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Accepted manuscript

SPHERE/ZIMPOL insights into discs around evolved stars: arcs, asymmetries and dust properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2025

Kateryna Andrych*
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
Devika Kamath
Affiliation:
School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia INAF, Observatory of Rome, Via Frascati 33, I-00077 Monte Porzio Catone (RM), Italy
Hans Van Winckel
Affiliation:
Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D bus 2401, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
Akke Corporaal
Affiliation:
European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile
Toon De Prins
Affiliation:
Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D bus 2401, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
Daniel Price
Affiliation:
School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Vic 3800, Australia
Steve Ertel
Affiliation:
Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA
Jacques Kluska
Affiliation:
Instituut voor Sterrenkunde, K.U.Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200D bus 2401, B-3001, Leuven, Belgium
*
Author for correspondence: Kateryna Andrych, Email: kateryna.andrych@mq.edu.au.
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Abstract

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Second-generation circumbinary discs around evolved binary stars, such as post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) binaries, provide insights into poorly understood mechanisms of dust processing and disc evolution across diverse stellar environments. We present a multi-wavelength polarimetric survey of five evolved binary systems — ARPup, HR4049, HR4226, UMon, and V709 Car — using the Very Large Telescope SPHERE/ZIMPOL instrument. Post-AGB discs show significant polarimetric brightness at optical and near-IR wavelengths, often exceeding 1% of the system’s total intensity. We also measured a maximum fractional polarisation of the scattered light for ARPup of ∼0.7 in the V-band and ∼0.55 in the I-band. To investigate wavelength-dependent polarisation, we combine the SPHERE/ZIMPOL dataset with results from previous SPHERE/IRDIS studies. This analysis reveals that post-AGB discs exhibit a grey to blue polarimetric colour in the optical and near-IR. Along with high fractional polarisation of the scattered light and polarised intensity distribution, these findings are consistent with a surface dust composition dominated by porous aggregates, reinforcing independent observational evidence for such grains in post-AGB circumbinary discs. We also find evidence of diverse disc geometries within the post-AGB sample, including arcs, asymmetries and significant variations in disc size across optical and near-IR wavelengths for some systems (UMon, V709 Car). Combining our findings with existing multi-technique studies, we question the classification of two systems in our sample, HR 4226 and V709 Car, which were originally identified as post-AGB binaries based on their near-IR excess. On comparing post-AGB discs to circumstellar environments around AGB stars and YSOs, we found that post-AGB systems exhibit a higher degree of polarisation than single AGB stars and are comparable to the brightest protoplanetary discs around YSOs. Overall, our results reinforce the importance of polarimetric observations in probing dust properties and complex circumbinary structures. We also highlight the importance of combining multi-wavelength and multi-technique observations with advanced radiative-transfer modelling to differentiate between the various evolutionary pathways of circumbinary discs.

Information

Type
Research Article
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Astronomical Society of Australia