Search

[Aims] The final aim of this paper is to expand the sparse group of X-ray binaries with gamma-ray counterparts as laboratories to study high-energy processes under physical conditions that periodically repeat. [Methods] A follow-up of a candidate system has been carried out. We applied both photometric and spectroscopic techniques in the optical domain together with a period analysis using the phase dispersion minimisation and CLEAN methods. A tentative period search was also conducted in the gamma-ray domain. [Results] Our main result is having established the binary nature of the optical star and X-ray emitter HD 3191 towards the Fermi gamma-ray source 4FGL J0035.8+6131, the last one proposed to be associated with a blazar of an unknown type. An orbital period close to 16 d is reported for HD 3191 together with a likely rotation, or pulsation, period of about 0.6 d. Although no convincing evidence for the orbital cycle has been found in the Fermi light curve up to now, the confirmed presence of a high-mass X-ray binary towards 4FGL J0035.8+6131 now strengthens the need for caution about its true nature.

We present a catalogue of point-like H{\alpha}-excess sources in the Northern Galactic Plane. Our catalogue is created using a new technique that leverages astrometric and photomeric information from Gaia to select H{\alpha}-bright outliers in the INT Photometric H{\alpha} Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS), across the colour-absolute magnitude diagram. To mitigate the selection biases due to stellar population mixing and to extinction, the investigated objects are first partitioned with respect to their positions in the Gaia colour-absolute magnitude space, and in the Galactic coordinates space, respectively. The selection is then performed on both partition types independently. Two significance parameters are assigned to each target, one for each partition type. These represent a quantitative degree of confidence that the given source is a reliable H{\alpha}-excess candidate, with reference to the other objects in the corresponding partition. Our catalogue provides two flags for each source, both indicating the significance level of the H{\alpha}-excess. By analysing their intensity in the H{\alpha} narrow band, 28,496 objects out of 7,474,835 are identified as H{\alpha}-excess candidates with a significance higher than 3. The completeness fraction of the H{\alpha} outliers selection is between 3% and 5%. The suggested 5{\sigma} conservative cut yields a purity fraction of 81.9%., Comment: 20 pages, 23 figures

Context. In its evolution, the MWC 656 binary system, consisting of a Be star and a black hole, has gone through the common envelope stage. The O and B stars of the early spectral subclasses can be characterised by lower rotational velocities and increased binary frequency. The B star in the MWC 656 system may have undergone rapid rotation during the common envelope stage. Aims. We study the change in the B star’s state of rotation due to an increase in its angular momentum during the common envelope stage and immediately afterwards. Methods. We performed one-dimensional numerical calculations of angular momentum transport in the interior of a slightly evolved star on the main sequence with a mass of 16 M⊙. Meridional circulation and shear turbulence are taken into account. Results. Due to the arrival of angular momentum through the star’s surface, the velocity of the meridional circulation increases by more than six orders of magnitude. Meridional circulation is the main mechanism for the transport of angular momentum into the star’s deep interior. The acquired angular momentum enters the convective core during the common envelope stage if the angular velocity of the accreted matter exceeds half the Kepler value. Conclusions. The star acquires a rotation typical of classical Be stars if the angular velocity of accreted matter rotation is close to the maximum possible value during the common envelope stage (∼80% of the Kepler value).

The intermediate-mass pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars are key to understanding the differences in formation mechanisms between low- and high-mass stars. The study of the general properties of these objects is hampered by the fact that few and mostly serendipitously discovered sources are known. Our goal is to identify new Herbig Ae/Be candidates to create a homogeneous and well defined catalogue of these objects. We have applied machine learning techniques to 4,150,983 sources with data from Gaia DR2, 2MASS, WISE, and IPHAS or VPHAS+. Several observables were chosen to identify new Herbig Ae/Be candidates based on our current knowledge of this class, which is characterised by infrared excesses, photometric variabilities, and H$\alpha$ emission lines. Classical techniques are not efficient for identifying new Herbig Ae/Be stars mainly because of their similarity with classical Be stars, with which they share many characteristics. By focusing on disentangling these two types of objects, our algorithm has also identified new classical Be stars. We have obtained a large catalogue of 8470 new pre-main sequence candidates and another catalogue of 693 new classical Be candidates with a completeness of $78.8\pm1.4\%$ and $85.5\pm1.2\%$, respectively. Of the catalogue of pre-main sequence candidates, at least 1361 sources are potentially new Herbig Ae/Be candidates according to their position in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. In this study we present the methodology used, evaluate the quality of the catalogues, and perform an analysis of their flaws and biases. For this assessment, we make use of observables that have not been accounted for by the algorithm and hence are selection-independent, such as coordinates and parallax based distances. The catalogue of new Herbig Ae/Be stars that we present here increases the number of known objects of the class by an order of magnitude., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Received 14 February 2020 / Accepted 27 April 2020 (18 pages, 9 figures)

