A new photometric study of B[e] stars in the infrared

Abstract

Abstract We have collected almost all B[e] stars (120 stars in total) listed in the literature up to the present time. We have then photometrically studied their infrared properties by using data from IRAS, WISE, and 2MASS. From several two-color diagrams we found that infrared radiation for the majority of B[e] stars shows a power law distribution from dusty/gaseous circumstellar disks in the 1–60 μm region. We also found that, possibly due to the influence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and silicate emissions, some B[e] stars have a blackbody distribution in the 3–12 μm region, and due to the influence of clouds/nebulae nearby some B[e] stars also show blackbody distributions in the IRAS wavelengths. Furthermore, we compared infrared properties between B[e] stars and Be stars, and between B[e] stars and HAeBe stars. We show that the infrared excess of B[e] stars is much larger than for Be stars in the 1–25 μm region, while both B[e] and HAeBe stars have similar infrared color properties in the 1–25 μm region.