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Now for a tool that is central to the topic of astrophysics—spectroscopy, and how it used to classify stellar spectra. This is an amazing subject; from just looking at the light from an object, we can tell how hot it is, how far away it is, in which direction it is moving, if it is rotating, and (from all this data) infer its age, its mass, how long it has left to live, etc. In fact, so important is this topic that it has been given its own chapter. From this point on in the book, a star will be referred to by its spectral classification.

Modern theories of planetary system formation predict a large population of planetesimals, which are remnants of the primordial matter of the protoplanetary cloud and, at the same time, embryos of small bodies that we observe in our solar system. The planetesimals play an important role in the dynamic and physical evolution of the planetary system. Gravitational scattering of planetesimals which are enriched with volatile elements might cause the volatile and organic compounds to enter the interior of the planetary system, triggering the formation of planetary atmospheres and further development of life. Small bodies inside planetary systems can evaporate due to the increasing insolation at close distances from the mother star, leading to the development of activity akin to the activity of comets in our solar system. The study of cometary activity in our solar system is aimed primarily at the investigation of the physical processes in the early stages of the development of the protoplanetary cloud. Until recently, it was not possible to study small bodies in other planetary systems because their small size makes it very difficult to detect by direct methods. Over the past 10 years, two space missions, Kepler and TESS (The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), have been equipped for continuous photometric monitoring to find exoplanets by transit, i. e. monitoring the changes in brightness of a star due to the passage of a smaller object across its disk. The presence of high-precision photometric measurements of the luminosity curves of about 200 000 stars, which are available in the public domain, potentially makes it possible to identify rather small changes in the luminosity curves of stars due to the passage of a body with gas-dust coma (exocomet) across the stellar disk. The article considers a number of issues related to the discovery and study of exocomets. The main detection methods based on the analysis of photometric and spectral series of observational data of space missions as well as ground-based observational complexes are considered. We provide a brief review of the main projects devoted to the results of theoretical modeling and experimental studies of the manifestations of exocometary activity. Known cases of manifestations of exocometary activity in planetary systems of stars of different spectral classes are described and the main characteristics of such stars and their planetary systems are given. We discuss the prospects for further research of these still very exotic objects. The importance of such research for understanding evolutionary processes in our own solar system is emphasized.

Transiting exoplanets orbiting active stars frequently occult starspots and faculae on the visible stellar disc. Such occultations are often rejected from spectrophotometric transits, as it is assumed they do not contain relevant information for the study of exoplanet atmopsheres. However, they can provide useful constraints to retrieve the temperature of active features and their effect on transmission spectra. We analyse the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope in the determination of the spectra of occulted starspots, despite its lack of optical wavelength instruments on board. Focusing on K and M spectral types, we simulate starspots with different temperatures and in different locations of the stellar disc, and find that starspot temperatures can be determined to within a few hundred kelvins using NIRSpec/Prism and the proposed NIRCam/F150W2$+$F322W2's broad wavelength capabilities. Our results are particularly promising in the case of K and M dwarfs of mag$_K \leq 12.5$ with large temperature contrasts., 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication on MNRAS, updated references in Sections 1, 3.1 and 5, updated affiliation details, added link to uploaded material in Data Availability section

International audience; While the Ariel mission is primarily designed for the study of warm and hot objects, with an equilibrium temperature above 500 K, in this paper we want to explore a larger sample of possible colder targets. We thus investigate the detectability with Ariel of “temperate” exoplanets (with an equilibrium temperature of 400 K). We first consider the case of hydrogen-rich exoplanets (from Jupiters to sub-Neptunes) and we calculate their infrared transmission spectrum for several classes of stars. We consider the Tier 2 mode of Ariel, for which the resolving power (R = 50 for l < 4 mm and R=15 for l > 4 mm) is sufficient to get information about the chemical composition of the objects. Results show that temperate Jupiters and sub-Neptunes around all types of stars from G2 to M8, with revolution periods of a few tens of days and transit durations of a few hours, could be observed with Ariel, up to distances of about 50 pc for Jupiters and 25 pc for sub-Neptunes. In the case of temperate super-Earths, we estimate that they will not be observable in the Ariel Tier 2 mode. In a study of currently available target candidates, we find one sub-Neptune (TOI-178 g) as possibly observable in Ariel’s Tier 2. This study, a follow-up of “Transit spectroscopy of temperate Jupiters with ARIEL: A feasibility study” (Encrenaz et al., Exp. Astr. 46:31-44, 2018), is submitted to the ARIEL special issue of Experimental Astronomy (manuscript under revision)

We present first results from a new exoplanet direct imaging survey being carried out with the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics project coupled with the CHARIS integral field spectrograph. Our survey targeting stars showing evidence for a statistically significant astrometric acceleration from the Hipparcos and Gaia satellites implying the existence of substellar or planetary companions at sub-arcsecond separations.. JHK low-resolution spectra from CHARIS constrain newly-discovered companion spectral types, temperatures, and gravities. Relative astrometry of companions from SCExAO/CHARIS and absolute astrometry of the star from Hipparcos and Gaia together yield direct dynamical mass constraints, circumventing usual challenges in inferring the masses of imaged planets from luminosity evolution models. Even in its infancy, our survey has already yielded multiple discoveries, including at least one likely jovian planet at a moderate orbital separation and multiple other substellar companions. We describe how our small nascent survey is yielding a far higher detection rate than large blind surveys from GPI and SPHERE and the path forward for imaging and characterizing planets at lower masses and smaller orbital separations than previously possible.

The growing database of exoplanets has shown us the statistical characteristics of various exoplanet populations, providing insight towards their origins. Observational evidence suggests that the process by which gas giants are conceived in the stellar disk may be disparate from that of smaller planets. Using NASA’s Exoplanet Archive, we analyzed the relationships between planet mass and stellar metallicity, as well as planet mass and stellar mass for low-mass exoplanets (MP &lt, 0.13 MJ) orbiting spectral class G, K, and M stars. We performed further uncertainty analysis to confirm that the exponential law relationships found between the planet mass, stellar mass, and the stellar metallicity cannot be fully explained by observation biases alone.

