The astronomical detection of molecular anions has prompted our study of their chemical reactions with atomic species that are abundant in the interstellar medium. We have recently explored the chemistry of a variety of Cx Ny− anions with hydrogen atoms and determined their reaction rate constants and products using the flowing afterglow-selected ion flow tube technique. Computational studies allow characterization of the structures of reactants and products, as well as the energetics along the reaction pathway. For anions containing one or two nitrogen atoms, reactions with hydrogen atoms are facile, and proceed primarily by associative detachment. In contrast, anions containing three nitrogen atoms are unreactive with hydrogen atoms due to reaction barriers and unfavorable thermodynamics.

The immensely bright and intrinsically simple afterglow spectra of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have proven to be highly effective probes of the interstellar dust and gas in distant, star-forming galaxies. Despite significant progress, many aspects of the host galaxy attenuating material are still poorly understood. There is considerable discrepancy between the amount of X-ray and optical afterglow absorption, with the former typically an order of magnitude higher than what would be expected from the optical line absorption of neutral element species. Similar inconsistencies exist between the abundance of interstellar dust derived from spectroscopic and photometric data, and the relation between the line-of-sight and integrated host galaxy interstellar medium (ISM) remains unclear. In these proceedings we present our analysis on both spectroscopic and photometric multi-wavelength GRB afterglow data, and summarise some of the more recent results on the attenuation properties of the ISM within GRB host galaxies.

Supersoft X-ray fluxes in early-type galaxies provide an excellent test for Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) progenitors: the double degenerate (DD) scenario is believed to produce no supersoft sources (SSSs) except just before the SN Ia explosion, while the single degenerate (SD) scenario produces SSSs in some phases of the symbiotic channel. Recent observations of the supersoft X-ray flux of early-type galaxies show a remarkable agreement with theoretical predictions of the SD scenario, which thus turns out to be a strong support for the SD scenario, despite the original observations aimed at the opposite conclusion. Here I explain why X-ray fluxes are so weak in early-type galaxies. (1) Candidate binaries in the SD scenario become SSSs only during a short time on their way to SNe Ia explosions, because they spend a large part of their lifetime in a wind phase. (2) During the SSS phase, symbiotic stars emit very weak supersoft X-ray fluxes even if the WD is very massive. It should be emphasized that supersoft X-ray symbiotic stars are very rare and we need more observations to understand their nature.

We present a general three-dimensional model of multipolar planetary nebulae (PNe). By rotating to different viewing angles and adjusting the angles between the multiple lobes, we demonstrate that the model is able to reproduce HST Hα images of 20 multipolar young PNe. Though this model only considers the geometrical projection effects, it significantly unifies the selected PNe and can be considered as a first-order fundamental model of the “multipolar” morphological class. This kind of model reduces complexity and is essential to pursuing of the shaping mechanism. In addition, we illustrate that under some special conditions, i.e. in certain viewing angles, or with low sensitivity, it will be hard to imagine that the projected image originates from a multipolar-lobed model.

Here, we summarise the conditions that might lead to the formation of a bow shock surrounding a planet's magnetosphere. Such shocks are formed as a result of the interaction of a planet with its host star wind. In the case of close-in planets, the shock develops ahead of the planetary orbit. If this shocked material is able to absorb stellar radiation, the shock signature can be revealed in (asymmetric) transit light curves. We propose that this is the case of the gas giant planet WASP-12b, whose near-UV transit observations have detected the presence of an extended material ahead of the planetary orbit. We show that shock detection through transit observations can be a useful tool to constrain planetary magnetic fields.

The way in which Japan adopted methods and practices related to celebrations of seasonally based holidays and festivals provides an interesting study in how one culture may incorporate and modify the astronomically related practices of another. This article explores this process by looking at: (1) astronomical bases of seasonal celebration in Japan, (2) Japanese values and adaptations of imported icons and practices, (3) changes in celebratory practice due to adoption of ‘Western’ methods, and (4) observation in modern Japan.

