We present a Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopic study of a sample of 25 planetary nebulae in the Magellanic Clouds. The low-resolution modules are used to analyze the dust features present in the infrared spectra. This study complements a previous work by the same authors where the same sample was analyzed in terms of neon and sulfur abundances. Over half of the objects (14) show emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, typical of carbon-rich dust environments. We compare the hydrocarbon emission in our objects to those of Galactic HII regions and planetary nebulae, and LMC/SMC HII regions. Amorphous silicates are seen in just two objects, enforcing the now well-known-fact that oxygen-rich dust is less common at low metallicities. Besides these common features, some planetary nebulae show very unusual dust. Nine objects show a strong silicon carbide feature at 11um and twelve of them show magnesium sulfide emission starting at 25um. The high percentage of spectra with silicon carbide in the Magellanic Clouds is not common. Two objects show a broad band which may be attributed to hydrogenated amorphous carbon and weak low-excitation atomic lines. It is likely that these nebulae are very young. The spectra of the remaining eight nebulae are dominated by the emission of fine-structure lines with a weak continuum due to thermal emission of dust, although in a few cases the S/N in the spectra is low, and weak dust features may not have been detected.
We present here preliminary results of an analysis of the iron abundance in the ionized gas of three planetary nebulae and one H II region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). These results are compared with the ones we obtain for a sample of Galactic and extragalactic nebulae. We find that the amounts of iron depletion into dust grains in LMC nebulae are similar to those found in Galactic nebulae. Objects with lower metallicities show lower depletions, but a larger sample of objects is needed to explore the reasons behind this trend.
We present four new planetary nebulae (PNe) discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) from deep UK Schmidt telescope (UKST) narrow band H-alpha and broad-band short-red "SR" continuum images and confirmed spectroscopically. All new PNe show strong [NII]/H-alpha ratios in their spectra. We describe and detail the process of PN candidate selection based on wide-field multi-wavelength imaging of the SMC and our subsequent spectroscopic confirmation and classification. We carefully reviewed archived information and available imagery for previous SMC PN detections and various other types of em…
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) contains the nearest large extragalactic population of planetary nebulae (PNe). A shallow viewing angle and low interstellar reddening towards the LMC potentially means a larger, more complete flux-limited population can be assembled than for any other galaxy. These advantages appear to be reflected by the small gap between the catalogued ($\sim$700 PNe) and estimated ($1000\pm250$ PNe) population size. With more detailed multi-wavelength studies the catalogued number of LMC PNe may fall, potentially widening this gap. We demonstrate here that the gap can be fu…
We analyse the planetary nebulae (PNe) population of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based on evolutionary models of stars with metallicities in the range $10^{-3} \leq Z \leq 4\times 10^{-3}$ and mass $0.9 M\odot < M < 8M\odot$, evolved through the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. The models used account for dust formation in the circumstellar envelope. To characterise the PNe sample of the SMC, we compare the observed abundances of the various species with the final chemical composition of the AGB models: this study allows us to identify the progenitors of the PNe observed, in terms of…
We have investigated the light variability in a sample of 22 carbon-rich post-AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), based primarily on photometric data from the OGLE survey. All are found to vary. Dominant periods are found in eight of them; these periods range from 49 to 157 days, and most of these stars have F spectral types. These eight are found to be similar to the Milky Way Galaxy (MWG) carbon-rich proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs) in several ways: (a) they are in the same period range of ~38 to ~160 days, (b) they have similar spectral types, (c) t…
We present six new planetary nebulae (PNe) discovered in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) from deep UK Schmidt telescope (UKST) narrow band Halpha and broad-band short-red "SR" continuum images and confirmed spectroscopically. These 6 preliminary discoveries provide a 6% increase to the previously known SMC PN population of ~100. Once spectroscopic follow-up of all our newly identified candidates is complete, we expect to increase the total number of known SMC PNe by up to 50%. This will permit a significant improvement to determination of the SMC PN luminosity function (PNLF) and enable furth…
