Hidden subluminous stars among the FAUST UV sources towards Ophiuchus

We present results of an analysis of a UV image in the direction of Ophiuchus, obtained with the FAUST instrument. The image contains 228 UV sources. Most of these are identified as normal early-type stars through correlations with catalogued objects. For the first time in this project we identify UV sources as such stars by selecting suitable candidates in crowded fields as the bluest objects in colour–colour diagrams using observations from the Wise Observatory. These candidates are then studied using low-resolution spectroscopy, which allows the determination of spectral types to an accuracy of about one-half class, for 60 stars.
Synthetic photometry of spectral data is performed in order to predict the expected UV emission, on the basis of the photometric information. These results are used along with the Hipparcos /Tycho information, to search for subluminous stars. The comparison of the predicted emission with the FAUST measured magnitudes allows us to select 12 stars as highly probable evolved hot stars. High signal-to-noise spectra are obtained for nine of these stars, and Balmer line profiles are compared with the prediction of atmosphere models and with the spectrum of real stellar atmospheres. Among the nine candidates, six are classified as previously unrecognized sdB stars, and two as white dwarfs. Our result indicates that indeed more bright subluminous stars are still unrecognized in the existing samples.     

Narrowing effects on lines by strong correlation between highly excited states (I)

Overlapping recombination line parameters are searched. The dynamical equations are formulated, and the limits of their acceptance are discussed in detail. Except formal solutions for characteristic functions or lines profiles, relations for lines displacement are both represented with narrowed effective width.Particle impact scattering, as well as the strong influence of quasistationary plasma fields are accounted for. Effects of highly excited states interference due to powerful electromagnetic waves interaction are also studied. Some of the asymptotics found are compared with well-known ones.In optically thick media, associated with lines narrowing conditions, recombination lines conserve the energy of quanta in the limits of line width effectively enough to make them visible, e.g. as for decametric lines of ions.     

Uniformly Redundant Arrays

Uniformly Redundant Arrays (URA's) are two–dimensional binary arrays with constant sidelobes of their periodic autocorrelation function. They are widely agreed upon to be optimum mask patterns for coded aperture imaging, particularly in imaging systems with a cyclic coded mask. In this paper, a survey of all currently known construction methods for URA's is given and the sizes and open fractions of the arrays resulting from each construction method are pointed out. Alternatives to URA's for situations in which a URA does not exist, are discussed.     

天王星卫星两种定标方法测定结果的比较

利用新发表的高精度、高密度天体测量星表UCAC2,对天王星的五颗主要卫星的CCD观测图像重新进行量测,采用不同方法作定标归算,并使用两种理论模型(GUST86和GUST06模型)计算卫星的理论位置。对不同方法所得到的卫星位置的O-C结果的分析和比较表明,本文获得的卫星位置精度,除天卫五(Miranda)有显著提高,其他4颗卫星的位置精度基本相同。本文中天卫一和天卫三的结果与"亮卫星定标法"的结果在精度上相当,天卫二的位置精度与其他天王星卫星的位置精度具有较好的一致性,这从另一方面证明了我们的"亮卫星定标法"的可靠性。此外我们还获得了天卫四的位置与精度。     

The initial conditions of isolated star formation – V. ISOPHOT imaging and the temperature and energy balance of pre-stellar cores

ISO data taken with the long-wavelength imaging photo-polarimeter ISOPHOT are presented of 18 pre-stellar cores at three far-infrared wavelengths, 90, 170 and 200 μm. Most of the cores are detected clearly at 170 and 200 μm, but only one is detected strongly at 90 μm, indicating that mostly they are very cold, with typical temperatures of only ∼     . Colour temperature images are constructed for each of the cores. Most of the cores are seen either to be isothermal, or to have associated temperature gradients from the core centres to their edges, with all except one being cooler at the centre. We compare the data with previous ISOCAM absorption data, and calculate the energy balance for those cores in common between the two samples. We find that the energy radiated by each core in the far-infrared is similar to that absorbed at shorter wavelengths. Hence there is no evidence for a central heating source in any of the cores – even those for which previous evidence for core contraction exists. This is all consistent with external heating of the cores by the local interstellar radiation field, confirming their pre-stellar nature.     