Significant discrepancies have been found between the dust masses derived from various tracers (optical/near-IR, far-IR/sub-millimeter observations, and the variation of dust attenuation with viewing angle). Here we report the first detection of the extended far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV) haloes perpendicular to the galactic plane of NGC 891, which can be interpreted as scattered stellar light from the galactic plane. An additional “geometrically thick” dust disk, which contains about the same mass as the standard thin dust disk, is needed to reproduce the vertically extended UV profiles

In this study we analyse the coronal mass ejections (CMEs) directed towards the Earth during the interval 2007–2010, using the data acquired by STEREO mission and those provided by SOHO, ACE and geomagnetic stations. A study of CMEs kinematics is performed. This is correlated with CMEs interplanetary manifestations and their geomagnetic effects, along with the energy transfer flux into magnetosphere (the Akasofu coupling function). The chosen interval that is practically coincident with the last solar minimum, offered us a good opportunity to link and analyse the chain of phenomena from the Sun to the terrestrial magnetosphere in an attempt to better understand the solar and heliospheric processes that can cause major geomagnetic storms.

Flares are a fact of life for stars in the cool half of the H-R diagram. The production of magnetic fields and the consequent dynamic interactions of field and plasma give rise to observational phenomena which span the electromagnetic spectrum. Stellar flares have an impact not only on the stellar atmosphere but also the stellar environment, which can include forming and already formed planets. This talk gave a brief review of our current state of understanding of stellar flares, highlighting some of the main unanswered questions by a panchromatic approach. It also emphasized commonalities between observations and analysis of stellar flares and other types of transient and variable sources.

The study of molecules in space, known as astrochemistry or molecular astrophysics, is a rapidly growing field. Molecules exist in a wide range of environments in both gaseous and solid form, from our own solar system to the distant early universe. To astronomers, molecules are indispensable and unique probes of the physical conditions and dynamics of regions in which they are detected, especially the interstellar medium. In particular, the many stages of both low-mass and high-mass star formation are better understood today thanks to the analysis of molecular observations. Molecules can also yield a global picture of the past and present of sources. Moreover, molecules affect their environment by contributing to the heating and cooling processes that occur.

The aims of this Working Group are:

• • To ensure that scientific symposia on planetary nebulae take place regularly, ideally every 5 years. These symposia would preferably be sponsored by the IAU;

• • To organize and coordinate the Joint Discussions on the subject at the IAU General Assemblies. These discussions should address topics of interest not only to our Division VI but to other Divisions as well; and

• • To maintain a Web page with general information about the WG, the activities related to planetary nebulae, and the future meetings and symposia.

The race to the elusive Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) progenitors is at its zenith, with numerous clues from SNe Ia ejecta and a dearth of observational candidates. Still, the single degenerate channel is a viable route of mass accumulation onto a white dwarf to the Chandrasekhar limit. I present long-term high resolution spectroscopy of QU Carinae, one of the most promising single degenerate SNe Ia progenitors. I discuss its highly variable nature and compare it to current scenarios for mass accumulation onto high-mass white dwarfs, eventually leading to WD detonation and to a supernova explosion.

It has been a long standing problem in astrochemistry to explain how molecules can form in a highly dilute environment such as the interstellar medium. In the last decennium more and more evidence has been found that the observed mix of small and complex, stable and highly transient species in space is the cumulative result of gas phase and solid state reactions as well as gas-grain interactions. Solid state reactions on icy dust grains are specifically found to play an important role in the formation of the more complex “organic” compounds. In order to investigate the underlying physical and chemical processes detailed laboratory based experiments are needed that simulate surface reactions triggered by processes as different as thermal heating, photon (UV) irradiation and particle (atom, cosmic ray, electron) bombardment of interstellar ice analogues. Here, some of the latest research performed in the Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics in Leiden, the Netherlands is reviewed. The focus is on hydrogenation, i.e., H-atom addition reactions and vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of interstellar ice analogues at astronomically relevant temperatures. It is shown that solid state processes are crucial in the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium, providing pathways towards molecular complexity in space.

