To reach an RV precision of 1 m s¿1 in very low mass M dwarfs at longer wavelengths likely requires the use of a 10 m class telescope. For spectral types M6 and earlier, the combination of a red visual and a near-infrared spectrograph is ideal to search for low-mass planets and to distinguish between planets and stellar variability. At a 4 m class telescope, an instrument like CARMENES has the potential to push the RV precision well below the typical jitter level of 3-4 m s-1. © ESO 2018., We thank an anonymous referee for prompt attention and helpful comments that helped to improve the quality of this paper. CARMENES is an instrument for the Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman de Calar Alto (CAHA, Almeria, Spain). CARMENES is funded by the German Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG), the Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), the European Union through FEDER/ERF FICTS-2011-02 funds, and the members of the CARMENES Consortium (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Landessternwarte Konigstuhl, Institut de Ciencies de l'Espai, Insitut fur Astrophysik Gottingen, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Thuringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Hamburger Sternwarte, Centro de Astrobiologia and Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman), with additional contributions by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, the German Science Foundation through the Major Research Instrumentation Programme and DFG Research Unit FOR2544 >Blue Planets around Red Stars>, the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, the states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Niedersachsen, and by the Junta de Andalucia. This work has made use of the VALD database, operated at Uppsala University, the Institute of Astronomy RAS in Moscow, and the University of Vienna. We acknowledge the following funding programs: European Research Council (ERC-279347), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (RE 1664/12-1, RE 2694/4-1), Bundesministerium fur Bildung und Forschung (BMBF-05A14MG3, BMBF-05A17MG3), Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, grants AYA2015-68012-C2-2-P, AYA2016-79425-C3-1,2,3-P, AYA2015-69350-C3-2-P, AYA2014-54348-C03-01, AYA2014-56359-P, AYA2014-54348-C3-2R, AYA2016-79425-C3-3-P and 2013 Ramon y Cajal program RYC-2013-14875), Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, grant ESP2016-80435-C2-1-R, ESP2015-65712-C5-5-R), Generalitat de Catalunya/CERCA programme, Spanish Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte, programa de Formacion de Profesorado Universitario (grant FPU15/01476), Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt (grants 50OW0204 and 50OO1501), Office of Naval Research Global (award no. N62909-15-1-2011), Mexican CONACyT grant CB-2012-183007.

We present an atlas composed of more than 1500 spectra of late-type stars (spectral types from G to M) observed simultaneously in the optical and calcium triplet spectral ranges. These spectra were obtained as part of a survey to search for cool supergiants in the Magellanic Clouds and were taken over four epochs. We provide the spectral and luminosity classification for each spectrum (71% are supergiants, 13% are giants or luminous giants, 4% are carbon or S stars, and the remaining 12% are foreground stars of lesser luminosities). We also provide a detailed guide for the spectral classification of luminous late-type stars, the result of the extensive classification work done for the atlas. Although this guide is based on classical criteria, we have put them together and re-elaborated them for modern CCD-spectra as these criteria were scattered among many different works and mainly conceived for use with photographic plate spectra. The result is a systematic, well-tested process for identifying and classifying luminous late-type stars, illustrated with CCD spectra of standard stars and the classifications of our own catalogue., Accepted for publication in A&A. The atlas of spectra and the complete list of targets will be available at CDS, once the paper is published

