Using our new general-relativistic, radiation hydrodynamics, Lagrangian code, we computed a rather extended grid of hydrogen-rich core-collapse supernovae (CC-SNe) models and explored the potentials of their “standardization” as distance indicators. We discuss the properties of some calibrations previously reported in the literature, and present new correlations based on the behavior of the light curve that can be employed for calibrating hydrogen-rich CC-SNe using only photometric data.

Galactic bulge planetary nebulae show evidence of mixed chemistry with emission from both silicate dust and PAHs. This mixed chemistry is unlikely to be related to carbon dredge up, as third dredge-up is not expected to occur in the low mass bulge stars. We show that the phenomenon is widespread, and is seen in 30 nebulae out of our sample of 40. A strong correlation is found between strength of the PAH bands and morphology, in particular, the presence of a dense torus. A chemical model is presented which shows that hydrocarbon chains can form within oxygen-rich gas through gas-phase chemical reactions. We conclude that the mixed chemistry phenomenon occurring in the galactic bulge planetary nebulae is best explained through hydrocarbon chemistry in an UV-irradiated, dense torus.

We analyze the kinematics of disk planetary nebulae (PNe) to derive the formal Galactic center distance, R 0, for three catalogues of PNe distances. Then we correct the catalogues' distance scales renormalizing the PNe distances by the ratios of formal R 0 values to a best modern value of R 0 =7.9 kpc. The created new catalogue of disk's PNe distances was found to be in a good agreement with distances by Stanghellini et al. (2008). Our catalogue of PNe distances was used to recalibrate the statistical distance scale for all Galactic PNe.

We present preliminary results of our deep Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) radio-continuum survey of the Magellanic Clouds Planetary Nebulae.

In this review, I summarize the observational attempts made so far to unveil the nature of the progenitor system(s) of Type Ia supernovae. In particular, I focus on the most recent developments that followed the claimed detection of circumstellar material around a few events, and on the link this possibly establishes with recurrent novae. In this framework, I then discuss the case of RS Oph, what we know of its circumstellar environment, and what this is telling us about its supposed connection to Type Ia supernovae explosions.

I review our current understanding of the evolution of stars which experience carbon burning under conditions of partial electron degeneracy and ultimately become thermally pulsing “super” asymptotic giant branch (SAGB) stars with electron-degenerate cores composed primarily of oxygen and neon. The range in stellar mass over which this occurs is very narrow and the interior evolutionary characteristics vary rapidly over this range. Consequently, while those stars with larger masses (~11 M⊙) are likely to undergo electron-capture accretion induced collapse, those models with smaller masses (8.5 ≲ M/M⊙ ≲ 10.5) will presumably form massive (M ≳ 1.1 M⊙) white dwarfs. The final outcome depends sensitively on the adopted mass-loss rates, the chemical composition of the massive envelopes, and on the adopted prescription for convective mixing.

We present our long-term monitoring, using both ground-based telescopes and the HST, of the expansion in the plane of the sky of the outflows from evolved stars. They include the PN M2–9 (suspected of hosting a symbiotic nucleus), the classical nova remnant GK Per, the symbiotic Miras R Aqr, Hen 2–147 and Hen 2–104, and the proto-PNe CRL 618, CRL 2688, and Hen 3–1475.

As a tool helping to interpret diffuse X-ray emission of PNe, and as a supplement to our RHD simulations, we have started to construct a grid of theoretical X-ray spectra of wind-blown bubbles with temperature and density profiles according to thermal conduction theory. We investigate how the X-ray spectra depend on chemical composition (e.g. H-rich vs. H-deficient) and how temperature and abundance determinations reflect gradients of temperature and chemical composition within the bubbles. These synthetic models shall allow to quickly perform detailed parameter studies without the need for dedicated hydrodynamical simulations. We report on ideas and goals.

NGC 5189 is a particularly interesting planetary nebula (PN) displaying multiple bipolar structures. This type of morphology is generally attributed to multiple mass loss events believed to originate from a precessing central source. In order to better understand this, once dubbed chaotic PN, we have investigated optical imaging combined with low- and high- resolution spectroscopic data to dissect its components. The imaging reveals three and possibly four well defined bipolar lobes showing a misalignment with respect to the central torus, although sharing the same geometric center. The high nitrogen levels detected in the elongated filaments/condensations surrounding the nebula and at the torus location highlight the presence of low ionization structures as well as the possible occurrence of shocks in the areas perturbed by large dynamical motions. Finally the kinematical study indicates moderate expansion velocities (35 km.s−1 in the western lobe, 33 km.s−1 in the central region and 44 km.s−1 in the eastern lobe). We also notice the asymmetry of the [NII] distribution and the velocities inside NGC 5189 between its North-West and South-East components.

Some developments of measurements of the weak stellar magnetic fields by the least square technique applied to spectropolarimetric data are proposed and used for the X-ray binary Cyg X-1 = HDE 226868 (the optical counterpart is an O 9.7 supergiant).

Polarimetry is a useful diagnostic of asymmetries in both circumstellar environments and binary star systems. Its sensitivity to asymmetries in systems means that it can help to uncover details about system orbital parameters, including providing information about the orbital inclination. Polarimetry can probe the circumstellar and/or circumbinary material as well. A number of significant results on binary systems have been produced by polarimetric studies. One might therefore expect that polarimetry could similarly play a useful role in studies of exoplanets, and a number of possible diagnostics for exoplanets have been proposed. However, the application of polarimetry to exoplanet research is only in preliminary stages, and the difficulties with applying the technique to exoplanets are non-trivial. This review will discuss the successes of polarimetry in analyzing binary systems, and consider the possibilities and challenges for extending similar analysis to exoplanet systems.

