We present preliminary results of the high resolution (0.10″ × 0.15″) observations of the high mass star forming region S255IR with ALMA in several spectral windows from ∼335 GHz to ∼350 GHz. The main target lines were C34S(7–6), CH3CN(19K − 18K), CO(3–2) and SiO(8–7), however many other lines of various molecules have been detected, too. We present sample spectra and maps, discuss briefly the source structure and kinematics. A new, never predicted methanol maser line has been discovered.

Properties of bipolar magnetic regions (BMRs), particularly, the tilt angle play critical roles in generating the observed polar magnetic field and its reversal. Hence, a long-term study of BMR over its lifetime is crucial not only to understand the solar dynamo but also to identify the origin of the properties of BMR. In our work, we have developed an automatic algorithm to detect and track the BMRs from the line-of-sight (LOS) magnetograms of Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) for the period of Solar Cycle 23 over its lifetime/disk passage. Here, we present the details of our algorithm and the features of BMR, particularly the tilt angle, magnetic field strength and lifetime.

Many high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) are runaways. Stellar wind and radiation of donor stars in HMXBs along with outflows and jets from accretors interact with the local interstellar medium and produce curious circumstellar structures. Several such structures are presented and discussed in this contribution.

We present here a brief summary of the currenly on-going IFU surveys of galaxies in teh Local Universe, describing their main characteristics, including their sample selections, instrumental setups, wavelength ranges, and area of the galaxies covered. Finally, we make an emphasis on the main characteristics of the CALIFA survey and the more recent results that has been recently published.

We analyse star cluster properties in the nearby spiral galaxy M33, combining our extensive HST WFPC2 photometry and ground-based follow up spectroscopy. These data show that cluster velocity dispersion increases with age. Simulations comparing synthetic disk and halo populations with observations indicate a composite disk/halo system for the old M33 clusters. The best fit fraction of 85 ± 5% halo plus 15 ± 5% disk differs from that found in the Milky Way, where ∼ 30% of the globular clusters are metal rich objects associated with the bulge and/or thick disk. Spectroscopic line indices for a halo subsample (17 objects) reveal an age spread of ∼ 5 — 7 Gyr, and little progression in metal abundance with age. This is consistent with a chaotic formation for a substantial portion of the M33 halo, and also consistent with an accretion origin for a large number of the halo clusters.

We present high quality polarimetric observations with the Effelsberg radio telescope of the Crab pulsar at 8.35 GHz using a new sensitive receiver with a very large bandwidth. We present our observations and discuss them in the context of the conclusions reached by Moffett & Hankins (1999) about the geometry and the origin of the various pulse components.

We report preliminary results from an automated cluster survey of the Magellanic Clouds aimed at improving the cluster census and at deriving cluster properties from their resolved stellar content. The survey is tripling the number of known clusters. The cluster age distribution shows similar peaks at 100–200 Myr in LMC and SMC, coincident with the closest encounter of the Clouds and perigalacticon.

Ionization models for NGC 6210, 7009, 3242 and II 2003 have been constructed from optical and IUE spectroscopic data. The CIV 155 nm resonance line is predicted about ten times stronger than observed. Radiative transfer calculations of the CIV lines in a spherical nebula, assuming partial frequency redistribution, were made to investigate the effects of dust absorption and an additional depopulation of the upper level.

In this paper, we will review major new results regarding classical Cepheids, in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Specifically, we discuss recent work regarding multimode Cepheids and describe new observations of a W Vir star (HV 5756) and a Cepheid which are each in eclipsing binary systems. An additional interesting pulsating supergiant in an eclipsing system is also identified. Ephemerides for eclipses for the three systems are provided.

We present a procedure which allows to predict the dissolution times of star clusters in a simple way. The dissolution time of a cluster depends mainly on its total mass, its median radius and its galactic environment (galactic tidal field and passing massive objects). As an example, we discuss the lifetimes of LMC clusters. Finally, we show that massive black holes, which have been proposed as the major constituent of the dark coronae of galaxies, are very effective in destroying globular clusters.

Stellar brightness measurements in the far ultraviolet at wavelengths above Lyman α have been obtained from several experiments beginning in 1960. The 1960 data were obtained using mirror telescopes and gas gain ion chambers. They indicated far ultraviolet stellar brightness about 1 magnitude lower than predicted by theory. Subsequent Geiger counter data appear to support this conclusion. The reliability of rocket far ultraviolet stellar photometry, however, is still insufficient, to place great confidence in the above conclusions.