Be X-ray binaries (BeXRBs) consist of rapidly rotating Be stars with neutron star (NS) companions accreting from the circumstellar emission disc. We compare the observed population of BeXRBs in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) with simulated populations of BeXRB-like systems produced with the compas population synthesis code. We focus on the apparently higher minimal mass of Be stars in BeXRBs than in the Be population at large. Assuming that BeXRBs experienced only dynamically stable mass transfer, their mass distribution suggests that at least $\sim 30{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the mass donated by the progenitor of the NS is typically accreted by the B-star companion. We expect these results to affect predictions for the population of double compact object mergers. A convolution of the simulated BeXRB population with the star formation history of the SMC shows that the excess of BeXRBs is most likely explained by this galaxy’s burst of star formation ∼20–40 Myr ago.

HR 6819 was recently proposed to be a triple system consisting of an inner B-type giant + black hole binary with an orbital period of 40d and an outer Be tertiary. This interpretation is mainly based on two inferences: that the emission attributed to the outer Be star is stationary, and that the inner star, which is used as mass calibrator for the black hole, is a B-type giant. We re-investigate the properties of HR 6819 by spectral disentangling and an atmosphere analysis of the disentangled spectra to search for a possibly simpler alternative explanation for HR 6819. Disentangling implies that the Be component is not a static tertiary, but rather a component of the binary in the 40-d orbit. The inferred radial velocity amplitudes imply an extreme mass ratio of M_2/M_1 = 15 +/- 3. We infer spectroscopic masses of 0.4$^{+0.3}_{-0.1}$ Msun and 6$^{+5}_{-3}$ Msun for the primary and secondary, which agree well with the dynamical masses for an inclination of i = 32 deg. This indicates that the primary might be a stripped star rather than a B-type giant. Evolutionary modelling suggests that a possible progenitor system would be a tight (P_i ~ 2d) B+B binary system that experienced conservative mass transfer. While the observed nitrogen enrichment of the primary conforms with the predictions of the evolutionary models, we find no indications for the predicted He enrichment. We suggest that HR 6819 is a binary system consisting of a stripped B-type primary and a rapidly-rotating Be star that formed from a previous mass-transfer event. In the framework of this interpretation, HR 6819 does not contain a black hole. Interferometry can distinguish between these two scenarios by providing an independent measurement of the separation between the visible components., Comment: Submitted to A&A, 13 pages (16 figures and 2 tables); 4 pages supplementary material (4 figures and 4 tables). Comments are welcome

$\gamma$ Cas stars are a $\sim$1% minority among classical Be stars with hard but only moderately strong continuous thermal X-ray flux and mostly very early-B spectral type. The X-ray flux has been suggested to originate from matter accelerated via magnetic disk-star interaction, by a rapidly rotating neutron star (NS) companion via the propeller effect, or by accretion onto a white dwarf (WD) companion. In view of the growing number of identified $\gamma$ Cas stars and the only imperfect matches between these suggestions and the observations, alternative models should be pursued. Two of the three best-observed $\gamma$ Cas stars, $\gamma$ Cas itself and $\pi$ Aqr, have a low-mass companion with low optical flux; interferometry of BZ Cru is inconclusive. Binary-evolution models are examined for their ability to produce such systems. The OB+He-star stage of post-mass transfer binaries, which is otherwise observationally unaccounted, can potentially reproduce many observed properties of $\gamma$ Cas stars. The interaction of the fast wind of helium stars with the disk and/or with the wind of Be stars may give rise to the production of hard X-rays. While not modelling this process, it is shown that the energy budget is favourable, and that the wind velocities may lead to hard X-rays as observed in $\gamma$ Cas stars. Furthermore, their observed number appears to be consistent with the evolutionary models. Within the Be+He-star binary model, the Be stars in $\gamma$ Cas stars are conventional classical Be stars. They are encompassed by O-star+Wolf-Rayet systems towards higher mass, where no stable Be decretion disks exist, and by Be+sdO systems at lower mass where the sdO winds may be too weak to cause the $\gamma$ Cas phenomenon. In decreasing order of the helium-star mass, the descendants could be Be+black-hole, Be+NS or Be+WD binaries., Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press, Abstract abridged

