Studying stars that are located off the Galactic plane is important for understanding the formation history of the Milky Way. We searched for SiO masers toward off-plane O-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars from the catalog presented by Mauron et al. (2019) in order to shed light on the origin of these objects. A total of 102 stars were observed in the SiO $J$=1-0, $v=1$ and 2 transitions with the Effelsberg-100 m and Tianma-65 m telescopes. SiO masers were discovered in eight stars, all first detections. The measured maser velocities allow the first estimates of the host AGB stars' radial velocities. We find that the radial velocities of three stars (namely G068.881-24.615, G070.384-24.886, and G084.453-21.863) significantly deviate from the values expected from Galactic circular motion. The updated distances and 3D motions indicate that G068.881$-$24.615 is likely located in the Galactic halo, while G160.648-08.846 is probably located in the Galactic thin disk, and the other six stars are probably part of the Galactic thick disk.

The Vera C. Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) holds the potential to revolutionize time domain astrophysics, reaching completely unexplored areas of the Universe and mapping variability time scales from minutes to a decade. To prepare to maximize the potential of the Rubin LSST data for the exploration of the transient and variable Universe, one of the four pillars of Rubin LSST science, the Transient and Variable Stars Science Collaboration, one of the eight Rubin LSST Science Collaborations, has identified research areas of interest and requirements, and paths to enable them. While our roadmap is ever-evolving, this document represents a snapshot of our plans and preparatory work in the final years and months leading up to the survey’s first light.

AbstractLarge scale optical and infrared surveys have revealed numbers of accretion-derived stellar features within the halo of the Galaxy. These coherent tail-like features are produced by encounters with satellite dwarf galaxies. We conducted an SiO and H2O maser survey towards O-rich AGBs towards the orbital plane of the Sgr Stellar Stream from 2016. Up to now, maser emissions have been found from 60 sources, most of which are detected for the first time. However, their distances and kinematics suggest they are still disk stars.

Six images of IRC+10216 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope at three epochs in 2001, 2011, and 2016 are compared in the rest frame of the central carbon star. An accurate astrometry has been achieved with the help of Gaia Data Release 2. The positions of the carbon star in the individual epochs are determined using its known proper motion, defining the rest frame of the star. In 2016, a local brightness peak with compact and red nature is detected at the stellar position. A comparison of the color maps between 2016 and 2011 epochs reveals that the reddest spot moved along with the star, suggesting a possibility of it being the dusty material surrounding the carbon star. The relatively red, ambient region is distributed in an Ω shape and corresponds well to the dusty disk previously suggested based on near-infrared polarization observations. In a larger scale, differential proper motion of multiple ring-like patterns in the rest frame of the star is used to derive the average expansion velocity of transverse wind components, resulting in ∼12.5 km s−1(d/123 pc), where d is the distance to IRC+10216. Three-dimensional geometry is implied from its comparison with the line-of-sight wind velocity determined from half widths of submillimeter emission line profiles of abundant molecules. Uneven temporal variations in brightness for different searchlight beams and anisotropic distribution of the extended halo are revisited in the context of the stellar light illumination through a porous envelope with postulated longer-term variations for a period of ≲10 yr.

To investigate the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population in the Galactic halo, we search for pulsating AGB stars at a heliocentric distance D > 50 kpc. Our research is based on the Catalina Southern Survey (CSS) catalogue of variables, comprising 1286 long-period variables (LPVs) with δ < −20°. We first focus on the 77 stars in the cap |b| > 30° for which spectral M-type or C-type classification can be derived from Hamburg-ESO objective prism spectra. Most of these are oxygen-rich (M-type) and very few are carbon rich. The periods are in the range 100–500 days, and CSS amplitudes are up to 3 mag. In this small sample, no halo AGB star is fainter than Ks0 = 12.5. This may be due to the scarcity of AGBs in the outer halo, or insufficient instrumental depth. Leaving aside spectral information, we then searched for even fainter pulsators (Ks > 12.5) in the entire CSS catalogue. Gaia astrometry makes it possible to identify some contaminants. Our final result is the identification of ten candidate distant LPVs. If these ten stars obey the fundamental mode K-band period–luminosity relation used for Miras and small-amplitude Miras, their distances are between 50 and 120 kpc from the Sun. In a diagram showing distance versus Gaia tangential velocity, these ten stars have positions consistent with that of other objects in the halo, such as globular clusters and dwarf galaxies. We detect some underluminous AGBs that deserve further study. Finally, the halo LPVs ressemble the slow redder variable of globular clusters when colour and periods are compared.