Observational studies suggest that many OB stars are found within binary systems which may be expected to interact during their lifetimes. Significant mass transfer or merger of both components will modify evolutionary pathways, facilitating the production of exceptionally massive stars which will present as blue stragglers. Identification and characterisation of such objects is crucial if the outcomes of binary evolutionary channels are to be quantified. The massive cluster Westerlund 1 hosts a rich population of X-ray bright stars where the emission is thought to derive from the wind collision zones of massive binaries. Selected on this basis, we present the results of a multiwavelength analysis of the X-ray luminous O stars Wd1-27 and -30a. We find both to be early/mid-O hypergiants with luminosities, temperatures and masses significantly in excess of other early stars within Wd1, hence qualifying as massive blue stragglers. The nature of Wd1-27 remains uncertain but the detection of radial velocity changes and the X-ray properties of Wd1-30a suggest that it is a binary. Analysis of Gaia proper motion and parallactic data indicates that both are cluster members; we also provide a membership list for Wd1 based on this analysis. The presence of hypergiants of spectral types O to M within Wd1 cannot be understood via single-star evolution. We suppose that the early-B and mid-O hypergiants formed via binary-induced mass-stripping of the primary and mass-transfer to the secondary, respectively. This implies that for a subset of objects massive star-formation may be regarded as a two-stage process, with binary-driven mass-transfer or merger yielding stars with masses significantly in excess of their initial birth mass (Abridged)., Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Aims. We present observations from the Gaia-ESO Survey in the lines of Hα, [N II], [S II], and He I of nebular emission in the central part of the Carina nebula. Methods. We investigate the properties of the two already known kinematic components (approaching and receding), which account for the bulk of emission. Moreover, we investigate the features of the much less known low-intensity high-velocity (absolute RV >50 km s) gas emission. Results. We show that gas giving rise to Hα and He I emission is dynamically well correlated with but not identical to gas seen through forbidden-line emission. Gas temperatures are derived from line-width ratios, and densities from [S II] doublet ratios. The spatial variation of N ionization is also studied, and found to differ between the approaching and receding components. The main result is that the bulk of the emission lines in the central part of Carina arise from several distinct shell-like expanding regions, the most evident found around η Car, the Trumpler 14 core, and the star WR25. These >shells> are non-spherical and show distortions probably caused by collisions with other shells or colder, higher-density gas. Some of them are also partially obscured by foreground dust lanes, while very little dust is found in their interior. Preferential directions, parallel to the dark dust lanes, are found in the shell geometries and physical properties, probably related to strong density gradients in the studied region. We also find evidence that the ionizing flux emerging from η Car and the surrounding Homunculus nebula varies with polar angle. The high-velocity components in the wings of Hα are found to arise from expanding dust reflecting the η Car spectrum. © ESO, 2016., This work was partly supported by the European Union FP7 programme through ERC grant number 320360 and by the Leverhulme Trust through grant RPG-2012-541

Context. It appears that most (if not all) massive stars are born in multiple systems. At the same time, the most massive binaries are hard to find owing to their low numbers throughout the Galaxy and the implied large distances and extinctions. Aims. We want to study LS III +46 11, identified in this paper as a very massive binary; another nearby massive system, LS III +46 12; and the surrounding stellar cluster, Berkeley 90. Methods. Most of the data used in this paper are multi-epoch high S/N optical spectra, although we also use Lucky Imaging and archival photometry. The spectra are reduced with dedicated pipelines and processed with our own software, such as a spectroscopic-orbit code, CHORIZOS, and MGB. Results. LS III +46 11 is identified as a new very early O-type spectroscopic binary [O3.5 If* + O3.5 If*] and LS III +46 12 as another early O-type system [O4.5 V((f))]. We measure a 97.2-day period for LS III +46 11 and derive minimum masses of 38.80 ± 0.83 M⊙ and 35.60 ± 0.77 M⊙ for its two stars. We measure the extinction to both stars, estimate the distance, search for optical companions, and study the surrounding cluster. In doing so, a variable extinction is found as well as discrepant results for the distance. We discuss possible explanations and suggest that LS III +46 12 may be a hidden binary system where the companion is currently undetected., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

Context. The early-type binary MY Cam belongs to the young open cluster Alicante 1, embedded in Cam OB3. Aims. MY Cam consists of two early-O type main-sequence stars and shows a photometric modulation suggesting an orbital period slightly above one day. We intend to confirm this orbital period and derive orbital and stellar parameters. Methods. Timing analysis of a very exhaustive (4607 points) light curve indicates a period of 1.1754514 +- 0.0000015 d. High- resolution spectra and the cross-correlation technique implemented in the TODCOR program were used to derive radial velocities and obtain the corresponding radial velocity curves for MY Cam. Modelling with the stellar atmosphere code FASTWIND was used to obtain stellar parameters and create templates for cross-correlation. Stellar and orbital parameters were derived using the Wilson-Devinney code, such that a complete solution to the binary system could be described. Results. The determined masses of the primary and secondary stars in MY Cam are 37.7 +- 1.6 and 31.6 +- 1.4 Msol, respectively. The corresponding temperatures, derived from the model atmosphere fit, are 42 000 and 39 000 K, with the more massive component being hotter. Both stars are overfilling their Roche lobes, sharing a common envelope. Conclusions. MY Cam contains the most massive dwarf O-type stars found so far in an eclipsing binary. Both components are still on the main sequence, and probably not far from the zero-age main sequence. The system is a likely merger progenitor, owing to its very short period., 8 pages, 6 figures, photometric data available on-line, Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2014

