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We focus on post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries and study the interaction between the different components of these complex systems. These components comprise the post-AGB primary, a main sequence secondary, a circumbinary disk, as well as a fast bipolar outflow (jet) launched by the companion. We obtained well-sampled time series of high resolution optical spectra over the last decade and these spectra provide the basis of our study. The jet is detected in absorption, at superior conjunction, when the line of sight towards the primary goes through the bipolar cone. Our spectral time series scan the jets during orbital motion. Our spatio-kinematic model is constrained by these dynamical spectra. We complement this with a radiative-transfer model in which the Balmer series are used to derive total mass-loss rates in the jets. The jets are found to be wide and display an angle-dependent density structure with a dense and slower outer region near the jet cone and a fast inner part along the jet symmetry axes. The deprojected outflow velocities confirm that the companions are main sequence companions. The total mass-loss rates are large (10^{-8} and 10^{-5}\,solar mass per year), from which we can infer that the mass-accretion rates onto the companion star must be high as well. The circumbinary disk is likely the main source for the accretion disk around the companion. All systems with full disks that start near the sublimation radius show jets, whereas for systems with evolved transition disks, this lowers to a detection rate of 50%. Objects without an infrared excess do not show jets. We conclude that jet creation in post-AGB binaries is a mainstream process. The interaction between the circumbinary disks and the central binary provide the needed accretion flow, but the presence of a circumbinary disk does not seem to be the only prerequisite to launch a jet., 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted by Astronomy and Astrophysics

Modelling dust formation in single stars evolving through the carbon-star stage of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) reproduces well the mid-infrared colours and magnitudes of most of the C-rich sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), apart from a small subset of extremely red objects (EROs). An analysis of the spectral energy distributions of EROs suggests the presence of large quantities of dust, which demand gas densities in the outflow significantly higher than expected from theoretical modelling. We propose that binary interaction mechanisms that involve common envelope (CE) evolution could be a possible explanation for these peculiar stars; the CE phase is favoured by the rapid growth of the stellar radius occurring after C/O overcomes unity. Our modelling of the dust provides results consistent with the observations for mass-loss rates $\dot{M} \sim 5\times 10^{-4}\,{\rm M}_{\odot }$ yr−1, a lower limit to the rapid loss of the envelope experienced in the CE phase. We propose that EROs could possibly hide binaries with orbital periods of about days and are likely to be responsible for a large fraction of the dust production rate in galaxies.

Post-AGB stars are exquisite probes of AGB nucleosynthesis. However, the previous lack of accurate distances jeopardised comparison with theoretical AGB models. The $Gaia$ Early Data Release 3 ($Gaia$ EDR3) has now allowed for a breakthrough in this research landscape. In this study, we focus on a sample of single Galactic post-AGBs for which chemical abundance studies were completed. We combined photometry with geometric distances to carry out a spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis and derive accurate luminosities. We subsequently determined their positions on the HR-diagram and compared this with theoretical post-AGB evolutionary tracks. While most objects are in the post-AGB phase of evolution, we found a subset of low-luminosity objects that are likely to be in the post-horizontal branch phase of evolution, similar to AGB-manqu\'e objects found in globular clusters. Additionally, we also investigated the observed bi-modality in the $s$-process enrichment of Galactic post-AGB single stars of similar Teff, and metallicities. This bi-modality was expected to be a direct consequence of luminosity with the $s$-process rich objects having evolved further on the AGB. However, we find that the two populations: the $s$-process enriched and non-enriched, have similar luminosities (and hence initial masses), revealing an intriguing chemical diversity. For a given initial mass and metallicity, AGB nucleosynthesis appears inhomogeneous and sensitive to other factors which could be mass-loss, along with convective and non-convective mixing mechanisms. Modelling individual objects in detail will be needed to investigate which parameters and processes dominate the photospheric chemical enrichment in these stars., Comment: Accepted to ApJL, submission number AAS36347, 17 pages, 8 figures

Multiple stellar populations (MPs) representing star-to-star light-element abundance variations are common in nearly all ancient Galactic globular clusters. Here we provide the strongest evidence yet that the populous, ~ 1.7 Gyr-old Large Magellanic Cloud cluster NGC 2173 also exhibits light-element abundance variations. Thus, our results suggest that NGC 2173 is the youngest cluster for which MPs have been confirmed to date. Our conclusion is based on the distinct bifurcation at the tip of its red-giant branch in high-quality color--magnitude diagrams generated from Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations. Our results are further supported by a detailed analysis of 'pseudo-$UBI$' maps, which reveal clear evidence of a bimodality in the cluster's red-giant-branch color distribution. Young clusters in the Magellanic Clouds can provide critical insights into galaxy evolution histories. Our discovery of MPs in NGC 2173 suggests that ancient Galactic globular clusters and young massive clusters might share a common formation process., 8 pages, 5 figures

We present an extensive catalogue of BY Draconis (BY Dra)-type variables and their stellar parameters. BY Dra are main-sequence FGKM-type stars. They exhibit inhomogeneous starspots and bright faculae in their photospheres. These features are caused by stellar magnetic fields, which are carried along with the stellar disc through rotation and which produce gradual modulations in their light curves (LCs). Our main objective is to characterise the properties of BY Dra variables over a wide range of stellar masses, temperatures and rotation periods. A recent study categorised 84,697 BY Dra variables from Data Release 2 of the Zwicky Transient Facility based on their LCs. We have collected additional photometric data from multiple surveys and performed broad-band spectral energy distribution fits to estimate stellar parameters. We found that more than half of our sample objects are of K spectral type, covering an extensive range of stellar parameters in the low-mass regime (0.1-1.3 M$_{\odot}$ ). Compared with previous studies, most of the sources in our catalogue are rapid rotators, and so most of them must be young stars for which a spin-down has not yet occurred. We subdivided our catalogue based on convection zone depth and found that the photospheric activity index, $S_{\rm ph}$, is lower for higher effective temperatures, i.e., for thinner convective envelopes. We observe a broad range of photospheric magnetic activity for different spectral classes owing to the presence of stellar populations of different ages. We found a higher magnetically active fraction for K- than M-type stars., Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures

Lead (Pb) is predicted to have large over-abundances with respect to other s-process elements in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, especially of low metallicities. However, our previous abundance studies of s-process enriched post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds show a discrepancy between observed and predicted Pb abundances. For the subset of post-AGB stars with low metallicities the determined upper limits based on detailed chemical abundance studies are much lower than what is predicted. Recent theoretical studies have pointed to the occurrence of the i-process to explain the observed chemical patterns, especially of Pb. A major development, in the observational context, is the release of the GAIA EDR3 parallaxes of the post-AGBs in the Galaxy, which has opened the gateway to systematically studying the sample of stars as a function of current luminosities (which can be linked to their initial masses). In this paper, we succinctly review the Pb discrepancy in post-AGB stars and present the latest observational and theoretical developments in this research landscape.

