On the Nonlinear Thermal Evolution of Solar Corona Structures

The thermal evolution of structures is investigated for different values of the size of structure. A simplified cooling function and a constant heating mechanism are assumed. Analytical criteria for thermal instability are obtained. It is found that the response of the thermal structure not only depends on the amplitude of the disturbances, but also on whether the disturbance increases or decreases the initial steady temperature. Additionally, the evolution of the structure is examined numerically by using a time-dependent code under the assumption that the inertia terms are small. In particular, the analytical criteria obtained for thermal instability are verified.     

Photopolarimetric studies of comet Austin

Photopolarimetric observations of comet Austin with the IAU/IHW filter system were obtained on the 2.34 m Vainu Bappu Telescope (VBT) of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, at Kavalur, India, during pre-perihelion phase on February 20,1990 and on the 1.2 m telescope of the Physical Research Laboratory at Gurusikhar, Mount Abu during postperihelion phase on May 2 and 4, 1990. The comet appeared bluer than a solar analog during post-perihelion phase on May 2 and 4. The percent polarization shows a sharp increase towards the red on May 2 and 4. The dominant sizes of the dust particles appear to lie in a narrow range of 0.1 to 0.5 Μm. Regarding the molecular band emission, CN and C₂ bands are quite strong; C₃ emission was also found to be strong though the observations on May 2 and 4 show significant variation as compared to C₂ emission. Molecular band polarization for CN, C₃, C₂ and H₂ O+ have been calculated. It has been found that emission polarization in CN, C₂ and C₃ is between 1–7% (phase angle between 107.4–109 degrees). For CN and C₂ the polarization values are close to the theoretically predicted values, but for C₃ the polarization value falls much below the theoretically predicted value. A similar result was found for comet Halley.     

Periodicity in spectral variations of IC 4997?

The emission lines in the spectra of some planetary nebula experience variations with the time. These variations (due to evolution effects and by their nature) differ from the spectral changes which we usually observe in stars. It appears that the long-scale and systematic observations on the intensity behaviour of different emission lines of nebula may be used as an independent indicator to receive a principally new and quite unpredicted category of information related to the physics of nebulae and their nuclei. Particularly, the analysis of long standing observations carried out in relation to the forbidden lines 4363 [Oiii] andN ₁+N ₂ [Oiii] of double-ionized oxygen lead to a conception about the possible existence ofrelativistic electrons of moderate energy in planetary nebulae and the generation oftransition radiation as a result of electrodynamic interaction of these electrons with the dust particles in nebula (Gurzadyan, 1991). Just on the basis of the same observational material, the long-scale periodicity in the activity or variations of a star-like planetary nebula IC 4997 is discovered about which is the present note.     

Periodical light variations of t tauri stars as a result of disk accretion

I argue that temperatures of spots, responsible for observed periodical light variations of T Tauri stars (TTS), are not known with reliable accuracy to discriminate between chromospheric and accretion theories of TTS 's phenomenon. The hypothesis is set up that spots on classical TTS (CTTS) are due to heating of stellar surface by radiation from a collisional accretion shock, whereas spots on weak line TTS (WTTS), at least in some cases, are connected with a collisionless accretion shock rather than chromospheric activity. Possible scenarios of WTTS interaction with circumstellar matter are discussed.     

Fayalitic olivine in matrix of the Krymka LL3.1 chondrite: Vapor-solid growth in the solar nebula

Abstract— Fayalitic olivine (Fa_54–94) is a ubiquitous component in the matrix of Krymka (LL3.1) as well as in other highly unequilibrated chondrites (ordinary and carbonaceous). In Krymka, the fayalitic olivine has an unusual anisotropic platy morphology that occurs in at least five types of textural settings that can be characterized as: (1) isolated platelets, (2) clusters of platelets, (3) euhedral to subhedral crystals, (4) overgrowths of platelets on forsteritic olivine, and (5) fluffy (porous) aggregates. From transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigation, the direction of elongation of the platy olivine overgrowths on forsteritic olivine substrates is along the c axis and in most cases it corresponds with the c axis of the substrate olivine, which suggests that the fayalitic olivine grew in this unusual morphology and is not a replacement product of preexisting material. The fayalitic olivine in the matrix of Krymka is compositionally similar to olivine with platy morphology in the matrix of some CV3 chondrites and both have similar Fe/Mn ratios, but important morphological differences indicate that their relationship needs to be explored further. Textural and compositional data indicate that the fayalitic olivine in the matrix of Krymka, as well as in some other unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, formed prior to final lithification of the meteorite and probably prior to parent body accretion. We find that formation of the fayalitic olivine by vapor-solid growth provides the best explanation for our observations and data and is the only feasible mechanism for the formation of fayalitic olivine in the matrix of Krymka. We propose that the fayalitic olivine formed by vaporization and recondensation of olivine rich-dust, during a period of enhanced dust/gas ratio in the nebula.     

The mass ratio of Nova Muscae 1991

We report intermediate resolution H spectroscopy of the black hole candidate Nova Muscae 1991 during quiescence. We classify the companion star as a K3-K4V which contributes 85±6 percent to the total flux from the binary. The photospheric absorption lines are broadened by 106±13 kms⁻¹ with respect to template field stars, leading to a system mass ratio of q =M₁/M₂ = 7.8_−2.0^+3.4. Doppler imaging of the H line shows strong emission coming from the secondary star (EW=3.1±0.6Å) which we associate with chromospheric activity. However, the hot-spot is not detected and this may indicate a lower mass transfer rate than in other X-ray transients of comparable orbital periods. The surface brightness distribution of the accretion disk in H follows a relation I∝R^−1.1, less steep than typically observed in cataclysmic variables. Updated system parameters are also presented.     

Spectral Study of Ionized Xenon Using a Capillary Pulsed Discharge

This work presents preliminaries spectroscopic results about ionized xenon and xenon-helium mixture using a capillary pulsed discharge under several experimental results.     

Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrophotometry Of Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) Near Perihelion

We present 1- to 5-μm broadband and CVF images of comet Hale-Bopp taken 1997 February 10.5 UT, 50 days before perihelion. All the images exhibit a nonspherical coma with a bright “ridge” in the direction of the dust tail approximately 10″ from the coma. Synthetic aperture spectrophotometry implies that the optically important grains are of a radius ≤0.4 μm; smallest radius for any comet seen to date. The variation of the integrated surface brightness with radial distance from the coma (ρ) in all the images closely follows the “steady state” ρ⁻¹ model for comet dust ablation (Gehrz and Ney, 1992). The near-infrared colors taken along the dust tail are not constant implying the dust grain properties vary with coma distance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Evaluation of a Wavefront Sensing Concept for a Full Solar Disk Adaptive Optics System

Solar scintillations were investigated as a method of detecting seeing-dependent wavefront curvature variations for solar adaptive optics. The method is applicable to full-disk averaged, adaptive corrections of large-scale near-field seeing distortions. As a test case, seeing measurements were carried out on a single small adaptive mirror, representing one element of what would be a large multielement adaptive array. All observations showed a greater than 5× reduction of seeing distortions as a result of this wavefront correction.