An HI Survey of Clusters in the Local Universe:

We outline the project of multifrequency observation of five clusters of galaxies spanning a redshift between 0.05 and 0.2. The core of the project is an HI survey of clusters accomplished with the VLA in its C configuration, and complemented with GMRT data. The 21 cm imaging is being combined with optical spectroscopy and deep NIR imaging with the aim to obtain a database on galaxy evolution in the nearby universe. We choose a sample of clusters with different degrees of dynamical evolution, some containing an important population of starburst or/and post–starburst galaxies, and a hot intracluster medium with emission in X–ray. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Tracing the warm–hot intergalactic medium in the local Universe

We present a simple method for tracing the spatial distribution and predicting the physical properties of the Warm–Hot Intergalactic Medium (WHIM), from the map of galaxy light in the Local Universe. Under the assumption that biasing is local and monotonic we map the  ∼2 h ⁻¹ Mpc  smoothed density field of galaxy light into the mass-density field, from which we infer the spatial distribution of the WHIM in the Local Supercluster. Taking into account the scatter in the WHIM density–temperature and density–metallicity relation, extracted from the z = 0 outputs of high-resolution and large-box-size hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, we are able to quantify the probability of detecting WHIM signatures in the form of absorption features in the X-ray spectra, along arbitrary directions in the sky. To illustrate the usefulness of this semi-analytical method we focus on the WHIM properties in the Virgo cluster region.     

From old Globular Clusters to early Structures in the Universe: the Formation of old, metal-poor Halos around early-type Galaxies

Old, metal-poor globular clusters trace the formation and evolution of early-type galaxies. Their are the best probes, at low redshift, of the building-up of galaxy halos at high redshift. Their properties constrain the characteristics of their progenitors. Recent results suggest that DLAs atz > 3 are the likely hosts for their formation. Finally, they shed light on the old, metal-poor halos probably present around all early-type galaxies. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Universe Evolution as Possible Mechanism of Formation of Galaxies and Their Clusters

The Kepler problem is studied in a space with the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker metrics of the expanding universe. Cosmic evolution leads to decreasing energy of particles, causing free particles to be captured in bound states, so that the evolution of the universe can be treated as a possible mechanism of the formation of galaxies and clusters of galaxies. The cosmological model is considered where the evolution of the universe plays the role usually inscribed to cold dark matter.     

Galactic Chemical Evolution: From the Local Disk to the Distant Universe

A brief review is presented of our current understanding of the chemical evolution of the Milky Way and, in particular, of the solar neighbourhood and the disc of our Galaxy, in the light of recent theoretical and observational results. We explore the implications of this understanding for studies of `cosmic chemical evolution'. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Gigamasers: the key to the dust-obscured star formation history of the Universe?

A numerical model of the Leonid stream is developed, based on an earlier model which has been applied to the Perseid stream. The results for this model are applied to the 2001 Leonid return. By examining the full three-dimensional dispersion of individual 'streamlets' released from the Leonid parent comet, 55P/Tempel–Tuttle, we have derived an estimate for the temporal change in spatial density of each trail. Using this result along with an estimate for the location of the centres for individual streamlets and fits to previous Leonid storm profiles, we estimate that the activity from the shower will be broad and relatively strong (zenithal hourly rates perhaps in excess of 1000). In particular, streamlets from the 1766 and 1799 ejections contribute to activity peaking near 10 and 12 ut on 2001 November 18, respectively. Additional older material from 1633, 1666 and 1699, as well as more recent ejections from 1866 and 1833, contributes to a much broader secondary maximum near 17.5 ut on November 18. Comparison with other published models of predicted Leonid activity in 2001 shows general agreement in terms of timing, but the models differ significantly in terms of the relative magnitude of the activity (which other models suggest will be larger). Significant anisotropy in the impact hazard exists for satellites in the geostationary belt, with those over western longitudes most likely to be affected. Integrated fluences for the 2001 Leonid return suggest a hazard of order one magnitude greater than occurred for the 1999 Leonid storm.     

Probing the Baryon Density of the Universe using Light Echoes of High Redshift Radio Sources

