Thanks to OGLE, Kepler, CoRoT and planned new ambitious survey projects, the eclipsing binary (EB) community is beginning to experience a long-predicted data deluge. Beyond the analysis of the many fascinating individual objects yielded by these programs, these complete datasets themselves should yield further insights. Because objects in such datasets are characterized by many parameters, tools that assist in understanding high-dimensional data are acquiring increasing relevance. Chiefly among these are new Advanced Visualization (AV) tools and various methods of clustering data, both approaches complementing each other naturally. We illustrate the use of these tools as applied to OGLE II LMC EB data and respective EBAI light curve solutions.

Since 2010, a program to explore new eclipsing binary systems identified from STEREO photometry has been in progress. Our first results are presented here: light curves and high resolution spectra taken with Coudé spectrograph (National Astronomical Observatory Rozhen) and ARC Échelle spectrometer (ARCES, Apache Point Observatory).

U Scorpii was observed in outburst for the tenth time in January 2010. We obtained optical and near-infrared spectroscopy from which we derive a helium abundance of N(He)/N(H) = 0.056±0.020 from the most reliable lines available; this is lower than most other estimates and indicates that the secondary is not helium-rich, as previous studies have suggested. Velocities are found to be up to 14,000 km s−1 in broad components and up to 1,800 km s−1 in narrow line components. The reddening of U Sco is found to be E(B-V) = 0.14 ± 0.12.

After very dense and slow winds erode the outer layer of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star down to a thin H-rich layer (≃10−3 M⊙) the star becomes a post-AGB star and evolves at constant luminosity towards hotter temperatures. It may then becomes a planetary nebula nucleus (PNN) at the centre of a planetary nebula (PN). During these phases, the thin H-rich surface layer of the star is eroded by winds. Stardust oxide and silicate grains are recovered from meteorites. The origin of the “Group II grains” that show enrichments in 17O and depletions in 18O is currently explained by invoking the occurrence of some kind of extra-mixing process in AGB stars. We suggest instead that these grains originated from the winds of post-AGB stars and PNN. These winds show the signature of H-burning. We will do this by comparing our predictions from stellar models to the compositions observed in Group II stardust oxide and silicate grains. We find that the composition of the thin H-rich layer lost in the post-AGB and PNN winds is close to that of Group II grains, however the match with the Al ratios needs to be improved. Considering the uncertainities in the 25Mg and 26Al proton capture rates may be helped in this respect.

PG 1034+001 is an extremely hot, helium-rich DO-type star that excites the planetary nebula Hewett 1 and large parts of the surrounding interstellar medium. We present preliminary results of an ongoing spectral analysis by means of non-LTE model atmospheres that consider most elements from hydrogen to nickel. This analysis is based on high-resolution ultraviolet (FUSE, IUE) and optical (VLT/UVES, Keck) data. The results are compared with those of PG 1034+001's spectroscopic twin, the DO star PG 0038+199.

Remarkable progress in the understanding of nova outbursts has been achieved through combined efforts in photometry, spectroscopy and numerical simulations. According to the thermonuclear runaway model, novae are powered by thermonuclear explosions in the hydrogen-rich envelopes transferred from a low-mass stellar companion onto a close white dwarf star. Extensive numerical simulations in 1-D have shown that the accreted envelopes attain peak temperatures ranging between 108 and 4 × 108 K, for about several hundred seconds, hence allowing extensive nuclear processing which eventually shows up in the form of nucleosynthetic fingerprints in the ejecta. Indeed, it has been claimed that novae can play a certain role in the enrichment of the interstellar medium through a number of intermediate-mass elements. This includes 17O, 15N, and 13C, systematically overproduced with respect to solar abundances, plus a lower contribution in a number of other species (A < 40), such as 7Li, 19F, or 26Al. At the turn of the XXI Century, classical novae have entered the era of multidimensional models, which provide a new insight into the physical mechanisms that drive mixing at the core-envelope interface.

In this review, we will present hydrodynamic models of classical novae, from the onset of accretion up to the explosion and ejection stages, both for classical and recurrent novae, with special emphasis on their gross observational properties and their associated nucleosynthesis. The impact of nuclear uncertainties on the final yields will be discussed. Recent results from 2-D models of mixing during classical nova outbursts will also be presented.

