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Context: Difference imaging has proven to be a powerful technique for detecting and monitoring the variability of unresolved stellar sources in M 31. Using this technique in surveys of galaxies outside the Local Group could have many interesting applications. Aims: The goal of this paper is to test difference imaging photometry on Centaurus A, the nearest giant elliptical galaxy, at a distance of 4 Mpc. Methods: We obtained deep photometric data with the Wide Field Imager at the ESO/MPG 2.2m at La Silla spread over almost two months. Applying the difference imaging photometry package DIFIMPHOT, we produced high-quality difference images and detected variable sources. The sensitivity of the current observational setup was determined through artificial residual tests. Results: In the resulting high-quality difference images, we detect 271 variable stars. We find a difference flux detection limit corresponding to m_R~24.5. Based on a simple model of the halo of Centaurus A, we estimate that a ground-based microlensing survey would detect in the order of 4 microlensing events per year due to lenses in the halo. Conclusions: Difference imaging photometry works very well at the distance of Centaurus A and promises to be a useful tool for detecting and studying variable stars in galaxies outside the local group. For microlensing surveys, a higher sensitivity is needed than achieved here, which would be possible with a large ground-based telescope or space observatory with wide-field imaging capabilities., 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Stromgren differential photometry of I-ID 168607 and HD 168625 collected during the previous 27 years is analysed. We bring to an end our quarter of a century monitoring of these objects and conclude that HD 168607 shows typical variability of an uneventful LBV, whereas I-ID 168625 remains to be classified as a variable hypergiant, or a marginally-dormant LBV. The long-term light- and colour behaviour of HD 168607 indicates the possible presence of a very slowly-developing S Dor phase - that is, a bright phase that coincides with redder colours. Besides the a Cygni-type microvariability, no other signs of ultrashort-periodic variability has been observed.

Stromgren differential photometry of I-ID 168607 and HD 168625 collected during the previous 27 years is analysed. We bring to an end our quarter of a century monitoring of these objects and conclude that HD 168607 shows typical variability of an uneventful LBV, whereas I-ID 168625 remains to be classified as a variable hypergiant, or a marginally-dormant LBV. The long-term light- and colour behaviour of HD 168607 indicates the possible presence of a very slowly-developing S Dor phase - that is, a bright phase that coincides with redder colours. Besides the a Cygni-type microvariability, no other signs of ultrashort-periodic variability has been observed.

We report the serendipitous discovery of seven luminous irregular variables in the LMC by the EROS project. The stars have V similar or equal to 15(m) to 17(m), (B(E) - R(E)) similar or equal to 0(m), and vary by about 0.4(m) on timescales of 10 to 40 days. The variations in B(E) and R(E) are about equal but the stars are slightly bluer when they an fainter. Medium resolution optical spectra show strong H alpha emission, weak H beta emission and absorption lines of the higher Balmer lines. Absorption lines of He I, C III, O II and Si IV are present in the spectra of some of the stars. The spectral types derived from the presence or absence of the lines are between late-O and late-B. Effective temperatures and luminosities were derived from the energy distributions and independently from the EROS photometry combined with the approximate spectral types. The luminosity, derived from V, E(B - V), and the distance of the LMC, are in the range of 10(3) to 10(4) L.. The strong Hey emission, the spectral types, the luminosities and the irregular variations are similar (but not the same) to those of the Galactic pre-main sequence HAeBe stars (i.e. the Herbig Ae/Be stars). However the stars are about a factor 10 more luminous than the luminosity upper limit for Galactic HAeBe stars. This might be due to a shorter accretion timescale (tau(accr) = M(*) /(M) over dot), or to the smaller dust-to-gas ratio in the LMC.

