Due to their small radii, M dwarfs are very promising targets to search for transiting super-Earths, with a planet of 2 Earth radii orbiting an M5 dwarf in the habitable zone giving rise to a 0.5% photometric signal, with a period of two weeks. This can be detected from the ground using modest-aperture telescopes by targeting samples of nearby M dwarfs. Such planets would be very amenable to follow-up studies due to the brightness of the parent stars, and the favourable planet-star flux ratio. MEarth is such a transit survey of ~2000 nearby M dwarfs. Since the targets are distributed over the entire (Northern) sky, it is necessary to observe them individually, which will be done by using 8 independent 0.4m robotic telescopes, two of which have been in operation since December 2007 at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) located on Mount Hopkins, Arizona. We discuss the survey design and hardware, and report on the current status of the survey, and preliminary results obtained from the commissioning data.

In the study of stars, the high energy domain occupies a place of choice, since it is the only one able to directly probe the most violent phenomena: indeed, young pre-main sequence objects, hot massive stars, or X-ray binaries are best revealed in X-rays. However, previously available X-ray observatories often provided only crude information on individual objects in the Magellanic Clouds. The advent of the highly efficient X-ray facilities XMM-Newton and Chandra has now dramatically increased the sensitivity and the spatial resolution available to X-ray astronomers, thus enabling a fairly easy determination of the properties of individual sources in the LMC.

A continuation of this WG was voted for at the IAU GA 2006 in Prague. The International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) is defined by the positions of 212 distant quasars at radio wavelengths. The primary, optical reference frame is the Hipparcos Celestial Reference Frame (HCRF), which is the Hipparcos Catalog without astrometric ‘problem’ stars (in: H. Rickman (ed.) 2001, Proceedings IAU XXIV General Assembly, Transactions IAU XXIVB (San Francisco: ASP), Resolution B1.2). The Tycho-2 catalog with its 2.5 million brightest stars forms the first step in the densification of the optical reference frame. However, the limiting magnitude of about V = 12 of the Tycho-2 catalog is not sufficient for most applications in astronomy and the goal of this IAU Working Group is to further extend the grid of highly accurate positions and motions toward more and fainter stars. The web site of this WG is at <ad.usno.navy.mil/dens_wg/>.

During its quick transition to the Planetary Nebula stage, the Asymptotic Giant Branch star will completely change its geometry. This AGB stellar evolution stage is characterized by a high mass loss driven by the radiation pressure. Strong magnetic field may rule the mass loss geometry and the global shaping of these objects. Following our previous work on the polarization of the SiO maser emission in a representative sample of O-rich evolved stars, we present here a study towards C-rich objects and PPN/PN objects to obtain unbiased conclusions. Using Xpol at the IRAM-30 m telescope, we have conducted CN N=1-0 observations to investigate the Zeeman effect in this molecule and draw conclusion on the evolution of the magnetic field and its influence during the transition of an AGB star to the PN stage. Following the analysis described by Crutcher et al. (1996) we derive an estimate of the magnetic field.

The time-scales of chemical enrichment are fundamental to understand the evolution of abundances and abundance ratios in galaxies. In particular, the time-scales for the enrichment by SNe II and SNe Ia are crucial in interpreting the evolution of abundance ratios such as [α/Fe]. In fact, the α-elements are produced mainly by SNe II on time-scales of the order of 3 to 30 Myr, whereas the Fe is mainly produced by SNe Ia on a larger range of time-scales, going from 30 Myr to a Hubble time. This produces differences in the [α/Fe] ratios at high and low redshift and it is known as “time-delay” model. In this talk we review the most common progenitor models for SNe Ia and the derived rates together with the effect of the star formation history on the [α/Fe] versus [Fe/H] diagram in the Galaxy. From these diagrams we can derive the timescale for the formation of the inner halo (roughly 2 Gyr), the timescale for the formation of the local disk (roughly 7-8 Gyr) as well the time-scales for the formation of the whole disk. These are functions of the galactocentric distance and vary from 2-3 Gyr in the inner disk up to a Hubble time in the outer disk (inside-out formation). Finally, the timescale for the formation of the bulge is found to be no longer than 0.3 Gyr, similar to the timescale for the formation of larger spheroids such as elliptical galaxies. We show the time-delay model applied to galaxies of different morphological type, identified by different star formation histories, and how it constrains differing galaxy formation models.

We consider the fragmentation mass scale of low-metallicity clouds based on their thermal evolution. Then we present the protostellar evolution in the main accretion phase, and discuss the upper limit on the stellar mass by the stellar feedback.