The long-period binary system AU Mon was photometrically observed on-board the CoRoT satellite in a continuous run of almost 60 days long which has covered almost 5 complete cycles. Unprecedented sub milimag precision of CoRoT photometry reveals all complexity of its light variations in this, still active mass-transfer binary system. We present images of an accretion disk reconstructed by eclipse mapping, and an optimization of intensity distribution along disk surface. Time resolution and accurate CoRoT photometric measurements allow precise location of spatial distribution of ‘hot’ spots on the disk, and tracing temporal changes in their activity. Clumpy disk structure is similar to those we detected early for another W Serpentis binary W Cru (Pavlovski, Burki & Mimica, 2006, A&A, 454, 855).

Limb-darkening is a fundamental constraint for modeling eclipsing binary and planetary transit light curves. As observations, for example from Kepler, CoRot, and Most, become more precise then a greater understanding of limb-darkening is necessary. However, limb-darkening is typically modeled as simple parameterizations fit to plane-parallel model stellar atmospheres that ignores stellar atmospheric extension. In this work, I compute linear, quadratic and four-parameter limb-darkening laws from grids of plane-parallel and spherically-symmetric model stellar atmospheres in a temperature and gravity range representing stars evolving on the Red Giant branch. The limb-darkening relations for each geometry are compared and are found to fit plane-parallel models much better than the spherically-symmetric models. Assuming that limb-darkening from spherically-symmetry model atmospheres are more physically representative of actual stellar limb-darkening than plane-parallel models, then these limb-darkening laws will not fit the limb of a stellar disk leading to errors in a light curve fit. This error will increase with a star's atmospheric extension.

Binary stars provide an excellent calibration of the success or otherwise of star formation simulations, since the reproduction of their statistical properties can be challenging. Here, I summarise the direction that the field has taken in recent years, with an emphasis on binary formation in the cluster context, and discuss which observational diagnostics are most ripe for meaningful theoretical comparison. I focus on two issues: the prediction of binary mass ratio distributions and the formation of the widest binaries in dissolving clusters, showing how in the latter case the incidence of ultra-wide pairs constrains the typical membership number of natal clusters to be of order a hundred. I end by drawing attention to recent works that include magnetic fields and which will set the direction of future research in this area.

The CoRoT and Kepler space missions have opened a new era in eclipsing binary research. While specifically designed for exoplanet search, they offer as by-products the discovery and monitoring of variable stars, in great majority eclipsing binaries (EB). The missions are therefore providing thousands of EB light curves of unprecedented accuracy (typically a few hundred parts per million, ppm), with regular sampling (from 1s to 29m), extending over time spans of months, and with a very high duty cycle (>90%).

Thanks to this excellent photometry, research topics as asteroseismology of EB components are quickly developing, and physical phenomena such as doppler boosting, theoretically predicted but extremely difficult to observe from the ground, have been unambiguously detected. We present the main properties of the Corot and Kepler EB samples and briefly review the highlights of the missions in this field.

In order to clarify the observed relation between the expansion velocity measured from lines of different ions and their ionization potential, we present kinematical data for several objects. We have measured radial velocities on ESO UVES high dispersion spectra to compare expansion velocities for a set of planetary nebulae.

The Magellanic Clouds are close enough to the Milky Way to provide an excellent environment in which to study extragalactic PNe. Most of these PNe are bright enough to be spectroscopically observed and spatially resolved. With the latest high resolution detectors on today's large telescopes it is even possible to directly observe a large number of central stars. Magellanic Cloud (MC) PNe provide several astrophysical benefits including low overall extinction and a good sample size covering a large range of dynamic evolutionary timescales while the known distances provide a direct estimation of luminosity and physical dimensions. Multi-wavelength surveys are revealing intriguing differences between MC and Galactic PNe.

Over the past 5 years there has been a substantial increase in the number of PNe discovered in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in particular. Deep surveys have allowed the faint end of the luminosity function to be investigated, finally providing a strong clue to its overall shape. In so doing, the surveys are approaching completeness, estimated at ~80% in the LMC (~120 deg2) and ~65% in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) (~20 deg2).

The number of galaxies comprising the Local Group (LG) and its outskirts has been growing steadily over the past 5 years and now numbers 48. Most of the 7 newly discovered galaxies are dwarf spheroidal (dSph) in structure and range from 7.6 to 755 kpc from the Milky Way. Nonetheless, there are no published searches for PNe in any of these galaxies to date. Apart from the LMC and Milky Way, the number of PN discoveries has been very modest and only one additional LG galaxy has been surveyed for PNe over the past 5 years. This paper provides the number of Local Group PNe currently known and estimates each galaxy's total PN population.

We briefly discuss the method of population synthesis to calculate theoretical delay time distributions of Type Ia supernova progenitors. We also compare the results of different research groups and conclude that, although one of the main differences in the results for single degenerate progenitors is the retention efficiency with which accreted hydrogen is added to the white dwarf core, this alone cannot explain all the differences.

We have used the SuperCOSMOS Hα Survey to look for faint outer structures such as halos, ansae and jets around known planetary nebulae across 4000 square degrees of the southern Milky Way. Our search will contribute to a more accurate census of these features in the Galactic PN population. Candidate common-envelope PNe have also been identified on the basis of their microstructures. We also intend to determine more reliable distances for these PNe, which should allow a much better statistical basis for the post-AGB total mass budget. Our survey offers fresh scope to address this important issue.

The rates of SNe Ia for double-degenerate and single-degenerate scenarios are computed for the models of spiral and elliptical galaxies. The number of nuclear burning white dwarfs (NBWDs) is traced. The data favors the double-degenerate scenario and suggests a lower number of NBWDs per unit mass in ellipticals. Their lower average mass is one of the reasons for the difference in the number of supersoft X-ray sources observed in the galaxies of different types.