The enigmatic X-ray emission from the bright optical star, $\gamma$ Cassiopeia, is a long-standing problem. $\gamma$ Cas is known to be a binary system consisting of a Be-type star and a low-mass ($M\sim 1\,M_\odot$) companion of unknown nature orbiting in the Be-disk plane. Here we apply the quasi-spherical accretion theory onto a compact magnetized star and show that if the low-mass companion of $\gamma$ Cas is a fast spinning neutron star, the key observational signatures of $\gamma$ Cas are remarkably well reproduced. Direct accretion onto this fast rotating neutron star is impeded by the propeller mechanism. In this case, around the neutron star magnetosphere a hot shell is formed that emits thermal X-rays in qualitative and quantitative agreement with observed properties of the X-ray emission from $\gamma$ Cas. We suggest that $\gamma$ Cas and its analogs constitute a new subclass of Be-type X-ray binaries hosting rapidly rotating neutron stars formed in supernova explosions with small kicks. The subsequent evolutionary stage of $\gamma$ Cas and its analogs should be the X Per-type binaries comprising low-luminosity slowly rotating X-ray pulsars. The model explains the enigmatic X-ray emission from $\gamma$ Cas, and also establishes evolutionary connections between various types of rotating magnetized neutron stars in Be-binaries., Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in MNRAS

A majority of massive stars are part of binary systems, a large fraction of which will inevitably interact during their lives. Binary-interaction products (BiPs), i.e. stars affected by such interaction, are expected to be commonly present in stellar populations. BiPs are thus a crucial ingredient in the understanding of stellar evolution. We aim to identify and characterize a statistically significant sample of BiPs by studying clusters of 10-40 Myr, an age at which binary population models predict the abundance of BiPs to be highest. One example of such a cluster is NGC 330 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Using MUSE WFM-AO observations of NGC 330, we resolve the dense cluster core for the first time and are able to extract spectra of its entire massive star population. We develop an automated spectral classification scheme based on the equivalent widths of spectral lines in the red part of the spectrum. We characterize the massive star content of the core of NGC 330 which contains more than 200 B stars, 2 O stars, 6 A-type supergiants and 11 red supergiants. We find a lower limit on the Be star fraction of $32 \pm 3\%$ in the whole sample. It increases to at least $46 \pm 10\%$ when only considering stars brighter than V=17 mag. We estimate an age of the cluster core between 35 and 40 Myr and a total cluster mass of $88^{+17}_{-18} \times 10^3 M_{\odot}$. We find that the population in the cluster core is different than the population in the outskirts: while the stellar content in the core appears to be older than the stars in the outskirts, the Be star fraction and the observed binary fraction are significantly higher. Furthermore, we detect several BiP candidates that will be subject of future studies., Comment: 19 pages (incl. appendix), 21 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

Context. Be stars are physically complex systems that continue to challenge theory to understand their rapid rotation, complex variability and decretion disks. $\gamma$ Cassiopeiae ($\gamma$ Cas) is one such star but is even more curious because of its unexplained hard thermal X-ray emission. Aims. We aim to examine the optical variability of $\gamma$ Cas and thereby to shed more light on its puzzling behaviour. Methods. Three hundred twenty-one archival H$\alpha$ spectra from 2006 to 2017 are analysed to search for frequencies corresponding to the 203.5 day orbit of the companion. Space photometry from the SMEI satellite from 2003 to 2011 and the BRITE-Constellation of nano-satellites between 2015 and 2019 is investigated in the period range from a couple of hours to a few days. Results. The orbital period of the companion of 203.5 days is confirmed with independent measurements from the structure of the H$\alpha$ line emission. A strong blue/red asymmetry in the amplitude distribution across the H$\alpha$ emission line could hint at a spiral structure in the decretion disk. With the space photometry, the known frequency of 0.82 d$^{-1}$ is confirmed in data from the early 2000s. A higher frequency of 2.48 d$^{-1}$ is present in the data from 2015 to 2019 and possibly also in the early 2000s. A third frequency at 1.25 d$^{-1}$ is proposed to exist in both SMEI and BRITE data. The only explanation covering all three rapid variations seems to be nonradial pulsation. The two higher frequencies are incompatible with rotation., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

