Age distribution of open clusters as a function of their linear diameter and age-dependence of cluster masses

From the well-observed data of star clusters, the age distribution of galactic clusters is obtianed as a function of their linear diameter and it is concluded that the observed age distribution of clusters for different linear diameter intervals within 1500 pc, is not seriously affected by the selection effects. If we assume that the rate of formation of clusters is constant, the lifetimes _1/2 of the clusters for different linear diameter intervals have been obtained and it is found that the clusters with a linear diameter in the range 0–1.9 pc have longer lifetimes than the clusters having linear diameters larger than 2.0 pc.Total masses of 57 clusters have been obtained using the catalogues of Piskunov (1983) and Myakutinet al. (1984). A study of age-dependence of cluster masses, based on the total masses of the clusters obtained in the present study and the cluster masses given by Bruch and Sanders (1983) and Lynga (1983b), shows that there is a decreasing trend in the total mass with the age, however, there is an increasing trend after the age of about 10⁸ yr. It is also concluded that the initial rate of formation of rich clusters was relatively higher than the present rate of formation.     

Multi-frequency observations of the 1985 outburst of RS ophiuchi

The 1985 outburst of the bright, recurrent nova RS Oph was almost simultaneously observed at X-ray, UV, optical, IR and radio frequencies at many epochs. The abundances in the ejected shell and the development of the bolometric luminosity as a function of time suggest that the cause of the outburst is a nuclear runaway on a massive white dwarf.Paper presented at the IAU Colloquium No. 93 on Cataclysmic Variables. Recent Multi-Frequency Observations and Theoretical Development, held at Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, F.R.G., 16–19 June, 1986.     

Electron impact polarization of resonance lines from Lithium-like ions

The Oppenheimer-Penney theory, as developed by Percival and Seaton (1958), is applied to calculate the polarization of resonance lines from Li-like ions. Two laws for the pitch-angle distribution of electrons around the magnetic field are accounted. The degrees of polarization are averaged over the energy of non-thermal electrons generated during the initial phase of solar flares. It is found that for the full space pitch-angle distribution, as adopted by Chandra and Joshi (1984), the degrees of polarization are nearly independent of the atomic number of ion. Whereas for the forward-come distribution used by Haug (1981), they depend on the choice of the free parameterE ₀. The polarization of the resonance lines from Li-like ions is two times larger than that of the L radiations from H-like ions. Hence, under favourable conditions, it may be detected during solar flares.     

X-ray and ultraviolet observations of AG Draconis during quiescence and outburst

We describe the first X-ray monitoring of a symbiotic star during phases of enhanced activity. AG Dra is a Pop II object with a composite spectrum, characterized by a cool K-type component, prominent high ionization emission lines and a strong UV continuum which is attributed to a hot dwarf companion. Periodic variability of the UV radiation during minimum could be attributed to the orbital motion of the system. In April 1980 HEAO-2 detected an intense, soft X-ray flux from AG Dra, stronger than in other symbiotic stars. After one major outburst of November 1980, which continued until 1983, two more outbursts occurred in February 1985 and January 1986, and coordinated X-ray (EXOSAT) and ultraviolet (IUE) observations were organized to study the behaviour of AG Dra during different activity phases. EXOSAT observations made during decline after the 1985 outburst, revealed a weak X-ray flux in the Thin Lexan filter of the Low Energy dedtector. Observations made during minimum, in June and November 1985, at phases 0.22 and 0.50 of the UV light curve, disclosed the presence of an intense X-ray flux, which was not occulted in November. AG Dra was again observed with EXOSAT in February 1986 when the stellar luminosity was still at maximum. No X-ray flux was detected, in spite of the prominent, high ionization UV spectrum observed with IUE.A detailed discussion of the X-ray and ultraviolet results on AG Dra in the light of possible models is in progress.Paper presented at the IAU Colloquium No. 93 on Cataclysmic Variables. Recent Multi-Frequency Observations and Theoretical Developments, held at Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, F.R.G., 16–19 June, 1986.     

Microstructures in type III events in the solar wind

A model is presented for the generation and evolution of bump-in-tail driven Langmuir waves in the solar wind during type III emission, which removes a number of apparent inconsistencies between theory and observations. It is argued that there must be localized enhancements of f _b /v by a factor of 10² over the measured average values. Growth rates and energy densities of Langmuir waves are, therefore, considerably enhanced, permitting growth to overcome linear scattering losses, and also allowing nonlinear decay into ion-acoustic waves, in line with observations. Estimates are made of the probability distribution p(E), of wave field strengths E, based on linear and nonlinear wave-packet evolution, yielding p(E) E ^–a, 3. This helps explain why very high values of E are rarely found in the measured spiky wave turbulence.     