The multi-epoch YJKs sub-arcsecond photometry of the VMC survey provides a long anticipated deep near-infrared (NIR) window into further understanding the stellar populations of the Magellanic Clouds. The first year of observations consisted of six tiles covering ~9% of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) survey region and contains 102 objects previously classified as planetary nebulae (PNe). A large proportion of the sample were found to be contaminated by non-PNe. These initial results underline the importance of establishing a clean catalogue of LMC PNe before they are applied in areas such as…
The Magellanic Clouds are close enough to the Milky Way to provide an excellent environment in which to study extragalactic PNe. Most of these PNe are bright enough to be spectroscopically observed and spatially resolved. With the latest high resolution detectors on today's large telescopes it is even possible to directly observe a large number of central stars. Magellanic Cloud (MC) PNe provide several astrophysical benefits including low overall extinction and a good sample size covering a large range of dynamic evolutionary timescales while the known distances provide a direct estimation of…
We present ten new radio continuum (RC) detections at catalogued planetary nebula (PN) positions in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC): SMPS6, LIN 41, LIN 142, SMP S13, SMP S14, SMP S16, J18, SMP S18, SMP S19 and SMP S22. Additionally, six SMC radio PNe previously detected, LIN 45, SMP S11, SMPS17, LIN321, LIN339 and SMPS24 are also investigated (re-observed) here making up a population of 16 radio detections of catalogued PNe in the SMC. These 16 radio detections represent ~15 % of the total catalogued PN population in the SMC. We show that six of these objects have characteristics that suggest…
We present multiwavelength broadband photometry and V, I time resolved photometry for two variable bright stars in the SMC, OGLE004336.91-732637.7 (SMC-SC3) and OGLE004633.76-731204.3 (SMC-SC4). The light curves span 12 years and show long-term periodicities (SMC-SC3) and modulated eclipses (SMC-SC4) that are discussed in terms of wide-orbit intermediate mass interacting binaries and associated envelopes. SMC-SC3 shows a primary period of 238.1 days along with a complicated waveform suggesting ellipsoidal variablity influenced by an eccentric orbit. This star also shows a secondary variability…
We present an analysis of elemental abundances of He, N, O, Ne, S, and Ar in Magellanic Cloud planetary nebulae (PNe), and focus initially on 14 PNe in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We derived the abundances from a combination of deep, high dispersion optical spectra, as well as mid-infrared (IR) spectra from the Spitzer Space Telescope. A detailed comparison with prior SMC PN studies shows that significant variations among authors of relative emission line flux determinations lead to systematic discrepancies in derived elemental abundances between studies that are >~0.15 dex, in spite of …
Our previous identification and spectroscopic confirmation of 431 faint, new planetary nebulae in the central 25 deg^2 region of the LMC permits us to now examine the shape of the LMC Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF) through an unprecedented 10 magnitude range. The majority of our newly discovered and previously known PNe were observed using the 2dF, multi-object fibre spectroscopy system on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope and the FLAMES multi-object spectrograph on the 8-m VLT. We present reliable [OIII]5007 and H-beta flux estimates based on calibrations to well established P…
We perform near ultraviolet ACS prism spectroscopy of 11 Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) planetary nebulae (PNe) with the main aim of deriving the abundance of carbon. The analysis of the ACS spectra provide reliable atomic carbon abundances for all but a couple of our targets; ionic C^(2+) abundances are calculated for all target PNe. With the present paper we more than double the number of SMC PNe with known carbon abundances, providing a good database to study the elemental evolution in low- and intermediate-mass stars at low metallicity. We study carbon abundances of Magellanic Cloud PNe in t…
We present near-infrared spectra of ten planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC), acquired with the FIRE and GNIRS spectrometers on the 6.5-m Baade and 8.1-m Gemini South Telescopes, respectively. We detect Se and/or Kr emission lines in eight of these objects, the first detections of n-capture elements in Magellanic Cloud PNe. Our abundance analysis shows large s-process enrichments of Kr (0.6-1.3 dex) in the six PNe in which it was detected, and Se is enriched by 0.5-0.9 dex in five objects. We also estimate upper limits to Rb and Cd abundances in these …
