The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will be a ground-based, optical, all-sky, rapid cadence survey project with tremendous potential for discovering and characterizing asteroids.

With LSST's large 6.5m diameter primary mirror, a wide 9.6 square degree field of view 3.2 Gigapixel camera, and rapid observational cadence, LSST will discover more than 5 million asteroids over its ten year survey lifetime. With a single visit limiting magnitude of 24.5 in r band, LSST will be able to detect asteroids in the Main Belt down to sub-kilometer sizes. The current strawman for the LSST survey strategy is to obtain two visits (each ‘visit’ being a pair of back-to-back 15s exposures) per field, separated by about 30 minutes, covering the entire visible sky every 3-4 days throughout the observing season, for ten years.

The catalogs generated by LSST will increase the known number of small bodies in the Solar System by a factor of 10-100 times, among all populations. The median number of observations for Main Belt asteroids will be on the order of 200-300, with Near Earth Objects receiving a median of 90 observations. These observations will be spread among ugrizy bandpasses, providing photometric colors and allow sparse lightcurve inversion to determine rotation periods, spin axes, and shape information.

These catalogs will be created using automated detection software, the LSST Moving Object Processing System (MOPS), that will take advantage of the carefully characterized LSST optical system, cosmetically clean camera, and recent improvements in difference imaging. Tests with the prototype MOPS software indicate that linking detections (and thus ‘discovery’) will be possible at LSST depths with our working model for the survey strategy, but evaluation of MOPS and improvements in the survey strategy will continue. All data products and software created by LSST will be publicly available.

Prof. Wheeler has asked me to say something for the record about some ideas that I once suggested (at the Clifford Memorial meeting in Princeton in 1970) and to which Hawking and Collins have referred (Astrophys. J.180, 317, 1973). This concerns a line of thought which I believe to be potentially fertile, but which I did not write up at the time because I felt (as I still feel) that it needs further development. However, it is not inappropriate that this matter should have cropped up again on the present occasion, since it consists basically of a reaction against exaggerated subservience to the ‘Copernican principle’.

In recent times, there has been keen interest in understanding Sun-Earth connection events, such as solar flares, CMEs and concomitant magnetic storms. Magnetic storms are the most dramatic and perhaps important component of space weather effects on Earth. Super-intense magnetic storms (defined here as those with Dst $<$ −500 nT, where Dst stands for the disturbance storm time index that measures the strength of the magnetic storm) although relatively rare, have the largest societal and technological relevance. Such storms can cause life-threatening power outages, satellite damage, communication failures and navigational problems. However, the data for such magnetic storms is rather scarce. For example, only one super-intense magnetic storm has been recorded (Dst=−640 nT, March 13, 1989) during the space-age (since 1958), although such storms may have occurred many times in the last 160 years or so when the regular observatory network came into existence. Thus, research on historical geomagnetic storms can help to create a good data base for intense and super-intense magnetic storms. From the application of knowledge of interplanetary and solar causes of storms gained from the spaceage observations applied to the super-intense storm of September 1-2, 1859, it has been possible to deduce that an exceptionally fast (and intense) magnetic cloud was the interplanetary cause of this geomagnetic storm with a Dst −1760 nT, nearly 3 times as large as that of March 13, 1989 super-intense storm. The talk will focus on super-intense storms of September 1-2, 1859, and also discuss the results in the context of some recent intense storms.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Discovery of strongly-lensed gravitational wave (GW) sources will unveil binary compact objects at higher redshifts and lower intrinsic luminosities than is possible without lensing. Such systems will yield unprecedented constraints on the mass distribution in galaxy clusters, measurements of the polarization of GWs, tests of General Relativity, and constraints on the Hubble parameter. Excited by these prospects, and intrigued by the presence of so-called “heavy black holes” in the early detections by LIGO-Virgo, we commenced a search for strongly-lensed GWs and possible electromagnetic counterparts in the latter stages of the second LIGO observing run (O2). Here, we summarise our calculation of the detection rate of strongly-lensed GWs, describe our review of BBH detections from O1, outline our observing strategy in O2, summarize our follow-up observations of GW170814, and discuss the future prospects of detection.

