Speaker
Description
Symbiotic stars (SySts) are interacting binary systems composed of a cold, dust-producing red giant, losing material to a hot white dwarf (WD), and embedded in a surrounding nebula as a result. Interactions between the stellar components, such as mass transfer via Bondi–Hoyle–Lyttleton accretion or Roche-lobe overflow, can trigger outbursts, jet formation, and nova-like explosions. Such events can significantly affect the circumstellar environment. As a result, dusty filaments can form in the immediate vicinity of the system or on a larger scale. To date, BI Cru, R Aquarii, and Omi Ceti are the only known symbiotic systems clearly exhibiting these dusty features.
While large-scale gaseous nebulae around SySts have extensively been studied, the dusty material surrounding these systems has not yet been systematically investigated. In this oral contribution, we present new results on the detection of extended dust emission from all Galactic symbiotic stars (284 sources) using archival imaging data from various IR telescopes. Our initial results reveal only a small number of detection of extended dust emission. The identified systems will be studied in more detail using hydrodynamic simulations to explore the role of binary interaction and outburst evolution. In addition, we discuss possible reasons for the apparent lack of detectable dust nebulae around the majority of symbiotic stars.