Numerical simulations have shown that strong gravitational torque by non-axisymmetric components induce evolutionary processes such as redistribution of mass and angular momentum in the galactic disks and consequent change of chemical abundance profiles. If we hope to understand chemical evolution gradients and their evolution we must understand the secular processes and re-arrangement of material by non-axisymmetric components and vice-versa. The most obvious of these aforementioned non-axisymmetric components are bars - at least 2/3 of spiral galaxies host a bar, and possibly all disk galaxies have hosted a bar at some point in their evolution. While observationally it has been found that barred galaxies have shallower gas-phase metallicity gradients than non-barred galaxies, a complementary analysis of the stellar abundance profiles has not yet been undertaken. This is unfortunate because the study of both gas and stars is important in providing a complete picture, as the two components undergo (and suffer from) very different evolutionary process. We present here a pilot study of the gas and stellar metallicity and age distributions in a sample of barred and non-barred galaxies using 2D spectroscopic observations. We found that the majority of the stellar mass in our sample is composed of old (~10 Gyr) stars. This is true in the bulge and the disc region, even beyond two disc scalelengths. In the disc region, a larger fraction of young stars is present in the external parts of the disc compared with the inner disc. The disc growth is, therefore, compatible with a moderate inside-out formation scenario, where the luminosity-weighted age changes from ~10 Gyrs in the centre, to ~4 Gyrs at two disc scalelengths, depending upon the galaxy. However, the presence of substructure, like star forming rings, can produce stellar population trends that are not directly related with the growing of the disc but to the bar potential. In the disc region, the metallicity gradient always decrease with the radius. In the bulge region this is not always true and we find inverse metallicity gradients in several galaxies.

The President verbally reported that the only scientific matter that he dealt with during the triennium as an appeal over the withholding of a supernova designation from an object observed only in the infra-red with no supporting spectrum.

Photometric images are used to measure the temperature of sunspots at different wavelengths. Images at 672.3 nm and 472.3 nm are obtained at the San Fernando Observatory using the CFDT2 (2.5” x 2.5” pixels). Images at 607.1 nm and 409.4 nm are obtained by the PSPT at Mauna Loa Observatory. Monochromatic intensities are converted to temperatures as in Steinegger et al (1990). The pixel by pixel temperature for a sunspot is converted into a bolometric contrast for that sunspot according to Chapman et al (1994). Sunspot temperatures, i.e., their bolometric contrasts, are calculated from both red (672.3 nm) and blue wavelengths (472.3 nm) and compared.

We report on the extension of the ASH code to include an atmospheric stable layer (i.e not convective). This layer is meant to model the sun's chromosphere within the anelastic approximation limits while coping with the wide range of densities, time and spatial scales between r = 0.7 R⊙ and r = 1.03 R⊙. Convective overshoot into the stable atmospheric layer is observed in a region ~ 0.01 R⊙ thick, exciting waves which propagate upwards into the atmosphere.

It has been known since many decades that galaxy interactions can induce star formation (hereafter SF) enhancements and that one of the driving mechanisms of this enhancement is related to gas inflows into the central galaxy regions, induced by asymmetries in the stellar component, like bars. In the last years many evidences have been accumulating, showing that interacting pairs have central gas-phase metallicities lower than those of field galaxies, by ~0.2–0.3 dex on average. These diluted ISM metallicities have been explained as the result of inflows of metal-poor gas from the outer disk to the galaxy central regions. A number of questions arises: What's the timing and the duration of this dilution? How and when does the SF induced by the gas inflow enrich the circum-nuclear gas with re-processed material? Is there any correlation between the timing and strength of the dilution and the timing and intensity of the SF? By means of Tree-SPH simulations of galaxy major interactions, we have studied the effect that gas inflows have on the ISM dilution, and the effect that the induced SF has, subsequently, in re-enriching the nuclear gas. In this contribution, we present the main results of this study.