We find that the emission-line object OGLEJ005039.05-725751.4, a member of the cluster OGLE-CL SMC 64, exhibits a peculiar light curve pattern repeating with a recurrence time of 141.45 days. The light curve resembles periodic outbursts with a duty cycle of 20%. A second long cycle of 2500 days is also detected in the photometric data set. Two X-SHOOTER spectra obtained at minimum and maximum reveal a Be star dominating at minimum light resembling the Classical Be star 48 Lib. The larger Hα emission, the stronger Na D absorption and the appearance of emission in the infrared Ca II triplet at maximum, might indicate periodic mass transfer in a complex binary system., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

Context. Stellar physical properties of star clusters are poorly known and the cluster parameters are often very uncertain. Aims. Our goals are to perform a spectrophotometric study of the B star population in open clusters to derive accurate stellar parameters, search for the presence of circumstellar envelopes, and discuss the characteristics of these stars. Methods. The BCD spectrophotometric system is a powerful method to obtain stellar fundamental parameters from direct measurements of the Balmer discontinuity. To this end, we wrote the interactive code MIDE3700. The BCD parameters can also be used to infer the main properties of open clusters: distance modulus, color excess, and age. Furthermore, we inspected the Balmer discontinuity to provide evidence for the presence of circumstellar disks and identify Be star candidates. We used an additional set of high-resolution spectra in the H region to confirm the Be nature of these stars. Results. We provide Te, log g, Mv, Mbol, and spectral types for a sample of 68 stars in the field of the open clusters NGC6087, NGC6250, NGC6383, and NGC6530, as well as the cluster distances, ages, and reddening. Then, based on a sample of 230 B stars in the direction of the 11 open clusters studied along this series of three papers, we report 6 new Be stars, 4 blue straggler candidates, and 15 B-type stars (called Bdd) with a double Balmer discontinuity, which indicates the presence of circumstellar envelopes. We discuss the distribution of the fraction of B, Be, and Bdd star cluster members per spectral subtype. The majority of the Be stars are dwarfs and present a maximum at the spectral type B2-B4 in young and intermediate-age open clusters (, Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

A significant number of Be stars show a second Balmer discontinuity (sBD) attributed to an extended circumstellar envelope (CE). The fast rotational velocity of Be stars undoubtedly plays a significant role in the formation of the CE. However, Bn stars, which are also B-type rapidly rotating stars, do not all present clear evidence of being surrounded by circumstellar material. We aim to characterize the populations of Be and Bn stars, and discuss the appearance of the sBD as a function of the stellar parameters. We expect to find new indices characterizing the properties of CEs in Be stars and properties relating Be and Bn stars. Correlations of the aspect and intensity of the sBD and the emission in the H$\alpha$ line with the stellar parameters and the $V\!\sin i$ are presented. Some Bn stars exhibit the sBD in absorption, which may indicate the presence of rather dense CEs. Six Bn stars show emission in the H$\alpha$ line, so they are reclassified as Be stars. The sBD in emission appears in Be stars with $V\!\sin i \lesssim 250$ km\,s$^{-1}$, and in absorption in both Be and Bn stars with \mbox{$V\!\sin i \gtrsim 50$ km\,s$^{-1}$}. Low-mass Be and Bn stars share the same region in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The distributions of rotational to critical velocity ratios of Be and Bn stars corresponding to the current stellar evolutionary stage are similar, while distributions inferred for the zero-age main sequence have different skewness. We found emission in the H$\alpha$ line and signs of a CE in some Bn stars, which motivated us to think that Bn and Be stars probably belong to the same population. It should be noted that some of the most massive Bn stars could display the Be phenomenon at any time. The similarities found among Be and Bn stars deserve to be more deeply pursued., Comment: 30 pages, 9 tables, 19 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

