arXiv subjects

U. Heber

Publications and source records attributed to U. Heber.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A 500 pc volume-limited sample of hot subluminous stars III. The short-period binary population

Hot subdwarf stars of spectral types O and B (sdO/B) in binaries form as products of substantial mass loss near the tip of the red giant branch and offer powerful constraints on binary-star evolutionary models. However, details of some formation channels remain missing. We present a comprehensive analysis of the short-period binary population in the 500 pc volume-limited sample of hot subdwarfs, enabled by precise Gaia DR3 parallaxes. Besides 45 known binaries within 500 pc, this work identifies 50 new single-lined radial-velocity variable systems, 34 with orbital solutions with periods between 0.07 and 22 days. We derive an overall short-period binary fraction of 34.7 (+2.8/-2.9)% for the full sample of 301 hot subdwarfs within 500 pc, corrected for orbital inclination and detection efficiency. The newly solved binaries predominantly occupy the 1-20 day range, a parameter space previously under-represented in the literature. We identify five new reflection-effect systems, three ellipsoidal modulation systems, a newly solved HW Vir system, and a new triple candidate. The sdB and sdO binary fractions are similar, while the sdOB class shows a fraction roughly half that of sdB/sdO stars, with periods over one day, suggesting a different evolutionary pathway. Underluminous hot subdwarfs below the canonical extreme horizontal branch show a binary fraction comparable to other sdB/sdO stars but host only white dwarf companions, which are more massive and mainly found at periods under one day. We provide the first volume-complete birthrate estimates for sub-populations, determining a Galactic merger rate of 2.5+-1.5x10^-5 yr^-1 for sdO/B binaries, explaining no more than ~12% of the eHe-sdO population. We also derive birthrates for two SN Ia progenitor channels, finding hot subdwarf binaries could account for up to 2.5 (+0.7/-0.5)% of the observed Galactic SN Ia rate.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Toward 3D orbits of wide sdO/B binaries I. Six composite systems spatially resolved with VLTI/GRAVITY

Hot subdwarf stars (sdO/Bs) are widely considered to be products of binary evolution. A significant fraction of them are found in long-period or wide binaries ($P>500$ d) with main sequence (MS) companions, likely resulting from a stable mass transfer episode where the MS companion stripped the hydrogen envelope of the sdO/B progenitor. Consequently, wide sdO/B binaries represent a key population in our pursuit of understanding stable mass transfer. They exhibit a modest range of orbital periods and eccentricities as revealed by long-term spectroscopic campaigns, though the component masses are not well constrained. In this Letter, we present the first long-baseline interferometry campaign to observe wide sdO/B + MS binaries and take the first step toward determining their 3-dimensional (3D) orbits and model-independent component masses. We target six composite sdO/B + MS systems with VLTI/GRAVITY and spatially resolve all of them. The projected physical separations range between $1-3$ au, with uncertainties between $1-8$%. When combined with complementary information from spectroscopic or astrometric observations, our precise measurements will be crucial to constrain 3D orbits for these systems. Additionally, we also identify a potential third component in BD+10 2357, although additional data will be necessary for confirmation. In light of continued spectroscopic monitoring and the imminent Gaia Data Release 4, we strongly encourage expanding the interferometric sample presented here to establish new, precise orbital and mass constraints for this key population of binary interaction products.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Evidence for neutron capture in heavy-metal hot subdwarfs: Far-UV spectroscopy of EC22536-5304 and LSIV-14 116