Previous generation of instruments have the opportunity to discover thousands of extra-solar planets and more will come with the current and future planet-search missions. In order to go one step further in the characterization of exoplanets, in this paper we describe a way to compare the photometric observation of Hot Jupiters done with space telescopes such as HST, CHEOPS, TESS, PLATO, and JWST and give the first-hand characterization on their atmospheres. We analyze a set of planetary systems hosting a Hot Jupiter for which an atmospheric template is available in the literature. For each system, we simulate the transit light curves observed by different instruments, convolving the incoming spectrum with the corresponding instrumental throughput. For each instrument, we thus measure the expected transit depth and estimate the associated uncertainty. Finally, we compare the transit depths as seen by the selected instruments and we quantify the effect of the planetary atmosphere on multi-band transit photometry. We also analyze a set of simulated scenarios with different stellar magnitudes, activity levels, transit durations and atmospheric templates to find the best cases for this kind of observational approach. We find in general that current and especially future space telescopes provide enough photometric precision to detect significant differences between the transit depths at different wavelengths. In particular, we find that the chromatic effect due to the atmosphere of the Hot Jupiters is maximized at later spectral types and that the effect of stellar activity is smaller than the measurement uncertainties., 14 pages, 17 figures, Published in MNRAS

This year 2018 has great historical and current significance for stellar spectral classification. Two hundred years ago in Reggio Emilia, Italy, was born Angelo Secchi, a pioneer of observing and classifying the spectra of stars. At the beginning of the IAU, almost a hundred years ago, one of its original Commissions was entitled the Spectral Classification of Stars, from which was generated Commission 45, Spectral Classification and Multi-band Colour Indices. And seventy-five years ago, was published the system-changing MKK, An Atlas of Stellar Spectra. Through this necessarily brief, historical view we shall recall how spectral classification, supported internationally by the IAU, continually updated its techniques, while remaining anchored to standards. This has ensured that the MK classification process stays very relevant to the initial characterizing of stars in the 21st century era of large spectral surveys.

We present an extensive search in the literature and Gaia DR2 for visual co-moving binary companions to stars hosting exoplanets and brown dwarfs within 200 pc. We found 218 planet hosts out of 938 to be part of multiple-star systems, with 10 newly discovered binaries and 2 new tertiary stellar components. This represents an overall raw multiplicity rate of 23.2$\pm$1.6% for hosts to exoplanets across all spectral types, with multi-planet systems found to have a lower duplicity frequency at the 2.2$\sigma$ level. We found that more massive hosts are more often in binary configurations, and that planet-bearing stars in multiple systems are predominantly the most massive component of stellar binaries. Investigations of multiplicity as a function of planet mass and separation revealed that giant planets with masses >0.1 MJup are more frequently seen in stellar binaries than small sub-Jovian planets with a 3.6$\sigma$ difference, a trend enhanced for the most massive (>7 MJup) short-period (0.5 AU). While stellar companion mass appears to have no impact on planet properties, binary separation seems to be an important factor in the resulting structure of planetary systems. Stellar companions on separations, Comment: Accepted for publication in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences: Exoplanets, 26 pages, 10 figures

With the rapid growth in astronomical spectra produced by large sky survey telescopes, traditional manual classification processes can no longer fulfill the requirements of precision and efficiency of spectral classification. There is an urgent need to employ machine learning approaches to conduct automated spectral classification tasks. Feature extraction is a critical step which has a great impact on any classification result. In this paper, a novel gradient-based method together with principal component analysis is proposed for the extraction of partial features of stellar spectra, that is, a feature vector indicating obvious local changes in data, which corresponds to the element line positions in the spectra. Furthermore, a general feature vector is utilized as an additional characteristic centering on the overall tendency of spectra, which can indicate stellar effective temperature. The two feature vectors and raw data are input into three neural networks, respectively, for training and each network votes for a predicted category of spectra. By selecting the class having the maximum votes, different types of spectra can be classified with high accuracy. The experimental results prove that a better performance can be achieved using the partial and general methods in this paper. The method could also be applied to other similar one-dimensional spectra, and the concepts proposed could ultimately expand the scope of machine learning application in astronomical spectral processing.

In Aristotle’s cosmology, stars are eternal. By the nineteenth century, astronomers realized that stars can be sorted into different groups based on their spectral properties. The spectral classification of stars (Sect. 9.7) led to the idea that stars are born differently and evolve differently, leading to a paradigm shift from a static view to evolution. We now believe that stars do not live forever, and they have a life cycle of birth and death just like humans and animals. From the age of the Earth and the Solar System, we know that the Sun must be at least 4.6 billion years old, and it has been shining almost constantly at the present luminosity for much of this time. By comparing the present rate of nuclear fuel consumption and the expected total supply of fuel, one can estimate the lifetime of the Sun. Through the construction of models of the structure of the Sun and calculations of its rate of energy generation, astronomers estimate that the Sun will have a total lifetime of about 10 billion years. In other words, the Sun will have about another 5 billion years to live.

Context. Intermediate- to high-mass stars are the least numerous types of stars and they are less well understood than their more numerous low-mass counterparts in terms of their internal physical processes. Modelling the photometric variability of a large sample of main-sequence intermediate- to high-mass stars in eclipsing binary systems will help to improve the models for such stars. Aims. Our goal is to compose a homogeneously compiled sample of main-sequence intermediate- to high-mass OBA-type dwarfs in eclipsing binary systems from TESS photometry. We search for binaries with and without pulsations and determine their approximate ephemerides. Methods. Our selection starts from a catalogue of dwarfs with colours corresponding to those of OBA-type dwarfs in the TESS Input Catalog. We develop a new automated method aimed at detecting eclipsing binaries in the presence of strong pulsational and/or rotational signal relative to the eclipse depths and apply it to publicly available 30-min cadence TESS light curves. Results. Using targets with TESS magnitudes below 15 and cuts in the 2MASS magnitude bands of $J - H < 0.045$ and $J - K < 0.06$ as most stringent criteria, we arrive at a total of 189 981 intermediate- to high-mass candidates, 91193 of which have light curves from at least one of two data reduction pipelines. The eclipsing binary detection and subsequent manual check for false positives resulted in 3155 unique OBA-type eclipsing binary candidates. Conclusions. Our sample of eclipsing binary stars in the intermediate- to high-mass regime allows for future binary (and asteroseismic) modelling with the aim to better understand the internal physical processes in this hot part of the main sequence., 12 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, 3 appendices (8 additional figures, 1 additional table). Accepted for publication in A&A

This paper summarizes Angelo Secchi’s important contributions to spectroscopy and solar physics. After discussing his work in stellar spectroscopy and classification and the instrumentation he used to examine the spectra of stars, solar prominences, the solar chromosphere, and the corona, this paper also presents Secchi as a protagonist of a highly developed visual culture. He was a draughtsman with an acute eye, highly trained in pattern recognition and in tracing subtle details. His superbly illustrated books were produced with the most advanced printing techniques; he experimented with scientific photography and toyed with 3D models to understand features such as the way solar spots appear. With his artisanal background as a son of a joiner and a seamstress, Secchi also fulfills some of the social criteria of my prosopography of pioneers of visual science cultures.