We assume that stars may undergo surface differential rotation to study its impact on the interpretation of $V\!\sin i$ and on the observed distribution $\Phi(u)$ of ratios of true rotational velocities $u=V/V_\rm c$ ($V_\rm c$ is the equatorial critical velocity). We discuss some phenomena affecting the formation of spectral lines and their broadening, which can obliterate the information carried by $V\!\sin i$ concerning the actual stellar rotation. We studied the line broadening produced by several differential rotational laws, but adopted Maunder's expression $\Omega(\theta)=\Omega_o(1+\alpha\cos^2\theta)$ as an attempt to account for all of these laws with the lowest possible number of free parameters. We studied the effect of the differential rotation parameter $\alpha$ on the measured $V\!\sin i$ parameter and on the distribution $\Phi(u)$ of ratios $u=V/V_\rm c$. We conclude that the inferred $V\!\sin i$ is smaller than implied by the actual equatorial linear rotation velocity $V_\rm eq$ if the stars rotate with $\alpha0$. For a given $|\alpha|$ the deviations of $V\!\sin i$ are larger when $\alpha0$, this number is lower than expected. We discuss seven phenomena that contribute either to narrow or broaden spectral lines, which blur the information on the rotation carried by $V\!\sin i$ and, in particular, to decide whether the Be phenomenon mostly rely on the critical rotation. We show that two-dimensional radiation transfer calculations are needed in rapid rotators to diagnose the stellar rotation more reliably., Comment: To appear in A&A

With the aim of contributing to the understanding of the disk formation process in Be stars, we pursued a one-year spectroscopic observing campaign of the Be star μ Centauri in the L-band, using VLT/ISAAC. We present the nine near-IR spectra we obtained in an epoch of relative photometric quiescence prior to an outburst of ΔV = 0.4 magnitude. Visual estimates during the epoch of our L-band spectroscopy are also presented for the first time, together with the unpublished complete visual light curve between the years 1998 and 2014. We observe significant and monotonic changes in emission line strength of Bracket-α and Pfund-γ lines relative to Humphreys lines, and also in the continuum slope. We interpret these observed changes in terms of important changes to the column density of the line emitting regions, moving from an optically thin to an optically thick stage just prior to a major outburst. For each observing date, we provide estimates for the column density and relative extension of the line emitting region. If the changes observed toward the end of our observing campaign were related to mass-loss changes from the central star, they would correspond to an increase in a factor of two in the mass of the disk in the innermost region. If related to the visual outburst observed one month later, the variability observed in our spectra would be the first detection of the early disk formation process in the L-band., Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas

The extreme luminosities of hot, massive stars drive strong stellar winds through UV line-scattering. For OB stars with an orbiting circumstellar disk, we explore the effect of such line-scattering in ablating disk material, initially focusing on the marginally optically thin decretion disks of classical Oe and Be stars. For this we apply a multi-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics code, assuming optically thin ray tracing for the stellar continuum and a multi-ray Sobolev treatment of the line transfer. This accounts for desaturation of line-absorption by Keplerian shear in the disk, and associated driving by non-radial photons. Results show dense, intermediate-speed surface ablation, consistent with the strong, blue-shifted absorption seen in UV wind lines of Be shell stars. The asymptotic ablation rate is typically an order-unity factor times the stellar wind mass loss rate, leading to disk destruction times of order months to years for Be disks, consistent with observations. The much stronger radiative forces of O stars reduce this time to order days, making sustaining a disk difficult, and so providing a natural explanation for the rarity of Galactic Oe stars. Additionally, the weakened line-driving at lower metallicity implies both a reduction in the winds that help spin-down stars from near-critical rotation, and in the ablation of decretion disks, thus providing a natural explanation for the higher fraction of Classical Be stars, and the presence of Oe stars, in the Magellanic Clouds. We conclude with a discussion of future extensions to study line-driven ablation of denser, optically thick, accretion disks around pre-main-sequence massive stars., Comment: 14 pages, 20 figures