Many of the key issues facing astrophysicists and cosmologists can be uniquely addressed by observations in near and far infrared, millimetre and submillimetre wavebands. Some highlights of IAU Symposium No. 204 are reviewed and likely future directions of observation, interpretation and theory are discussed.

There are at least four unexplained anomalies connected with astrometric data. Perhaps the most disturbing is the fact that when a spacecraft on a flyby trajectory approaches the Earth within 2000 km or less, it often experiences a change in total orbital energy per unit mass. Next, a secular change in the astronomical unit AU is definitely a concern. It is reportedly increasing by about 15 cm yr−1. The other two anomalies are perhaps less disturbing because of known sources of nongravitational acceleration. The first is an apparent slowing of the two Pioneer spacecraft as they exit the solar system in opposite directions. Some astronomers and physicists, including us, are convinced this effect is of concern, but many others are convinced it is produced by a nearly identical thermal emission from both spacecraft, in a direction away from the Sun, thereby producing acceleration toward the Sun. The fourth anomaly is a measured increase in the eccentricity of the Moon's orbit. Here again, an increase is expected from tidal friction in both the Earth and Moon. However, there is a reported unexplained increase that is significant at the three-sigma level. It is prudent to suspect that all four anomalies have mundane explanations, or that one or more anomalies are a result of systematic error. Yet they might eventually be explained by new physics. For example, a slightly modified theory of gravitation is not ruled out, perhaps analogous to Einstein's 1916 explanation for the excess precession of Mercury's perihelion.

The number of known pulsars has significantly increased over the past few years. We have searched the literature to find papers announcing the discovery of pulsars or giving improved parameters for them. Data from the papers have been entered into a new pulsar catalog that can be accessed via a web interface or from the command line (on Solaris or Linux machines). The user may request over 120 different parameters, select pulsars of interest, generate custom variables and choose between different ways of displaying or tabulating the datA. Full bibliographic references are available for all observed parameters.

Coherent emission mechanisms may be classified as (i) maser mechanisms, attributed to negative absorption by resonant particles in a resistive instability, (ii) a reactive or hydrodynamic instability, or (iii) to emission by bunches. Known coherent emission mechanisms in radio astronomy are plasma emission in solar radio bursts, maser emission in OH and other molecular line sources, electron-cyclotron maser emission from the planets, and pulsar emission. Pulsar radio emission is the brightest of all known coherent emission, and its brightness temperature is close to the maximum conceivable in terms of energy efficiency. Three possible pulsar radio emission mechanisms warrant serious consideration in polar cap models; here these are called coherent curvature emission, relativistic plasma emission, and free electron maser emission, respectively.

1. 1. Coherent curvature emission is attributed to emission by bunches. There is a fundamental weakness in existing theoretical treatments which do not allow for any velocity dispersion of the particles. There is no satisfactory mechanism for the formation of the required bunches, and were such bunches to form they would quickly lose their ability to emit coherently due to the curvature of the field lines.

2. 2. Relativistic plasma emission is a multistage emission process involving the generation of plasma turbulence and the partial conversion of this turbulence into escaping radiation. In pulsars the dispersion characteristics of the relativistic electron-positron plasma determines the form of the turbulence, which may be in either longitudinal waves or Alfvèn-like waves. Various instabilities have been suggested to produce turbulence, and a streaming instability is one possibility. Alternatively, in a detailed model proposed by Beskin et al. (1988) the instability depends intrinsically on the curvature of the field lines, and in a theory discussed by Kazbegi et al. (1988), a cyclotron instability generates the turbulence relatively far from the neutron star.

3. 3. Free electron maser emission or linear acceleration emission requires an oscillating electric field, postulated to be due to a large amplitude electrostatic wave. A recent analysis of this mechanism (Rowe 1992) shows that it allows emission in two different regimes that provide a possible basis for the interpretation of core and conal emission in pulsars. Effective maser emission seems to require Lorentz factors smaller than other constraints allow.

Other suggested theories for the emission mechanism include one that arises from a loophole in the proof that curvature absorption cannot be negative, and another that involves a closed “electrosphere” in which the radio emission is attributed to emission by bunches formed as a result of pair production due to a primary charge accelerated towards the star by its Coulomb field.

