Accreting-only symbiotic stars in the era of large Galactic Archeology spectroscopic surveys

Abstract

Symbiotic stars are interacting binary systems consisting of a primary star, usually a red giant, and a companion star, usually a white dwarf. In general, there are two phases of symbiotic stars: a burning phase characterized by a rich emission line spectrum and an accreting-only phase in which the optical spectrum is dominated by the red giant, making them difficult to detect as a symbiotic star. The characterization and quantification of the entire population of symbiotic stars can provide crucial insights into the evolution and properties of our Galaxy. Our research is based on the GALAH spectroscopic survey, where we aim to identify symbiotic stars with the lowest accretion rates through spectral emission lines such as Hα and Hβ. In the search for new accreting-only symbiotic star candidates, we focus on spectroscopic and photometric properties that distinguish these systems from single giants.