We give here an overview of the current state of our survey for pre-main sequence spectroscopic binaries. Up to now we have taken 739 spectra of 250 pre-main sequence stars. We find that 8% of the stars show significant radial velocity variations, and are thus most likely spectroscopic binaries. In addition to the targets showing radial velocity variations, 6% of the targets are double-lined spectroscopic binaries i.e., the total fraction of spectroscopic binaries is expected to be about 14%. All short-period SB2s are monitored photometrically in order to search for eclipses. An eclipsing SB2 would allow the direct measurement of the masses of both stellar components. Measurements of the stellar masses together with determinations of the stellar radii are a crucial test of evolutionary tracks of pre-main sequence stars.

The time during which the temperature of a terrestrial-like planet remains in the liquid water range during the fading of its parent brown dwarf is calculated as a function of brown dwarf mass and planetary semimajor axis using recent models for brown dwarf evolution and two criteria for habitable zone width. Durations of habitability range from 0.5–2 Gyr at a brown dwarf mass of 0.03 M⊙ to 2–10 Gyr at a brown dwarf mass of 0.07 M⊙ for planets within a few Roche radii.

Mass determinations are difficult to obtain and still frequently characterised by deceptively large uncertainties. We review below the various mass estimators used for star clusters of all ages and luminosities. We highlight a few recent results related to (i) very massive old star clusters, (ii) the differences and similarities between star clusters and cores of dwarf elliptical galaxies, and (iii) the possible strong biases on mass determination induced by tidal effects.

It has been shown in several independent investigations that the multiple-shell phenomenon is prevalent in planetary nebulae. Despite the common classification, the multiple shell planetary nebulae are a heterogeneous group of objects, as testified by the wide variety of their morphologies and physical structures. There are two types of double-shell structures that are seen frequently: one has an inner shell expanding supersonically into a faint, subsonically expanding halo, and the other has a bright attached envelope co-expanding with the inner shell. The physical structures and relative elemental abundances in the shells are reviewed, and their possible formation mechanisms are discussed.

This paper describes a photographic technique for recording solar spectra. The technique, which we call spectra-spectroheliography, requires the same amount of observing time as conventional spectroheliography but yields much more information. Data reduction techniques have been developed to use this information for the construction of spectroheliograms and other contour maps. Parameters investigated by this method include the vector magnetic field, line-of-sight velocity, continuum intensity, and line strength. Results indicate (1) good correlation between bright regions in spectroheliograms and small vertical magnetic fields; (2) poorer correlation between larger magnetic fields and bright regions; (3) a feature in the continuum resembling a pore but having no vertical magnetic field; and (4) a gradient in the vertical magnetic field of 12 kG/arc s.

Virtual Observatory (VO) is a data intensive online astronomical research and education environment, taking advantages of advanced information technologies to achieve seamless and uniform access to astronomical information. The concept of VO was introduced in the late 1990s to meet the challenges brought up with data avalanche in astronomy. In the paper, current status of International Virtual Observatory Alliance, technical highlights from world wide VO projects are reviewed, a brief introduction of Chinese Virtual Observatory is given.

We have found two extreme GPS sources with peak frequencies of 20 and 30 GHz. The sources are both associated with X-ray bright, low redshift (z < 1) quasars. We have undertaken a search for similar sources using the Green Bank 5 GHz, NVSS 1.4 GHz surveys and follow-up observations with the Ryle Telescope at 15 GHz and the VLA up to 43 GHz.

