The absence of apparent correlations between iras and optical spectral features of late-type stars

The spectral signatures of circumstellar dust shells (CS) of late-type stars cannot be tied in a simple manner to their optical spectral features. The spectral indices of featureless low-resolution spectrometer (LRS) spectra of K and early-M (M0-M5) stars are consistent with that of the Rayleigh-Jeans law and those of late-M (M6 and later) stars tend to have lower values showing CS radiation. There is no correlation observed between the optical sub-type and the 10 m emission strength for M stars. The absence of a simple relationship is also evident for C stars where the temperature and abundance indices show no correlation with the 11 m emission strength. The sample is confined to the IRC stars identified with accurate spectra observed by the LRS of IRAS. The IRC stars are the whole sky survey done with the 2 m band, where late-type stars are bright and interstellar extinction is one-tenth of the visual colour band.     

On the possibility of H2-near-infrared detection in comets with large gas production

Comets with large gas production offer a unique chance to observe a H₂-flux of about 10⁵ photon cm^–2 s^–1 sr^–1 (1 Rayleigh) at wavelengths 8497.4 Å, 8560.2 Å and 8747.9 Å-i.e., where photon counting methods are still applicable. In the following it will be shown that population of the vibrational levels, giving rise to these quadrupole overtone transitions, is dominated by photodissociation of methane, and that the emission even of quadrupole lines is not attenuated by collisional quenching. Wavelength scanning by ±1 Å is shown to be enough to discriminate between cometary and atmospheric emissions by phase-sensitive subtraction techniques. Solid angle of <10^–7 sr has to be used, whence follows that a large ground-based telescope combined with a tilting Fabry-Perotfilter is best suited for detection of the near-infrared H₂-emissions at reasonable counting rates and sufficient rejection of the atmospheric background.Since H₂ is supposed to be formed mainly by the photolysis of CH₄, the optimum time for detection will be during approach to perihelion when, because of its high vapor pressure, methane will vaporize from the cometary nucleus. Variation of the source strength of both CH₄ and its photolysis product H₂ with time are particularly valuable indicators for the structure of the nucleus, its thermal history and conditions of formation. A high-resolution tilting filter photometer, which allows phase-sensitive background subtraction was used for the first time for near-infrared observations on the dust coma of Comet Kohoutek (Barbieriet al., 1974). The same technique was successfully used for the determination of an upper limit for CH₄ production at 3.3 by airborne observations on the same comet (Cosmoviciet al., 1974).     

Size of the hard X-ray source in the Crab Nebula

The size of the hard X-ray source in the Crab Nebula was observed with scintillation counters on board two balloons at a lunar occulatation on 24 January, 1975. The Gaussian width of the source is 34 (+17, –14) and the center thereof is offset from the pulsar by 6±4 at position angle 102°. The observed time profile can also be fitted to an alternative model of two line sources whose intensities are 48% at 11 and 25.5% at 7 on both sides of the pulsar.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X- and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.     

Observation of temperature and velocity in the coastal water off Kuala Terengganu,Malaysia

Mooring observation of current and temperature was made at 17.8 m layer of 19 m depth about 8 km east to Kuala Terengganu, Peninsular Malaysia. Harmonic analysis was applied to tidal currents for 30 days in September 1993, and to the tides observed at Chendering. The K1 tide was the largest both in tidal currents and the tides. Daily mean temperature, currents, sea level, and winds were analyzed from September 1993 to May 1994. Northeast Monsoon from December to February caused sea level rise of 50 cm and temperature lowering of 1°C.