Long-baseline optical interferometry has provided a method with which stars are not only resolved, but directly imaged. Resolving features on stellar surfaces is becoming routine for observers using the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array or the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), in particular. The CHARA Array presently has six 1-m telescopes at permanent locations with baselines ranging from 34-331 m.1 Currently for imaging, the six CHARA Array telescopes are combined with the Michigan InfraRed Combiner-eXeter (MIRC-X; formerly the Michigan Infrared Combiner, MIRC).2 Working in H- and J -bands, MIRC-X provides an angular resolution of θH ∼ 0.5 mas and θJ ∼ 0.4 mas, respectively. Four telescopes at a time can be combined at VLTI, either the 8.2-m Unit Telescopes (UTs) or the 1.8-m Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs). The ATs can be moved to provide multiple configurations to increase the possible baselines (up to 130 m). The Precision Integrated-Optics Near-Infrared Imaging ExpeRiment (PIONIER),3 which operates in H-band (θH ∼ 1.3 mas), is the current beam combiner frequently used for imaging. In the following sections, the types of stars imaged by long-baseline optical interferometry will be discussed with significant astrophysical results highlighted.

Developing methods for analyzing and extracting information from modern sky surveys is a challenging task in astrophysical studies and is important for many investigations of galactic and extragalactic objects. We have designed a method for determination of stellar parameters and interstellar extinctions from multicolor photometry. This method was applied to objects drawn from modern large photometric surveys. In this work, we give a review of the surveys and discuss problems of cross-identification, paying particular attention to the information flags contained in the surveys. Also we have determined new statistical relations to estimate the stellar atmospheric parameters using MK spectral classification.

Context. Massive stars are predicted to excite internal gravity waves (IGWs) by turbulent core convection and from turbulent pressure fluctuations in their near-surface layers. These IGWs are extremely efficient at transporting angular momentum and chemical species within stellar interiors, but they remain largely unconstrained observationally. Aims. We aim to characterise the photometric detection of IGWs across a large number of O and early-B stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, and explain the ubiquitous detection of stochastic variability in the photospheres of massive stars. Methods. We combined high-precision time-series photometry from the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite with high-resolution ground-based spectroscopy of 70 stars with spectral types O and B to probe the relationship between the photometric signatures of IGWs and parameters such as spectroscopic mass, luminosity, and macroturbulence. Results. A relationship is found between the location of a star in the spectroscopic Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and the amplitudes and frequencies of stochastic photometric variability in the light curves of massive stars. Furthermore, the properties of the stochastic variability are statistically correlated with macroturbulent velocity broadening in the spectral lines of massive stars. Conclusions. The common ensemble morphology for the stochastic low-frequency variability detected in space photometry and its relationship to macroturbulence is strong evidence for IGWs in massive stars, since these types of waves are unique in providing the dominant tangential velocity field required to explain the observed spectroscopy., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 10 pages and 5 figures (and an additional 7 pages of appendix tables and figures). Resolution of appendix figures have been downgraded to meet arXiv's maximum file size of 15Mb. This version (2ver) is post A&A language editing

We present parallaxes, proper motions, and $J$-band photometry for 348 L and T dwarfs measured using the wide-field near-infrared camera WFCAM on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. This is the largest single batch of infrared parallaxes for brown dwarfs to date. Our parallaxes have a median uncertainty of 3.5 mas, similar to most previous ground-based infrared parallax surveys. Our target list was designed to complete a volume-limited parallax sample of L0-T8 dwarfs out to 25 pc spanning declinations $-30^\circ$ to $+60^\circ$ (68% of the sky). We report the first parallaxes for 165 objects, and we improve on previous measurements for another 53 objects. Our targets include 104 objects (mostly early-L dwarfs) having $Gaia$ DR2 parallax measurements, with which our parallaxes are consistent. We include an extensive comparison of previous literature parallaxes for L and T dwarfs with both our results and $Gaia$ DR2 measurements, identifying systematic offsets for some previous surveys. Our parallaxes confirm that 14 objects previously identified as wide common proper motion companions to main-sequence stars have distances consistent with companionship. We also report new $J_\mathrm{MKO}$ photometry for our targets, including the first measurements for 193 of our targets and improvements over previously published $J_\mathrm{MKO}$ photometry for another 60 targets. Altogether, our parallaxes will enable the first population studies using a volume-limited sample spanning spectral types L0-T8 defined entirely by parallaxes., Comment: Published in AJ. 54 pages, 17 figures, 7 tables. Data for all parallax survey targets can be found in the UltracoolSheet at http://bit.ly/UltracoolSheet , a compilation of 3000+ ultracool dwarfs and imaged exoplanets, including photometry, J2000 positions, parallaxes, proper motions, multiplicity, and spectroscopic classifications from multiple surveys and numerous sources

The search for water-rich Earth-sized exoplanets around low-mass stars is rapidly gaining attention because they represent the best opportunity to characterize habitable planets in the near future. Understanding the atmospheres of these planets and determining the optimal strategy for characterizing them through transmission spectroscopy with our upcoming instrumentation is essential in order to constrain their environments. For this study, we present simulated transmission spectra of tidally locked Earth-sized ocean-covered planets around late-M to mid-K stellar spectral types, utilizing GCM modeling results previously published by Kopparapu et al. (2017) as inputs for our radiative transfer calculations performed using NASA's Planetary Spectrum Generator (psg.gsfc.nasa.gov; Villanueva et al. (2018)). We identify trends in the depth of H$_2$O spectral features as a function of planet surface temperature and rotation rate. These trends allow us to calculate the exposure times necessary to detect water vapor in the atmospheres of aquaplanets through transmission spectroscopy with the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as well as several future flagship space telescope concepts under consideration (LUVOIR and OST) for a target list constructed from the TESS Input Catalog (TIC). Our calculations reveal that transmission spectra for water-rich Earth-sized planets around low-mass stars will be dominated by clouds, with spectral features < 20 ppm, and only a small subset of TIC stars would allow for the characterization of an ocean planet in the Habitable Zone. We thus present a careful prioritization of targets that are most amenable to follow-up characterizations with next-generation instrumentation, in order to assist the community in efficiently utilizing precious telescope time., Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal. 25 pages, 10 figures