We performed a photometric and spectroscopic analysis of two RV Tauri stars GK Car and GZ Nor. Both objects are surrounded by hot circumstellar dust. Their pulsation periods, derived from ASAS photometric time series, have been used to derive their luminosities and distances via the PLC relation. In addition, for both objects, GAIA distances are available. The Gaia distances and luminosities are consistent with the values obtained from the PLC relationship. GK Car is at distance of 4.5$\pm{1.3}$ kpc and has a luminosity of 1520$\pm{840}$ L$_{\odot}$, while GZ Nor is at distance of 8.4$\pm{2.3}$ kpc and has a luminosity of 1240 $\pm{690}$ L$_{\odot}$. Our abundance analysis reveals that both stars show depletion of refractory elements with [Fe/H]=$-$1.3 and [Zn/Ti]=$+$1.2 for GK Car and [Fe/H]=$-$2.0 and [Zn/Ti]=$+$0.8 for GZ Nor. In the WISE colour-colour diagram, GK Car is located in the RV Tauri box as originally defined by \cite{evans85} and updated by \cite{gezer15}, while GZ Nor is not. Despite this, we argue that both objects are surrounded by a gravitationally bound disc. As depletion is observed in binaries, we postulate that both stars are binaries as well. RV Tauri stars are generally acknowledged to be post$-$AGB stars. Recent studies show that they might be either indeed post$-$AGB or post$-$RGB objects depending on their luminosity. For both objects, the derived luminosities are relatively low for post-AGB objects, however, the uncertainties are quite large. We conclude that they could be either post-RGB or post-AGB objects., Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 9 pages, 8 figures, 8 tables

Jets are a commonly observed phenomenon in post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries. Due to the orbital motion of the binary, the jet causes variable absorption in the Balmer profiles. In previous work, we have developed spatio-kinematic and radiative transfer models to reproduce the observed Balmer line variability and derive the spatio-kinematic structure of the jet and its mass-loss rate. Here, we apply our jet model to five post-AGB binaries with distinct H{\alpha} line variability and diverse orbital properties. Our models fit the H{\alpha} line variations very well. We estimate jet mass-loss rates between 10-8 Mdot yr-1 and 10-4 Mdot yr-1 , from which we deduce accretion rates onto the companion between 10-7 Mdot yr-1 and 10-3 Mdot yr-1 . These accretion rates are somewhat higher than can be comfortably explained with reasonable sources of accretion, but we argue that the circumbinary disc in these systems is most-likely the source feeding the accretion, although accretion from the post-AGB star cannot be ruled out. The diversity of the variability in the five objects is due to their wide ejection cones combined with a range of viewing angles, rather than inherent differences between the objects. The nature of the observations does not let us easily distinguish which jet launching model (stellar jet, disc wind, or X-wind) should be favoured. In conclusion, we show that our jet model includes the physical parameters to successfully reproduce the H{\alpha} line variations and retrieve the structure and mass-loss rates of the jet for all five objects that are representative of the diverse sample of Galactic post-AGB binaries., Comment: 20 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The presence of stable, compact circumbinary discs of gas and dust around post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binary systems has been well established. We focus on one such system: IRAS 08544-4431. We present an interferometric multi-wavelength analysis of the circumstellar environment of IRAS 08544-4431. The aim is to constrain different contributions to the total flux in the H, K, L, and N-bands in the radial direction. The data from VLTI/PIONIER, VLTI/GRAVITY, and VLTI/MATISSE range from the near-infrared, where the post-AGB star dominates, to the mid-infrared, where the disc dominates. We fitted two geometric models to the visibility data to reproduce the circumbinary disc: a ring with a Gaussian width and a flat disc model with a temperature gradient. The flux contributions from the disc, the primary star (modelled as a point-source), and an over-resolved component are recovered along with the radial size of the emission, the temperature of the disc as a function of radius, and the spectral dependencies of the different components. The trends of all visibility data were well reproduced with the geometric models. The near-infrared data were best fitted with a Gaussian ring model while the mid-infrared data favoured a temperature gradient model. This implies that a vertical structure is present at the disc inner rim, which we attribute to a rounded puffed-up inner rim. The N-to-K size ratio is 2.8, referring to a continuous flat source, analogues to young stellar objects. By combining optical interferometric instruments operating at different wavelengths we can resolve the complex structure of circumstellar discs and study the wavelength-dependent opacity profile. A detailed radial, vertical, and azimuthal structural analysis awaits a radiative transfer treatment in 3D to capture all non-radial complexity., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters

Current models predict that binary interactions are a major ingredient for the formation of bipolar planetary nebulae (PNe) and pre-planetary nebulae (PPNe). Despite years of radial velocity (RV) monitoring, the paucity of known binaries amongst the latter systems is insufficient to examine this relationship in detail. In this paper, we report on the discovery of a long period (P=2654$\pm$124 d) binary at the centre of the Galactic bipolar PPN, IRAS 08005-2356 (V510 Pup) determined from long-term spectroscopic and near-infrared time series data. The spectroscopic orbit is fit with an eccentricity of 0.36$\pm$0.05 that is similar to other long period post-AGB binaries. Time resolved H$\alpha$ profiles reveal high-velocity outflows (jets) with de-projected velocities up to 231$_{-27}^{+31}$ km s$^{-1}$ seen at phases when the luminous primary is behind the jet. The outflow traced by H$\alpha$ is likely produced via accretion onto a main sequence companion for which we calculate a mass of 0.63$\pm$0.13 M$_\odot$. This discovery is one of the first cases of a confirmed binary PPN and demonstrates the importance of high-resolution spectroscopic monitoring surveys on large telescopes in revealing binarity among these systems., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 10 Pages, 7 Figures

The chemical evolution of galaxies is governed by the chemical yields from stars, especially from Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. This underlines the importance of understanding how AGB stars produce their elements by obtaining accurate stellar nucleosynthetic yields. Although AGB nucleosynthesis has general validity, critical uncertainties (such as the treatment of convective-driven mixing processes and mass loss) exist in current stellar models. Observations from post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars serve as excellent tools to quantify the strongest discrepancies, and eliminate crucial uncertainties that hamper stellar modelling. Our recent studies of post-AGB stars have shown an intriguing chemical diversity that ranges from stars that are extremely enriched in carbon and s-process elements to the discovery of the first post-AGB star with no traces of carbon nor s-process elements. Additionally, AGB nucleosynthesis is significantly affected by a binary companion. These results reflect the complexity that surrounds the element production in AGB stars. In this review, I will briefly present the intriguing chemical diversity observed in post-AGB stars and its implications on element/isotope production in AGB stars and stellar nucleosynthetic yields.