We report the serendipitous discovery of seven luminous irregular variables in the LMC by the EROS project. The stars have V similar or equal to 15(m) to 17(m), (B(E) - R(E)) similar or equal to 0(m), and vary by about 0.4(m) on timescales of 10 to 40 days. The variations in B(E) and R(E) are about equal but the stars are slightly bluer when they an fainter. Medium resolution optical spectra show strong H alpha emission, weak H beta emission and absorption lines of the higher Balmer lines. Absorption lines of He I, C III, O II and Si IV are present in the spectra of some of the stars. The spectral types derived from the presence or absence of the lines are between late-O and late-B. Effective temperatures and luminosities were derived from the energy distributions and independently from the EROS photometry combined with the approximate spectral types. The luminosity, derived from V, E(B - V), and the distance of the LMC, are in the range of 10(3) to 10(4) L.. The strong Hey emission, the spectral types, the luminosities and the irregular variations are similar (but not the same) to those of the Galactic pre-main sequence HAeBe stars (i.e. the Herbig Ae/Be stars). However the stars are about a factor 10 more luminous than the luminosity upper limit for Galactic HAeBe stars. This might be due to a shorter accretion timescale (tau(accr) = M(*) /(M) over dot), or to the smaller dust-to-gas ratio in the LMC.

Understanding the nature of the instabilities of LBVs is important to understand the late evolutionary stages of very massive stars. We investigate the long term, S Dor-type variability of the luminous blue variable GR290 (Romano's star) in M33, and its 2006 minimum phase. New spectroscopic and photometric data taken in November and December 2006 were employed in conjunction with already published data on GR290 to derive the physical structure of GR290 in different phases and the time scale of the variability. We find that by the end of 2006, GR 290 had reached the deepest visual minimum so far recorded. Its present spectrum resembles closely that of the Of/WN9 stars, and is the hottest so far recorded in this star (and in any LBV as well), while its visual brightness decreased by about 1.4 mag. This first spectroscopic record of GR290 during a minimum phase confirms that, similarly to AG Car and other LBVs, the star is subject to ample S Dor-type variations, being hotter at minimum, suggesting that the variations take place at constant bolometric luminosity., 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in A&A Letters

Context. Understanding the origin of the instabilities of LBVs is important for shedding light on the late evolutionary stages of massive stars and on the chemical evolution of galaxies. Aims. To investigate the physical nature of variable stars in the upper H–R diagram, we performed a spectrophotometric study of the Romano’s star GR 290 and the Hubble-Sandage variables A, B, and C in the close galaxy M 33. Methods. New spectroscopic and photometric data were employed in conjunction with already published data of these stars in order to derive spectral types, energy distribution and bolometric luminosities. Results. The yellow hypergiant Var A is still at minimum, with a ∼G-type spectrum and strong Hα emission (Weq �− 35 A). Var B is in a low luminosity hot state (V = 17.5, B − V = −0.15) with very strong Hα emission (Weq = −310 A). Its absolute bolometric luminosity is 0.6 × 10 6 L� . Var C, at V = 16.4, is fainter than in the mid 1980s, but its spectrum shows the typical features of LBVs at maximum, a spectrum that is very rich in Fe ii emission lines. Its Lbol is about 0.7 × 10 6 L� . The Romano’s star GR 290 has a rich hot emission-line spectrum and is very bright with Lbol = 3 × 10 6 L� . During 2004 the star brightened by ∼half magnitude in each of the BVR filters. Conclusions. Our observations confirm that Var A probably is an intermediate type hypergiant star surrounded by an expanding envelope with a collisionally excited hydrogen emission, largely obscured by dusty disk and nebula. In recent years, Var B has undergone a blueward transition in the H–R diagram, probably at constant bolometric luminosity, while Var C is in a post-maximum phase with an η Car-type spectrum. GR 290 is notable for its spectrum and luminosity, and it is likely to develop ample spectral variations in the near future, similar to those observed in AG Car.

We present the Spectral Energy Distribution of HR 4049 based on literature data and new continuum measurements at 850 mum. The SED shows variable absorption in the UV, and a large IR excess, both caused by circumstellar dust. The shape of the IR excess from 1 mum all the way down to 850 mum can be nearly perfectly fitted with a single blackbody function at T approximate to1150 K or alternatively with a sum of blackbodies in a narrow temperature range. The energy emitted in this IR continuum radiation is about one-third of the stellar luminosity. We show that this blackbody radiation must be due to the presence of a circumbinary disk with a large height. This disk must also be gas-rich, in agreement with the observations of molecular bands in the ISO-SWS spectrum. We present two possible scenario's for explaining the shape and the intensity of the IR excess. The first scenario involves large grains (a greater than or equal to 1 mm) that each radiate like a blackbody. The second scenario argues that the blackbody radiation is due to a very optically thick circumbinary disk. We investigate if such a disk would indeed produce blackbody radiation by presenting results from radiative transfer calculations. We further quantify the properties of such a disk and its stability in the framework of (hydro)dynamics, grain settling, radiation pressure and grain drift. The virtues and shortcomings of both models for the origin of the IR blackbody are discussed by contrasting them with other observations and assessing them in the framework of (binary) (post-)AGB evolution.