We present the results of a study of the planetary nebula NGC 40 with the use of the 3-D photoionization code Mocassin constrained by observational data of different types. The modeling process allows us to derive the three-dimensional nebular structure, physical and chemical characteristics and ionizing star parameters of the object by simultaneously fitting the integrated line intensities, the temperature map, density map, and the observed morphologies in different emission lines. For this particular case we combined hydrodynamical simulations with the photoionization scheme in order to obtain a self-consistent distribution of density and velocity of the nebular material. Finally, using theoretical evolutionary tracks of intermediate and low mass stars, we estimate the mass and age of the central star of NGC 40 as being 0.57 M⊙ and 5810 yr, respectively. The distance obtained from the fitting procedure was 1150 ± 170 pc.

The Rossiter-McLaughlin effect occurs during the eclipse or transit of an object in front of another one. In our case, it appears as an anomaly on the radial velocity Doppler reflex motion. The modelling of that effect allows one to measure the sky-projected angle between the rotation spin of the primary and the orbital spin of the secondary. In the case of exoplanets, it gave clues about the formation of the hot Jupiters. In this paper, I will talk about how the data are acquired, how models are adjusted to them, and which results have been made.

We present a new kinematic analysis technique called distance mapping. It uses the observed proper motion vectors and the 3-D velocity field to determine the distance for each vector. From this information we generate maps that can be use as a constraint to morpho-kinematic modeling with SHAPE. It is applied to BD +30°3639, using the internal proper motion measurements by Li et al. (2002). We determine its distance at 1.40 kpc ± 0.15 kpc.

High resolution spectroscopic data of a large sample of galactic planetary nebulae with [WC] central stars ([WC]PNe) are analyzed to determine their kinematical behavior. Their heliocentric velocities have been determined with a precision better than a few km/s. Distances obtained from the literature are used to derive the peculiar velocities of the objects. Our preliminary results are: (a) The [WC] PNe are distributed in the galactic disk and they appear more concentrated than the normal PNe. (b) Separating the sample in Peimbert's types, we find that Type I PNe show in general low peculiar velocities (<50 km/s) except for a couple of objects apparently belonging to the galactic bulge. For the other [WC]PNe, most of them belong to the Peimbert's Type II (defined as having V pec ≤ 60 km/s). However there is an important fraction (28%) showing V pec larger than 60 km/s therefore they are classified as Peimbert's Type III.

NGC 2438 is a classical multiple shell or halo planetary nebula (PN). Its central star and the main nebula are well studied. Also it was target of various hydrodynamic simulations (Corradi et al. 2000). This initiated a discussion whether the haloes are mainly containing recombined gas (Schönberner et al. 2002), or if they are still ionized (Armsdorfer et al. 2003). An analysis of narrow-band images and long slit spectra at multiple slit positions was done to obtain a deeper look on morphological details and the properties of the outer shell and halo. For this work there was data available from ESO (direct imaging and long slit spectroscopy) and from SAAO (spectroscopic observations using a small slit, scanning over the whole nebula). Using temperature measurements from emission lines resulted in an electron temperature which clearly indicates a fully ionized stage. Additionally measurements of the electron density suggest a variation of the filling factor.

The star R Corona Borealis (R CrB) shows forbidden lines of [O II], [N II], and [S II] during the deep minimum when the star is fainter by about 8 to 9 magnitudes from normal brightness, suggesting the presence of nebular material around it. We present low and high spectral resolution observations of these lines during the ongoing deep minimum of R CrB, which started in July 2007. These emission lines show double peaks with a separation of about 170 km/s. The line ratios of [S II] and [O II] suggest an electron density of about 100 cm−3. We discuss the physical conditions and possible origins of this low density gas. These forbidden lines have also been seen in other R Coronae Borealis stars during their deep light minima and this is a general characteristic of these stars, which might have some relevance to their origins.

Recent studies have shown that nuclei of planetary nebulae and their remnants (dubbed HOLMES for “hot low-mass evolved stars”) can easily explain two long-standing problems of extragalactic astronomy: the observed emission-line spectra of ellipticals and LINER-like galaxies and the ionization and heating of the diffuse interstellar medium in spirals. They are summarized in this contribution. It is emphasized that the computation of grids of stellar evolution models until the white dwarf stage is essential not only for the study of planetary nebulae but also for the study of the ionization of galaxies.

