H2 fluorescence in HH 7 and DR 21

We present evidence for Ly pumping of the Lyman band system of molecular hydrogen in Herbig-Haro 7 and the bipolar outflow DR 21. For this study we have measured several vibrational-rotational emission lines of H₂ whose energy levels are widely spaced and ranging from 6000 (v = 1) to 25000 Kelvin (v = 4). We show that the near-infrared H₂ emission from the shocked gas in HH 7 can be well described by a bow C-type shock. The enhanced emission observed from the higher energy levels (v > 3) can be well modelled by employing the Ly pumping mechanism.In the DR 21 outflow the multi-line study showed that different physical conditions exist in the eastern and western emission lobes. The higher H₂ line ratios measured in the eastern lobe suggests a higher Ly pump rate which may be locally produced in the fast bowshocks. The FUV radiation field emanating from the central HII regions may in addition be exciting the Lyman and Werner bands of H₂ in the molecular lobes.We show that the observed H₂ emission can be interpreted in terms of a simple model consisting of a C-type bowshock, which produces the low excitation H₂ emission, and a FUV radiation field with enough Ly line radiation to produce the high excitation H₂ emission through fluorescence.     

The distribution law of stellarp-modes

We show that the overall densityg() of asymptotic acoustic frequencies of a star obeys a Weyl lawg() ^D–1, whereD is the dimensionality of the oscillating stellar configuration. For realistic stars with a finite non-zero surface sound speed,D is equal to the actual dimensionality of the star,D=3. For formal models with a vanishing sound velocity at the surface, heuristic arguments lead to a dimensionality parameterD=4.5. The empirical frequencies of Eddington's standard model are found to be consistent with the latter distribution, with reasonable agreement already occurring in the low-frequency range > _i 2× fundamental radial mode. We argue that real stars obey this 3.5-power law in some finite frequency interval _i << _f , _f being a very high frequency critically depending on the surface sound velocity, while the full asymptotic law, withD=3, holds for > _f .     

The densest prestellar condensations: H2CO Studies ofρ Oph B1

We present new images of the well-known molecular outflow and Herbig-Haro complex L 1551-IRS 5. Deep, high-resolution images of the central region of the flow in [SII] 6716,6731 and H (6565 Å) are complemented by a mosaic of much of the CO outflow in H₂ v=1-0 S(1). While the optical data trace the intermediate-to-high excitation shocks in the flow (v _shock > 30 – 50 km s^–1), the near-IR data reveal the lower-excitation, molecular shocks (v _shock 10–50 km s^–1). In particular, the H₂ data highlight the regions where the flow impacts and shocks ambient molecular gas.     

Non-local heat transport in static solar coronal loops

We investigate the limits of applicability of the Spitzer-Harm thermal conductivity in solar coronal loops and show that the ratio ₀ /L _T of electron mean-free path to temperature scale height in large-scale structures can approach the limits of the Spitzer-Harm theory. We use a non-local formulation of heat transport to compute a grid of loop models: the effects of non-local transport on the distribution of differential emission measure are particularly important in the coronal part of loops longer than the pressure scale height s _p .We derive a scaling law for ₀/L _T in the corona, showing that it grows exponentially with L/s _p , and discuss effects of non-local heat transport in the transition region.Now at Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Italy.     

Adiabatic-drift-loss modification of the electromagnetic loss-cone instability for anisotropic plasma

Observation of the adiabatic behaviour of energetic particle pitch-angle distributions in the magnetosphere (Lyons, 1977, and others) in the past indicated the development of pronounced minima or drift-loss cones on the pitch-angle distributions centred at 90° in connection with storm-time changes in magnetospheric convection and magnetic field. Using a model of a drift-modified loss-cone distribution (MLCD) of the butterfly type, the linear stability of electromagnetic whistler or ion-cyclotron waves propagating parallel to the magnetic field has been investigated. The instability is shown to be quenched at high frequencies < _m =A/(A+1), whereA is the thermal anisotropy. This quenching becomes stronger the higher are the respective parallel hot particle thermal velocityA _h and cold plasma densityn _c . Particles around pitch-angles 90° are identified as generating electromagnetic cyclotron waves near the marginally stable frequency _m . It is concluded that the absence of electromagnetic VLF and ELF noise during times when MLCD develops is the result of the shift of the unstable spectrum to low frequencies.     

