Related papers: M33's Variable A -- A Hypergiant Star More Than 35…
We present the results of a spectral variability study of two very luminous stars in the M33 galaxy -- LBV V532 and late WN star (possibly, dormant LBV) FSZ35. We studied spectral variability of V532, derived its atmosphere parameters and…
The study of transiently accreting neutron stars provides a powerful means to elucidate the properties of neutron star crusts. We present extensive numerical simulations of the evolution of the neutron star in the transient low-mass X-ray…
Giant eruptions (GE) in Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are years to decades-long episodes of enhanced mass loss from the outer layers of the star during which the star undergoes major changes in its physical and observed properties. We use…
A Chandra X-ray imaging observation of the jet in Pictor A showed a feature that appears to be a flare that faded between 2000 and 2002. The feature was not detected in a follow-up observation in 2009. The jet itself is over 150 kpc long…
MCA-1B (also called UIT003) is a luminous hot star in the western outskirts of M33, classified over 20yr ago with a spectral type of Ofpe/WN9 and identified then as a candidate luminous blue variable (LBV). Palomar Transient Factory data…
We have monitored over a ten-year interval the light variations of five evolved stars with very large mid-infrared excesses. All five objects appear to have oxygen-rich or mixed oxygen-rich and carbon-rich chemistries. They all vary in…
We examined the VSNET light curve of the ER UMa-type star V1159 Ori. We detected a large variation of the supercycle (the interval between successive superoutbursts) between extremes of 44.6 and 53.3 d. The outburst activity was also found…
Most massive stars end their lives as Red Supergiants (RSGs), a short-lived evolution phase when they are known to pulsate with varying amplitudes. The RSG period-luminosity (PL) relation has been measured in the Milky Way, the Magellanic…
Atmospheric escape has been detected from the exoplanet HD 209458b through transit observations of the hydrogen Lyman-alpha line. Here we present spectrally resolved Lyman-alpha transit observations of the exoplanet HD 189733b at two…
We propose the Wind of Fast Rotating Massive Stars scenario to explain the origin of the abundance anomalies observed in globular clusters. We compute and present models of fast rotating stars with initial masses between 20 and 120 Msun for…
Young A-type stars in the pre--main-sequence (PMS) evolutionary phase are particularly interesting objects since they cover the mass range (1.5-4 solar ma sses) which is most sensitive to the internal conditions inherited during the…
Magnetic fields on hot stars can produce a variety of interesting effects on the velocity, density, and temperature structure in the winds from the stars. The fields can produce a longitudinal dependence of the mass flux, which would lead…
We present spectroscopy of the ejecta of SN 1987A in 2017 and 2018 from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope, covering the wavelength range between $1150$ and $10000$ {\AA}. At 31 years, this is the first epoch with…
(abridged) In the hunt for rare time-domain events, confusing exotic extragalactic phenomena with more common Galactic foreground events is an important consideration. We show how observations from multiple wavebands, in this case optical…
P Cygni is a prototype for understanding mass loss from massive stars. This textbook star is known first of all because of two great eruptions in the 17th century. In the first half of this century it has given its name to a class of stars…
We study the Galactic bulge planetary nebula M 2-29 (for which a 3-year eclipse event of the central star has been attributed to a dust disk) using HST imaging and VLT spectroscopy, both long-slit and integral field. The central cavity of M…
SRC variables are M supergiants, precursors to Type II supernovae, that vary in brightness with moderately regular periods of order 100-1000 days. Although identified as pulsating stars that obey their own period-luminosity relation, few…
Some studies have claimed a universal stellar upper-mass limit of 150 Msun. A factor that is often overlooked is that there might be a difference between the current and initial masses of the most massive stars, as a result of mass loss. We…
Our understanding of massive star evolution is in flux, due to recent upheavals in our view of mass loss, and observations of a high binary fraction among O-type stars. Mass-loss rates for standard metallicity-dependent winds of hot stars…
We have observed bursting variability of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser of G33.641-0.228. Five bursts were detected in the observation period of 294 days from 2009 to 2012. The typical burst is a large flux density rise in about one day…