A deeply embedded companion to LKHα198

The region around the Herbig Ae/Be star LkH198 was imaged at 10m with the CAMIRAS camera at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and the Nordic Optical Telescope. We discovered a deeply embedded companion 6 north of LkH198, which may be responsible for most of the far-infrared emission in the region and for driving the molecular flow. LkH198 appears point-like at our resolution (FWHM 1.3), excluding an extended envelope of transiently heated small grains as the dominant origin of the mid-infrared excess in that star.     

The solar O i λ 7773 triplet

The reduction of observations of the O i 7773 triplet obtained at high spatial resolution (0.5) at two disk positions is described. Two sets of triplet profile data are presented at each disk position. One set represents data taken from 0.5 regions centered on the brightest granules, while the other set represents data taken from 0.5 regions centered on the cooler infalling intergranular material.     

Optical Identification of IRAS Point Sources. Galaxies. X

The tenth list of objects from the BIG (Byurakan-IRAS Galaxies) sample, containing 104 galaxies identified with 60 point sources from the IRAS PSC catalog, is introduced. The identifications have been made in the region +69°+73° and 09^h50^m15^h20^m with an area of 107 sq.deg. The identified objects include 13 Sy candidates, 5 compact star-formation galaxies, 11 interacting pairs (including 5 merger candidates) and 1 interacting triple system, 5 LSB galaxies, and 5 groups. 21 objects are also identified with radio sources. The optical coordinates, their deviations from the IR coordinates, V stellar magnitudes, morphological types, angular sizes of the central regions, and position angles have been determined. The identified galaxies are of Sa-Sc, SB, and Irr morphological types, the optical stellar magnitudes lie in the range 15^m.0-21^m.5, and the angular sizes of the central regions lie in the range 3-32. Finding charts from the DSS2 are included for these objects.     

High-resolution photography of the solar chromosphere

A new telescope designed for high-resolution photography of the chromosphere is described. It is mounted in the open air on a 15-m tower and is provided with air suction shields to cool all surfaces exposed to the sun's rays. The best moments for photography are selected by a seeing monitor. The highest resolution so far attained is 0. 75 of arc, compared with a theoretical resolution limit at H of 0. 55.     

Profiles of Hi (La), Mgii (h and k), Caii (H and K) Lines of an active filament at the limb,with the LPSP instrument aboard the OSO-8 Satellite

We scanned the H i L, Mg ii h and k, Ca ii K and H lines simultaneously with the LPSP instrument on OSO-8, to investigate the low and moderate temperature regions of an active region filament. The L line is not reversed except for the innermost position in the prominence. Intensity (k/h), (K/H) ratios are respectively 2 and 1.1, indicating that the Mg ii lines are optically thin, and that Ca ii K is saturated, although not clearly reversed. The results obtained during the second sequence of observations (K saturated before L for example) indicate that within the size of the slit (1 × 10) we are not observing the same emitting features in the different lines.We also observe an important line-of-sight velocity at the outer edge of the feature, increasing outwards from a few km s^–1 to 20 km s^–1 within 2. Less than half an hour later, this velocity is reduced to 15 km s^–1 while the intensities increase. Full width at half maximum intensities for this component indicate turbulence variations from 22 to 30 km s^–1. The observed high velocities at the top of the prominence can be compared with radial velocities that Mein (1977) observed in H at the edges of an active filament and interpreted as velocity loops slightly inclined on the axis of the filament.     

On the size of the structure elements in the solar chromosphere

Photometric reductions of the spectrograms obtained during the third flight of the Soviet Stratopsheric Solar Station are discussed. A comparison of photometric scans in H and its far wings near to the continuum leads to the conclusion that chromospheric mottles are at least several times broader than photospheric granules. The optimum size of mottles is about 0.8–1.1. The H profiles of mottles are practically the same as those obtained from the ground observations. The broadening of mottles is considered as an effect of expansion of magnetic arcs growing up to chromospheric levels.     

Some statistical properties of Ellerman bombs

One hundred seventy-eight Ellerman bombs were identified and studied with on- and off-band H filtergrams of two active centers, one near disk center and the other near the east limb. The photographs, taken through a 1/4 Å bandpass filter, occasionally attained resolution as fine as 0.3. The mean duration of bombs at H-2 Å was about 13 min near disk center and 11 min near the limb; these times increase slightly when we observe closer to the core of H. Eighty-six percent of the bombs in the near-limb region and 56% in the disk-center region were seen to be accompanied by ejections of dark material; the ejections were 3–30 long. The ejection length appears to be proportional to the bomb size times the bomb lifetime.     

