Symbiotic stars are the longest orbital period interacting binaries , where nova-like outbursts are generated by the accretion of a high mass loss rate red giant wind onto a white dwarf companion .
Long-term photometric monitoring surveys such as OGLE and MACHO are ideal platforms to identify nova-like events in symbiotic stars , however there are only a handful of known systems within the small footprint of these surveys .
We introduce a systematic Halpha emission line object survey for new symbiotic stars covering 35 deg ^ { 2 } towards the Galactic Bulge that combines deep 2dF/AAOmega spectroscopy with OGLE and MACHO photometry .
This powerful combination has uncovered nearly two dozen new symbiotic stars , more than a dozen probable symbiotic stars , and several other unusual H \alpha emission line stars .
While we don ’ t find any nova-like activity , the lightcurves do exhibit semi-regular and Mira pulsations , orbital variations and slower changes due to dust .
Here we introduce a few of the new symbiotics , including H1-45 , only the fourth known carbon symbiotic Mira .
This remarkable discovery may be the first luminous carbon star belonging to the Galactic Bulge , according to its period-luminosity relation distance of 6.2 \pm 1.4 kpc , potentially shedding new light on the puzzling lack of luminous carbon stars in the Bulge .
We also present two old novae captured in the nebular phase , complementing other surveys to better characterise the old nova population .