Most hot subdwarfs (sdO/B) are low-mass core-helium-burning stars formed through binary interaction. A subgroup of intermediate He-rich sdOBs shows extreme heavy-metal (Z>30) enrichments exceeding $10^4$ times solar, especially in Zr or Pb. We analyse the first ultraviolet spectra of the "heavy metal" subdwarfs LSIV-14 116 (Zr-rich) and EC22536-5304 (Pb-rich) to determine their abundance patterns and test nucleosynthesis models. Both stars show exceptionally rich heavy-element spectra dominated by ions in stages III-VI, many absent from standard line lists. We compiled literature energy levels, wavelengths, and oscillator strengths and implemented them in the SYNSPEC code. In addition, we computed new oscillator strengths for As III, Se III, Hf IV, and Tl IV. New photoionisation cross-sections for Pb III-VI enabled the first non-LTE models of multiply ionised Pb. In LSIV-14 116 we detect 16 light and 24 heavy metals (Ga-Bi); Br, Nb, Mo, Pd, In, Sb, Te, and Xe are measured in an sdO/B star for the first time. In EC22536-5304 13 light and 26 heavy metals are detected, including first detections of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Er, Yb, Lu, Hf, Ta, W, Os, Pt, Hg, Tl, and Bi. LSIV-14 116 peaks at ~4.3 dex for Sr-Sn relative to solar, declining to 3.1 dex at Pb and 2.3 dex at Bi, whereas EC22536-5304 reaches 6.2 dex for Pb and 5.4 dex for Bi. Both stars are Fe-poor. The abundance patterns cannot be explained by atomic diffusion alone and retain a clear nucleosynthetic signature. EC22536-5304 closely matches predictions of i-process nucleosynthesis, providing strong evidence for i-process self-enrichment in hot subdwarfs. EC22536-5304 likely formed via Roche-lobe overflow, whereas LSIV-14 116 likely originated from the merger of two low-mass white dwarfs, which may explain differences in its enrichment pattern. These results suggest that heavy metals in other He-sdO/Bs may also be self-synthesised.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Discovery of a runaway star likely ejected by a Type Iax Supernova

Over the past decade, runaway stars have been identified, believed to originate either as surviving donors of Type Ia supernovae or as partially deflagrated accretors producing Type Iax supernovae. While the former have been extensively studied recently, the origins of the latter (also called LP 40-365 type stars) remain under-explored and therefore less well understood. So far seven such objects are known. In this paper, we report the discovery of a new LP 40-365 type runaway star, notably hotter than previously studied members of this class. Spectral analysis confirms that its atmosphere is neon- and oxygen-dominated, consistent with earlier analyses of other LP 40-365 type stars. Kinematic analysis indicates that the star has a high probability of being unbound from the Galaxy and was most likely ejected from the Galactic disk approximately 2.8 Myr ago with an ejection velocity exceeding 600 km/s. This result further emphasizes the discrepancy between the abundance yields and kick velocities predicted by white dwarf deflagration models and those observed in stars of LP 40-365 type, underscoring the need for a reassessment of such systems.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

A 500 pc volume-limited sample of hot subluminous stars II. Atmospheric parameters, mass distribution, and kinematics

We present a quantitative spectroscopic and kinematic analysis of a volume-complete sample of hot subluminous stars within 500 pc of the Sun, assembled using accurate parallax measurements from Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). In total, 3226 spectra of 253 hot subdwarf stars were analysed to derive atmospheric parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, and helium abundance) and radial velocities. Spectral energy distributions (SEDs) combined with Gaia parallaxes were used to measure stellar radii, luminosities, and masses. The derived atmospheric parameters reveal a consistent alignment between sdB and sdO stars in the Kiel diagram when compared to theoretical evolutionary models. We identify a population (about 10%) of hot subdwarfs located below the 0.45 Msun zero-age EHB in both the Kiel and Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams, which likely originate from intermediate-mass progenitors (1.8-8 Msun). The overall mass distribution peaks at 0.48 pm 0.12 Msun, while hot subdwarfs below the EHB peak at 0.43 pm 0.10 Msun, supporting non- or semi-degenerate helium ignition characteristic of intermediate-mass stars. Interpolation of EHB and post-EHB tracks yields mass distributions consistent with those derived from SEDs and parallaxes. Assuming a mass range between 0.40 and 0.50 Msun, we find that the post-EHB birthrate is 2-3 times higher than the EHB birthrate, suggesting overestimated EHB lifetimes or contamination from additional formation channels. Our kinematic analysis shows that 86 pm 2% of the stars belong to the Galactic thin disk, with 13 pm 1% and 1 pm 1% associated with the thick disk and halo. The below-EHB population is found exclusively in the thin disk, the only Galactic component young enough to host intermediate-mass progenitors. Its absence from other large samples suggests that non-degenerate formation channels play a more prominent role in the Galactic disk.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