New observational results for the solar chromosphere

High resolution photographs of the solar chromosphere have been obtained with the 40-cm refractor of the Athens Observatory and a 0.5 Å Halle H filter. Our best photographs show a resolution of 0.6, which is comparable with the theoretical resolving limit of 0.4, at H. The achieved resolution permitted us to secure some excellent observations of the fine structure of the chromosphere on the disk as well as on the limb. The study of these observations leads to the following results: (a) the bright filaments of the disturbed chromosphere as well as the penumbral ones appear to consist of knots, (b) inside the cells of the chromospheric network of the quiet chromosphere, bright roundish granule-like formations are present, their mean size being of the order of 2500 km. (c) the bright fine mottles seem to lie at the root of the elongated dark ones, each pair of them giving rise to a spicule.     

On polarimetry in solar active regions

High resolved magnetograms ( 3) were obtained 3 hrs before and 1 hr after a 1b flare, respectively, the only bright flare reported for that active region. Careful comparison between both magnetograms shows that the line-of-sight component of the active region magnetic field remains constant. In particular there is no simplification of the rather complicated field structure in connection with the flare. Magnetic flux and field gradients also do not show any variation above the 3 scale. Essential changes, however, were observed after 19 hrs without flare activity. This indicates that evolutionary field changes predominate over flare related variations.     

Systematic reductions of 19th century planetary observations

Systematic reductions of nineteenth century observations to the system of the FK4 are discussed. Reductions made on a nightly basis are described and compared with the results obtained through the use of conventional tables. The series of observations made at the Paris Observatory from 1837 to 1881 was used to compare the two methods, and a combined system of 24 000 FK4, FK4 Sup and AGK 3R positions and proper motions provided the reference stars. The results show that for Uranus the mean error of a single observation in right ascension is ±1..33 when tables are used for the reductions, and ±1.12 when nightly reductions are made, while in declination the corresponding mean errors are ±0.88 and ±0.80. The observations of Neptune show an even greater difference between the two methods; the mean errors for the tabular and nightly reductions are ±1.57 and ±1.09 in right ascension and ±0.88 and ±0.75 in declination. Secular rates in the (0–C)'s of Uranus of –0.029/year in right ascension and ±0.030/year in declination are present when the observations are reduced with tables. These rates are reduced to –0.007/year and +0.015/year, respectively, when nightly reductions are made.Presented at the Symposium Star Catalogues, Positional Astronomy and Celestial Mechanics, held in honor of Paul Herget at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Washington, November 30, 1978.     

One dimensional aperture synthesis observations at 2.8 cm of the brightness distribution over the solar equator

The brightness distribution of the equatorial region of the Sun has been investigated at 2.8 cm with an east-west resolution of 16.1, for the following days: 30 June, 1 July, 3 July and 4 July, 1972. The results confirm the existence of very intense cores inside active regions with typical sizes of the order of 10–30 and brightness temperatures in the range of 10⁵ K, with possible peaks up to 6 × 10⁶ K. The relationship of these features to the H structure is also discussed.     

Impulsive phenomena in a small active region

The temporal and spatial variations of EUV emission from a small growing active region were investigated. Frequent localized short term ( few minutes) fluctuations in EUV emission were observed throughout the 7.2 hr interval when the most continuous observations were acquired. Approximately 20% of the 5 x 5 pixels had intensity variations exceeding a factor of 1.3 for the chromospheric L line, a factor of 1.5 for lines formed in the chromospheric-coronal transition region and a factor of 1.4 for the coronal Mg x line. A subflare in the region produced the largest intensity enhancements, ranging from a factor of 2.3 for the chromospheric L line to 8 for the transition region and coronal lines. The EUV fluctuations in this small active region are similar to those observed in coronal bright points, suggesting that impulsive heating is an important, perhaps dominant form of heating the upper chromospheric and lower coronal plasmas in small magnetic bipolar regions. The responsible mechanism most likely involves the rapid release of magnetic energy, possibly associated with the emergence of magnetic flux from lower levels into the chromosphere and corona.     

The relations between chromospheric features and photospheric magnetic fields

High resolution photographic magnetograms are compared with H filtergrams (both on- and off - band) for a wide variety of solar features. It is verified that H filaments overlie neutral lines or bands and that H plages always occur at magnetic field clumps. However, the brightness of H plages bear no relation to magnetic field strength or polarity, and the direction of the magnetic field with respect to threads and filaments remains obscure. Counter-examples can be found for virtually every rule that has been formulated so far.Basic questions about the usefulness and final research goal of filtergrams and magnetograms are raised. It is shown that neither filtergram or magnetogram alone is capable of furnishing a unique solution. It is suggested that the proper direction for research is to use magnetograms, together with (as yet unspecified) additional sources of data, to understand H structures.     