The European Space Agency's Darwin and NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) are among the most challenging space science missions ever considered. Their principal objective is to detect Earth-like planets around nearby stars and to characterize their atmospheres. Darwin and TPF-I are currently conceived as nulling interferometers with free-flying telescopes. Within the frame of the Darwin program, the ESA and the European Southern Observatory (ESO), supported by European industries and scientific institutes, have performed two parallel Phase A studies of a ground-based nulling interferometry experiment (GENIE) at the site of ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) in Paranal, Chile. GENIE will demonstrate several key technologies required for the Darwin mission. Its science objectives include the detection and characterization of dust disks and low-mass companions around nearby stars. These studies have established detailed instrumental designs, in which GENIE will operate in the L' band around 3.8 microns as a single Bracewell nulling or constructive interferometer, using either two Auxiliary or two Unit Telescopes. The studies were supported by detailed numerical simulations which indicated the possibility of detection and low-resolution spectroscopy in nulling mode of extra-solar giant planets (EGPs) with atmospheric temperatures down to 700 K, provided that a proper calibration of instrumental effects is applied. Detection of circumstellar exo-zodiacal (EZ) dust clouds is possible down to 0.5 mJy, with interesting prospects for the characterization of planet-forming disks.

We give a qualitative review of the nucleosynthesis occurring in AGB stars. We summarise some new calculations of intermediate mass stars which include all thermal pulses until the star is about to leave the AGB, as well as a detailed nucleosynthesis network. We will show that hot bottom burning delays, rather than prevents, the formation of carbon stars; those that form are not optically visible.

The presence of high-velocity, collimated outflows in planetary nebulae (PNe) has been observationaly established in recent years. Furthermore, these collimated outflows, or jets, are usually found to be symmetric with respect to the nucleus. In some cases, their morphology and spatial distribution indicates episodic outbursts and rotation of the symmetry axis. In these cases, the bipolar, rotating, episodic jets are identified as BRETs. The existence of bipolar jets in PNe has been considered perplexing since the mechanisms for their formation are unclear. However, substantial progress in their study has been made in the last few years, from both theoretical and observational grounds. Consequently, new results in the field are rapidly coming out, as it can be noticed from the number of related works in this symposium. We still need to reach solid answers in many aspects of this field, but its influence in the study of PNe has already modified the traditional views of PNe shaping and evolution. The main characteristics of some of these phenomena are discussed here, together with prototypical cases, including a compilation of PNe with BRETs charateristics.

It came as a great surprise that many dwarf elliptical galaxies of very low surface brightness in the Virgo Cluster have conspicuous bright star-like nuclei (Reaves 1983, Binggeli, Sandage and Tammann 1985). These nuclei are at least a factor of 10 more luminous than the brightest globular clusters in the Local Group and comparable only to the very brightest globulars surrounding M87. They contain a considerable fraction (1 to 20%) of the total light of the parent galaxy (Binggeli, priv. commun.). Their physical nature and origin are a matter of debate (Zinnecker et al. 1985, van den Bergh 1985, Norman 1986, Zinnecker 1986) but optical spectroscopy for 3 objects indicates a stellar composition with a range similar to globular clusters (Bothun et al. 1985). It has been suggested that a central nucleus is formed when off-center bound star clusters migrate to the center as a consequence of dynamical friction (Norman 1986). Support for such a scenario comes from CCD observations of IC 3475 which reveal numerous knots near the center of this dwarf irregular galaxy (Vigroux et al. 1986). These knots have the same color as the parent galaxy and are interpreted as intermediate age star clusters.

I. The main structural characteristics of the irregular barred spirals of the magellanic type are illustrated in Figure 1. They were first detected 10 years ago on small-scale photographs of the Large Cloud taken at Mount Stromlo (de Vaucouleurs 1954, 1955) and were later found to be uniformly present in many other “late-type” barred spirals designated SB(s)d and SB(s)m in the revised classification system (de Vaucouleurs 1959). These stages form a continuous transition between the regular barred spirals of the “S-shaped” sequences, such as NGC 1365: SB(s)b, NGC 1300: SB(s)bc, NGC 7479: SB(s)c, and the completely irregular system IBm showing only an axial bar and little or no traces of whorls, such as NGC 4449 and 4214. Examples of the transition stages are NGC 7741: SB(s)cd, NGC 1313: SB(s)d, NGC 4027: SB(s)dm, NGC 4618: SB(rs)m, and the Large Magellanic Cloud: SB(s)m (Fig. 2). The Small Cloud, because of its interaction with the Large Cloud and its unfavourable inclination, is more difficult to classify precisely; it may be designated as SB(s)mp or IB(s)mp to indicate the presence of residual (or incipient) spiral structure (de Vaucouleurs 1957a).

