We present estimates of ages, [Fe/H], helium content (Y) and abundances of C, N, Mg, Ca, and several other elements for the following globular clusters (GCs): GC7 in NGC147, and Mayall II, Mackey 1 and Mackey 6 in M31. Medium-resolution integrated-light spectra of the GCs were conducted with the 6m telescope. To derive the ages and abundances for the GCs we carried out their population synthesis using model stellar atmospheres, the Padova YZVAR isochrones and the Chabrier mass function. We compare the results with the corresponding data obtained using the same method for several massive Galactic GCs. We show that the differences in the light-element abundances between GCs with similar ages and metallicities may reach 0.5-0.6 dex. The corresponding differences for other elements are usually 2-3 times smaller. We suggest that at least partially the detected differences may be due to light-element abundance variations in the atmospheres of high-luminosity red giant branch stars as a consequence of the transportation of the produced elements to the surface layers.

The Optical Gravitational Experiment (OGLE) was effectively used in discovering binary central stars of planetary nebulae (CSPNe). About 50 binary CSPNe have been hitherto identified in the Galaxy, almost half of them were detected in the OGLE database. We used the OGLE data to search for binary CSPNe in the Magellanic Clouds. We also searched for PNe mimics and removed them from the PNe sample. Here, we present results of the photometric analysis for Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) and our progress on search of binary central stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). So far, we have discovered one binary central star of the PN beyond the Milky Way, which is located in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Classical variables like RR Lyrae, classical and Type-II Cepheids and Mira variables all follow period-luminosity relations that make them interesting as distance indicators. Especially the RR Lyrae and δ Cepheids are crucial in establishing the distance scale in the Universe, and all classes of variables can be used as tracers of galactic structure. I will present an overview of recent period-luminosity relations and review the work that has been done using the Gaia DR1 data so far, and discuss possibilities for the future.

As part of a systematic effort to characterize the properties and progenitors of the most luminous planetary nebulae (PNe), we obtained a sample among the brightest PNe in two stellar systems of different metallicities: LMC (Z/Z⊙~0.5) and M31 (Z/Z⊙~1) by means of a combined effort with the VLT and the 10mGTC. Modelling of these data will allow us to infer the masses of the stellar progenitors, gaining insights into the controversial origin of the universal cutoff of the Planetary Nebulae Luminosity Function (PNLF).

In the frame of radiation driven wind theory (Castor et al.1975), we present self-consistent hydrodynamical solutions to the line-force parameters (k, α, δ) under LTE conditions. Hydrodynamic models are provided by HydWind (Curé 2004). We evaluate these results with those ones previously found in literature, focusing in different regions of the optical depth to be used to perform the calculations. The values for mass-loss rate and terminal velocity obtained from our calculations are also presented.

We also examine the line-force parameters for the case when large changes in ionization throughout the wind occurs (δ-slow solutions, Curé et al.2011).

The astrophysical relevance of the NUT spacetime(s) is a matter of debate due to pathological properties exhibited by this solution. However, if it is realised in nature, then we should look for the characteristic imprints of it on possible observations. One of the major sources of data on black hole astrophysics is the accretion process. Using a simple but fully analytical “Polish Doughnuts” model of accretion disk one gets both qualitative and quantitative differences from the Kerr spacetime produced by the presence of the gravitomagnetic charge. The present paper is based on our work Jefremov & Perlick (2016).

We present the results of age, metallicity and radial velocity determination for central massive globular clusters (GCs) in dwarf spheroidal galaxies: KKs3 and ESO269-66. KKS3 is a unique isolated galaxy. ESO269-66 is a close neighbor of the giant S0 Centaurus A. The results contribute to the knowledge about the origin of massive star clusters and their host dSphs. The structure and star formation histories of the two dwarf galaxies look rather similar. Both of them have experienced several star-forming events. The most recent ones occurred 1-2 Gyr ago, and most powerful bursts happened 12-14 Gyrs ago. Our analysis has shown that both GCs appear to be 1-2 Gyr younger and 0.1-0.3 dex more metal-rich than the most ancient metal-poor stars in the host dSphs. We examine signatures of multiple stellar population in the GCs using our data. Since central star-forming bursts were extended in time, the massive clusters might be considered as nuclei of the galaxies.

ω Centauri is by far the most massive globular star cluster in the Milky Way, and possibly the remnant of a dwarf galaxy. As such, it contains a large number of variable stars of different classes. Here we report on an extensive, wide-field time-series study of ω Cen in the J and KS bands, which has allowed us to study the near-IR period-luminosity relations for different variability classes, including the first such relations for the SX Phoenicis stars.

We describe an application of a solution to unconstrained Einstein’s field equations (Ni, 2011) as a qualitative model for a relativistic radiation sphere, an object that may resemble a quasar with an extended galactic-scale ‘corona’ that resembles behaviors explained by dark matter.

