Infrared photometry and spectroscopy covering a time span of a quarter century are presented for HD 31648 (MWC 480) and HD 163296 (MWC 275). Both are isolated Herbig Ae stars that exhibit signs of active accretion, including driving bipolar flows with embedded Herbig-Haro (HH) objects. HD 163296 was found to be relatively quiescent photometrically in its inner disk region, with the -3exception of a major increase in emitted flux in a broad wavelength region centered near 3 µm in 2002. In contrast, HD 31648 has exhibited sporadic changes in the entire 3-13 µm region throughout this span of time. In both stars the changes in the 1-5 µm flux indicate structural changes in the region of the disk near the dust sublimation zone, possibly causing its distance from the star to vary with time. Repeated thermal cycling through this region will result in the preferential survival of large grains, and an increase in the degree of crystallinity. The variability observed in these objects has important consequences for the interpretation of other types of observations. For example, source variability will compromise models based on interferometry measurements unless the interferometry observations are accompanied by nearly-simultaneous photometric data.

We report on the results of a number of infrared spectra (0.8-2.5, 2.1-4.6, and 3-14 m) of V838 Monocerotis, taken from a short time after discovery in 2002 January to about 14 months later, in early 2003. The spectrum evolved dramatically, changing from a quasi-photospheric stellar spectrum with weak atomic emission lines (some with P Cygni profiles) to one showing a wide range of deep absorption features indicative of a cool, extended atmosphere with a circumstellar dust shell. The early spectra showed lines of s-process elements, such as Sr ii and Ba i. The later spectra showed absorption by gaseous H 2 O, CO, AlO, TiO, SiO, SO 2 , OH, VO, and SH, as well as a complex of emission near 10 m reminiscent of silicate emission, with a central absorbing feature at 10:3 m. Thus, V838 Mon appears to be oxygen-rich. A simple, spherically symmetric model of the system involving a central star with a two-component expanding circumstellar shell is presented that is able to explain the major molecular features and spectral energy distribution in the object's late stages. The derived shell mass and distance are 0.04 M and 9.2 kpc, respectively.

FS CMa stars form a group of objects with the B[e] phenomenon that were previously known as unclassified B[e] stars or B[e] stars with warm dust (B[e]WD) until recently. They exhibit strong emission-line spectra and strong IR excesses, most likely due to recently formed circumstellar dust. These properties have been suggested to be due to ongoing or recent rapid mass exchange in binary systems with hot primaries and various types of secondaries. The first paper of this series reported an analysis of the available information about previously known Galactic objects with the B[e] phenomenon, the initial selection of the FS CMa group objects, and a qualitative explanation of their properties. This paper reports the results of our new search for more FS CMa objects in the IRAS Point Source Catalog. We present new photometric criteria for identifying FS CMa stars as well as the first results of our observations of nine new FS CMa group members. With this addition, the FS CMa group has now 40 members, becoming the largest among the dust-forming hot star groups. We also present nine objects with no evidence for the B[e] phenomenon, but with newly discovered spectral line emission and/or strong IR excesses.

Infrared spectrophotometric observations from 0.8 to 2.5 km are presented for the narrow-line, type 1 Seyfert galaxy I Zw 1. The data clearly reveal Fe II j9997, j10501, j10863, and j11126Èthe so-called "" 1 km Fe II lines.ÏÏ These features are by far the strongest Fe II transitions in the entire 0.8È2.5 km spectral region and, relative to the hydrogen lines, are equal or stronger in I Zw 1 than in any of the Galactic sources in which they have been detected previously. The 1 km Fe II lines, which share a common upper term, are probably emitted by the broad line regions of many active galaxies but have escaped identiÐca-tion because of blending with nearby features of hydrogen and helium. A mechanism for their excitation through Ñuorescence by Lya has been suggested previously in the literature, but the crucial cascade lines that feed the upper term in this process are not seen in I Zw 1. The low energy of the upper term indicates that the 1 km Fe II lines are collisionally excited.

Infrared spectroscopy of V2274 Cygni (=Nova Cygni 2001 No. 1) is presented for two widely separated epochs, 17 and 370 days after discovery. In addition to the Paschen and Brackett series of H i, the early-time spectrum shows strong emission lines of C i and N i, fluorescently excited lines of O i, and emission from the first overtone of carbon monoxide. Because the initial data were probably acquired no more than 18 days after outburst, CO molecule formation occurred remarkably quickly in the dense, cool, carbon and oxygen rich ejecta. Rapid formation was also seen in NQ Vul, V842 Cen, and V705 Cas, three other novae in which first-overtone CO emission has been detected. Formation of the CO molecule may occur chemically in a process that requires H 2 as a precursor or directly through radiative association. The overtone emission of V2274 Cyg indicates a temperature of $2500 K. The vibrational levels show no obvious departures from thermal equilibrium, which may indicate high optical depths in the fundamental. A large 13 C/ 12 C ratio (0:83 AE 0:3) is also indicated by the observations, consistent with the fast CNO burning expected in novae explosions. By the time of the second epoch observations, the emission lines of the neutral C, N, and O had disappeared. He i 10830 was the dominant emission feature in the spectrum. In addition to the hydrogen lines, recombination features of He ii were also strong. The common nebular lines of [S iii] were seen but only two coronal line, [S viii] 9911 and [Si vi] 19645, were detected. The CO emission had disappeared, but a strong thermal dust component was present. The interstellar reddening for the system was found to be E(BÀV Þ ¼ 1:3. This extinction, together with the absolute magnitude derived from the rate of decline of the light curve, suggest a distance of $10.8 kpc. This places V2274 Cyg well out of the Galactic plane. The small number of novae with spectroscopic detections of carbon monoxide all have prominent C i lines, moderate speed classes and ejection velocities, exhibit marked dust formation events, and result from an explosion on a CO-type white dwarf. Based on these similarities, the spectrum of V2274 is proposed as a likely near-infrared spectral template for other novae that display carbon monoxide emission.

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We present the results of optical high‐resolution and near‐infrared low‐resolution spectroscopy and multicolour optical and near‐infrared photometry of the emission‐line star MWC 930. The spectrum is rich with Fe ii emissions, most of which have P Cyg‐type profiles. The emission lines are strong and narrow, indicating a powerful stellar wind with a low terminal velocity (v∞∼ 140 km s−1). The photospheric absorption lines are broad and show splitting, which might be due to the object's binarity. MWC 930 is most probably located in the Norma spiral arm at a distance of D= 3–4 kpc. This strong and slow wind as well as the star's luminosity (log L/L⊙∼ 5.5) and the infrared excess shape suggest that MWC 930 is an unusual B‐type supergiant, most likely undergoing the luminous blue variable evolutionary phase.