We present the results of the linear polarisation observations of methanol masers at 44 and 95 GHz towards 39 massive star forming regions (Kang et al. 2016). These two lines are observed simultaneously with the 21-m Korean VLBI Network (KVN) telescope in single dish mode. About 60% of the observed showed fractional polarisation of a few percents at least at one of the two transition lines. We note that the linear polarisation of the 44 GHz methanol maser is first detected in this study including single dish and interferometer observations. We find the polarisation properties of these two lines are similar as expected, since they trace similar regions. As a follow-up study, we have carried out the VLBI polarisation observations toward some 44 GHz maser targets using the KVN telescope. We present preliminary VLBI polarisation results of G10.34-0.14, which show consistent polarisation properties in multiple epoch observations.

RR Lyrae variables are old (>10 Gyr) stars and, as such, they are useful probes of the earliest events of star formation in galaxies (Bernard et al. 2008, Martínez-Vázquez et al. 2016) as well as of the galaxy assembly process predicted by ΛCDM simulations of structure formation. In fact, the nature of the building-blocks of galaxies such as the Milky Way, and in particular, those of their stellar haloes, has been a matter of a substantial debate (Venn et al. 2004). Unlike other stellar tracers, RR Lyrae offer a snapshot of the stellar content present at the epoch when most of the merging action is predicted to have taken place, and thus they are ideal witnesses of this process.

C2H4O2 isomers, methyl formate (HCOOCH3), acetic acid (CH3COOH) and glycoaldehyde (HOCH2CHO), have been detected in a lot of sources in ISM. However, their abundances are very different, with methyl formate much more abundant than the other two isomers. This fact may be related to the different destruction by ionizing radiation of these molecules. The goal of this work is experimentally study the photodissociation processes of methyl formate and acetic acid ices when exposed to broadband soft X-ray from 6 up to 2000 eV. The experiments were performed coupled to the SGM beamline in the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source (LNLS/CNPEM) at Campinas, Brazil. The simulated astrophysical ices (12K) were monitored throughout the experiment using infrared vibrational spectroscopy. The analysis of processed ices allowed the determination of the effective destruction cross sections of the parent molecules as well as the effective formation cross section of daughter molecular species. The relative abundance between acetic acid and methyl formate (NCH3COOH/NHCOOCH3) in different astronomical scenarios and their column density evolution in the presence of X-rays were calculated and our results suggests that such radiation field can be one of the factors that explain the difference in the isomers C2H4O2 abundances. We also quantified the daugther species after the establishment of a chemical equilibrium in the samples.

The solar magnesium II core-to-wing ratio has been a well-studied proxy for chromospheric activity since 1978. Daily measurements at high spectral (0.1 nm) resolution began with the launch of the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) in 2003. The next generation of measurements from the Extreme Ultraviolet Sensor (EUVS) on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 16 (GOES-16) will add high time cadence (every 30 seconds) to the observational Mg II irradiance record. We present a comparison of the two measurements during the period of overlap.

The research about women in astronomy began in 1988 following a request received from Wilfried Schröder, now deceased but, at that time, in charge of the Interdivision Commisssion on History, which was included in the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) attached to the IUGG International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. The results obtained concerning “Astronomy, Geophysics and Women”, presented at the symposium “The history of geomagnetism and aeronomy”, were published (Débarbat 1989) in Advances in Geosciences in the form of a short paper. The IAU began to publish, in 1992, membership statistics in its Information Bulletin IB 68, including percentages of women and men, and several papers were published on the subject up to the last one Statistics on Women in IAU Membership (Débarbat 1989). Recent results are given including examples from the past.

One view of major Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events is that these (proton-dominated) fluxes are accelerated in heliospheric shock sources created by Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs), and then travel mainly along interplanetary magnetic field lines connecting the shock(s) to the observer(s). This places a particular emphasis on the role of the heliospheric conditions during the event, requiring a realistic description of the latter to interpret and/or model SEP events. The well-known ENLIL heliospheric simulation with cone model generated ICME shocks is used together with the SEPMOD particle event modeling scheme to demonstrate the value of applying these concepts at multiple inner heliosphere sites.

The association of 6.7 GHz class II methanol (CH3OH) masers with ATLASGAL/ ALMA 0.9 mm massive dense cores is presented in this work from a statistical viewpoint. 42 of the 112 cores (37.5%) detected with the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) excite 6.7 GHz CH3OH masers. ACA cores have offsets 0\rlap.″17 to 4\rlap.″79 from the methanol multibeam survey (MMB), with a median of 2.″19. Approximately 90% of the MMB-associated cores are of masses > 40 M⊙. Because all the cores show evidence of outflow activity, and only a fraction of the cores excited CH3OH masers, we suggest that outflows precede the emergence of maser emission. This first ALMA survey of massive dense cores combined with the MMB survey along with other maser specie surveys is a promising tool to trace the evolutionary sequence of high-mass stars.