We discuss new photometric data collected on the gamma Dor variables HD 224945 and HD 224638. Multiperiodicity was detected in both stars, thanks to the clear spectral window of a multisite campaign that involved five observatories. HD 224945 shows the shortest period among the gamma Dor stars, i.e., 0.3330 d. The pulsation behaviour is very different: HD 224945 displays a set of frequencies spread over an interval much wider than that of HD 224638. We clearly found evidence for amplitude variations in the excited modes by comparing data from different years. HD 224945 and HD 224638 are among the best examples of $\gamma$ Dor stars that show multimode pulsations, which make them very interesting from an asteroseismological point of view., Comment: 8 pages (in A&A style), 3 eps figures. Accepted for A&A Main Journal

This paper presents optical UBVRI broadband photo-polarimetry of the EXPORT sample obtained at the 2.5m Nordic Optical Telescope. The database consists of multi-epoch photo-polarimetry of 68 pre-main-sequence and main-sequence stars. An investigation of the polarization variability indicates that 22 objects are variable at the 3sigma level in our data. All these objects are pre-main sequence stars, consisting of both T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be objects while the main sequence, Vega type and post-T Tauri type objects are not variable. The polarization properties of the variable sources are mostly indicative of the UXOR-type behaviour; the objects show highest polarization when the brightness is at minimum. We add seven new objects to the class of UXOR variables (BH Cep, VX Cas, DK Tau, HK Ori, LkHa 234, KK Oph and RY Ori). The main reason for their discovery is the fact that our data-set is the largest in its kind, indicating that many more young UXOR-type pre-main sequence stars remain to be discovered. The set of Vega-like systems has been investigated for the presence of intrinsic polarization. As they lack variability, this was done using indirect methods, and apart from the known case of BD +31.643, the following stars were found to be strong candidates to exhibit polarization due to the presence of circumstellar disks: 51 Oph, BD +31.643C, HD 58647 and HD 233517., A&A accepted

We report the serendipitous discovery of seven luminous irregular variables in the LMC by the EROS project. The stars have V similar or equal to 15(m) to 17(m), (B(E) - R(E)) similar or equal to 0(m), and vary by about 0.4(m) on timescales of 10 to 40 days. The variations in B(E) and R(E) are about equal but the stars are slightly bluer when they an fainter. Medium resolution optical spectra show strong H alpha emission, weak H beta emission and absorption lines of the higher Balmer lines. Absorption lines of He I, C III, O II and Si IV are present in the spectra of some of the stars. The spectral types derived from the presence or absence of the lines are between late-O and late-B. Effective temperatures and luminosities were derived from the energy distributions and independently from the EROS photometry combined with the approximate spectral types. The luminosity, derived from V, E(B - V), and the distance of the LMC, are in the range of 10(3) to 10(4) L.. The strong Hey emission, the spectral types, the luminosities and the irregular variations are similar (but not the same) to those of the Galactic pre-main sequence HAeBe stars (i.e. the Herbig Ae/Be stars). However the stars are about a factor 10 more luminous than the luminosity upper limit for Galactic HAeBe stars. This might be due to a shorter accretion timescale (tau(accr) = M(*) /(M) over dot), or to the smaller dust-to-gas ratio in the LMC.

Stromgren differential photometry of I-ID 168607 and HD 168625 collected during the previous 27 years is analysed. We bring to an end our quarter of a century monitoring of these objects and conclude that HD 168607 shows typical variability of an uneventful LBV, whereas I-ID 168625 remains to be classified as a variable hypergiant, or a marginally-dormant LBV. The long-term light- and colour behaviour of HD 168607 indicates the possible presence of a very slowly-developing S Dor phase - that is, a bright phase that coincides with redder colours. Besides the a Cygni-type microvariability, no other signs of ultrashort-periodic variability has been observed.