The efficiency of star formation governs many observable properties of the cosmological galaxy population, yet many current models of galaxy formation largely ignore the important physics of star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM). Using hydrodynamical simulations of disk galaxies that include a treatment of the molecular ISM and star formation in molecular clouds (Robertson & Kravtsov 2008), we study the influence of star formation efficiency and molecular hydrogen abundance on the properties of high-redshift galaxy populations. In this work, we focus on a model of low-mass, star forming galaxies at 1 ≲ z ≲ 2 that may host long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Observations of GRB hosts have revealed a population of faint systems with star formation properties that often differ from Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) and more luminous high-redshift field galaxies. Observed GRB sightlines are deficient in molecular hydrogen, but it is unclear to what degree this deficiency owes to intrinsic properties of the galaxy or the impact the GRB has on its environment. We find that hydrodynamical simulations of low-stellar mass systems at high-redshifts can reproduce the observed star formation rates and efficiencies of GRB host galaxies at redshifts 1 ≲ z ≲ 2. We show that the compact structure of low-mass high-redshift GRB hosts may lead to a molecular ISM fraction of a few tenths, well above that observed in individual GRB sightlines. However, the star formation rates of observed GRB host galaxies imply molecular gas masses of 108 – 109M⊙ similar to those produced in the simulations, and may therefore imply fairly large average H2 fractions in their ISM.

From the point-of-view of somebody standing outside on a cold winter night looking up at a clear cloudless sky, the space environment seems to be of a peaceful and stable nature. Instead, the opposite is found to be true. In fact the space environment is very dynamic on all spatial and temporal scales, and in some circumstances may have unexpected and hazardous effects on technology and humans both in space and on Earth. In fact the space environment seems to have a weather all of its own – its own “space weather”. Our Sun is definitely the driver of our local space weather. Space weather is an interdisciplinary subject covering a vast number of technological, scientific, economic and environmental issues. It is an application-oriented discipline which addresses the needs of “space weather product” users. It can be truly said that space weather affects everybody, either directly or indirectly. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of what space weather encompasses, emphasizing how solar-terrestrial physics is applied to space weather. Examples of “space weather product” users will be given highlighting those products that we as a civilization are most dependent on.

Program SMART (Spectra and Model Atmospheres by Radiative Transfer) has been composed for modelling atmospheres and spectra of hot stars (O, B and A spectral classes) and studying different physical processes in them (Sapar & Poolaäe 2003, Sapar et al. 2007). Line-blanketed models are computed assuming plane-parallel, static and horizontally homogeneous atmosphere in radiative, hydrostatic and local thermodynamic equilibrium. Main advantages of SMART are its shortness, simplicity, user friendliness and flexibility for study of different physical processes. SMART successfully runs on PC both under Windows and Linux.

The recent combination of new computational chemistry techniques and high performance computational hardware is allowing unprecedented levels of accuracy in the calculations of physical quantities such as potential energy surfaces and rotational-vibrational spectra. Previous results exist in the literature for the first three most stable conformers of glycine at the aug-cc-pVDZ basis set. In this work, we extend the known results, presenting calculations of the four most stable conformers of glycine using the aug-cc-pVQZ basis set. We compare our calculations to experimental values and show that our current calculations differ by <2% from measured values, much better than results from previous years. When searching for molecules in the Interstellar Medium this small difference suggests that computational methods are becoming well-suited for the task. The natural question to ask is: at what point will the small deviation from experimental values render our computations just as reliable as experiments? We feel that the current results show that we are indeed close to this goal.

Due to the up/down asymmetry caused by stratification, overshooting above differs from overshooting below a convection zone. The flux of kinetic energy, frequently used as a proxy of overshooting below a convection zone, cannot be used for the upward problem.

The star formation history of the Magellanic Clouds, including the old and intermediate-age star formation events, can be studied reliably and in detail through color-magnitude diagrams reaching the oldest main sequence turnoffs. This paper reviews our current understanding of the Magellanic Clouds' star formation histories and discusses the impact of this information on general studies of galaxy formation and evolution.

The Commission supports and coordinates scientific investigations in the Earth rotation and related reference frames. Several changes had been introduced to the structure of Commission 19 since the IAU XXVI General Assembly in Prague, 2006. The Organizing Committee of Commission 19 has been substantially reduced. It consists now of six ex-officio members, the Commission president, vice-president, past president and representatives from the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS), and five members at-large who are nominated by the OC, selected by the Commission members and elected by the IAU GA for a maximum of two terms. The modified terms of reference of Commission 19, the list of members and other details can be found at the Commission website <iau-comm19.cbk.waw.pl/>.

In our recent paper (Dorotovič et al. 2008a) we focused on a study of the Forbush decrease (FD) of January 17–18 and 21–22, 2005. It was shown that the corresponding recovery time can depend on the density of high-energy protons in the CME matter. In this paper we identified several additional events in the period between 1995 and 2007. We found that the majority of FDs studied is accompanied by an abrupt count increase in the proton channel P1 and by a simultaneous decrease in the channel P7 (GOES). However, the analysis of temporal evolution of all FDs did not confirm the hypothesis on different recovery time after FD as a function of the energy distribution of the particles penetrating into radiation belts of the Earth.

