Neutron Stars in the Light of Square Kilometre Array: Data,Statistics and Science

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), when it becomes functional, is expected to enrich Neutron Star (NS) catalogues by at least an order of magnitude over their current state. This includes the discovery of new NS objects leading to better sampling of under-represented NS categories, precision measurements of intrinsic properties such as spin period and magnetic field, as also data on related phenomena such as microstructure, nulling, glitching, etc. This will present a unique opportunity to seek answers to interesting and fundamental questions about the extreme physics underlying these exotic objects in the Universe. In this paper, we first present a meta-analysis (from a methodological viewpoint) of statistical analyses performed using existing NS data, with a two-fold goal. First, this should bring out how statistical models and methods are shaped and dictated by the science problem being addressed. Second, it is hoped that these analyses will provide useful starting points for deeper analyses involving richer data from SKA whenever it becomes available. We also describe a few other areas of NS science which we believe will benefit from SKA which are of interest to the Indian NS community.     

Recent Results From The EEV CCD42

We present results of measurements from the latest EEV CCD42 devices. These are state-of-the art image sensors attaining very-low read-out noise and have several novel features in the design architecture. It is hoped that these devices will form the de facto detectors at the ING for spectroscopy and possibly ina mosaic configuration for the WHT. A suite of 6 devices will be delivered to the ING during the course of 1997.     

A new shock locus for similarity solutions in one-dimensional unsteady gas dynamics

This paper deals with shock conditions for the progressing wave (or similarity) solutions of one-dimensional, unsteady gas dynamics. These solutions have hitherto been used to deal with the flow behind shocks moving into stationary atmospheres. By generalising the shock conditions to the case of moving atmospheres, it is shown that the progressing wave solutions can be used to describe a certain class of flows, and a new shock locus can be constructed in the phase plane of the solutions. It is hoped that such solutions will be of use in describing the unsteady flow behind shocks propagating into the ambient solar wind.     

On the Gaia Expected Harvest on Eclipsing Binaries

The space experiment Gaia, the approved cornerstone 6 ESA mission, will observe up to a billion stars in our Galaxy and obtain their astrometric positions on a micro-arcsec level, multi-band photometry as well as spectroscopic observations. It is expected that about one million Eclipsing Binaries (EBs) (with V ≤ 16 mag) will be discovered and the observing fashion will be quite similar to Hipparcos/Tycho mission operational mode. The combined astrometric, photometric and spectroscopic data will be used to compute the physical parameters of the observed EBs. From a study of a small sample of EBs, it is shown that the agreement between the fundamental stellar parameters, derived from ground-based and Hipparcos (Gaia-like) observations, is more than satisfactory and the Gaia data will be suitable to obtain accurate binary solutions.     

On the prospect of using butterfly diagrams to predict cycle minimum

On the basis of butterfly diagrams for the period 1874-present (covering late cycle 11 through late cycle 21), features are identified that may be useful for predicting the beginning and the length of a solar cycle, as well as the discernment of turning points in the period-growth dichotomy. For example, the first occurrence of high latitude new cycle spots during the decline of an old cycle usually occurs in the northern hemisphere, regardless of bimodal class, about 1.4 yr before new cycle minimum or about 5.4 yr after old cycle maximum, being true for 7 out of the 10 data-available cycles. Also, the last occurrence of high latitude old cycle spots tends to occur in the southern hemisphere when the old cycle is of long period (4 out of 4 cycles) and to occur in the northern hemisphere when the old cycle is of short period (4 out of 5 cycles). Application of these sorting features to the butterfly diagram for late cycle 21 yields candidate dates for the last occurrence of high latitude old cycle spots which in every case predict that cycle 21 will be a long-period cycle, ending after July 1987. Taking April 1985 to be the first occurrence of high latitude new cycle (cycle 22) spots during the decline of cycle 21 (the old cycle), one deduces that the last occurrence of high latitude old cycle spots was September 1983 (occurring in the southern hemisphere) and predicts that minimum for cycle 22 will be about 1986.7 ± 1.1 yr, or that it should occur before the end of 1987.     