Advances in infrared astronomy and in computing power have recently opened up an interesting area of the solar system for dynamical exploration. The survey of the sky made by The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) in 1983 revealed the complex structure of the zodiacal dust cloud. We now know the inclination and nodes of the plane of symmetry of the cloud with respect to the ecliptic and we have evidence that the cloud is not rotationally symmetric with respect to the Sun. Of even more interest is the discovery by IRAS of prominent dust bands that circle the Sun in planes near-parallel to the ecliptic. In 1984, we suggested (Dermott et al., Nature, 312, 505-509) that the solar system dust bands discovered by IRAS are produced by the gradual comminution of the asteroids in the major Hirayama asteroid families. The confirmation of this hypothesis has involved: (1) The development of a new secular perturbation theory that includes the effects of Poynting-Robertson light drag on the evolution of the dust particle orbits; (2) The production of a new high resolution Zodiacal History File by IPAC (the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech); (3) The development of the SIMUL code: a three-dimensional numerical model that allows the calculation of the thermal flux produced by any particular distribution of dust particle orbits. SIMUL includes the effects of planetary perturbations and PR drag on the dust particle orbits and reproduces the exact viewing geometry of the IRAS telescope. We report that these tools allow us to account in detail for the observed structure of the dust bands. They also allow us to show that there is evidence in the IRAS data for the transport of asteroidal dust from the main belt to the Earth by Poynting-Robertson light drag.

The electronic spectroscopy of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules has been studied in the laboratory at low temperatures using both molecular beam and matrix isolation spectroscopy techniques. While molecular beam spectra can be readily compared to astronomical observations, the band positions measured in Ne and Ar matrices are extrapolated to obtain rather good estimates for the same transitions in the gas phase. Absolute absorption cross sections are determined for gas-phase and matrix spectra by comparing them with calibrated solution spectra. All laboratory results are analyzed and discussed in view of the role that PAHs can play as carriers of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). Our studies suggest that regular neutral PAHs are not responsible for any of the known strong DIBs.

More than 300 000 artificial debris particles with diameter larger than 1 cm are orbiting the Earth. The space debris population is similar to the asteroid belt, since it is subject to a process of high-velocity mutual collisions that affects the long-term evolution of its size distribution. The near–Earth space can be divided in three major regions where orbital debris is of concern: Low Earth Orbits (LEOs), below about 2000 km, Geosynchronous Orbits (GEOs), at an altitude of about 36000 km and the Medium Earth Orbits (MEOs) in between. The issues are in principle the same in the three regions, nevertheless they require different approaches and solutions. The space debris are composed by several different populations according to their source and their orbital region. A description of the nature and dynamics of the different populations in the low, medium and high orbital regimes is given. The impact risk posed by these debris is then briefly outlined.

The long term evolution of the whole debris population can be studied with computer models allowing the simulation of all the known source and sinks mechanisms. One of these codes is described and the evolution of the debris environment, over the next 100 years, under different traffic scenarios is shown, pointing out the possible measures to mitigate the growth of the orbital debris population.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

The sky-averaged (global) 21-cm signal is a very promising probe of the Cosmic Dawn, when the first luminous sources were formed and started to shine in a substantially neutral intergalactic medium. I here report on the status and early result of the Large-Aperture Experiment to Detect the Dark Age that focuses on observations of the global 21-cm signal in the 16 ≲ z ≲ 30 range.

Attention is centered on cosmic dust measures made by sensors on Pioneers 8 and 9 in Earth-like orbits. The conclusion follows Zook and Berg that the particles are largely “β-meteoroids,” interplanetary impact debris expelled by solar radiation pressure. An analysis of periodic comet orbits and comets observed during the missions failed to yield correlations, except possibly for debris from Comet Encke. A treatment of β-meteoroids from this stream is presented.

The New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST) is a new generation ground-based solar facility of China. One of the post-focus instruments is the multi-channel high-resolution imaging system, which is designed to simultaneously observe the dynamic gas motion in the solar photosphere and chromosphere. Since October of 2010 it has been operational in the NVST and some necessary updates were performed in past 2 years. Here we first give a general introduction of this system, and then we exhibit one near-limb observation of solar filaments obtained using this system. By this communication, we would like to show the potential ability to perform the high resolution observation of solar filaments (prominences) using the multi-channel imaging system in the NVST.

