We report on over 13 yr of optical and near-ultraviolet spectropolarimetric observations of the famous luminous blue variable (LBV) P Cygni. In the lives of the most massive stars, LBVs are a critical transitional phase and achieve the largest mass-loss rates of any group of stars. Using spectropolarimetry, we are able to learn about the geometry of the near-circumstellar environment surrounding P Cygni and gain insights into LBV mass loss. Using data from the HPOL and WUPPE spectropolarimeters, we estimate the interstellar polarization contribution to P Cygni’s spectropolarimetric signal, analyze the variability of the polarization across the Hα emission line, search for periodic signals in the data, and introduce a statistical method to search for preferred position angles in deviations from spherical symmetry that is novel to astronomy. Our data are consistent with previous findings, showing free electron scattering off of clumps uniformly distributed around the star. This is complicated, however, by structure in the percent polarization of the Hα line and a series of previously undetected periodicities.

We study a very young star-forming region in the outer Galaxy that is the most concentrated source of outflows in the Spitzer Space Telescope GLIMPSE360 survey. This region, dubbed CMa-l224, is located in the Canis Major OB1 association. CMa-l224 is relatively faint in the mid-infrared, but it shines brightly at the far-infrared wavelengths as revealed by the Herschel Space Observatory data from the Hi-GAL survey. Using the 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m data from the Spitzer/GLIMPSE360 survey, combined with the JHK$_s$ 2MASS and the 70-500 $μ$m Herschel/Hi-GAL data, we develop a young stellar object (YSO) selection criteria based on color-color cuts and fitting of the YSO candidates' spectral energy distributions with YSO 2D radiative transfer models. We identify 293 YSO candidates and estimate physical parameters for 210 sources well-fit with YSO models. We select an additional 47 sources with GLIMPSE360-only photometry as `possible YSO candidates'. The vast majority of these sources are associated with high H$_2$ column density regions and are good targets for follow-up studies. The distribution of YSO candidates at different evolutionary stages with respect to Herschel filaments supports the idea that stars are formed in the filaments and become more dispersed with time. Both the supernova-induced and spontaneous star formation scenarios are plausible in the environmental context of CMa-l224. However, our results indicate that a spontaneous gravitational collapse of filaments is a more likely scenario. The methods developed for CMa-l224 can be used for larger regions in the Galactic plane where the same set of photometry is available.

We analyze 45 spectropolarimetric observations of the eclipsing, interacting binary star V356 Sgr, obtained over a period of 21 years, to characterize the geometry of the system's circumstellar material. After removing interstellar polarization from these data, we find the system exhibits a large intrinsic polarization signature arising from electron scattering. In addition, the lack of repeatable eclipses in the polarization phase curves indicates the presence of a substantial pool of scatterers not occulted by either star. We suggest that these scatterers form either a circumbinary disk coplanar with the gainer's accretion disk or an elongated structure perpendicular to the orbital plane of V356 Sgr, possibly formed by bipolar outflows. We also observe small-scale, cycle-to-cycle variations in the magnitude of intrinsic polarization at individual phases, which we interpret as evidence of variability in the amount of scattering material present within and around the system. This may indicate a mass transfer or mass loss rate that varies on the time-scale of the system's orbital period. Finally, we compare the basic polarimetric properties of V356 Sgr with those of the well studied beta Lyr system; the significant differences observed between the two systems suggests diversity in the basic circumstellar geometry of Roche-lobe overflow systems