The Arizona-Montr\'eal spectroscopic survey of hot subluminous stars

Hot subdwarf B (sdB) and O (sdO) type stars are evolved helium-burning objects that lost their hydrogen envelope before the helium flash when their progenitors were close to the tip of the red giant branch. They populate the extreme horizontal branch (EHB) in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD). Using the high-quality, homogeneous spectra of 336 hot subluminous star candidates from the Arizona-Montr\'eal Spectroscopic Survey, we aim to improve our understanding of the atmospheric and stellar properties of hot subdwarf stars. We used large grids of model atmospheres to fit the observed spectra and derived their atmospheric parameters: effective temperature (Teff), surface gravity, and helium abundance. The model grids were further utilized to fit the spectral energy distribution of each star and the $Gaia$ parallax was used to compute the stellar parameters radius, luminosity, and mass. We detected helium stratification in six sdB stars with Teff around 30 kK, making them good candidates for also showing $^3$He enrichment in their atmospheres. The mass distributions of H-rich sdBs and sdOs are similar and centered around 0.47 $\text{M}_\odot$, consistent with the canonical formation scenario of helium ignition under degenerate conditions. Among the H-rich hot subdwarfs, we found no difference between the mass distributions of close binaries and apparently single stars. The He-sdOs have a significantly wider mass distribution than their H-rich counterparts, with an average mass of about 0.78 $\text{M}_\odot$. This strongly favors a merger origin for these He-rich objects. We identified a small number of candidate low-mass ($<$0.45$ \text{M}_\odot$) sdBs located below the EHB that might have originated from more massive progenitors. Finally, we identified more than 80 pulsating stars in our sample and found these to fall into well-defined $p$- and $g$-mode instability regions.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Where are the binaries? -- Searching for blue horizontal-branch stars in binary systems in the inner Galactic Halo

Blue horizontal-branch (BHB) stars are evolved low-mass objects that have completed their core hydrogen burning main-sequence (MS) stage and have lost significant mass during the red giant phase culminating in the helium flash. We determine the fraction of BHBs in binary systems over a wide range of separations in the inner Galactic Halo to constrain mass-loss mechanisms and evolutionary pathways. Using a catalog of 22,336 BHB candidates from Gaia DR3, we analysed radial velocity variations found in spectra (263 spectra of 89 targets) acquired using the Ondrejov Echelle spectrograph at the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences together with archival spectra from the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) and Fiber-fed Extended Range Optical Spectrograph (FEROS). We searched for wide common proper motion pairs, binary candidates with enhanced astrometric noise, and binaries with astrometric orbital solutions in Gaia DR3. Archival light curves from Gaia DR3 and the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) were checked for binary induced variations. Synthetic SEDs and binary detection probabilities were modelled to account for selection effects. We find a binary fraction of <2.2%, far lower than the rates for their main-sequence (MS) and red-giant branch (RGB) progenitors (30-50%). This suggests that BHBs are either not descendants of binary systems, or that existing companions do not survive the BHB formation process. The negligible binary fraction implies single-star evolution could dominate BHB formation, contrasting with EHB stars where binarity is critical. Our results challenge models of mass loss on the RGB and highlight the need for alternative mechanisms.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Ancient, eclipsing, tidally-locked: A blue lurker progenitor in the population of extreme-velocity star candidates

