Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 6/2015

An example of non‐uniform CCD illumination caused by a too short t_exp for an iris‐type shutter (see G. Altavilla et al., this issue, p. 515). (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 9/2014

A dynamical spectrum of the line‐profile variation of the MgI 5184 line of ε Aur during the most recent eclipse 2009–2011. Starting at eclipse ingress a sharp‐lined absorption component appears. (see K.G. Strassmeier et al., this issue, p. 904). (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 10/2013

A zoom‐in at the center of the closest globular cluster M4 with a circle of a 200‐pixel radius (see L.R. Bedin et al., this issue, p. 1062). (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 1/2015

Mode‐mixing for fast rotation in a Taylor‐Couette flow under the presence of a toroidal magnetic background field. The whole pattern drifts in positive azimuthal direction (see M. Gellert et al., this issue, p. 63). (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 3/2016

Schematics of the contour plot of the effective potential of the star‐planet system (see Satyal & Musielak, this issue, p. 300). (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Astrophysical supplements to the ASCC‐2.5. I. Radial velocity data

We present a catalogue of radial velocities of Galactic stars with high precision astrometric data CRVAD which is the result of the cross‐identification of star lists from the General Catalog of Average Radial Velocities (GCRV) and from the homogeneous All‐sky Compiled Catalogue of 2.5Million Stars (ASCC‐2.5). The CRVAD includes accurate J2000 equatorial coordinates, proper motions and trigonometric parallaxes in the Hipparcos system, Johnson's BV photometric data, spectral types, multiplicity and variability flags from the ASCC‐2.5, and radial velocities, stellar magnitudes and spectral types from the GCRV for 34553 ASCC‐2.5 stars. The CRVAD was used for the construction of a sample of standard stars with accurate astrometric, photometric and radial velocity data for the RAVE project. A second application of the CRVAD , the radial velocity determination for 292 open clusters (including 97 with previously unknown radial velocities), using their newly defined members from proper motions and photometry in the ASCC‐2.5, is briefly described. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 2/2015

Double‐lined orbit of 45 Cnc (see R.E.M. Griffin and R.F. Griffin, this issue, p. 178). (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 4/2014

The I‐band light curve of the transit candidate, taken with CAFOS (Carlar Alto 2.2 m telescope). See R. Errmann et al., this issue, p. 345. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 7/2012

A case study for the restricted 3‐body problem showing the osculating semimajor axis for the first 50 binary orbits (see B. Quarles et al., this issue, p. 551) (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 10/2014

Transit light curve of KIC012557548b which is best represented by an exoplanet with a comet‐like tail (see Z. Garai et al., this issue, p. 1018). (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Composite spectra: XX. 45 Cancri

From accurate radial‐velocity measurements covering 11 circuits of the orbit of the composite‐spectrum binary 45 Cnc, together with high‐resolution spectroscopy spanning nearly 3 circuits, we have (i) isolated cleanly the spectrum of the early‐type secondary, (ii) classified the component spectra as G8 III and A3 III, (iii) derived the first double‐lined orbit for the system and a mass ratio (M₁/M₂) of 1.035 ± 0.01, and (iv) extracted physical parameters for the component stars, deriving the masses and (log) luminosities of the G star and A star as 3.11 and 3.00 M_⊙, and 2.34 and 2.28 L_⊙, respectively, with corresponding uncertainties of ±0.10 M_⊙ and ±0.09 L_⊙. Since the mass ratio is close to unity, we argue that the more evolved component is unlikely to have been a red giant long enough to have made multiple ascents of the RGB, an argument that is supported somewhat by the rather high eccentricity of the orbit (e = 0.46) and the evolutionary time‐scales of the two components, but chiefly by the presence of significant Li I in the spectrum of the cool giant. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comment on “Cosmogenic neon in grains separated from individual chondrules: Evidence of precompaction exposure in chondrules” by J. P. Das,J. N. Goswami,O. V. Pravdivtseva,A. P. Meshik,and C. M. Hohenberg