Binary interactions can alter the intrinsic properties of stars (such as: pulsation, mass-loss, photospheric chemistry, dust-formation, circumstellar envelope morphology etc.) and can even play a dominant role in determining its ultimate fate. While past studies have shown that binarity can end the AGB life of a star, recent studies have revealed that in specific cases binarity also pre-maturely terminate the RGB evolution. A characteristic feature of evolved binaries is the presence of a Keplerian circumbinary disc of gas and dust which plays a lead role in the evolution of the systems. In this article, I will review our advances in the research landscape of post-RGB and post-AGB binary stars, focussing on their observational properties, spectral energy distribution, photospheric chemistry, the evolution of their stable circumbinary discs, and the evolutionary connection between the enigmatic post-AGB/post-RGB binaries, and other systems whose primary component is a white dwarf.

Whether planetary nebulae (PNe) are predominantly the product of binary stellar evolution as some population synthesis models (PSM) suggest remains an open question. Around 50 short period binary central stars ($P\sim1$ d) are known, but with only four with measured orbital periods over 10 d, our knowledge is severely incomplete. Here we report on the first discovery from a systematic SALT HRS survey for long period binary central stars. We find a 142 d orbital period from radial velocities of the central star of NGC~1360, HIP~16566. NGC~1360 appears to be the product of common-envelope (CE) evolution, with nebula features similar to post-CE PNe, albeit with an orbital period considerably longer than expected to be typical of post-CE PSM. The most striking feature is a newly-identified ring of candidate low-ionisation structures (LIS). Previous spatio-kinematic modelling of the nebula gives a nebula inclination of $30\pm10$ deg, and assuming the binary nucleus is coplanar with the nebula, multi-wavelength observations best fit a more massive, evolved WD companion. A WD companion in a 142 d orbit is not the focus of many PSM, making NGC~1360 a valuable system with which to improve future PSM work. HIP~16566 is amongst many central stars in which large radial velocity variability was found by low-resolution surveys. The discovery of its binary nature may indicate long period binaries may be more common than PSM models predict., 15 pages, 10 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The new generation of VLTI instruments (GRAVITY, MATISSE) aims to produce routinely interferometric images to uncover the morphological complexity of different objects at high angular resolution. Image reconstruction is, however, not a fully automated process. Here we focus on a specific science case, namely the complex circumbinary environments of a subset of evolved binaries, for which interferometric imaging provides the spatial resolution required to resolve the immediate circumbinary environment. Indeed, many binaries where the main star is in the post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) phase are surrounded by circumbinary disks. Those disks were first inferred from the infrared excess produced by dust. Snapshot interferometric observations in the infrared confirmed disk-like morphology and revealed high spatial complexity of the emission that the use of geometrical models could not recover without being strongly biased. Arguably, the most convincing proof of the disk-like shape of the circumbinary environment came from the first interferometric image of such a system (IRAS08544-4431) using the PIONIER instrument at the VLTI. This image was obtained using the SPARCO image reconstruction approach that enables to subtract a model of a component of the image and reconstruct an image of its environment only. In the case of IRAS08544-4431, the model involved a binary and the image of the remaining signal revealed several unexpected features. Then, a second image revealed a different but also complex circumstellar morphology around HD101584 that was well studied by ALMA. To exploit the VLTI imaging capability to understand these targets, we started a large program at the VLTI to image post-AGB binary systems using both PIONIER and GRAVITY instruments., 9 pages, Draft of the SPIE Proceedings Volume 11446, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VII; 114460D (2020)

It is increasingly suspected that the rare R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars - hydrogen-deficient and carbon-rich supergiant stars - are the products of mergers of CO/He white-dwarf binary systems in the intermediate mass regime ($0.615000$ K). Forty of these belong to the Milky Way and five are located in the Magellanic Clouds. We also confirmed that the long lasting candidate KDM 5651 is indeed a new Magellanic RCB star, increasing the total number of Magellanic Cloud RCB stars to 30. We have increased by $\sim$50\% the total number of RCB stars known, now reaching 147. We also include a list of 14 strong RCB candidates, most certainly observed during a dust obscuration phase. From the detection efficiency and success rate so far, we estimate that there should be no more than 500 RCB stars/HdC stars in the Milky Way., Comment: 34 pages, 20 figures

We study the M-type asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by characterizing the individual sources in terms of the main properties of the progenitors and of the dust present in the circumstellar envelope. To this aim we compare the combination of the spectroscopic and photometric data collected by Spitzer, complemented by additional photometric results available in the literature, with results from AGB modelling that include the description of dust formation in the wind. To allow the interpretation of a paucity stars likely evolving through the post-AGB phase, we extended the available evolutionary sequences to reach the PN phase. The main motivation of the present analysis is to prepare the future observations of the evolved stellar populations of Local Group galaxies that will be done by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), by identifying the combination of filters that will maximize the possibilities of characterizing the observed sources. The present results show that for the M-star case the best planes to be used for this purpose are the colour magnitude ([F770W]–[F2550W], [F770W]) and (KS–[F770W], [F770W]) planes. In these observational diagrams the sequences of low-mass stars evolving in the AGB phases before the achievement of the C-star stage and of massive AGBs experiencing hot bottom burning are clearly separated and peculiar sources, such as post-AGB, dual-dust chemistry, and iron-dust stars can be easily identified.

Aims. We aim to determine the geometry, density gradient, and velocity structure of jets in post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries. Methods. Our high cadence time series of high-resolution optical spectra of jet-creating post-AGB binary systems provide us with a unique tomography of the jet. We determine the spatio-kinematic structure of the jets based on these data by fitting the synthetic spectral line profiles created by our model to the observed, orbital phase-resolved, H{\alpha}-line profiles of these systems. The fitting routine is provided with an initial spectrum and is allowed to test three configurations, derived from three specific jet launching models: a stellar jet launched by the star, an X-wind, and a disk wind configuration. We apply a Markov-chain Monte Carlo routine in order to fit our model to the observations. Our fitting code is tested on the post-AGB binary IRAS19135+3937. Results. We find that a model using the stellar jet configuration gives a marginally better fit to our observations. The jet has a wide half-opening angle of about 76 degrees and reaches velocities up to 870 km/s. Conclusions. Our methodology is successful in determining some parameters for jets in post-AGB binaries. The model for IRAS19135+3937 includes a transparent, low density inner region (for a half-opening angle < 40 degrees). The source feeding the accretion disk around the companion is most likely the circumbinary disk. We will apply this jet fitting routine to other jet-creating post-AGB stars in order to provide a more complete description of these objects., Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

ispartof: MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY vol:486 issue:3 pages:3524-3536 status: published

