The analysis of Li i 6708 Å line was performed for 6 rotational phases distributed over the whole rotational period (~9.5 years) of HD166473. The magnetic field model was constructed based on the polarimetric measurements from Mathys et al. (2007). For each observed phase the modulus of the magnetic field was also estimated from simulation of the Fe ii 6147 Å, 6149 Å and Pr iii 6706.7 Å line profiles taking into account Zeeman magnetic splitting. The lithium abundance in each phase was obtained from fitting the observed Li i 6708 Å profile with the synthetic one calculated assuming Paschen-Back splitting and estimated magnetic field characteristics from Pr iii 6706.7 Å line profile.

In the 1990s the hydrogen molecule, by far the most abundant molecular species in the interstellar medium, has been proposed as a possible carrier of the diffuse interstellar bands. While some remarkable coincidences were found in the rich spectrum of inter-Rydberg transitions of this molecule with DIB-features, both in frequency position as in linewidth, some open issues remained on a required non-linear optical pumping scheme that should explain the population of certain intermediate levels and act as a selection mechanism. Recently a similar scheme has been proposed relating the occurrence of the UV-bump (the ubiquitous 2170 Å extinction feature) to the spectrum of H2, therewith reviving the H2 hypothesis.

Until recently, the radio sky above 5 GHz was relatively unexplored. This has changed with the completion of the Australia Telescope 20 GHz survey (AT20G; Murphy et al., 2010); a blind survey of the southern sky down to a limiting flux density of 40 mJy. The AT20G survey provides by far the largest and most complete sample of high-frequency radio sources yet obtained, offering new insights into the nature of the high-frequency active galaxy population. Whilst the radio data provides a unique sample of objects, these data alone are insufficient to completely constrain models of radio source properties and the evolution of radio galaxies. Complementary multiwavelength data is vital in understanding the physical properties of the central black hole.

In this talk I will provide a brief overview of the AT20G survey, followed by a discussion of the multiwavelength properties of the high-frequency source population. In particular, I will focus on the optical properties of AT20G sources, which are very different to those of a low-frequency selected sample, along with the gamma-ray properties where we find a correlation between high-frequency radio flux density and gamma-ray flux density. By studying the multiwavelength properties of a large sample of high-frequency radio sources we gain a unique perspective on the inner dynamics of some of the most active AGN.

The formation of planetesimals and large bodies in circumstellar discs can be referred to the stage of massive unstable disc emerging due to the gravitational collapse in the molecular cloud. We have simulated the dynamics of gas and boulder clumps in such systems. The features of instability development in massive disc is discussed. Unlike medium-massive discs the massive disc can provide conditions for simultaneous formation of several clumps as a result of overdensity ring fragmentation. We found regimes where 3, 2 or 1 overdensity ring appear in the disc and then fragment into clumps collecting about a half of the disc mass.

Our study based on the continuous, high-precision observations covering more than three years provided by the Kepler mission reveals a new systematic effect in the data, a possible transition region between solar-like and Mira-like oscillations, and gives an overview of M giant variability on a wide range of time-scales (hours to years).

We set new limits on the global shape of the dark halo in the Andromeda galaxy based on axisymmetric mass models constructed by Hayashi & Chiba (2012). This is motivated by the fact that CDM models predict non-spherical virialized dark halos, which reflect the process of mass assembly in the galactic scale. Based on the application of our models to latest kinematical data of globular clusters and dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Andromeda halo, we find that the most plausible cases for Andromeda yield not a spherical but a prolate shape for its dark halo. We also find that the prolate dark halo is consistent with theoretical predictions in which the satellites are distributed anisotropically and preferentially located along major axes of their galactic host halos. It is a reflection of the intimate connection between galactic dark matter halos and the cosmic web.