Modelling of Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) is usually carried out by means of the 1D focused transport equation and the same approach is adopted within several SEP Space Weather forecasting frameworks. We present an alternative approach, based on test particle simulations, which naturally describes 3D particle propagation. The SPARX forecasting system is an example of how test particle simulations can be used in real time in a Space Weather context. SPARX is currently operational within the COMESEP Alert System. The performance of the system, which is triggered by detection of a solar flare of class >M1.0 is evaluated by comparing forecasts for flare events between 1997 and 2017 with actual SEP data from the GOES spacecraft.

Using the data from APOGEE, WISE, and GLIMPSE, we explored the variation of the near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) interstellar extinction laws of the Milky Way. We derived the IR extinction laws towards a number of different sightlines, including 24 bins along Galactic latitude (b) and 592 plates observed by APOGEE. Our results indicate that E(J-H)/E(J-K) show only subtle variation along b, Galactic longitude (l), or the depth of E(J-K). This suggests that the NIR extinction law can be considered as universal. Similarly, E(K-W1, W2, W3, [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], [8.0])/E(J-K) also show only small variation along b, l, or the extinction depth. The MIR extinction curve is flat, indicating that the MIR extinction law is likely universal.

The particular environment with high temperature and low plasma density in the corona results to the formation of some forbidden emission lines, in which the well-known green line at 530.3 nm has been utilized to diagnose the corona for a few decades. For the green line, besides its contribution on revealing the long-term coronal cycles as well as their relationship to the other solar phenomena, it is also helpful to detect limb coronal waves and ejections originated from the lower corona which seems not to be paid close attention to. Suggestions are presented that we not only need to keep the green line observation as a routine task for current coronagraph observations, but need to develop larger coronagraphs with advanced technology.

Nitrogen, one of the most abundant elements in the Universe is a fundamental element of molecules which are crucial for life. We present here the modelling of the emission of two of the simplest nitrogen-bearing molecules, CN and NO, with a non-LTE radiative transfer code in IRAS16293-2422, a class 0 low-mass protostar. In this model, we assumed IRAS16293-2422 is formed by 2 compact, hot and dense sources embedded in a three layers of envelope.

Multi-decade observing campaigns of the globular clusters 47 Tucanae and M15 have led to an outstanding number of discoveries. Here, we report on the latest results of the long-term observations of the pulsars in these two clusters. For most of the pulsars in 47 Tucanae we have measured, among other things, their higher-order spin period derivatives, which have in turn provided stringent constraints on the physical parameters of the cluster, such as its distance and gravitational potential. For M15, we have studied the relativistic spin precession effect in PSR B2127+11C. We have used full-Stokes observations to model the precession effect, and to constrain the system geometry. We find that the visible beam of the pulsar is swiftly moving away from our line of sight and may very soon become undetectable. On the other hand, we expect to see the opposite emission beam sometime between 2041 and 2053.

This year 2018 has great historical and current significance for stellar spectral classification. Two hundred years ago in Reggio Emilia, Italy, was born Angelo Secchi, a pioneer of observing and classifying the spectra of stars. At the beginning of the IAU, almost a hundred years ago, one of its original Commissions was entitled the Spectral Classification of Stars, from which was generated Commission 45, Spectral Classification and Multi-band Colour Indices. And seventy-five years ago, was published the system-changing MKK, An Atlas of Stellar Spectra. Through this necessarily brief, historical view we shall recall how spectral classification, supported internationally by the IAU, continually updated its techniques, while remaining anchored to standards. This has ensured that the MK classification process stays very relevant to the initial characterizing of stars in the 21st century era of large spectral surveys.

We use the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12, which is the largest available white dwarf catalogue to date, to study the evolution of the kinematical properties of the population of white dwarfs of the Galactic disk. We derive masses, ages, photometric distances and radial velocities for all white dwarfs with hydrogen-rich atmospheres. For those stars for which proper motions from the USNO-B1 catalogue are available, the three-dimensional components of the velocity are obtained. This subset of the original sample comprises 20,247 stars, making it the largest sample of white dwarfs with measured three-dimensional velocities. The volume probed by our sample is large, allowing us to obtain relevant kinematical information. In particular, our sample extends from a Galactocentric radial distance RG = 7.8 to 9.3 kpc, and vertical distances from the Galactic plane ranging from Z = +0.5 to –0.5 kpc.