Coronal magnetic-field model with non-spherical source surface

Previous global models of coronal magnetic fields have used a geometrical construction based on a spherical source surface because of requirements for computational speed. As a result they have had difficulty accounting for (a) the tendency of full magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models to predict non-radial plasma flow out to r 10r and (b) the appreciable magnitude, 3, of B _r , (the radial component of B) consistently observed at r 1 AU. We present a new modelling technique based on a non-spherical source surface, which is taken to be an isogauss of the underlying potential field generated by currents in or below the photosphere. This modification of the source surface significantly improves the agreement between the geometrical construction and the MHD solution while retaining most of the computational ease provided by a spherical source surface. A detailed comparison between the present source-surface model and the MHD solution is made for the internal dipole case. The resulting B field agrees well in magnitude and direction with the coronal B field derived from the full MHD equations. It shows evidence of the slightly equatorward meridional plasma flow that is characteristic of the MHD solution. Moreover, the B field obtained by using our non-spherical source surface agrees well with that observed by spacecraft in the vicinity of the Earth's orbit. Applied to a solar dipole field with a moment of 1 G-r ³ , the present model predicts that B _r at r 1 AU lies in the range of 1–2 and is remarkably insensitive to heliomagnetic latitude. Our method should be applicable also to more general (i.e., more realistic) configurations of the solar magnetic field. Isogauss surfaces for two representative solar rotations, as calculated from expansions of observed photospheric magnetic-field data, are found to show large and significant deviations from sphericity.     

Cold plus hot dark matter and structure formation of the universe

Cold plus hot (neutrino) dark matter models are studied and compared with the tilted cold dark matter models (which have a non-Zel'dovich initial density perturbation spectrum). For the hybrid dark matter models, a simpler treatment for the relativistic neutrinos is presented. The numerical results of this treatment are shown to be in good agreement with those given by other authors. Comparing the theoretical and the observational results of the quadrupole fluctuations of the cosmic background radiation and the large-scale velocity field of galaxies, the hybrid dark matter models require a fraction of neutrino density 0.3, a fraction of cold dark matter _c 0.7 and a number of massive neutrino speciesN = 1 for the case of Hubble's constantH ₀ = 50 km s^–1 Mpc^–1. The distribution of comoving number density of quasars at high redshifts is studied using the Press-Schechter theory. The calculations show that the hybrid dark matter model ( _c 0.7, 0.3) and the tilted CDM model withn = 0.7 0.8 both account for the observed quasar abundance at high redshift.     

Hβ Doppler-velocity fields within sites of flares in a solar active region

In this paper, we analyze the relationship between photospheric magnetic fields and chromospheric velocity fields in a solar active region, especially evolving features of the chromospheric velocity field at preflare sites. It seems that flares are related to unusually distributed velocity field structures, and initial bright kernels and ribbons of the flares appear in the red-shifted areas (i.e., downward flow areas) close to the inversion line of H Dopplergrams with steep gradients of the velocity fields, no matter whether the areas have simple magnetic structure or a weak magnetic field, or strong magnetic shear and complex structure of the magnetic fields. The data show that during several hours prior to the flares, while the velocity field evolves, the sites of the flare kernels (or ribbons) with red-shifted features come close to the inversion line of the velocity field. This result holds regardless of whether or not the flare sites are wholly located in blue-shifted areas (i.e., upward flow areas), or are far from the inversion line of the Doppler velocity field (V = 0 line), or are partly within red-shifted areas. There are two cases favourable for the occurrence of flares, one is that the gulf-like neutral lines of the magnetic field (B = 0 line) occur in the H red-shifted areas, the other is that the gulf-like inversion lines of the H Doppler velocity field (V = 0 line) occur in the unipolar magnetic areas. These observational facts indicate that the velocity field and magnetic field have the same effect on the process of flare energy accumulation and release.     

Recent observations of the WR central star of the planetary nebula LMC-N66

The recent evolution of the central star of the planetary nebula LMC-N66 is presented. Before 1987, it showed a weak continuum with aT _eff120 000 K andL _bol25 000L and in a few years it developed strong WR features (P Cygni line profiles in N v at 124.0 nm and C IV at 155.0 nm, wide Heii emission, etc.) typical of a WN 4.5. Additionally the stellar continuum increased by a large factor and the absolute visual magnitude of the star changed from + 1.24 in 1987 to–2.57 in January, 1995. The WR features and enhanced continuum, evidencing a powerful mass-loss event remained with small variations for more than 5 years. Recent ultraviolet and optical data shows that the mass-loss seems to have diminished abruptly in the last three months.     

