Globular clusters and galactic evolution (invited review)

Observations of the frequency with which globular clusters surround galaxies are reviewed. With a single exception the data do not favour the view that elliptical galaxies are formed from merging disc systems. Attention is also drawn to the unusually high frequency of globular clusters in central galaxies of rich clusters.     

The galactic centre

An attempt is made to present all the relevant observations of our galactic centre and to explain them by means of a working scheme that involves a minimum number ofad hoc assumptions.In this scheme, the central engine is Sgr A^*, a supermassive star of some 10³ M and surface temperature 3.6×10⁴ K in Keplerian rotation, fuelled by the strongly magnetized disk. It drives both a non-thermal (pair-plasma) wind and a thermal wind. Interactions with the central star cluster and with the circumnuclear disk give rise to the thermal vortex Sgr A West and to the non-thermal spill-over bubble Sgr A East. The relativistic pair plasma escapes supersonically through the galactic chimney into the galactic twin jets, as in Seyfert galaxies.     

The environment of QSOs (invited review)

The evidence for the association of QSOs with groups of galaxies and the available data on the global properties of such groups are reviewed. At least for redshifts less than 0.5, QSOs tend to occur in richer-than-average environments. There is some evidence that groups around steep-radio-spectrum QSOs are systematically richer than those around radio-quiet and flat-radiospectrum QSOs. The groups associated with the former may sometimes reach central galaxy number densities similar to those of moderately rich clusters, but are significantly more compact, and there is no evidence that any such groups have velocity dispersions above a few hundred km s^–1.A possible explanation for this environmental preference can be found in the recent evidence, from a variety of directions, that galaxy interactions play an important role in triggering nuclear activity. A significant fraction of low-redshift QSOs either have close companions at the same redshift, or show some indication of recent interaction. The results of a recent search for resolvable extended emission around a large sample of luminous low-redshift QSOs are described. There are now substantial reasons for believing that the presence of these extended emission-line regions, which are found around approximately 25% of all low-redshift OSOs, is often a signature of a recent interaction.Observed correlations between radio properties, optical spectra, and environment are mentioned briefly. The present evidence tends to support suggestions that there are two classes of QSOs, one being the extension of the Seyfert population to higher luminosities and having spiral host galaxies, the other being closely related to the broad-line radio galaxies. The host galaxies of this latter class appear often to be morphologically ellipticals, but may in fact be products of recent mergers.Paper presented at the Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

QSO absorption lines (invited review)

Some techniques and selection effects in establishing uniform samples of absorption line systems are presented. Summaries of the basic properties of various absorbers are given. Finally, attention is paid to some special, interesting problems which are now widely discussed.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Classical Algol systems (invited review)

Progress in the study of Algol-type binaries is looked at both in the light of more general efforts at compilation and categorization, and also some specific new and important observational results.Results can be referred to the well known underlying model of the semi-detached configuration and Roche lobe overflow mechanism. Successes and limitations of this model will be considered.Arising from such comparisons lines of future research are suggested. Some outstanding issues concern: (i) the evolutionary condition of the mass accreting component, (ii) instabilities and related effects in various regions of the flow, (iii) systematic outflow, (iv) the relationship of classical Algols to other evolved binaries.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Plasma and radiation processes (invited review)

The physical processes leading to metre-wave and microwave emissions from the solar corona are reviewed and the possibility of observing analogous phenomena on other stars is discussed. Particular emphasis is placed on three alternative processes for the emission from flare stars: cyclotron maser emission, second harmonic plasma emission, and gyro-synchrotron emission.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Dynamics of disk galaxies (invited review)

Astrophysics and Space Science - In order to detect the gravitational effect of the dark corona component of disk galaxies, it is necessary to have surface photometry and rotation data that extend...     