Binary near-Earth asteroid formation: Rubble pile model of tidal disruptions

We present numerical simulations of near-Earth asteroid (NEA) tidal disruption resulting in bound, mutually orbiting systems. Using a rubble pile model we have constrained the relative likelihoods for possible physical and dynamical properties of the binaries created. Overall 110,500 simulations were run, with each body consisting of ∼1000 particles. The encounter parameters of close approach distance and velocity were varied, as were the bodies' spin, elongation and spin axis direction. The binary production rate increases for closer encounters, at lower speeds, for more elongated bodies, and for bodies with greater spin. The semimajor axes for resultant binaries are peaked between 5 to 20 primary radii, and there is an overall trend for high eccentricity, with 97% of binaries having e > 0.1. The secondary-to-primary size ratios of the simulated binaries are peaked between 0.1 and 0.2, similar to trends among observed asteroid binaries. The spin rates of the primary bodies are narrowly distributed between 3.5- and 6-h periods, whereas the secondaries' periods are more evenly distributed and can exceed 15-h periods. The spin axes of the primary bodies are very closely aligned with the angular momenta of the binary orbits, whereas the secondary spin axes are nearly random. The shapes of the primaries show a large distribution of axis ratios, where those with low elongation (ratio of long and short axis) are both oblate and prolate, and nearly all with large elongation are prolate. This work presents results that suggest tidal disruption of gravitational aggregates can make binaries physically similar to those currently observed in the NEA population. As well, tidal disruption may create an equal number of binaries with qualities different from those observed, mostly binaries with large separation and with elongated primaries.     

The temperature of interstellar porous grains

Free-space equilibrium temperatures for porous interstellar grains are computed for different dust sizes and are compared to those expected for homogeneous normal grains for two material candidates: graphite and a lunar silicate. Relevant differences are found with the former, but are essentially negligible with the latter. The results are discussed in terms of the different optical properties produced by the porosity of the grains. The possible astrophysical implications of these findings are also mentioned.     

The Nature of Anomalous Formations in the Polar Regions of Mercury and the Moon

Craters located in the polar regions of Mercury and the Moon are studied. The areas of permanently shadowed zones in the polar regions of both celestial bodies are computed. In the case of the Moon, variations of the position of its rotation pole with respect to the ecliptic pole during the 18.6-year period were taken into account. In the case of Mercury, the computations were performed for a period equal to one Mercurial solar day. The variations of temperature are computed for craters coinciding with the areas of high hydrogen content for the Moon and areas with anomalous reflective properties for Mercury, including craters with anomalous areas discovered with the upgraded radio telescope of the Arecibo observatory (Harmon and Perillat, 2001). Craters that may contain deposits of water ice or other volatile compounds are identified in the polar regions of both celestial bodies.     

New confirmation of image-processing techniques for astrometry of Saturn and its satellites

The image-processing techniques used by Peng et al. are further improved to measure precisely the positions of Saturn and its satellites. 495 CCD images taken with the 1-m telescope at the Yunnan Observatory during the years 2002–2004 are processed with these techniques. These measured pixel positions are compared to their theoretical positions computed with the ephemerides of TASS1.7 for the satellites and JPL DE405 for Saturn itself. Analysis of the data for the intersatellite positions among four bright Saturnian satellites (S3–S6) and for Saturn–satellite (i.e. Saturn–Titan) positions shows that these measured positions have the same dispersions, i.e. about 0.05 and 0.06 arcsec in right ascension and declination, respectively. However, for the fainter satellites, Enceladus and Mimas, poorer residuals up to 0.1 and 0.2 arcsec, respectively, in both directions are found mainly due to their small separations from the primary planet and short exposure time in order to obtain useful images of Saturn.     