Meteoroid streams and the sporadic background

Summary There is a general agreement that meteoroid streams form through the ejection of dust grains, or meteoroids, up to a few centimeters in size from comets and possibly asteroids. After ejection these meteoroids are subject to forces arising from Solar radiation and the gravitational fields of the planets. Meteoroids may also break up into smaller ones through collisions and other effects. In many cases meteor showers have been observed for millennia, with material being fed into the stream throughout this period from the parent and material lost through the external effects mentioned. Much of the lost material forms the general sporadic background. This paper will review our state of knowledge of the processes involved above and will also aim to give some insight into the structure of the sporadic background     

Measuring the sizes of stars

The Chatterton Astronomy Department aims to apply interferometers with very high resolving power to optical astronomy. The programme of the stellar intensity interferometer at Narrabri Observatory was completed in 1972 and since then the work has been directed towards building a more sensitive instrument with higher resolving power. As a first step a much larger intensity interferometer was designed but was not built because it was large, expensive and not as sensitive as desired. Efforts are now being made to design a more sensitive and cheaper instrument. A version of Michelson’s stellar interferometer is being built using modern techniques. It is hoped that it will reach stars of magnitude +8 and will work reliably in the presence of atmospheric scintillation. It is expected to cost considerably less than an intensity interferometer of comparable performance. The pilot model of this new instrument is almost complete and should be ready for test in 1984. Text of an Academy Lecture delivered at the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore on January 27, 1984.     

Summary remarks: Fundamental physics with the cosmic microwave background radiation

This article is less a summary of the meeting, vibrant as it was, than a reflection on the present state of CMB studies. We are at an interesting juncture: in the week before the Irvine meeting, the rich results of the WMAP 3-year study were released, and the next goals in CMB studies have been examined in some detail by a recent multi-agency Task Force. I will look at the value of theory and phenomenology to the field, and the increasing importance of CMB studies to fundamental physics. Then I’ll move to challenges facing us over the next decade or so. These include coping with foreground emission, polarized and unpolarized, and readjusting the sociology of our field as experiments grow more complex and costly.     

Measuring the power spectrum of density fluctuations at intermediate redshift with X-ray background observations

The precision of intensity measurements of the extragalactic X-ray background (XRB) on an angular scale of about a degree is dominated by spatial fluctuations caused by source confusion noise. X-ray source counts at the flux level responsible for these fluctuations, ∼10⁻¹² erg cm⁻² s⁻¹, will soon be accurately measured by new missions, and it will then be possible to detect the weaker fluctuations caused by the clustering of the fainter, more distant sources which produce the bulk of the XRB. We show here that measurements of these excess fluctuations at the level of (Δ I/I )∼2×10⁻³ are within reach, improving by an order of magnitude on present upper limits. Since it is likely that most (if not all) of the XRB will be resolved into sources by AXAF , subsequent optical identification of these sources will reveal the X-ray volume emissivity in the Universe as a function of redshift. With these ingredients, all-sky observations of the XRB can be used to measure the power spectrum (PS) of the density fluctuations in the Universe at comoving wavevectors k _c∼0.01–0.1 Mpc⁻¹ at redshifts where most of the XRB is likely to originate ( z ∼1–2) with a sensitivity similar to, or better than, the predictions from large-scale structure theories. A relatively simple X-ray experiment, carried out by a large-area proportional counter with a 0.5–2 deg² collimated field of view scanning the whole sky a few times, would be able to determine the PS of the density fluctuations near its expected peak in wavevector with an accuracy better than 10 per cent.     

A variable stars analysis computer program archive

A library site for the storage of computer programs used in the analysis of variable stars has recently been set up. It is directly accessible across the computer networks, using standard procedures. Currently only a few programs for the analysis of the light curves of eclipsing binaries are stored at the site, although it is hoped that as the library becomes more well known, more investigators will deposit copies of their programs in it. This would result in a library where interested researchers could obtain the latest versions of analysis techniques from a comprehensive listing. Instructions for access to the site are also discussed.     