BD+6073 is the optical counterpart of the X-ray source IGR J00370+6122, a probable accretion-powered X-ray pulsar. The X-ray light curve of this binary system shows clear periodicity at 15.7 d, which has been interpreted as repeated outbursts around the periastron of an eccentric orbit. We obtained high-resolution spectra of BD+6073 at different epochs. We used the FASTWind code to generate a stellar atmosphere model to fit the observed spectrum and obtain physical magnitudes. The synthetic spectrum was used as a template for cross-correlation with the observed spectra to measure radial velocities. The radial velocity curve provided an orbital solution for the system. We have also analysed the RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT light curves to confirm the stability of the periodicity. BD +6073 is a BN0.7 Ib low-luminosity supergiant located at an approximate distance of 3.1 kpc, in the CasOB4 association. We derive Teff=24000 K and log gc=3.0, and chemical abundances consistent with a moderately high level of evolution. The spectroscopic and evolutionary masses are consistent at the 1 sigma level with a mass of 15 solar masses. The recurrence time of the X-ray flares is the orbital period of the system. The NS is in a high eccentricity (e=0.56) orbit, and the X-ray emission is strongly peaked around orbital phase 0.2, though the observations are consistent with some level of X-ray activity happening at all orbital phases. The X-ray behaviour of IGR J00370+6122 is reminiscent of intermediate SFXTs, though its peak luminosity is rather low. The orbit is somewhat wider than those of classical persistent supergiant X-ray binaries, which, combined with the low luminosity of the mass donor, explains the low X-ray luminosity. IGR J00370+6122 will likely evolve towards a persistent supergiant system, highlighting the evolutionary connection between different classes of wind-accreting X-ray sources., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

Context: Young massive clusters are key to map the Milky Way's structure, and near-IR large area sky surveys have contributed strongly to the discovery of new obscured massive stellar clusters. Aims: We present the third article in a series of papers focused on young and massive clusters discovered in the VVV survey. This article is dedicated to the physical characterization of VVV CL086, using part of its OB-stellar population. Methods: We physically characterized the cluster using $JHK_S$ near-infrared photometry from ESO public survey VVV images, using the VVV-SkZ pipeline, and near-infrared $K$-band spectroscopy, following the methodology presented in the first article of the series. Results: Individual distances for two observed stars indicate that the cluster is located at the far edge of the Galactic bar. These stars, which are probable cluster members from the statistically field-star decontaminated CMD, have spectral types between O9 and B0V. According to our analysis, this young cluster ($1.0$ Myr $, Comment: Accepted for publication as a Letter in A&A

Since its launch, the X-ray and gamma-ray observatory INTEGRAL satellite has revealed a new class of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXB) displaying fast flares and hosting supergiant companion stars. Optical and infrared (OIR) observations in a multi-wavelength context are essential to understand the nature and evolution of these newly discovered celestial objects. The goal of this multiwavelength study (from ultraviolet to infrared) is to characterise the properties of IGR J16465-4507, to confirm its HMXB nature and that it hosts a supergiant star. We analysed all OIR, photometric and spectroscopic observations taken on this source, carried out at ESO facilities. Using spectroscopic data, we constrained the spectral type of the companion star between B0.5 and B1 Ib, settling the debate on the true nature of this source. We measured a high rotation velocity of v = 320 +/- 8 km/s from fitting absorption and emission lines in a stellar spectral model. We then built a spectral energy distribution from photometric observations to evaluate the origin of the different components radiating at each energy range. We finally show that, having accurately determined the spectral type of the early-B supergiant in IGR J16465-4507, we firmly support its classification as an intermediate supergiant fast X-ray transient (SFXT)., A&A in press, 14 pages, 15 tables, 13 figures