Parametrization of single and binary stars

Stellar masses and ages are not directly observable parameters, and the methods used to determine them are based on the calibrating relations. In particular, the mass–luminosity relation, based on the masses of less than 200 well-studied binaries, is virtually the only way to estimate the mass of single stars. Thus, the development of methods for estimating stellar masses with accuracy comparable to direct methods is a problem of vital importance.
Here, we describe a method for estimating stellar masses and ages, which is based on the geometric similarity of evolutionary tracks for the stars at the same evolutionary stage in the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram. To examine the proposed approach, it has been applied to various test data sets. Application of the method, using synthetic stellar spectra Basel Stellar Library (of theoretical spectra; BaSeL), demonstrates that it allows determination of masses and ages of stars with a predictable distribution of uncertainties.
This statistical approach allows us to demonstrate the viability of the method using it on the set of double-lined eclipsing binaries with intermediate-mass and low-mass components which allows us to compare calculated characteristics with observational ones. As a result, the uncertainties of the stellar masses estimated with the proposed method are comparable with the accuracy of ones obtained from direct observations. This allows us to recommend the method for mass estimates of masses of single stars by the localization in the HR diagram.
As for the ages, the estimates for intermediate-mass stars are more reliable, while those obtained for low-mass stars are very uncertain, due both to slower movement of these stars in the HR diagram with age at stages close to the main sequence and to certain disagreements between theoretical models for this mass range.     

Large-aperture telescopes in the problems of near-Earth astronomy

Telescopes with aperture higher than 3 m and with travel rate of optical axis of more than 4 angular degrees per second are examined. These telescopes are used for estimating the situation in near-Earth space. Up to now, there are three telescopes with such parameters: SOR, AMOS, SST (all in the United States). A telescope of the same class with aperture of 3.12 m (information telescope TI-3.12) is under completion at Altai Optical Laser Center. The main technical performances of the TI-3.12 telescope are described in the paper. Current problems are defined and ways for their solution are presented.     

E2-transition probabilities for NiXVIII

Accurate theoretical data for the transition probabilities are highly demanding in astrophysics and in the study of plasma in astrophysical objects and fusion devices. Na-like highly stripped ions of iron group, specially NiXVIII is very important in this respect. A highly improved basis in a relativistic many-body coupled-cluster method (CCM) to include correlation properly is employed to calculate excitation energies, the electric quadrupole (E2) transition line strengths and transition probabilities for NiXVIII. The effect of correlation is studied thoroughly. The present improved data for different atomic/ionic properties are compared with the available theoretical and/or experimental data and they are in agreement. Some E2 transition data are reported for the first time. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The general class of Bianchi cosmological models with viscous fluid and particle creation in Brans-Dicke theory

This paper deals with the general class of Bianchi cosmological models with bulk viscosity and particle creation described by full causal thermodynamics in Brans-Dicke theory. We discuss three types of average scale-factor solutions for the general class of Bianchi cosmological models by using a special law for the deceler- ation parameter which is linear in time with a negative slope. The exact solutions to the corresponding field equations are obtained in quadrature form and solutions to the Einstein field equations are obtained for three different physically viable cosmologies. All the physical parameters are calculated and discussed in each model.     

Adiabatic invariants for the nonconservative Kepler's problem

This paper considers adiabatic invariants for the classical Kepler problem with resisting forces. The analysis is based on the theory of integrating factors and theory of adiabatic invariants in the Krylov-Bogoliubov-Mitropolski variables. The adiabatic invariants are series with respect to a small parameter. Also, for every particular case of nonconservative forces, it is shown that, with a complete set of adiabatic invariants, an approximate solution of the problem can be obtained. Four problems are analyzed in detail where approximate solutions are compared with numerical.     

The broadening of d–f and f–d transitions by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms

The theory of Anstee & O'Mara for the broadening of spectral lines owing to collisions by neutral hydrogen atoms is extended to d–f and f–d transitions of neutral atoms. Width cross-sections are tabulated against effective principal quantum numbers for the upper and lower states of the transition, for a relative collision velocity of 10⁴ m s⁻¹. The cross-sections are fitted to a variation with velocity of v ^−α, and results for the velocity parameter α are similarly tabulated. The data are tested by application to d–f spectral lines in the solar spectrum. The derived abundances are consistent with those for meteorites.     

