The Kislovodsk series of the green (FeXIV 530.3 nm; KI$_{5303}$) and red (FeX 637.4 nm; KI$_{6374}$) corona has been used to calculate the mean monthly intensities at high latitude (45$^\circ$–90$^\circ$) zones for 1957–2002. The ratio KI$_{6374}$/KI$_{5303}$ was observed during the minimum sunspot activity. It was shown that this ratio increased by more than a factor 2 during the last 45 years at the high latitudes (45$^\circ$–90$^\circ$). This may be interpreted that the fraction of cool regions in the polar corona has more than doubled over these years. We suggest that this increase in the amount of cool regions is related to the increase in the area of the polar zones occupied by magnetic field of a single polarity at the solar minimum and possibly to a corresponding increase in the area occupied by polar coronal holes, while the magnetic field strength itself has not or barely increased.

For nearly a decade, N-body simulations have revealed a nearly universal dark matter density profile. This density profile appears to be robust to changes in the overall density of the universe and the underlying power spectrum. Despite its universality, however, the physical origin of this profile has not yet been well understood. Semi-analytic models have suggested that scale lengths in dark matter halos may be determined by the onset of the radial orbit instability. We have tested this theory using N-body simulations of collapsing dark matter halos. The resulting halo structures are prolate in shape, due to the mild aspect of the instability. We find that the radial orbit instability sets a scale length at which the velocity dispersion changes rapidly from isotropic to radially anisotropic. Preliminary analysis suggests that this scale length is proportional to the radius at which the density profile changes shape, as is the case in the semi-analytic models; however, the coefficient of proportionality is different by a factor of ~2. We conclude that the radial orbit instability may be a key physical mechanism responsible for the nearly universal profiles of simulated dark matter halos.

The VLT Survey Telescope (VST) is going to offer a unique chance to collect deep and wide field photometry in multi-directions, opening the door to a definitive mapping of the Galactic halo. In this shortcoming scenario, we present a pilot study aimed at recovering the halo stellar density using the Capodimonte Deep Field (OACDF, Alcalá et al. 2004). Turn-off stars are isolated and the relative color-magnitude diagram (CMD) is compared with synthetic CMDs. Our result is consistent with a power law exponent n≈ 3 over a range of Galactocentric distances from 8 to 40 kpc.

We present results from an investigation where the long-term photometry of several magnetically active RS CVn binaries is studied to see whether or not they show permanent active longitudes and the flip-flop phenomenon. We confirm that it is very common for the active regions to occur on permanent active longitudes. Many of our target stars also show clear flip-flop phenomenon, but often the data set is not long enough for reliable determination of the flip-flop period.

We construct an exact and simple general relativistic model to describe a galactic disc based on a Schwarzschild disc immersed in a six dimensional space-time. The stability of this configuration is studied and we present results for the calculation of circular geodesic orbits.

In spherical symmetry, very reliable models of stellar core collapse, bounce, and the postbounce phase can be constructed based on general relativistic Boltzmann neutrino transport. However, even if the time-integrated neutrino luminosity in the region between the surface of the protoneutron star and the stalled accretion shock is one or two orders of magnitude larger than the energy of a supernova explosion, it is generally accepted that the net energy transfer is not efficient enough to drive an explosion, unless the fluid instabilities in this regime are taken into account. Complementary to other groups, who are elaborating an extension of the accurate neutrino physics to axisymmetric simulations, we construct efficient parameterizations of the neutrino physics that enable three-dimensional magneto-hydrodynamics simulations that do not constrain the fluid instabilities by artificially imposed symmetries. We evaluate our approximations with respect to spherically symmetric Boltzmann neutrino transport, present preliminary MHD simulations with a resolution of 600 zones cubed, and illustrate the questions that can be addressed by this approach.

While the overall star formation rate in a galaxy appears to depend primarily on the gas mass and density, with the timescale for conversion of gas into stars given by the dynamical time, turbulence and explosions are still important for the process of star formation because they control the birth correlations in space and time. Most star formation appears triggered by some specific process, whether it is a galactic spiral shock, the expansion of a superbubble, the compression of a bright-rimmed globule, or some seemingly random compressive event in a supersonically turbulent flow. These processes give space and time sequences for star birth that are well observed. Many examples were given at this conference. Shocks are the link between large-scale but weak galactic processes and small-scale but strong final collapses. The rate limiting step is on the largest scale, where the dynamical time is slowest. Both gravitational instabilities and pressurized triggering seem to work on the same local dynamical time, making it difficult to tell that star formation is highly triggered when observing only galactic scales.

I discuss the constraints that can be derived on the abundance of high redshift (z>6) (mini)quasars from the unresolved soft X-Ray background. Furthermore, I will show how existing Lyα surveys can be used to probe the very faint MB≳-21 mag (i.e., ≳7–8 mag fainter than the SDSS quasars) end of the z≥,4.5 quasar luminosity function.

Excitation of f- and p- modes by Reynolds stresses and entropy fluctuations is reviewed. Approximations made to allow semi-analytic analysis are discussed. The spectrum of solar convection is presented and shown to NOT be separable into independent spatial and temporal factors. An appropriate fitting formula is presented.

Time-distance local helioseismology has been analyzed using numerical simulations. One approach is simulation of solar surface convection on supergranule scales (48 Mm wide by 20 Mm deep). A surface shear layer develops. There is a continuous increase in the horizontal scale of the convective motions with increasing depth. Some small granular scale downflows at the surface are swept sideways by diverging larger scale upflows from below to merge into stronger downdrafts in these larger downflow boundaries. Elsewhere, some granular downflows have to beat their way against the upflows from below are halted. These simulations have a rich spectrum of f- and p- modes that turn within the computational domain. Cross-correlations between each surface location and each location below the surface reveals the wave propagation pattern from the surface. Waves at the surface that propagate into the interior, spread horizontally and are refracted back toward the surface. Time-distance diagrams have been constructed and inverted to determine the subsurface flows, which can then be compared with the average flows in the simulation.

A second approach calculates the propagation of linearized waves through a fixed, but non-uniform, background state. Some examples of such analysis are presented.

A byproduct of experiments designed to map the CMB is the detection of a new component of foreground galactic emission. The anomalous foreground at 10-30 GHz, unexplained by traditional emission mechanisms, correlates with 100$\mu$m dust emission, and is thus presumably due to dust. We present evidence obtained with the CBI and SIMBA+SEST supporting the existence of a 31GHz excess over free-free emission in PNe. Possible interpretations involve a spinning dust component or 1 mm extinction due to metallic needles.

We show, performing a viable cosmological window, that only the magneto hydrodynamic (MHD) disk model is capable to explain how an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH) (with masses ∼ 103M⊙) grows unto a supermassive black hole (SMBH) (with masses ∼ 107M⊙). We still calculate the supermassive stars sequence of stability. Those stars, with synthetized helium or oxygen cores, collapse to form IMBHs. In our calculation we show that the primordial stars must have rapid rotation if they are in the stable part of the sequence.

We review the results recently obtained by means of panoramic (3D) spectroscopy on the 6-m telescope BTA (SAO RAS). This research is devoted to observational evidences of gas inflow into the centers of galaxies, which must ensure the fueling of an active nucleus. 3D spectroscopy allows us to trace the behavior of gas and stars in the one-kiloparsec size vicinity of an AGN and also far from the center.

I shortly review the investigation of dust in the early universe. I discuss the possible evolution of the dust properties, as well as the possible dust production mechanisms at z>6.

Total solar eclipses observed on the long baseline allow to obtain the pictures of white-light solar corona with the long temporal distance. New mathematical methods of coronal picture processing allow visualization of very faint coronal structures and enable to compare their position in corona with very high accuracy. We can detect the moving of these faint structures by comparing of pictures obtained on the different places during the same total solar eclipse. Some techniques and results are described in this paper.

37 potential members of the red-giant branches of NGC 6192, NGC 6208 and NGC 6268 were observed in the UBV system, while 22 of them were also observed in the DDO system. The observations were made at La Silla and Cerro Tololo Inter-American observatories (Chile), using pulse-counting photoelectric photometers. Coravel radial velocities (RVs) were obtained at La Silla for 24 red giant candidates in the three clusters. Five stars of NGC 6192 have RVs in the narrow range -8.8 km/s < VR < -6.4 km/s, including two new spectroscopic binaries (SBs). Three stars of NGC 6208 – including a new SB – and three stars of NGC 6268 show similar RVs so that their physical membership to NGC 6208 and NGC 6268, respectively, is highly probable. Mean radial velocities are: -7.7 ± 0.38 km/s (NGC 6192), -32.21 ± 0.28 km/s (NGC 6208) and -15.11 ± 0.08 km/s (NGC 6268). We have also derived the following mean E(B-V) values from Janes (1977) iterative method: 0.63 ± 0.02 (NGC 6192), 0.31 ± 0.02 (NGC 6208) and 0.43 ± 0.02 (NGC 6268).

Using the ASAS-3 photometry, we find the components of four eclipsing binary systems — V916 Cen, HD 101838, V4386 Sgr and HD 168050 — to be β Cephei-type pulsators. The first two systems are members of the young open cluster Stock 14. The pulsating stars are presumably the primary, more massive components in all these systems. The components are detached and for at least two systems, V916 Cen and HD 168050, we may suspect that they will appear to be double-lined spectroscopic ones. In consequence, these stars become very attractive targets for studying pulsations in β Cephei stars by means of asteroseismology.

It is a general belief that the starburst activity of a nearby galaxy M82 was triggered in a close encounter with its massive companion M81, a few tens of million years ago. Despite the lack of supernovae observed, multiwavelength radio observations of M82 discovered a considerable number of compact supernova remnant candidates. We use these remnants to estimate the supernova rate (SNR) and the enhanced star-formation (SFR) rate in M82, and compare them with rates in normal galaxies.

The Geneva-Copenhagen Survey (Nordström et al., 2004) gives ages, metallicities, velocities, and Galactic orbits for a complete, magnitude-limited sample of 14,000 F and G dwarfs. We have verified the calibrations used in the GCS, improved those of Teff, [Fe/H], distance, and age from uvby β, and checked the effect on the resulting Galactic relations by end- to-end numerical simulations. All the main results of the GCS remain unchanged.

Convection strongly influences the periods, stability and amplitudes of pulsation in red giant stars. For example, changing the efficiency of convection (the mixing length parameter) changes the radius and the effective temperature of a red giant, which in turn changes the pulsation period at a given luminosity. Since essentially all the energy flux outside the nuclear-burning core is carried by convection, it is the variation of convective energy transport throughout the pulsation cycle that determines pulsation stability. In both linear and nonlinear pulsation models, the turbulent viscosity that results from the interaction of pulsation with turbulent convection provides a strong damping effect on pulsation and, in nonlinear models, it determines the limiting amplitude. In this paper, these and other topics are discussed.

We present new near-infrared Ks photometry of the interesting Galactic globular cluster NGC 6441. The optical-NIR color-magnitude diagram shows evolutionary features that seem to agree with a canonical evolutionary framework. The K-band Period-Luminosity-Metallicity relation of RR Lyrae stars gives a distance estimate of 15.51±0.07 that is slightly larger previous estimates.