Recent abrupt changes of CW Leonis may indicate that we are witnessing the moment that the central carbon star is evolving off the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) and entering into the pre-planetary nebula (PPN) phase. The recent appearance of a red compact peak at the predicted stellar position is possibly an unveiling event of the star, and the radial beams emerging from the stellar position resemble the feature of the PPN Egg Nebula. The increase of light curve over two decades is also extraordinary, and it is possibly related to the phase transition. Decadal-period variations are further found in the residuals of light curves, in the relative brightness of radial beams, and in the extended halo brightness distribution. Further monitoring of the recent dramatic and decadal-scale changes of this most well-known carbon star CW Leonis at the tip of AGB is still highly essential, and will help us gain a more concrete understanding on the conditions for transition between the late stellar evolutionary phases.

As part of our ongoing study of the evolved giants in the galactic halo, we consider the sample of 1286 long-period variables (LPVs) in the southern hemisphere provided by the Catalina Sky Survey experiment. These LPVs have periods P > 80 days and amplitudes >0.2 mag. First, by using the Hamburg/ESO spectral survey, we aim to determine the spectral type as either M-type or C-type for objects located in the imprint of this survey, |b| > 30°. Of 135 LPVs obeying this selection, we classified 93, and found only two new carbon stars. Secondly, we consider faint LPVs. We discovered that many lie at ~1 arcmin from a bright Mira catalogued in the General Catalog of Variable Stars (GCVS) with identical period. We study these suspicious cases in detail, and conclude that for as many as 56 faint Catalina LPVs, their variability is due to contamination by light from the bright, neighboring GCVS Mira: an instrumental artefact. We conclude that when dealing with distant, faint Miras in the Catalina catalog, researchers should pay attention to the polluting effects of neighbouring bright and variable objects.

federica B bianco, Rachel Street, Paula Szkody, moniez, Joshua Pepper, Keaton Bell, Melissa L. Graham, Mike Lund, chiara.righi, Claudia M. Raiteri, Andrej Prsa, maribel, balmaverde, enzo.brocato, Teresa Giannini, Massimo Dall’Ora, Robert Szabo, Ilaria Musella, Simone Antoniucci, Maria Ida Moretti, Andrea Pastorello, jsv, Sara (Rosaria) Bonito , Michael Johnson, elena.mason, kmhambleton , Nino, Gisella Clementini, Markus Rabus, nicolas.mauron, ytsapras, and MArcella Di Criscienzo NYU Center for Urban Science & Progress Affiliation not available University of Washington LAL Lehigh University Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) Villanova University University of the Virgin Islands

To construct a catalogue of oxygen-rich (M) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the halo, complementing the catalogues of carbon-rich (C) stars, previous lists of Miras and SRa semi-regulars located in the northern hemisphere are merged and cleaned of various defects. After putting aside known C stars, characteristics such as colours and periods indicate that most of the remaining objects are M stars. Distances are obtained through the period-luminosity relation. By considering their position in the sky, stars lying at | Z | > 5 kpc are confirmed to be in majority in the Sgr tidal arms. The M stars are more numerous than C ones. Our distance scale is supported by two cool variables located in the Pal 4 globular cluster. Along the Sgr arms, there is reasonable agreement on distances of our objects with recent RR Lyrae distances. A few stars may be as distant as 150 kpc, with possibly four at the trailing arm apocentre, and two in the A16 sub-structure, angularly close to two C stars. Ninety radial velocities are collected from Gaia and other sources. A catalogue with 417 M pulsating AGB stars is provided. This catalogue contains ∼260 stars in the halo with | Z | > 5 kpc. Their K s magnitudes range from 8 up to 13. For comparison, the catalogue also provides ∼150 stars in the disc having 5 < K s < 8.