It is shown that the high redshift intergalactic gas that probably contains most of the baryonic density b = 0.05(Ho = 75kms-1 Mpc-1) in the standard Cold Dark Matter model can be detected through "true" intergalactic Thompson-scattered halos or light echoes around isotropic radio-loud quasars and radio galaxies. These cosmological halos, which form in the uniform ionized medium around "old" non-evolving sources, have a very large degree of polarization, up to pmax 44 percent at a projected distance half the light-age radius, and a plateau in the annular polarized flux density within 1/3 of the light-age radius, which is about 4 arc min for sources older than 107 years at z 4. The optimal wavelength range for halo polarimetric observations is 20 - 30 cm, depending on the Galactic rotation measure in the direction of the source, the spectral index of the source, and the specific maximized parameter of the halo. If observed with large single-dish radiotelescopes, the 21 cm polarized brightness temperatures of some inner halos, for example the halo around the quasar OQ 172 (S1400 = 2.5 Jy,z = 3.53), are of the same order of magnitude as the current total-intensity limits for cosmic background fluctuations on arc min scales. The halo test can be extended to larger volumes of space by concentric co-adding of source-normalized halos around the much more numerous isotropic radio galaxies. The expected ensemble-averaged profile of the polarized flux density around the symmetry center is calculated by integrating over the halo ages, assuming a uniform source-age distribution. In addition to the electron density or a lower limit for b based on the halo brightness, the characteristic life time of the radio emission can be derived based on its angular size. If there is a moderate deviation of the density evolution of the intergalactic gas from the conservative cubic law due to galaxy formation, high redshift radio halos may be on the rising branch of their brightness beyond its minimum, similar to the well known nonmonotonic behaviour of angular sizes.     

From nuclei to atoms and molecules: the chemical history of the early Universe

The dark age of the Universe is generally pointed out as the period between the recombination epoch (z∼1000) and the horizon of current observations (z∼5–6). The arrow of time in the cosmic history describes the progression from simplicity to complexity, because the present Universe is clumpy and complicated unlike the homogeneous early Universe. Thus it is crucial to know the nature of the constituents, in order to understand the conditions of the formation of the first bound objects. In this paper we analyse the chemical history of this dark age through the creation of the primordial nuclei to the formation of the first atoms and molecules. Then we will describe the consequences of the molecular formation on the birth of the proto-objects. In this context we will mention the important works of Dennis W. Sciama who influenced a large number of theorists—cosmologists and astronomers—on this new field of research dedicated to primordial molecules.     

Response to Dersarkissian's comments on the structure of the Universe

We found that the structure of the Universe can be characterized by a set of actions ^s . This means that some discontinuous phenomena in the Universe can be considered as large-scale quantum effects. The behaviour of matter on a typical scale is determined by the behaviour of matter on other scales through the interactions.     

The chemical evolution of the Universe – I. High column density absorbers

We construct a simple, robust model of the chemical evolution of galaxies from high to low redshift, and apply it to published observations of damped Lyman α quasar absorption line systems (DLAs). The elementary model assumes quiescent star formation and isolated galaxies (no interactions, mergers or gas flows). We consider the influence of dust and chemical gradients in the galaxies, and hence explore the selection effects in quasar surveys. We fit individual DLA systems to predict some observable properties of the absorbing galaxies, and also indicate the expected redshift behaviour of chemical element ratios involving nucleosynthetic time delays.
Despite its simplicity, our 'monolithic collapse' model gives a good account of the distribution and evolution of the metallicity and column density of DLAs, and of the evolution of the global star formation rate and gas density below redshifts z ∼3. However, from the comparison of DLA observations with our model, it is clear that star formation rates at higher redshifts ( z >3) are enhanced. Galaxy interactions and mergers, and gas flows very probably play a major role.     

WSO and the winds of massive stars: the gate to the metal-poor Local Universe

The spectrographs on-board the World Space Observatory (WSO) will provide access to the 1020–1800 Å wavelength range with unprecedented sensitivity. Previous observatories operating in the 1150–2000 Å range (such as IUE and HST-STIS) have proved extremely useful to study the winds of OB type stars, which leave their most prominent imprints in the far ultraviolet range. The addition of the λ < 1200 Å wavelengths is critical as it contains important diagnostic lines for mass loss and shocks in the wind, as found by FUSE-based analyses.WSO will enable quantitative spectroscopic analyses of blue massive stars in the Local Group beyond the Magellanic Clouds. The results will lead to the characterization of their winds as a function of metallicity, and shed new light on current urging questions regarding radiation driven winds.     

Cosmology with Supernovae: The Road from Galactic Supernovae to the edge of the Universe

This review gives an update of the cosmological use of SNe Ia and the progress made in testing their properties from the local universe to high-z. The cosmological road from high-z supernovae down to Galactic SNe Ia is followed in search of the answer to standing questions on their nature and their validity as cosmological indicators.     

