Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 145, 269-274

Low resolution spectroscopy of hot post-AGB candidates

M. Parthasarathy ^1,2 - J. Vijapurkar ³ - J.S. Drilling ⁴

Send offprint request: J.S. Drilling

1 - National Astronomical Observatory, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
2 - Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangla, Bangalore-560034, India
3 - Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India
4 - Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, U.S.A.

Received February 14; accepted May 23, 2000

Abstract:

Spectral types are determined from low resolution optical spectra of 40 IRAS sources with far-infrared colours similar to planetary nebulae. The presence of circumstellar dust, high galactic latitude, and early supergiant or giant spectral type, sometimes with emission in the Balmer lines, indicate that some of these stars are low mass stars in the post-AGB stage of evolution.

Key words: stars: AGB and post-AGB -- stars: evolution -- stars: early-type -- stars: emission-line -- stars: atmospheres