In order to prepare the theoretical interpretation of the oscillation frequencies detected by CoRoT, comparisons of results from standard stellar models by the ESTA group have proven to be very useful. The next issue which is briefly addressed here is “what are the additional physical processes that must be included in stellar models computed with different evolutionary codes for the next comparison exercises?” We therefore discuss the impact on oscillation frequencies of several physical processes which are still poorly understood and/or poorly modelled but cannot be fully discarded.

Dome A, the summit of the Antarctic plateau, is expected to have even better atmospheric conditions for ground-based astronomy than Dome C.Instruments to evaluate and exploit Dome A's astronomical potentialmust operate within logistical constraints, which are currentlyvery stringent. Instrumentation now at Dome A exemplifies the techniques and solutions required by this environment. Future instrumentation and infrastructure will allow the qualities of the siteto be exploited much more fully.

Coronal “EIT wave” is a large-scale wavelike phenomenon propagating across the major part of the Sun. Debates are being continued regarding a more suitable name for it, its source driver, and its nature. “EIT waves” have been widely explained in terms of fast-mode waves, despite that the model contradicts with many observational features. Two-types of EUV waves were predicted 10 years ago. With the recent high-cadence observations, mainly from SDO/AIA telescope, more and more evidence has been revealed in favor of the two-wave model. In this paper, after summarizing different names used for EIT waves in the literature, we show how the community are getting close to reaching a consensus on the nature of EIT waves.

In this paper we present a short review of statistical properties of extrasolar planets, and of the core-accretion model and some of its extensions. We also present results of population synthesis models based on extended core-accretion planet formation models (taking into account disk structure and evolution and migration of the protoplanet, see Alibert et al. 2005a). The population synthesis is carried out by calculating the evolution of many disk-protoplanet systems, assuming initial conditions (in particular disk mass, disk lifetime and metallicity of the system) taken from observations. Taking into account the observational bias introduced by radial velocity surveys, we statistically compare the results of our models and the population of known extrasolar planets. We show that our models are able to quantitatively reproduce the mass and semimajor axes of extrasolar planets around solar type stars. Finally, we discuss the effect of the mass of the central star on the planet formation process and on the final planetary population.

The radio galaxy RC J0311+0507 was investigated in the “Big Trio” project, which aims tosearch for distant radio galaxies. Optical spectroscopy performed at the 6-m telescopemeasured its redshift as 4.514. The source is one of the most luminous objects in the highredshift Universe having L  ≈  3 × 1029W Hz-1 at 500 MHz, thatsuggests the presence of a super massive black hole with a mass of about1010 M⊙ inside the parent galaxy. Mechanisms ofthe formation of galaxies with black holes of such masses in the early stage of theUniverse is not yet clear. Based on a collection of deep images taken in 10 optical andinfrared bands we started a photometric study of the environment of this radio galaxy todetect possible neighborhood.

Magnetic field are ubiquitous to young and mature low-mass stars, and can potentially impact their formation, their evolution and their internal structure; yet the physical processes that succeed at amplifying and sustaining these fields (called dynamo processes), like those capable of changing the fate of the host stars (and in particular their rotation rates), are still somewhat enigmatic. Although theoretical modelling and numerical simulations (e.g., of stellar dynamo action and magnetospheric accretion processes) showed breathtaking progress in the last decade, they are not yet in the state of accurately predicting the various magnetic topologies that different low-mass stars can generate nor the impact such fields can have on stellar formation.

Thanks to the advent of new-generation instruments, spectropolarimetric observations coupled to tomographic techniques can now reveal the large-scale magnetic topologies of both young and mature low-mass stars, and in particular their poloidal and toroidal components. More specifically, one can now investigate magnetic topologies of cool dwarfs, all the way from the brown dwarf threshold (spectral type M8) where stars are fully convective up to the limit beyond which outer convective zones get vanishingly small (spectral type F5); one can also explore the magnetic topologies of young low-mass stars that are still accreting mass from their circumstellar disc (i.e., the classical T Tauri stars) and study how such fields can impact mass accretion processes from the surrounding discs.