Das et al. (2012) claim that in several cases nominal cosmic ray exposure ages derived from concentrations of cosmogenic Ne in individual olivine grains separated from chondrules substantially exceed exposure ages of matrix samples. Some grains were also reported to show larger apparent exposure ages than other grains from the same chondrule. The authors conclude that the excesses were caused by an exposure of chondrules to high fluences of solar energetic particles and suggest that their data provide direct evidence for a highly active phase of the early Sun, similar to what is observed in X‐ray emissions of recent naked T‐Tauri stars. Here, we show that the production rates of cosmogenic Ne used by Das et al. (2012) to derive nominal cosmic ray exposure ages of their olivine grains are often much too low, as the reported major element concentrations in many cases sum up to considerably less than 100% even if converted to oxides. In contrast, adopted element concentrations for matrix samples are basically self‐consistent. A precompaction exposure of chondrules to a very high flux of solar energetic particles is thus not supported by the data presented by Das et al. (2012). Das et al. (2012) claim that in several cases nominal cosmic ray exposure ages derived from concentrations of cosmogenic Ne in individual olivine grains separated from chondrules substantially exceed exposure ages of matrix samples. Some grains were also reported to show larger apparent exposure ages than other grains from the same chondrule. The authors conclude that the excesses were caused by an exposure of chondrules to high fluences of solar energetic particles and suggest that their data provide direct evidence for a highly active phase of the early Sun, similar to what is observed in X‐ray emissions of recent naked T‐Tauri stars. Here, we show that the production rates of cosmogenic Ne used by Das et al. (2012) to derive nominal cosmic ray exposure ages of their olivine grains are often much too low, as the reported major element concentrations in many cases sum up to considerably less than 100% even if converted to oxides. In contrast, adopted element concentrations for matrix samples are basically self‐consistent. A precompaction exposure of chondrules to a very high flux of solar energetic particles is thus not supported by the data presented by Das et al. (2012).     

Cooling of the Kärdla impact crater: I. The mineral paragenetic sequence observation

Abstract— The impact‐induced hydrothermal system in the well‐preserved, 4 km‐diameter Kärdla impact crater on Hiiumaa Island, western Estonia, was investigated by means of mineralogical, chemical, and stable C and O isotope studies. The mineralization paragenetic sequence, with gradually decreasing temperature, reveals at least three evolutionary stages in the development of the post‐impact hydrothermal system: 1) an early vapor‐dominated stage (>300 °C) with precipitation of submicroscopic adularia type K‐feldspar; 2) the main stage (300 to 150/100 °C) with the development of a two‐phase (vapor to liquid) zone leading to precipitation of chlorite/corrensite, (idiomorphic) euhedral K‐feldspar, and quartz; and 3) a late liquid‐dominated stage (<100 °C) with calcite I, dolomite, quartz, calcite II, chalcopyrite/pyrite, Fe‐oxyhydrate, and calcite III precipitation.     

Astrophysical supplements to the ASCC‐2.5. II. Membership probabilities in 520 Galactic open cluster sky areas

We present a catalogue (CSOCA) of stars residing in 520 Galactic open cluster sky areas which is the result of the kinematic (proper motion) and photometric member selection of stars listed in the homogeneous All‐sky Compiled Catalogue of 2.5Million Stars (ASCC‐2.5).We describe the structure and contents of the catalogue, the selection procedure applied, and the proper motion and photometric membership constraints adopted. In every cluster area the CSOCA contains the complete list of the ASCC‐2.5 stars regardless of their membership probability. For every star the CSOCA includes accurate J2000 equatorial coordinates, proper motions in the Hipparcos system, BV photometric data in the Johnson system, proper motion and photometric membership probabilities, as well as angular distances from the cluster centers for about 166 000 ASCC‐2.5 stars. If available, trigonometric parallaxes, spectral types, multiplicity and variability flags from the ASCC‐2.5, and radial velocities with their errors from the Catalogue of Radial Velocities of Galactic Stars with high precision Astrometric Data (CRVAD) are also given. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Fine‐grained,spinel‐rich inclusions from the reduced CV chondrite Efremovka: II. Oxygen isotopic compositions

Abstract— Oxygen isotopes have been measured by ion microprobe in individual minerals (spinel, Al‐Ti‐diopside, melilite, and anorthite) within four relatively unaltered, fine‐grained, spinel‐rich Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) from the reduced CV chondrite Efremovka. Spinel is uniformly ¹⁶O‐rich (Δ¹⁷O ≤ ?20‰) in all four CAIs; Al‐Ti‐diopside is similarly ¹⁶O‐rich in all but one CAI, where it has smaller ¹⁶O excesses (‐15‰ ≤ Δ¹⁷O ≤ ?10‰). Anorthite and melilite vary widely in composition from ¹⁶O‐rich to ¹⁶O‐poor (‐22‰ ≤ Δ¹⁷O ≤ ?5‰). Two of the CAIs are known to have group II volatility‐fractionated rare‐earth‐element patterns, which is typical of this variety of CAI and which suggests formation by condensation. The association of such trace element patterns with ¹⁶O‐enrichment in these CAIs suggests that they formed by gas‐solid condensation from an ¹⁶O‐rich gas. They subsequently experienced thermal processing in an ¹⁶O‐poor reservoir, resulting in partial oxygen isotope exchange. Within each inclusion, oxygen isotope variations from mineral to mineral are consistent with solid‐state oxygen self‐diffusion at the grain‐to‐grain scale, but such a model is not consistent with isotopic variations at a larger scale in two of the CAIs. The spatial association of ¹⁶O depletions with both elevated Fe contents in spinel and the presence of nepheline suggests that late‐stage iron‐alkali metasomatism played some role in modifying the isotopic patterns in some CAIs. One of the CAIs is a compound object consisting of a coarse‐grained, melilite‐rich (type A) lithology joined to a fine‐grained, spinel‐rich one. Melilite and anorthite in the fine‐grained portion are mainly ¹⁶O‐rich, whereas melilite in the type A portion ranges from ¹⁶O‐rich to ¹⁶O‐poor, suggesting that oxygen isotope exchange predated the joining together of the two parts and that both ¹⁶O‐rich and ¹⁶O‐poor gaseous reservoirs existed simultaneously in the early solar nebula.     