This study is about carbon stars detected in a program of spectral type determinations for a large amount of optically faint periodic variables. These variables are taken from the Catalina Survey Data Release-1 (CSDR1) data set. As much as 967 objects were studied. Spectral classification uses the objective-prism scanned plates of the Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS) and of the Hamburg/ESO Survey (HES). Spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and LAMOST (Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope) are also exploited. The majority of the variables in CSDR1 have not been known before. While the majority of stars are found to be F, G, K, M giants and dwarfs, a few dozens of known carbon (C-type) stars are recovered. Six are new. Some supplementary spectra obtained with the Byurakan Observatory 2.6-m telescope are shown. We study in more detail eight C-type stars. Their periods are in the range 120 – 400 days and their V-band magnitude are 14 – 16.5mag. With the assumption that they are classical asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and obey the Miras period-luminosity (P-L) relation, large distances (5 up to 100 kpc) are obtained. Three of them are angularly close to C stars attributed to the Sgr tidal leading arm. However, one of these seven stars, CRTS J092231.7+510740, shows significant proper-motion, as given by the recent Sloan catalog. If this motion is confirmed, e.g., by Gaia, and it is a dwarf C star, which is supported by its colors, it is at about 100 pc from the Sun. But in this case its periodic variability remains to be explained. Our work supports the view that the known sample of distant halo C stars can be increased by our method and that great care must be adopted in distance determination.

For the first time the data on the eight confirmed or candidate carbon (C) stars found mainly from objective-prism plates are presented. By using the Catalina database of lightcurves, we find that all these stars are pulsating, allowing a distance to be estimated through the K-band Period-Luminosity (PL) relation. This relation does not depend on spectral type (M or C) and distances are reliable even for C candidates. Seven stars are more than 10 kpc from the galactic plane, suggesting they do not belong to the galactic disk. We also find one star located at about 180 kpc from the Sun, being one of the most distant star in the Galaxy. Many of these new C stars are relatively blue. Some comments are also provided on seven other known halo carbon stars for which either a pulsation period is obtained, or because they were not included in previous works on halo C stars.

IRC+10216 is the nearest carbon star with a very high mass-loss rate. The existence of a binary companion has been hinted by indirect observational evidence, such as the bipolar morphology of its nebula and a spiral-like pattern in its circumstellar material; however, to date, no companion has been identified. We have examined archival Hubble Space Telescope images of IRC+10216, and find that the images taken in 2011 exhibit dramatic changes in its innermost region from those taken at earlier epochs. The scattered light is more spread out in 2011. After proper motion correction, the brightest peak in 2011 is close to, but not coincident with, the dominant peak in previous epochs. A fainter point-like object was revealed at about 0.5 arcsec from this brightest peak. We suggest that these changes at the core of IRC+10216 are caused by dissipation of intervening circumstellar dust, as indicated by the brightening trend in the lightcurve extracted from the Catalina photometric survey. We tentatively identify the brightest peak in 2011 as the primary star of IRC+10216 and the fainter point-like source as a companion. The cause of non-detections of the companion candidate in earlier epochs is uncertain. These identifications need to be verified by monitoring of the core of IRC+10216 at high resolution in the future.

We report on the characterization of a number of AGB candidate stars identified with objective-prism plates of the Byurakan Observatory. Digitized photographic sky survey plates and recent CCD photometry have been used to improve the selection and distinguish variable and non-variable stars. Some comparisons among published catalog magnitudes are also made. Slit spectroscopy from the Asiago and Loiano Observatories allowed a firm spectral classification, separating C-Type, N-Type and normal M giants. Color-color plots using WISE, AKARI and 2MASS J-band data allow an efficient discrimination of spectral types, which can be used for the definition of larger statistical samples.

