Hen 3-160 - the First Symbiotic Binary with Mira Variable S Star

Hen 3-160 is reported in Belczyński et al. catalog as a symbiotic binary system with M7 giant donor. Using V- and I-band photometry collected over 20 years we have found that the giant is a Mira variable pulsating with 242.5-day period. The period-luminosity relation locates Hen 3-160 at the distance of about 9.4 kpc, and its Galactic coordinates (l=267.°7, b=-7.°9) place it ≈1.3 kpc above the disk. This position combined with relatively high proper motions (μαcosδ=-1.5 mas/yr, μ_δ=+2.9 mas/yr, Gaia DR2) indicates that Hen 3-160 has to be a Galactic extended thick-disk object. Our red optical and infrared spectra show the presence of ZrO and YO molecular bands that appear relatively strong compared to the TiO bands. Here we propose that the giant in this system is intrinsic S star, enriched in products of slow neutron capture processes occurring in its interior during an AGB phase which would make Hen 3-160 the first symbiotic system with Mira variable S star.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa Nr 461252 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2020)