Systematic multi-wavelength studies of neutron stars (NSs) have shown a jet and disk-jet coupling phenomenology which resembles, although with some important differences, that observed in black holes; ultra-relativistic transient ejection, steady compact jets, accretion-ejection cycles are indeed observed in NSs. I will review our observational knowledge of jet in NS X-ray binaries, focusing on the role of the parameters of the system which might be involved in the production of jets. First, I will discuss the role of the accretion rate, presenting a unified scheme for accretion-jet production throughout the different sub-classes of low-magnetic field NSs. Then, I will attempt to (make the first steps to) quantify the role of spin and magnetic field in powering the jet.

Every ten years the astronomy and astrophysics community in the United States undertakes a survey intended to prioritize plans for major ground- and space-based astronomical facilities for the coming decade. New Worlds, New Horizons (NWNH) was released in August 2010 and represents the community's advice to the United States' funding agencies about the top priorities for 2010-2020. Here we focus on the recommendations of NWNH for space-based exoplanet missions to be considered by NASA, and on the plans developed to date for how NASA will respond to the science goals and missions set out for them by NWNH.

Fireball model of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) predicts generation of numerous internal shocks, which efficiently accelerate charged particles and generate relatively small-scale stochastic magnetic and electric fields. The accelerated particles diffuse in space due to interaction with the random waves and so emit so called Diffusive Synchrotron Radiation (DSR) in contrast to standard synchrotron radiation they would produce in a large-scale regular magnetic fields. In this contribution we present key results of detailed modeling of the GRB spectral parameters, which demonstrate that the non-perturbative DSR emission mechanism in a strong random magnetic field is consistent with observed distributions of the Band parameters and also with cross-correlations between them.

Gas materials in the inner Galactic disk continuously migrate toward the Galactic center (GC) due to interactions with the bar potential, magnetic fields, stars, and other gaseous materials. Those in forms of molecules appear to accumulate around 200 pc from the center (the central molecular zone, CMZ) to form stars there and further inside. The bar potential in the GC is thought to be responsible for such accumulation of molecules and subsequent star formation, which is believed to have been continuous throughout the lifetime of the Galaxy. We present 3-D hydrodynamic simulations of the CMZ that consider self-gravity, radiative cooling, and supernova feedback, and discuss the efficiency and role of the star formation in that region. We find that the gas accumulated in the CMZ by a bar potential of the inner bulge effectively turns into stars, supporting the idea that the stellar cusp inside the central 200 pc is a result of the sustained star formation in the CMZ. The obtained star formation rate in the CMZ, 0.03–0.1 M⊙, is consistent with the recent estimate based on the mid-infrared observations by Yusef-Zadeh et al. (2009).

We present the results of magnetic field measurements for a sample of 23 young Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBEs) stars and 12 stars with debris disks. The spectropolarimetric data were obtained during four observing runs in 2003-2008 at the European Southern Observatory with the multi-mode instrument FORS 1 installed at the 8 m Kueyen telescope. Among the 23 HAEBEs studied, stellar magnetic fields of about 100-150G have been detected in 11 stars (i.e. ~50%). The presence of circumstellar polarization signatures formed in the stellar wind supports the assumption that the magnetic centrifuge is one of the main mechanisms of the wind acceleration. No field detection at a significance level of 3σ was achieved in stars with debris disks.

We performed numerical simulations of mergers between gas-rich disc galaxies, which result in the formation of late-type galaxies. Stars formed during the merger end up in a thick disc that is partially supported by velocity dispersion and has high [α/Fe] ratios at all metallicities. Stars formed later end up in a thin, rotationally supported disc which has lower [α/Fe] ratios. While the structural and kinematical properties of the merger remnants depend strongly upon the orbital parameters of the mergers, we find a clear chemical signature of gas-rich mergers.

An ideal engine for producing ultrarelativistic jets is a rapidly rotating black hole threaded by a magnetic field. Following the 3+1 decomposion of spacetime of Thorne et al. (1986), we use a local inertial frame of reference attached to an observer comoving with the frame-dragging of the Kerr black hole (ZAMO) to write the GRMHD equations. Assuming θ-self similarity, analytical solutions for jets can be found for which the streamline shape is calculated exactly. Calculating the total energy variation between a non polar streamline and the polar axis, we have extended to the Kerr metric the simple criterion for the magnetic collimation of jets developed by Sauty et al. (1999). We show that the black hole rotation induces a more efficient magnetic collimation of the jet.