Many extreme velocity candidate stars have been found based on \textit{Gaia} astrometry, but need spectroscopic confirmation. We select late-type hypervelocity star (HVS) candidates from the \textit{Gaia} DR3 catalog with a $1\sigma$ lower limit of the tangential velocity of 800 km\,s$^{-1}$. J1903-0023, one of the brightest targets, stands out as high priority candidate for follow-up spectroscopy using the X-shooter instrument at ESO-VLT. We determine its atmospheric parameters and abundances utilizing synthetic spectral grids and a global $\chi^2-$minimization procedure, and its stellar parameters with the help of evolutionary tracks and the spectral energy distribution. The star shows variability in its light curve and follow-up spectroscopy confirms that the star is radial-velocity variable. The spectroscopic distance of J1903-0023 is lower than that based on the parallax, indicating that the star is not a hypervelocity binary star but bound to the Galaxy. The star turned out to be of spectral type F, very similar to the extreme-velocity star J0725-2351, which we analyse in the same way as the target. Apparently, both stars are very metal poor and old halo main-sequence (sdF) stars with masses slightly below the halo turn-off mass, and share the low metallicity ([Fe/H]=-2.3,-2.6) and strong alpha enhancement ([$\alpha$/Fe]$\sim0.44$). While J0725-2351 is non-rotating ($v\sin\,i<3$\,km\,s$^{-1}$), J1903-0023 is a fast rotator ($v\sin i=42.3\pm2.0$ km\,s$^{-1}$). The Gaia, and ZTF light curves show an eclipse at a 1.179 day period, similar to the rotation period of J1903-0023. We therefore conclude that J1903-0023 is a high-velocity tidally-synchronised binary most likely with a metal-poor M dwarf companion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Spectroscopic Observations of Four Candidates for Blue Large-Amplitude Pulsators. No BLAPs at High Galactic Latitudes

We have obtained spectroscopic observations for four short-period variable objects detected in ZTF, Gaia, and Pan-STARRS (ZGP) data and classified as Blue Large-Amplitude Pulsators (BLAPs) in McWhirter and Lam (2022): ZGP-BLAP-03, ZGP-BLAP-04, ZGP-BLAP-10, and ZGP-BLAP-15. The variables have periods between 46 and 56 min, full amplitudes of 0.13-0.22 mag in the $r$ band, and light curve shapes typical for radially pulsating stars. Three of them were found at high galactic latitudes (|$b$|>30 deg). We have identified object ZGP-BLAP-03 as an early F-type star, while objects ZGP-BLAP-04 and ZGP-BLAP-15 as low-metallicity late A-type stars. These are the three objects found at high galactic latitudes and located several kiloparsecs from the Sun. Thus, they are SX Phoenicis-type variable stars residing in the Galactic halo. In the case of low-latitude object ZGP-BLAP-10, we report the presence of helium lines in its spectrum and atmospheric parameters in agreement with known BLAPs. This and other results indicate that BLAPs are absent in metal-poor environments.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

A spectroscopic and kinematic survey of fast hot subdwarfs

Hot subdwarfs (sdO/B) are the stripped helium cores of red giants formed by binary interactions. Close hot subdwarf binaries with massive white dwarf companions have been proposed as possible progenitors of thermonuclear supernovae type Ia (SN Ia). If the supernova is triggered by stable mass transfer from the helium star, the companion should survive the explosion and should be accelerated to high velocities. The hypervelocity star US 708 is regarded as the prototype for such an ejected companion. To find more of those objects we conducted an extensive spectroscopic survey. Candidates for such fast stars have been selected from the spectroscopic database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and several ground-based proper motion surveys. Follow-up spectroscopy has been obtained with several 4m- to 10m-class telescopes. Combining the results from quantitative spectroscopic analyses with space-based astrometry from \textit{Gaia} Early Data Release 3 (EDR3) we determined the atmospheric and kinematic parameters of 53 fast hot subdwarf stars. None of these stars is unbound to the Galaxy, although some have Galactic restframe velocities close to the Galactic escape velocity. 21 stars are apparently single objects, which crossed the Galactic disc within their lifetimes in the sdO/B stage and could be regarded as potential candidates for the SN Ia ejection scenario. However, the properties of the full sample are more consistent with a pure old Galactic halo population. We therefore conclude that the fast sdO/B stars we found are likely to be extreme halo stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