This review describes where we are today in light of the dust and gas properties and their relation to star formation, in low metallicity galaxies of the local universe following recent surveys from sensitive infrared space telescopes, mainly Spitzer and Herschel space observatories as well as ground-based observations of the molecular gas reservoir. Models to interpret the ISM properties are gaining sophistication in order to account for the wide range of valuable observational diagnostics that we have today to trace the different gas phases, the broad range of photometry we have, from mid-infrared to submillimetre dust emission and the various galactic size scales that we can sample today. This review summarizes the rich multi-phase observations we can exploit today, and the multi-phase modeling approach to interpret the observations.

We present the first results of a wide observational program intended to study the effects of hot-bottom burning and of the third dredge-up in the chemical evolution of the most luminous AGB stars in our Galaxy. The main goal is to provide new observational constraints to the models through the analysis of lithium and s-process element abundances in a carefully selected sample of galactic AGB stars. Our results indicate that, unlike observed in the Magellanic Clouds, the most massive AGB candidates in our Galaxy do not show any significant enrichment in s-process elements. In addition, only some of them are found to be Li-rich.

Jacoby & Fullton (1994, BAAS, 26, 1384) searched 133 of the ∼ 150 Galactic globular clusters for Planetary Nebulae (PNe) using the on-band/off-band imaging technique at [O III] λ5007Å. We present preliminary abundances and central star properties for the 2 new PN identified in that survey (labeled JaFu 1 and JaFu 2 by Acker, Marcout, & Ochsenbein 1996).

Rather than a summary of the conference, I present here an overview of the status of the field and our progress over the last two decades from the points of view of astronomy, molecular physics, spectroscopy, and astrochemistry. While at first sight, progress may seem slow, actually, we have made an important stride forward. We have recognized now that the problem is very complex and identifying the carriers of the Diffuse Interstellar Bands will require a concerted effort of astronomers, molecular physicists, spectroscopists, and astrochemists. While this is a daunting prospect, we have identified the tools that we need to make this happen.

We discuss how some coronal mass ejections (CMEs) originating from the western limb of the Sun are associated with space weather effects such as solar energetic particles (SEPs), shocks or geo-effective ejecta at Earth. We focus on the August 24, 2002 coronal mass ejection, a fast (~2000 km s−1) eruption originating from W81. Using a three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamic simulation of this ejection with the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), we show how a realistic initiation mechanism enables us to study the deflection of the CME in the corona and the heliosphere. Reconnection of the erupting magnetic field with that of neighboring streamers and active regions modify the solar connectivity of the field lines connecting to Earth and can also partly explain the deflection of the eruption during the first tens of minutes. Comparing the results at 1 AU of our simulation with observations by the ACE spacecraft, we find that the simulated shock does not reach Earth, but has a maximum angular span of about 120°, and reaches 35° West of Earth in 58 hours. We find no significant deflection of the CME and its associated shock wave in the heliosphere, and we discuss the consequences for the shock angular span.

Core-collapse supernova explosions are driven by a central engine that converts a small fraction of the gravitational binding energy released during core collapse to outgoing kinetic energy. The suspected mode for this energy conversion is the neutrino mechanism, where a fraction of the neutrinos emitted from the newly formed protoneutron star are absorbed by and heat the matter behind the supernova shock. Accurate neutrino-matter interaction terms are crucial for simulating these explosions. In this proceedings for IAUS 331, SN 1987A, 30 years later, we explore several corrections to the neutrino-nucleon scattering opacity and demonstrate the effect on the dynamics of the core-collapse supernova central engine via two dimensional neutrino-radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. Our results reveal that the explosion properties are sensitive to corrections to the neutral-current scattering cross section at the 10-20% level, but only for densities at or above ~1012 g cm−3.

Sky maps made by the Pioneer 10 Imaging Photopolarimeter (IPP) at sun-spacecraft distances from 1 to 3 AU have been analyzed to derive the brightness of the zodiacal light near the ecliptic at elongations greater than 90 degrees. The change in zodiacal light brightness with heliocentric distance is compared with models of the spatial distribution of the dust. Use of background starlight brightnesses derived from IPP measurements beyond the asteroid belt, where the zodiacal light is not detected, and, especially, use of a corrected calibration lead to considerably lower values for zodiacal light than those reported by us previously.