Related papers: A barium-rich binary central star in Abell 70

I list the 16 planetary nebulae (PNe) known to contain close-binary nuclei, and show that the nebulae generally have axisymmetric structures, including elliptical, bipolar, or ring morphologies. The orbital periods range from 2.7 hr to 16…

Only a handful of binary central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) are known today, due to the difficulty of detecting their companions. Preliminary results from radial velocity surveys, however, seem to indicate that binarity plays a…

We report on our search for spectroscopic binaries among a sample of AGB stars. Observations were carried out in the framework of the monitoring of radial velocities of (candidate) binary stars performed at the Mercator 1.2m telescope,…

We report an identification of the lithium resonance doublet LiI 6708A in the spectrum of V407 Cyg, a symbiotic Mira with a pulsation period of about 745 days. The resolution of the spectra used was R~18500 and the measured equivalent width…

Using the NIFS near-infrared integral-field spectrograph behind the facility adaptive optics module, ALTAIR, on Gemini North, we have identified several massive O-type stars that are responsible for the ionization of the Galactic…

We report observations of the planetary nebula nucleus Abell 43, obtained at the 2.5m Nordic Optical Telescope, which shows that it is a pulsator. Abell 43, a "hybrid-PG 1159" type star, is the second pulsator of this class, after HS…

The Kepler Observatory offers unprecedented photometric precision (<1 mmag) and cadence for monitoring the central stars of planetary nebulae, allowing the detection of tiny periodic light curve variations, a possible signature of binarity.…

We present 2 to 2.4 micron integral field spectroscopy of a sample of hot post-AGB stars with early-B spectral types, using the NIFS instrument on Gemini North. These stars are just beginning to ionize their immediate environments and turn…

We present an analysis of the binary central star of the planetary nebula NGC 2346 based on archival data from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), and new low- and high-resolution optical spectra (3700 - 7300{\AA}). By including…

This research forms part of an investigation into heavy element abundances in Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars in various stellar environments. Seven giant stars in the southern globular cluster 47 Tuc have been observed using the…

We present new optical spectra of the nearby, bright, planetary nebula NGC 6778. The nebula has been known to emit strong recombination lines for more than 40 years but this is the first detailed study of its abundances. Heavy element…

A long-term spectroscopic and photometric survey of the most luminous and massive stars in the vicinity of the super-massive black hole Sgr A* revealed two new binaries; a long-period Ofpe/WN9 binary, GCIRS 16NE, with a modest eccentricity…

About 25% of all post-AGB stars are hydrogen-deficient, e.g. the PG1159 stars with a typical abundance pattern He:C:O = 33:50:17 (by mass). Only four of about 40 known PG1159 stars exhibit H in their spectra. The exciting star of the…

We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell~41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of…

[Abridged] Barium stars are moderately rare, chemically peculiar objects, which are believed to be the result of the pollution of an otherwise normal star by material from an evolved companion on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). We aim to…

We present high-dispersion spectroscopic data of the compact planetary nebula Vy 1-2, where high expansion velocities up to 100 km/s are found in the Ha, [N II] and [O III] emission lines. HST images reveal a bipolar structure. Vy 1-2…

We present a fully self-consistent, line-by-line differential abundance analysis of $\alpha$ Cen AB based on high-quality HARPS data. Various line lists are used and analysis strategies implemented to improve the reliability of the results.…

We have obtained deep optical spectrophotometry of 16 planetary nebulae in M33, mostly located in the central two kpc of the galaxy, with the Subaru and Keck telescopes. We have derived electron temperatures and chemical abundances from the…

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…

We present integral field unit (IFU) spectroscopy and self-consistent photoionisation modelling for a sample of four southern Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) with supposed weak emission-line (WEL) central stars. The Wide Field Spectrograph…