Aims. We study the optical and near-infrared colour excesses produced by circumstellar emission in a sample of Be/X-ray binaries. Our main goals are exploring whether previously published relations, valid for isolated Be stars, are applicable to Be/X-ray binaries and computing the distance to these systems after correcting for the effects of the circumstellar contamination. Methods. Simultaneous UBVRI photometry and spectra in the 3500−7000 Å spectral range were obtained for 11 optical counterparts to Be/X-ray binaries in the LMC, 5 in the SMC and 12 in the Milky Way. As a measure of the amount of circumstellar emission we used the Hα equivalent width corrected for photospheric absorption. Results. We find a linear relationship between the strength of the Hα emission line and the component of E(B − V) originating from the circumstellar disk. This relationship is valid for stars with emission lines weaker than EW ≈ −15 Å. Beyond this point, the circumstellar contribution to E(B − V) saturates at a value ≈0.17 mag. A similar relationship is found for the (V − I) near infrared colour excess, albeit with a steeper slope and saturation level. The circumstellar excess in (B − V) is found to be about five times higher for Be/X-ray binaries than for isolated Be stars with the same equivalent width EW(Hα), implying significant differences in the physical properties of their circumstellar envelopes. The distance to Be/X-ray binaries (with non-shell Be star companions) can only be correctly estimated by taking into account the excess emission in the V band produced by free-free and free-bound transitions in the circumstellar envelope. We provide a simple method to determine the distances that includes this effect. This research has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, MICINN, under grant AYA2010-15431.

Recent studies have shown that the area around the massive, obscured cluster RSGC3 may harbour several clusters of red supergiants. In this paper, we analyse a clump of photometrically selected red supergiant candidates 20' south of RSGC3 in order to confirm the existence of another of these clusters. Using medium-resolution infrared spectroscopy around 2.27 microns, we derived spectral types and velocities along the line of sight for the selected candidates, confirming their nature and possible association. We find a compact clump of eight red supergiants and four other candidates at some distance, all of them spectroscopically confirmed red supergiants. The majority of these objects must form an open cluster, which we name Alicante 10. Because of the high reddening and strong field contamination, the cluster sequence is not clearly seen in 2MASS or GPS-UKIDSS. From the observed sources, we derive E(J-Ks)=2.6 and d~6 kpc. Although the cluster is smaller than RSGC3, it has an initial mass in excess of 10000 solar masses, and it seems to be part of the RSGC3 complex. With the new members this association already has 35 spectroscopically confirmed red supergiants, confirming its place as one of the most active sites of recent stellar formation in the Galaxy., Accepted for publication on A&A

Several clusters of red supergiants have been discovered in a small region of the Milky Way close to the base of the Scutum-Crux Arm and the tip of the Long Bar. Population synthesis models indicate that they must be very massive to harbour so many supergiants. Among them, Stephenson 2, with a core grouping of 26 RSGs, is a strong candidate to be the most massive cluster in the Galaxy. It is located close to a region where a strong over-density of RSGs had been found. We explore the actual cluster size and its possible connection to this over-density. We have performed a cross-match between DENIS, USNO-B1 and 2MASS to identify candidate obscured luminous red stars around Ste 2, and in a control nearby region, finding >600 candidates. More than 400 are sufficiently bright in I to allow observation with a 4-m class telescope. We have observed a subsample of ~250 stars, using AF2 on the WHT telescope in La Palma, obtaining intermediate-resolution spectroscopy in the 7500--9000A range. We derive spectral types and luminosity classes for all these objects and measure their radial velocities. Our targets are G and K supergiants, late (>=M4) M giants, and M-type bright giants (luminosity class II) and supergiants. We find ~35 RSGs with radial velocities similar to Ste 2 members, spread over the two areas surveyed. In addition, we find ~40 RSGs with radial velocities incompatible in principle with a physical association. Our results show that Ste 2 is not an isolated cluster, but part of a huge structure likely containing hundreds of RSGs, with radial velocities compatible with the terminal velocity at this Galactic longitude (and a distance ~6kpc). In addition, we find evidence of several populations of massive stars at different distances along this line of sight [ABRIDGED]., Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Only the first few lines of Table 1 are shown. It will be published electronically