Stellar brightness measurements in the band 1150–1180 Å indicate that there may be a considerably greater deficiency in far ultraviolet stellar emission at wavelengths below Lyman α than above.

Thermal emission spectra from the MGS TES instrument permit retrieval of atmospheric properties that are of interest in the study of Martian meteorology, including temperature, dust, and water ice. Examples of analyses of zonal mean meridional thermal sructure for equinox and solstice conditions are presented.

The special problems presented to the computer of orbits by radial-velocity observations of visual binaries are discussed under three heads: (i) problems caused by the small range of velocity variation, (ii) problems caused by the long periods, (iii) inconsistency between visual and spectroscopic observations. It is pointed out that radial-velocity observations, even when they are insufficient for independent determinations of orbital elements, impose constraints on possible values of those elements which may in fact be helpful to the computer of visual orbits. In particular, as is illustrated by reference to ADS 8189, even a few observations of the radial-velocity are sufficient to destroy the mutual independence of the elements e, and ω.

The illness which prevented Dr. N. Richter from presiding over Commission 15 sessions in Montreal proved fatal on November 26, 1980.

Books published since 1978 dealing with the subject matter of Commission 15 are: (1) Comets and The Origin of Life, ed. C. Ponnomperuma, 1981, D. Reidel pub. Co., Dordrecht, Holland (designated C. P. Colloq. in Report); (2) Comets, ed. L. Wilkening, Univ. Arizona Press, 1982 (designated Comets, 1982 in Report) contains invited reviews of Tucson, IAU Colloquium No 61, “Comets” Gases, Ices, Grains, Plasma”. Contributed papers will appear in a volume of Icarus. Papers dealing with cometary and asteroidal orbits appear in IAU Symp. 81, 1979 and with cometary grains and meteorites in IAU Symp. 90, 1981. Proceedings of Workshops are: (1) “Experimental Approaches to Comets”, ed. J. Oro, 1978, Lunar and planetary Institute, Pub. 361; (2) “Modern Observational Techniques for Comets”, eds. J. Brandt et al., 1981, JPL Pub. 81-68, NASA.

Close-binary central stars of planetary nebulae are of interest to participants in this Colloquium because of recent suggestions that the cataclysmic binaries, containing a white dwarf and a lower-main-sequence star, may be descended from such objects (e.g. Paczynski 1976; Ritter 1976; Webbink 1978; Meyer and Meyer-Hofmeister 1978; Livio, Salzman, and Shaviv 1979). The proposed scenario is. that a binary system of initially large separation (P.= 1-10 yr) forms a “common-envelope” binary after the primary has evolved to the red-giant stage and developed a degenerate core. The secondary star spirals inward inside the red-giant envelope, eventually transferring enough angular momentum to the envelope to eject it. The result is a close binary containing the hot degenerate core of the red giant and a cool main-sequence companion, surrounded by the ejected envelope, which is ionized by the hotter star. Much later, when the cool companion begins to evolve, it will start to transfer matter to the hot star (by now a white dwarf), and cataclysmic activity ensues.

A brief review is given of the several ways in which stellar motions may be used statistically. In the case where the motions of all stars shown on plates of certain regions are measured these are generally used to determine kinematical relations in the Galaxy and only secondarily for the estimation of luminosities; when motions are measured for special groups of stars the solar motion is first determined and then used for the calculation of distances and luminosities.

At the General Assembly of the I. A. U. in Prague in 1967 I became involved in a discussion on the merit of using stars with positions taken from the Astrographic Catalogue as reference stars in finding positions of faint members of the solar system. The answer was that little choice exists if the positions are being found from photographs of small field taken with large telescopes.

Working in the signature (+ + + -) and units such that G = 1 = c, it was found a solution of Einstein-Maxwell equations with λ (without current and pseudo-current). In real coordinates xμ=(p, σ, q, τ) the solutions is: (1)(2) where (3) is pure imaginary; in (1) ‘d’ denotes the external differential]. Not all constants m0, n0, e0, g0, b, ∊, λ are physically significant: by re-scaling coordinates ∊ can be made equal to +1,0, or −1. The solution is of the type D: the double Debever-Penrose vectors (4) have the common complex expansion Z = (q + ip)-1. Among C(a)'s only C(3) given by: (5) is in general ≠0. The invariants of the electromagnetic field are: (6)