New R Coronae Borealis and DY Persei Candidates in the SMC

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of 3 new R Coronae Borealis stars and 63 DY Persei candidates in the Small Magellanic Cloud, identified through brightness drop analysis in existing OGLE data, highlighting potential transitional objects.

Contribution

It introduces a new method of identifying RCB and DY Per candidates using characteristic brightness drops in OGLE data, leading to the discovery of numerous new candidates.

Findings

3 new R Coronae Borealis stars identified

63 new DY Persei candidates identified

Possible existence of transitional DY Per/RCB stars

Abstract

We report 3 new R Coronae Borealis and 63 new DY Persei candidates in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our analysis, based on data published by the OGLE team, consisted in a search for the characteristic drops in brightness that define these classes. All candidates had been previously classified as semi-regular or Mira variables. We briefly remark upon the possible existence of a "borderline" DY Per-like star and a "transitional" DY Per/RCB star. Follow-up observations are needed to conclusively establish the nature of our candidates.