Context. Carbon stars have been, and still are, extensively studied. Given their complex internal structure and their peculiar chemical composition, they are living laboratories in which we can test stellar structure and evolution theories of evolved stars. Furthermore, they are the most relevant dust manufacturers, thus playing a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies. Aims. We aim to study the dust mineralogy of the circumstellar envelope of carbon stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) to achieve a better understanding of the dust formation process in the outflow of these objects. We intend to investigate the expected distribution of carbon stars in the observational planes built with the filters of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) mounted onboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to select the best planes allowing an exhaustive characterisation of the stars. Methods. We compared the synthetic spectral energy distributions, obtained by modelling asymptotic giant branch stars and the dust formation process in the wind, with the spectra of carbon stars in the LMC, taken with the Infrared Spectrograph onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. From the detailed comparison between synthetic modelling and observation we characterise the individual sources and derive the detailed mineralogy of the dust in the circumstellar envelope. Results. The sample of stars considered here is composed of stars of diverse mass, formation epoch, degree of obscuration, and metallicity. We find that precipitation of MgS on SiC seeds is common to all non-metal-poor carbon stars. Solid carbon is the dominant dust component, with percentages above 80% in all cases; a percentage between 10% and 20% of carbon dust is under the form of graphite, the remaining being amorphous carbon. Regarding the observational planes based on the MIRI filters, the colour-magnitude ([F770W]–[F1800W], [F1800W]) plane allows the best understanding of the degree of obscuration of the stars, while the ([F1800W]–[F2550W], [F1800W]) diagram allows better discrimination among stars of different metallicities.

It is widely accepted that binary interactions are responsible for the shaping of planetary nebula. However, these binary interactions and evolutionary channels are poorly understood. Our recent study revealed a newly discovered population of low-luminosity, low-metallicity, likely binaries in the Magellanic Clouds: dusty post-RGB stars. They are likely to have evolved off the RGB via binary interaction. In this paper we present preliminary results of the first radial velocity monitoring of the post-RGB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and the implications on stellar (binary) evolution. We also investigate their link, if any, to the planetary nebulae systems.

Aims. In this study, we determine the morphology and mass-loss rate of jets emanating from the companion in post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binary stars with a circumbinary disk. In doing so, we also determine the mass accretion rates on to the companion and investigate the source feeding the circum-companion accretion disk. Methods. We perform a spatio-kinematic modelling of the jet of two well-sampled post-AGB binaries, BD+46442 and IRAS19135+3937, by fitting the orbital phased time series of H-alpha spectra. Once the jet geometry, velocity and scaled density structure are computed, we carry out radiative transfer modelling of the jet for the first four Balmer lines to determine the jet densities, thus allowing us to compute the jet mass-loss rates and mass accretion rates. Results. The spatio-kinematic model of the jet reproduces the observed absorption feature in the H-alpha lines. In both objects, the jets have an inner region with extremely low density. Using our radiative transfer model, we find the full three-dimensional density structure of both jets. From these results, we can compute mass-loss rates of the jets, which are of the order of 10^-7 - 10^-5 M_sol/yr. We estimate mass accretion rates onto the companion of 10^-6 - 10^-4 M_sol/yr. Conclusions. Based on the mass accretion rates found for these two objects, we conclude that the circumbinary disk is most likely the source feeding the circum-companion accretion disk. This is in agreement with the observed depletion patterns in post-AGB binaries. The high accretion rates from the circumbinary disk imply that the lifetime of the disk will be short. Mass-transfer from the post-AGB star cannot be excluded in these systems, but it is unlikely to provide a sufficient mass-transfer rate to sustain the observed jet mass-loss rates., Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Post-AGB binaries are surrounded by circumbinary disks of gas and dust that are similar to protoplanetary disks found around young stars. We aim to understand the structure of these disks and identify the physical phenomena at play in their very inner regions. We want to understand the disk-binary interaction and to further investigate the comparison with protoplanetary disks. We have conducted an interferometric snapshot survey of 23 post-AGB binaries in the near-infrared (H-band) using VLTI/PIONIER. We have fitted the multiwavelength visibilities and closure phases with purely geometrical models with an increasing complexity in order to retrieve the sizes, temperatures and flux ratios of the different components All sources are resolved and the different components contributing to the H-band flux are dissected. The environment of these targets is very complex: 13/23 targets need models with thirteen or more parameters to fit the data. We find that the inner disk rims follow and extend the size-luminosity relation established for disks around young stars with an offset toward larger sizes. The measured temperature of the near-infrared circumstellar emission of post-AGB binaries is lower (Tsub~1200K) than for young stars, probably due to a different dust mineralogy and/or gas density in the dust sublimation region. The dusty inner rims of the circumbinary disks around post-AGB binaries are ruled by dust sublimation physics. Additionally, a significant amount of the circumstellar H-band flux is over-resolved (14 targets have more than 10% of their non-stellar flux over-resolved) hinting for more structure from a yet unknown origin (disk structure or outflow). The amount of over-resolved flux is larger than around young stars. Due to the complexity of these targets, interferometric imaging is a necessary tool to reveal the interacting inner regions in a model-independent way., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 40 pages