Supersoft X-rays sources (SSSs) have been proposed as potential Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitors. If such objects are indeed persistently X-ray luminous and embedded in sufficiently dense ISM, they will be surrounded by extended nebular emission. These nebulae should persist even long after a SN Ia explosion, due to the long recombination and cooling times involved. With this in mind, we searched for nebular [O III] emission around four SSSs and three SNRs in the Large Magellanic Cloud, using the 6.5m Baade telescope at Las Campanas Observatory and the IMACS camera. We confirm that, out o…
This paper examines, compares and plots optical, near- and mid-infrared (MIR) photometric data for 605 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With the aid of multi-wavelength surveys such as the Spitzer legacy programme Surveying the Agents of a Galaxy's Evolution, the Two Micron All Sky Survey and the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey, plots have been constructed to expose the relative contributions from molecular hydrogen, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, forbidden emission lines, warm dust continuum and stellar emission at various bands. Besides identifying trends, …
During an X-ray survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud, carried out with the XMM-Newton satellite, we detected significant soft X-ray emission from the central star of the high-excitation planetary nebula SMP SMC 22. Its very soft spectrum is well fit with a non local thermodynamical equilibrium model atmosphere composed of H, He, C, N, and O, with abundances equal to those inferred from studies of its nebular lines. The derived effective temperature of 1.5x10^5 K is in good agreement with that found from the optical/UV data. The unabsorbed flux in the 0.1-0.5 keV range is about 3x10^{-11} erg c…
Planetary nebulae (PN) are an excellent laboratory to investigate the nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution of intermediate mass stars. In these objects accurate abundances can be obtained for several chemical elements that are manufactured or contaminated by the PN progenitor stars, such as He, N, C, and also elements that were originally produced by more massive stars of previous generations, namely O, Ne, Ar, and S. Some of these elements are difficult to study in stars, so that PN can be used in order to complement results obtained from stellar data. In the past few years, we have obtaine…
Having completed my search for faint PNe in the LMC, including the outer 64 deg2 area not covered in the original UKST survey, I now have the most complete number of PNe within any galaxy with which to assess stellar parameters. I present preliminary estimates for planetary nebula central star temperatures for 688 LMC PNe using the excitation class parameter derived from emission lines in the nebula. These are then compared to a photoionisation model in order to evaluate the contribution of metallicity when determining stellar temperatures using only emission lines. I include measurements from…
We present ten new Spitzer detections of fullerenes in Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebulae, including the first extragalactic detections of the C70 molecule. These new fullerene detections together with the most recent laboratory data permit us to report an accurate determination of the C60 and C70 abundances in space. Also, we report evidence for the possible detection of planar C24 in some of our fullerene sources, as indicated by the detection of very unusual emission features coincident with the strongest transitions of this molecule at ~6.6, 9.8, and 20 um. The infrared spectra display a c…
We used a new generation of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stellar models that include dust formation in the stellar winds to find the links between evolutionary models and the observed properties of a homogeneous sample of Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) planetary nebulae (PNe). Comparison between the evolutionary yields of elements such as CNO and the corresponding observed chemical abundances is a powerful tool to shed light on evolutionary processes such as hot bottom burning (HBB) and third dredge-up (TDU). We found that the occurrence of HBB is needed to interpret the nitrogen-enriched (log(…
Surveys of Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) have yielded a fairly complete catalog of 154 known stars. We have conducted a comprehensive, multiwavelength study of the interstellar/circumstellar environments of WR stars, using the Magellanic Cloud Emission Line Survey (MCELS) images in the H$α$, [O III], and [S II] lines; Spitzer Space Telescope 8 and 24 $μ$m images; Blanco 4m Telescope H$α$ CCD images; and Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) + Parkes Telescope H I data cube of the LMC. We have also examined whether the WR stars are in OB associations, classified …
