Post-AGB/RGB and YSOs in SMC

Based on a luminosity criterion, 42 of these 63 sources were classified as post-red giant branch (post-RGB) candidates and the remaining 21 as post-AGB candidates. From the spectral energy distributions, we were able to infer that 6 of the 63 post-AGB/RGB candidates have a surrounding circumstellar shell suggesting that they are single stars, while 27 of the post-AGB/RGB candidates have a surrounding disc, suggesting that they lie in binary systems.

For the remaining 30 post-AGB/RGB candidates the nature of the circumstellar environment was unclear. Variability is displayed by 38 of the 63 post-AGB/RGB candidates with the most common variability types being the Population II Cepheids (including RV-Tauri stars) and semiregular variables. This study has also revealed a new RV Tauri star in the SMC, J005107.19-734133.3, which shows signs of s-process enrichment.

From the numbers of post-AGB/RGB stars in the SMC, we were able to estimate evolutionary rates. We find that the number of post-AGB and post-RGB candidates that we have identified are in good agreement with the stellar evolution models with some mass-loss in the post-AGB phase and a small amount of re-accretion in the lower luminosity post-RGB phase. This study also resulted in a new sample of 40 young stellar objects (YSOs) of A-F spectral type.

The 40 YSO candidates for which we could estimate stellar parameters are luminous and of high mass (~3-10M_{sun}_). They lie on the cool side of the usually adopted birthline in the HR-diagram. This line separates visually obscured protostars from optically visible pre-main-sequence stars, meaning that our YSO candidates have become optically visible in the region of the HR diagram usually reserved for obscured protostars.

Additionally, we also identified a group of 63 objects whose spectra are dominated by emission lines and in some cases, a significant UV continuum. These objects are very likely to be either hot post-AGB/RGB candidates or luminous YSOs.