The Eddington Mission

The Eddington mission was given full approval by the European Space Agency on the 23rd May 2002, with launch scheduled for 2007/8. Its science objectives are stellar evolution and asteroseismology, and planet finding. In its current design it consists of 4 × 60 cm folded Schmidt telescopes, each with 6^o × 6^o field of view and its own CCD array camera. Eddington will spend 2 years primarily devoted to asteroseismology with 1–3 months on different target fields monitoring up to 50,000 stars per field, and 3 years continuously on a single field monitoring upwards of 100,000 stars for planet searching. The asteroseismic goal is to be able to detect oscillations frequencies of stars with a precision 0.1–0.3 μHz, to probe their interior structure and the study the physical processes that govern their evolution. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Diffuse component of the cosmic far UV radiation and interstellar dust grains

The diffuse far UV radiation ( 1350–1480 Å) observed in the sky region ofl ^II180°, 0°b ^II40° is analyzed in connection with the distributions of stars and dust grains as well as with optical properties of grains. Its intensity (starlight+scattered light) is about 6×10^–7 erg cm^–2 sec^–1 sr^–1 Å^–1 in the direction ofb ^II0° andl ^II180°. The latitude dependence of the intensity is in approximate agreement with the plane parallel slab model of the galaxy with a reasonable set of parameters. The interstellar scattering gives an albedo close to unity and forward phase function of about 0.6, which are not inconsistent with the model of interstellar grains of Wickramasinghe. The upper limit of the extragalactic UV is 2×10^–8 erg cm^–2 sec^–1 sr^–1 Å^–1 in the same region of wave-length.     

High-luminosity single carbon stars in stellar and galactic evolution

Summary In the solar neighborhood, approximately half of all intermediate mass main sequence stars with initially between 1 and about 5 Mbecome carbon stars with luminosities near 10⁴ L for typically less than 10⁶ years. These high luminosity carbon stars lose mass at rates nearly always in excess of 10^–7 M yr^–1 and sometimes in excess of 10^–5 M yr^–1. Locally, close to half of the mass returned into the interstellar medium by intermediate mass stars before they become white dwarfs is during the carbon star phase. A much greater fraction of lower metallicity stars become carbon-rich before they evolve into planetary nebulae than do higher metallicity stars; therefore, carbon stars are much more importan t in the outer than in the inner Galaxy.     

Models of soft gamma-ray repeater emissions

We review emission models of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) within the context of magnetized neutron star origins. Motivations for moderate field (10^10–12G) versus ultrastrong field ( 5 × 10¹⁴G) neutron stars are considered. Implications for the astrophyiscal models are discussed.     

Orientation of the galactic magnetic field in the vicinity of the solar system

It is found from analysis of the position angles of the plane of polarization of about 3000 stars (¦b¦ 5° andP 0.5%) that the angle between the magnetic field and the equatorial plane of the galaxy is approximately 0–5°. The distance within which the local magnetic fields of the galaxy have a greater effect on the position angles of the plane of polarization than the galactic magnetic field is estimated to be about 500 pc. The effect of the galactic magnetic field becomes dominant for distancesr 1000 pc.Translated fromAstrofizika, Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 553–559, November, 1996.     

Evidence for supernova-induced star formation in the monoceros OB2 association

The Monoceros ring, a circular optical nebulosity 3°.5 in diameter and centred at R.A.=6^h37^m, Dec.=6°30 (l ⁱⁱ =205°.5,b ⁱⁱ =0°.2) is in good structural agreement with radio observations. A neutral hydrogen shell is also accurately projected on the ring. These observations are consistent with the Monoceros ring being a supernova remnant 90–100 pc in diameter expanding at about 45 km s^–1 and having an age of the order of a million years. Bright Hii regions containing early-type stars (e.g., galactic cluster NGC 2244 in the Rosette nebula) and extremely young stars of the OB association Mon OB2 lie at the edges of the ring. The positional and temporal coincidence of the Mon OB2 association with a supernova remnant suggests that probably the star formation in this region is induced or speeded up by the passage of a supernova shock wave through the clumpy interstellar medium.     