The large-scale surveys such as PTF, CRTS and Pan-STARRS-1 that have emerged within the past 5 years or so employ digital databases and modern analysis tools to accentuate research into Time Domain Astronomy (TDA). Preparations are underway for LSST which, in another 6 years, will usher in the second decade of modern TDA. By that time the Digital Access to a Sky Century @ Harvard (DASCH) project will have made available to the community the full sky Historical TDA database and digitized images for a century (1890–1990) of coverage. We describe the current DASCH development and some initial results, and outline plans for the “production scanning” phase and data distribution which is to begin in 2012. That will open a 100-year window into temporal astrophysics, revealing rare transients and (especially) astrophysical phenomena that vary on time-scales of a decade. It will also provide context and archival comparisons for the deeper modern surveys.

We summarize the status and results of the OWN Survey, a high-resolution monitoring program of Southern Galactic O- and WN-type stars, after twelve years of observing campaign.

Comets are made of ices, organics and minerals that record the chemistry of the outer regions of the primitive solar nebula where they agglomerated 4.6 Gyr ago. Compositional analyses of comets can provide important clues on the chemical and physical processes that occurred in the early phases of Solar System formation, and possibly in the natal molecular cloud that predated the formation of the solar nebula. This paper presents a short review of our present knowledge of the composition of comets. Implications for the origin of cometary materials are discussed.

A preliminary analysis of a sample of more than hundred stars, used as radial-velocity standards and followed with the CORAVEL spectrographs over 1 to 2 decades, is presented. Stars with intrinsic variability or orbital motions are pointed out.

The space mission PEGASE, proposed to the CNES (Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales = French Space Agency) in the framework of its call for scientific proposals : “formation flying missions”, is a 2-aperture interferometer, composed by 3 free flying satellites (2 siderostats and 1 beam combiner), allowing baselines from 50 to 500 m in both nulling and visibility modes. With an angular resolution of a few mas and a spectral resolution of several tens in the spectral range 2.5-5 microns, PEGASE has several goals:

1. science : spectroscopy of hot jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarves, exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks

2. technology : validation in real space conditions of formation flying, nulling and visibility interferometry concepts.

I have developed a new version of my model atmosphere program called ATLAS12. It recognizes more than 1000 species, each in up to 10 isotopic forms, including all ions of the elements up through Zn and the first 5 ions of heavier elements up through Es. The elemental abundances are treated as variable with depth. ATLAS12 has 6 input files of line data containing 58,000,000 atomic and molecular lines. For each line the wavelength, identification, lower energy level, gf, radiative, Stark, and van der Waals damping constants are packed into 16 bytes. At each wavelength point in a frequency integration the profiles of all the significant nearby lines are computed and summed. The program and line files will be distributed in the fall of 1992.

There are no significant differences at A0 between an opacity-sampled model computed with ATLAS12 and opacity-distribution-function model computed with ATLAS9. ATLAS12 allows arbitrary abundances but is slower. The new program can be used to produce improved models for Am and Ap stars that include the effects of millions of lines.

This paper presents the status of the EPICS project, an Earth-like Planets Imaging Camera Spectrograph for OWL. We present the Top-Level-Requirements of the instrument and we describe the baseline of the Adaptive Optics system with optimized wave-front sensor. The expected performance in rejection of starlight in the near infrared and in the visible is given. The instruments concepts for detection and characterization of exo-planets will be briefly described. The Signal-to-Noise ratio estimation shows that Earth-like planets can be detected up to 20 pc in a reasonable amount of time. The extremely challenging requirements in terms of static residual errors and differential aberrations are discussed.