The Velocity Field and Kinematics of the Galaxy NGC 784 in the Hα Line

In this paper we present the H map, the 2D velocity field and the rotation curve of the galaxy NGC 784 obtained with the ByuFOSC2 scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer, attached at the prime focus of the 2.6-m telescope of Byurakan Observatory. The H image shows several HII condensations along the major axis of the galaxy. The galaxy has an asymmetric distribution of the H emission. The rotation curve is quite symmetric with a low gradient in the central part of the galaxy.     

SECIS: The Solar Eclipse Coronal Eclipse Imaging System

The Solar Eclipse Coronal Imaging System (SECIS) is an instrument designed to search for short-period modulations in the solar corona seen either during a total eclipse or with a coronagraph. The CCD cameras used in SECIS have the capability of imaging the corona at a rate of up to 70 frames a second, with the intensities in each pixel digitised in 12-bit levels. The data are captured and stored on a modified PC. With suitable optics it is thus possible to search for fast changes or short-period wave motions in the corona that will have important implications for the coronal heating mechanism. The equipment has been successfully tested using the Evans Solar Facility coronagraph at National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak and during the 11 August 1999 eclipse at a site in north-eastern Bulgaria. The instrument is described and preliminary results are outlined.     

Stars with Discrepant <Emphasis Type="Italic">v</Emphasis> sin <Emphasis Type="Italic">i</Emphasis> as Derived from the Ca II 3933 and Mg II 4481 Å Lines. VII. HD9531 (SB), HD31592 (SB2), HD129174 (SB?)

In this paper of the series we analyze three stars listed among stars with discrepant v sin i: HD9531 and HD31592, which also show radial velocity variations inherent to spectroscopic binaries, and HD129174 which is an Mn-type star with a possible magnetic field. In HD9531 we confirm the radial velocity derived fromthe hydrogen lines as well as fromthe Ca II line at 3933 Å as variable. The profile of the calcium line also appears variable, and with the estimated magnetic induction B_e = ?630 ± 1340 G, this suggests that the abundance of calcium possibly varies over the surface of the star. We identified the lines of the secondary component in the spectrum of HD31592 revealing thus it is an SB2 binary with B9.5V and A0V components. While the primary star rotates with v sin i = 50 km s^?1, the secondary star is faster with v sin i = 170 km s^?1. We find that only 60% of the Mn lines identified in the spectrum of HD129174 can be fitted with a unique abundance value, whereas the remaining lines are stronger or fainter. We also identified two Xe II lines at 5339.33 Å and 5419.15 Å and estimated their log g f.     

Model of local oscillations in sunspots

We have analyzed the properties of oscillations in a sunspot based on SDO observations with a duration of 6 h. The 3-min oscillation spectrum has turned out to consist of dozens of spectral lines. The line widths are at the spectral resolution limit. The oscillations in a sunspot have been broken down into individual areas with a size of a few arcseconds, each having its own oscillation spectrum. These oscillation properties cannot be explained in terms of the existing models based on the assumption that the sunspot oscillates as a whole. We propose a model of local oscillations that explains the complex spectrum of the oscillations and their locality. We show that in addition to the chromospheric resonator, there exists a subphotospheric resonator for slow MHD waves. The existence of this resonance layer allows the locality of the oscillations and their complex spectrum to be explained in terms of Parker’s model.     

The luminosity function of halo white dwarfs

Recently, Liebertet al. (1989) have obtained an approximate observational luminosity function for halo white dwarfs. Certainly, this first attempt will be improved by the forthcoming Very Large Telescopes. Here we construct theoretical luminosity functions of such stars and we examine their dependence on the age of the halo. Finally, we show that accurate observational luminosity functions could provide useful information about the evolution of the galaxy.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Evidence for short term changes in the intensity and spectrum of hard X-rays from Cyg X-1

The paper presents experimental evidence for the existence of fast intensity fluctuations with time scales of the order of a minute in the X-ray emission from Cyg X-1 at energies greater than 29 keV. Spectral variations over time intervals of 20–25 min are also observed in the same energy range. Whereas, similar intensity and spectral fluctuations have been reported earlier at lower energies the observations presented here is the first evidence for the existence of similar fluctuations at high energies.     

Novae in M31 in 1999–2005

We present the results of our study of 19 novae in the galaxy M31 on photographs taken with wide-field telescopes in 1999–2005. Two of the six novae discovered in our program (ShA 65 and ShA 67) have been identified with supersoft X-ray sources, the discovery of one nova (ShA 69) was reported in IAU Circulars, and the other three novae (ShA 66, ShA 68, and ShA 70) are reported for the first time.     

Estimating Interannual Variations in Vegetated Areas of Sardinia Island Using SPOT/VEGETATION NDVI Temporal Series

Principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied to a temporal series 1999-2002 of a yearly maximum value composite of the SPOT/VEGETATION normalized difference vegetation index for the Sardinia Island for extracting interannual variations affecting vegetation covers. Both naturally vegetated areas (forest, shrub-land, and herbaceous cover) and agricultural lands have been investigated in order to obtain information on the most prominent natural and/or man-induced alterations affecting vegetation behavior. Although a correct interpretation of PCA results generally requires additional information, such as geographical knowledge, climatological data, and field surveys, the main finding of the current investigation suggests that PCA can be a feasible tool to separately map areas showing different degrees of interannual variability, providing valuable information for discriminating unidirectional changes     

Neutron activation analysis of the 1965 taal volcanic ash

Neutron activation analysis of the Taal volcanic ash revealed the presence of unusual amount of scandium in the volcanic ash as compared to the standard basalt BCR-1. The BCR-1 value for Fe/Sc is 2760 while that of Taal ash is about 2649. It is suggested that the eruption was probably characterized by the ejection of scandium-rich materials. Scandium may be used as supplementary evidence in evaluating an impending future Taal volcanic activity.     

Geochemical cycling in the Hooghly estuary, India

U–Th decay series isotopes, δ¹⁸O and Si measurements in the river estuarine waters and sediments of the polluted Hooghly estuary as well as the surface waters of the Bay of Bengal, its high salinity end member, are reported. Dissolved Si indicates that there are probably two mixing regimes, dissolved U behaviour is nonconservative and δ¹⁸O behaves conservatively in the overall estuarine region. Isotopes of reactive elements, viz. ²³⁴Th and ²¹⁰Po, are removed from the estuarine waters in <2 days and <1 month, respectively, which is due to high suspended matter (30–301 mg l⁻¹). ²²⁸Ra and ²²⁶Ra are profusely released into the estuarine waters in the low to mid-salinity regions.As expected, the opposite trend is observed in the case of estuarine sediments and suspended matter. Reactive isotopes of Th, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po are enriched, whereas Ra isotopes are depleted with respect to their parent nuclides in the estuarine sediments and suspended matter. ²³²Th/Al ratio appears well suited to study the distribution and mixing of the bed load sediments of the Ganga–Brahmaputra (G–B) and the Hooghly rivers with those from other rivers on the Bay of Bengal floor.