Abundances in intermediate-mass AGB stars undergoing third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning

High-dispersion near-infrared spectra have been taken of seven highly evolved, variable, intermediate-mass (4–6 M_⊙) asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud in order to look for C, N and O variations that are expected to arise from third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning. The pulsation of the objects has been modelled, yielding stellar masses, and spectral synthesis calculations have been performed in order to derive abundances from the observed spectra. For two stars, abundances of C, N, O, Na, Al, Ti, Sc and Fe were derived and compared with the abundances predicted by detailed AGB models. Both stars show very large N enhancements and C deficiencies. These results provide the first observational confirmation of the long-predicted production of primary nitrogen by the combination of third dredge-up and hot-bottom burning in intermediate-mass AGB stars. It was not possible to derive abundances for the remaining five stars: three were too cool to model, while another two had strong shocks in their atmospheres which caused strong emission to fill the line cores and made abundance determination impossible. The latter occurrence allows us to predict the pulsation phase interval during which observations should be made if successful abundance analysis is to be possible.     

ORTHOPHOTOGRAPHY FOR RURAL MAP REVISION

The Ordnance Survey (OS) has recently investigated the potential of orthophotography for revision of 1:2500 scale mapping following advances in technology since an earlier investigation in 1973. The results have been compared with stereoplotting on an automated workstation. The background to the investigation and the existing revision methods used for rural areas are described. Orthophotography was produced on a Zeiss 22 Orthocomp at 1:2500 scale using digital height model data supplied from contours (at a 5 m vertical interval) on 1:10000 scale mapping. A pilot block of 20 km² was revised at Kingsbridge, south Devon to assess three levels of revision (local fit, part remedial, and full remedial), using three techniques (orthophotograph overlay, Stereo-orthophoto Plotter and stereoplotting instrument). The quality of the image of the orthophotographs was below that expected for rectified enlargements and the cost of orthophotograph production made the technique uneconomic compared with existing techniques. Orthophotographs were capable of improving the accuracy of revision mapping, but the most cost effective and accurate method was full remedial revision using a Kern PG2 automated workstation.     

OSL and ESR studies of Aeolian quartz from the Upper Pleistocene loess sequence of Nussloch (Germany)

As part of a chronological study of the famous Upper Pleistocene Nussloch (Germany) loess sequence, three samples were collected to check the applicability of palaeodosimetric dating methods (OSL and ESR) to quartz grains. The ESR-multicentre method showed a partial bleaching of the ESR centers in aeolian sands. This partial bleaching was also observed by OSL. Laminated loess seemed to be sufficiently bleached but showed a large scatter of the doses, which we ascribed to heterogeneous responses of the luminescent grains to the SAR protocol. Ages could nevertheless be calculated for the three samples and were found to be somewhat older than the IRSL and ¹⁴C ages obtained for the same layers of the laminated loess.     

Neutron stars in the bimetric Scalar-Tensor theory of gravitation. I. new solutions of the field equations

New solutions of the equations of the bimetric scalar-tensor theory of gravitation for neutron stars are found. In these solutions the scalar field is constant, φ = φ_φ, while the metric space-time tensor is determined by the equations of the general theory of relativity. The problem was to find a background metric corresponding to φ_φ. Solutions with a variable φ were studied earlier [M. R. Avakian, L. Sh. Grigorian, and A. A. Saharian, Astrofizika, 35, 121 (1991)] and are determined by the dimensionless parameter ζ of the theory. Differences between solutions with constant and variable ? are considerable for ¦ζ¦ ≤ 1.     

MrK86: A 'Not-So-Dark' Galaxy

We have studied the velocity field of the Blue Compact Dwarf galaxy Mrk86 using an Hα Fabry-Perot image and 14 long-slit optical spectra. From the ionized gas velocities measured we have found that Mrk86 follows a solid-body rotation law with a central angular velocity of 34 ± 5 km s^-1 kpc^-1. The comparison of the modeled rotation curve with our velocity data indicates a clear dominance of the stellar mass component over the dark matter. Related with the galaxy most intense star forming knot, a very strong gradient steeping is observed. Finally, we give kinematic evidence for the Mrk86-C expanding bubble. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Solar granulation in different heights

Intensity images and Doppler-velocity maps of the quiet sun in different heights are obtained from simultaneously recorded spectra of different lines. A relation between the intensity images is recognizable up to formation heights of 900 km above continuum, but the correlation coefficient changes sign above 400 km. The core of H_α shows a different pattern without any correlation to the continuum layer. Extreme Doppler velocities as well as the rms-velocities have minima at a height of 400 km, values of about 2 km/s occur in deep photospheric layers and 2.5 km/s in a height of 900 km. The velocities in the lower and in the upper photosphere are well correlated indicating that the pattern of the velocity field is preserved up to higher layers than the intensity pattern. H_α-velocities reach values up to 10 km/s and more, they show no correlation with the continuum intensities and almost no with the line core intensities.