We report the results of infrared photometry on 39 extended red objects (EROs) in the Carina Nebula, observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Most EROs are identified by bright, extended 8.0 um emission, which ranges from 10'' to 40'' in size, but our sample also includes 4 EROs identified by extended 24 um emission. Of particular interest are nine EROs associated with late O or early B-type stars and characterized by arc-shaped morphology, suggesting dusty, stellar-wind bow shocks. These objects are preferentially oriented towards the central regions of the Carina Nebula, suggesting that these bow shocks are generally produced by the interactions of OB winds with the bulk expansion of the H II region rather than high proper motion. We identify preferred regions of mid-infrared color space occupied by our bow shock candidates, which also contain bow shock candidates in M17 and RCW 49 but are well-separated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission or circumstellar discs. Color cuts identify an additional 12 marginally-resolved bow shock candidates, 10 of which are also associated with known late O or early B stars. H II region expansion velocities derived from bow shock candidate standoff distances are ~10 km/s, assuming typical H II region gas densities, comparable to expansion velocities derived from bow shocks in M17 and RCW 49. One candidate bow shock provides direct evidence of physical interaction between the massive stellar winds originating in the Trumpler 15 and Trumpler 14 clusters, supporting the conclusion that both clusters are at similar heliocentric distances.

The HPOL spectropolarimeter, previously operated by the University of Wisconsin at Pine Bluff Observatory (PBO), has been restored and relocated to the University of Toledo's Ritter Observatory. We achieved first light with HPOL at Ritter Observatory on 2012 March 11. We present a detailed instrument description of HPOL in its current configuration at Ritter Observatory, and a description of the standard observing procedure. We performed frequent observations of unpolarized standard stars to calibrate the instrumental polarization. We present polarimetric calibration results for observations spanning 2012 March 11 to 2013 May 2. Our calibration work shows that the systematic uncertainties of observations obtained with HPOL at Ritter Observatory are comparable to, and sometimes outperform, the systematic uncertainties obtained at PBO. We have successfully recommissioned the HPOL spectropolarimeter at Ritter Observatory, making it once again available for ongoing science observations.

Recent observational and theoretical studies of classical Be stars have established the utility of polarization color diagrams (PCDs) in helping to constrain the time-dependent mass decretion rates of these systems. We expand on our pilot observational study of this phenomenon, and report the detailed analysis of a long-term (1989-2004) spectropolarimetric survey of nine additional classical Be stars, including systems exhibiting evidence of partial disk-loss/disk-growth episodes as well as systems exhibiting long-term stable disks. After carefully characterizing and removing the interstellar polarization along the line of sight to each of these targets, we analyze their intrinsic polarization behavior. We find that many steady-state Be disks pause at the top of the PCD, as predicted by theory. We also observe sharp declines in the Balmer jump polarization for later spectral type, near edge-on steady-state disks, again as recently predicted by theory, likely caused when the base density of the disk is very high, and the outer region of the edge-on disk starts to self absorb a significant number of Balmer jump photons. The intrinsic V-band polarization and polarization position angle of. Cas exhibits variations that seem to phase with the orbital period of a known one-armed density structure in this disk, similar to the theoretical predictions of Halonen&Jones. We also observe stochastic jumps in the intrinsic polarization across the Balmer jump of several known Be+sdO systems, and speculate that the thermal inflation of part of the outer region of these disks could be responsible for producing this observational phenomenon. Finally, we estimate the base densities of this sample of stars to be between approximate to 8 x 10(-11) and approximate to 4 x 10(-12) g cm(-3) during quasi steady state periods given there maximum observed polarization.

The Magellanic Bridge is the nearest low-metallicity, tidally stripped environment, offering a unique high-resolution view of physical conditions in merging and forming galaxies. In this paper, we present an analysis of candidate massive young stellar objects (YSOs), i.e., in situ, current massive star formation (MSF) in the Bridge using Spitzer mid-IR and complementary optical and near-IR photometry. While we definitely find YSOs in the Bridge, the most massive are similar to 10M(circle dot), << 45M(circle dot) found in the LMC. The intensity of MSF in the Bridge also appears to be decreasing, as the most massive YSOs are less massive than those formed in the past. To investigate environmental effects on MSF, we have compared properties of massive YSOs in the Bridge to those in the LMC. First, YSOs in the Bridge are apparently less embedded than in the LMC: 81% of Bridge YSOs show optical counterparts, compared to only 56% of LMC sources with the same range of mass, circumstellar dust mass, and line-of-sight extinction. Circumstellar envelopes are evidently more porous or clumpy in the Bridge's low-metallicity environment. Second, we have used whole samples of YSOs in the LMC and the Bridge to estimate the probability of finding YSOs at a given Hi column density, N(H I). We found that the LMC has similar to 3x higher probability than the Bridge for N(H I) > 12x10(20) cm(-2), but the trend reverses at lower N(H I). Investigating whether this lower efficiency relative to Hi is due to less efficient molecular cloud formation or to less efficient cloud collapse, or to both, will require sensitive molecular gas observations.