In this short review, I summarize some of the salient features of the emerging theory of exoplanets in general, and of giant exoplanets in particular. A focus is on the characterization of transiting planets at primary and secondary eclipse, but various other related topics are covered, if only briefly. A theme that clearly emerges is that a vibrant new science of comparative exoplanetology is being born.

The intense stellar SXR and EUV radiation exposure at “Hot Jupiters” causes profound responses to their upper atmosphere structures. Thermospheric temperatures can reach several thousands of Kelvins, which result in dissociation of H2 to H and ionization of H to H+. Depending on the density and orbit location of the exoplanet, as a result of these high temperatures the thermosphere expands dynamically up to the Roche lobe, so that geometric blow-off with large mass loss rates and intense interaction with the stellar wind plasma can occur. UV transit observations together with advanced numerical models can be used to gain knowledge on stellar plasma and the planet's magnetic properties, as well as the upper atmosphere.

We present a complete study of the morphology of post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) stars. The post-AGB stage is a very short evolutionary phase between the end of the AGB and the beginning of the Planetary Nebula (PN) stage (between 100 and 10,000 yrs). Post-AGB stars do not show variability and are not hot enough to fully ionize the hydrogen envelope. We have defined the end of the post-AGB phase and the beginning of the PN phase when the star has a temperature of 30000 K. Post-AGB stars have a circumstellar shell that is illuminated by the central stars or partially ionized. However, this circumstellar shell is too small to be resolved by ground-based observations. Thus, we have used the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) database to resolve these shells. 117 post-AGBs were found in this database. Here we present the preliminary results on their morphological classification and the correlation with the galactic latitude. Our preliminary results show that 38% of the sample are stellar-like (S), 31% bipolar (B), 12% multipolar (M) and 19% elliptical (E).

The enigmatic long period (P = 27.1 yr) eclipsing binary, ε Aurigae, recently emerged from its 2009–2011 eclipse. We have analyzed out-of-eclipse observations (Chadima et al. 2010) obtained over the past 17 years: 306 medium-resolution, high S/N, spectroscopic observations from 6300–6700 Å. Of these, 105 spectra were obtained at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory (DAO) near Victoria, Canada, from 1994–2010, and 201 spectra were obtained at Ondřejov Observatory (OND), from 2006–2010. Analyzing these data, Chadima et al. (these proceedings) reported on a positive, but ultimately spurious, detection of a secondary spectrum. Their attempts at disentangling the binary spectra were foiled by line profile variations of the F star primary. The 6300-6700 Å spectral region contains several strong stellar lines but space limitations allow us to present only the results for Si II 6347 Å. We examine the centroids and higher moments of this prominent F star spectral line for any evidence of a secondary spectrum. Even if secondary contributions are blended with the F star lines, contamination by the secondary star should produce a centroid shift that is anti-correlated with the orbit of the F star primary.

We review the stellar mass loss of red giants and tip-AGB objects analizing the variation in the outflow velocity for different mass models (Wachter et al. 2002). We approach the superwind problem and see the evolution of tip-AGB stars via previously made mass-loss histories that are consistent with the Weidemann initial-final mass relationship (for carbon-rich stars). Finally density profiles are produced from these mass-loss histories, and the corresponding line-of-sight integration is compared with observational data (Phillips et al. 2009). We note the resemblance between the results obtained with our models and the observational data. We are thus able to reproduce the general trends of the emission from simple models (see Verbena et al. 2011).

We predict intensities of lines of CII, NI, NII, OI and OII and compare them with a deep spectroscopic survey of IC 418 to test the effect of excitation of nebular emission lines by continuum fluorescence of starlight. Our calculations use a nebular model and a synthetic spectrum of its central star to take into account excitation of the lines by continuum fluorescence and recombination. The NII spectrum is mostly produced by fluorescence due to the low excitation conditions of the nebula, but many CII and OII lines have more excitation by fluorescence than recombination. In the neutral envelope, the NI permitted lines are excited by fluorescence, and almost all the OI lines are excited by recombination. Electron excitation produces the forbidden optical lines of OI, but continuum fluorescence excites most of the NI forbidden line intensities. Lines excited by fluorescence of light below the Lyman limit thus suggest a new diagnostic to explore the photodissociation region of a nebula.