Giant infrared bubble in Cepheus

A ring-shaped infrared emission region is recognizable on the IRAS Sky Flux images of a Cepheus region which happens to include the association Cepheus OB 2. The ring is easily visible both at 60 and 100 microns. The approximate galactic coordinates of its centre arel=102°.8 andb=+6°.7, with an outer diameter of 7 deg. IC 1396 and several otherHii regions, such as S 129, S 133, S 134, and S 140 are apparently parts of the ring. If it is assumed that these Hii regions are physically connected to the ring its distance must be about 900 pc and its diameter 120 pc. The existence of several arc-shaped H filaments along the ring, the proper motion of the nearby runaway star Cephei, and the possible presence of the [Fex] 6375 interstellar line in the spectra of two stars of Cep OB 2 combine to suggest that the infrared ring might well be a result of a supernova explosion which occurred in this region about 2–3 million years ago.     

Steady mass-loss from supermassive stars

Structures of Newtonian super-massive stars are calculated with the opacity for Comptor effectK ₀/(1 + T), whereK ₀=0.21(1 +X and =2.2×10^–9K^–1. The track of the Main-Sequence is turned right in the upper part of the HR diagram. Mass loss will occur in a Main-Sequence stage for a star with mass larger than a critical mass. The cause of mass loss and the expansion of the radius is continuum radiation pressure. The critical mass for mass loss is 1.02×10⁶ M for a Population I star, and 1.23×10⁵ M for Population III star. Mass loss rates expected in these stars are 3.3×10^–3 and 4.0×10^–3 M yr^–1, respectively.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Present Observational Status of the Intermediate Mass Stars: δ Sct Stars, γ Dor Stars and roAp Stars

The present observational status of the Sct stars, Dor stars and roAp stars is discussed. The Sct stars are the most intensively observed of the three groups, but it has become clear that there are severe problems in extracting asteroseismic information from them. Dozens of frequencies are observed, but hundreds of frequencies are predicted from the models; unique matches of observation and theory still elude us. The Sct stars are observationally complex – some recent `best case' campaigns are discussed. It is possible that substantial observational advances for Sct stars may need to await upcoming satellite missions. New Dor stars are beingdiscovered frequently, and new behaviour is being found for them. They constitutean observationally young field. Their pulsational frequency range is being expanded, their position in the HR diagram is becoming better known (but is yet to be fully constrained), and the possibility exists of hybrid Dor – Sct stars that have greatasteroseismic promise, although it is clear such stars are rare, if they do exist. It has been observationally challenging to extract more than a fewfrequencies for any Dor star so far. Exciting spectroscopic discoveries of new behaviour in roAp stars promise unprecedented information about the structure of the peculiar atmospheres ofthose stars – pulsation amplitude and phase in 3D, magnetic field structurein 3D, abundance stratification in 3D, realistic T- for the most peculiarstars – as well as entirely new information about the interaction of pulsation,rotation and magnetic fields. Recent theoretical work has led to new understandingof the previously inexplicable frequency spacing of HR 1217 with new Whole Earth Telescope observations supporting this theory. An `improved oblique pulsator model' has been developed in which the pulsationaxis is not the magnetic axis; this model has passed several observationaltests and new ones are being devised to examine it further.     

Theβ index in cool stars

If we follow recent work and in order to extend theuvby photometric calibrations to spectral types later than G0, we present an attempt to use the combineduvby and systems for stars in the range G5-K7 and luminosity classes V to III.The behaviour in the MK-, (b–y)– and cl– diagrams of the 200 stars, only good spectroscopic data being considered, suggests the usefulness of the index as an independent parameter for late-type Main-Sequence stars, following in a natural way the general trend defined by Crawford for F- and G-type stars.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain     