We present the Mid-infrared stellar Diameters and Fluxes compilation Catalogue (MDFC) dedicated to long-baseline interferometry at mid-infrared wavelengths (3-13 mum). It gathers data for half a million stars, i.e. nearly all the stars of the Hipparcos-Tycho catalogue whose spectral type is reported in the SIMBAD database. We cross-match 26 databases to provide basic information, binarity elements, angular diameter, magnitude and flux in the near and mid-infrared, as well as flags that allow us to identify the potential calibrators. The catalogue covers the entire sky with 465 857 stars, mainly dwarfs and giants from B to M spectral types closer than 18 kpc. The smallest reported values reach 0.16 muJy in L and 0.1 muJy in N for the flux, and 2 microarcsec for the angular diameter. We build 4 lists of calibrator candidates for the L- and N-bands suitable with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) sub- and main arrays using the MATISSE instrument. We identify 1 621 candidates for L and 44 candidates for N with the Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs), 375 candidates for both bands with the ATs, and 259 candidates for both bands with the Unit Telescopes (UTs). Predominantly cool giants, these sources are small and bright enough to belong to the primary lists of calibrator candidates. In the near future, we plan to measure their angular diameter with 1% accuracy., Accepted for publication in MNRAS (2019, oct. 1st)

Like the magnetised planets in our Solar System, magnetised exoplanets should emit strongly at radio wavelengths. Radio emission directly traces the planetary magnetic fields and radio detections can place constraints on the physical parameters of these features. Large comparative studies of predicted radio emission characteristics for the known population of exoplanets help to identify what physical parameters could be key for producing bright, observable radio emission. Since the last comparative study, many thousands of exoplanets have been discovered. We report new estimates for the radio flux densities and maximum emission frequencies for the current population of known exoplanets orbiting pre-main sequence and main-sequence stars with spectral types F-M. The set of exoplanets predicted to produce observable radio emission are Hot Jupiters orbiting young stars. The youth of these system predicts strong stellar magnetic fields and/or dense winds, which are key for producing bright, observable radio emission. We use a new all-sky circular polarisation Murchison Widefield Array survey to place sensitive limits on 200 MHz emission from exoplanets, with $3\sigma$ values ranging from 4.0 - 45.0 mJy. Using a targeted Giant Metre Wave Radio Telescope observing campaign, we also report a $3\sigma$ upper limit of 4.5 mJy on the radio emission from V830 Tau b, the first Hot Jupiter to be discovered orbiting a pre-main sequence star. Our limit is the first to be reported for the low-frequency radio emission from this source., Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures

About 766 $\delta$ Scuti stars were observed by LAMOST by June 16, 2017. Stellar atmospheric parameters of 525 variables were determined, while spectral types were obtained for all samples. In the paper, those spectroscopic data are catalogued. We detect a group of 131 unusual and cool variable stars (UCVs) that are distinguished from the normal $\delta$ Scuti stars (NDSTs). On the H-R diagram and the $\log g-T$ diagram, the UCVs are far beyond the red edge of pulsational instability trip. Their effective temperatures are lower than 6700\,K with periods in the range from 0.09 to 0.22\,days. NDSTs have metallicity close to that of the Sun as expected, while UCVs are slightly metal poor than NDSTs. The two peaks on the distributions of the period and stellar atmospheric parameters are all caused by the existence of UCVs. When those UCVs are excluded, it is discovered that the effective temperature, the gravitational acceleration and the metallicity all are correlated with the pulsating period for NDSTs and their physical properties and evolutionary states are discussed. The detecting of those UCVs indicates that about 25\% of the known $\delta$ Scuti stars may be misclassified. However, if some of them are confirmed to be pulsating stars, they will be a new-type pulsator and their investigations will shed light on theoretical instability domains and on the theories of interacting between the pulsation and the convection of solar-type stars. Meanwhile, 88 $\delta$ Scuti stars are detected to be the candidates of binary or multiple systems., Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey mission (ARIEL) is one of the three present candidates for the ESA M4 (the fourth medium mission) launch opportunity. The proposed Payload will perform a large unbiased spectroscopic survey from space concerning the nature of exoplanets atmospheres and their interiors to determine the key factors affecting the formation and evolution of planetary systems. ARIEL will observe a large number (>500) of warm and hot transiting gas giants, Neptunes and super-Earths around a wide range of host star types, targeting planets hotter than 600 K to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres. It will exploit primary and secondary transits spectroscopy in the 1.2-8 um spectral range and broad-band photometry in the optical and Near IR (NIR). The main instrument of the ARIEL Payload is the IR Spectrometer (AIRS) providing low-resolution spectroscopy in two IR channels: Channel 0 (CH0) for the 1.95-3.90 um band and Channel 1 (CH1) for the 3.90-7.80 um range. It is located at the intermediate focal plane of the telescope and common optical system and it hosts two IR sensors and two cold front-end electronics (CFEE) for detectors readout, a well defined process calibrated for the selected target brightness and driven by the Payload's Instrument Control Unit (ICU)., Experimental Astronomy, Special Issue on ARIEL, (2017)

We present the results of photometric and spectroscopic follow-ups of the lowest mass member candidates in the nearest OB association, Upper Scorpius (5-10 Myr; 145+/-17 pc), with the Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC) and European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT). We confirm the membership of the large majority (>80%) of the candidates selected originally photometrically and astrometrically based on their spectroscopic features, weak equivalent widths of gravity-sensitive doublets, and radial velocities. Confirmed members follow a sequence over a wide magnitude range (J=17.0-19.3 mag) in several colour-magnitude diagrams with optical, near-, and mid-infrared photometry, and have near-infrared spectral types in the L1-L7 interval with likely masses below 15 Jupiter masses. We find that optical spectral types tend to be earlier than near-infrared spectral types by a few subclasses for spectral types later than M9. We investigate the behaviour of spectral indices defined in the literature as a function of spectral type and gravity by comparison with values reported in the literature for young and old dwarfs. We also derive effective temperatures in the 1900-1600K from fits of synthetic model-atmosphere spectra to the observed photometry but we caution the procedure carries large uncertainties. We determine bolometric corrections for young L dwarfs with ages of ~5-10 Myr (Upper Sco association) and find them similar in the J-band but larger by 0.1-0.4 mag in the K-band with respect to field L dwarfs. Finally, we discovered two faint young L dwarfs, VISTAJ1607-2146 (L4.5) and VISTAJ1611-2215 (L5) that have H$\alpha$ emission and possible flux excesses at 4.5 microns, pointing towards the presence of accretion from a disk onto the central objects of mass below ~15 Jupiter masses at the age of 5-10 Myr., Comment: 40 pages, 10 Tables, 22 figures, accepted for publication to MNRAS, pending changes by Journal before appearance

We present the first light curve analysis and modeling for the short period close binary 1SWASP J222514.69 + 361643.0. The results show that the system is in over contact with factor ƒ = 53%. The primary component is the massive and hotter one. The system is A-subtype W UMa eclipsing binary with spectral types K2 and K3, respectively.