We characterize the completeness of point source lists from Spitzer Space Telescope surveys in the four Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) bandpasses, emphasizing the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) programs (GLIMPSE I, II, 3D, 360; Deep GLIMPSE) and their resulting point source Catalogs and Archives. The analysis separately addresses effects of incompleteness resulting from high diffuse background emission and incompleteness resulting from point source confusion (i.e., crowding). An artificial star addition and extraction analysis demonstrates that completeness is strongly dependent on local background brightness and structure, with high-surface-brightness regions suffering up to five magnitudes of reduced sensitivity to point sources. This effect is most pronounced at the IRAC 5.8 and 8.0 microns bands where UV-excited PAH emission produces bright, complex structures (photodissociation regions; PDRs). With regard to diffuse background effects, we provide the completeness as a function of stellar magnitude and diffuse background level in graphical and tabular formats. These data are suitable for estimating completeness in the low-source-density limit in any of the four IRAC bands in GLIMPSE Catalogs and Archives and some other Spitzer IRAC programs that employ similar observational strategies and are processed by the GLIMPSE pipeline. Point source incompleteness is primarily a consequence of structure in the diffuse background emission rather than photon noise. With regard to source confusion in the high-source-density regions of the Galactic Plane, we provide figures illustrating the 90% completeness levels as a function of point source density at each band. (Slightly abridged)

We analyze the intrinsic polarization of two classical Be stars in the process of losing their circumstellar disks via a Be to normal B star transition originally reported by Wisniewski et al. During each of five polarimetric outbursts which interrupt these disk-loss events, we find that the ratio of the polarization across the Balmer jump (BJ+/BJ−) versus the V-band polarization traces a distinct loop structure as a function of time. Since the polarization change across the Balmer jump is a tracer of the innermost disk density whereas the V-band polarization is a tracer of the total scattering mass of the disk, we suggest that such correlated loop structures in Balmer jump–V-band polarization diagrams (BJV diagrams) provide a unique diagnostic of the radial distribution of mass within Be disks. We use the three-dimensional Monte Carlo radiation transfer code HDUST to reproduce the observed clockwise loops simply by turning "on/off" the mass decretion from the disk. We speculate that counterclockwise loop structures we observe in BJV diagrams might be caused by the mass decretion rate changing between subsequent "on/off" sequences. Applying this new diagnostic to a larger sample of Be disk systems will provide insight into the time-dependent nature of each system's stellar decretion rate.

The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) provides a unique laboratory for the study of the lifecycle of dust given its low metallicity (~1/5 solar) and relative proximity (~60 kpc). This motivated the SAGE-SMC (Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution in the Tidally-Stripped, Low Metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud) Spitzer Legacy program with the specific goals of studying the amount and type of dust in the present interstellar medium, the sources of dust in the winds of evolved stars, and how much dust is consumed in star formation. This program mapped the full SMC (30 sq. deg.) including the Body, Wing, and Tail in 7 bands from 3.6 to 160 micron using the IRAC and MIPS instruments on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The data were reduced, mosaicked, and the point sources measured using customized routines specific for large surveys. We have made the resulting mosaics and point source catalogs available to the community. The infrared colors of the SMC are compared to those of other nearby galaxies and the 8 micron/24 micron ratio is somewhat lower and the 70 micron/160 micron ratio is somewhat higher than the average. The global infrared spectral energy distribution shows that the SMC has ~3X lower aromatic emission/PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) abundances compared to most nearby galaxies. Infrared color-magnitude diagrams are given illustrating the distribution of different asymptotic giant branch stars and the locations of young stellar objects. Finally, the average spectral energy distribution (SED) of HII/star formation regions is compared to the equivalent Large Magellanic Cloud average HII/star formation region SED. These preliminary results are expanded in detail in companion papers.