Possibility of large bodies formation in massive discs of young stellar objects (YSO) class O-I was investigated. On the stage of YSO O-I the whole of factors: chemical composition of gas and solids, chemical catalytic reactions, the disc self-gravitation, the increased ratio of solids to gas surface density, adiabatic gas cooling provides favorable conditions for gravitational instabilities development. We simulated 3D dynamics of gas and dust under self-consistent gravitational field and reproduced the formation and evolution of the disc around the protostar. We found that for stars of Solar mass there are regimes when the disc of variable mass is unstable for the development of fast gravitational instabilities.

Thanks to the space missions CoRoT and Kepler new oscillation frequencies have been discovered in the Fourier spectra of Blazhko RR Lyrae stars. The period doubling (PD) yields half-integer frequencies between the fundamental mode and its harmonics. In many cases the first and/or second radial overtone frequencies also appear temporally. Some stars show extra frequencies that were identified as potential non-radial modes. We show here that all these frequencies can be explained by pure radial pulsation as linear combinations of the frequencies of radial fundamental and overtone modes.

We present a highly reliable and efficient mid-infrared colour-based selection technique for luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) survey. Our technique is designed to identify objects with red mid-infrared power-law spectral energy distributions. We studied the dependency of our mid-infrared selection on the AGN intrinsic luminosity and the effectiveness of our technique to uncover obscured AGN missed in X-ray surveys. To do so we used two samples of luminous AGN independently selected in hard X-ray and optical surveys. We used the largest catalogue of 887 [OIII] λ5007-selected type 2 quasars (QSO2s) at z≲0.83 in the literature from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and the 258 hard (>4.5 keV) X-ray-selected AGN from the Bright Ultrahard XMM-Newton Survey (BUXS). The effectiveness of our mid-infrared selection technique increases with the AGN luminosity. At high luminosities and at least up to z~1 our technique is very effective at identifying both Compton-thin and Compton-thick AGN.

We perform mode identification for the frequency peaks detected in the light variation of HD 21071 including the effects of rotation via the traditional approximation. We find the angular numbers (ℓ, m) for all observed frequencies and limit the range of the rotational velocity. In the next step, we make an attempt towards seismic modelling of the star in order to constrain its global parameters.

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are found at much higher redshifts (z > 6) than Supernova Ia (z ~ 1), and hence, they can be used to probe very primitive universe. However, radiation mechanism of GRB remains a puzzle, unlike Supernova Ia. Through comprehensive description, both empirical and physical, we shall discuss the most likely way to use the constituent pulses of a GRB to find the radiation mechanism as well as using the pulses as luminosity indicators.

We propose that the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) arise from absorption lines of electronic transitions in molecular clusters primarily composed of a single molecule, atom, or ion (“seed”), embedded in a single-layer shell of H2 molecules (Bernstein et al. 2013). Less abundant variants of the cluster, including two seed molecules and/or a two-layer shell of H2 molecules may also occur. The lines are broadened, blended, and wavelength-shifted by interactions between the seed and surrounding H2 shell. We refer to these clusters as CHCs (Contaminated H2 Clusters). CHC spectroscopy matches the diversity of observed DIB spectral profiles, and provides good fits to several DIB profiles based on a rotational temperature of 10 K. CHCs arise from ~cm-sized, dirty H2 ice balls, called CHIMPs (Contaminated H2 Ice Macro-Particles), formed in cold, dense, Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), and later released into the interstellar medium (ISM) upon GMC disruption. Attractive interactions, arising from Van der Waals and ion-induced dipole potentials, between the seeds and H2 molecules enable CHIMPs to attain cm-sized dimensions. When an ultraviolet (UV) photon is absorbed in the outer layer of a CHIMP, it heats the icy matrix and expels CHCs into the ISM. While CHCs are quickly destroyed by absorbing UV photons, they are replenished by the slowly eroding CHIMPs. Since CHCs require UV photons for their release, they are most abundant at, but not limited to, the edges of UV-opaque molecular clouds, consistent with the observed, preferred location of DIBs. An inherent property of CHCs, which can be characterized as nanometer size, spinning, dipolar dust grains, is that they emit in the radio-frequency region. Thus, CHCs offer a natural explanation to the anomalous microwave emission (AME) feature in the ~10-100 GHz spectral region.