We obtained new spectra of fourteen Magellanic Cloud planetary nebulae with the South African Large Telescope to determine heating rates of their central stars and to verify evolutionary models of post-asymptotic giant branch stars. We compared new spectra with observations made in previous years. Five planetary nebulae showed an increase in excitation over time. Four of their central stars exhibit [WC] features in their spectra, including three new detections. This raises the total number of [WC] central stars of PNe in the Magellanic Clouds to ten. We compared determined heating rates of the…
The three main methods currently in use for estimating the excitation class of planetary nebulae (PNe) central stars are compared and evaluated using 586 newly discovered and previously known PNe in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). In order to achieve this we ran a series of evaluation tests using line ratios derived from de-reddened, flux calibrated spectra. Pronounced differences between the methods are exposed. Diagrams were created by comparing excitation classes with H-beta line fluxes. The best methods are then compared to published temperatures using the Zanstra method and assessed for…
The VISTA Magellanic Cloud (VMC) survey is assembling a deep, multi-epoch atlas of YJKs photometry across the Magellanic Clouds. Prior to the VMC survey only the brightest Magellanic Cloud PNe (MCPNe) were accessible at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. It is now possible for the first time to assemble the NIR properties of MCPNe and to identify contaminating non-PNe mimics which are best revealed at NIR wavelengths (e.g. HII regions and symbiotic stars). To maintain the unique scientific niche that MCPNe occupy these contaminants must be removed. Here we conduct a VMC-led, multi-wavelength stu…
Data on multimode Cepheids from OGLE-III catalog of the LMC Cepheids are confronted with results from model calculations. Models whose radial mode periods are consistent with observation are not always in agreement with published evolutionary models. Nonradial mode interpretation is considered for the cases of unusual period ratios. The greatest challenge for stellar pulsation theory is explanation of double-mode pulsators with period ratios near 0.6.
The nebulae associated to four Luminous Blue Variables (LBVs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) have been observed at 5.5 and 9 GHz using the Australia Telescope Compact Array, and radio emission has been detected for first time in these sources, R127, R143, S61 and S119. The radio maps of the nebulae have an angular resolution of \sim 1.5" and a sensitivity of 1.5-3.0\times10-2 mJy beam-1, and show a very similar morphology to that observed in Hα. This similarity permit us to assume that the Hα emission is not affected by strong intrinsic extinction due to dust within the nebulae. We estima…
The s-process at Subsolar Metallicity: Insights from High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebulae
University of West Georgia（佐治亚西部大学）；Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin（德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校天文学系）；Los Alamos National Laboratory（洛斯阿拉莫斯国家实验室）；Konkoly Observatory, HUN-REN Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences（孔科利天文台，匈牙利研究网络地球与天文学研究中心）；ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Physics and Astronomy（罗兰大学物理与天文学研究所）；School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University（蒙纳士大学物理与天文学院）；Department of Physics, University of Naples Federico II（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学物理系）；INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico d’Abruzzo（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿布鲁佐天文台）
Large fullerenes and fullerene-based molecules have been proposed as carriers of diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). The recent detection of the most common fullerenes (C60 and C70) around some planetary nebulae (PNe) now enable us to study the DIBs towards fullerene-rich space environments. We search DIBs in the optical spectra towards three fullerene-containing PNe (Tc 1, M 1-20, and IC 418). Special attention is given to DIBs which are found to be unusually intense towards these fullerene sources. In particular, an unusually strong 4428A absorption feature is a common charateristic of fuller…
Extra-galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) permit the study of dust and molecules in metallicity environments other than the Galaxy. Their known distances lower the number of free parameters in the observations vs. models comparison, providing strong constraints on the gas-phase and solid-state astrochemistry models. Observations of PNe in the Galaxy and other Local Group galaxies such as the Magellanic Clouds (MC) provide evidence that metallicity affects the production of dust as well as the formation of complex organic molecules and inorganic solid-state compounds in their circumstellar envelop…