A 500 pc volume-limited sample of hot subluminous stars I. Space density, scale height, and population properties

We present the first volume-limited sample of spectroscopically confirmed hot subluminous stars out to 500 pc, defined using the accurate parallax measurements from the {\em Gaia} space mission data release 3 (DR3). The sample comprises a total of 397 members, with 305 ($\sim 77\%$) identified as hot subdwarf stars, including 83 newly discovered systems. Of these, we observe that 178 ($\sim58\%$) are hydrogen-rich sdBs, 65 are sdOBs ($\sim 21\%$), 32 are sdOs ($\sim 11\%$), and 30 are He-sdO/Bs ($\sim 10\%$). Among them, 48 ($\sim 16\%$) exhibit an infrared excess in their spectral energy distribution fits, suggesting a composite binary system. The hot subdwarf population is estimated to be 90\% complete, assuming that most missing systems are these composite binaries located within the main sequence (MS) in the \emph{Gaia} colour-magnitude diagram (CMD). The remaining sources in the sample include cataclysmic variables (CVs), blue horizontal branch stars (BHBs), hot white dwarfs (WDs), and MS stars. We derived the mid-plane density $\rho_{0}$ and scale height $\mathrm{h}_{z}$ for the non-composite hot subdwarf star population using a hyperbolic sechant profile (sech$^2$). The best-fit values are $\rho_{0}\,=\,5.17\pm 0.33 \times10^{-7}$ stars/pc$^{3}$ and $\mathrm{h}_{z} = 281 \pm 62$ pc. When accounting for the composite-colour hot subdwarfs and their estimated completeness, the mid-plane density increases to $\rho_{0}\,=\,6.15^ {+1.16}_{-0.53} \times10^{-7}$ stars/pc$^{3}$. This corrected space density is an order of magnitude lower than predicted by population synthesis studies, supporting previous observational estimates.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

SHOTGLAS II. MUSE spectroscopy of blue horizontal branch stars in the core of $\omega$ Centauri and NGC 6752

In this work, we characterize the properties of HB stars in the GCs $\omega$ Cen and NGC 6752. We use dedicated model atmospheres and synthetic spectra grids computed using a hybrid LTE/NLTE modeling approach to fit the MUSE spectra of HB stars hotter than 8000 K in both clusters. The spectral fits provide estimates of the effective temperature, surface gravity, and helium abundance of the stars. The model grids are further used to fit the HST magnitudes, meaning the spectral energy distributions (SED), of the stars. From the SED fits, we derive the average reddening, radius, luminosity, and mass of the stars in our sample. The atmospheric and stellar properties that we derive for the stars in our sample are in good agreement with the theoretical expectations. In particular, the stars cooler than $\sim$15 000 K follow neatly the theoretical predictions on the radius, log $g$, and luminosity for helium-normal models. In $\omega$ Cen, we show that the majority of these cooler HB stars cannot originate from a helium-enriched population with $Y>$0.35. The properties of the hotter stars (radii and luminosities) are still in reasonable agreement with theoretical expectations, but the individual measurements have a large scatter. We use three different diagnostics, namely the position of the G-jump and changes in metallicity and helium abundances to place the onset of diffusion in the stellar atmospheres at Teff between 11 and 11.5 kK. Our sample includes two stars known as photometric variables, we confirm one to be a bona fide extreme HB object but the other is a blue straggler star. Finally, unlike what has been reported in the literature, we do not find significant differences between the properties of the stars in both clusters. We showed that our analysis method combining MUSE spectra and HST photometry of HB stars in GC is a powerful tool to characterize their stellar properties.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