Context. Among intermediate-mass and massive stars, Be stars are the fastest rotators in the main sequence (MS) and, as such, these stars are a cornerstone to validate models of structure and evolution of rotating stars. Several phenomena, however, induce under-or overestimations either of their apparent Vsini, or true velocity V. Aims. In the present contribution we aim at obtaining distributions of true rotational velocities corrected for systematic effects induced by the rapid rotation itself, macroturbulent velocities, and binarity. Methods. We study a set of 233 Be stars by assuming they have inclination angles distributed at random. We critically discuss the methods of Cranmer and Lucy-Richardson, which enable us to transform a distribution of projected velocities into another distribution of true rotational velocities, where the gravitational darkening effect on the Vsini parameter is considered in different ways. We conclude that iterative algorithm by Lucy-Richardson responds at best to the purposes of the present work, but it requires a thorough determination of the stellar fundamental parameters. Results. We conclude that once the mode of ratios of the true velocities of Be stars attains the value V/Vc ≲ 0.77 in the main-sequence (MS) evolutionary phase, it remains unchanged up to the end of the MS lifespan. The statistical corrections found on the distribution of ratios V/Vc for overestimations of Vsini, due to macroturbulent motions and binarity, produce a shift of this distribution toward lower values of V/Vc when Be stars in all MS evolutionary stages are considered together. The mode of the final distribution obtained is at V/Vc ≲ 0.65. This distribution has a nearly symmetric distribution and shows that the Be phenomenon is characterized by a wide range of true velocity ratios 0.3 ≲ V/Vc ≲ 0.95. It thus suggests that the probability that Be stars are critical rotators is extremely low. Conclusions. The corrections attempted in the present work represent an initial step to infer indications about the nature of the Be-star surface rotation that will be studied in the second paper of this series., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas

There are many Slowly Pulsating B (SPB) stars and gamma Dor stars in the Kepler Mission data set. The light curves of these pulsating stars have been classified phenomenologically into stars with symmetric light curves and with asymmetric light curves. In the same effective temperature ranges as the gamma Dor and SPB stars, there are variable stars with downward light curves that have been conjectured to be caused by spots. Among these phenomenological classes of stars, some show `frequency groups' in their amplitude spectra that have not previously been understood. While it has been recognised that nonlinear pulsation gives rise to combination frequencies in a Fourier description of the light curves of these stars, such combination frequencies have been considered to be a only a minor constituent of the amplitude spectra. In this paper we unify the Fourier description of the light curves of these groups of stars, showing that many of them can be understood in terms of only a few base frequencies, which we attribute to g mode pulsations, and combination frequencies, where sometimes a very large number of combination frequencies dominate the amplitude spectra. The frequency groups seen in these stars are thus tremendously simplified. We show observationally that the combination frequencies can have amplitudes greater than the base frequency amplitudes, and we show theoretically how this arises. Thus for some gamma Dor and SPB stars combination frequencies can have the highest observed amplitudes. Among the B stars are pulsating Be stars that show emission lines in their spectra from occasional ejection of material into a circumstellar disk. Our analysis gives strong support to the understanding of these pulsating Be stars as rapidly rotating SPB stars, explained entirely by g mode pulsations., Comment: Accepted MNRAS; 17 pages

Herbig Ae/Be stars lie in the mass range between low and high mass young stars, and therefore offer a unique opportunity to observe any changes in the formation processes that may occur across this boundary. This paper presents medium resolution VLT/X-Shooter spectra of six Herbig Ae/Be stars, drawn from a sample of 91 targets, and high resolution VLT/CRIRES spectra of five Herbig Ae/Be stars, chosen based on the presence of CO first overtone bandhead emission in their spectra. The X-Shooter survey reveals a low detection rate of CO first overtone emission (7 per cent), consisting of objects mainly of spectral type B. A positive correlation is found between the strength of the CO v=2-0 and Br {\gamma} emission lines, despite their intrinsic linewidths suggesting a separate kinematic origin. The high resolution CRIRES spectra are modelled, and are well fitted under the assumption that the emission originates from small scale Keplerian discs, interior to the dust sublimation radius, but outside the co-rotation radius of the central stars. In addition, our findings are in very good agreement for the one object where spatially resolved near-infrared interferometric studies have also been performed. These results suggest that the Herbig Ae/Be stars in question are in the process of gaining mass via disc accretion, and that modelling of high spectral resolution spectra is able to provide a reliable probe into the process of stellar accretion in young stars of intermediate to high masses., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 14 pages, 5 figures