Can unstable relics save pure Cold Dark Matter?

The standard CDM model fails to describe the power spectrum of fluctuations since it gives too much power at small scales. Among other possible improvements, it has been suggested that an agreement with observations can be achieved with the addition of a late decaying particle, through the injection of nonthermal radiation and the consequent increase of the horizon length at the equivalence time. We analyze the possibility of implementing this idea in some extensions of the electroweak standard model, discussing the cosmological and astrophysical bounds to which these schemes are subject.     

Measurement of Kodaikanal white-light images

A program of digitization of the daily white-light solar images from the Kodaikanal station of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is in progress. A similar set of white-light data from the Mount Wilson Observatory was digitized some years ago. In both cases, areas and positions of individual sunspot umbrae are measured. In this preliminary report, comparisons of these measurements from the two sites are made. It is shown that both area and position measurements are in quite good agreement. The agreement is sufficiently good that it is possible to measure motions and area changes of sunspots from one site to the next, involving time differences from about 12 hours to about 36 hours. This enables us to trace the motions of many more small sunspots than could be done from one site alone. Very small systematic differences in rotation rate between the two sites of about 0.4% are found. A portion of this discrepancy is apparently due to the difference in plate scales between the two sites. Another contributing factor in the difference is the latitude visibility of sunspots. In addition it is suggested that a small, systematic difference in the measured radii at the two sites may contribute a small amount to this discrepancy, but it has not been possible to confirm this hypothesis. It is concluded that in general, when dealing with high precision rotation results of this sort, one must be extremely careful about subtle systematic effects.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under Cooperative Agreement with the National Science Foundation.     

Milky Way Gas Dynamics

The Milky Way is made up of a central bar, a disk with embedded spiral arms, and a dark matter halo. Observational and theoretical constraints for the characteristic parameters of these components will be presented, with emphasis on the constraints from the dynamics of the Milky Way gas. In particular, the fraction of dark matter inside the solar radius, the location of the main resonances, and the evidence for multiple pattern speeds will be discussed.Invited talk at the AAS Division on Dynamical Astronomy meeting, Santa Barbara, April 2005     

太阳P模振动理论的研究

日震学是太阳物理的一个前沿分支学科,是根据太阳振动的观测来研究太阳的内部结构与运动的一种方法学。太阳５ｍｉｎ振动频率的理论计算和实测之间存在的显著偏差和振动模的激发问题一直是困扰日震学的两大难题,经过多年的研究仍然没有解决。然而太阳的表面层内绝热假设条件与真实情况有很大的偏差,我们认为绝大多数标准太阳模型的Ｐ模频率计算忽略了非绝热效应对频率的影响,忽略了振动的激发和衰减机制以及缺乏振动与对流湍流相互作用的知识。因此,我们必须发展非绝热理论来处理太阳５ｍｉｎ的振动问题     

Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations

We present a comprehensive analysis of the ability of current stellar population models to reproduce the optical ( ugriz ) and near-infrared ( JHK ) colours of a small sample of well-studied nearby elliptical and S0 galaxies. We find broad agreement between the ages and metallicities derived using different population models, although different models show different systematic deviations from the measured broad-band fluxes. Although it is possible to constrain simple stellar population models to a well-defined area in age–metallicity space, there is a clear degeneracy between these parameters even with such a full range of precise colours. The precision to which age and metallicity can be determined independently, using only broad-band photometry with realistic errors, is  Δ[Fe/H]≃ 0.18  and  Δlog Age ≃ 0.25  . To constrain the populations and therefore the star formation history further, it will be necessary to combine broad-band optical–IR photometry with either spectral line indices, or else photometry at wavelengths outside this range.     