We present the first multicolor CCD photometry for the newly discovered binary system KAO-EGYPT J225702.44+523222.1. New times of light minimum and new ephemeris were obtained. The VR I light curves were analyzed using WD code, the difference in maximum light at phase 0.25 is modeled with a cool spot on the secondary component. The solution show that the system is A-subtype, overcontact binary with fill-out factor = 42% and low mass ratio, q = 0.275. The two components of spectral types K0 and K1 and the primary component is the massive one. The position of both components on the M-L and M–R relations revealed that the primary component is a main sequence star while the secondary is an evolved component.

We have modelled the evolution of cometary HII regions produced by zero-age main-sequence stars of O and B spectral types, which are driving strong winds and are born off-centre from spherically symmetric cores with power-law ($\alpha = 2$) density slopes. A model parameter grid was produced that spans stellar mass, age and core density. Exploring this parameter space we investigated limb-brightening, a feature commonly seen in cometary HII regions. We found that stars with mass $M_\star \geq 12\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$ produce this feature. Our models have a cavity bounded by a contact discontinuity separating hot shocked wind and ionised ambient gas that is similar in size to the surrounding HII region. Due to early pressure confinement we did not see shocks outside of the contact discontinuity for stars with $M_\star \leq 40\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, but the cavities were found to continue to grow. The cavity size in each model plateaus as the HII region stagnates. The spectral energy distributions of our models are similar to those from identical stars evolving in uniform density fields. The turn-over frequency is slightly lower in our power-law models due to a higher proportion of low density gas covered by the HII regions., Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures

Based on the spectral observations of the LAMOST (DR2) survey, the radii, masses, and luminosities of 700 481 stars were estimated. These stars belong to spectral types A, F, G, and K, and have metallicities between −0.845 and 0.0. To determine the properties of the stars, we used up-to-date models of the stellar interior structure, computed with account for the stellar evolution rate and the initial mass function. The use of evolutionary estimates for two types of stars—with and without rotation—allowed us to account for the uncertainty associated with the lack of data on the rotation velocity of the stars under consideration. The obtained stellar radii, together with the photometric estimates of interstellar extinction and angular diameters can be used to study the dependence of interstellar extinction on distance as well as to estimate the stellar distances.

Symbiotic stars (SySt) are binaries composed of a star in the later stages of evolution and a stellar remnant. The enhanced mass-loss from the giant drives interacting mass exchange and makes these systems laboratories for understanding binary evolution. Studies of the chemical compositions are particularly useful since this parameter has strong impact on the evolutionary path. The previous paper in this series presented photospheric abundances for 24 giants in S-type SySt enabling a first statistical analysis. Here we present results for an additional sample of 13 giants. The aims are to improve statistics of chemical composition involved in the evolution of SySt, to study evolutionary status, mass transfer and to interpret this in terms of Galactic populations. High-resolution, near-IR spectra are used, employing the spectrum synthesis method in a classical approach, to obtain abundances of CNO and elements around the iron peak (Fe, Ti, Ni). Low-resolution spectra in the region around the Ca II triplet were used for spectral classification. The metallicities obtained cover a wide range with a maximum around ~-0.2 dex. The enrichment in the 14N isotope indicates that these giants have experienced the first dredge-up. Relative O and Fe abundances indicate that most SySt belong to the Galactic disc; however, in a few cases, the extended thick-disc/halo is suggested. Difficult to explain, relatively high Ti abundances can indicate that adopted microturbulent velocities were too small by ~0.2-0.3 km/s. The revised spectral types for V2905 Sgr, and WRAY 17-89 are M3 and M6.5, respectively., Comment: MNRAS accepted

The frequency of multiple systems and their properties are key constraints of stellar formation and evolution. Formation mechanisms of very low-mass (VLM) objects are still under considerable debate and an accurate assessment of their multiplicity and orbital properties are essential for constraining current theoretical models. Taking advantage of the Virtual Observatory capabilities, we looked for comoving low and VLM binary (or multiple) systems using the Large Area Survey of the UKIDSS LAS DR10, SDSS DR9, and the 2MASS Catalogues. Other catalogues (WISE, GLIMPSE, SuperCosmos ...) were used to derive the physical parameters of the systems. We report the identification of 36 low and VLM (~M0-L0 spectral types) candidates to binary/multiple system (separations between 200 and 92000 AU), whose physical association is confirmed through common proper motion, distance and low probability of chance alignment. This new system list notably increases the previous sampling in their mass-separation parameter space (~100). We have also found 50 low-mass objects that we can classify as ~L0-T2 according to their photometric information. Only one of these objects presents a common proper motion high-mass companion. Although we could not constrain the age of the majority of the candidates, probably most of them are still bound except four that may be under disruption processes. We suggest that our sample could be divided in two populations: one tightly bound wide VLM systems that are expected to last more than 10 Gyr, and other formed by weak bound wide VLM systems that will dissipate within a few Gyr., 25 pages, 10 figures

New spectra of 81 ultracool dwarfs (spectral types M7 and later) are discussed. Spectral classifications of 49 objects are available in the literature, while 32 objects are newly classified. The known spectral types were used to test an automated classification scheme, which relies primarily on template fitting, supplemented by matching of spectral indices calibrated against the template spectra. An attempt was made to quantify the uncertainty in the spectral types, which is generally better than two subclasses. Objects for which spectral types differ by more than one subclass from the literature classifications are discussed individually. Discrepancies between automated classifications based on respectively template fitting and spectral index matching, may be useful for flagging objects with unusual spectra. Aside from the 32 first-time classifications, alternative classifications are presented for 32 previously classified dwarfs. Very large (equivalent width greater than 130 \AA) H$\alpha$ flares are reported for the known ultracool dwarf binary 2MASS J15200224$-$4422419; curiously, the object does not appear to have quiescent emission lines. Non-zero equivalent width measurements are listed for a further 29 objects., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 33 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables

A spectroscopic and photometric analysis has been carried out for thirty-two candidate SX_Phe variable blue straggler stars in the Kepler-field (Balona & Nemec 2012). Radial velocities (RVs), space motions (U,V,W), projected rotation velocities (v sin i), spectral types, and atmospheric characteristics (T_eff, log g, [Fe/H], xi_t, zeta_RT, etc.) are presented for 30 of the 32 stars. Although several stars are metal-weak with extreme halo orbits, the mean [Fe/H] of the sample is near solar, thus the stars are more metal-rich than expected for a typical sample of Pop.II stars, and more like halo metal-rich A-type stars (Perry 1969). Two thirds of the stars are fast rotators with v sin i > 50 km/s, including four stars with v sin i > 200 km/s. Three of the stars have (negative) RVs > 250 km/s, five have retrograde space motions, and 21 have total speeds (relative to the LSR) > 400 km/s. All but one of the 30 stars have positions in a Toomre diagram consistent with the kinematics of bona fide halo stars (the exception being a thick-disk star). Observed Roemer time delays, pulsation frequency modulations and light curves suggest that at least one third of the stars are in binary (or triple) systems with orbital periods ranging from 2.3 days to more than four years., 43 pages, 23 figures, accepted MNRAS Nov.23,2016

Generations of astronomers, both amateurs and professionals, have memorised the sequence of stellar spectral classes of OBAFGKM by the Kiss Me system. That is to say, using the ‘Oh Be A Fine Girl K...

We present design considerations for a ground-based survey for transiting exoplanets around L and T dwarfs, spectral classes that have yet to be thoroughly probed for planets. We simulate photometry for L and T targets with a variety of red-optical and near-infrared detectors, and compare the scatter in the photometry to anticipated transit depths. Based on these results, we recommend the use of a low-dark-current detector with H-band NIR photometric capabilities. We then investigate the potential for performing a survey for Earth-sized planets for a variety of telescope sizes. We simulate planetary systems around a set of spectroscopically confirmed L and T dwarfs using measured M dwarf planet occurrence rates from $\textit{Kepler}$, and simulate their observation in surveys ranging in duration from 120 to 600 nights, randomly discarding 30% of nights to simulate weather losses. We find that an efficient survey design uses a 2-meter-class telescope with a NIR instrument and 360-480 observing nights, observing multiple L and T targets each night with a dithering strategy. Surveys conducted in such a manner have over an 80% chance of detecting at least one planet, and detect around 2 planets, on average. The number of expected detections depends on the true planet occurrence rate, however, which may in fact be higher for L and T dwarfs than for M dwarfs., 18 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in PASP

We report optical and infrared observations of the X-ray source CXOGBS J174623.5-310550. This Galactic object was identified as a potential quiescent low-mass X-ray binary accreting from an M-type donor on the basis of optical spectroscopy and the broad Halpha emission line. The analysis of X-shooter spectroscopy covering 3 consecutive nights supports an M2/3-type spectral classification. Neither radial velocity variations nor rotational broadening is detected in the photospheric lines. No periodic variability is found in I- and r'-band light curves. We derive r' = 20.8, I = 19.2 and Ks = 16.6 for the optical and infrared counterparts with the M-type star contributing 90% to the I-band light. We estimate its distance to be 1.3-1.8 kpc. The lack of radial velocity variations implies that the M-type star is not the donor star in the X-ray binary. This could be an interloper or the outer body in a hierarchical triple. We constrain the accreting binary to be a < 2.2 hr orbital period eclipsing cataclysmic variable or a low-mass X-ray binary lying in the foreground of the Galactic Bulge., (9 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS)

We present low-resolution near-infrared spectra of discoveries from an all-sky proper motion search conducted using multi-epoch data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. Using the data from NEOWISE, along with the AllWISE catalog, Schneider et al. (2016) conducted an all-sky proper motion survey to search for nearby objects with high proper motions. Here, we present a follow-up spectroscopic survey of 65 of their discoveries, which focused primarily on potentially nearby objects (d < 25 pc), candidate late-type brown dwarfs (>L7), and subdwarf candidates. We found 31 new M dwarfs, 18 new L dwarfs, and 11 new T dwarfs. Of these, 13 are subdwarfs, including one new sdL1 and two new sdL7s. Eleven of these discovereies, with spectral types ranging from M7 to T7 (including one subdwarf) are predicted to be within 25 pc, adding to the number of known objects in the solar neighborhood. We also discovered three new early-type T subdwarf candidates, one sdT1, one sdT2, and one sdT3, which would increase the number of known early-type T subdwarfs from two to five., Accepted for publication in the The Astronomical Journal on August 23, 2019

We present a method for deriving stellar fundamental parameters. It is based on a regularized sliced inverse regression (RSIR). We first tested it on noisy synthetic spectra of A, F, G, and K-type stars, and inverted simultaneously their atmospheric fundamental parameters: Teff, log g, [M/H] and vsini. Different learning databases were calculated using a range of sampling in Teff, log g, vsini, and [M/H]. Combined with a principal component analysis (PCA) nearest neighbors (NN) search, the size of the learning database is reduced. A Tikhonov regularization is applied, given the ill-conditioning of SIR. For all spectral types, decreasing the size of the learning database allowed us to reach internal accuracies better than PCA-based NN-search using larger learning databases. For each analyzed parameter, we have reached internal errors that are smaller than the sampling step of the parameter. We have also applied the technique to a sample of observed FGK and A stars. For a selection of well studied stars, the inverted parameters are in agreement with the ones derived in previous studies. The RSIR inversion technique, complemented with PCA pre-processing proves to be efficient in estimating stellar parameters of A, F, G, and K stars., Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables, accepted in Open Astronomy

Brown dwarfs are objects intermediate in mass between planets and stars, too large to have formed as planets, too small to sustain hydrogen fusion. Although they have been called “a poor excuse for a star,” they are embraced by stellar astronomers and have even found a place in the standard stellar classification system. They range in mass from 13 to 80 times the mass of Jupiter, about 8% of a solar mass, but most are about the size of Jupiter. They are completely boiling, convective objects. Brown dwarfs are difficult to detect due to their very low luminosity, which during the first hundred million years or so derives from gravitational contraction, after which they become even fainter. Their temperature of 1,000 K and less dictates that they radiate primarily in the infrared region of the spectrum and are especially amenable to detection by infrared telescopes. Brown dwarfs can undergo deuterium and lithium fusion during their first ten million years.

