We present a new catalogue of symbiotic stars. In our list we include 188 symbiotic stars as well as 30 objects suspected of being symbiotic. For each star, we present basic observational material: coordinates, V and K magnitudes, ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), X-ray and radio observations. We also list the spectral type of the cool component, the maximum ionization potential observed, references to finding charts, spectra, classifications and recent papers discussing the physical parameters and nature of each object. Moreover, we present the orbital photometric ephemerides and orbital elements of known symbiotic binaries, pulsational periods for symbiotic Miras, Hipparcos parallaxes and information about outbursts and flickering.
We present a multi-epoch, accurate UBVRcIc photometric catalog of 83 symbiotic stars and related objects, measured while calibrating the Henden and Munari (2000, Cat. <J/A+AS/143/343>, 2001, Cat. <J/A+A/372/145>, 2006, Cat. <J/A+A/458/339>) photometric sequences around them. The vast majority of the observations where collected in the time interval between October 19, 1998 to April 21, 2002 with the 1.0-m Ritchey-Chretien telescope of the U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff Station (Arizona). On average, UBVRcIc data are given on 3.6 epochs for each program star. The overall budget error of the data is usually better than 0.01mag.
The Asiago photographic archive has been searched for plates containing the symbiotic stars AS 210, AS 327, AX Per, BF Cyg, CI Cyg, DT Ser, EG And, GH Gem, Hen 2-442, Hen 3-1591, HM Sge, MaC 1-17, NSV 11776, Pe 2-16, Pt 1, PU Vul, RS Oph, T CrB, UV Aur, V1016 Cyg, V1329 Cyg, V352 Aql, V4018 Sgr, Wray 15-1470, and Z And. A total of 1617 good-quality plates imaging the program stars have been found and their brightness has been estimated using the Henden & Munari (2000, Cat. <J/A+AS/143/343>, 2001, Cat. <J/A+A/372/145>, 2006, Cat. <J/A+A/458/339>, 2008, Cat. <J/BaltA/17/293>) UBVRcIc local photometric sequences. The results for the objects with most abundant measurements are discussed.
Symbiotic stars are interacting binaries with the longest orbital periods, and their multicomponent structure makes them rich astrophysical laboratories. The accretion of a high-mass-loss-rate red giant wind on to a white dwarf (WD) makes them promising Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) progenitors. Systematic surveys for new Galactic symbiotic stars are critical to identify new promising SN Ia progenitors (e.g. RS Oph) and to better estimate the total population size to compare against SN Ia rates. Central to the latter objective is building a complete census of symbiotic stars towards the Galactic bulge. Here we report on the results of a systematic survey of H{alpha} emission-line stars covering 35 deg^2^. It is distinguished by the combination of deep optical spectroscopy and long-term light curves that improve the certainty of our classifications. A total of 20 bona fide symbiotic stars are found (13 S-types, 6 D-types and 1 D'-type), 35 per cent of which show the symbiotic specific Raman-scattered Ovi emission bands, as well as 15 possible symbiotic stars that require further study (six S-types and nine D-types). Light curves show a diverse range of variability including stellar pulsations (semi-regular and Mira), orbital variations and slow changes due to dust. Orbital periods are determined for five S-types and Mira pulsation periods for three D-types. The most significant D-type found is H1-45 and its carbon Mira with a pulsation period of 408.6d, corresponding to an estimated period-luminosity relation distance of ~6.2+/-1.4kpc and M_K_=-8.06+/-0.12mag. If H1-45 belongs to the Galactic bulge, then it would be the first bona fide luminous carbon star to be identified in the Galactic bulge population. The lack of luminous carbon stars in the bulge is a longstanding unsolved problem. A possible explanation for H1-45 may be that the carbon enhancement was accreted from the progenitor of the WD companion. A wide variety of unusual emission-line stars were also identified. These include central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) [one (WC10-11) Wolf-Rayet and five with high-density cores], two novae, two WN6 Wolf-Rayet stars, two possible Be stars, a B[e] star with a bipolar outflow, an ultracompact HII region and a dMe flare star. Dust obscuration events were found in two central stars of PNe, increasing the known cases to five, as well as one WN6 star. There is considerable scope to uncover several more symbiotic stars towards the bulge, many of which are currently misclassified as PNe, provided that deep spectroscopy is combined with optical and near-infrared light curves.
