ALBERT

Description: Context. From the approximately 3500 planetary nebulae (PNe) discovered in our Galaxy, only 14 are known to be members of the Galactic halo. Nevertheless, a systematic search for halo PNe has never been performed. Aims. In this study, we present new photometric diagnostic tools to identify compact PNe in the Galactic halo by making use of the novel 12-filter system projects, Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS) and Southern-Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS). Methods. We reconstructed the Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric Hα Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane diagnostic diagram and propose four new ones using (i) the J-PLUS and S-PLUS synthetic photometry for a grid of photo-ionisation models of halo PNe, (ii) several observed halo PNe, as well as (iii) a number of other emission-line objects that resemble PNe. All colour–colour diagnostic diagrams are validated using two known halo PNe observed by J-PLUS during the scientific verification phase and the first data release (DR1) of S-PLUS and the DR1 of J-PLUS. Results. By applying our criteria to the DR1s (~1190 deg2), we identified one PN candidate. However, optical follow-up spectroscopy proved it to be a H II region belonging to the UGC 5272 galaxy. Here, we also discuss the PN and two H II galaxies recovered by these selection criteria. Finally, the cross-matching with the most updated PNe catalogue (HASH) helped us to highlight the potential of these surveys, since we recover all the known PNe in the observed area. Conclusions. The tools here proposed to identify PNe and separate them from their emission-line contaminants proved to be very efficient thanks to the combination of many colours, even when applied – like in the present work – to an automatic photometric search that is limited to compact PNe.

Description: The Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS ) is an ongoing 12-band photometric optical survey, observing thousands of square degrees of the Northern Hemisphere from the dedicated JAST/T80 telescope at the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ). The T80Cam is a camera with a field of view of 2 deg2 mounted on a telescope with a diameter of 83 cm, and is equipped with a unique system of filters spanning the entire optical range (3500–10 000 Å). This filter system is a combination of broad-, medium-, and narrow-band filters, optimally designed to extract the rest-frame spectral features (the 3700–4000 Å Balmer break region, Hδ, Ca H+K, the G band, and the Mg b and Ca triplets) that are key to characterizing stellar types and delivering a low-resolution photospectrum for each pixel of the observed sky. With a typical depth of AB ∼21.25 mag per band, this filter set thus allows for an unbiased and accurate characterization of the stellar population in our Galaxy, it provides an unprecedented 2D photospectral information for all resolved galaxies in the local Universe, as well as accurate photo-z estimates (at the δ z/(1 + z)∼0.005–0.03 precision level) for moderately bright (up to r ∼ 20 mag) extragalactic sources. While some narrow-band filters are designed for the study of particular emission features ([O II]/λ3727, Hα/λ6563) up to z 〈  0.017, they also provide well-defined windows for the analysis of other emission lines at higher redshifts. As a result, J-PLUS has the potential to contribute to a wide range of fields in Astrophysics, both in the nearby Universe (Milky Way structure, globular clusters, 2D IFU-like studies, stellar populations of nearby and moderate-redshift galaxies, clusters of galaxies) and at high redshifts (emission-line galaxies at z ≈ 0.77, 2.2, and 4.4, quasi-stellar objects, etc.). With this paper, we release the first ∼1000 deg2 of J-PLUS data, containing about 4.3 million stars and 3.0 million galaxies at r 〈  21 mag. With a goal of 8500 deg2 for the total J-PLUS footprint, these numbers are expected to rise to about 35 million stars and 24 million galaxies by the end of the survey.

Description: Planetary nebulae represent a potential late stage of stellar evolution, however, their central stars (CSPNe) are relatively faint and, therefore, pertinent information is available for merely 〈 20% of the Galactic sample. Consequently, the literature was surveyed to construct a new catalogue of 620 CSPNe featuring important spectral classifications and information. The catalogue supersedes the existing iteration by 25% and includes physical parameters such as luminosity, surface gravity, temperature, magnitude estimates, and references for published spectra. The marked statistical improvement enabled the following pertinent conclusions to be determined: the H-rich/H-poor ratio is 2:1, there is a deficiency of CSPNe with types [WC 5-6], and nearly 80% of binary central stars belong to the H-rich group. The last finding suggests that evolutionary scenarios leading to the formation of binary central stars interfere with the conditions required for the formation of H-poor CSPN. Approximately 50% of the sample with derived values of log L⋆, log Teff, and log g, exhibit masses and ages consistent with single stellar evolutionary models. The implication is that single stars are indeed able to form planetary nebulae. Moreover, it is shown that H-poor CSPNe are formed by higher mass progenitors. The catalogue is available through the Vizier database.

Description: The Southern Photometric Local Universe Survey (S-PLUS) is imaging ∼9300 deg2 of the celestial sphere in 12 optical bands using a dedicated 0.8 m robotic telescope, the T80-South, at the Cerro Tololo Inter-american Observatory, Chile. The telescope is equipped with a 9.2k × 9.2k e2v detector with 10 $ m {mu m}$ pixels, resulting in a field of view of 2 deg2 with a plate scale of 0.55 arcsec pixel−1. The survey consists of four main subfields, which include two non-contiguous fields at high Galactic latitudes (|b| 〉 30°, 8000 deg2) and two areas of the Galactic Disc and Bulge (for an additional 1300 deg2). S-PLUS uses the Javalambre 12-band magnitude system, which includes the 5 ugriz broad-band filters and 7 narrow-band filters centred on prominent stellar spectral features: the Balmer jump/[OII], Ca H + K, H δ, G band, Mg b triplet, H α, and the Ca triplet. S-PLUS delivers accurate photometric redshifts (δz/(1 + z) = 0.02 or better) for galaxies with r 〈 19.7 AB mag and z 〈 0.4, thus producing a 3D map of the local Universe over a volume of more than $1, (mathrm{Gpc}/h)^3$. The final S-PLUS catalogue will also enable the study of star formation and stellar populations in and around the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, as well as searches for quasars, variable sources, and low-metallicity stars. In this paper we introduce the main characteristics of the survey, illustrated with science verification data highlighting the unique capabilities of S-PLUS. We also present the first public data release of ∼336 deg2 of the Stripe 82 area, in 12 bands, to a limiting magnitude of r = 21, available at datalab.noao.edu/splus.