Massive stars have a strong impact on globular cluster evolution. First providing they rotate initially fast enough they can reach the break-up velocity during the main sequence and a mechanical mass-loss will eject matter from the equator at low velocity. Rotation-induced mixing will also bring matter from the convective core to the surface. From this ejected matter loaded in H-burning material a second generation of stars will born. The chemical pattern of these second generation stars are similar to the one observed for stars in globular cluster with abundance anomalies in light elements. Then during the explosion as supernovae the massive stars will also clear the cluster of the remaining gas. If this gas expulsion process acts on short timescale it can strongly modify the dynamical properties of clusters by ejecting preferentially first generation stars.

We study the connections between the sun's convection zone evolution and the dynamics of the solar wind and corona. We input the magnetic fields generated by a 2.5D axisymmetric kinematic dynamo code (STELEM) into a 2.5D axisymmetric coronal MHD code (DIP). The computations were carried out for an 11 year cycle. We show that the solar wind's velocity and mass flux vary in latitude and in time in good agreement with the well known time-latitude assymptotic wind speed diagram. Overall sun's mass loss rate, momentum flux and magnetic breaking torque are maximal near the solar minimum.

We report our recent results from multiwavelengths studies of microquasars, focusing on X-ray data of GX 339–4 and GRS 1915+105 obtained with Suzaku and other observatories. The broad band coverage and high energy resolution achieved with Suzaku (or a combination of Chandra/HETGS and RXTE) enable us to perform the most reliable spectral analysis both on iron-K features and continuum, and thus to best constrain the accretion disk structure of microquasars and its relation to the jet formation at various mass accretion rates.

A nonlinear force-free magnetic field extrapolation of vector magnetogram data obtained by THEMIS/MTR on 2005 May 27 suggests the simultaneous existence of different magnetic configurations within one active region filament: one part of the filament is supported by field line dips within a flux rope, while the other part is located in dips within an arcade structure. Although the axial field chirality (dextral) and the magnetic helicity (negative) are the same along the whole filament, the chiralities of the filament barbs at different sections are opposite, i.e., right-bearing in the flux rope part and left-bearing in the arcade part. This argues against past suggestions that different barb chiralities imply different signs of helicity of the underlying magnetic field. This new finding about the chirality of filaments will be useful to associate eruptive filaments and magnetic cloud using the helicity parameter in the Space Weather Science.

Spiral structures in the disk galaxies have been extensively studied by many theoretical papers, but conventional steady-state models are not consistent with what we observe in time-dependent, multi-dimensional numerical simulations and also in real galaxies. Here we review recent progress in numerical modeling of stellar and gas spirals in disk galaxies. The spiral arms excited in a stellar disk can last for 10 Gyrs without the ISM, but each spiral arm is short-lived and is recurrently formed. The stellar spirals are not waves propagating with a single pattern speed. The ISM is concentrated in local potential minima, which roughly follow the galactic rotation together with the stellar arms, therefore galactic dust lanes are not the classic ‘galactic shocks’.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a large aperture (6.5 meter), cryogenic space telescope with a suite of near and mid-infrared instruments covering the wavelength range of 0.6 ?m to 28 ?m. JWSTs primary science goal is to detect and characterize the first galaxies. It will also study the assembly of galaxies, star formation, and the formation of evolution of planetary systems. JWSTs instrument complement offers numerous capabilities to study the formation and evolution of exoplanets via direct imaging, high contrast coronagraphic imaging and photometric and spectroscopic observations of transiting exoplanets.

One of the challenges for stellar astrophysics is to reach the point at which we can undertake reliable spectral synthesis of unresolved populations in young, star-forming galaxies at high redshift. Here I summarise recent studies of massive stars in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds, which span a range of metallicities commensurate with those in high-redshift systems, thus providing an excellent laboratory in which to study the role of environment on stellar evolution. I also give an overview of observations of luminous supergiants in external galaxies out to a remarkable 6.7 Mpc, in which we can exploit our understanding of stellar evolution to study the chemistry and dynamics of the host systems.