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The chemical analysis of secondary stars of low mass X-ray binaries provides an opportunity to study the formation processes of compact objects, either black holes or neutron stars. Following the discovery of overabundances of…

We surveyed 20 AGB stars of different chemical types using the APEX telescope, and combined this with an IRAM 30 m and APEX survey of CS and SiS emission towards over 30 S-type stars. For those stars with detections, we performed radiative…

A number of late [WC] stars have unique infrared properties, not found among the non-[WC] planetary nebulae, and together define a class of IR-[WC] stars. They have unusual IRAS colours, resembling stars in the earliest post-AGB evolution…

The planetary nebulae He 2-436 and Wray 16-423 in the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy appear to result from nearly twin stars, except that third-dredge-up carbon is more abundant in He 2-436. A thorough photoionization-model analysis implies that…

High-resolution optical spectroscopy was conducted for the metal-poor post-AGB star CC Lyr to determine its chemical abundances and spectral line profiles. Our standard abundance analysis confirms its extremely low metallicity ([Fe/H]<-3.5)…

The R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are rare hydrogen-deficient, carbon-rich, supergiants, best known for their spectacular declines in brightness at irregular intervals. Efforts to discover more RCB stars have more than doubled the number…

We test the capabilities of 0.4 m telescopes equipped with an \'{e}chelle spectrograph to derive fundamental parameters and elemental abundances of four late-B type stars: HR 342, HR 769, HR 1284, and HR 8705. The medium resolution…

FUSE spectroscopy has proved that extremely hot hydrogen-deficient post-AGB stars (PG1159 stars) display matter on their surface that usually remains hidden in the region between the H- and He-burning shells of the former AGB star. Hence,…

We derived the properties of V605 Aql before the final helium flash pulse by studying its surrounding PN A58. Photoionizing models of our spectral data together with a new distance estimate and a closer look at the recombination timescales…

Weak G-band (wGb) stars are very peculiar red giants almost devoided of carbon and often mildly enriched in lithium. Despite their very puzzling abundance patterns, very few detailed spectroscopic studies existed up to a few years ago,…

The evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae can proceed in several distinct ways, either leading to H-deficiency or to H-normal surface composition. Several new simulations of the evolution channels that lead to H-deficiency are now…

The method and results of the computation of the model atmospheres and spectral energy distributions of chemically peculiar stars, are discussed. The models are computed with a special consideration of the particular problems encountered…

The central star of the planetary nebula (PN) HuBi\,1 has been recently proposed to have experienced a very late thermal pulse (VLTP), but the dilution of the emission of the recent ejecta by that of the surrounding H-rich old outer shell…

An abundance analysis based on a high-resolution spectrum is presented for a newly discovered post-AGB star in the globular cluster M79. The surprising result is that the iron abundance of the star is apparently about 0.6 dex less than that…

This study calls attention to the importance of properly coupling the molecular opacities to the actual surface abundances of TP-AGB stars that experience the third dredge-up and/or hot-bottom burning, i.e. with surface abundances of carbon…

A new type of peculiarity -- a splitting or asymmetry of strong absorption lines, is found in the optical spectra of selected post-AGB stars with C-rich circumstellar envelopes. The effect is maximal in BaII lines whose profile is split…

S stars are late-type giants that are transition objects between M-type stars and carbon stars on the asymptotic giant branch (AGB). They are classified into two types: intrinsic or extrinsic, based on the presence or absence of technetium…

A set of high-resolution optical spectra of RCrB acquired before, during, and after its 1995-1996 decline is discussed. All of the components reported from earlier declines are seen. This novel dataset provides new information on these…

We present evidence for globular cluster stellar debris in a dwarf galaxy system (Sagittarius: Sgr) based on an analysis of high-resolution \textit{H}-band spectra from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE)…

We measure chemical abundance ratios and radial velocities in four massive (i.e., young) [alpha/Fe]-rich red giant stars using high-resolution high-S/N spectra from ESPaDOnS fed by Gemini-GRACES. Our differential analysis ensures that our…