We report on a search for interstellar CH2D+. Four transitions occur in easily accessible portions of the spectrum; we report on emission at the frequencies of these transitions toward high column density star-forming regions. While the observations can be interpreted as being consistent with a detection of the molecule, further observations will be needed to secure its identification. The CH2D+ rotational spectrum has not been measured to high accuracy. Its lines are weak, as the dipole moment induced by the inclusion of deuterium in the molecule is small. Astronomical detection is favored by observations toward strongly deuterium-fractionated sources. However, enhanced deuteration is expected to be most significant at low temperatures. The sparseness of the available spectrum and the low excitation in regions of high fractionation make secure identification of CH2D+ difficult. Nonetheless, owing to the importance of CH3+ to interstellar chemistry, and the lack of rotational transitions of that molecule owing to its planar symmetric structure, a measure of its abundance would provide key data to astrochemical models.

The third phase of the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE-III) has been conducted since 2001 and regularly monitors the brightness of about 200 million stars. The OGLE-III fields cover both Magellanic Clouds and a large area in the Galactic bulge and disk. Here we describe the first parts of the OGLE-III Catalog of Variable Stars which is being prepared on the basis of these data. We present the principles of the catalog and methods used to select variable stars. We expect that the whole catalog will contain at least one million variable stars of all types. The catalog includes the list of variable sources along with their basic parameters, high precision multi-epoch I and V-band photometry and accurate astrometry. All objects are classified and cross-identified with previously published catalogs. We also carry out a preliminary statistical analysis of these huge samples of variable stars.

This work reports high resolution SMA polarimetric observations toward NGC 2024 FIR 5, a magnetized core previously found to harbour protostars. Our 345 GHz data indicates the presence of an extended dust emission associated with the dense core where the protostars are embedded. The 3σ polarized intensity shows depolarization toward the peak of Stokes I emission. This diminishing polarized flux implies that the alignment efficiency of the core dust grains is low within higher column densities where grain properties are likely different. The derived magnetic field geometry exhibits pinched field lines which are typical in evolved supercritical clouds where the magnetic field no longer support the core from collapsing. As a consequence for protostars, the gravitational pulling along the disk's long axis makes an equatorial bend to the field lines that, in turn, results in a hourglass shape. The SMA field structure agrees perfectly with the BIMA map. However, models are still necessary to provide a complete description of the evolutionary scenario of FIR 5.

The first phase of stellar evolution in the history of the universe may be Dark Stars, powered by dark matter heating rather than by fusion. Weakly interacting massive particles, which are their own antiparticles, can annihilate and provide an important heat source for the first stars in the the universe. This talk presents the story of these Dark Stars. We make predictions that the first stars are very massive (~800M⊙), cool (6000 K), bright (~106L⊙), long-lived (~106 years), and probable precursors to (otherwise unexplained) supermassive black holes. Later, once the initial DM fuel runs out and fusion sets in, DM annihilation can predominate again if the scattering cross section is strong enough, so that a Dark Star is born again.

We test the hypothesis that the host galaxies of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as well as quasar-selected damped Lyman-α (DLA) systems are drawn from the population of UV-selected star-forming, high z galaxies (generally referred to as Lyman-break galaxies). Specifically, we compare the metallicity distributions of the GRB and DLA populations against simple disk models where these galaxies are drawn randomly from the distribution of star-forming galaxies according to their star-formation rate and HI cross-section respectively. We find that it is possible to match both observational distributions assuming very simple and constrained relations between luminosity, metallicity, metallicity gradients and HI sizes. The simple model can be tested by observing the luminosity distribution of GRB host galaxies and by measuring the luminosity and impact parameters of DLA selected galaxies as a function of metallicity. Our results support the expectation that GRB and DLA samples, in contrast with magnitude limited surveys, provide an almost complete census of star-forming galaxies at z ≈ 3.

The SWEEPS (Sagittarius Window Eclipsing Extrasolar Planet Search) program was aimed at detecting planets around stars in the Galactic bulge, not only to determine their physical properties, but also to determine whether the properties of planets found in the solar neighborhood, such as their frequency and the metallicity dependence, also hold for the planets in the Galactic bulge. We used the Hubble Space Telescope to monitor 180,000 F, G, K, and M dwarfs in the Galactic bulge continuously for 7 days in order to look for transiting planets. We discovered 16 candidate transiting extrasolar planets with periods of 0.6 to 4.2 days, including a possible new class of ultra-short period planets (USPPs) with P < 1 day. The facts that (i) the coverage in the monitoring program is continuous, (ii) most of the stars are at a known distance (in the Galctic bulge), (iii) monitoring was carried out in 2 passbands, and (iv) the images have high spatial resolution, were crucial in minimizing and estimating the false positive rates. We estimate that at least 45% of the candidates are genuine planets. Radial velocity observations of the two brightest host stars further support the planetary nature of the transiting companions. These results suggest that the planet frequency in the Galactic bulge is similar to that in the solar neighborhood. They also suggest that higher metallicity favors planet formation even in the Galactic bulge. The USPPs occur only around low-mass stars which may suggest that close-in planets around higher-mass stars are irradiately evaporated, or that planets are able to migrate to and survive in close-in orbits only around such old and low-mass stars.