Photometric Variability of Symbiotic Stars at All Time Scales - Magellanic Cloud Systems

Symbiotic stars are long-orbital-period interacting binaries characterized by extended emission over the whole electromagnetic range and by complex photometric and spectroscopic variability. In this contribution, I will present some high-cadence, long-term optical light curves of confirmed and candidate symbiotic stars in the Magellanic Clouds. By careful visual inspection and combined time series analysis techniques, we investigate for the first time in a systematic way the photometric properties of these astrophysical objects, trying in particular to distinguish the evolutionary status of the cool component, to provide its first-order pulsation ephemeris and to link all this information with the physical parameters of the binary system as a whole. Finally, I will discuss a new, promising photometric technique, potentially able to discover Symbiotic Stars in the Local Group of Galaxies without the recourse to costly spectroscopic follow-up.