Astrophysicists are increasingly taking into account the effects of orbiting companions on stellar evolution. New discoveries have underlined the role of binary star interactions in a range of astrophysical events, including some that were previously interpreted as being due uniquely to single stellar evolution. We review classical binary phenomena, such as type Ia supernovae, and discuss new phenomena, such as intermediate luminosity transients, gravitational wave-producing double black holes, and the interaction between stars and their planets. Finally, we reassess well-known phenomena, such as luminous blue variables, in light of interpretations that include both single and binary stars. At the same time we contextualise the new discoveries within the framework of binary stellar evolution. The last decade has seen a revival in stellar astrophysics as the complexity of stellar observations is increasingly interpreted with an interplay of single and binary scenarios. The next decade, with the advent of massive projects such as the Square Kilometre Array, the James Webb Space Telescope, and increasingly sophisticated computational methods, will see the birth of an expanded framework of stellar evolution that will have repercussions in many other areas of astrophysics such as galactic evolution and nucleosynthesis.

Tidal Downsizing scenario of planet formation builds on ideas proposed by Gerard Kuiper in 1951. Detailed simulations of self-gravitating discs, gas fragments, dust grain dynamics, and planet evolutionary calculations are summarised here and used to build a predictive population synthesis. A new interpretation of exoplanetary and debris disc data, the Solar System's origins, and the links between planets and brown dwarfs is offered. Tidal Downsizing predicts that presence of debris discs, sub-Neptune mass planets, planets more massive than ~ 5 Jupiter masses and brown dwarfs should not correlate strongly with the metallicity of the host. For gas giants of ~ Saturn to a few Jupiter mass, a strong host star metallicity correlation is predicted only inwards of a few AU from the host. Composition of massive cores is predicted to be dominated by rock rather than ices. Debris discs made by Tidal Downsizing have an innermost edge larger than about 1 au, have smaller total masses and are usually in a dynamically excited state. Planet formation in surprisingly young or very dynamic systems such as HL Tau and Kepler-444 may be a signature of Tidal Downsizing. Open questions and potential weaknesses of the hypothesis are pointed out.

I introduce Profiler, a user-friendly program designed to analyse the radial surface brightness profiles of galaxies. With an intuitive graphical user interface, Profiler can accurately model galaxies of a broad range of morphological types, with various parametric functions routinely employed in the field (Sérsic, core-Sérsic, exponential, Gaussian, Moffat, and Ferrers). In addition to these, Profiler can employ the broken exponential model for disc truncations or anti–truncations, and two special cases of the edge-on disc model: along the disc's major or minor axis. The convolution of (circular or elliptical) models with the point spread function is performed in 2D, and offers a choice between Gaussian, Moffat or a user-provided profile for the point spread function. Profiler is optimised to work with galaxy light profiles obtained from isophotal measurements, which allow for radial gradients in the geometric parameters of the isophotes, and are thus often better at capturing the total light than 2D image-fitting programs. Additionally, the 1D approach is generally less computationally expensive and more stable. I demonstrate Profiler's features by decomposing three case-study galaxies: the cored elliptical galaxy NGC 3348, the nucleated dwarf Seyfert I galaxy Pox 52, and NGC 2549, a double-barred galaxy with an edge-on, truncated disc.

Profiler is freely available at https://github.com/BogdanCiambur/PROFILER.

Recent progress in telescope development has brought us different ways to observe protoplanetary disks: interferometers, space missions, adaptive optics, polarimetry, and time- and spectrally-resolved data. While the new facilities have changed the way we can tackle open problems in disk structure and evolution, there is a substantial lack of interconnection between different observing communities. Here, we explore the complementarity of some of the state-of-the-art observing techniques, and how they can be brought together to understand disk dispersal and planet formation.

