Detection of optical circular polarization in the Herbig Ae star WW Vul

UBVRI observations of circular polarization in WW Vul are presented. A positive polarization of ～0.1% was detected with a signal-to-noise ratio from 3 to 5 in each of the bands and more than 5 when averaged over all five bands. This observed polarization roughly corresponds to a 1% circular polarization of the radiation scattered in a circumstellar disk, which is most likely attributable to the significant alignment of scattering nonspherical dust grains. Since grain alignment is possible only in a magnetic field, this result provides circumstantial evidence for the existence of a magnetic field in the circumstellar disk of WW Vul.     

Observations of high co rotational lines in post-AGBs and PN

We present a preliminary interpretation of high CO rotational line data obtained from KAO. The possibility of either a PDR or a shock model is considered in order to explain the observations.     

A flare in the mira X oph

Before the observation of the 1974 U Ori eruption, it was considered that the Mira stars had only some regular OH variations. With this eruption, we realized that sometimes flares can occur in this type of star. In the course of an OH Mira star monitoring programme with the Nançay radio telescope, we have discovered a new eruptive type of OH maser emission in several sources. Especially, in early 1992, we observed a quickly rising 1665 Mhz emission in the Mira X Oph. The main characteristics of this flare were: large flux variations independent of the light curve; large degree of circular polarization; radial velocity emission close to the stellar velocity.     

Detection of lithium in the spectrum of the symbiotic Mira star V407 Cygni

We detected the resonance lithium doublet, ⁷LiI λ6708, in the spectra of the symbiotic Mira V407 Cyg (P≈763^d) obtained with a resolution R = λ/Δλ ≈ 18 500. The line equivalent width is ～0.34 Å. The presence of lithium in the atmosphere of the Mira, which, judging by its period, appreciably ascended the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), can be explained by the penetration of its convective envelope into the hot-bottom-burning (HBB) hydrogen-shell source. At the same time, the spectrum of V407 Cyg does not reveal the ZrO λ5551, 6474 absorption bands, which are used to classify S-type stars from low-resolution spectra. We found only weak ZrO λ5718, 6412 bands, which are, however, invisible in low-resolution spectra. Thus, the Mira star V407 Cyg should be classified as being of the spectral type M. In general, the spectrum of V407 Cyg is similar to the spectrum of the red giant in the symbiotic star CH Cyg, but the latter exhibits no lithium lines. The switch-on of the HBB process without any significant enrichment of the atmosphere of an AGB star with s-process elements implies that the third dredge-up is not efficient for some of these stars.     

Special Solutions in a Simplified Restricted Three-Body Problem with Gravitational Radiation Taken into Account

The distinctive feature of the relativistic restricted three-body problem within the c ^–5 order of accuracy (2 post-Newtonian approximation) is the presence of the gravitational radiation. To simplify the problem the motion of the massive binary components is assumed to be quasi-circular. In terms of time these orbits have linearly changing radii and quadratically changing phase angles. By substituting this motion into the Newtonian-like equations of motion one gets the quasi-Newtonian restricted quasi-circular three-body problem sufficient to take into account the main indirect perturbations caused by the binary radiation terms. Such problem admits the Lagrange-like quasi-libration solutions and rather simple quasi-circular orbits lying at large distance from the binary.     

Circulating subbeam systemsand the physics of pulsar emission

The purpose of this paper is to suggest how detailed single-pulse observations of slow radio pulsars may be utilized to construct an empirical model for their emission. It links the observational synthesis developed in a series of papers by Rankin in the 1980s and 90s to the more recent empirical feedback model of Wright (2003a) by regarding the entire pulsar magnetosphere as a non-steady, non-linear interactive system with a natural built-in delay. It is argued that the enhanced role of the outer gap in such a system indicates an evolutionary link to younger pulsars, in which this region is thought to be highly active, and that pulsar magnetospheres should no longer be seen as being driven by events on the neutron stars polar cap, but as having more in common with planetary magnetospheres and auroral phenomena.Received: 8 May 2003, Published online: 14 November 2003 Correspondence to: Joanna M. Rankin. On leave from: Physics Department, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA     

Peculiarities of the UV continuum energy distribution for T Tauri stars

In the UV spectra of BP Tau, GW Ori, T Tau, and RY Tau obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope, we detected an inflection near 2000 Å in the F _λ ^c (λ) curve that describes the continuum energy distribution. The inflection probably stems from the fact that the UV continuum in these stars consists of two components: the emission from an optically thick gas with T<8000 K and the emission from a gas with a much higher temperature. The total luminosity of the hot component is much lower than that of the cool component, but the hot-gas radiation dominates at λ<1800 Å. Previously, other authors have drawn a similar conclusion for several young stars from low-resolution IUE spectra. However, we show that the short-wavelength continuum is determined from these spectra with large errors. We also show that, for three of the stars studied (BP Tau, GW Ori, and T Tau), the accretion-shock radiation cannot account for the observed dependence F _λ ^c (λ) in the ultraviolet. We argue that more than 90% of the emission continuum in BP Tau at λ>2000 Å originates not in the accretion shock but in the inner accretion disk. Previously, a similar conclusion was reached for six more classical T Tau stars. Therefore, we believe that the high-temperature continuum can be associated with the radiation from the disk chromosphere. However, it may well be that the stellar chromosphere is its source.     

New M-Type Variables in Galactic Dark Clouds

The results of the spectral classification of newly discovered M-type variables obtained as part of an H-alpha survey of Galactic dark cloud regions are presented. The survey was carried out with the 40 Schmidt camera of Byurakan Observatory, and the spectra of the variable stars for the classification were obtained with the Observatory's 2.6-m telescope. The observational material allowed register of late M-type variables as well as their brightness variations. Among the 97 newly discovered M-type stars, 22 show brightness variations. The results of the spectral classification of these new variables show that 21 out of 22 are red giants, and in all probability they are Mira Ceti type long period variables.     

Mode Identification from Line Profiles using the Direct Fitting Technique

The method of moments and the direct fitting method are the onlyspectroscopic methods of mode identification which allow a determination ofall pulsational parameters. The pulsation parameters are required to predictthe light amplitude and phase which can be important discriminants in modeidentification. The direct fitting method has several advantages over themethod of moments. It is not restricted to low spherical harmonic degree or form of the eigenfunction and is not sensitive to the placement of the continuum. In the last few years the method has been applied to several different types of stars. We briefly describe the method and give someexamples of its application.