We review herein the latest observational advances in this field, showing in particular that large-scale magnetic topologies of low-mass stars and protostars can drastically vary with mass and rotation rate, and discuss their implications for our understanding of dynamo processes, stellar formation and stellar evolution.

The small mission A-STAR (All-Sky Transient Astrophysics Reporter) aims to locate theX-ray counterparts to ALIGO and other gravitational wave detector sources, to study thepoorly-understood low luminosity gamma-ray bursts, and to find a wide variety of transienthigh-energy source types, A-STAR will survey the entire available sky twice per 24 hours.The payload consists of a coded mask instrument, Owl, operating in the novel low energyband 4−150 keV, and a sensitive wide-field focussing soft X-ray instrument, Lobster,working over 0.15−5 keV. A-STAR will trigger on ~100 GRBs/yr, rapidlydistributing their locations.

Hot super-Earths are exoplanets with masses ≤10 M⊕ and orbital periods ≤20 days. Around 8 hot super-Earths have been discovered in the neighborhood of the Solar System. In this lecture, we review the mechanisms for the formation of hot super-Earths, and dynamical effects that play important roles in sculpting the architecture of multiple planetary systems. Two example systems (HD 40307 and GJ 436) are presented to show the formation and evolution of hot super-Earths or Neptunes.

N-body simulations find a universal structure for the halos whichresult from the nonlinear growth of Gaussian-random-noise densityfluctuations in the CDM universe. This talk summarized our attempts toderive and explain this universal structure by analyticalapproximation and simplified models. As an example, we show here thata 1D spherical infall model involving a fluid approximation derivedfrom the Boltzmann equation can explain not only the halo density profilebut its phase-space density profile, as well.

We first review the nonrelativistic Lagrangian theory as a framework for the MOND equation. Obstructions to a relativistic version of it are discussed leading up to TeVeS, a relativistic tensor-vector-scalar field theory which displays both MOND and Newtonian limits. The whys for its particular structure are discussed and its achievements so far are summarized.

This paper discusses facets of visual communication by way of images, graphs, diagrams and tabular material. Design types and elements of graphical images are presented, along with advice on how to create graphs, and on how to read graphical illustrations. This is done in astronomical context, using case studies and historical examples of good and bad graphics.

Design types of graphs (scatter and vector plots, histograms, pie charts, ternary diagrams and three-dimensional surface graphs) are explicated, as well as the major components of graphical images (axes, legends, textual parts, etc.).

The basic features of computer graphics (image resolution, vector images, bitmaps, graphical file formats and file conversions) are explained, as well as concepts of color models and of color spaces (with emphasis on aspects of readability of color graphics by viewers suffering from color-vision deficiencies).

Special attention is given to the verity of graphical content, and to misrepresentations and errors in graphics and associated basic statistics. Dangers of dot joining and curve fitting are discussed, with emphasis on the perception of linearity, the issue of nonsense correlations, and the handling of outliers. Finally, the distinction between data, fits and models is illustrated.

Our aim is to present new unified line profiles of sodium perturbed by H2 from the optical to the infrared spectral range. We compare the specific results obtained for the 3s-3p transition to laboratory spectra.

I review various ideas on MOND cosmology and structureformationbeginning with non-relativistic models in analogy with Newtonian cosmology. I discuss relativistic MOND cosmology in the context ofBekenstein's theory and propose an alternative biscalar effective theoryof MOND in which the acceleration parameter, a0 is identifiedwith the cosmic time derivative of a matter coupling scalar fieldand cosmic CDM appears as scalar field oscillations of theauxiliary “coupling strength” field.