We have performed integral field spectroscopy of the planetary nebulae Hen 3-1333 (PNG332.9-09.9) and Hen 2-113 (PNG321.0+03.9), which are unusual in exhibiting dual-dust chemistry and multipolar lobes but also ionized by late-type [WC 10] central stars. The spatially resolved velocity distributions of the H$α$ emission line were used to determine their primary orientations. The integrated H$α$ emission profiles indicate that Hen 3-1333 and Hen 2-113 expand with velocities of ~ 32 and 23 km/s, respectively. The Hubble Space Telescope observations suggest that these planetary nebulae have two p…
Nebular spectroscopy is a valuable tool for assessing the production of heavy elements by slow neutron(n)-capture nucleosynthesis (the s-process). Several transitions of n-capture elements have been identified in planetary nebulae (PNe) in the last few years, with the aid of sensitive high-resolution near-infrared spectrometers. Combined with optical spectroscopy, the newly discovered near-infrared lines enable more accurate abundance determinations than previously possible, and provide access to elements that had not previously been studied in PNe or their progenitors. Neutron-capture element…
We have recently confirmed the planetary nebula (PN)nature of PM1-242, PM1-318 and PM1-322. Here we present high-resolution long-slit spectra of these three PNe in order to analyze their internal kinematics and to investigate their physical structure. PM1-242 is a tilted ring and not an elliptical PN as suggested by direct images. The object is probably related to ring-like PNe and shows an unusual point-symmetric brightness distribution in the ring. PM1-318 is a pole-on elliptical PN, instead of a circular one as suggested by direct images. PM1-322 is spatially unresolved and its spectrum sho…
The Magellanic clouds are uniquely placed to study the stellar contribution to dust emission. Individual stars can be resolved in these systems even in the mid-infrared, and they are close enough to allow detection of infrared excess caused by dust.We have searched the Spitzer Space Telescope data archive for all Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) staring-mode observations of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and found that 209 Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) point sources within the footprint of the Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SAGE-SMC) Spitzer Legacy programm…
X-ray emitting diffuse nebulae around hot stars are observed to have soft-band temperatures in the narrow range [1-3]$\times10^{6}$ K, independent of the stellar wind parameters and the evolutionary stage of the central star. We discuss the origin of this X-ray temperature for planetary nebulae (PNe), Wolf-Rayet nebulae (WR) and interstellar wind bubbles around hot young stars in our Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. We calculate the differential emission measure (DEM) distributions as a function of temperature from previously published simulations and combine these with the X-ray emission coe…
Thorne-Zytkow objects (TZOs) are a theoretical class of star in which a compact neutron star is surrounded by a large, diffuse envelope. Supergiant TZOs are predicted to be almost identical in appearance to red supergiants (RSGs). The best features that can be used at present to distinguish TZOs from the general RSG population are the unusually strong heavy-element and Li lines present in their spectra, products of the star's fully convective envelope linking the photosphere with the extraordinarily hot burning region in the vicinity of the neutron star core. Here we present our discovery of a…
Red supergiants (RSGs) are a He-burning phase in the evolution of moderately massive stars (10-25 solar masses). For many years, the assumed physical properties of these stars placed them at odds with the predictions of evolutionary theory. We have recently determined new effective temperatures and luminosities for the RSG populations of galaxies with a factor of ~8 range in metallicity, including the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and M31. We find that these new physical properties greatly improve the agreement between the RSGs and the evolutionary tracks, although there are still notable …
Stars with unusual properties can provide a wealth of information about rare stages of stellar evolution and exotic physics. However, determining the true nature of peculiar stars is often difficult. In this work, we conduct a systematic search for cool and luminous stars in the Magellanic Clouds with extreme variability, motivated by the properties of the unusual SMC star and Thorne-Żytkow Object (TŻO) candidate HV2112. Using light curves from ASAS-SN we identify 38 stars with surface temperatures T $<$ 4800K, luminosities $\log$(L/L$_\odot$) $>$ 4.3, variability periods $>$ 400 days, and var…
