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.     

The orion-IRc2 outflow observed in COJ=4-3

A CO J=4-3 map of the Orion-IRc2 region (size 80, beam 15) is presented. The outflow has a bipolar structure observed nearly pole-on. We interpret our observations in terms of an hierarchy of tubes where the fastest gas proceeds through the narrowest, innermost cone. The gas has an inhomogeneous temperature distribution and must be highly clumped. Most of the properties derived comply with the picture developed for the few known extreme high velocity outflows; however, this outflow contains exceptionally dense gas ( > 10⁶ cm^–3).     

Recent results on the solar diameter

Using optically identical telescopes at different sites, we have measured the solar diameter with a drift-scan technique. In order to investigate the cause of the observed fluctuations, we not only compare observations made simultaneously by different observers at the same telescope, but also observations made simultaneously at two different sites. Our main results are: (a) The mean error of a single drift time measurement is ±0.08s(or ± 1.1) at Izaña and ±0.11 s (or ± 1.7) at Locarno; this closely corresponds to the angular resolution at those two sites under normal seeing conditions, (b) We find no correlation between observations at different sites; a significant correlation exists, however, between observations made simultaneously by different observers at the same site: This indicates that most of the observed fluctuations are due to atmospheric effects (image motion) rather than personality effects, (c) The mean solar semi-diameter derived from a total of 1122 observations made in 1990 (472 at Izaña, 650 at Locarno) is R = (960.56 ± 0.03) (Izaña: 960.51, Locarno: 960.59); this may be compared with R = (960.32 ± 0.02) which is obtained from a re-analysis of 1773 observations made in 1981 (Izaña: 960.16, Locarno: 960.38). Although a small residual increase of the solar diameter during the last ten years seems to be indicated, we conclude that most - if not all - of the observed variations are due to variable seeing conditions, and that there is still no conclusive evidence for a genuine solar variation with amplitudes in excess of about ±0.3.     

Size of the hard X-ray source in the Crab Nebula

The size of the hard X-ray source in the Crab Nebula was observed with scintillation counters on board two balloons at a lunar occulatation on 24 January, 1975. The Gaussian width of the source is 34 (+17, –14) and the center thereof is offset from the pulsar by 6±4 at position angle 102°. The observed time profile can also be fitted to an alternative model of two line sources whose intensities are 48% at 11 and 25.5% at 7 on both sides of the pulsar.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X- and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.     

Corrections to the lunisolar precession and the motion of the equinox from proper motions of Cepheids

Corrections to Newcomb's lunisolar precession and to motion of the equinox are evaluated from proper motions of 77 Cepheids, employing recently determined values of their distances. Results are diverse, depending on the weighting method. If the effect of the cosmic dispersion is neglected and ₀ is imposed to be 25 km/s/kpc, thenp ₁=1.1±0.2 and +e = 1.0 ± 0.1 per century in the FK4 system.Presented at IAU Colloquium No. 9, The IAU System of Astronomical Constants, Heidelberg, Germany, August 12–14, 1970.     

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.     

CH3CN J = 8 − 7 and CS J = 3 − 2 emission in orion KL

The data of the line series CH₃CN 8(K) – 7(K) K = 0 – 7 and line CS J = 3 – 2 were taken simultaneously. At beam size of 16 the emissions of CH₃CN and CS have a common center position located near IRc2 with deviations -8 and 5. The observed data show that in Orion KL core the integrated intensities of the two species have double peaks separated by a space of 14. The 2-dimension Gaussian fitting plots (FWHM) are ellipses ofD _maj = 26 andD _min = 22 for CH₃CN 8(K) – 7(K) K = 3 – 6 andD_maj = 39 D_min = 31 for CS J = 3 – 2 at a distance about 450 pc. Towards the multiple line emission region of CH₃CN 8(K) – 7(K) K = 3 – 6, using a simplified very large velocity gradient model to solve the statistical equilibrium and radiative transfer equations, we find to fit the observed results, the optimum physical parameters and kinetic temperatureT _k 120 K, densityn(H _a) 1.2 × 10⁵ cm^–3, velocity gradientV _gr 92 km s^–1 pc^–1 and the local abundance of CH₃CNF _ab 3 × 10^–8. However towards the region of single line emission of CS J = 3 – 2 we have to use LTE and the optical thin approximation on the assumption ofT _k= 120 K to obtain the lower limits of column density and then, an averaged abundance of CS of 6 × 10^–8.     