There is growing evidence that a treatment of binarity amongst OB stars is essential for a full theory of stellar evolution. However the binary properties of massive stars - frequency, mass ratio and orbital separation - are still poorly constrained. In order to address this shortcoming we have undertaken a multiepoch spectroscopic study of the stellar population of the young massive cluster Westerlund 1. In this paper we present an investigation into the nature of the dusty Wolf-Rayet star and candidate binary W239. We determined an orbital period of only 5.05 days - making it one of the most compact WC binaries yet identified - while we interpret a significant near-IR flare between 2004-6 as evidence for a third massive stellar component in the system in a wide eccentric orbit. The presence of a near-IR excess characteristic of hot dust at every epoch is consistent with the expectation that the subset of persistent dust forming WC stars are short period binaries. In conjunction with previous results, the simultaneous presence of both short period Wolf-Rayet binaries and cool hypergiants within Wd 1 provides compelling evidence for a bifurcation in the post-Main Sequence evolution of massive stars due to binarity. Short period O+OB binaries will evolve directly to the Wolf-Rayet phase, either due to an episode of binary mediated mass loss or via chemically homogenous evolution. Conversely, long period binaries and single stars will instead undergo a red loop across the HR diagram via a cool hypergiant phase. Future analysis of the full spectroscopic dataset for Wd 1 will constrain the proportion of massive stars experiencing each pathway; hence quantifying the importance of binarity in massive stellar evolution up to and beyond supernova and the resultant production of relativistic remnants and X-ray binaries. [ABRIDGED], 11 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Four clusters of red supergiants have been discovered in a region of the Milky Way close to base of the Scutum-Crux Arm and the tip of the Long Bar. Population synthesis models indicate that they must be very massive to harbour so many supergiants. The spatial extent of one of these clusters, RSGC3, has not been investigated. We utilised 2MASS JHK photometry to identify candidate obscured luminous red stars in the vicinity of RSGC3. We observed a sample of candidates with the TWIN spectrograph on the 3.5-m telescope at Calar Alto, obtaining intermediate-resolution spectroscopy in the 8000-9000A range. We re-evaluated a number of classification criteria proposed in the literature for this spectral range and found that we could use our spectra to derive spectral types and luminosity classes. We measured the radial velocity of five members of RSGC3, finding velocities similar to the average for members of Stephenson2. Among the candidates observed outside the cluster, our spectra revealed eight M-type supergiants at distances 30) population of red supergiants with similar colours, suggesting that the massive cluster RSGC3 is surrounded by an extended association, which may be very massive (>10E5M_sun). We also show that supergiants in the Scutum Complex may be characterised via a combination of 2MASS photometry and intermediate-to-high-resolution spectroscopy in the Z band (abridged)., Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

In this study, we conduct a pilot program aimed at the red supergiant population of the Magellanic Clouds. We intend to extend the current known sample to the unexplored low end of the brightness distribution of these stars, building a more representative dataset with which to extrapolate their behaviour to other Galactic and extra-galactic environments. We select candidates using only near infrared photometry, and with medium resolution multi-object spectroscopy, we perform spectral classification and derive their line-of-sight velocities, confirming the nature of the candidates and their membership to the clouds. Around two hundred new RSGs have been detected, hinting at a yet to be observed large population. Using near and mid infrared photometry we study the brightness distribution of these stars, the onset of mass-loss and the effect of dust in their atmospheres. Based on this sample, new a priori classification criteria are investigated, combining mid and near infrared photometry to improve the observational efficiency of similar programs as this., Comment: 39 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

It has been suggested that the compact open cluster VdBH 222 is a young massive distant object. We set out to characterise VdBH 222 using a comprehensive set of multi-wavelength observations. We obtained multi-band optical (UBVR) and near-infrared (JHK) photometry of the cluster field, as well as multi-object and long-slit optical spectroscopy for a large sample of stars in the field. We applied classical photometric analysis, as well as more sophisticated methods using the CHORIZOS code, to determine the reddening to the cluster. We then plotted dereddened HR diagrams and determined cluster parameters via isochrone fitting. We have identified a large population of luminous supergiants confirmed as cluster members via radial velocity measurements. We find nine red supergiants (plus one other candidate) and two yellow supergiants. We also identify a large population of OB stars. Ten of them are bright enough to be blue supergiants. The cluster lies behind 7.5 mag of extinction for the preferred value of Rv of 2.9. Isochrone fitting allows for a narrow range of ages between 12 and 16 Ma. The cluster radial velocity is compatible with distances of 6 and 10 kpc. The shorter distance is inconsistent with the age range and Galactic structure. The longer distance implies an age of 12 Ma and a location not far from the position where some Galactic models place the far end of the Galactic Bar. VdBH 222 is a young massive cluster with a likely mass greater than 20000 Msolar . Its population of massive evolved stars is comparable to that of large associations, such as Per OB1. Its location in the inner Galaxy, presumably close to the end of the Galactic bar, adds to the increasing evidence for vigorous star formation in the inner regions of the Milky Way., Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics Tables 4, 5, 7 and 8 are only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/

