Spot system and stratification of some chemical elements in the atmosphere of He-weak star HD 21699

Surface helium and silicon distribution of a He-weak CP star HD21699 was examined using the spectra obtained at different phases of the star’s rotational period. The abundance of helium over the whole surface is weak, but in the magnetic polar regions it is strong, apparently due to the impact of stellar wind. Silicon accumulates in the region with a horizontal alignment of the magnetic lines, as follows from the theory. The abundance of helium and silicon increases with depth. Moreover, the boundary of the abundance variation is very sharp and its depth practically does not change with the rotational period phase. Accounting for the stratification of chemical elements considerably changes the deduced temperature distribution with depth as well as the form of the hydrogen line profile.     

Structure and kinematics of the interstellar medium around WR 134 and WR 135

Based on our H _α interferometry and 21-cm and CO observations, we analyze the structure and kinematics of the interstellar medium around the stars WR 134 and WR 135. We conclude that the HI bubble found here previously is associated with WR 135, not with WR 134. High-velocity motions of ionized gas that can be interpreted as expansion of the gas swept up by the stellar wind with a velocity up to 50–80 km s^?1 are observed around both stars. The line-of-sight velocity field of the ionized hydrogen in the Cygnus arm is shown to agree with the large-scale line-of-sight velocity distribution of the CO emission.     

Star formation history in the central region of the barred galaxy NGC 4245

We have investigated the gas and stellar kinematics and the stellar population properties at the center of the early-type galaxy NGC 4245 with a large-scale bar by the method of two-dimensional spectroscopy. The galaxy has been found to possess a pronounced chemically decoupled compact stellar nucleus, which is at least a factor of 2.5 richer in metals than the stellar population of the bulge, and a ring of young stars with a radius of 300 pc. Star formation goes on in the ring even now; its location corresponds to the inner Lindblad resonance of the large-scale bar. According to Hubble Space Telescope data, the mean stellar age in the chemically decoupled nucleus is significantly younger than that within 0″.25 of the center. It may be concluded that we take the former ultracompact star formation ring with a radius of no more than 100 pc located at the inner Lindblad resonance of the now disappeared nuclear bar as the chemically decoupled nucleus. On the whole, the picture of star formation at the center of this gas-poor galaxy is consistent with theoretical predictions of the consequences of the secular evolution of a stellar-gaseous disk under the action of a bar or bars.     

Study of Distribution and Asymmetry of Solar Active Prominences during Solar Cycle 23

In this article we present the results of a study of the spatial distribution and asymmetry of solar active prominences (SAP) for the period 1996 through 2007 (solar cycle 23). For more meaningful statistical analysis we analyzed the distribution and asymmetry of SAP in two subdivisions viz. Group1 (ADF, APR, DSF, CRN, CAP) and Group2 (AFS, ASR, BSD, BSL, DSD, SPY, LPS). The North – South (N – S) latitudinal distribution shows that the SAP events are most prolific in the 21° to 30° slice in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres; the East – West (E – W) longitudinal distribution study shows that the SAP events are most prolific (best observable) in the 81° to 90° slice in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. It was found that the SAP activity during this cycle is low compared to previous solar cycles. The present study indicates that during the rising phase of the cycle the number of SAP events are roughly equal in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. However, activity in the Southern Hemisphere has been dominant since 1999. Our statistical study shows that the N – S asymmetry is more significant then the E – W asymmetry.     

Massive cosmic strings in Bianchi type II

We study a massive cosmic strings with BII symmetries cosmological models in two contexts. The first of them is the standard one with a barotropic equation of state. In the second one we explore the possibility of taking into account variable “constants” (G and Λ). Both models are studied under the self-similar hypothesis. We put special emphasis in calculating the numerical values for the equations of state. We find that for ω∈(0,1], G, is a growing time function while Λ, behaves as positive decreasing time function. If ω=0, both “constants”, G and Λ, behave as true constants.     