This paper was born at the ‘Protoplanetary Discussions’ meeting in Edinburgh, 2016. Its goal is to clarify where multi-wavelength observations converge in unveiling disk structure and evolution, and where they challenge our current understanding. We discuss caveats that should be considered when linking results from different observations, or when drawing conclusions from limited datasets (in terms of wavelength or sample). We focus on disk properties that are currently being revolutionized, specifically: the inner disk radius, holes and gaps and their link to large-scale disk structures, the disk mass, and the accretion rate. We discuss how their connections and apparent contradictions can help us to disentangle the disk physics and to learn about disk evolution.

In traditional antenna design, metal components are not placed in the central part of the antenna as they change the characteristics of near field radiation. However, we show that placing a metal ring in the centre of the strip lines, which connect the ends of folded high-frequency dipoles, does not damage the performance of the feed. Instead it significantly improves the voltage standing wave ratio of the feed whilst other performance indicators are not compromised. Thus, our findings show an excellent way of improving the wide band feed. Based on this foundation, a new circularly polarised feed for operation between 0.4 to 2 GHz is introduced for the Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph in this paper. The issue of a feed impedance matching network is investigated. By optimising the impedance matching, the performance of the feed is enhanced with respect to the previous realisations of the Eleven feed. The simulation and experimental results show that the gain of the feed is about 10 dBi, and the VSWR is less than 2:1. In addition, the feed has a low axial ratio, fixed phase centre location, and constant beam width in the range of 0.4 to 2 GHz.

Multi-frequency, multi-epoch ATCA observations of a sample of AGN resulted in the identification of nine new candidate Giga-hertz Peaked Spectrum sources. Here, we present Long Baseline Array observations at 4.8 GHz of the four candidates with no previously published VLBI image, and consider these together with previously published VLBI images of the other five sources. We find core-jet or compact double morphologies dominate, with further observations required to distinguish between these two possibilities for some sources. One of the nine candidates, PKS 1831–711, displays appreciable variability, suggesting its GPS spectrum is more ephemeral in nature. We focus in particular on the apparent relationship between a narrow spectral width and ‘compact double’ parsec-scale morphology, finding further examples, but also exceptions to this trend. An examination of the VLBI morphologies high-redshift (z > 3) sub-class of GPS sources suggests that core-jet morphologies predominate in this class.

A novel sky-subtraction method based on non-negative matrix factorisation with sparsity is proposed in this paper. The proposed non-negative matrix factorisation with sparsity method is redesigned for sky-subtraction considering the characteristics of the skylights. It has two constraint terms, one for sparsity and the other for homogeneity. Different from the standard sky-subtraction techniques, such as the B-spline curve fitting methods and the Principal Components Analysis approaches, sky-subtraction based on non-negative matrix factorisation with sparsity method has higher accuracy and flexibility. The non-negative matrix factorisation with sparsity method has research value for the sky-subtraction on multi-object fibre spectroscopic telescope surveys. To demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed algorithm, experiments are performed on Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope data, as the mechanisms of the multi-object fibre spectroscopic telescopes are similar.

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array to search for a number of centimetre wavelength methanol transitions which are predicted to show weak maser emission towards star formation regions. Sensitive, high spatial, and spectral resolution observations towards four high-mass star formation regions which show emission in a large number of class II methanol maser transitions did not result in any detections. From these observations, we are able to place an upper limit of ≲ 1300 K on the brightness temperature of any emission from the 31A+–31A−, 17−2–18−3 E (vt = 1), 124–133 A−, 124–133 A+, and 41A+–41A− transitions of methanol in these sources on angular scales of 2 arcsec. This upper limit is consistent with current models for class II methanol masers in high-mass star formation regions and better constraints than those provided here will likely require observations with next-generation radio telescopes.

