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AGB Stars in the Fornax Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
Patricia A. Whitelock, John W. Menzies, Michael W. Feast +3
We report on a multi-epoch study of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy, made with the Infrared Survey Facility, over an area of about 42'x42'. The colour-magnitude diagram shows a…
The Luminosities and Distance Scales of Type II Cepheid and RR Lyrae variables
Michael W. Feast, Cliford D. Laney, Thomas D. Kinman +2
Infrared and optical absolute magnitudes are derived for the type II Cepheids kappa Pav and VY Pyx from revised Hipparcos parallaxes and for kappa Pav, V553 Cen and SW Tau from pul…
AGB Variables and the Mira Period-Luminosity Relation
Patricia A. Whitelock, Michael W. Feast, Floor van Leeuwen
Published data for large amplitude asymptotic giant branch variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud are re-analysed to establish the constants for an infrared (K) period-luminosity…
Dust mass-loss rates from AGB stars in the Fornax and Sagittarius dwarf Spheroidal galaxies
Eric Lagadec, Albert A. Zijlstra, Mikako Matsuura +3
To study the effect of metallicity on the mass-loss rate of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, we have conducted mid-infrared photometric measurements of such stars in the Sagitt…
Spitzer Space Telescope spectral observations of AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy
M. Matsuura, A. A. Zijlstra, J. Bernard-Salas +10
We have observed five carbon-rich AGB stars in the Fornax dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, using the Infrared Spectrometer on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The stars were selec…
Astrophysics in Southern Africa
Patricia A. Whitelock
The government of South Africa has identified astronomy as a field in which their country has a strategic advantage and is consequently investing very significantly in astronomical…
Cepheid Parallaxes and the Hubble Constant
Floor van Leeuwen, Michael W. Feast, Patricia A. Whitelock +1
Revised Hipparcos parallaxes for classical Cepheids are analysed together with 10 HST-based parallaxes (Benedict et al.). In a reddening-free V,I relation we find that the coeffici…
HST and VLT observations of the Symbiotic Star Hen 2-147
M. Santander-Garcia, R. L. M. Corradi, P. A. Whitelock +5
We investigate the dynamics of the nebula around the symbiotic star Hen 2-147, determine its expansion parallax, and compare it with the distance obtained via the Period-Luminosity…
On the nature of the cool component of MWC 560
M. Gromadzki, J. Mikolajewska, P. A. Whitelock +1
MWC 560 (V694 Mon) is one of the most enigmatic symbiotic system with a very active accretion-powered hot component. Such activity can be supported only by a luminous asymptotic gi…
Estimation of the dust mass-loss rates from AGB stars in the Fornax and Sagittarius dwarf Spheroidal galaxies
Eric Lagadec, Albert A. Zijlstra, Mikako Matsuura +2
To study the effect of metallicity on the mass-loss of AGB stars, we have conducted mid-infrared photometric measurements of AGB stars in the Sagittarius and Fornax Dwarf Spheroida…
Spitzer spectroscopy of carbon stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Eric Lagadec, Albert A. Zijlstra, G. C. Sloan +12
We present Spitzer Space telescope spectroscopic observations of 14 carbon-rich AGB stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud. SiC dust is seen in most of the carbon-rich stars but it is…
Spitzer observations of acetylene bands in carbon-rich AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud
M. Matsuura, P. R. Wood, G. C. Sloan +13
We investigate the molecular bands in carbon-rich AGB stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), using the InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST) ov…
Carbon-Rich Mira Variables: Kinematics and Absolute Magnitudes
Michael W. Feast, Patricia A. Whitelock, John W. Menzies
The kinematics of galactic C-Miras are discussed on the basis of the bolometric magnitudes and radial velocities of Papers I and II of this series. Differential galactic rotation i…
Carbon-Rich Mira Variables: Radial Velocities and Distances
John W. Menzies, Michael W. Feast, Patricia A. Whitelock
Optical radial velocities have been measured for 38 C-type Mira variables. These data together with others in the literature are used to study the differences between optical and C…
Near-Infrared Photometry of Carbon Stars
Patricia A. Whitelock, Michael W. Feast, Freddy Marang +1
Near-infrared, JHKL, photometry of 239 Galactic carbon-rich variable stars is presented and discussed. From these and published data the stars were classified as Mira or non-Mira v…
The effect of dust obscuration in RR Tel on optical and IR long-term photometry and Fe II emission lines
D. Kotnik-Karuza, M. Friedjung, P. A. Whitelock +4
Infrared and optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the symbiotic nova RR Tel are used to study the effects and properties of dust in symbiotic binaries containing a…
A Spitzer mid-infrared spectral survey of mass-losing carbon stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Albert A. Zijlstra, Mikako Matsuura, Peter R. Wood +13
We present a Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopic survey of mass-losing carbon stars (and one oxygen-rich star) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The spectra cover the wavelength ran…
ESO-VLT and Spitzer spectroscopy of IRAS05328-6827: a massive young stellar object in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Jacco Th. van Loon, J. M. Oliveira, P. R. Wood +10
We present the first thermal-infrared spectra of an extra-galactic Young Stellar Object (YSO), IRAS05328-6827 in the HII region LHA 120-N148 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The obse…
Three-micron spectra of AGB stars and supergiants in nearby galaxies
M. Matsuura, A. A. Zijlstra, J. Th. van Loon +7
The dependence of stellar molecular bands on the metallicity is studied using infrared L-band spectra of AGB stars (both carbon-rich and oxygen-rich) and M-type supergiants in the…
The AGB superwind speed at low metallicity
Jonathan R. Marshall, Jacco Th. van Loon, Mikako Matsuura +3
We present the results of a survey for OH maser emission at 1612 MHz from dust-enshrouded AGB stars and supergiants in the LMC and SMC, with the Parkes radio telescope, aimed at de…
The 2003 Shell Event in eta Carinae
Patricia A. Whitelock, Michael W. Feast, Freddy Marang +1
Near-infrared, JHKL, photometry of eta Car is reported covering the period 2000 to 2004. This includes the 2003 shell event which was the subject of an international multi-waveleng…
Optical Astronomy in Post-Apartheid South Africa: 1994 to 2004
Patricia Whitelock
The progress of optical astronomy in post-apartheid South Africa is discussed. Particular emphasis is given to the socio-political climate which embraced the idea of a 10-m class t…
The Case for Asymmetric Dust Around a C-Rich AGB star
Michael W Feast, Patricia A Whitelock, Freddy Marang
JHKL observations of the mass-losing carbon Mira variable IRAS 15194-5115 (II Lup) extending over about 18 years are presented and discussed. The pulsation period is 575 days and h…
Lithium in the Symbiotic Mira V407 Cyg
A. A. Tatarnikova, P. M. Marrese, U. Munari +4
We report an identification of the lithium resonance doublet LiI 6708A in the spectrum of V407 Cyg, a symbiotic Mira with a pulsation period of about 745 days. The resolution of th…