The huge amount of CCD photometric data collected by robotic telescopes (as for instance the ICE-T telescope to be installed at Dome-C) requires a fully automated approach to the reduction and analysis procedures. To this end, we are developing a pipeline, making use of IRAF, DAOPHOTII and tasks build up by us, which will enable to automatically extract differential magnitude time series. Both aperture and PSF photometry methods are used to build a proper sample of comparison stars, with the best method between the two being automatically selected. Finally, the search of rotational periods is performed. To test our package, we present results obtained using a 4-year dataset of a field in the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) containing about 350 stars (150 of which turned out to be periodic variables).

The fate of metals after they are released in starburst episodes is still unclear. What phases of the interstellar medium are involved, and in which timescales? Evidence has grown over the past few years that the neutral phase of blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies may be metal-deficient as compared to the ionized gas of their H ii regions. These results have strong implications for our understanding of the chemical evolution of galaxies. We review here the main results and the main caveats in the metal abundance determination from far-UV absorption-lines. We also discuss possible scenarios concerning the journey of metals into the interstellar medium.

The general formalism for Lyot and Roddier & Roddier coronagraphy is detailed. The influence of the masksize, chromatism and central obscuration are discussed. The necessity of entrance pupil apodization forcoronagraphy is introduced from the fundamental limitation that appears in the classical technique. Prolatespheroidal functions are presented as the natural apodizations for coronagraphy.

ASTEP South is an Antarctic Search for Transiting ExoPlanets in the South pole field, from the Concordia station, Dome C, Antarctica. The instrument consists of a thermalized 10 cm refractor observing a fixed 3.88° × 3.88° field of view to perform photometry of several thousand stars at visible wavelengths (700–900 nm). The first winter campaign in 2008 led to the retrieval of nearly 1600 hours of data. We derive the fraction of photometric nights by measuring the number of detectable stars in the field. The method is sensitive to the presence of small cirrus clouds which are invisible to the naked eye. The fraction of night-time for which at least 50% of the stars are detected is 74% from June to September 2008. Most of the lost time (18.5% out of 26%) is due to periods of bad weather conditions lasting for a few days (“white outs”). Extended periods of clear weather exist. For example, between July 10 and August 10, 2008, the total fraction of time (day+night) for which photometric observations were possible was 60%. This confirms the very high quality of Dome C for nearly continuous photometric observations during the Antarctic winter.

The astronomical seeing from the Antarctic high plateau site Dome Chas been a matter of speculation for over a decade. During 2004 wemade the first wintertime measurements of the seeing using a MultiAperture Scintillation Sensor (MASS), a device that is well-suited forautomated unattended operation. The mean seeing was found to be 0.27 arcsec, and the seeing is better than 0.15 arcsec for 25% ofthe time. These extraordinarily low levels of turbulence make Dome C asuperb site for future optical and infrared telescopes.

In recent years, a large amount of data has been collected with the aim to quantify the day- and nighttime astronomical observing conditions at Dome C. The available data show that the precipitable water vapor is below 0.75 mm in general, thus offering very good conditions for sub-mm observations. The extremely low temperatures of the atmosphere cause a very low background in the thermal infrared, which leads to significant savings in the time required to carry out large observing programmes. The absence of strong turbulence in the upper atmosphere results in a low scintillation and poses favorable conditions for photometric programmes. The free atmosphere seeing is of the order of $0\farcs 36$, but optical observations are impaired by the occurrence of a very strong turbulent boundary layer which reaches up to median altitudes of some 23 m in winter and up to some 400 m in summer. Detailed measurements of the vertical and temporal variation of the various parameters are now needed, in order to draw robust conclusions about short- and long-term stabilities and trends, and to constrain the specifications of future instruments that are eventually being deployed at Dome C.

We discuss the role of Configuration Interaction (CI) and the influence of the number of configurations taken into account in the calculations of nickel and iron spectral opacities provided by the OPAC international collaboration, including statistical approaches (SCO, CASSANDRA, STA), detailed accounting (OPAS, LEDCOP, OP, HULLAC-v9) or hybrid method (SCO-RCG). Opacity calculations are presented for a temperature T of 27.3 eV and a density of 3.4 mg/cm3, conditions relevant for pulsating stellar envelopes.