On the nature of dark energy: the lattice Universe

There is something unknown in the cosmos. Something big. Which causes the acceleration of the Universe expansion, that is perhaps the most surprising and unexpected discovery of the last decades, and thus represents one of the most pressing mysteries of the Universe. The current standard ΛCDM model uses two unknown entities to make everything fit: dark energy and dark matter, which together would constitute more than 95 % of the energy density of the Universe. A bit like saying that we have understood almost nothing, but without openly admitting it. Here we start from the recent theoretical results that come from the extension of general relativity to antimatter, through CPT symmetry. This theory predicts a mutual gravitational repulsion between matter and antimatter. Our basic assumption is that the Universe contains equal amounts of matter and antimatter, with antimatter possibly located in cosmic voids, as discussed in previous works. From this scenario we develop a simple cosmological model, from whose equations we derive the first results. While the existence of the elusive dark energy is completely replaced by gravitational repulsion, the presence of dark matter is not excluded, but not strictly required, as most of the related phenomena can also be ascribed to repulsive-gravity effects. With a matter energy density ranging from ～5 % (baryonic matter alone, and as much antimatter) to ～25 % of the so-called critical density, the present age of the Universe varies between about 13 and 15 Gyr. The SN Ia test is successfully passed, with residuals comparable with those of the ΛCDM model in the observed redshift range, but with a clear prediction for fainter SNe at higher z. Moreover, this model has neither horizon nor coincidence problems, and no initial singularity is requested. In conclusion, we have replaced all the tough problems of the current standard cosmology (including the matter-antimatter asymmetry) with only one question: is the gravitational interaction between matter and antimatter really repulsive as predicted by the theory and as the observation of the Universe seems to suggest? We are awaiting experimental responses.     

Physical uniformity of the Universe

The question of the spatial homogeneity of the Universe is re-examined from the viewpoint of the hypothesis on the physical unity of the universe. It is shown that the demand for the universal validity of the theory of relativity implies that the average value of the Newtonian world potential is constant everywhere in the universe which is spatially homogeneous on a large scale. It turns out that Mach's principle is compatible with the special theory of relativity if the average value of the normalized world potential is exactly equal to–c ². This fact may be interpreted as a consequence of the fundamental idea of the general relativity that cosmic matter determines the space-time metric in agreement with Mach's principle.     

Semi-analytic modelling of galaxy formation: the local Universe

Using semi-analytic models of galaxy formation, we investigate galaxy properties such as the Tully–Fisher relation, the B - and K -band LFs, cold gas contents, sizes, metallicities and colours, and compare our results with observations of local galaxies. We investigate several different recipes for star formation and supernova feedback, including choices that are similar to the treatment by Kauffmann, White & Guiderdoni and Cole et al., as well as some new recipes. We obtain good agreement with all of the key local observations mentioned above. In particular, in our best models, we simultaneously produce good agreement with both the observed B - and K -band LFs and the I -band Tully–Fisher relation. Improved cooling and supernova feedback modelling, inclusion of dust extinction and an improved Press–Schechter model all contribute to this success. We present results for several variants of the CDM family of cosmologies, and find that models with values of Ω₀≃0.3–0.5 give the best agreement with observations.     

Energy Composition of the Universe: Time-Independent Internal Symmetry

The energy composition of the Universe, as emerged from the Type Ia supernova observations and the WMAP data, looks preposterously complex, – but only at the first glance. In fact, its structure proves to be simple and regular. An analysis in terms of the Friedmann integral enables to recognize a remarkably simple time-independent covariant robust recipe of the cosmic mix: the numerical values of the Friedmann integral for vacuum, dark matter, baryons and radiation are approximately identical. The identity may be treated as a symmetry relation that unifies cosmic energies into a regular set, a quartet, with the Friedmann integral as its common genuine time-independent physical parameter. Such cosmic internal (non-geometrical) symmetry exists whenever cosmic energies themselves exist in nature. It is most natural for a finite Universe suggested by the WMAP data. A link to fundamental theory may be found under the assumption about a special significance of the electroweak energy scale in both particle physics and cosmology. A freeze-out model developed on this basis demonstrates that the physical nature of new symmetry might be due to the interplay between electroweak physics and gravity at the cosmic age of a few picoseconds. The big ‘hierarchy number’ of particle physics represents the interplay in the model. This number quantifies the Friedmann integral and gives also a measure to some other basic cosmological figures and phenomena associated with new symmetry. In this way, cosmic internal symmetry provides a common ground for better understanding of old and recent problems that otherwise seem unrelated; the coincidence of the observed cosmic densities, the flatness of the co-moving space, the initial perturbations and their amplitude, the cosmic entropy are among them.     

Distances to galaxies from the brightest stars in the Universe

Blue Supergiants (BSGs) are the brightest stars in the universe at visual light with absolute magnitudes up to M _V =−10 mag. They are ideal stellar objects for the determination of extragalactic distances, in particular, because the perennial uncertainties troubling most of the other stellar distance indicators, interstellar extinction and metallicity, do not affect them. The quantitative spectral analysis of low resolution spectra of individual BSGs provides accurate stellar parameters and chemical composition, which are then used to determine accurate reddening and extinction from photometry for each individual object. Accurate distances can be determined from stellar gravities and effective temperatures using the “Flux Weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship (FGLR)”.     

Matter-space-time properties of the Universe

In the expansive nondecelerative homogeneous and isotropic relativistic Universe there take place: the permanent constant maximum possible creation of matter, the relativistic increase of mass of expanding objects, the relativistic dilatation of time of expanding objects, the relativistic contraction of radial length of expanding objects, and the relativistic dilatation of angular dimensions of expanding remote objects.Editor's Note: The delay in publishing this paper was due to an unfortunate oversight connected with the late Professor Kopal's death.