An onboard automated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) detection algorithm has been developed for Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) onboard ADITYA-L1. The aim of this algorithm is to reduce the load on telemetry by sending the high spatial (~ 2.51 arcsec pixel−1) and temporal (1 s) resolution images of corona from 1.05 R⊙ to 3 R⊙, containing CMEs and rejecting others. It is based on intensity thresholding followed by an area thresholding in successive running difference images which are re-binned to lower resolution to improve signal to noise. Here we present the results of application of the algorithm on synthetic corona images generated for the VELC field of view (FOV).

2017 marked the 130th anniversary of the start of the Carte du Ciel project, an ambitious proposal by the Paris Observatory to map the entire sky using photographiy, which required the joint work of numerous observatories in the world. For this endeavour, an impressive organization was designed that included congresses, commissions and publications, which lasted through many years. The Carte du Ciel finally became one of the immediate antecedents of the International Astronomical Union, which in 2019 celebrates its first century. In Latin America, the observatories of Santiago de Chile, La Plata and Rio de Janeiro, the Argentine National Observatory and the Tacubaya Observatory, in Mexico, were involved in the project. In this presentation, we present part of the history of the failures and successes of one of the most important collaborative astronomical projects on the planet.

A wind nebula generating extended X-ray emission was recently detected surrounding Swift 1834.9-0846. This is the first magnetar for which such a (pulsar) wind nebula (PWN) was found. I demonstrate that Swift 1834.9-0846’s nebula can be rotationally-powered if it is being compressed by the environment. The physical reason behind this is the dominance of adiabatic heating over all other cooling and escape processes. This effect can happen only for pulsars of relatively low spin-down power and can make for very efficient nebulae. This contribution is based on previous work published in ApJ 835, article id. 54, 13 pp. (2017).

Our 2015-2016 ALMA 1.3 to 0.87 mm observations (resolution ~200 au) of the massive protocluster NGC6334I revealed that an extraordinary outburst had occurred in the dominant millimeter dust core MM1 (luminosity increase of 70×) when compared with earlier SMA data. The outburst was accompanied by the flaring of ten maser transitions of three species. We present new results from our recent JVLA observations of Class II 6.7 GHz methanol masers and 6 GHz excited OH masers in this region. Class II masers had not previously been detected toward MM1 in any interferometric observations recorded over the past 30 years that targeted the bright masers toward other members of the protocluster (MM2 and MM3=NGC6334F). Methanol masers now appear both toward and adjacent to MM1 with the strongest spots located in a dust cavity ~1 arcsec (1300 au) north of the MM1B hypercompact HII region. In addition, new excited OH masers appear on the non-thermal source CM2. These data reveal the dramatic effects of episodic accretion onto a deeply-embedded high mass protostar and demonstrate its ongoing impact on the surrounding protocluster.

Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been observed in comets, hot cores and cold dense regions of the interstellar medium. It is generally accepted that these COMs form on icy dust grain through the recombination reaction of radicals triggered by either energetic UV-photon or non-energetic H-atom addition processing. In this work, we present for the first time laboratory studies that allow for quantitative comparison of hydrogenation and UV-induced reactions as well as their cumulative effect in astronomically relevant CO:CH3OH=4:1 ice analogues. The formation of glycolaldehyde (GA) and ethylene glycol (EG) is confirmed in pure hydrogenation experiments at 14 K, except methyl formate (MF), which is only clearly observed in photolysis. The fractions for MF:GA:EG are 0 : (0.2-0.4) : (0.8-0.6) for pure hydrogenation, and 0.2 : 0.3 : 0.5 for UV involving experiments and can offer a diagnostic tool to derive the chemical origin of these species. The GA/EG ratios in the laboratory (0.3-1.5) compare well with observations toward different objects.

Emanating from coronals holes (CHs), high speed streams (HSSs) cause recurrent geomagnetic disturbances in the Earth’s magnetosphere. For this reason being able to predict the occurrence and timing of the high speed solar wind is one of the more important issues in space weather forecasting. Currently, it is still difficult to estimate the effect of a CH in case that it extends from high latitudes to lower ones. To monitor the global solar wind condition we have therefore developed a three-dimensional MHD simulation code, the REProduce Plasma Universe (REPPU) code, that is driven by the solar magnetic field from the solar surface to 1AU. The connectivity of magnetic field lines from CHs to Earth’s orbit via HSSs has been investigated. Simulation results are presented and the usefulness of our model is discussed.