The pulsar velocities and their binary origins (invited review)

The observed proper-motions are shown to indicate that most pulsars come from binary systems. Due to a remarkable relationship between the speed of a pulsar and that of its progenitor in orbit, it is concluded that these binaries went through a common-envelope phase. This provides independent support to similar conclusions drawn from stellar evolution considerations.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

The radio spectra of galactic centre features

The radio source Sgr A and neighbouring features have been mapped at a frequency of 843 MHz with a beamwidth of 43 × 87 arcsec. Comparisons have been made with published maps of comparable resolution at different frequencies in order to differentiate thermal and nonthermal regions. The arc feature to the north of Sgr A appears to consist of low-temperature ionized hydrogen and to extend partly over Sgr A itself causing patchy absorption at low frequencies; there is some evidence that the hydrogen in the arc has been expelled from the galactic nucleus. Previous suggestions that Sgr A East is a supernova remnant have been examined and the interpretation is found to be quite likely, but not compelling. The diffuse component of Sgr A West appears to be due entirely to ionized hydrogen surrounding the nucleus.     

The injection of energy into the interstellar medium by stars (invited review)

Stars inject energy into the interstellar medium (ISM) by radiation, stellar winds, and supernova explosions. This energy injection causes the ISM to be inhomogeneous, which in turn alters the manner in which the energy is transferred through the ISM. A significant fraction of the energy is injected by massive stars, which formHii regions in the ISM. The structure and evolution ofHii regions in a cloudy medium deffers significantly from that in a homogeneous one. The strong stellar winds produced by massive stars form bubbles in the ISM, and the structure of these bubbles is often dominated by the structure of theHii region in which they are embedded. Finally, when the star explodes as a supernova, the evolution and appearance of the resulting remnant is determined by the structure of the bubble andHii region formed by the star during its lifetime.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Stellar chromospheres,coronae, and winds (invited review)

Within the last few years there have been important advances in our understanding of the chromospheres, coronae, and winds of late-type stars. This progress has been the result of ultraviolet and X-ray observations obtained from space with theInternational Ultraviolet Explorer andEinstein satellites. In addition, ground-based astronomy has contributed much to synoptic studies of stellar activity. In this review I summarize some of the major recent developments in this field.Presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Star formation associated with high-velocity mass outflows (invited review)

Energetic mass outflows have been detected in molecular line observations towards young stellar objects. In this review we take the Orion-KL as an example to discuss the overall structure of a high-velocity outflow and its environment. The kinematics of the high-velocity molecular emission show clear evidence of a bipolar jet which originates in the vicinity of IRc2, a massive protostar. Towards the ends of the jet, 0.05 pc away from the origin of the flow, the interaction between the high-velocity flow and the ambient molecular gas excites shocks. The protostar is encircled by a disc of dense molecular gas, the inner 0.04 pc of which is expanding while the outer part shows signs of rotation and contraction. A comparison between the dynamical timescales of the disk and the bipolar jet may suggest that the disk itself, or some mechanism of disk formation, is also responsible for the bipolar nature of the high-velocity flow.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.NRO, a branch of the Tokyo Astronomical observatory, is a cosmic-radio observing facility open to outside users.     

Particle energization in galactic centre ejections

For ejections in the galactic centre (the galactic centre lobe, the galactic centre jet, and the low-energy jet), which were discovered recently, the efficiency of two low plasma- electron re-acceleration processes (Alfvén resonance heating and dissipation by magnetic non-equilibrium) considered recently by one of us (T.M.K.) are discussed and order of magnitude calculations for the dissipated power are given.     

Oscillations and pulsations in the sun and stars (invited review)

The discovery of the solar global oscillations, and their identification to many radial and nonradial eigenmodes of the Sun, have opened a new important field of research called solar seismology, in which we may probe the internal structure of the Sun by using its oscillations. In recent years, pulsations and oscillation-related phenomena have also been discovered in many stars which were hitherto regarded as non-pulsating stars. They include white dwards (ZZ Ceti-stars), Ap-stars, early-type stars with slow and rapid rotation (53 Per and Oph-stars, respectively). Developments in high spectral and high time-resolution observations will be expected to reveal variability in many other stars as well, in near future.In this review, the general properties of stellar eigenmode oscillations are first discussed. Recent observational and theoretical developments in the solar seismology and on pulsations and oscillations of newly discovered variable stars will then be reviewed.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Dynamical processes in the solar corona and interplanetary space (invited review)

