New UV-source catalogs,UV spectral database,UV variables and science tools from the GALEX surveys

We present a new, expanded and improved catalog of Ultraviolet (UV) sources from the GALEX All-Sky Imaging survey: GUVcat_AIS (Bianchi et al. in Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 230:24, 2017). The catalog includes 83 million unique sources (duplicate measurements and rim artifacts are removed) measured in far-UV and near-UV. With respect to previous versions (Bianchi et al. in Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 411:2770 2011a, Adv. Space Res. 53:900–991, 2014), GUVcat_AIS covers a slightly larger area, 24,790 square degrees, and includes critical corrections and improvements, as well as new tags, in particular to identify sources in the footprint of extended objects, where pipeline source detection may fail and custom-photometry may be necessary. The UV unique-source catalog facilitates studies of density of sources, and matching of the UV samples with databases at other wavelengths.We also present first results from two ongoing projects, addressing respectively UV variability searches on time scales from seconds to years by mining the GALEX photon archive, and the construction of a database of ～120,000 GALEX UV spectra (range ～1300–3000 Å), including quality and calibration assessment and classification of the grism, hence serendipitous, spectral sources.     

Low resolution spectroscopy of selected Algol systems

The analysis of spectroscopic data for 30 Algol-type binaries is presented. All these systems are short period Algols having primaries with spectral types B and A. Dominant spectral lines were identified for the spectra collected and their equivalent widths were calculated. All the spectra were examined to understand presence of mass transfer, a disk or circumstellar matter and chromospheric emission. We also present first spectroscopic and period study for few Algols and conclude that high resolution spectra within and outside the primary minimum are needed for better understanding of these Algol type close binaries.     

Resonance transition periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem

This work studies a special type of cislunar periodic orbits in the circular restricted three-body problem called resonance transition periodic orbits, which switch between different resonances and revolve about the secondary with multiple loops during one period. In the practical computation, families of multiple periodic orbits are identified first, and then the invariant manifolds emanating from the unstable multiple periodic orbits are taken to generate resonant homoclinic connections, which are used to determine the initial guesses for computing the desired periodic orbits by means of multiple-shooting scheme. The obtained periodic orbits have potential applications for the missions requiring long-term continuous observation of the secondary and tour missions in a multi-body environment.     

Study of some chaotic inflationary models in $$ gravity

In this paper, we discuss an inflationary scenario via scalar field and fluid cosmology for an anisotropic homogeneous universe model in \(f(R)\) gravity. We consider an equation of state which corresponds to a quasi-de Sitter expansion and investigate the effect of the anisotropy parameter for different values of the deviation parameter. We evaluate potential models like linear, quadratic and quartic models which correspond to chaotic inflation. We construct the observational parameters for a power-law model of \(f(R)\) gravity and construct the graphical analysis of tensor–scalar ratio and spectral index which indicates the consistency of these parameters with Planck 2015 data.     

Dark matter as an effect of the quantum vacuum

The interaction between the quantum vacuum and a weak gravitational field is calculated for the vacuum fields of quantum electrodynamics. The result shows that the vacuum state is modified by the gravitational field, giving rise to a nonzero interaction energy. This suggests a model that fits in the main properties of the hypothetical dark matter in galactic haloes.     

Creating an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum from a giant impact

The giant impact hypothesis is the dominant theory explaining the formation of our Moon. However, the inability to produce an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum has cast a shadow on its validity. Computer-generated impacts have been successful in producing virtual systems that possess many of the observed physical properties. However, addressing the isotopic similarities between the Earth and Moon coupled with correct angular momentum has proven to be challenging. Equilibration and evection resonance have been proposed as means of reconciling the models. In the summer of 2013, the Royal Society called a meeting solely to discuss the formation of the Moon. In this meeting, evection resonance and equilibration were both questioned as viable means of removing the deficiencies from giant impact models. The main concerns were that models were multi-staged and too complex. We present here initial impact conditions that produce an isotopically similar Earth–Moon system with correct angular momentum. This is done in a single-staged simulation. The initial parameters are straightforward and the results evolve solely from the impact. This was accomplished by colliding two roughly half-Earth-sized impactors, rotating in approximately the same plane in a high-energy, off-centered impact, where both impactors spin into the collision.     

