Aims. We try to identify ultra-cool dwarfs from the seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS DR7) with SDSS i-z and r-z colors. We also obtain proper motion data from SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS and improve spectral typing from SDSS and 2MASS photometric colors. Methods. We selected ultra-cool dwarf candidates from the SDSS DR7 with new photometric selection criteria, which are based on a parameterization study of known L and T dwarfs. The objects are then cross-identified with the Two Micron All Sky Survey and the Fourth Data Release of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS DR4). We derive proper motion constraints by combining SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS positional information. In this way we are able to assess, to some extent, the credence of our sample using a multi epoch approach, which complements spectroscopic confirmation. Some of the proper motions are affected by short baselines, but, as a general tool, this method offers great potential to confirm faint L dwarfs as UKIDSS coverage increases. In addition we derive updated color-spectral type relations for L and T dwarfs with SDSS and 2MASS magnitudes. Results. We present 59 new nearby M and L dwarfs selected from the imaging catalog of the SDSS DR7, including proper motions and spectral types calculated from the updated color-spectral type relations. and obtain proper motions from SDSS, 2MASS, and UKIDSS for all of our objects.

We collect all known intrinsic and extrinsic S-type stars to discuss their infrared properties and find their difference in the infrared using photometric data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, and Infrared Astronomical Satellite missions. Then we look for the diagnosis to extract intrinsic S-type stars from the large unclassified sample. We found that, statistically, intrinsic S-type stars have larger infrared excesses than extrinsic S-type stars in the wavelength region of 1–60 μm due to thicker dusty circumstellar envelopes. We also found that only intrinsic S-type stars occupy the reddest color areas in all of the two-color diagrams we presented. Finally, 172 new intrinsic S-type stars are presented in this paper. This makes the number of known intrinsic S-type stars almost double. In addition, some intrinsic and extrinsic S-type stars have power-law distributions in some two-color diagrams with the wavelength longer than 5 μm. The possible reason for this is also discussed.

Abstract. The 1612 MHz hydroxyl maser in circumstellar envelopes has long been thought to be pumped by 34.6 µm photons. Only recently, the Infrared Space Observatory has made possible spectroscopic observations which enable the direct confirmation of this pumping mechanism in a few cases. To look for the presence of this pumping line, we have searched the Infrared Space Observatory Data Archive and found 178 spectra with data around 34.6 µm for 87 galactic 1612 MHz masers. The analysis performed showed that the noise level and the spectral resolution of the spectra are the most important factors affecting the detection of the 34.6 µm absorption line. Only 5 objects from the sample (3 red supergiants and 2 galactic center sources) are found to show clear 34.6 µm absorption (all of them already known) while two additional objects only tentatively show this line. The 3 supergiants show similar pump rates and their masers might be purely radiatively pumped. The pump rates of OH masers in late type stars are found to be about 0.05, only 1/5 of the theoretical value of 0.25 derived by Elitzur (1992). We have also found 16 maser sources which, according to the analysis assuming Elitzur's pump rate, should show the 34.6 µm absorption line but do not. These non-detections can be tentatively explained by far-infrared photon pumping, clumpy nature of the OH masing region or a limb-filling emission effect in the OH shell.