The total number of true, likely and possible planetary nebulae (PN) now known in the Milky Way is about 3000, approximately twice the number known a decade ago. The new discoveries are a legacy of the recent availability of wide-field, narrowband imaging surveys, primarily in the light of H-alpha. The two most important are the AAO/UKST SuperCOSMOS H-alpha survey - SHS and the Isaac Newton photometric H-alpha survey - IPHAS, which are responsible for most of the new discoveries. A serious problem with previous PN catalogues is that several different kinds of astrophysical objects are able to …
The actual value of the oxygen abundance of the metal-poor planetary nebula PN G135.9+55.9 has frequently been debated in the literature. We wanted to clarify the situation by making an improved abundance determination based on a study that includes both new accurate observations and new models. We made observations using the method of integral field spectroscopy with the PMAS instrument, and also used ultraviolet observations that were measured with HST-STIS. In our interpretation of the reduced and calibrated spectrum we used for the first time, recent radiation hydrodynamic models, which we…
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 light: four over a small range of $\sim$0.2 mag and the fifth over a larger range of $\sim$0.7 mag. Spectral types range from G2 to B0. Periodic pulsations are found for the first time in the three cooler ones, IRAS 18075$-$0924 (123 days), 19207$+$2023 (96 days), and 20136$+$1309 (142 days). No significant periodicity is found in the hotter ones, but they appea…
Detections of C60 and C70 fullerenes in planetary nebulae (PNe) of the Magellanic Clouds and of our own Galaxy have raised the idea that other forms of carbon such as hydrogenated fullerenes (fulleranes like C60H36 and C60H18), buckyonions, and carbon nanotubes, may be widespread in the Universe. Here we present VLT/ISAAC spectra (R ~600) in the 2.9-4.1 microns spectral region for the Galactic PNe Tc 1 and M 1-20, which have been used to search for fullerene-based molecules in their fullerene-rich circumstellar environments. We report the non-detection of the most intense infrared bands of sev…
Number of known symbiotic stars (SySt) is still significantly lower than their predicted population. One of the main problems in finding complete population of SySt is the fact that their spectrum can be confused with other objects, such as planetary nebulae (PNe) or dense H II regions. The problem is reinforced by a fact that in significant fraction of established SySt the emission lines used to distinguish them from other objects are not present. We aim at finding new diagnostic diagrams that could help separate SySt from PNe. Additionally, we examine known sample of extragalactic PNe for ca…
Using observations from the {\em Herschel} Inventory of The Agents of Galaxy Evolution (HERITAGE) survey of the Magellanic Clouds, we have found thirty five evolved stars and stellar end products that are bright in the far-infrared. These twenty eight (LMC) and seven (SMC) sources were selected from the 529 evolved star candidates in the HERITAGE far-infrared point source catalogs. Our source identification method is based on spectral confirmation, spectral energy distribution characteristics, careful examination of the multiwavelength images and includes constraints on the luminosity, resulti…
Massive O-type stars play a dominant role in our Universe, but many of their properties remain poorly constrained. In the last decade magnetic fields have been detected in all Galactic members of the distinctive Of?p class, opening the door to a better knowledge of all O-type stars. With the aim of extending the study of magnetic massive stars to nearby galaxies, to better understand the role of metallicity in the formation of their magnetic fields and magnetospheres, and to broaden our knowledge of the role of magnetic fields in massive star evolution, we have carried out spectropolarimetry o…
We present the final results of an imaging and spectroscopic search for stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) with C II 7231, 7236 emission lines. The goal is to identify and study [WC11] stars, the coolest of the low-mass Wolf-Rayet sequence, and a subset of central stars of planetary nebulae where the C II lines are known to be especially prominent. A recent serendipitous discovery of an LMC [WC11] raised the possibility that these objects, although difficult to identify, might in fact be more common than previously believed. Several new members of this rare class have been found in this…
We present ten years of new photometric monitoring of the light variability of five evolved stars with strong mid-infrared emission from surrounding dust. Three are known carbon-rich proto-planetary nebulae (PPNe) with F$-$G spectral types; the nature of the other two was previously unknown. For the three PPNe, we determine or refine the pulsation periods of IRAS 04296+3429 (71 days), 06530$-$0213 (80 days), and 23304+6147 (84 days). A secondary period was found for each, with a period ratio P$_2$/P$_1$ of 0.9. The light variations are small, 0.1-0.2 mag. These are similar to values found in o…