We present a deep survey of Halpha emission-line stars in the M42 region using wide-field objective prism films. A total of 1699 Halpha emission-line stars were identified, of which 1025 were previously unknown, within an area of 5.5 x 5.5 degrees centred on the Trapezium Cluster. We present Halpha strength estimates, positions, and JHKs photometry extracted from 2MASS, and comparisons to previous surveys. The spatial distribution of the bulk of the stars follows the molecular cloud as seen in CO and these stars are likely to belong to the very young population of stars associated with the Orion Nebula Cluster. Additionally, there is a scattered population of Halpha emission-line stars distributed all over the region surveyed, which may consist partly of foreground stars associated with the young NGC 1980 cluster, as well as some foreground and background dMe or Be stars. The present catalogue adds a large number of candidate low-mass young stars belonging to the Orion population, selected independently of their infrared excess or X-ray emission., Comment: 38 pages, 18 figures. Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics v3: chart for ESO-HA 1639 corrected. Typos in Table 2 corrected. Photometry for ESO-HA 1639 in Table 2 corrected

The INT/WFC Photometric H-Alpha Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS) is a 1800 square degrees imaging survey covering Galactic latitudes |b| < 5 deg and longitudes l = 30 to 215 deg in the r, i and H-alpha filters using the Wide Field Camera (WFC) on the 2.5-metre Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) in La Palma. We present the first quality-controlled and globally-calibrated source catalogue derived from the survey, providing single-epoch photometry for 219 million unique sources across 92% of the footprint. The observations were carried out between 2003 and 2012 at a median seeing of 1.1 arcsec (sampled at 0.33 arcsec/pixel) and to a mean 5\sigma-depth of 21.2 (r), 20.0 (i) and 20.3 (H-alpha) in the Vega magnitude system. We explain the data reduction and quality control procedures, describe and test the global re-calibration, and detail the construction of the new catalogue. We show that the new calibration is accurate to 0.03 mag (rms) and recommend a series of quality criteria to select the most reliable data from the catalogue. Finally, we demonstrate the ability of the catalogue's unique (r-Halpha, r-i) diagram to (1) characterise stellar populations and extinction regimes towards different Galactic sightlines and (2) select H-alpha emission-line objects. IPHAS is the first survey to offer comprehensive CCD photometry of point sources across the Galactic Plane at visible wavelengths, providing the much-needed counterpart to recent infrared surveys., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. The catalogue is available in full from the survey website at http://www.iphas.org and has been submitted to Vizier

The mechanism by which supergiant (sg)B[e] stars support cool, dense dusty discs/tori and their physical relationship with other evolved, massive stars such as luminous blue variables is uncertain. In order to investigate both issues we have analysed the long term behaviour of the canonical sgB[e] star LHA 115-S 18. We employed the OGLE II-IV lightcurve to search for (a-)periodic variability and supplemented these data with new and historic spectroscopy. In contrast to historical expectations for sgB[e] stars, S18 is both photometrically and spectroscopically highly variable. The lightcurve is characterised by rapid aperiodic `flaring' throughout the 16 years of observations. Changes in the high excitation emission line component of the spectrum imply evolution in the stellar temperature - as expected for luminous blue variables - although somewhat surprisingly, spectroscopic and photometric variability appears not to be correlated. Characterised by emission in low excitation metallic species, the cool circumstellar torus appears largely unaffected by this behaviour. Finally, in conjunction with intense, highly variable HeII emission, X-ray emission implies the presence of an unseen binary companion. S18 provides observational support for the putative physical association of (a subset of) sgB[e] stars and luminous blue variables. Given the nature of the circumstellar environment of S18 and that luminous blue variables have been suggested as SN progenitors, it is tempting to draw a parallel to the progenitors of SN1987A and the unusual transient SN2009ip. Moreover the likely binary nature of S18 strengthens the possibility that the dusty discs/tori that characterise sgB[e] stars are the result of binary-driven mass-loss; consequently such stars may provide a window on the short lived phase of mass-transfer in massive compact binaries., 15 pages, 10 figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We report the discovery of 2 new Be stars, and re-identify one known Be star in the open cluster NGC 6830. Eleven H-alpha emitters were discovered using the H-alpha imaging photometry of the Palomar Transient Factory Survey. Stellar membership of the candidates was verified with photometric and kinematic information using 2MASS data and proper motions. The spectroscopic confirmation was carried out by using the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick observatory. Based on their spectral types, three H-alpha emitters were confirmed as Be stars with H-alpha equivalent widths > -10 Angstrom. Two objects were also observed by the new spectrograph SED-Machine on the Palomar 60 inch Telescope. The SED-Machine results show strong H-alpha emission lines, which are consistent with the results of the Lick observations. The high efficiency of the SED-Machine can provide rapid observations for Be stars in a comprehensive survey in the future., 11 pages, 8 figures, AJ in press