Energy-dependent transport problem with generalized boundary conditions

The slowing-down Boltzmann equation for generalized boundary conditions is considered and transformed to one-speed equation in Laplace space. Exact relations between energy reflection and transmission coefficients for a problem with diffuse reflecting boundary conditions and the albedos for the problem with isotropic boundary conditions are obtained. The Galerkin method is used to calculate the energy reflection coefficient for a finite slab for different thicknesses at different mass ratiosA, target to projectile mass, at different synthetic-scattering kernels. The results for partial heat fluxes for isotropic and anisotropic-scattering dispersive medium are given. The results obtained for isotropic boundary conditions are compared well with the exact results.     

Nondestructive determination of the physical properties of Antarctic meteorites: Importance for the meteorite—parent body connection

Photogrammetry is a low-cost, nondestructive approach for producing 3-D models of meteorites for the purpose of determining sample bulk density. Coupled with the use of a nondestructive magnetic susceptibility/electrical conductivity field probe, we present measurements for the interrogation of several physical properties, on a set of Antarctic meteorites. Photogrammetry is an effective technique over a range of sample sizes, with meteorite bulk density results that are closely comparable with literature values, determined using Archimedean glass bead or laser scanning techniques. The technique is completely noncontaminating and suitable for the analysis of rare or fragile samples, although there are limitations for analyzing reflective samples. It is also flexible, and, with variations in equipment setup, may be appropriate for samples of a wide range of sizes. X-ray computed tomography analyses of the same meteorite samples yielded slightly different bulk density results, predominantly for samples below 10 g, although the reason for this is unclear. Such analyses are expensive and potentially damaging to certain features of the sample (e.g., organic compounds), but may be useful in expanding the measurements to accommodate an understanding of internal voids within the sample, lending itself to measurement of grain density. Measurements of bulk density are valuable for comparisons with estimates of the bulk densities of asteroids that are suggested as meteorite parent bodies.     

Searching for main-belt comets using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey

The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey, specifically the Very Wide segment of data, is used to search for possible main-belt comets. In the first data set, 952 separate objects with asteroidal orbits within the main-belt are examined using a three-level technique. First, the full-width-half-maximum of each object is compared to stars of similar magnitude, to look for evidence of a coma. Second, the brightness profiles of each object are compared with three stars of the same magnitude, which are nearby on the image to ensure any extended profile is not due to imaging variations. Finally, the star profiles are subtracted from the asteroid profile and the residuals are compared with the background using an unpaired T-test. No objects in this survey show evidence of cometary activity. The second survey includes 11438 objects in the main-belt, which are examined visually. One object, an unknown comet, is found to show cometary activity. Its motion is consistent with being a main-belt asteroid, but the observed arc is too short for a definitive orbit calculation. No other body in this survey shows evidence of cometary activity. Upper limits of the number of weakly and strongly active main-belt comets are derived to be 630±77 and 87±28, respectively. These limits are consistent with those expected from asteroid collisions. In addition, data extracted from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope image archive of main-belt Comet 176P/LINEAR is presented.     

A search for 22-GHz water masers within the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106

We report the results of a blind search for 22-GHz water masers in two regions, covering approximately half a square degree, within the giant molecular cloud associated with RCW 106. The complete search of the two regions was carried out with the 26-m Mount Pleasant radio telescope and resulted in the detection of nine water masers, five of which are new detections. Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) observations of these detections have allowed us to obtain positions with arcsecond accuracy, allowing meaningful comparison with infrared and molecular data for the region. We find that for the regions surveyed there are more water masers than either 6.7-GHz methanol, or main-line OH masers. The water masers are concentrated towards the central axis of the star formation region, in contrast to the 6.7-GHz methanol masers which tend to be located near the periphery. The colours of the GLIMPSE point sources associated with the water masers are similar to those of 6.7-GHz methanol masers, but slightly less red. We have made a statistical investigation of the properties of the ¹³CO and 1.2-mm dust clumps with and without associated water masers. We find that the water masers are associated with the more massive, denser and brighter ¹³CO and 1.2-mm dust clumps. We present statistical models that are able to predict those ¹³CO and 1.2-mm dust clumps that are likely to have associated water masers, with a low misclassification rate.