Related papers: The Be Star HD 215227: A Candidate Gamma-ray Binar…
We present the first long-term study of the optical counterpart to the X-ray pulsar LS V +44 17/RX J0440.9+4431. The results of our photometric and spectroscopic analysis show that LS V +44 17/RX J0440.9+4431 contains a moderately reddened,…
In the past, SDSS J160429.12+100002.2 was spectroscopically classified as a blue horizontal branch (BHB) star. Assuming a luminosity that is characteristic of BHB stars, the object's radial velocity and proper motions from Gaia Early Data…
Prompted by peculiar spectroscopic variability observed in SDSS/APOGEE $H$-band spectra, we monitored the Be star HD 55606 using optical spectroscopy and found that it is an exotic double-lined spectroscopic binary (SB2) consisting of a Be…
The emission-line binary ALS 8814 was recently proposed as a Be star + black hole (BH) binary based on large-amplitude radial velocity (RV) variations of a Be star and non-detection of spectroscopic features from a luminous companion. We…
Young stars observed in the distant Galactic halo are usually thought to have formed elsewhere, either in the Galactic disk or perhaps the Galactic center, and subsequently ejected at high velocities to their current position. However, some…
Gamma-ray binaries consist of a neutron star or a black hole interacting with a normal star to produce gamma-ray emission that dominates the radiative output of the system. Only a handful of such systems have been previously discovered, all…
HESS J0632+057 is an unidentified gamma-ray source located in the Monoceros region, probably associated with the massive Be star MWC 148. H.E.S.S. and VERITAS observations in the very high energy (VHE) range combined with Swift X-ray data…
We revisit various sets of published results from X-ray and optical studies of the Galactic black hole (BH) candidate MAXI J0637-430, which went into outburst in 2019. Combining the previously reported values of peak outburst luminosity,…
We present Gemini spectroscopy for 21 candidate optical counterparts to X-ray sources discovered in the Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS). For the majority of the 21 sources, the optical spectroscopy establishes that they are indeed the likely…
We identified a new post-interaction binary, HIP 15429, consisting of a stripped star and a recently formed, rapidly rotating Be star companion ($v \sin i \approx 270$ km/s) sharing many similarities with recently identified bloated…
We present a study of the star 2MASS J22472238+5801214 with the aim of identifying its true nature which has hitherto been uncertain. This object, which is a member of the young cluster NGC 7380, has been variously proposed to be a Be star,…
We report on new radial velocity measurements of massive stars that are either suspected binaries or lacking prior observations. This is part of a survey to identify and characterize spectroscopic binaries among O-type stars with the goal…
The aim of this work is to characterize the counterpart to the INTEGRAL High Mass X-ray Binary candidate IGR J19294+1816 so as to establish its true nature. We obtained H band spectra of the selected counterpart acquired with the NICS…
The near-Earth (within $\sim 100$ pc) supernova explosions in the past several million years can cause the global deposition of radioactive elements (e.g., $^{60}$Fe) on Earth. The remnants of such supernovae are too old to be easily…
The production of runaway massive binaries offers key insights into the evolution of close binary stars and open clusters. The stars HD 14633 and HD 15137 are rare examples of such runaway systems, and in this work we investigate the…
On May 5 2022, a type Ic supernova (SN) explosion SN~2022jli was discovered. This SN showed additional optical emissions, which were found to exhibit 12.4-day periodic undulations and concordant periodic velocity shifts. These key features…
HD 199143 and HD 358623 (BD-17 6128) are two sets of binary stars which are physically associated and 48 pc from Earth. We present heliocentric radial velocities and high lithium abundances which establish these stars as members of the 12…
We report time-series photometry for 16 variable stars located in the central part of the globular cluster NGC 6752. The sample includes 13 newly identified objects. The precision of our differential photometry ranges from 1 mmag at V=14.0…
The variable gamma-ray source HESS J0632+057 is an excellent candidate for a gamma-ray binary. The putative binary system was discovered as a point-like VHE gamma-ray source by HESS. Later measurements by VERITAS yielding no detection,…
RX J0123.4-7321 is a well-established Be star X-ray binary system (BeXRB) in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Like many such systems the variable X-ray emission is driven by the underlying behaviour of the mass donor Be star. Previous work…