Correlations are identified between the strength of the λ10830 He I triplet line and the following tracers of stellar activity amongst FGK dwarfs with colours of (B − V) > 0.47: coronal soft X-ray emission, emission in the λ1549 C IV and λ1335 C II lines originating from the transition region, and Ca II H and K emission from the chromosphere. No such correlations are present amongst dwarfs with spectral type earlier than F6. In addition, G and K dwarfs with strong triplet lines show evidence of excess flux in the GALEX FUV band compared to weak-triplet-line dwarfs. The X-ray spectra of late-F, G, and K dwarfs with He I triplets stronger than 160 mÅ have greater values of the ROSAT hardness ratio HR1 than are typical of weak-triplet dwarfs in the same range of spectral type. In other words, dwarfs later than F7V with strong He I triplet lines tend towards harder 0.1–2.0 keV X-ray spectra than weak-triplet dwarfs, although values of HR1 ~ −0.2 to +0.1 can still be encountered amongst a minority of weak-He-triplet stars. As regards, FGK main sequence stars the observational data on the λ10830 triplet line remains sparse. Progress could be made through spectroscopy of high resolution for samples of hundreds of stars, selected on the basis of having other measures of chromospheric and coronal activity available.

This paper presents the first major data release and survey description for the ANU WiFeS SuperNovA Programme. ANU WiFeS SuperNovA Programme is an ongoing supernova spectroscopy campaign utilising the Wide Field Spectrograph on the Australian National University 2.3-m telescope. The first and primary data release of this programme (AWSNAP-DR1) releases 357 spectra of 175 unique objects collected over 82 equivalent full nights of observing from 2012 July to 2015 August. These spectra have been made publicly available via the WISEREP supernova spectroscopy repository.

We analyse the ANU WiFeS SuperNovA Programme sample of Type Ia supernova spectra, including measurements of narrow sodium absorption features afforded by the high spectral resolution of the Wide Field Spectrograph instrument. In some cases, we were able to use the integral-field nature of the Wide Field Spectrograph instrument to measure the rotation velocity of the SN host galaxy near the SN location in order to obtain precision sodium absorption velocities. We also present an extensive time series of SN 2012dn, including a near-nebular spectrum which both confirms its ‘super-Chandrasekhar’ status and enables measurement of the sub-solar host metallicity at the SN site.

Be stars (for an in-depth review see Rivinius, Carciofi & Martayan 2013) rotate at ⩾80% of the critical velocity and are multi-mode nonradial pulsators. Magnetic dipole fields are not detected, and binaries with periods less than 30 days are rare. The name-giving emission lines form in a Keplerian decretion disk, which is viscously re-accreted and also radiatively ablated unless replenished by outburts of unknown origin.

Months-long, high-cadence space photometry with the BRITE-Constellation nanosatellites (Pablo et al. 2016) of about 10 early-type Be stars reveals the following (cf. Baade et al. 2016a, Baade et al. 2016b):

• ○ Many Be stars exhibit 1 or 2 so-called Δ frequencies, which are differences between two nonradial-pulsation (NRP) frequencies and much lower (mostly less than 0.1 c/d) than the parent frequencies. The associated light curves are roughly sinusoidal. The amplitudes can exceed that of the sum of the parent amplitudes.

• ○ Conventional beat patterns also occur.

• ○ Amplitudes of both Δ and beat frequencies can temporarily be enhanced. Around phases of maximal amplitude the mean brightness is in- or decreased, and the scatter can be enhanced.

• ○ During high-activity phases (outbursts), broad and dense groups of numerous spikes arise in the power spectra. The two strongest groups often have a frequency ratio near 2. The phase coherence seems to be low.

• ○ Time coverage (less than half a year) is not yet sufficient to infer whether two Δ or beat frequencies can combine to cause long-lasting (years) superoutbursts (cf. Carciofi et al. 2012).

From these observations it is concluded:

• • The variable mean brightness and the increased Δ-frequency amplitude and scatter trace the amount of near-circumstellar matter.

• • Increase or decrease of mean brightness is aspect-angle dependent (pole-on vs. equator-on).

• • Increased amounts of near-circumstellar matter are due to rotation-assisted mass ejections caused by coupled NRP modes.

• • Observations do not constrain the location of the coupling (atmosphere or stellar interior).

• • Broad frequency groups do not represent stellar pulsation modes but circumstellar variability.