Gravitational instability in isotropic MHD plasma waves

The effect of compressive viscosity, thermal conductivity and radiative heat-loss functions on the gravitational instability of infinitely extended homogeneous MHD plasma has been investigated. By taking in account these parameters we developed the six-order dispersion relation for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves propagating in a homogeneous and isotropic plasma. The general dispersion relation has been developed from set of linearized basic equations and solved analytically to analyse the conditions of instability and instability of self-gravitating plasma embedded in a constant magnetic field. Our result shows that the presence of viscosity and thermal conductivity in a strong magnetic field substantially modifies the fundamental Jeans criterion of gravitational instability.     

Dynamical model of binary asteroid systems using binary octahedrons

We used binary octahedrons to investigate the dynamical behaviors of binary asteroid systems. The mutual potential of the binary polyhedron method is derived from the fourth order to the sixth order. The irregular shapes, relative orbits, attitude angles, as well as the angular velocities of the binary asteroid system are included in the model. We investigated the relative trajectory of the secondary relative to the primary, the total angular momentum and total energy of the system, the three-axis attitude angular velocity of the binary system, as well as the angular momentum of the two components. The relative errors of the total angular momentum and the total energy indicate that the calculation has a high precision. It is found that the influence of the orbital and attitude motion of the primary from the gravitational force of the secondary is obvious. This study is useful in understanding the complicated dynamical behaviors of the binary asteroid systems discovered in our Solar system.     

Short timescale UV variability study in NGC 4151 using IUE data

IUE has made very successful long term and intense short time-scale monitoring spectroscopic study of NGC 4151, a Seyfert 1 galaxy for over nearly 18 years from its launch in 1978 to 1996. The long-term observations have been useful in understanding the complex relation between UV continuum and emission line variability Seyfert galaxies. In this paper, we present the results of our studies on the short-timescale intense monitoring campaign of NGC 4151 undertaken during December 1–15, 1993. A most intense monitoring observation of NGC 4151 was carried out by IUE in 1993, when the source was at its historical high flux state with a shortest interval of 70 min between two successive observations. We present our results on emission line and continuum variability amplitudes characterized by \(F_{\mathrm{var}}\) method. We found highest variability of nearly 8.3% at 1325 \(\AA \) continuum with a smallest amplitude of 4% at 2725 \(\AA \). The relative variability amplitudes (\(R_\mathrm{max}\)) have been found to be 1.372, 1.319, 1.302 and 1.182 at 1325, 1475, 1655 and 2725 \(\AA \) continuum respectively. The continuum and emission line variability characteristics obtained in the present analysis are in very good agreement with the results obtained by Edelson et al. (1996) and Crenshaw et al. (1996) from the analysis of the same observational spectral data. The large amplitude rapid variability characteristics obtained in our study have been attributed to the continuum reprocessing of X-rays absorbed by the material in the accretion disk as proposed by Shakura and Sunyaev (1973). The continuum and emission light curves have shown four distinct high amplitude events of flux maxima during the intense monitoring campaign of 15 days, providing a good limit on the amplitude of UV variability and the BLR size in low luminosity Seyfert galaxies and are useful for constraining the continuum emission models. The decreasing \(F_{\mathrm{var}}\) amplitude of UV continuum with respect to increasing wavelength obtained in the present study and consistent with similar observations by Edelson et al. (1996) and Crenshaw et al. (1996) is a significant result of the intense monitoring observations.     

Sunspot Positions and Areas from Observations by Pierre Gassendi

Solar activity behaviour on the eve of the Maunder minimum may provide important information on the period of further suppression of sunspot population. We analyse sunspot positions and areas in the 1630s extracted from rare drawings published by Pierre Gassendi in Opera Omnia. This work was published in two different editions, the first in Lyon and the second almost 70 years later in Florence. The drawings published in Lyon are found to be slightly different from those published in Florence, which produces a discrepancy in the position of spots of a few degrees, while sunspot group areas may differ by a factor of two. We reveal that the orientation of the drawings in the book is not always the same as might be seen in the telescope. We conjecture that the time of Gassendi’s observations covers the beginning of a new Schwabe cycle in the southern hemisphere. The differential rotation rate in the 1630s is also assessed and discussed.