Axisymmetrical models for the origin and shaping of proto-planetary nebulae

Axisymmetrical models for protoplanetary nebulae are produced. We discuss the mechanism for mass loss from evolved cool stars and the characteristics of the gas outflow. By using two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics, we find that the gas is preferentially ejected in a so-called equatorial plane. For a grid of models, the expansion velocities are found to be of the order ofv _escape/2 and the mass loss rates tilde 10^–5-10^–4 M /year which appear consistent with the available observational data. Magnetic fields intensities in the 10^–4 to 10^–3 gauss range are obtained in circumstellar envelopes, in good agreement with observations (Nedoluha and Bowers, 1992).     

Seismology of the solar convection zone

An attempt is made to infer the structure of the solar convection zone from observedp-mode frequencies of solar oscillations. The differential asymptotic inversion technique is used to find the sound speed in the solar envelope. It is found that envelope models which use the Canuto-Mazzitelli (CM) formulation for calculating the convective flux give significantly better agreement with observations than models constructed using the mixing length formalism. This inference can be drawn from both the scaled frequency differences and the sound speed difference. The sound speed in the CM envelope model is within 0.2% of that in the Sun except in the region withr > 0.99R _⊙. The envelope models are extended below the convection zone, to find some evidence for the gravitational settling of helium beneath the base of the convection zone. It turns out that for models with a steep composition gradient below the convection zone, the convection zone depth has to be increased by about 6 Mm in order to get agreement with helioseismic observations.     

On the evolution of obstars from the main sequence to the Helium exhaustion phase

The evolution of a 20M star of extreme Population I (X=0.602,Z=0.044) from the main sequence through the He-exhaustion has been calculated with particular attention to the treatment of the semiconvective zones. Two different relations as convective instability criteria have been adopted _{R a} +(/(4–3)) (d ln /d lnP) or _{R a} ). The He-burning phase is substantially different in the two cases. In the first evolutionary picture the star begins the He-burning phase as red supergiant, while in the second one as blue supergiant. The two evolutions are compared with the observational blue to red supergiants ration _B/n _R in connection with the problem of the existence of the neutrino processes and taking into account the possible presence of a high percentage of binary systems among supergiants.We draw the conclusion that the massive star evolution seems to be still completely uncertain and also not able to give a decisive test for or against the neutrino emission.     

A study of the contrast of sunspots from photometric images

The thermal contrast , and the umbra-penumbraA _u/A _p, were calculated for 63 sunspots of various sizes and morphologies. Contrary to the assumptions of the PSI model, andA _u/A _p were found to be quite variable. The values of ranged from 0.1807 to 0.4266;A _u/A _p ranged from 0.0089 to 0.4899. The values of andA _u/A _p correlated well (r = 0.6018;p<0.005) and the regression for andA _u/A _p was obtained: = (0.220 ± 0.016) + (0.340 ± O.06)A _u/A _p. The values of andA _u/A _p were then compared with complexity ratings, magnetic field strength, time, and . The quantities andA _u/A _p were found to be independent of the complexity, magnetic field strength, and time factors. The correlation between andA _u/A _p lead to the proposed division of into an umbral thermal contrast _u, and a penumbral thermal contrast _p. These values were calculated from the photometric data: _u = 0.57 ± 0.01 and _p = 0.26 ± 0.006.     

Parameters of Dust Particles in the Martian Atmosphere

A critical analysis of the methods and results of estimating the optical thickness of the dust component in the Martian atmosphere ₀, the particle size r ₀, and the imaginary part of the refractive index n _ihas shown the following. (1) Observational data on the brightness distribution over the Martian disk as well as the phase dependences of diffusely reflected light and the azimuthal dependences of diffusely transmitted light are most appropriate to use only for verifying the reliability of the aerosol parameters determined by other methods. (2) If the morning and evening fogs in the atmosphere are disregarded, the Bouguer–Lambert–Beer method used to analyze the solar-brightness attenuation measured on the planetary surface yields overestimated extraatmospheric solar intensity I ₀and atmospheric optical depth ₀. At the Viking 1landing site, I ₀and ₀could be overestimated by a factor of 1.7 and by 0.35, respectively. (3) The aerosol size determined by analyzing measurements of the azimuthal dependences for the Martian sky brightness at low elevations of the Sun most likely corresponds to the fog particles. (4) If overestimated values of I ₀were used to standardize the observations of the solar radiation transmitted by the Martian atmosphere, then n _iwere also overestimated; using overestimated ₀also affected the reliability of the latter. (5) The problem of reliability of the available ₀and r ₀estimates for periods of high atmospheric transparency is yet to be solved. For the highest activity of the dust storm in 1971, it was found that 4.5 r ₀ 7.5 m for the lognormal particle size distribution with ²= 0.2 and the optical thickness of a dust cloud ₀ 15. (6) The spectral values of the apparent albedo of Mars measured in October 1971 at a phase angle of 42° in the spectral range 0.250 0.717 allowed the imaginary part of the refractive index to be estimated in terms of a model of a dust cloud composed of spherical particles with the lognormal size distribution with r ₀= 4.5 m and ²= 0.2.     

