The Magnetic Environments of Young Stellar Objects

We report on early results of submillimetre polarimetric measurements towards a sample of young stellar objects. The results allow us to infer the magnetic field structure and show a variety of configurations, providing evidence for axial, helical and pinched (i.e. ‘hourglass’) magnetic field configurations. We find that in some cases the field is curved over large scales, implying that it is influenced by the gas kinematics in the local environment, and that at these scales at least, the magnetic field plays a passive rôle in the star formation process.     

Solving Kepler’s equation using implicit functions

A new approach to solve Kepler’s equation based on the use of implicit functions is proposed here. First, new upper and lower bounds are derived for two ranges of mean anomaly. These upper and lower bounds initialize a two-step procedure involving the solution of two implicit functions. These two implicit functions, which are non-rational (polynomial) Bézier functions, can be linear or quadratic, depending on the derivatives of the initial bound values. These are new initial bounds that have been compared and proven more accurate than Serafin’s bounds. The procedure reaches machine error accuracy with no more that one quadratic and one linear iterations, experienced in the “tough range”, where the eccentricity is close to one and the mean anomaly to zero. The proposed method is particularly suitable for space-based applications with limited computational capability.     

Two restrictions in the theories that include G(t) and c(t) varying with time

Much work has been done taking into account the possibility that the gravitational constant G may vary with cosmological time t (or with the cosmological scale factor a(t)). The same may be said about the speed of light c. We present here two important remarks on these subject. These remarks include G(t) and c(t) varying with time with the restriction 8πG/c ⁴=constant.     

VIRGO: Experiment for helioseismology and solar irradiance monitoring

The scientific objective of the VIRGO experiment (Variability of solar IRradiance and Gravity Oscillations) is to determine the characteristics of pressure and internal gravity oscillations by observing irradiance and radiance variations, to measure the solar total and spectral irradiance and to quantify their variability over periods of days to the duration of the mission. With these data helioseismological methods can be used to probe the solar interior. Certain characteristics of convection and its interaction with magnetic fields, related to, for example, activity, will be studied from the results of the irradiance monitoring and from the comparison of amplitudes and phases of the oscillations as manifest in brightness from VIRGO, in velocity from GOLF, and in both velocity and continuum intensity from SOI/MDI. The VIRGO experiment contains two different active-cavity radiometers for monitoring the solar constant, two three-channel sunphotometers (SPM) for the measurement of the spectral irradiance at 402, 500 and 862 nm, and a low-resolution imager (LOI) with 12 pixels, for the measurement of the radiance distribution over the solar disk at 500 um. In this paper the scientific objectives of VIRGO are presented, the instruments and the data acquisition and control system are described in detail, and their measured performance is given.died 13 October 1994     

Magnetic Environments of Young Stellar Objects

We report on early results of magnetic field measurements towards a sample of young stellar objects. The results show a variety of field configurations, some of which can be explained by conventional models, while others cannot. We find that the field in some cases is curved over large scales and influenced by the gas kinematics in the local environment. This implies that, at these scales at least, the magnetic field plays a passive rôle in the star formation process.     

About Bianchi I with VSL

In this paper we study how to attack, through different techniques, a perfect fluid Bianchi I model with variable G,c and Λ, “but” taking into account the effects of a “c-variable” into the curvature tensor. We study the model under the assumption, div(T)=0. These tactics are: Lie groups method (LM), imposing a particular symmetry, self-similarity (SS), matter collineations (MC) and kinematical self-similarity (KSS). We compare both tactics since they are quite similar (symmetry principles). We arrive to the conclusion that the LM is too restrictive and brings us to get only the flat FRW solution. The SS, MC and KSS approaches bring us to obtain all the quantities depending on (∫ c(t)dt). Therefore, in order to study their behavior we impose some physical restrictions like for example the condition q<0 (accelerating universe). In this way we find that c is a growing time function and Λ is a decreasing time function whose sing depends on the equation of state ω, while the exponents of the scale factor must satisfy the conditions ∑ _i=1 ³ α _i =1 and ∑ _i=1 ³ α _i ² <1, ? ω, i.e. for all equation of state, relaxing in this way the Kasner conditions. The behavior of G depends on two parameters, the equation of state ω and ε, a parameter that controls the behavior of c(t), therefore G may be growing or decreasing. We also show that through the Lie method, there is no difference between to study the field equations under the assumption of a c-var affecting to the curvature tensor which the other one where it is not considered such effects. Nevertheless, it is essential to consider such effects in the cases studied under the SS, MC, and KSS hypotheses.     