Evidence for a small,high-Z,iron-like solar core

Radial and nonradial oscillation equations without and with the gravitation perturbation (with and without the Cowling approximation, CA) are solved numerically using the profile from a more accurate high-Z core (HZC) solar model. This more accurate HZC model was generated with the CRAY X-MP/48 supercomputer at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. Frequencies of oscillation in the five-min band (5MB) and frequencies with period near 160 min are presented in tables and plotted in echelle diagrams. The model was generated by integrating the stellar structure equations from the center to he surface, as done in Rouse (1964), using a maximum space step, ;x _m = 5 × 10^–4, decreasing to 10^–6 in the hydrogenionization zone just below the photosphere. Two subsets of space mesh points are used to calculate the oscillation frequencies, viz., one with a maximum space step of 5 × 10^–3, decreasing to 10^–6 with a total of 621 points (mesh 5I) and the other with a maximum space step of 2 × 10^–3, with a total of 867 points (mesh 5J).With the surface boundary condition applied at x = 1.0, the l – 1 degree nonradial frequencies with CA and the l-degree frequencies without CA are in very good agreement with the frequency spacings for observed frequencies of oscillation labeled l = 1 to 5, but with the l – 1 frequencies with CA about 10 Hz or so less than the observations and the l frequencies without CA about 10 Hz or so greater than the observations. And for the Duvall and Harvey (1983) observations labeled l = 10 and l = 20, the l = 9 and l = 19 nonradial solutions with CA agree to about 5 Hz or less with the observations. Considering from the two preceeding papers in this series that increasing the density in the outer envelope and photosphere will increase the 5MB frequencies and applying the outer boundary condition at x > 1.0 will decrease the 5MB frequencies, the net affects of such changes could move one or the other set of frequencies closer to the observations — or require a slightly different model structure to obtain accurate agreements with the values of the observed frequencies throughout the 5MB.In either case, it is concluded that the first-order, radially-symmetric structure of the model outside the HZC is close to the structure of the real Sun. This is of fundamental importance because a real gas adiabatic temperature gradient (Rouse, 1964, 1971) is used in the outer convective region without free parameters.Other aspects of agreements and differences between radial and nonradial solutions, with CA and without CA are discussed. In particular, the l = 4, 6, 8, and 9 g-mode solutions with CA indicate that the observed 160.01 min period may be a common l-mode period of oscillation. More research is proposed.     

Observations of longperiod mass velocity oscillations in the Sun's chromosphere

Observations made by the differential method in the H line have revealed longperiod (on a timescale of 40 to 80 min) line-of-sight velocity oscillations which increase in amplitude with distance from the centre to the solar limb and, as we believe, give rise to prominence oscillations. As a test, we present some results of simultaneous observations at the photospheric level where such periods are absent.Oscillatory processes in the solar chromosphere have been studied by many authors. Previous efforts in this vein led to the detection of shortperiod oscillations in both the mass velocities and radiation intensity (Deubner, 1981). The oscillation periods obtained do not, normally, exceed 10–20 min (Dubov, 1978). More recently, Merkulenko and Mishina (1985), using filter observations in the H line, found intensity fluctuations with periods not exceeding 78 min. However, the observing technique they used does not exclude the possibility that those fluctuations were due to the influence of the Earth's atmosphere. It is also interesting to note that in spectra obtained by Merkulenko and Mishina (1985), the amplitude of the 3 min oscillations is anomalously small and the 5 min period is altogether absent, while the majority of other papers treating the brightness oscillations in the chromosphere, do not report such periods in the first place. So far, we are not aware of any other evidence concerning the longperiod velocity oscillations in the chromosphere on a timescale of 40–80 min.Longperiod oscillations in prominences (filaments) in the range from 40 to 80 min, as found by Bashkirtsev et al. (1983) and Bashkirtsev and Mashnich (1984, 1985), indicate that such oscillations can exist in both the chromosphere and the corona (Hollweg et al., 1982).In this note we report on experimental evidence for the existence of longperiod oscillations of mass velocity in the solar chromosphere.     

On the restricted circular three-charged-body problem

Two-charged bodiesM ₁ andM ₂ revolve round their centre of mass in circular orbits under Newton's inverse-square law and the so similar Coulomb's law. A third-charged-bodyM, without mass and charge (i.e., such that it is attracted or repulsed byM ₁ andM ₂, but does not influence their motion), moves in a field with a force function, namely $$U = {\text{ }}\frac{{q - \mu }}{{r_1 }}{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}\frac{{\mu - q}}{{r_2 }}$$ , which is created byM ₁ andM ₂. In what follows, the existence and location of the collinear and equilateral Lagrangian points or solutions with be discussed and the interpretation of them will be given. This work is a generalization of the classical restricted circular three-body problem.     

Evidence for interacting loop process in a phase of the May 16, 1981 flare

The behaviour of the flare in the period of enhancement and maximum of hard X-ray, microwave and decimetric type IV continuum is analysed. The elongation of the H ribbons and microwave source disclose that the energy release site was shifting through a system of loops with a velocity less than 200 km s^-1, and that the energy was carried down the field lines with a velocity of about 1000 km s^-1, implying the thermal conduction front mechanism of energy transport. Several processes of energy release are considered and it is concluded that an explanation in terms of succeeding interactions of neighbouring loops, involving fast reconnection of their poloidal components is in best agreement with the observations.Proceedings of the Second CESRA Workshop on Particle Acceleration and Trapping in Solar Flares, held at Aubigny-sur-Nère (France), 23–26 June, 1986.