Location of type I radio continuum and bursts on Yohkoh soft X-ray maps

A solar type I noise storm was observed on 30 July, 1992 with the radio spectrometer Phoenix of ETH Zürich, the Very Large Array (VLA) and the soft X-ray (SXR) telescope on board theYohkoh satellite. The spectrogram was used to identify the type I noise storm. In the VLA images at 333 MHz a fully left circular polarized (100% LCP) continuum source and several highly polarized (70% to 100% LCP) burst sources have been located. The continuum and the bursts are spatially separated by about 100 and apparently lie on different loops as outlined by the SXR. Continuum and bursts are separated in the perpendicular direction to the magnetic field configuration. Between the periods of strong burst activities, burst-like emissions are also superimposed on the continuum source. There is no obvious correlation between the flux density of the continuum and the bursts. The burst sources have no systematic motion, whereas the the continuum source shows a small drift of 0.2 min^–1 along the X-ray loop in the long-time evolution. The VLA maps at higher frequency (1446 MHz) show no source corresponding to the type I event. The soft X-ray emission measure and temperature were calculated. The type I continuum source is located (in projection) in a region with enhanced SXR emission, a loop having a mean density of n _e = (1.5 ± 0.4) × 10⁹ cm^–3 and a temperature ofT = (2.1 ± 0.1) × 10⁶ K. The centroid positions of the left and right circularly polarized components of the burst sources are separated by 15–50 and seem to be on different loops. These observations contradict the predictions of existing type I theories.Presented at the CESRA-Workshop on Coronal Magnetic Energy Release at Caputh near Potsdam in May 1994.     

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.     

CASPIR: A cryogenic array spectrometer imager for the MSSSO 2.3 m telescope

CASPIR is a near-infrared spectrometer/imager being built for the Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories' 2.3 m telescope. The instrument is based on a SBRC 256×256 InSb detector array and uses AR-coated Sapphire, MgO, CaF₂, and BaF₂ optics to produce two imaging focal plane scales with 0.5/pixel and 0.25/pixel. Spectral resolving powers of 500 will be achieved through a 1×128 slit with three grisms designed for the J, H, and K bands. IJ, JH, and HK cross-dispersed échelle grisms will achieve resolving powers of 1100 through a 1×15 slit. Coronograph and imaging polarimetry modes will also be available. The various observing configurations are selected via five remotely controlled wheels. The instrument design and system architecture are discussed, and preliminary detector performance figures reported.     

V 505 Mon: One of the most massive binaries

From 59 spectra collected at Asiago from 1969 to 1976, we obtain the spectroscopic orbit of the binary V 505 Mon. The rather long periodP=53.7805 days and semiamplitudeK ₁=83±4 km s^–1 of the primary component imply a fairly large mass of the secondary (m ₂3.2±0.4m ). Apparently also lines of this latter have been recorded, thus indicating highly massive components (m ₁50,R ₁=26,m ₂27,R ₂=14, in solar units) in a detached system (separation 255R ). The already reported variation of 0.15 mag., with period about one day, together with H emission, we detected, point toward a possible massive X-ray progenitor.     

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.     

Measurements and variations of the solar diameter

As a consequence of an astrometry program, conducted since 1975 on a solar astrolabe at the Calern Observatory (Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur), we have obtained a data set of apparent solar diameters which encompasses periods greater than one solar cycle. From a set of more than 5000 visual observations, made by the same observer between 1975 and 1994, the mean value of the semidiameter was measured at 959.42 ± 0.01. Also, a set of CCD measurements made with the same instrument between 1989 and 1994 yields the mean value 959.40 ± 0.01. Both results obtained by raw measurements are consistent but significantly differ from values obtained by other methods and on other instruments. We discuss some systematic effects that can affect our visual measurements and their precision. Taking account of a zenith distance effect provides for the semi-diameter a mean value closer to the value of the ephemeris. Our observations also reveal deviations around the mean diameter in the royal zones and for high heliographic latitudes; their amplitudes reaching as much as 0.08. Finally, semi-diameter variations appear in our series; their origin is unknown but they may possibly be related to observed variations of magnetic activity or other solar parameters.     