The first massive compact companion in a wide orbit around a hot subdwarf star

We report the discovery of the first hot subdwarf B (sdB) star with a massive compact companion in a wide ($P=892.5\pm60.2\,{\rm d}$) binary system. It was discovered based on an astrometric binary solution provided by the Gaia mission Data Release 3. We performed detailed analyses of the spectral energy distribution (SED) as well as spectroscopic follow-up observations and confirm the nature of the visible component as a sdB star. The companion is invisible despite of its high mass of $M_{\rm comp}=1.50_{-0.45}^{+0.37}\,M_{\rm \odot}$. A main sequence star of this mass would significantly contribute to the SED and can be excluded. The companion must be a compact object, either a massive white dwarf or a neutron star. Stable Roche lobe overflow to the companion likely led to the stripping of a red giant and the formation of the sdB, the hot and exposed helium core of the giant. Based on very preliminary data, we estimate that $\sim9\%$ of the sdBs might be formed through this new channel. This binary might also be the prototype for a new progenitor class of supernovae type Ia, which has been predicted by theory.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Sub-stellar Companions of Intermediate-mass Stars with CoRoT: CoRoT-34b, CoRoT-35b, and CoRoT-36b

Theories of planet formation give contradicting results of how frequent close-in giant planets of intermediate mass stars (IMSs; $\rm 1.3\leq M_{\star}\leq 3.2\,M_{\rm \odot}$) are. Some theories predict a high rate of IMSs with close-in gas giants, while others predict a very low rate. Thus, determining the frequency of close-in giant planets of IMSs is an important test for theories of planet formation. We use the CoRoT survey to determine the absolute frequency of IMSs that harbour at least one close-in giant planet and compare it to that of solar-like stars. The CoRoT transit survey is ideal for this purpose, because of its completeness for gas-giant planets with orbital periods of less than 10 days and its large sample of main-sequence IMSs. We present a high precision radial velocity follow-up programme and conclude on 17 promising transit candidates of IMSs, observed with CoRoT. We report the detection of CoRoT-34b, a brown dwarf close to the hydrogen burning limit, orbiting a 1.1 Gyr A-type main-sequence star. We also confirm two inflated giant planets, CoRoT-35b, part of a possible planetary system around a metal-poor star, and CoRoT-36b on a misaligned orbit. We find that $0.12 \pm 0.10\,\%$ of IMSs between $1.3\leq M_{\star}\leq 1.6 M_{\rm \odot}$ observed by CoRoT do harbour at least one close-in giant planet. This is significantly lower than the frequency ($0.70 \pm 0.16\,\%$) for solar-mass stars, as well as the frequency of IMSs harbouring long-period planets ($\rm \sim 8\,\%$).

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

Discovery and analysis of three magnetic hot subdwarf stars: evidence for merger-induced magnetic fields

Magnetic fields can play an important role in stellar evolution. Among white dwarfs, the most common stellar remnant, the fraction of magnetic systems is more than 20 per cent. The origin of magnetic fields in white dwarfs, which show strengths ranging from 40 kG to hundreds of MG, is still a topic of debate. In contrast, only one magnetic hot subdwarf star has been identified out of thousands of known systems. Hot subdwarfs are formed from binary interaction, a process often associated with the generation of magnetic fields, and will evolve to become white dwarfs, which makes the lack of detected magnetic hot subdwarfs a puzzling phenomenon. Here we report the discovery of three new magnetic hot subdwarfs with field strengths in the range 300-500 kG. Like the only previously known system, they are all helium-rich O-type stars (He-sdOs). We analysed multiple archival spectra of the three systems and derived their stellar properties. We find that they all lack radial velocity variability, suggesting formation via a merger channel. However, we derive higher than typical hydrogen abundances for their spectral type, which are in disagreement with current model predictions. Our findings suggest a lower limit to the magnetic fraction of hot subdwarfs of 0.147 (+0.143/-0.047) per cent, and provide evidence for merger-induced magnetic fields which could explain white dwarfs with field strengths of 50-150 MG, assuming magnetic flux conservation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