To study the evolution of binary star clusters we have imaged 7 systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud with SOAR 4-m telescope using B and V filters. The sample contains pairs with well-separated components (d < 30 pc) as well as systems that apparently merged, as evidenced by their unusual structures. By employing isochrone fittings to their CMDs we have determined reddening, age and metallicity and by fitting King models to their radial stellar density profile we have estimated core radius. Disturbances of the density profile are interpreted as an evidence of interaction. Circunstances as dis…
Hydrogen depleted environments are considered an essential requirement for the formation of fullerenes. The recent detection of C60 and C70 fullerenes in what was interpreted as the hydrogen-poor inner region of a post-final helium shell flash Planetary Nebula (PN) seemed to confirm this picture. Here, we present evidence that challenges the current paradigm regarding fullerene formation, showing that it can take place in circumstellar environments containing hydrogen. We report the simultaneous detection of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and fullerenes towards C-rich and H-containing…
We surveyed a sample of compact Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST/STIS) to determine their gas-phase carbon abundances. Carbon abundances in PNe constrain the nature of their asymptotic giant branch (AGB) progenitors, as well as cosmic recycling. We measured carbon abundances, or limits thereof, of 11 compact Galactic PNe, notably increasing the sample of Galactic PNe whose carbon abundance based on HST ultraviolet spectra is available. Dust content of most targets has been studied elsewhere from Spitzer spectrosco…
The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the {\em Spitzer Space Telescope} observed nearly 800 point sources in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), taking over 1,000 spectra. 197 of these targets were observed as part of the Sage-Spec Spitzer Legacy program; the remainder are from a variety of different calibration, guaranteed time and open time projects. We classify these point sources into types according to their infrared spectral features, continuum and spectral energy distribution shape, bolometric luminosity, cluster membership, and variability information, using a decision-tree classification m…
Planetary nebulae (PNe) provide tests of stellar evolution, can serve as tracers of chemical evolution in the Milky Way and other galaxies, and are also used as a calibrator of the cosmological distance ladder. Current and upcoming large scale photometric surveys have the potential to complete the census of PNe in our galaxy and beyond, but it is a challenge to disambiguate partially or fully unresolved PNe from the myriad other sources observed in these surveys. Here we carry out synthetic observations of nebular models to determine $ugrizy$ color-color spaces that can successfully identify P…
We search for runaway stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) by computing the space velocities of the visually brightest stars in the LMC that are included in the Gaia TGAS proper motion catalog. We compare with predictions from stellar dynamical models to obtain (peculiar) velocities relative to their local stellar environment. Two of the 31 stars have unusually high proper motions. Of the remaining 29 stars we find that most objects in this sample have velocities in very good agreement with model predictions of a circularly rotating disk model. Indeed the excellent fit to the model implie…
We have obtained multi-wavelength observations of compact Galactic planetary nebulae (PNe) to probe post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) evolution from the onset of nebular ejection. We analyze new observations from HST to derive the masses and evolutionary status of their central stars (CSs) in order to better understand the relationship between the CS properties and those of the surrounding nebulae. We also compare this sample with others we obtained using the same technique in different metallicity environments: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. We work with HST/WFC3 images of 51 targets…
We present high-resolution (R~15000) VLT/UVES optical spectra of two planetary nebulae (PNe; Tc 1 and M 1-20) where C60 (and C70) fullerenes have already been found. These spectra are of high-quality (S/N > 300) for PN Tc 1, which permits us to search for the expected electronic transitions of neutral C60 and diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). Surprisingly, we report the non-detection of the most intense optical bands of C60 in Tc 1, although this could be explained by the low C60 column density estimated from the C60 infrared bands if the C60 emission peaks far away from the central star. The…
