Broad-band and multi-band polarimetric observations of post-AGB and RV Tauri stars

Abstract

We present optical broad-band ( UBVRI ) aperture polarimetry of 52 post-AGB stars, selected from De Ruyter et al. (2006) and the Torun Catalog, based on the shape of their SED and near-infrared excess. We find 10 (19%) of the stars in our sample to have high polarization ( P > 5%), 30 (56%) intermediate/low polarization (1% P P P > 3%), show systematically [12] − [25] > 1.5, J − H > 0.5 and J − K > 0.5, clearly separated from the group of RV Tauri stars, which are found to have very low polarization ( P < 3%).