The first soft gamma-ray repeater was discovered over three decades ago, and subsequently identified as a magnetar. However there is currently no consenus on the formation channel(s) of these objects. The presence of a magnetar in the starburst cluster Westerlund 1 implies a >40Msun progenitor, favouring formation in a binary that was disrupted at supernova. To test this hypothesis we searched for the putative pre-SN companion via a radial velocity survey to identify high-velocity runaways, with subsequent atmospheric analysis of the resultant candidate, Wd1-5. Wd1-5 appears overluminous for its spectroscopic mass and we find evidence of He- and N-enrichment, O-depletion, and critically C-enrichment, a combination of properties that is difficult to explain for a single star. We infer a pre-SN history for Wd1-5 which supposes an initial close binary comprising two stars of comparable (~41Msun+35Msun) masses. Efficient mass transfer from the initially more massive component leads to the mass-gainer evolving more rapidly, initiating luminous blue variable/common envelope evolution. Reverse, wind-driven mass transfer during its subsequent WC Wolf-Rayet phase leads to the carbon pollution of Wd1-5, before a type Ibc supernova disrupts the binary system. Under the assumption of a physical association between Wd1-5 and J1647-45, the secondary is identified as the magnetar progenitor; its common envelope evolutionary phase prevents spin-down of its core prior to SN and the seed magnetic field for the magnetar forms either in this phase or during the earlier episode of mass transfer in which it was spun-up. Our results suggest that binarity is a key ingredient in the formation of at least a subset of magnetars by preventing spin-down via core-coupling and potentially generating a seed magnetic field., 17 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We study the relationship between age, metallicity, and alpha-enhancement of FGK stars in the Galactic disk. The results are based upon the analysis of high-resolution UVES spectra from the Gaia-ESO large stellar survey. We explore the limitations of the observed dataset, i.e. the accuracy of stellar parameters and the selection effects that are caused by the photometric target preselection. We find that the colour and magnitude cuts in the survey suppress old metal-rich stars and young metal-poor stars. This suppression may be as high as 97% in some regions of the age-metallicity relationship. The dataset consists of 144 stars with a wide range of ages from 0.5 Gyr to 13.5 Gyr, Galactocentric distances from 6 kpc to 9.5 kpc, and vertical distances from the plane 0 < |Z| < 1.5 kpc. On this basis, we find that i) the observed age-metallicity relation is nearly flat in the range of ages between 0 Gyr and 8 Gyr; ii) at ages older than 9 Gyr, we see a decrease in [Fe/H] and a clear absence of metal-rich stars; this cannot be explained by the survey selection functions; iii) there is a significant scatter of [Fe/H] at any age; and iv) [Mg/Fe] increases with age, but the dispersion of [Mg/Fe] at ages > 9 Gyr is not as small as advocated by some other studies. In agreement with earlier work, we find that radial abundance gradients change as a function of vertical distance from the plane. The [Mg/Fe] gradient steepens and becomes negative. In addition, we show that the inner disk is not only more alpha-rich compared to the outer disk, but also older, as traced independently by the ages and Mg abundances of stars., accepted for publication in A&A

The location of the supergiant (sg)B[e] star Wd1-9 within the coeval starburst cluster Westerlund 1 allows for its placement in a detailed post-Main Sequence evolutionary scheme and hence we have utilised a comprehensive multiwavelength dataset to determine its physical properties and relation to other sgB[e] stars and the evolved stellar population of Wd1. Wd1-9 is found to exhibit the rich optical emission line spectrum that is characteristic of sgB[e] stars, while dust mass, composition and disc geometry determined from mid-IR data resemble those of other well known examples such as R126. Extreme historical and ongoing mass loss is inferred from radio observations, while the X-ray properties of Wd1-9 imply the presence of high temperature plasma within the system and are directly comparable to a number of confirmed short-period colliding wind binaries within Wd1. The most complete explanation for the observational properties of Wd1-9 is that it is a massive interacting binary currently undergoing, or recently exited from, rapid Roche-lobe overflow, supporting the hypothesis that binarity mediates the formation of (a subset of) sgB[e] stars. The mass loss rate of Wd1-9 is consistent with such an assertion, while viable progenitor and descendent systems are present within Wd1 and other examples of sgB[e] binaries have previously been found. Moreover, the rarity of sgB[e] stars - only two examples are identified from a census of ~68 young massive Galactic clusters and associations containing ~600 post-Main Sequence stars - is explicable given the rapidity (~10^4yr) expected for this phase of massive binary evolution., 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics