The process of accretion onto the isolated black holes under the various conditions of the ISM and its observational manifestations are discussed. For the majority of the Galaxy volume the accretion rate is as low as 10−6–10−9 of Eddington one, and the accretion is spherically-symmetric. Such objects manifest itself as a weak optical and x-ray sources with featureless spectra and the significant variability of the emission.

For the BH located inside the dense molecular cloud the regime of accretion depends on its massand velocity. A massive (100–1000M⊙) BH born in the cloud or having low relative velocity, may manifest itself as a ultra-luminous x-ray source (ULX).

We analyzed brightness variations in widespread dimming regions occurred in several major eruptive events in 2003 and 2005 resulted in fast halo CMEs. In all cases brightness of remote dimming regions show some pre-eruptive growth, then gradual and fast decrease to minimum. The time interval of maximal decrease overlaps with X-flare peak and LASCO CME onset. Brightness variations in some dimmed regions are highly correlated before the CME onset and much less – after. It suggests a break of magnetic connectivity between previously linked coronal structures. Dimmings develop similar at 175 and 195 Å being shallower and sometimes delayed at 304 Å. In large-scale region (L$>$0.5 $R_\odot$) dimming propagates with a speed of $\sim$ 250 km/s which is typical for EIT-waves.

Optical and near-IR surface photometry of the halos of disk galaxies and blue compact galaxies have revealed a very red spectral energy distribution, which cannot easily be reconciled with any normal type of stellar population. Using spectral evolutionary models, we demonstrate that a stellar population with an extremely bottom-heavy initial mass function can explain the red halos of both types of objects. Because of its very high mass-to-light ratio, this halo population may account for some of the missing baryons in the local Universe.

We present the results of time-resolved photometry and spectroscopy of the central star of the planetary nebula NGC 6026 and time-resolved photometry of the central star of the planetary nebula NGC 6337. The results of period analysis give an orbital period of 0.528088 days for NGC 6026 and a photometric period of 0.173474 days for NGC 6337. In the case of NGC 6337 it appears that the photometric period accurately reflects the orbital period and that the variability is the result of an irradiated hemisphere on the cool companion. For NGC 6026 however, radial velocities from spectroscopy show that the orbital period is twice the photometric period. In this case, the photometric variability is due to an ellipsoidal effect in which one of the stars fills, or nearly fills, its Roche lobe. Based on the data and modeling using the Wilson-Devinney code, we discuss the physical parameters of the two systems. We also relate the physical parameters to the shape and orientation of the nebulosity.

Magnetic fields, convective motions and radiative energy transport all strongly influence each other in the solar photosphere. Attempts to understand, at a quantitative level, the diverse phenomona seen in the photosphere have relied on increasingly powerful computers since the 1980's. This approach has been remarkably successful and some recent examples, particularly cases where all three ingredients are important, will be discussed.

The year 2006 marks the 1000th anniversary of the supernova of 1006 C.E., the brightest supernova in all of recorded human history. This is also a time of great excitement in the supernova community: Observations from space observatories including Hubble, Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Spitzer, together with ones from powerful new ground-based telescopes and instruments, are revealing supernova remnants in the Galaxy and beyond in unprecedented detail. Fully three-dimensional computational codes and simulations running on powerful new machines are providing insight into the physics of supernovae freed from the simplifying assumptions that have restricted past understanding. Automated supernova searches are discovering hundreds of new supernovae every year, some at redshifts of 1 or beyond. And supernovae have revolutionized cosmology through the discovery of an accelerating universe, and they hold promise for deepening our understanding of the ‘dark energy’ that drives the acceleration.

Large-scale magnetic fields, that can be observed in numerous galaxies, are most likely the outcome of a dynamic process, a so-called dynamo. The favoured mechanisms for driving such a process in the ISM are supernovae (SNe) and/or magneto-rotational instability (MRI). In this work we simulate the dynamic evolution of the turbulent ISM utilising a three-dimensional MHD model.

We present the results of a high-resolution H$_2$ imaging and spectroscopic study of four bipolar proto-planetary nebulae: IRAS 16594–4656, Hen 3-401, Rob 22, and IRAS 17150–3224. These reveal the locations and kinematics of the H$_2$ emission and the shaping of the nebulae by their collimated fast winds.

After discovering microquasars – active stellar systems with relativistic outflows (Mirabel et al. 1992) – many papers bringing the observational arguments on similar nature of accreting systems with different BH masses (from stellar to galactic nuclei) have appeared. It became clear that a level of activity in such systems could depend on few parameters: BH mass and angular momentum; accretion rate and magnetization parameter of accretion disk (AD); relative orientation of BH and AD angular momentum. The bolometric luminosity and characteristic variation time in such systems is proportional to BH masses, which span an interval in 5–8 decades.

We are using Subaru/Suprime-Cam to survey the luminous resolved stellar populations in the outskirts of galaxies lying beyond the Local Group. We report here on first results from our analysis of the low mass edge-on galaxy, NGC 4244, lying at 4.4 Mpc. Red giant branch stars are clearly resolved in the outer disk and extraplanar regions and our preliminary stellar density maps suggest the presence of an extended and asymmetric stellar component reaching significant distances above the disk plane.