VLA and Trieste observations of type I storms,type IV and pulsations

A prime objective of this experiment was to determine whether type I or IV sources at 333 MHz contain features of small (arc sec) scale. With the VLA, our resolution was better than 4. However, we never observed any structure of size smaller than about 30, with the typical source sizes being between about 40 and 90.Many observations were simultaneous with the Trieste Astronomical Observatory records at 327 MHz. The observations were made on two days in November 1988. On 8 November the observations were of a type I storm about two hours after a major flare. On 14 November they were mostly of the main phase of a type IV event, including pulsations of a kind rarely seen, strongly circularly polarized, and having a well-defined period of about 12 s. The size of the pulsating source was about 40 by 60, and the brightness temperature was about 10⁹ K. We compare these pulsations with those observed earlier.     

A Molecular Ring in the Liner Ngc 5218

High resolution OVRO CO 1–0 observations of the inner 30 in the LINER galaxy NGC 5218 reveal the presence of a double centrally peaked molecular concentration with extensions out to a radius of 12. The molecular mass detected is 2.4 × 10⁹ M and the gas surface density is high, 3000 M pc square in the inner 500 pc. The SFR is 2–3 M yr^–1 and the SFE is 13, which are low or moderate values for that gas surface density. We interpret the inner feature as a rotating molecular ring with a radius of 200 pc. We furthermore suggest that the LINER activity in NGC 5218 is not caused by an aging starburst, but by a buried AGN.     

The jump of the second derivative of the Moon's elongation

We present some results of new calculations ofD(t)-the second derivative of the Moon's elongation as a function of time. The paper contains an explanation of the well-known R. Newton's effecthe rapid decline inD(t) from about 700 yr to about 1300 yr. The new graph ofD is based on the revised dates of the ancient eclipses and has a qualitatively different character; in particular, the decline inD(t) vanishes completely andD(t) oscillates at a roughly constant value, which coincides with the modern one. This fact agrees with the independent chronological results in the author's [7] paper.     

The physical librations of the moon,including higher harmonic effects

The equations of the physical libration of the Moon are developed using a representation of the Earth-Moon orbit as a Kepler ellipse referred to the lunar equator and expanding the lunar potential in terms of these Kepler elements. TheImproved Lunar Ephemeris is used to calculate solar perturbations, and a linear integration of all effects arising from lunar gravitational harmonics through the fourth degree performed. Aside from unobservable constant offsets of the principal axes, the main effects of the higher harmonics on longitude are: 10 six-yearly (argument), 1.2 three-yearly, 0.5 annual, and 0.1 monthly; on pole direction they are on the order of 0.5 six-yearly and 1.0 monthly. The higher harmonics must hence be taken into account in analyzing ranging data of 10 cm accuracy.Paper dedicated to Prof. Harold C. Urey on the occasion of his 80th birthday on 29 April 1973.     

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.     

Compact,variable sources on the Sun at 2 centimeter wavelength

Very Large Array (VLA) observations of compact transient sources on the Sun at 2 cm wavelength are presented. These sources have angular sizes of 5–25, brightness temperatures of T _B 1–3 × 10⁵ K, and lifetimes ranging between a few minutes to several hours. The emission originates in regions of diffuse plage and quiet Sun, where the photospheric magnetic fields are relatively weak (H 100 G). In some cases the 2 cm radiation may be explained as the thermal bremsstrahlung of a dense (N _e 10¹⁰ cm^-3) plasma in the transition region. For other sources, the relatively high circular polarization ( _c 40–50 %) suggests a nonthermal emission mechanism, such as the gyrosynchrotron radiation of mildly relativistic electron with a power-law spectrum.     

YO molecule in the sun

Vibrational transition probabilities, namely Franck—Condon factors and -centroids have been evaluated by an approximate analytical method for the (A–X), (A–X), and (A–X) system of YO molecule. Morse potential energy curves forX ²⁺,A ²₂,A²₂, andA²₂, states of YO have been constructed using the latest spectroscopic data. The value of -centroids for the band have been found to decrease linearly with the corresponding wavelengths. We show results for two new transitions of (A–X) and (A–X) and five new bands of (A–X) of YO in the umbral spectrum of the Sun.