We present asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models of metallicity $Z=10^{-4}$ and $Z=3\times 10^{-4}$, with the aim of understanding how the gas enrichment and the dust production change in very metal-poor environments and to assess the general contribution of AGB stars to the cosmic dust yield. The stellar yields and the dust produced are determined by the change in the surface chemical composition, with a transition occurring at $\sim 2.5~M_{\odot}$. Stars of mass $M < 2.5~M_{\odot}$ reach the carbon stage and produce carbon dust, whereas their higher mass counterparts produce mainly silicates and alumina dust; in both cases the amount of dust manufactured decreases towards lower metallicities. The $Z=10^{-4}$ models show a complex and interesting behaviour on this side, because the efficient destruction of the surface oxygen favours the achievement of the C-star stage, independently of the initial mass. The present results might indicate that the contribution from this class of stars to the overall dust enrichment in metal-poor environments is negligible at redshifts $z>5$., 17 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Based on their stellar parameters and the presence of a mid-IR excess due to circumstellar dust, RV Tauri stars have been classified as post-AGB stars. Our recent studies, however, reveal diverse SEDs among RV Tauri stars, suggesting they may occupy other evolutionary channels as well. The aim of this paper is to present the diverse SED characteristics of RV Tauri stars and investigate their evolutionary nature as a function of their SEDs. We carried out a systematic study of RV Tauri stars in the SMC and LMC because of their known distances and hence luminosities. Their SEDs were classified in three groups: dusty (disc-type), non-dusty (non-IR) and uncertain. A period-luminosity- colour (PLC) relation was calibrated. The luminosities from the PLC were complemented with the ones found using their SEDs and the stars were placed on the HR-diagram. The four main results from this study are: 1) RV Tauri stars with a clear IR-excess have disc-type SEDs, which indicates that the dust is trapped in a stable disc. Given the strong link between disc-type SEDs and binarity in the Galaxy, we postulate that these are binaries as well. These cover a range of luminosities and we argue that the more luminous ones are post-AGB stars while the lower luminosity ones are likely post-Red Giant Branch (post-RGB) stars. 2) Two of these objects have variable mean brightness with periods of 916 and 850 days, respectively, caused by variable extinction during orbital motion. 3) The non-dusty RV Tauri stars and the objects with an uncertain SED evolve such that the circumstellar dust has dispersed. If they are single stars, they are post-AGB objects of low initial mass ($, Comment: 32 Pages, Accepted to be published in A&A

Binary post-Asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars are thought to be the products of a strong but poorly understood interaction during the AGB phase. The aim of this contribution is to update the orbital elements of a sample of galactic post-AGB binaries observed in a long-Term radial-velocity monitoring campaign by analysing these systems in a homogeneous way. Radial velocities are computed from high signal-To-noise spectra via a cross-correlation method. The radial-velocity curves are fitted by using both a least-squares algorithm and a Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm. We use a Monte Carlo method to compute uncertainties on the orbital elements. The resulting mass functions are used to derive a companion mass distribution by optimising the predicted to the observed cumulative mass-function distributions, after correcting for observational bias. As a result, we derive and update orbital elements for 33 galactic post-AGB binaries, among which 3 are new orbits. The orbital periods of the systems range from 100 to about 3000 days. Over 70% (23 out of 33) of our binaries have significant non-zero eccentricities ranging over all periods. Their orbits are non-circular even though the Roche-lobe radii are smaller than the maximum size of a typical AGB star and tidal circularisation should have been strong when the objects were on the AGB. We derive a distribution of companion masses that is peaked around 1.09 Mâ with a standard deviation of 0.62 Mâ. The large spread in companion masses highlights the diversity of post-AGB binary systems. Post-AGB binaries are often chemically peculiar, showing in their photospheres the result of an accretion process of circumstellar gas devoid of refractory elements. We find that only post-AGB stars with high effective temperatures (> 5500 K) in wide orbits are depleted in refractory elements, suggesting that re-Accretion of material from a circumbinary disc is an ongoing process. It appears, however, that depletion is inefficient for the closest orbits irrespective of the actual surface temperature., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

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

We present a detailed study based on infrared photometry of all Galactic RV Tauri stars from the General Catalogue of Variable Stars (GCVS). RV Tauri stars are the brightest among the population II Cepheids. They are thought to evolve away from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) towards the white dwarf domain. IRAS detected several RV Tauri stars because of their large IR excesses and it was found that they occupy a specific region in the [12] - [25], [25] - [60] IRAS two-colour diagram. We used the all sky survey of WISE to extend these studies and compare the infrared properties of all RV Tauri stars in the GCVS with a selected sample of post-AGB objects with the goal to place the RV Tauri pulsators in the context of post-AGB evolution. Moreover, we correlated the IR properties of both the RV Tauri stars and the comparison sample with other observables like binarity and the presence of a photospheric chemical anomaly called depletion. We find that Galactic RV Tauri stars display a range of infrared properties and we differentiate between disc sources, objects with no IR excess and objects for which the spectral energy distribution (SED) is uncertain. We obtain a clear correlation between disc sources and binarity. RV Tauri stars with a variable mean magnitude are exclusively found among the disc sources. We also find evidence for disc evolution among the binaries. Furthermore our studies show that the presence of a disc seems to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for the depletion process to become efficient., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)

We present new theoretical stellar yields and surface abundances for asymptotic giant branch (AGB) models with a metallicity appropriate for stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC, $Z= 0.0028$, [Fe/H] $\approx -0.7$). New evolutionary sequences and post-processing nucleosynthesis results are presented for initial masses between 1$M_{\odot}$ and 7$M_{\odot}$, where the 7$M_{\odot}$ is a super-AGB star with an O-Ne core. Models above 1.15$M_{\odot}$ become carbon rich during the AGB, and hot bottom burning begins in models $M \ge 3.75 M_{\odot}$. We present stellar surface abundances as a function of thermal pulse number for elements between C to Bi and for a selection of isotopic ratios for elements up to Fe and Ni (e.g., $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C), which can be compared to observations. The integrated stellar yields are presented for each model in the grid for hydrogen, helium and all stable elements from C to Bi. We present evolutionary sequences of intermediate-mass models between 4--7$M_{\odot}$ and nucleosynthesis results for three masses ($M=3.75, 5, 7M_{\odot}$) including $s$-process elements for two widely used AGB mass-loss prescriptions. We discuss our new models in the context of evolved AGB stars and post-AGB stars in the Small Magellanic Clouds, barium stars in our Galaxy, the composition of Galactic globular clusters including Mg isotopes with a similar metallicity to our models, and to pre-solar grains which may have an origin in metal-poor AGB stars., Comment: 19 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Abundance analyses of the two newly discovered R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars ASAS-RCB-8 and ASAS-RCB-10 were conducted using high-resolution optical spectra and model atmospheres. Their chemical compositions place the pair among the majority class of RCBs. ASAS-RCB-10 is one of the most N-poor majority RCBs with an above average O abundance. Relative to ASAS-RCB-10, ASAS-RCB-8 is H poor by 1.6 dex, O-poor by 0.7 dex but N-rich by 0.8 dex suggesting a higher contamination by CNO-cycled material., Accepted for publication in PASP

