Related papers: Understanding post-red giant branch binaries throu…
About half of the mass of all heavy elements with mass number A > 90 is formed through the slow neutron capture process (s-process), occurring in evolved asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars with masses ~1-6 $\rm{M_{\odot}}$. The s-process…
Early type galaxies (ETGs) frequently show emission from warm ionized gas. These Low Ionization Emission Regions (LIERs) were originally attributed to a central, low-luminosity active galactic nuclei. However, the recent discovery of…
Stable mass transfer from a massive post-main sequence (post-MS) donor is thought to be a short-lived event of thermal-timescale mass transfer which strips the donor star of nearly its entire H-rich envelope, producing a hot helium star.…
Previous studies have shown that many post-AGB stars with dusty disks are associated with single-lined binary stars. To verify the binarity hypothesis on a larger sample, we started a high-resolution spectral monitoring of about 40 field…
We present a high resolution detailed abundance analysis for a sample of six post-AGB candidate stars, five of them had not been studied spectroscopically in the optical region. All the analyzed objects are IRAS sources identified as…
We report the detection of sixteen binary systems from the Anglo-Australian Planet Search. Solutions to the radial velocity data indicate that the stars have companions orbiting with a wide range of masses, eccentricities and periods. Three…
Context. Ultracompact X-ray binaries (UCXBs) typically consist of a white dwarf donor and a neutron star or black hole accretor. The evolution of UCXBs and very low mass ratio binaries in general is poorly understood. Aims. We investigate…
Massive binary evolution models are needed to predict massive star populations in star forming galaxies, the supernova diversity, and the number and properties of gravitational wave sources. Such models are often computed using so called…
Mass transfer between stars in binary systems profoundly impacts their evolution, yet many aspects of this process (especially the stability, mass loss, and eventual fate of such systems) remain poorly understood. One promising avenue to…
We present new optical broad-band (UBVRI) aperture polarimetric observations of 53 post-asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars selected to exhibit a large near-infrared excess. 24 out of the 53 stars (45% of our sample) are presented for the…
Fourteen stars from a sample of Magellanic Cloud objects selected to have a mid-infrared flux excess have been found to also show TiO bands in emission. The mid-infrared dust emission and the TiO band emission indicate that these stars have…
Barium (Ba) stars help to verify asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star nucleosynthesis models since they experienced pollution from an AGB binary companion and thus their spectra carry the signatures of the slow neutron capture process (s…
In the late stage of their evolution, low- to intermediate-mass stars pass through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase, characterised by strong mass loss through dust driven winds. High angular resolution observations reveal that these…
The vast majority of massive binary systems in the universe is evidently unsuited to produce merging binary black holes. However, several narrow evolutionary paths of isolated massive binaries towards this goal have recently been…
Recent observations have revealed a population of $\alpha$-element abundances enhanced giant stars with unexpected high masses ($\gtrsim$1 $M_\odot$) from asteroseismic analysis and spectroscopy. Assuming single-star evolution, their masses…
A small but growing class of binaries containing hot ($T_{\rm eff}\sim10^5\rm~K$) white dwarfs (WDs) and rapidly rotating, apparently subgiant companions -- including the prototype, Abell 35 -- show companions that are too large and…
Binary systems in the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phase are widely recognized as a leading theoretical framework underpinning the observed asymmetric morphologies of planetary nebulae. However, the detection of binary companions in AGB…
Stellar population synthesis (SPS) models are a key ingredient of many galaxy evolution studies. Unfortunately, the models are still poorly calibrated for certain stellar evolution stages. Of particular concern is the treatment of the…
Common-envelope phases are decisive for the evolution of many binary systems. Of particular interest are cases with asymptotic giant branch (AGB) primary stars, because they are thought to be progenitors of various astrophysical transients.…
Mounting evidence from subdwarf B (sdB) stars in the galactic field and their recently discovered counterparts in old open clusters indicates that at least two thirds of local disk sdB stars are binaries. Our recent radial velocity survey…