{
  "id": "2009.11122",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2020-09-23T12:59:51.000Z",
  "updated": "2020-09-23T12:59:51.000Z",
  "title": "A new candidate Luminous Blue Variable",
  "authors": [
    "Donald F. Figer",
    "Francisco Najarro",
    "Maria Messineo",
    "J. Simon Clark",
    "Karl M. Menten"
  ],
  "comment": "Published 2020 September 23 in ApJ Letters",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.SR",
    "astro-ph.GA"
  ],
  "abstract": "We identify IRAS 16115-5044, which was previously classified as a protoplanetary nebula (PPN), as a candidate luminous blue variable (LBV). The star has high luminosity (>10$^{5.75}$ L_Sun), ensuring supergiant status, has a temperature similar to LBVs, is photometrically and spectroscopically variable, and is surrounded by warm dust. Its near-infrared spectrum shows the presence of several lines of HI, He I, Fe II, Fe [II], MgII, and Na I with shapes ranging from pure absorption and P Cygni profiles to full emission. These characteristics are often observed together in the relatively rare LBV class of stars, of which only $\\approx$20 are known in the Galaxy. The key to the new classification is the fact that we compute a new distance and extinction that yields a luminosity significantly in excess of those for post-AGB PPNe, for which the initial masses are <8 M_Sun. Assuming single star evolution, we estimate an initial mass of $\\approx$40 M_Sun.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2020-09-23T12:59:51.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "candidate luminous blue variable",
      "initial mass",
      "assuming single star evolution",
      "relatively rare lbv class",
      "protoplanetary nebula"
    ],
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 0,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable"
    }
  }
}