Observations of the solar corona collected over the past decade are discussed from the point of view of short-term (<1 day) and long-term (>1 year) effects. Various phenomena are described, including coronal mass ejections, shock waves, and magnetic sector structures. It is argued that emerging magnetic flux is probably the prime cause of these phenomena, although the details of the interaction processes in the corona are not fully understood.Short-term changes are caused by the sudden release of energy in the lower corona or chromosphere. The prime cause is thought to be due to the build-up of highly sheared magnetic flux. Theoretical work of late has concentrated on attempting to explain the time-scales of flare events (<10 s) in terms of magnetic reconnection. Other work has concentrated on attempting to explain observed features of coronal mass ejections which last for periods of several hours. Long-term changes last for several years and are characterized by the slow evolution of coronal structures, especially magnetic sectors, which extend into interplanetary space out and beyond the Earth. Recent observations place new restraints on the solar dynamo which is thought to be responsible for the emerging magnetic flux involved in these long-term changes.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

Evidence for iron whiskers near the galactic centre

It is shown that ~ 10² M of iron in the form of long slender whiskers, expelled from supernovae, can explain an observed deficit of line emission in the 157.7µm C II line and in the 205µm N II line from the galactic centre region.     

A model of the galactic centre with magnetic monopoles

A model of the galactic centre with magnetic monopole has been presented here. The positron can be produced continuously through magnetic monopoles to induce baryon decay (Rubakov catalytic reaction) and a lot of energy can be released as well. The calculation results show that even if the galactic center contains only a few magnetic monopoles (=N _M/N_B10^–24), this massive object can not collapse into a black hole. This model can explain the observed intensities of the annihilation line and higher energy photons ofE >511 keV from the galactic centre.Paper presented at the IAU Third Asian-Pacific Regional Meeting, held in Kyoto, Japan, between 30 September–6 October, 1984.     

The ionizing radiation field in the galactic centre and the nature of LINERs

The Galactic centre contains a low-ionization nebula that has been previously interpreted as plasma photoionized by relatively cool O stars. We consider the possibility that this material is instead ionized by more energetic continua and described by a relatively low ionization parameter (ratio of ionizing photon to nucleon density). We find that the predicted spectrum is more sensitive to ionization parameter and cloud density than to details of the ionizing continuum shape. The Galactic centre spectrum can be generated by stars with a range of temperatures irradiating clouds with multiple components of differing densities. The present calculations also show that optical emission from many LINERs (low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions) can be generated by relatively hot, yet normal O stars embedded in gas clouds similarly characterized by a range of densities.     

Ionized gas towards galactic centre — Constraints from low-frequency recombination lines

Observations of the H272α recombination line towards the galactic centre show features near V_LSR= 0, −50 and + 36 kms⁻¹. We have combined the parameters of these features with the available H166α measurements to obtain the properties of the ionized gas present along the line of sight and also in the ‘3 kpc arm’. For the line-of-sight ionized gas we get an electron density around 7 cm⁻³ and a pathlength through it ∼ 10–60 pc. The emission measure and the electron temperature are in the range 500–2900 pc cm⁻⁶ and 2000–6000 K. respectively. The ionized gas in the 3 kpc arm has an electron density of 30 cm⁻³ and extends over 9 pc along the line of sight if we assume an electron temperature of 10⁴ K. Using the available upper limit to the intensity of the H351α recombination line, we show that the distributed ionized gas responsible for the dispersion of pulsar signals should have a temperature >4500 K. and a minimum filling factor of 20 per cent. We also show that recombination lines from the ‘warm ionized’ gas proposed by McKee & Ostriker (1977) should be detectable in the frequency range 100–150 MHz towards the galactic centre with the sensitivity available at present.     

Stellar and galactic environment survey (SAGE)

This paper describes a proposed high resolution soft X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) spectroscopy mission to carry out a survey of Stellar and Galactic Environments (SAGE). The payload is based on novel diffraction grating technology which has already been proven in a sub-orbital space mission and which is ready to fly on a satellite platform with minimal development. Much of the technical detail of the instrumentation has been reported elsewhere and we concentrate our discussion here on the scientific goals of a SAGE base-line mission, demonstrating the scientific importance of high resolution spectroscopy in the Extreme Ultraviolet for the study of stars and the local interstellar medium.