The opacity of spiral galaxy disks: IX. Dust and gas surface densities

Our aim is to explore the relation between gas, atomic and molecular, and dust in spiral galaxies. Gas surface densities are from atomic hydrogen and CO line emission maps. To estimate the dust content, we use the disk opacity as inferred from the number of distant galaxies identified in twelve HST/WFPC2 fields of ten nearby spiral galaxies. The observed number of distant galaxies is calibrated for source confusion and crowding with artificial galaxy counts and here we verify our results with sub‐mm surface brightnesses from archival Herschel ‐SPIRE data. We find that the opacity of the spiral disk does not correlate well with the surface density of atomic (H I) or molecular hydrogen (H₂) alone implying that dust is not only associated with the molecular clouds but also the diffuse atomic disk in these galaxies. Our result is a typical dust‐to‐gas ratio of 0.04, with some evidence that this ratio declines with galactocentric radius, consistent with recent Herschel results. We discuss the possible causes of this high dust‐to‐gas ratio; an over‐estimate of the dust surface‐density, an under‐estimate of the molecular hydrogen density from CO maps or a combination of both. We note that while our value of the mean dust‐to‐gas ratio is high, it is consistent with the metallicity at the measured radii if one assumes the Pilyugin & Thuan (2005) calibration of gas metallicity. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comment on: “New” lunar meteorites: Impact melt and regolith breccias and large‐scale heterogeneities of the upper lunar crust,by P. H. Warren,F. Ulff‐Møller,and G. W. Kallemeyn

Abstract We described lunar meteorite Dhofar 026 (Cohen et al. 2004) and interpreted this rock as a strongly shocked granulitic breccia (or fragmental breccia consisting almost entirely of granulitic‐breccia clasts) that was partially melted by post‐shock heating. Warren et al. (2005) objected to many aspects of our interpretation: they were uncertain whether or not the bulk rock had been shocked; they disputed our identification of the precursor as granulitic breccia; and they suggested that mafic, igneous‐textured globules within the breccia, which we proposed were melted by post‐shock heating, are clasts with relict textures. The major evidence for shock of the bulk rock is the fact that the plagioclase in the lithologic domains that make up 80–90% of the rock is devitrified maskelynite. The major evidence for a granulitic‐breccia precursor is the texture of the olivine‐plagioclase domain that constitutes 40—45% of the rock; Warren et al. apparently overlooked or ignored this lithology. Textures of the mafic, igneous‐textured globules, and especially of the vesicles they contain, demonstrate that these bodies were melted and crystallized in situ. Warren et al. suggested that the rock might have originally been a regolith breccia, but the textural homogeneity of the rock and the absence of solar wind—derived noble gases preclude a regolith‐breccia precursor. Warren et al. classified the rock as an impact‐melt breccia, but they did not identify any fraction that was impact melt.     

Two‐body system with a rotating central body (e.g. Earth‐Moon system) within the Projective Unified Field Theory

In this treatise the well‐known 2‐body problem with a rotating central body is systematically reinvestigated on the basis of the Projective Unified Field Theory (PUFT) under the following aspects (including the special case of the Newton mechanics): First, equation of motion with abstract additional terms being appropriate for the interpretation of the various effects under discussion: tidal friction effect as well as non‐tidal effects (e.g. rebound effect as temporal variation of the moment of inertia of the rotating body, general‐relativistic Lense‐Thirring effect, new scalaric effects of cosmological origin, being an outcome of the scalarity phenomenon of matter (PUFT). Second, numerical evaluation of the theory. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Cover Picture: Astron. Nachr. 4/2015

The PEPSI BLUE CCD during integration into the dewar (see K.G. Strassmeier et al., this issue, p. 324). (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)