Hydrodynamical simulations of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect

With detections of the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) effect induced by galaxy clusters becoming routine, it is crucial to establish accurate theoretical predictions. We use a hydrodynamical N -body code to generate simulated maps, of size 1 deg², of the thermal SZ effect. This is done for three different cosmologies: the currently favoured low-density model with a cosmological constant, a critical-density model and a low-density open model. We stack simulation boxes corresponding to different redshifts in order to include contributions to the Compton y -parameter out to the highest necessary redshifts. Our main results are as follows.
(i) The mean y -distortion is around 4×10⁻⁶ for low-density cosmologies, and 1×10⁻⁶ for critical density. These are below current limits, but not by a wide margin in the former case.
(ii) In low-density cosmologies, the mean y -distortion is contributed across a broad range of redshifts, with the bulk coming from z ≲2 and a tail out to z ∼5. For critical-density models, most of the contribution comes from z <1.
(iii) The number of SZ sources above a given y depends strongly on instrument resolution. For a 1-arcmin beam, there are around 0.1 sources per deg² with y >10⁻⁵ in a critical-density Universe, and around 8 such sources per deg² in low-density models. Low-density models with and without a cosmological constant give very similar results.
(iv) We estimate that the Planck satellite will be able to see of order 25 000 SZ sources if the Universe has a low density, or around 10 000 if it has critical density.     

Polarization models of young stellar objects – II. Linear and circular polarimetry of R Coronae Australis

Near-infrared linear imaging polarimetry of the young stellar objects R CrA and T CrA in the J , H and K n bands, and circular imaging polarimetry in the H band, is presented. The data are modelled with the Clark and McCall scattering model. The R CrA and T CrA system is shown to be a particularly complex scattering environment. In the case of R CrA there is evidence that the wavelength dependence of polarization changes across the nebula. MRN dust grain models do not explain this behaviour. Depolarization by line emission is considered as an alternative explanation. The dust grain properties could also be changing across the nebula.
Although surrounded by reflection nebulosity, there is a region of particularly low polarization surrounding R CrA that is best modelled by the canonical bipolar outflow being truncated by an evacuated spherical cavity surrounding the star. The symmetry axis of the nebula appears inclined by 50° to the plane of the sky.
The H -band circular polarimetry of R CrA clearly shows a quadrupolar structure of positive and negative degrees of circular polarization that reach peak magnitudes of ∼5 per cent within our limited map. It is shown that spherical MRN grains are incapable of producing this circular polarization given the observed linear polarization of the R CrA system. Instead, scattering from aligned non-spherical grains is proposed as the operating mechanism.
T CrA is a more archetypical bipolar reflection nebula, and this object is modelled as a canonical parabolic reflection nebula that lies in the plane of the sky. The wavelength independence of linear polarization in the T CrA reflection nebula suggests that the scattering particles are Rayleigh sized. This is modelled with the MRN interstellar grain size distribution.     

The evolution of a tropical rainforest/grassland mosaic in southeastern Brazil since 28,000 C yr BP based on carbon isotopes and pollen records

The lack of paleoecological records from the montane Atlantic Rainforest of coastal Brazil, a hotspot of biological diversity, has been a major obstacle to our understanding of the vegetational changes since the last glacial cycle. We present carbon isotope and pollen records to assess the impact of the glaciation on the native vegetation of the Serra do Mar rainforest in São Paulo, Brazil. From ca. 28,000 to  22,000 ¹⁴C yr BP, a subtropical forest with conifer trees is indicative of cool and humid conditions. In agreement carbon isotopic data on soil organic matter suggest the presence of C₃ plants and perhaps C₄ plants from  28,000 to  19,000 ¹⁴C yr BP. The significant increase in the sedimentation rate and algal spores from  19,450 to  19,000 ¹⁴C yr BP indicates increasing humidity, associated to an erosion process between  19,000 and  15,600 ¹⁴C yr BP. From  15,600 ¹⁴C yr BP to present there is a substantial increase in arboreal elements and herbs, indicating more humid and warmer climate. From  19,000 to  1000 ¹⁴C yr BP, δ¹³C values indicated the predominance of C₃ plants. These results are in agreement with studies in speleothems of caves, which suggest humid conditions during the last glacial maximum.