Related papers: Do Hydrogen-deficient Carbon Stars have Winds?
After 16 years of radial-velocity observations of a sample of 22 R-type carbon stars, no evidence for binary motion has been detected in any of them. This is surprising considering that approximately 20% of normal late-type giants are…
We are investigating the formation and evolution of dust around the hydrogen-deficient supergiants known as R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars. We aim to determine the connection between the probable merger past of these stars and their current…
Optical and near-IR photometry suggests that the carbon star DY Persei exhibits fadings similar to those of R Coronae Borealis (RCB) variables. Photometric surveys of the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds uncovered new DY Per variables with…
There are only about 65 R Coronae Borealis stars known in our Galaxy, and none in globular clusters. As these stars are thought to result from the merger of two white dwarfs, one would expect the higher stellar density of globular clusters…
The present paper focuses on the evolution of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs with the aim of exploring the consequences of different initial envelope structures on the carbon abundances expected in helium-rich, carbon-contaminated DQ white…
The globular cluster X-ray source CXO J033831.8-352604 in NGC 1399 has recently been found to show strong emission lines of [O III] and [N II] in its optical spectrum in addition to ultraluminous X-ray emission with a soft X-ray spectrum.…
A set of high-resolution optical spectra of RCrB acquired before, during, and after its 1995-1996 decline is discussed. All of the components reported from earlier declines are seen. This novel dataset provides new information on these…
Spitzer/IRS spectra from 5 to 37 um for a complete sample of 31 R Coronae Borealis stars (RCBs) are presented. These spectra are combined with optical and near-infrared photometry of each RCB at maximum light to compile a spectral energy…
We present Spitzer IRS spectra of four carbon stars located in the Galactic Halo and the thick disc. The spectra display typical features of carbon stars with SiC dust emission and C$_2$H$_2$ molecular absorption. Dust radiative transfer…
We report the discovery of a new class of hydrogen-deficient stars: white dwarfs with an atmosphere primarily composed of carbon, with little or no trace of hydrogen or helium. Our analysis shows that the atmospheric parameters found for…
We calculate multicomponent stellar wind models with inclusion of a helium component applicable to He-rich and He-poor stars. We show that helium does not decouple from the stellar wind of He-rich stars due to its coupling to hydrogen and…
The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are cool supergiants that display irregular and deep dips in their light curves, caused by dust formation. There are four known hot RCB stars (DY Cen, MV Sgr, V348 Sgr, and HV 2671), with surface…
A leading formation scenario for R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars invokes the merger of degenerate He and CO white dwarfs (WD) in a binary. The observed ratio of 16O/18O for RCB stars is in the range of 0.3-20 much smaller than the solar…
We present a new theoretical estimate for the birthrate of R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars that is in agreement with recent observational data. We find the current Galactic birthrate of RCB stars to be $\approx$ 25% of the Galactic rate of…
Atomic carbon has been detected in the envelopes of three carbon-rich evolved stars: HD 44179 (=AFGL 915, the `Red Rectangle'); HD 56126; and, tentatively, the carbon star V Hya. This brings to seven the number of evolved star envelopes in…
The rotating magnetic B stars have oblique dipolar magnetic fields and often anomalous helium and metallic compositions. These stars develop co-rotating torus-shaped clouds by channelling winds from their magnetic poles to an anchored…
R Coronae Borealis stars (RCBs) are rare, hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich supergiant variable stars that are likely the evolved merger products of pairs of CO and He white dwarfs. Only 55 RCB stars are known in our galaxy and their…
Helium is a pivotal element in understanding multiple main sequences and extended horizontal branches observed in some globular clusters. Here we present a spectroscopic study of helium in the nearby globular cluster M4. We have obtained…
The star R Corona Borealis (R CrB) shows forbidden lines of [O II], [N II], and [S II] during the deep minimum when the star is fainter by about 8 to 9 magnitudes from normal brightness, suggesting the presence of nebular material around…
Most inhomogeneities in the chemical composition of GC stars are due to primordial enrichment. The model today most credited is that the winds lost by high mass Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars, evolving during the first $\simlt$200Myr…