A search for the K-line of CaII during the eclipse of 7 March, 1970

Conclusions At the 7 March, 1970 total eclipse, there were no significant differences between intensity levels between K-line and H-line, nor were there any finely structured features in the upper atmosphere of the sun in H larger than 2.5. The two H features close to the limb, though unexpected, do not appear to be remarkable.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

The neutral interface adjoining theHII region DR21

Observations of C100 and C125 atomic carbon recombination lines were made at the Algonquin Radio Observatory, towards the neutral interface separating theHii region DR21 (at RA=20^h37^m14^s, Dec=+42°0900) from its associated molecular cloud. An analysis of the Cn observations in conjunction with a simple model of a neutral interface enabled the derivation of the following parameters: electron density of 300 cm^–3, electron temperature of 30 K, microturbulent velocity of 2.3 km s^–1, and depth of the neutral interface of 0.01 pc. A single,stimulated emission model is sufficient to reproduce the Cn observations in the wavelength range from 4.6 cm (C100) to 21 cm (C166). All the known Cn data do support a pressure equilibrium between the neutral interface and theHii region, after the usual allowance is made for carbon depletion on grains.     

Magnetic fields and helium-D3 spectroheliograms

Spectroheliograms, having a resolution approaching 2, have been obtained which show He-D₃ in absorption against the disk. The He-D₃ features are compared with the distribution of magnetic fields and with H structures. The brightest regions in H usually show the strongest D₃ absorption. Most H dark filaments show some D₃ absorption, but the degree of correlation varies from filament to filament. The correlation between B_II and He-D₃ absorption is rather poor and the He features are much more diffuse than the photospheric magnetic field.     

B,V surface photometry of the UV continuum galaxy NGC 838

Surface photometry of the UV continuum galaxy NGC 838 has been carried out in theB, V system using photographic plates obtained with the 74 Kottamia telescope, Egypt. Isophotes, luminosity profiles, integrated photographic magnitudes, effective diameters and other photometric parameters are derived.The photoelectrically calibrated total apparent magnitudes areB _T =13.57 with maximum diameters 1.57×1.34 (at threshold _m =27.7 mag.//) andV _T =12.91 with maximum diameters 1.54×1.32 (at threshold _m =27.7 mag./). The integrated colour index(B–V) _T =0.66 and the effective surface brightness _e (B=19.0 mag./) and _e (V=19.7 mag./. The major axis is at position angle =85°±1°.The nucleus of NGC 838 is quite blue (integrated colour(B–V)=0.41 forr ^*<0.1) compared to normal galaxies while the colour becomes redder from the nucleus outwards. The UV excess, H emission and radio continuum emission previously observed from this galaxy by other investigators may be attributed to a recent burst of star formation in the nucleus of the galaxy of duration slightly greater than 2×10⁷ yr.     

Two Offner-based IR camera optical designs

Tracing results for two designs based on the Offner reimager are given: a practical 256×256 NICMOS-3 IR/CCD I-K camera designed for use on a f/13.5 1-m telescope yielding a 154×154 field, and a hypothetical 1024×1024 pixel nextgeneration IR camera for a f/7.5 2.5-m telescope yielding a 244×244 field. Both designs produce near-diffration limited results.     

Dependence of the correlation of small scale photospheric structures upon resolution

Correlations between continuum intensity, velocity, and equivalent widths of two Mn i lines as observed with two different entrance apertures tend to deteriorate with improvement in spatial resolution. The KPNO multichannel magnetograph was used to make area scans at the center of the disk with entrance apertures 3.5×2.5 arc and 1×1 arc. A coherence analysis shows that this effect is caused by marked differences of fluctuations in temperature and temperature gradients as well as in the velocity structure of photospheric elements of various sizes.     

Observational study of the five-minute oscillations in the solar atmosphere

An improved method is described for the measurement of both the solar radius and the height of the chromosphere in any desired wavelength. Possible sources of uncertainty are discussed and a comparison with other methods is made. The first results from the 1972 observing period are given: R = (960.24 ±0.16) for the continuum at 5011.5 Å and R = (966.9 ±0.4) for H ± 0.5 Å. This yields a mean height of Ha emission of (4900 ± 400) km.