We present the first light curve analysis of the new eclipsing binary of WUMa type 1SWASP J2104. A detailed photometric analysis was carried out in VRI bands using the most recent version of Wilson–Devinney (WD) code. The absolute physical parameters of the system were obtained and the previously determined period was confirmed. The evolution state shows that the primary component is slightly evolved above the ZAMS track while the secondary is on TAMS track. Our results show that the spectral types of the primary and secondary stars of the studied system are K4 and K5, respectively. The distance to 1SWASP J2104 was calculated to be 307 ± 21pc.

Based on the galactic space velocity components (U, V, W) and with aid of the vector and matrix analyses, we computed the velocity ellipsoid parameters for 790 late-type stars from CoRoT (Convection, Rotation and Transits) observations and 290 L dwarf stars. We ran the calculations for spectral types F, G, and K for late-type stars and L0, L1, L2, and L3 for L dwarf stars. We found that the ratio of the middle to the major axis in the galaxy ranged from 0.35 to 0.73. The vertex deviation from the galactic center was very small for the samples under investigation, which agrees well with earlier calculations.

Big data obtained from a stellar spectroscopic survey carried out using the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST, also known as Guo Shou Jing telescope) provide important information for studying chromospheric activity, variability of chromospheric activity, and chromospheric statistical properties, and for searching subdwarfs and extreme subdwarfs. Using as chromospheric activity indicator the line, we detected 6391 active M stars among the 99741 stars in the M-star catalogue of the LAMOST survey. We also obtained the relationship between the fraction of active stars and the spectral types, which is consistent to previous results. We also studied the effects of activity on broadband photometric colors, and we did not see significant differences between active and inactive M stars. Using as spectroscopic molecular indicators the CaH123 and TiO5 lines, we found 1288 subdwarfs (including 120 active subdwarfs). We also found 15 extreme subdwarf (2 active extreme subdwarf) candidates. Our subdwarf candidates are slightly redder by about 0.05 mag in g-r compared with dwarfs using the g-r and r-i, and g-r and i-z color diagrams. Using our active M-star catalogue, we found that 898 stars exhibited 140 emission in at least two exposures (170 of them in at least three exposures). Among these 170 stars, 163 of them show variability in H-alpha, emission on long timescales (more than 2.5 h). Furthermore, 34 stars show variability over short timescales (less than 2.5 h), and 29 actives show variability over both short and long time scales.

The atmospheric activity of the sun and of stars of the solar-type is analyzed using observations from the HK-project at the Mount Wilson Observatory, California, and the Carnegie Planet Search Program at the Keck and Lick Observatories, as well as from the Magellan Planet Search Program at the Las Campanas Observatory. It is shown that a cyclical activity of the stars that is analogous to the 11-year solar activity cycle occurs in stars of spectral classes F, G, and K and is more pronounced in stars of class K. A comparative analysis of the solar-type stars with different levels of chromospheric and coronal activity confirms that the sun is one of the stars with a comparatively low level of atmospheric activity and that these stars have a minimal level of coronal emission and minimal variations in the fluxes of photospheric radiation.

Photometry of asteroids gives fundamental information about their spectral and physical properties. The aim of this work is two-fold: (1) to calculate phase functions of Vesta and Lutetia in the visible spectral range; and (2) to compare photometric properties of all the asteroids visited by space missions, as inferred from disk-resolved photometry. The phase functions of Vesta and Lutetia have been retrieved by performing a statistical analysis on data provided by the VIR–Dawn and the VIRTIS–Rosetta imaging spectrometers, respectively. The approach is based on the empirical procedure defined in Longobardo et al. (Longobardo, A. et al. [2014]. Icarus 240, 20–35). The Vesta phase functions have been calculated at two wavelengths, one outside (0.75 μm) and one inside (0.95 μm) the pyroxene absorption band at 0.9 μm. The steepness of the phase function at 0.75 μm decreases from dark to bright regions, due to the increasing role of multiple scattering. Otherwise, the phase function at 0.95 μm results in uniformity across Vesta surface, since darkening agents are spectrally featureless and their influence at wavelengths inside the pyroxene absorption band is negligible. Moreover, it is, on average, steeper than the phase functions at 0.75 μm, due to the more important role of single scattering at 0.95 μm. The Lutetia phase function is instead constant across the surface due to the homogeneous spectral properties of this asteroid. The obtained photometric curves (reflectance versus phase angle) of Vesta and Lutetia have been then compared with those retrieved in previous works on asteroids visited by space missions. Differently from comparisons of disk-integrated phase functions of asteroids performed in previous works at low phase angles (lower than 25°), this work restricts to asteroid observations that are disk-resolved and occur at solar phase angles between 20° and 60°. The S-type asteroids (Gaspra, Ida, Eros and Annefrank) show similar photometric curves. The phase functions found in bright material units on Vesta are similar to those found for Steins (E-type in the Tholen taxonomy, Xe-type in the Bus one), suggesting a photometric analogy between achondritic surfaces. The latter are brighter and with a flatter phase function with respect to chondritic surfaces: we argued that this behavior is driven by optical properties of asteroid surfaces (e.g. albedo, role of multiple scattering) rather than by physical ones (e.g. grain size, roughness). Dark material units on Vesta show an intermediate behavior between achondrites and the C-type Mathilde, confirming once again that these regions are characterized by mixtures of HED and carbonaceous chondrites. While a clear anti-correlation is observed between reflectance and steepness of phase function for V, S and C asteroids, Lutetia shows an anomalous photometric behavior, presenting both a low reflectance and a flat phase curve, and hence cannot be grouped with other spectral classes here considered. This behavior is similar to some X-type asteroids ground-observed at low phase angles and is consistent with a chondritic composition of its surface.