Time-distance helioseismology and data from SOHO/MDI are used for obtaining 3D images of subsurface sound-speed perturbations and maps of plasma flows, associated with emerging magnetic flux and flaring activity of large active regions in October 2003. The results reveal extremely complicated dynamical processes in the upper convection zone and indicate that subsurface shear flows may play an important role in magnetic energy release in solar flares. Strong X-class flares generated impulsive seismic waves (“sunquakes”), traveling through surrounding sunspots, thus providing new insight into the interaction of seismic waves with magnetic fields.

Programs for modeling binary star observables compute emergent intensity for given composition as it varies with local effective temperature, local gravity, and direction. With arrival of huge data sets from Gaia and other surveys, the benefits of fast, compact, and accurate computation of atmospheric radiation is likely to remain critical for the foreseeable future. Experience has shown that accurate radiative modeling is important for good parameter estimation. Here we augment the radiative treatment by Van Hamme & Wilson (2003) with a procedure by which individuals can generate the needed Legendre coefficients for arbitrary photometric bands. Resulting files can be inserted directly into the Wilson-Devinney (W-D) program without sacrificing portability or program unity, and should easily be adaptable to other binary star programs. We expect the new bandpass options to become part of the public W-D program. Limb-darkening tables will be placed at http://www.fiu.edu/~vanhamme/limdark.htm.

The approaches proposed in the past for determining the pattern speeds and corotation radii of the density waves in spiral and barred galaxies are mostly limited in their scope and accuracy. In this work, we have developed a general approach for the determination of corotation radii, which is applicable to any galaxy whose density wave modes have reached quasi-steady state – a condition empirically found to be the case for most nearby disk galaxies. The method utilizes an azimuthal phase shift between the potential and the density distributions for the density wave modes, the existence and the radial variations of which are closely related to the dynamical mechanism leading to the secular evolution of the basic state of the same disk galaxies (Zhang 1996, ApJ, 457, 125). We have used this method to derive corotation radii of over 100 galaxies using the near-infrared images of the Ohio State University Bright Galaxy Survey (OSUBGS, Eskridge et al. 2002, ApJS, 143, 73).

On the basis of the astrophysical parameters of the Galactic open clusters published in the recent years, we have selected ~300 clusters completely with all measurements of their kinematical parameters. Almost all the clusters have a heliocentric distance less than 3.0 kpc. Inspecting the velocity field defined by the sample, we found some 30 clusters that have extremely large peculiar motions. All the clusters with large peculiar velocities are distant objects further than 2 kpc from the Sun, and some of them have large Galactic height |z|>0.35 kpc. The age ranges of the clusters are from 4 Myr to 1 Gyr with the intermediate age of 50 Myr.

We report preliminary results of a spectral line survey of NGC 7027 in the $\lambda$ 3 mm and 1.3 mm bands using the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO) 12-m and 10-m telescopes. To a sensitivity limit of $\sim$10-20 mK, we have detected 34 lines, including hydrogen recombination lines and rotational transitions of CN, CO, CCH, CO$^+$, HCO$^+$, and their isotopes.

We report the results of our project devoted to study the chemical enrichment history of the field population in the Magellanic Clouds using Ca II triplet spectroscopy.

The formation of the relativistic jets and a non-thermal emission from the collapsing magnetized stars with dipole magnetic fields and the heterogeneous particles distribution are investigated. These polar jets are formed when the stellar magnetosphere compress during collapse its magnetic field increases considerable. The electric field is produced in magnetosphere, which the charged particles will be accelerated. As follow from the calculation, the jets can be formed from collapsing stars already the explosion of supernova stars without shock waves. These jets will generate the non-thermal radiation. The radiation flux depends on the distance to the star, its magnetic field and the particle spectrum in the magnetosphere. This flux can be observed near Earth by means of modern telescopes in the form of the radiation pulse with duration equal to time collapse.

Employing the Poincaré index of isolated null-point in a vector field, we work out a mathematical method of searching 3D null-points in coronal magnetic fields. After introducing the theory of differential topology, we test the method by using the analytical model of Brown & Priest. The location of null-point identified by our method coincides precisely with the analytical solution. Finally we apply the method to search 3D null-points in coronal magnetic fields reconstructed based on observed magnetograms of two active regions (NOAA AR 10488 and AR 10720). We find that the 3D null-points seem to be a key element to the magnetic topology associated with flare occurrence.

Tests are carried out on retrieving Doppler maps from distorted stars in close binaries to estimate how Doppler imaging may be aliased by ellipticity. Maps obtained for the distorted shape are compared with the results of the simple spherical approximation, using real data of the RS CVn-type close binary star ζ Andromedae.

We review some of the extensive historical observations of SN 1006, emphasizing estimates of its brightness at maximum. An estimate of Vmax ≈ −7.5 is consistent with what may be the most reasonable interpretation of these records and with an a posteriori calculation based on typical peak magnitudes for Type Ia supernovae together with the distance and extinction to SN 1006. We also give a brief overview of the discovery of the SN 1006 remnant in 1965, and contrast the earliest radio, optical, and X-ray observations of the remnant with recent ones, as reported in more detail by other papers in this JD09 review.