The system of old clusters in the magellanic clouds

IntegratedUBV colours have been computed for synthetic clusters older than one billion years and for two chemical composition: (a)Y=0.30;Z=10^–4 and (b)Y=0.30;Z=10^–2, taking into account the contribution to the integrated light of Main Sequence, subgiant, red giant and horizontal branch stars. It has been found that integrated colours depend onZ and allow an estimate of the metal content, however not generally. Horizontal branch stars contribute to the integrated colours of clusters not significantly and the contribution of stars in more advanced phases (e.g., asymptotic branch stars) is almost negligible.Old clusters in LMC and SMC have been studied in terms of colour calibrations and this analysis has been supplemented, when possible, by photometric and spectroscopic data of individual stars. It was found that in the LMC clusters withZ=10^–2 andt>5×10⁹ yr are lacking, clusters with relatively blue colours are similar, both in age and chemical composition, to the halo galactic globular clusters. Moreover, there is a group of clusters with 1×10⁹t5×10⁹. In the SMC clusters withZ=10^–2 andt>5×10⁹ yr are lacking and clusters with 1×10⁹t5×10⁹ are rare. Clusters with relatively blue colours are interpreted with the following parameters:t=5×10⁹ yr, 10^–4Z10^–3 andY=0.20.The implication of these results on the chemical history of the two galaxies is discussed.     

New Hα objects in dark nebulae. I.

Results of a search for new H objects in the Cepheus region are presented. The observations on which the search was based were made in 1979 and 1985 at the 40 Schmidt telescope of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory with a 4° objective prism. Of the 80 emission stars detected, 68 are new. Most of them are fainter than the sun in absolute magnitude. A large fraction of the emission stars discovered may be flare stars as well as T Tau and Herbig Ae/Be stars.Translated fromAstrofizika, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 57–65, January–March, 1996.     

The scale and strength of the galactic magnetic field according to the pulsar data

In accordance with the data on the Faraday rotation, angular coordinates, and dispersion measurements and distances of 38 pulsars, the strengthB=2.1±1.1 G and directionl=99°±24°,b0° of the large-scale galactic magnetic field and the mean electron density in the galactic discN _e=0.03±0.01 cm^–3 are determined. A comparison with the results of a study of the measures of rotation of extragalactic radio sources enabled us to estimate the characteristic half-width of the distribution of the electron density on the Z-coordinate (h400 ps). The characteristic size of galactic magnetic field flucturations is shown to be =100–150 ps.     

Complete determination of the magnetic field vector and of the electron density in 14 prominences from linear polarizaton measurements in the HeI D3 and Hα lines

The present paper is devoted to the interpretation of linear polarization data obtained in 14 quiescent prominences with the Pic-du-Midi coronagraph-polarimeter by J. L. Leroy, in the two lines Hei D₃ andH quasi-simultaneously. The linear polarization of the lines is due to scattering of the anisotropic photospheric radiation, modified by the Hanle effect due to the local magnetic field. The interpretation of the polarization data in the two lines is able to provide the 3 components of the magnetic field vector, and one extra parameter, namely the electron density, because the linear polarization of H is also sensitive to the depolarizing effect of collisions with the electrons and protons of the medium. Moreover, by using two lines with different optical thicknesses, namely Hei D₃, which is optically thin, and H, which is optically thick ( = 1), it is possible to solve the fundamental ambiguity, each line providing two field vector solutions that are symmetrical in direction with respect to the line of sight in the case of the optically thin line, and which have a different symmetry in the case of the optically thick line.It is then possible to determine without ambiguity the polarity of the prominence magnetic field with respect to that of the photospheric field: 12 prominences are found to be Inverse polarity prominences, whereas 2 prominences are found to be Normal polarity prominences. It must be noticed that in 12 of the 14 cases, the line-of-sight component of the magnetic field vector has a Normal polarity (to the extent that the notion of polarity of a vector component is meaningful; no polarity can be derived in the 2 remaining cases); this may explain the controversy between the results obtained with methods based on the Hanle effect with results obtained through the Zeeman effect. A dip of the magnetic field lines across the prominence has been assumed, to which the optically thick H line is sensitive, and the optically thin Hei D₃ line is insensitive.For the Inverse prominences, the average field strength is 7.5±1.2 G, the average angle,, between the field vector and the prominence long axis is 36° ± 15°, the average angle, , between the outgoing field lines and the solar surface at the prominence boundary is 29° ± 20°, and the average electron density is 2.1 × 10¹⁰ ± 0.7 × 10¹⁰ cm^–3. For the Normal prominences, the average field strength is 13.2±2.0 G, the average angle,, between the field vector and the prominence long axis is 53° ± 15°, the average angle, , between the outgoing field lines and the solar surface at the prominence boundary is 0° ± 20° (horizontal field), and the average electron density is 8.7 × 10⁹ ± 3.0 × 10⁹ cm^–3.     