Lithium abundance A(Li) and surface rotation are good diagnostic tools to probe the internal mixing and angular momentum transfer in stars. We explore the relation between surface rotation, A(Li) and age in a sample of seismic solar-analogue (SA) stars and study their possible binary nature. We select a sample of 18 SA observed by the NASA Kepler satellite for an in-depth analysis. Their seismic properties and surface rotation are well constrained from previous studies. About 53 hours of high-resolution spectroscopy were obtained to derive fundamental parameters and A(Li). These values were combined and confronted with seismic masses, radii and ages, as well as surface rotation periods. We identify a total of 6 binary systems. A well-defined relation between A(Li) and rotation was obtained. With models constrained by the characterisation of the individual mode frequencies for single stars, we identify a sequence of three SA with similar mass (~1.1Mo) and stellar ages ranging between 1 to 9 Gyr. Within the realistic estimate of ~7% for the mass uncertainty, we find a good agreement between the measured A(Li) and the predicted A(Li) evolution from a grid of models calculated with the Toulouse-Geneva stellar evolution code, which includes rotational internal mixing, calibrated to reproduce solar chemical properties. We present A(Li) for a consistent spectroscopic survey of SA with a mass of 1.00+/-0.15Mo, and characterised through asteroseismology and surface rotation rates based on Kepler observations. The correlation between A(Li) and P_rot supports the gyrochronological concept for stars younger than the Sun. The consensus between measured A(Li) for solar analogues with model grids, calibrated onto the Sun's chemical properties suggests that these targets share the same internal physics. In this light, the solar Li and rotation rate appear to be normal for a star like the Sun., Comment: Accepted for publications in A&A, 11 pages, 6 figures

We have discovered jets in post-AGB binaries. The orbital motion allows us to carry out tomography of the jet as light from the primary star shines through the jet cone. Jets play a major role in many astrophysical environments, from young stellar objects to galaxies. They are also used to study the energetics of accretion phenomena in systems such as red transients and stellar mergers. We use high-resolution, optical, time-series spectra to constrain theories of jet launching, and the impact of jets on the evolution of these post-AGB binaries.

Context. Some RV Tauri stars show a long-term photometric variability in their mean magnitudes. DF Cygni (DF Cyg), the only RV Tauri star in the original Kepler field, and the prototype RV Tauri (RV Tau) are two such stars. Aims. The focus of this paper is on two famous but still poorly understood RV Tauri stars: RV Tau and DF Cyg. We aim to confirm their suspected binary nature and derive their orbital elements to investigate the impact of their orbits on the evolution of these systems. This research is embedded in a wider endeavour to study binary evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars. Methods. The high amplitude pulsations were cleaned from the radial-velocity data to better constrain the orbital motion, allowing us to obtain accurate orbital parameters. We also analysed the photometric time series of both stars using a Lomb-Scargle periodogram. We used Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) parallaxes in combination with the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to compute their luminosities. These luminosities were complemented with the ones we computed using a period-luminosity-colour (PLC) relation for RV Tauri stars. The ratio of the circumstellar infrared (IR) flux to the photospheric flux obtained from the SEDs was used to estimate the orbital inclination of each system. Results. DF Cyg and RV Tau are binaries with spectroscopic orbital periods of 784 ± 16 days and 1198 ± 17 days, respectively. These orbital periods are found to be similar to the long-term periodic variability in the photometry, indicating that binarity indeed explains the long-term photometric variability. The SEDs of these systems indicate the presence of a circumbinary disc. Our line of sight grazes the dusty disc, which causes the photometric flux from the star to extinct periodically with the orbital period. Our derived orbital inclinations enabled us to obtain accurate companion masses for DF Cyg and RV Tau, and these were found to be 0.6 ± 0.1 M⊙ and 0.7 ± 0.1 M⊙ ,respectively. The derived luminosities suggest that RV Tau is a post asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binary, while DF Cyg is likely a post red giant branch (post-RGB) binary. Analysis of the Kepler photometry of DF Cyg revealed a power spectrum with side lobes around the fundamental pulsation frequency. This modulation corresponds to the spectroscopic orbital period and hence to the long-term photometric period. Finally we report on the evidence of high velocity absorption features related to the Hα profile in both objects, indicating outflows launched from around the companion., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

We aim at describing and understanding binary interaction processes in systems with very evolved companions. Here, we focus on understanding the origin and determining the properties of the high-velocity outflow observed in one such system. We present a quantitative analysis of BD+46$^{\circ}$442, a post-AGB binary which shows active mass transfer that leads to the creation of a disk-driven outflow or jet. We obtained high-resolution optical spectra from the HERMES spectrograph, mounted on the 1.2m Flemish Mercator Telescope. By performing a time-series analysis of the Halpha profile, we dissected the different components of the system. We deduced the jet geometry by comparing the orbital phased data with our jet model. In order to image the accretion disk around the companion of BD+46$^{\circ}$442, we applied the technique of Doppler tomography. The orbital phase-dependent variations in the Halpha profile can be related to an accretion disk around the companion, from which a high-velocity outflow or jet is launched. Our model shows that there is a clear correlation between the inclination angle and the jet opening angle. The latitudinally dependent velocity structure of our jet model shows a good correspondence to the data, with outflow velocities at least higher than 400km/s. We show that BD+46$^{\circ}$442, is a result of a binary interaction channel. The origin of the fast outflow in this system can be attributed to a gaseous disk around the secondary component, which is most likely a main sequence star. Our analysis suggests the outflow to have a rather wide opening angle instead of being strongly collimated. Similar orbital phase-dependent Halpha profiles are commonly observed in post-AGB binaries. Post-AGB binaries provide ideal test bets to study jet formation and launching mechanisms over a wide range of orbital conditions., Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

Post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars are known to be chemically diverse. In this paper we present the first observational evidence of a star that has failed the third dredge-up (TDU). J005252.87-722842.9 is a A-type ($T_{\rm eff}$ = 8250 $\pm$ 250K) luminous (8200 $\pm$ 700 $\rm L_{\odot}$), metal-poor ($\textrm{[Fe/H]}$ = $- 1.18 \pm$ 0.10), low-mass (M$_{\rm initial}$ $\approx$ 1.5 $-$ 2.0 $\rm M_{\odot}$) post-AGB star in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Through a systematic abundance study, using high-resolution optical spectra from UVES, we found that this likely post-AGB object shows an intriguing photospheric composition with no confirmed carbon-enhancement (upper limit of [C/Fe] $, Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, 6 tables