We develop a simple model to derive theoretical continuum energy distributions for B[e] stars, consisting of a B star surrounded by an envelope made of gas and dust. We select a sample of B[e] objects for which we construct the observed energy distributions, from 0.1 to 100 μm, using available photometric and spectroscopic data. We present some preliminary fittings., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

GG Car is a peculiar B type star with emission lines classified as a B[e] supergiant star. In this work we present a spectral analysis of this system based on spectra obtained at Casleo. We fit the spectral energy distribution adopting a model for the gas and dust circumstellar components and thus we obtain the physical parameters of the star and its environment., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

We have used the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory telescopes and spectrographs to record emission lines in h Carinae from 3093 to 8956 A u with a gap between 4432 and 5696 A u . A resolving power of about 20,000 was used throughout. Accurate wavelengths, peak intensities relative to the local continuum, and line identifications are presented. The data are briefly discussed with respect to the state of ionization present, the presence of oxygen lines, and the use of (S ii) lines to derive a lower limit on the local electron density. We also tabulate the wavelengths of interstellar absorption lines and diffuse interstellar bands.

We describe the behaviour of IR hydrogen emission lines of a sample of Be stars and discuss the physical properties of the circumstellar envelopes of Be stars classified in Groups I and II (Mennickent et al. 2009). We find that while Humphreys and Pfund lines of Group I stars form in an optically thick envelope/disk, Group II stars show Pfund lines that form in an optically thick medium and Humphreys lines originating in optically thinner regions. The transition between Groups I and II could be understood in terms of the evolution of the circumstellar disk of the star and might bring clues on the mechanism originating the Be phenomenon., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

We use the BCD spectrophotometric classification system to derive fundamental parameters of B stars in NGC 2439, NGC 3766 and NGC 6087. We are able to perform a complete study of each open cluster by deriving spectral classification of its members, distance modulus and age as well., Facultad de Ciencias Astronómicas y Geofísicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de La Plata

The intriguing binary LS V +22 25 (LB-1) has drawn much attention following claims of it being a single-lined spectroscopic binary with a 79-day orbit comprising a B-type star and a ~70 Msun black hole. Recent analyses have implied that the visible primary star is a stripped He-rich star. However, the nature of the secondary, which was proposed to be a black hole, a neutron star, or a main sequence star, remains unknown. Based on 26 newly acquired spectroscopic observations, we perform an orbital analysis and spectral disentangling of LB-1 to elucidate the nature of the system. Our analysis reveals that LB-1 contains two components of comparable brightness in the optical. The narrow-lined primary, which we estimate to contribute ~55% in the optical, has spectral properties that suggest that it is a stripped star: it has a small spectroscopic mass (~1 Msun) for a B-type star and it is He- and N-rich. The "hidden" secondary, which contributes about 45% of the optical flux, is a rapidly rotating (vsini ~ 300 km/s) B3 V star with a decretion disk -- a Be star. Hence, LB-1 does not contain a compact object. Instead, it is a rare Be binary system consisting of a stripped star (the former mass donor) and a Be star rotating at near its critical velocity (the former mass accretor). This system is a clear example that binary interactions play a decisive role in the production of rapid stellar rotators and Be stars., Comment: Accepted to A&A. 4 pages (1 figure, 1 table); 3 pages of supporting material (7 figures and 1 table)

About 20% of all B-type stars are classical Be stars. The Be phenomenon is strongly correlated with rapid rotation, the origin of which remains unclear. It may be rooted in single- or binary-star evolution. In the framework of the binary channel, the initially more massive star transfers mass and angular momentum to the original secondary, which becomes a Be star. The system then evolves into a Be binary with a post-main-sequence companion, which may later be disrupted in a supernova event. Hence, if the binary channel dominates the formation of Be stars, one may expect a strong lack of close Be binaries with main sequence (MS) companions. Through an extensive, star-by-star review of the literature of a magnitude-limited sample of Galactic early-type Be stars, we investigate whether Be binaries with MS companions are known to exist. Our sample is constructed from the BeSS database and cross-matched with all available literature on the individual stars. Out of an initial list of 505 Be stars, we compile a final sample of 287 Galactic Be stars earlier than B1.5 with V, 15 pages (incl. appendix), 6 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A