AbstractIn Wisniewski et al. (2010), paper I, we analyzed 15 years of spectroscopic and spectropolarimetric data from the Ritter and Pine Bluff Observatories of 2 Be stars, 60 Cygni and π Aquarii, when a transition from Be to B star occurred. Here we analyze the intrinsic polarization, where we observe loop-like structures caused by the rise and fall of the polarization Balmer Jump and continuum V-band polarization being mismatched temporaly with polarimetric outbursts. We also see polarization angle deviations from the mean, reported in paper I, which may be indicative of warps in the disk, blobs injected at an inclined orbit, or spiral density waves. We show our ongoing efforts to model time dependent behavior of the disk to constrain the phenomena, using 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer codes.

We present a catalog of 1439 young stellar objects (YSOs) spanning the 1.42 deg^2 field surveyed by the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP), which includes the major ionizing clusters and the most active sites of ongoing star formation within the Great Nebula in Carina. Candidate YSOs were identified via infrared (IR) excess emission from dusty circumstellar disks and envelopes, using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Vela--Carina survey and the Two-Micron All Sky Survey. We model the 1--24 /mu m IR spectral energy distributions of the YSOs to constrain physical properties. Our Pan-Carina YSO Catalog (PCYC) is dominated by intermediate-mass (2 Msun < m < 10 Msun) objects with disks, including Herbig Ae/Be stars and their less evolved progenitors. The PCYC provides a valuable complementary dataset to the CCCP X-ray source catalogs, identifying 1029 YSOs in Carina with no X-ray detection. We also catalog 410 YSOs with X-ray counterparts, including 62 candidate protostars. Candidate protostars with X-ray detections tend to be more evolved than those without. In most cases, X-ray emission apparently originating from intermediate-mass, disk-dominated YSOs is consistent with the presence of low-mass companions, but we also find that X-ray emission correlates with cooler stellar photospheres and higher disk masses. We suggest that intermediate-mass YSOs produce X-rays during their early pre-main sequence evolution, perhaps driven by magnetic dynamo activity during the convective atmosphere phase, but this emission dies off as the stars approach the main sequence. Extrapolating over the stellar initial mass function scaled to the PCYC population, we predict a total population of >2x10^4 YSOs and a present-day star formation rate (SFR) of >0.008 Msun/yr. The global SFR in the Carina Nebula, averaged over the past ~5 Myr, has been approximately constant.

We report the results of a new survey of massive, OB stars throughout the Carina Nebula using the X-ray point source catalog provided by the Chandra Carina Complex Project (CCCP) in conjunction with infrared (IR) photometry from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey and the Spitzer Space Telescope Vela–Carina survey. Mid-IR photometry is relatively unaffected by extinction, hence it provides strong constraints on the luminosities of OB stars, assuming that their association with the Carina Nebula, and hence their distance, is confirmed. We fit model stellar atmospheres to the optical (UBV) and IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 182 OB stars with known spectral types and measure the bolometric luminosity and extinction for each star. We find that the extinction law measured toward the OB stars has two components: AV = 1–1.5 mag produced by foreground dust with a ratio of total-to-selective absorption RV = 3.1 plus a contribution from local dust with RV > 4.0 in the Carina molecular clouds that increases as AV increases. Using X-ray emission as a strong indicator of association with Carina, we identify 94 candidate OB stars with Lbol ≳ 104 L☉ by fitting their IR SEDs. If the candidate OB stars are eventually confirmed by follow-up spectroscopic observations, the number of cataloged OB stars in the Carina Nebula will increase by ∼50%. Correcting for incompleteness due to OB stars falling below the Lbol cutoff or the CCCP detection limit, these results potentially double the size of the young massive stellar population.