• • Be stars later than B5 are less active and may in some cases even behave differently.

The upper mass limit of stars remains an open question in astrophysics. Here we discuss observations of the most massive stars (greater than 100 solar masses) in the local universe and how the observations fit in with theoretical predictions. In particular, the Large Magellanic Cloud plays host to numerous very massive stars, making it an ideal template to study the roles that environment, metallicity, and multiplicity play in the formation and evolution of the most massive stars. We will discuss the work that is instrumental in laying the groundwork for interpreting future observations by James Webb of starburst regions in the high redshift universe.

Cygnus OB2 is a rich and relatively close (d~1.4 kpc) OB association in our Galaxy. It represents an ideal testbed for our theories about self-enrichment processes produced by pollution of the interstellar medium by successive generations of massive stars. Comerón & Pasquali (2012, A&A, 543, A101) found a correlation between the age of young stellar groups in Cygnus OB2 and their Galactic longitude. If is associated with a chemical composition gradient, it could support these self-enrichment processes.

Classical Be stars are rapidly rotating stars with circumstellar disks that come and go on time scale of years. Recent observational data strongly suggests that these stars lack the 10% incidence of global magnetic fields observed in other main-sequence B stars. Such an apparent lack of magnetic fields may indicate that Be disks are fundamentally incompatible with a significant large scale magnetic field. In this work, using numerical magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations, we show that a dipole field of only 100G can lead to the quick disruption of a Be disk. Such a limit is in line with the observational upper limits for these objects.

With red supergiants (RSGs) predicted to end their lives as Type IIP core collapse supernova (CCSN), their behaviour before explosion needs to be fully understood. Mass loss rates govern RSG evolution towards SN and have strong implications on the appearance of the resulting explosion. To study how the mass-loss rates change with the evolution of the star, we have measured the amount of circumstellar material around 19 RSGs in a coeval cluster. Our study has shown that mass loss rates ramp up throughout the lifetime of an RSG, with more evolved stars having mass loss rates a factor of 40 higher than early stage RSGs. Interestingly, we have also found evidence for an increase in circumstellar extinction throughout the RSG lifetime, meaning the most evolved stars are most severely affected. We find that, were the most evolved RSGs in NGC2100 to go SN, this extra extinction would cause the progenitor’s initial mass to be underestimated by up to 9M⊙.

In a massive binary, the strong shock between the stellar winds may lead to the generation of bright X-ray emission. While this phenomenon was detected decades ago, the detailed study of this emission was only made possible by the current generation of X-ray observatories. Through dedicated monitoring and observations at high resolution, unprecedented information was revealed, putting strong constraints on the amount and structure of stellar mass-loss.

We present a deep imaging and spectroscopic survey of the Local Group starburst galaxy IC10 using Gemini North/GMOS to unveil the global Wolf-Rayet population. It has previously been suggested that for IC10 to follow the WC/WN versus metallicity dependence seen in other Local Group galaxies, a large WN population must remain undiscovered. Our search revealed 3 new WN stars, and 5 candidates awaiting confirmation, providing little evidence to support this claim. We also compute an updated nebular derived metallicity of log(O/H)+12=8.40 ± 0.04 for the galaxy using the direct method. Inspection of IC10 WR average line luminosities show these stars are more similar to their LMC, rather than SMC counterparts.

Young open clusters are our laboratories for studying high-mass star formation and evolution. Unfortunately, the information that they provide is difficult to interpret, and sometimes contradictory. In this contribution, I present a few examples of the uncertainties that we face when confronting observations with theoretical models and our own assumptions.

The next Galactic supernova is expected to bring great opportunities for the direct detection of gravitational waves, full flavor neutrinos, and multi-wavelength photons. To prepare for appropriate observations of these multi-messenger signals, we use a long-term numerical simulation of the core-collapse supernova and discuss detectability of the signals in different situations. By exploring the sequential multi-messenger signals of a nearby CCSN, we discuss preparations for maximizing successful studies of such an unprecedented stirring event.