Related papers: On the most metal-poor PN and its binary central s…

New measurements of neutron-capture elements are presented for two very metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] ~ -3). One (LP 625-44) has an s-process signature believed to be due to mass transfer from a now-extinct metal-poor AGB companion, and the…

We report discovery of a bright, nearby ($G = 13.8;\,\,d = 480\,\rm pc$) Sun-like star orbiting a dark object. We identified the system as a black hole candidate via its astrometric orbital solution from the Gaia mission. Radial velocities…

We use photoionization modeling to assess the binary nature of the central stars of NGC 2392 and NGC 6026. If they are close binaries, they are potential Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitors if the total mass exceeds the Chandrasekhar…

In this work we present a study of binary systems in a metal-poor sample of solar type stars. The stars analyzed were rejected from two planet search samples because they were found to be binaries. Using available radial velocity and…

In this work, we study the chemical compositions and kinematic properties of six metal-poor stars with [Fe/H] $< -2.5$ in the Galactic halo. From high-resolution (R $\sim$~110,000) spectroscopic observations obtained with the Lick/APF, we…

We report on the detection of the two shortest period non-interacting white dwarf binary systems. These systems, SDSS J143633.29+501026.8 and SDSS J105353.89+520031.0, were identified by searching for radial velocity variations in the…

We investigate the evolution of a binary system which initially has an orbital period of 2^h 17^m and contains a 0.5 M_sun helium star with a white dwarf companion of 0.97 M_sun, similarly to suggested SN Ia candidate progenitor KPD…

We present the metallicities and carbon abundances of four newly discovered metal-poor stars with $ -2.2 <$ [Fe/H] $< -1.6$ in the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy. These stars were selected as metal-poor member candidates using a…

We discuss the serendipitous discovery of an extremely metal poor galaxy, SDSS 0809+1729, classified as a star in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). The galaxy has a redshift z = 0.0441 and a B-band absolute magnitude M_B = -17.1. With a…

PG1544+488 is an exceptional short-period spectroscopic binary containing two subdwarf B stars. It is also exceptional because the surfaces of both components are extremely helium-rich. We present a new analysis of spectroscopy of…

White dwarfs represent the last stage of evolution of stars with mass less than about eight times that of the Sun and, like other stars, are often found in binaries. If the orbital period of the binary is short enough, energy losses from…

Most millisecond pulsars with low-mass companions are in systems with either helium-core white dwarfs or non-degenerate ("black widow" or "redback") stars. A candidate counterpart to PSR J1816+4510 was identified by Kaplan et al. (2012)…

Close binarity can play a significant role in the shaping of planetary nebulae (PNe) as the system evolves through the common-envelope phase. We present the detection of two of the shortest orbital periods among PN binary central stars.…

We present lightcurves of four binary subdwarf B stars, Ton 245, Feige 11, PG1432+159 and PG1017-086. We also present new spectroscopic data for PG1017-086 from which we derive its orbital period, P=0.073d, and the mass function, f_m =…

Pulsars in close, eccentric binary systems are usually assumed to have another neutron star as a companion. These double neutron star binaries have proven to be the best laboratories for experimental General Relativity and are the most…

White dwarfs are the burnt out cores of Sun-like stars and are the final fate of 97% of all stars in our Galaxy. The internal structure and composition of white dwarfs are hidden by their high gravities, which causes all elements, apart…

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…

LAMOST J235456.73+335625 (J2354) is a binary system hosting a $\sim 0.7~\rm M_\odot$ K dwarf and a $\sim 1.4~\rm M_\odot$ dark companion, supposedly a neutron star, in a 0.48d orbit. Here we present high- and low-resolution spectroscopy to…

Extremely low mass white dwarfs are very rare objects likely formed in compact binary systems. We present MMT optical spectroscopy of 42 low mass white dwarf candidates serendipitously discovered in a survey for hypervelocity B-type stars.…

PSR J1738+0333 is one of the four millisecond pulsars known to be orbited by a white dwarf companion bright enough for optical spectroscopy. Of these, it has the shortest orbital period, making it especially interesting for a range of…