We present a brief overview of results obtained from near-infrared polarized observations of Sgr A*, which is associated with the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The observations have been carried out using the NACO adaptive optics instrument at the VLT UT4 in the infrared Ks-band from 2004 to 2012. Several polarized flares have been observed in this time interval which allow us to determine the statistical properties of NIR linearly polarized light from Sgr A*. Linear polarization at 2.2 μm and its variations can help us to constrain the physical conditions of the accretion process around this supermassive black hole.

A total of 85 CP stars of various types are identified among 814 members of the Orion OB1 association. We selected 59 Bp stars, which account for 13.4% of the total number of B type stars in the association. The fraction of peculiar B type stars in the association is found to be twice higher than that of peculiar A type stars.

Magnetic field are found in 22 stars, 17 of them are objects with anomalous helium lines. No significant differences are found between the field strengths in the Bp type stars of the association and Bp type field stars. We identified 17 binaries, which make up 20% of the total number of peculiar stars studied which is the standard ratio for CP stars.

We present the results of radio monitoring observations of Sgr A* at 7 mm (i.e. 43 GHz) with the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA), which is a VLBI array in Japan. VERA provides angular resolution on millisecond scales, resolving structures within 100 Schwarzschild radii of Sgr A* , similar to the Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA). We performed multi-epoch observations of Sgr A* in 2005 - 2008, and started monitoring it again with VERA from 2013 January to trace the current G2 encounter event. Our preliminary results in 2013 show that Sgr A* on mas scales has been in an ordinary state as of August 2013, although some fraction of the G2 cloud already passed the pericenter of Sgr A* in April 2013. We will continue monitoring Sgr A* with VERA and the newly developed KaVA (KVN and VERA Array).

We have been spectroscopically monitoring a number of blue supergiants, focusing on several strategic photospheric and wind lines. Our aim is to detect line profile variability, and to determine its origin. Here, we present preliminary results for ρ Leo and ε Ori. We conduct an asteroseismic analysis of Hei λ6678. We find in each star multiple periods raging from hours to several days. In addition, we observe strong, night to night variability in Hα.

We suggest that the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are absorption lines arising from electronic transitions in molecular clusters primarily composed of a single molecule, atom, or ion (“seed”), embedded in a single-layer shell of H2 molecules (Bernstein et al. 2013). We refer to these clusters as CHCs (Contaminated H2 Clusters). CHCs arise from cm-sized, dirty H2 ice balls, called CHIMPs (Contaminated H2 Ice Macro-Particles), formed in cold, dense, Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), and later released into the interstellar medium (ISM) upon GMC disruption. Absorption by the CHIMP of a UV photon releases CHCs. CHCs produce DIBs when they absorb optical photons. When this occurs, the absorbed photon energy disrupts the CHC.

The companion stars of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) would survive the explosions and show peculiar properties in the single-degenerate (SD) scenario. Whit different SD SN Ia channels, we obtained the velocity distributions of the surviving companion stars in the Milky Way. All properties presented may be verified by future observations.

We analyze a sample of 30,000 nearby obscured AGNs with SDSS and WISE. We use a “pair-matching” technique to subtract the host 4.6μm contribution, with the aid of SDSS data. By combining Seyferts with local SDSS quasars, we show that the [Oiii] and the intrinsic AGN 4.6μm luminosities correlate roughly linearly over 4 orders of magnitude, despite of large scatter. We also compare the partition functions of the total integrated 4.6μm and [Oiii] line luminosities from Seyferts and IR-bright LINERs, as function of a variety of host galaxy properties. The result suggests the optical and the IR selected AGNs represent the same galaxy population. We further study the environment of the AGNs, finding a link between the IR nuclear emission and the galaxy interaction.