We present a spectroscopic survey of known and candidate $\gamma$\,Doradus stars. The high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of 52 objects were collected by five different spectrographs. The spectral classification, atmospheric parameters (\teff, $\log g$, $\xi$), $v\sin i$ and chemical composition of the stars were derived. The stellar spectral and luminosity classes were found between G0-A7 and IV-V, respectively. The initial values for \teff\ and \logg\ were determined from the photometric indices and spectral energy distribution. Those parameters were improved by the analysis of hydrogen lines. The final values of \teff, \logg\ and $\xi$ were derived from the iron lines analysis. The \teff\ values were found between 6000\,K and 7900\,K, while \logg\,values range from 3.8 to 4.5\,dex. Chemical abundances and $v\sin i$ values were derived by the spectrum synthesis method. The $v\sin i$ values were found between 5 and 240\,km\,s$^{-1}$. The chemical abundance pattern of $\gamma$\,Doradus stars were compared with the pattern of non-pulsating stars. It turned out that there is no significant difference in abundance patterns between these two groups. Additionally, the relations between the atmospheric parameters and the pulsation quantities were checked. A strong correlation between the $v\sin i$ and the pulsation periods of $\gamma$\,Doradus variables was obtained. The accurate positions of the analysed stars in the H-R diagram have been shown. Most of our objects are located inside or close to the blue edge of the theoretical instability strip of $\gamma$\,Doradus., Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures

We report the results of a volume-limited survey using the Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for transient and quiescent radio emission from 15 southern hemisphere ultracool dwarfs. We detect radio emission from 2MASSW J0004348-404405 increasing the number of radio loud ultracool dwarfs to 22. We also observe radio emission from 2MASS J10481463-3956062 and 2MASSI J0339352-352544, two sources with previous radio detections. The radio emission from the three detected sources shows no variability or flare emission. Modelling this quiescent emission we find that it is consistent with optically thin gyrosynchrotron emission from a magnetosphere with an emitting region radius of (1 - 2)$R_*$, magnetic field inclination 20$^{\circ}$ - 80$^{\circ}$, field strength $\sim$10 - 200 G, and power-law electron density $\sim$10$^4$ - 10$^8$ cm$^{-3}$. Additionally, we place upper limits on four ultracool dwarfs with no previous radio observations. This increases the number of ultracool dwarfs studied at radio frequencies to 222. Analysing general trends of the radio emission for this sample of 15 sources, we find that the radio activity increases for later spectral types and more rapidly rotating objects. Furthermore, comparing the ratio of the radio to X-ray luminosities for these sources, we find 2MASS J10481463-3956062 and 2MASSI J0339352-352544 violate the Guedel-Benz relation by more than two orders of magnitude., 10 pages, 7 figures

A list of selected binary stars is presented that have been observed for several decades using a 26-inch refractor at the Pulkovo Observatory. These stars are at a distance from 3.5 to 25 pc from the Sun. They belong to spectral classes F, G, K, and M. Their masses range from 0.3 to 1.5 solar masses. We have analyzed them as possible parent stars for exoplanets taking into account the physical characteristics of these stars. In view of dynamic parameters and orbital elements that we have obtained by Pulkovo observations, ephemerides of positions for the coming years are calculated. The boundaries of the habitable zones around these stars are calculated. The astrometric signal that depends on the gravitational influence of hypothetical planets is estimated. Space telescopes for astrometric observations with microsecond accuracy can be used to detect Earth-like planets near the closest stars of this program. This paper presents an overview of astrometric programs of searches for exoplanets.

We present the first multicolor photometric observations of the short period low-mass eclipsing binary SDSS J012119.10–001949.9. By using the 2013 version of the Wilson-Devinney code, the photometric solutions are derived. It is found that the system is in a contact configuration ( f = 18.9 ± 6.0%) with a moderate mass ratio of 0.5 ± 0.01. A third light contributing about 6.1 ± 1.3% of the total luminosity in the V band was found, which may come from a cool tertiary component. The derived high orbital inclination ( i = 83.9 ° ± 0.5 ° ) and the almost symmetric three light curves suggest that the determined parameters are reliable. Both the color class and spectral class of the system correspond to a spectral type of M0, which may indicate that SDSS J012119.10–001949.9 belongs to a very rare class of M dwarf contact binaries that are below the theoretical short period limit.

We have carried out a search for optically visible post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). First, we selected candidates with a mid-IR excess and then obtained their optical spectra. We disentangled contaminants with unique spectra such as M-stars, C-stars, planetary nebulae, quasi-stellar objects and background galaxies. Subsequently, we performed a detailed spectroscopic analysis of the remaining candidates to estimate their stellar parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity (log g), metallicity ([Fe/H]), reddening and their luminosities. This resulted in a sample of 35 likely post-AGB candidates with late-G to late-A spectral types, low log g, and [Fe/H] < -0.5. Furthermore, our study confirmed the existence of the dusty post-Red Giant Branch (post-RGB) stars, discovered previously in our SMC survey, by revealing 119 such objects in the LMC. These objects have mid-IR excesses and stellar parameters (Teff, log g, [Fe/H]) similar to those of post-AGB stars except that their luminosities (< 2500 Lsun), and hence masses and radii, are lower. These post-RGB stars are likely to be products of binary interaction on the RGB. The post-AGB and post-RGB objects show SED properties similar to the Galactic post-AGB stars, where some have a surrounding circumstellar shell, while some others have a surrounding stable disc similar to the Galactic post-AGB binaries. This study also resulted in a new sample of 162 young stellar objects, identified based on a robust log g criterion. Other interesting outcomes include objects with an UV continuum and an emission line spectrum; luminous supergiants; hot main-sequence stars; and 15 B[e] star candidates, 12 of which are newly discovered in this study., Published in MNRAS 64 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables, 3 appendices. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1402.5954

Twenty-one YSO (Young Stellar Object) candidates nearby the solar system have been identified through cross-correlating Hipparcos (High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite) catalog with the AKARI/FIS YSO catalog, and the reliability is over 90%. The central objects cover the spectral types from B to M. The Hipparcos's accurate measurements of trigonometric parallaxes enable us to place these objects in the H-R diagram, which can be used to determine their ages by the isochrones of theoretical evolution trajectories. In this sample, two YSOs have been found to be older than 10 Myr. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from optical to infrared show that the two YSOs belong to the type II YSOs with protoplanetary disks. Furthermore, from the SED fitting, the ages of these two sources are constrained to be (14.1±4.2) Myr and (16.8±4.4) Myr, respectively. Therefore, two YSO candidates with long-lived protoplanetary disks have been detected in the AKARI/FIS data. The long-lived protoplanetary disks are closely related with the planet formation, and they are ideal birthplaces of protoplanets.