We present a mid-IR interferometric survey of the circumstellar environment of a specific class of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) binaries. For this class the presence of a compact dusty disk has been postulated on the basis of various spatially unresolved measurements. Our interferometric survey was performed with the MIDI instrument on the VLTI. In total 19 different systems were observed using variable baseline configurations. Combining all the visibilities at a single wavelength at 10.7 micron, we fitted two parametric models to the data: a uniform disk (UD) and a ring model mimicking a temperature gradient. We compared our observables of the whole sample, with synthetic data computed from a grid of radiative transfer models of passively irradiated disks in hydrostatic equilibrium. These models are computed with a Monte Carlo code that has been widely applied to describe the structure of protoplanetary disks around young stellar objects (YSO). The spatially resolved observations show that the majority of our targets cluster closely together in the distance-independent size-colour diagram, and have extremely compact N-band emission regions. The typical uniform disk diameter of the N-band emission region is about 40 mass which corresponds to a typical brightness temperature of 400-600~K. The resolved objects display very similar characteristics in the interferometric observables and in the spectral energy distributions. Therefore, the physical properties of the disks around our targets must be similar. The grid of protoplanetary disk models covers very well the observed objects. Much like for young stars, the spatially resolved N-band emission region is determined by the hot inner rim of the disk. Continued comparisons between post-AGB and protoplanetary disks will help to understand grain growth and disk evolution processes, 30 pages, 21 figures, in press in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We present the first near-IR milli-arcsecond-scale image of a post-AGB binary that is surrounded by hot circumbinary dust. A very rich interferometric data set in six spectral channels was acquired of IRAS08544-4431 with the new RAPID camera on the PIONIER beam combiner at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). A broadband image in the \textit{H} band was reconstructed by combining the data of all spectral channels using the SPARCO method. We spatially separate all the building blocks of the IRAS08544-4431 system in our milliarcsecond-resolution image. Our dissection reveals a dust sublimation front that is strikingly similar to that expected in early-stage protoplanetary disks, as well as an unexpected flux signal of $\sim$4\% from the secondary star. The energy output from this companion indicates the presence of a compact circum-companion accretion disk, which is likely the origin of the fast outflow detected in H$\alpha$. Our image provides the most detailed view into the heart of a dusty circumstellar disk to date. Our results demonstrate that binary evolution processes and circumstellar disk evolution can be studied in detail in space and over time., Comment: PR @ http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1608/

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The intermediate-age Magellanic Cloud clusters NGC 1978 and NGC 419 are each found to contain substantial numbers of pulsating AGB stars, both oxygen-rich and carbon-rich. Each cluster also contains two pulsating asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars which are infrared sources with a large mass loss rate. Pulsation masses have been derived for the AGB variables, from the lowest luminosity O-rich variables to the most evolved infrared sources. It is found that the stars in NGC 1978 have a mass of 1.55Msun early on the AGB while the NGC 419 stars have a mass of 1.87Msun early on the AGB. These masses are in good agreement with those expected from the cluster ages determined by main-sequence turnoff fitting. Nonlinear pulsation models fitted to the highly evolved AGB stars show that a substantial amount of mass loss has occurred during the AGB evolution of these stars. An examination of the observed mass loss on the AGB, and the AGB tip luminosities, shows that in both clusters the mass loss rates computed from the formula of Vassiliadis & Wood (1993) reproduce the observations reasonably well. The mass loss rates computed from the formula of Blocker (1995) terminate the AGB in both clusters at a luminosity which is much too low.

Hundreds of candidate hybrid pulsators of intermediate type A-F were revealed by the recent space missions. Hybrid pulsators allow to study the full stellar interiors, where p- and g-modes are simultaneously excited. The true hybrid stars must be identified since other processes, due to stellar multiplicity or rotation, might explain the presence of (some) low frequencies observed in their periodograms. We measured the radial velocities of 50 candidate Delta Sct - Gamma Dor hybrid stars from the Kepler mission with the Hermes/Ace spectrographs over a span of months to years. We aim to derive the fraction of binary and multiple systems and to provide an independent and homogeneous determination of the atmospheric properties and vsini for all targets. The objective is to identify the physical cause of the low frequencies. We computed 1-D cross-correlation functions (CCFs) in order to find the best parameters in terms of the number of components, spectral type and vsini for each target. Radial velocities were measured from spectrum synthesis and by using a 2-D cross-correlation technique in the case of double- and triple-lined systems. Fundamental parameters were determined by fitting (composite) synthetic spectra to the normalised median spectra corrected for the appropriate Doppler shifts. We report on the analysis of 478 high-resolution Hermes and 41 Ace spectra of A/F-type candidate hybrid pulsators from the Kepler field. We determined their radial velocities, projected rotational velocities, atmospheric properties and classified our targets based on the shape of the CCFs and the temporal behaviour of the radial velocities. We derived orbital solutions for seven new systems. Three long-period preliminary orbital solutions are confirmed by a photometric time-delay analysis. Finally, we determined a global multiplicity fraction of 27% in our sample of candidate hybrid stars., Comment: 21 pages (45 pages including the appendices), 36 figures, 18 tables, 3 appendices. Accepted for publication in A&A

This article is based on the work carried out by the authors as part of the project "Digitization of Physics Experiments with the help of data logger". A computer based measurement requires the conversion of real world analog signal to digital format and transfer of digitized data into the computer. The objective of this project is to interface a physics experiment to the computer thereby increasing the efficiency an accuracy of the experiment. The experiment selected was the "Analysis of Elemental Spectra using Constant Deviation Spectrograph". The experimental setup was modified ad made suitable to the computer for automatic data acquisition and analysis.

This paper is part of a larger project in which we systematically study the chemical abundances of Galactic and extragalactic post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars. Lead (Pb) is the final product of the s-process nucleosynthesis and is predicted to have large overabundances with respect to other s-process elements in AGB stars of low metallicities. However, Pb abundance studies of enriched post-AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds show the Pb overabundance is not observed. We used high-resolution UVES and HERMES spectra for detailed spectral abundance studies of our sample of 14 Galactic post-AGB stars. We do not find any clear evidence of Pb overabundances in our sample. Stars with T(eff) > 7500 K do not provide strong constraints on the Pb abundance. We conclude that the discrepancy between theory and observation increases towards lower metallicities. All objects, except IRAS 17279-1119, confirm the relation between neutron exposure [hs/ls] and third dredge-up efficiency [s/Fe], whereas no relation between metallicity and neutron exposure is detected within the metallicity range of our total sample (-1.4 < [Fe/H] < -0.2). The mild enrichment of IRAS 17279-1119 can probably be attributed to a cut-off of the AGB evolution due to binary interactions. To our knowledge, IRAS 17279-1119 is the first s-process enhanced Galactic post-AGB star known in a binary system and is a possible precursor of the extrinsic Ba dwarf stars. Lead-rich stars have yet to be found in post-AGB stars. extrinsic Ba dwarf stars. Lead-rich stars are yet to be found in post-AGB stars., 26 pages, 40 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, main journal