We present accurate UBV(RI)_C_ photometric sequences around 20 symbiotic stars. The sequences extend over wide brightness and color ranges, and are suited to cover quiescence as well as outburst phases. The sequences are intended to assist both present time photometry as well as measurement of photographic plates from historical archives.
We present accurate UBV(RI)_C_ photometric sequences for an additional 20 symbiotic stars. As for the 20 targets of Paper I (Henden et al., 2000, Cat. <J/A+AS/143/343>), the sequences extend over wide brightness and color ranges, and are suited to cover both quiescence and outburst phases. The sequences are intended to assist both present time photometry as well as measurement of photographic plates from historical archives.
We present accurate UBV(RI)_C_ photometric sequences and astrometric positions for a final set of 41 symbiotic stars. In a similar manner to the 40 targets of Papers I and II, these sequences extend over wide brightness and color ranges and are suited to covering both quiescence and outburst phases. They are intended to assist both the CCD photometric monitoring of current variability and exploitation of old photographic plates from historical archives.
We present a new census of Galactic and extragalactic symbiotic stars (SySts). This compilation contains 323 known and 87 candidate SySts. Of the confirmed SySts, 257 are Galactic and 66 extragalactic. The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 348 sources have been constructed using 2MASS and AllWISE data. Regarding the Galactic SySts, 74% are S types, 13% D, and 3.5% D'. S types show an SED peak between 0.8 and 1.7{mu}m, whereas D types show a peak at longer wavelengths between 2 and 4{mu}m. D' types, on the other hand, display a nearly flat profile. Gaia distances and effective temperatures are also presented. According to their Gaia distances, S types are found to be members of both thin and thick Galactic disk populations, while S+IR and D types are mainly thin disk sources. Gaia temperatures show a reasonable agreement with the temperatures derived from SEDs within their uncertainties. A new census of the OVI{lambda}6830 Raman-scattered line in SySts is also presented. From a sample of 298 SySts with available optical spectra, 55% are found to emit the line. No significant preference is found among the different types. The report of the OVI{lambda}6830 Raman-scattered line in non-SySts is also discussed as well as the correlation between the Raman-scattered OVI line and X-ray emission. We conclude that the presence of the OVI Raman-scattered line still provides a strong criterion for identifying a source as a SySt.
We revisit the concept of a blazar sequence that relates the synchrotron peak frequency ({nu}_peak_) in blazars with synchrotron peak luminosity (L_peak_, in {nu}L_{nu}_) using a large sample of radio-loud active galactic nuclei. We present observational evidence that the blazar sequence is formed from two populations in the synchrotron {nu}_peak_-L_peak_ plane, each forming an upper edge to an envelope of progressively misaligned blazars, and connecting to an adjacent group of radio galaxies having jets viewed at much larger angles to the line of sight. When binned by jet kinetic power (L_kin_; as measured through a scaling relationship with extended radio power), we find that radio core dominance decreases with decreasing synchrotron L_peak_, revealing that sources in the envelope are generally more misaligned. We find population-based evidence of velocity gradients in jets at low kinetic powers (~10^42^-10^44.5^erg/s), corresponding to Fanaroff-Riley (FR) I radio galaxies and most BL Lac objects. These low jet power "weak-jet" sources, thought to exhibit radiatively inefficient accretion, are distinguished from the population of non-decelerating, low synchrotron-peaking (LSP) blazars and FR II radio galaxies ("strong" jets) which are thought to exhibit radiatively efficient accretion. The two-population interpretation explains the apparent contradiction of the existence of highly core-dominated, low-power blazars at both low and high synchrotron peak frequencies, and further implies that most intermediate synchrotron peak sources are not intermediate in intrinsic jet power between LSP and high synchrotron-peaking (HSP) sources, but are more misaligned versions of HSP sources with similar jet powers.
The blazar sequence is a scenario in which the bolometric luminosity of the blazar governs the appearance of its spectral energy distribution. The most prominent result is the significant negative correlation between the synchrotron peak frequencies and the synchrotron peak luminosities of the blazar population. Observational studies of the blazar sequence have, in general, neglected the effect of Doppler boosting. We study the dependence of both the synchrotron peak frequency and luminosity with Doppler-corrected quantities. We determine the spectral energy distributions of 135 radio-bright AGN and find the best-fit parabolic function for the distribution to quantify their synchrotron emission. The corresponding measurements of synchrotron peak luminosities and frequencies are Doppler-corrected with a new set of Doppler factors calculated from variability data. The relevant correlations for the blazar sequence are determined for these intrinsic quantities.
