Unidentified emission features in the R Coronae Borealis star V854 Centauri

Abstract

During its 2012 decline, the R Coronae Borealis star (RCB) V854 Cen was spectroscopically monitored with X-shooter on the ESO Very Large Telescope. The obscured optical and near-infrared spectrum exhibits many narrow and several broad emission features, as previously observed. The envelope is spatially resolved along the slit and allows for a detailed study of the circumstellar material. In this Letter, we report on the properties of a number of unidentified visual emission features (UFs), including the detection of a new feature at 8692 Å. These UFs have been observed in the Red Rectangle (RR), but their chemical and physical nature is still a mystery. The previously known UFs behave similarly in the RR and in V854 Cen, but are not detected in six other observed RCBs. Some hydrogen might be required for the formation of their carrier(s). The λ8692 UF is present in all RCBs. Its carrier is likely of a carbonaceous molecular nature, presumably different from that of the other UFs.