Jovian satellite-satellite eclipses and occultations

Toward the end of 1973 and in the first part of 1974, when the planes of the orbits of the four large Galilean satellites cross the Sun and the Earth, satellite-satellite eclipses and occultations will occur. Calculations indicate that during this period 350 such events will occur, most of them potentially observable. From observation of a few of these events the ephemerides of the satellites can be improved, radii and limb darkening curves determined, and crude information about the degree and extent of albedo fluctuations deduced. If a concerted effort were made and a large fraction of these events carefully observed it would be possible to invert the light curves to obtain albedo maps of most of the surface area at a typical resolution of about 100km for JI and JII and somewhat poorer for JIII and JIV. In 1979—the next opportunity—there will be considerably fewer events, and only a relative few of them will be observable at night.     

A study of the parameters of individual type-I bursts

The Dwingeloo 60-channel radio spectrograph has observed at metric wavelengths for a long time. Hundreds of type-I bursts in the digitally recorded solar noise storms were studied and the results are presented in this paper. We hoped to learn more about the emission and propagation of the radiation by trying to find patterns in the dynamic spectra of individual bursts or statistical relations between some of the parameters that can be defined to describe the spectra. The bursts are reduced and represented in a standard way. Graphical representations are inspected by eye and compared qualitatively. Numerical burst parameters are studied statistically. We describe the properties of instantaneous burst spectra. The polarization properties of bursts and the relation between burst- and continuum-polarization are studied to some extent. Apart from these results we find no significant new properties, despite the high quality of the data.     

The cambridge cosmochemistry symposium

This article is a critical summary of the solar-system aspects of a meeting held in August 1972. The purpose of the meeting was to review work done sonce the 1967 Paris meeting on the Origin of the Elements.The principal topics discussed were element abundances; the structure and composition of comets, of the terrestrial and the outer planets, of the Moon, of exospheric dust, and of meteorites; planetary atmospheres; evidence for a protosolar magnetic field from remanent meteorite magnetism, abiotic synthesis of organic molecules; nucleosynthesis; solar cosmic rays; and meteorite ages.The principal results were these: There have been a number of significant changes in the estimated solar abundances—especially D, He, B, and Fe. A great deal of progress has been made in our understanding of the temperature and pressure conditions in the protosolar nebula during planetary formation, and of the condensation of solids in it. It is believed that the bulk chemistry of the terrestrial planets is now understood on the basis of equilibrium (slow) cooling of the nebula. Their atmospheres are consistent with this model, and that of Jupiter, with inhomogeneous accretion. The structure of Jupiter is also better understood. There is disagreement on the deep structure and composition of the Moon, though of course an enormous amount has been learned, especially about the surface layers. Not so much progress has been made in understanding comets.     

Physical investigation of the potentially hazardous Asteroid (144898) 2004 VD17

In this paper we present the observational campaign carried out at ESO NTT and VLT in April and May 2006 to investigate the nature and the structure of the near-Earth object (144898) 2004 VD17. In spite of a great quantity of dynamical information, according to which it will have a close approach with the Earth in the next century, the physical properties of this asteroid are largely unknown. We performed visible and near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy, as well as polarimetric observations. Polarimetric and spectroscopic data allowed us to classify 2004 VD17 as an E-type asteroid. A good agreement was also found with the spectrum of the aubrite meteorite Mayo Belwa. On the basis of the polarimetric albedo (pv=0.45) and of photometric data, we estimated a diameter of about 320 m and a rotational period of about 2 h. The analysis of the results obtained by our complete survey have shown that (144898) 2004 VD17 is a peculiar NEO, since it is close to the breakup limits for fast rotator asteroids, as defined by Pravec and Harris [Pravec, P., Harris, A.W., 2000. Icarus 148, 12-20]. These results suggest that a more robust structure must be expected, as a fractured monolith or a rubble pile in a “strength regime” [Holsapple, K.A., 2002. Speed limits of rubble pile asteroids: Even fast rotators can be rubble piles. In: Workshop on Scientific Requirements for Mitigation of Hazardous Comets and Asteroids, Washington, September, 2002].