CCD BV photometry of the old rich open cluster king 2

We present preliminary results of CCD BV photometry of the old open cluster King 2. The values obtained for the main parameters are:E(B-V)=0.31, (m-M)₀=13.78, metal content approximately solar, and age 6×10⁹ yr. From the comparison with synthetic colour-mgnitude diagrams generated by models with overshoot we try to answer the question whether or not convective elements generated in the core can penetrate into the surrounding stable zone (separated by a discontinuity of molecular weight).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.     

Dynamical friction and the escape of a compact supermassive object shot from the center of a galaxy

A numerical study has been made of the motion of a compact object consisting of a supermassive black hole with a dense cluster of stars around through a galaxy which has recoiled from the center of the latter as a result of anisotropic emission of gravitational radiation or asymmetrical plasma emission. We find that the effect of dynamical friction on its motion through the galaxy (mass10¹¹ M ) estimated using the impulsive approximation technique, is minimal for an object mass 10⁹ M and for recoil taking place at a velocity larger than that of escape. A velocity 1.1 times the escape velocity is needed for the object to escape from the galaxy, whereas for velocities of recoil less than this critical velocity, damped oscillatory motion ensures. The energy exchange of the object with the galaxy is not large enough to cause appreciable change in the internal energy of the latter.     

Synthesis of line profiles from models of structured winds

On the basis of a a careful analysis of resonance line formation (both for singlets and doublets) in structured winds, presenttime dependent models of the line driven winds of hot stars (Owocki et al., this volume; Feldmeier, this volume) are shown to be able to explain a number of observational features with respect to variability and structure: they are (in principle) able to reproduce theblack andbroad troughs (without any artificial turbulence velocity) and the blue edge variability observed in saturated resonance lines; they might explain the long lived narrow absorption components often observed in unsaturated lines at high velocities; they predict a relation between the edge velocity of UV-lines and the radiation temperature of the observed X-ray emission.As a first example of the extent to which theoretical models can be constrained by comparisons between observations and profiles calculated by spectrum synthesis from structured winds, we show here that models with deep-seated onset of structure formation ( 1.1R _* ) produce resonance lines which agreequalitatively with observational findings; in contrast, the here presented models with structure formation only well out in the wind ( 1.6R _* ) fail in this respect.     

Rapidly rotating polytropes in the post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity

The study of uniformly polytropes with axial symmetry is extended to include all rotational terms of order ⁴, where is the angular velocity, consistently within the first post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity. The equilibrium structure is determined by treating the effects of rotation and post-Newtonian gravitation as independent perturbations on the classical polytropic structure. The perturbation effects are characterized by a rotation parameter = ²/2G _c and a relativity parameter, =p _c / _c C ² , wherep _c and _c are the central pressure and density respectively. The solution to the structural problem is obtained by following Chandrasekhar's series expansion technique and is complete to the post-Newtonian rotation terms of order ². The critical rotation parameterv _c , which characterizes the configuration with maximum uniform rotation, is accurately evaluated as a function of . Numerical values for all the structural parameters needed to determine the equilibrium configurations are presented for polytropes with indicesn=1, 1.5, 2, 2 5, 3, and 3.5.     

Single close encounters in the planetary problem

We consider a large massM and two small massesm ₁ andm ₂ (m ₁ m ₂;m ₁,m ₂M). The orbit ofm ₁ is initially circular and the motion ofm ₂ hyperbolic with respect toM. The orbital elements of the small masses are strongly modified after a close, single encounter betweenm ₁ andm ₂.An approximative method, similar to the theory of stellar encounters, is used to determine the probabilities of collisions, hyperbolas, direct and retrograde ellipses, as well as the mean values of the semimajor axes and their root mean square deviation after the encounter.The results are close to those which are obtained if the massm ₂ is negligibly small, (Mm ₁m ₂;m ₂ 0), as should be also expected on general grounds.