Photometry of the Herbig Ae Star VV Ser B in an Anomalously Deep Brightness Minimum

Photopolarimetry of the classic Herbig Ae star VV Ser was carried out at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory as a part of the longterm program of UX Ori type stars monitoring. An exceptionally deep minimum, down to V = 14^m8, was observed in 1998. For the first time for this star the blueing effect was detected in U – B and B – V color indexes. Record-high for UX Ori stars linear polarization (12.8 ± 1.4% in B) was observed in this minimum.     

Long-Term Radio Scintillation Variations in the Circumsolar Plasma

Long-term scintillation measurements of the solar wind formation zone at solar elongations ranging from 1°–8° (Sun impact parameters: 4–30 R ) were recorded using the water maser source IRC-20431 at the wavelength =1.35 cm during its annual solar occultations in December 1981–1998. Dramatic changes in the spatial dependence of the scintillation index were recorded over the course of the 11-year solar cycle. Markedly diminished scattering, attributed to a pronounced heliolatitude effect, was observed at the closest solar approach distances in the years around solar activity minimum. From parallel investigations of the solar magnetic field structure it was determined that the field strength at the source of the solar wind streamlines is the governing factor for the solar wind acceleration process. Particularly apparent in the scintillation data during solar activity minimum is the increasing role of the polar coronal holes with their associated open magnetic field structure. The dependence of the solar scattering intensity on heliolatitude fades in the years of high solar activity as the level of scintillations increases at polar latitudes.     

71 GHz (4.2 mm) solar radio bursts in the period July 1967 to December 1969

The results of 2 1/2 years (July 1967 – December 1969) monitoring of solar radio bursts at 71 GHz ( = 4.2 mm) at the Radio and Space Research Station, Slough are presented. During this period only seven events were positively identified as 71 GHz bursts. One of these events (6 July, 1968) is among the largest solar bursts ever recorded anywhere in the microwave-millimetre wave band (47000 × 10^–22Wm^–2Hz^–1), and the associated magnetic field may possibly have exceeded 7200 G. Another event (27 March, 1969) has demonstrated that bursts at 71 GHz can be both intense (4700 × 10^–22Wm^–2Hz^–1) and complex. On other occasions, the absence of any detectable event at 71 GHz helps to define the high frequency spectrum of the burst, this being an important factor in determining the initial energy distribution of the electrons ejected by the associated flare. On one such occasion (21 March, 1969) the derived energy distribution index is 8, in contrast with the more usual values of 2–4.1969–1970 NCR-OAR Senior Post-Doctoral Research Associate at Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, L. G. Hanscom Field, Bedford, Mass., U.S.A.     

Non-inductive current driven by Alfvén waves in solar coronal loops

It has been shown that Alfvén waves can drive non-inductive current in solar coronal loops via collisional or collisionless damping. Assuming that all the coronal-loop density of dissipated wave power (W= 10–3 erg cm^–3 s^–1), which is necessary to keep the plasma hot, is due to Alfvén wave electron heating, we have estimated the axial current density driven by Alfvén waves to be jz 10³–10⁵ statA cm^–2. This current can indeed support the quasi-stationary equilibrium and stability of coronal loops and create the poloidal magnetic field up to B 1–5 G.     

On the acceleration of interstellar grains

Dust grains of radiir _g 3×10^–6 cm, injected into the intercloud medium at speeds in the range 10⁷–10⁸ cm s^–1, may be stochastically accelerated to speeds 0.1c due to scattering by irregularities in the galactic magnetic field.     

Rocket observations of mass loss from hot stars

Rocket observations have shown that the far-ultraviolet resonance lines have P-Cygni profiles in the spectra of many hot stars, including of and Wolf-Rayet stars and OB supergiants. Velocity shifts as high as–300- km sec^–1 have been measured for the short-wavelength edges of some of the lines. Estimates of the rates of mass loss range from 10^–8 to 10^–6 M year^–1.Presented at the Trieste Colloquium on Mass Loss from Stars, September 12–16, 1968.