Half of all stars reside in binary systems, many of which have orbital separations in excess of 1000 AU. Such binaries are typically identified in astrometric catalogs by matching the proper motions vectors of close stellar pairs. We present a fully Bayesian method that properly takes into account positions, proper motions, parallaxes, and their correlated uncertainties to identify widely separated stellar binaries. After applying our method to the >2 × 106 stars in the Tycho-Gaia astrometric solution from Gaia DR1, we identify over 6000 candidate wide binaries. For those pairs with separations less than 40,000 AU, we determine the contamination rate to be ≈5%. This sample has an orbital separation (a) distribution that is roughly flat in log space for separations less than ~5000 AU and follows a power law of a−1.6 at larger separations.

We present here a modern study of the radial velocity curve and of the photometric light curve of the very interesting supergiant O7.5If + O9I(f) binary system HD 166734. The physical parameters of the stars and the orbital parameters are carefully determined. We also perform the analysis of the observed X-ray light curve of this colliding-wind binary.

We present LAMOST observations and radial velocity measurements of about 1500 planetary nebulae (PNe) in M31 and M33. Most of the PNe are previously known, but 36 of them are newly discovered in the outskirts of M31, and the furthest one has a projected distance larger than 50 kpc away from the galaxy center. Eighteen objects in the area of M33 are probably newly discovered PNe, and quite a few of them are associated with previously known clusters. For all the 1500 PNe, homogeneous radial velocities are measured from the LAMOST spectra, with a typical uncertainty of a few km s−1.

White dwarfs are becoming useful tools for many areas of astronomy. They can be used as accurate chronometers over Gyr timescales. They are also clues to the history of star formation in our galaxy. Many of these studies require accurate estimates of the mass of the white dwarf. The theoretical mass-radius relation is often invoked to provide these mass estimates. While the theoretical mass-radius relation is well developed, observational tests of this relation show a much larger scatter in the results than expected. High precision observational tests to confirm this relation are required. Gaia is providing distance measurements which will remove one of the main source of uncertainty affecting most previous observations. We combine Gaia distances with spectra from the Hubble and FUSE satelites to make precise tests of the white dwarf mass-radius relation.

We present a pilot study of using the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) continuum observations to constrain the density structure in the intermediate wind zone of massive stars, in which the wind is extremely sensitive to clumping.

Polarimetric measurements are essential for the study of jetted sources associated with black holes, such as γ-ray bursts and blazars. The relativistic jets launched from regions close to the black hole are threaded with magnetic fields, which produce synchrotron emission, and can be studied with polarimetric measurements. The multi-colour, optimised, optical polarimeter (MOPTOP) is a multi-band imaging instrument designed for use on the Liverpool Telescope. By replacing the rotating polaroid with a half wave plate and beam splitter, the instrument utilises twice as much of the incoming beam of light from the telescope compared to its predecessor, Ringo3. MOPTOP also builds on the successful introduction of dichroic mirrors to perform simultaneous multi-waveband polarimetric and photometric analysis in Ringo3, and enhances the sensitivity of the instrument with sCMOS cameras to use all photons as efficiently as possible.

We present identification of candidate members of the Beta Pictoris, AB Doradus, and TW Hydrae moving star groups. Our pilot study toward the Kepler field, where a multitude of stellar parameters are available, led to a list of 19 highly probable candidates that share the same range of distance and space (tangential and radial) motion as known members in a moving group. A few candidates lack radial velocity data, but are ROSAT X-ray sources, so are considered as likely young stars.

We present high resolution spectroscopy obtained with MIKE-Magellan and MES OAN-SPM of a number of planetary nebulae (PNe) and H ii regions, distributed along the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 3109 and compare their kinematical behavior with the one of H i data. We aim to determine if there is a kinematical connection among these objects. We also perform a revision of the chemical composition of PNe and H ii regions in this galaxy and discuss it in comparison with stellar evolution models.

We present the modeling tool we developed to incorporate multi-technique observations of Cepheids in a single pulsation model: the Spectro-Photo-Interferometry of Pulsating Stars (SPIPS). The combination of angular diameters from optical interferometry, radial velocities and photometry with the coming Gaia DR2 parallaxes of nearby Galactic Cepheids will soon enable us to calibrate the projection factor of the classical Parallax-of-Pulsation method. This will extend its applicability to Cepheids too distant for accurate Gaia parallax measurements, and allow us to precisely calibrate the Leavitt law's zero point. As an example application, we present the SPIPS model of the long-period Cepheid RS Pup that provides a measurement of its projection factor, using the independent distance estimated from its light echoes.

The origin of red supergiant mass loss still remains to be unveiled. Characterising the formation loci and the dust distribution in the first stellar radii above the surface is key to understand the initiation of the mass loss phenomenon. Polarimetric interferometry observations in the near-infrared allowed us to detect an inner dust atmosphere located only 0.5 stellar radius above the photosphere of Betelgeuse. We modelled these observations and compare them with visible polarimetric measurements to discuss the dust distribution properties.

During the last few years, the Geneva stellar evolution group has released new grids of stellar models, including the effect of rotation and with updated physical inputs (Ekström et al. 2012; Georgy et al. 2013a, b). To ease the comparison between the outputs of the stellar evolution computations and the observations, a dedicated tool was developed: the Syclist toolbox (Georgy et al. 2014). It allows to compute interpolated stellar models, isochrones, synthetic clusters, and to simulate the time-evolution of stellar populations.