The OmegaWhite Survey for Short-Period Variable Stars VII: High amplitude, short period blue variables

Blue Large Amplitude Pulsators (BLAPs) are a relatively new class of blue variable stars showing periodic variations in their light curves with periods shorter than a few tens of mins and amplitudes of more than ten percent. We report nine blue variable stars identified in the OmegaWhite survey conducted using ESO's VST, which show a periodic modulation in the range 7-37 min and an amplitude in the range 0.11-0.28 mag. We have obtained a series of followup photometric and spectroscopic observations made primarily using SALT and telescopes at SAAO. We find four stars which we identify as BLAPs, one of which was previously known. One star, OW J0820--3301, appears to be a member of the V361 Hya class of pulsating stars and is spatially close to an extended nebula. One further star, OW J1819--2729, has characteristics similar to the sdAV pulsators. In contrast, OW J0815--3421 is a binary star containing an sdB and a white dwarf with an orbital period of 73.7 min, making it only one of six white dwarf-sdB binaries with an orbital period shorter than 80 min. Finally, high cadence photometry of four of the candidate BLAPs show features which we compare with notch-like features seen in the much longer period Cepheid pulsators.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Radial velocity variability and evolution of hot subdwarf stars

Hot subdwarf stars represent a late and peculiar stage in the evolution of low-mass stars, because they are likely formed by close binary interactions. Here we performed a radial velocity (RV) variability study of a sample of 646 hot subdwarfs with multi-epoch radial velocities from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) spectra [...] As diagnostics we used the fraction of RV-variable stars and the distribution of the maximum RV variations $\Delta RV_{\rm max}$. Both indicators turned out to be quite inhomogeneous across the studied parameter ranges. A striking feature is the completely different behaviour of He-poor and He-rich hot subdwarfs. While the former have a high fraction of close binaries, almost no significant RV variations could be detected for the latter. This led us to the conclusion that there likely is no evolutionary connection between these subtypes. Intermediate He-rich- and extreme He-rich sdOB/Os on the other hand are likely related. We conclude further that the vast majority of this population is formed via one or several binary merger channels. Hot subdwarfs with temperatures cooler than $\sim24\,000\,{\rm K}$ tend to show less and smaller RV-variations. These objects might constitute a new subpopulation of binaries with longer periods and late-type or compact companions. The RV-variability properties of the extreme horizontal branch (EHB) and corresponding post-EHB populations of the He-poor hot subdwarfs match and confirm the predicted evolutionary connection between them. Stars found below the canonical EHB at somewhat higher surface gravities show large RV-variations and a high RV-variability fraction, which is consistent with most of them being low-mass EHB stars or progenitors of low-mass helium white dwarfs in close binaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Mysterious Odd Radio Circle near the Large Magellanic Cloud -- An Intergalactic Supernova Remnant?

We report the discovery of J0624-6948, a low-surface brightness radio ring, lying between the Galactic Plane and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It was first detected at 888 MHz with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), and with a diameter of ~196 arcsec. This source has phenomenological similarities to Odd Radio Circles (ORCs). Significant differences to the known ORCs - a flatter radio spectral index, the lack of a prominent central galaxy as a possible host, and larger apparent size - suggest that J0624-6948 may be a different type of object. We argue that the most plausible explanation for J0624-6948 is an intergalactic supernova remnant due to a star that resided in the LMC outskirts that had undergone a single-degenerate type Ia supernova, and we are seeing its remnant expand into a rarefied, intergalactic environment. We also examine if a massive star or a white dwarf binary ejected from either galaxy could be the supernova progenitor. Finally, we consider several other hypotheses for the nature of the object, including the jets of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) or the remnant of a nearby stellar super-flare.

astro-ph.HE↗