The effect of hypothetical diproton stability on the universe

By calculation of the proton-proton capture cross-section, it is shown that the existence of a bound diproton state would not lead to significant production of diprotons during big bang nucleosynthesis, contrary to popular belief. In typical stellar interiors, the stability of diprotons would lead to a reaction pathway for converting protons to deuterons perhaps ∼10¹⁰ times faster than the usual weak capture reaction. This would prevent stars of the familiar hot, dense type from occurring in the universe. However, if diproton stability is achieved by an increase in the low-energy strong coupling, gs, then stars with temperatures and densities sufficiently reduced so as to offset the faster reaction pathway to deuterium will appear to meet elementary stability criteria. The claim that there is a fine-tuned, anthropic upper bound to the strong force which ensures diproton instability therefore appears to be unfounded.     

The Dark Spot in the atmosphere of Uranus in 2006: Discovery, description, and dynamical simulations

We report the first definitive detection of a discrete dark atmospheric feature on Uranus in 2006 using visible and near-infrared images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck II 10-m telescope. Like Neptune's Great Dark Spots, this Uranus Dark Spot had bright companion features that exhibited considerable variability in brightness and location relative to the Dark Spot. We detected the feature or its bright companions on 16 June (Hubble), 30 July and 1 August (Keck), 23-24 August (Hubble), and 15 October (Keck). The dark feature—detected at latitude ∼28±1° N with an average physical extent of roughly 2° (1300 km) in latitude and 5° (2700 km) in longitude—moved with a nearly constant zonal velocity of , which is roughly 20 m s⁻¹ greater than the average observed speed of bright features at this latitude. The dark feature's contrast and extent varied as a function of wavelength, with largest negative contrast occurring at a surprisingly long wavelength when compared with Neptune's dark features: the Uranus feature was detected out to 1.6 μm with a contrast of −0.07, but it was undetectable at 0.467 μm; the Neptune GDS seen by Voyager exhibited its most prominent contrast of −0.12 at 0.48 μm, and was undetectable longward of 0.7 μm. Computational fluid dynamic simulations of the dark feature on Uranus suggest that structure in the zonal wind profile may be a critical factor in the emergence of large sustained vortices.     

Jupiter's hydrocarbon polar brightening: Discovery of 3-micron line emission from south polar CH4, C2H2, and C2H6

Jupiter exhibits bright H⁺₃ auroral arcs at 3-4 microns that cool the hot (>1000 K) ionosphere above the ∼¹⁰−7 bar level through the infrared bands of this trace constituent. Below the ¹⁰−7 bar level significant cooling proceeds through infrared active bands of CH₄, C₂H₂, and C₂H₆. We report the discovery of 3-micron line emission from these hydrocarbon species in spectra of the jovian south polar region obtained on April 18 and 20, 2006 (UT) with CGS4 on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. Estimated cooling rates through these molecules are 7.5×¹⁰−3, 1.4×¹⁰−3, and , respectively, for a total nearly half that of H⁺₃. We derive a temperature of 450 ± 50 K in the ¹⁰−7-¹⁰−5 bar region from the C₂H₂ lines.     

Spectral properties and composition of potentially hazardous Asteroid (99942) Apophis

The known close approach of Asteroid (99942) Apophis in April 2029 provides the opportunity for the case study of a potentially hazardous asteroid in advance of its encounter. The visible to near-infrared (0.55 to 2.45 μm) reflectance spectrum of Apophis is compared and modeled with respect to the spectral and mineralogical characteristics of likely meteorite analogs. Apophis is found to be an Sq-class asteroid that most closely resembles LL ordinary chondrite meteorites in terms of spectral characteristics and interpreted olivine and pyroxene abundances, although we cannot rule out some degree of partial melting. A meteorite analog allows some estimates and conjectures of Apophis' possible range of physical properties such as the grain density and micro-porosity of its constituent material. Composition and size similarities of Apophis with (25143) Itokawa suggest a total porosity of 40% as a “current best guess” for Apophis. Applying these parameters to Apophis yields a mass estimate of 2×¹⁰¹⁰ kg with a corresponding energy estimate of 375 Mt for its potential hazard. Substantial unknowns, most notably the total porosity, allow uncertainties in these mass and energy estimates to be as large as factors of two or three.