Quasi--stellar objects (quasars) located behind nearby galaxies provide an excellent absolute reference system for astrometric studies, but they are difficult to identify because of fore- and background contamination. Deep wide--field, high angular resolution surveys spanning the entire area of nearby galaxies are needed to obtain a complete census of such quasars. We embarked on a program to expand the quasar reference system behind the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds, the Magellanic Bridge, and the Magellanic Stream, connecting the Clouds with the Milky Way. Hundreds of quasar candidates were selected based on their near--infrared colors and variability properties from the ongoing public ESO VISTA Magellanic Clouds survey. A subset of 49 objects was followed up with optical spectroscopy. We confirmed the quasar nature of 37 objects (34 new identifications), four are low redshift objects, three are probably stars, and the remaining three lack prominent spectral features for a secure classification; bona fide quasars, judging from their broad absorption lines are located, as follows: 10 behind the LMC, 13 behind the SMC, and 14 behind the Bridge. The quasars span a redshift range from z~0.5 to z~4.1. Upon completion the VMC survey is expected to yield a total of ~1500 quasars with Y, A&A, accepted; 11 pages, 7 figures

Context: This paper is part of a larger project in which we study the chemical abundances of extra-galactic post-AGB stars with the ultimate goal of improving our knowledge of the poorly understood AGB third dredge-up mixing processes and s-process nucleosynthesis. Aims: In this paper, we study two carefully selected post-AGB stars in the LMC. The combination of favourable atmospheric parameters for detailed abundance studies and their known distances make these objects ideal probes of the internal AGB third dredge-up and s-process nucleosynthesis in that they provide observational constraints for theoretical AGB models. Methods: We use high-resolution optical UVES spectra to determine accurate stellar parameters and perform detailed elemental abundance studies. Additionally, we use available photometric data to construct SEDs for reddening and luminosity determinations. We then estimate initial masses from theoretical post-AGB tracks. Results: Both stars show extreme s-process enrichment associated with relatively low C/O ratios of about 1.3. We could only derive upper limits of the lead (Pb) abundance which indicate no strong Pb overabundances with respect to other s-elements. Comparison with theoretical post-AGB evolutionary tracks in the HR-diagram reveals that both stars have low initial masses between 1.0 and 1.5 Msun. Conclusion: This study adds to the results obtained so far on a very limited number of s-process enriched post-AGB stars in the Magellanic Clouds. We find an increasing discrepancy between observed and predicted Pb abundances towards lower metallicities for all studied Magellanic Cloud post-AGB stars found so far, as well as moderate C/O ratios. We find that all s-process rich post-AGB stars in the LMC and SMC studied so far, cluster in the same region of the HR-diagram and are associated with low-mass stars with a low metallicity on average., Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures

In the last decade great strides have been made in understanding the role of binary stars in the evolution and shaping of planetary nebulæ (PNe). Observational efforts have mainly focused on finding close binaries with orbital periods of 1 day or less. Those close binary systems make up around 1 in 5 PNe, and constitute the youngest accessible window into the aftermath of the critical and unobserved common-envelope (CE) phase of binary-star evolution. The poster focused on our recent work with the High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) on the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) to search for long-period binaries in PNe. Considerably less is known about such long-period binaries with orbital periods of weeks to years, but they may be fundamental to improving CE population synthesis models and for determining the total binary fraction of PNe. The queue-mode operation of SALT and the excellent sensitivity and stability of HRS (which is enclosed in a vacuum tank) are ideally suited to detecting binaries with low radial-velocity amplitudes over the expected timescales of weeks to years. Many exciting new discoveries about binaries have already been made in this newly-accessible southern horizon in time-domain astronomy thanks to the many unique advantages of SALT.

We have carried out a search for optically visible post-AGB candidates in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We used mid-IR observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope to select optically visible candidates with a mid-IR excess. We obtained low-resolution optical spectra for 801 candidates. After removing contaminants and poor quality spectra, the final sample comprised of 63 post-AGB/RGB candidates of A - F spectral type. Using the spectra, we estimated the stellar parameters: effective temperature, surface gravity and [Fe/H]. We also estimated the reddening and deduced the luminosity using the stellar parameters combined with photometry. Based on a luminosity criterion, 42 of these 63 sources were classified as post-RGB candidates and the remaining as post-AGB candidates. From the spectral energy distributions we found that 6 of the 63 post-AGB/RGB candidates have a circumstellar shell suggesting that they are single stars, while 27 of them have a surrounding disc, suggesting that they are binaries. For the remaining candidates the nature of the circumstellar environment was unclear. Variability is displayed by 38 post-AGB/RGB candidates with common variability types being the Population II Cepheids (including RV-Tauri stars) and semi-regular variables. This study has also revealed a new s-process enriched RV Tauri star (J005107.19-734133.3). From the numbers of post-AGB/RGB stars in the SMC, we were able to estimate evolutionary rates that are in good agreement with the stellar evolution models with mass loss in the post-AGB phase and re-accretion in the post-RGB phase. This study also resulted in a new sample of 40 luminous young stellar objects (YSOs) of A - F spectral type. Additionally, we also identified a group of 63 objects whose spectra are dominated by emission lines and in some cases, a UV continuum. These objects are likely to be either hot post-AGB/RGBs or luminous YSOs., 67 pages, 26 figures, 20 tables, 3 appendices + online supporting information on CDS

Context. Our understanding of the s-process nucleosynthesis in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars is incomplete. AGB models predict, for example, large overabundances of lead (Pb) compared to other s-process elements in metal-poor low-mass AGB stars. This is indeed observed in some extrinsically enhanced metal-poor stars, but not in all. An extensive study of intrinsically s-process enriched objects is essential for improving our knowledge of the AGB third dredge-up and associated s-process nucleosynthesis. Aims. We compare the spectral abundance analysis of the SMC post-AGB star J004441.04-732136.4 with state-of-the-art AGB model predictions with a main focus on Pb. The low signal-to-noise (S/N) in the Pb line region made the result of our previous study inconclusive. We acquired additional data covering the region of the strongest Pb line. Methods. By carefully complementing re-reduced previous data, with newly acquired UVES optical spectra, we improve the S/N of the spectrum around the strongest Pb line. Therefore, an upper limit for the Pb abundance is estimated from a merged weighted mean spectrum using synthetic spectral modeling. We then compare the abundance results from the combined spectra to predictions of tailored AGB evolutionary models from two independent evolution codes. In addition, we determine upper limits for Pb abundances for three previously studied LMC post-AGB objects. Results. Although theoretical predictions for J004441.04-732136.4 match the s-process distribution up to tungsten (W), the predicted very high Pb abundance is clearly not detected. The three additional LMC post-AGB stars show a similar lack of a very high Pb abundance. Conclusions. From our study, we conclude that none of these low-mass, low-metallicity post-AGB stars of the LMC and SMC are strong Pb producers. This conflicts with current theoretical predictions. © 2014 ESO., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published