Editorial Dear Colleagues, It is our pleasure to present you the 203 issue of the AGB Newsletter, because it contains so many interesting findings about our beloved stars – evolution in front of our eyes, resolved views, dust production in globular clusters, clues from chemical elements like zinc and zirconium, and what about cement in space? Unfortunately, we also report on the departure of two dear colleagues, who will be sadly missed but fondly remembered. Have a look at the announcement at the end of the newsletter, for a workshop on high angular resolution studies – very timely indeed. The next issue is planned to be distributed around the 1 of July.

For the nearest carbon-rich star IRC+10216 with a very high mass loss rate, there have been observational, indirect indications pointing to the existence of a binary companion, such as a bipolar nebula and a spiral-like circumstellar pattern. However, to date, no companion has been reported. Here, we report that the latest Hubble Space Telescope image at an epoch of 2011 exhibits a dramatic change of its innermost region from at the earlier epochs, revealing a faint point-like object at about 0.5 arcsec from the brightness peak. We interpret the sudden core appearance as due to dissipation of intervening circumstellar dust, in coherence with the brightening trend of the recently released Catalina survey photometric database. We interpret the faint point-like source as the companion and discuss the implications of this discovery, which reinforces the binary-induced mass loss scenarios. IRC+10216 and her orbiting companion deserve careful but confidential monitoring.

The population of cool carbon (C) stars located far from the galactic plane is probably made of debris of small galaxies such as the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy (Sgr), which are disrupted by the gravitational field of the Galaxy. We aim to know this population better through spectroscopy, 2MASS photometric colours, and variability data. When possible, we compared the halo results to C star populations in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, Sgr, and the solar neighbourhood. We first present a few new discoveries of C stars in the halo and in Fornax. The number of spectra of halo C stars is now 125. Forty percent show Hα in emission. The narrow location in the JHK diagram of the halo C stars is found to differ from that of similar C stars in the above galaxies. The light curves of the Catalina and LINEAR variability databases were exploited to derive the pulsation periods of 66 halo C stars. A few supplementary periods were obtained with the TAROT telescopes. We confirm that the period distribution of the halo strongly resembles that of Fornax, and we found that it is very different from the C stars in the solar neighbourhood. There is a larger proportion of short-period Mira/SRa variables in the halo than in Sgr, but the survey for C stars in this dwarf galaxy is not complete, and the study of their variability needs to be continued to investigate the link between Sgr and the cool halo C stars.

We report results of a program to image the extended circumstellar envelopes of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in dust-scattered Galactic light. The goal is to characterize the shapes of the envelopes to probe the mass-loss geometry and the presence of hidden binary companions. The observations consist of deep optical imaging of 22 AGB stars with high mass loss rates: 16 with the ESO 3.5 m NTT telescope, and the remainder with other telescopes. The circumstellar envelopes are detected in 15 objects, with mass loss rates > 2E-6 Msun/year. The surface brightness of the envelopes shows a strong decrease with Galactic radius, which indicates a steep radial gradient in the interstellar radiation field. The envelopes range from circular to elliptical in shape, and we characterize them by the ellipticity (E = major/minor axis) of iso-intensity contours. We find that about 50 percent of the envelopes are close to circular with E < 1.1, and others are more elliptical with about 20 percent with E > 1.2. We interpret the shapes in terms of populations of single stars and binaries whose envelopes are flattened by a companion. The distribution of E is qualitatively consistent with expectations based on population synthesis models of binary AGB stars. We also find that about 50 percent of the sample exhibit small-scale, elongated features in the central regions. We interpret these as the escape of light from the central star through polar holes, which are also likely produced by companions. Our observations of envelope flattening and polar holes point to a hidden population of companions within the circumstellar envelopes of AGB stars. These companions are expected to play an important role in the transition to post-AGB stars and the formation of planetary nebulae.