We demonstrate that moderate exoplanet radial velocity searches are often subject to the effect of the correlated (red) radial velocity noise. When disregarded, this effect may induce strong distortions in the results of the time series analysis and, ultimately, can even lead to false planet detections. We construct a maximum-likelihood algorithm, which is able to manage this issue rather efficiently.

While the connection between Long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and Type Ib/c Supernovae (SNe Ib/c) from stripped stars has been well-established, one key outstanding question is what conditions and factors lead to each kind of explosion in massive stripped stars. One promising line of attack is to investigate what sets apart SNe Ib/c with GRBs from those without GRBs. Here, I briefly present two observational studies that probe the SN properties and the environmental metallicities of SNe Ib/c (specifically broad-lined SNe Ic) with and without GRBs. I present an analysis of expansion velocities based on published spectra and on the homogeneous spectroscopic CfA data set of over 70 SNe of Types IIb, Ib, Ic and Ic-bl, which triples the world supply of well-observed Stripped SNe. Moreover, I demonstrate that a meta-analysis of the three published SN 1b/c metallicity data sets when including only values at the SN positions to probe natal oxygen abundances, indicates at very high significance that indeed SNe Ic erupt from more metal-rich environments than SNe Ib, while SNe Ic-bl with GRBs still prefer, on average, more metal-poor sites than those without GRBs.

We study the emergence and evolution of AR NOAA 10314, observed on the solar disk during March 13-19, 2003. This extremely complex AR is of particular interest due to its unusual magnetic flux distribution and the clear rotation of the polarities of a δ-spot within the AR. Using SOHO/MDI magnetograms we follow the evolution of the photospheric magnetic flux to infer the morphology of the structure that originates the AR. We determine the tilt angle variation for the δ-spot and find a counter-clockwise rotation corresponding to a positive writhed flux tube. We compute the magnetic helicity injection and the total accumulated helicity in the AR and find a correlation with the observed rotation.

The talk described the first steps of development of a new multi-dimensional time-implicit code devoted to the study of hydrodynamical processes in stellar interiors. The main motivation stemmed from the fact that our physical understanding of stellar interiors and evolution still largely relies on one-dimensional calculations. The description of complex physical processes like time-dependent turbulent convection, rotation or MHD processes mostly relies on simplified, phenomenological approaches, with a predictive power hampered by the use of several free parameters. These approaches have now reached their limits in the understanding of stellar structure and evolution. The development of multi-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations becomes crucial to progress in the field of stellar physics and to meet the enormous observational efforts aimed at producing data of unprecedented quality (COROT, Kepler GAIA). The code we are developing solves the hydrodynamical equations in spherical geometry and is based on the finite volume method. The talk presented a global simulation of turbulent convective motions in a cold giant envelope, covering 80% in radius of the stellar structure. Our first developments show that the use of an implicit scheme applied to a stellar evolution context is perfectly thinkable.

UGC 12281 has been classified as having a pure disk and being a low surface brightness galaxy (LSBG), thus being an obvious member of the so-called superthin galaxies. At the same time it represents an extremely untypical type of LSBG due to its remarkable amount of current star formation and evidence for extraplanar ionized gas. This makes it become a perfect tool to investigate the triggering of star formation in LSB galaxies, located in an alleged isolated area. By means of deep photometry and long-slit spectroscopy we analyse the Hα halo and verify the existence of a potential dwarf companion which we found on processed SDSS images.

The Ryukyu (Okinawa) Islands are situated in sub-tropical zone between the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan. Although Okinawan people have a rich tradition of star lore, few studies have been undertaken on its relevance to subsistence, religion and the socio-political system. This paper is a first attempt to explore a systematic relationship between star lore (e.g. relating to the Pleiades) with agriculture, fishing, navigation and religious practice. This paper also considers the possibility of interpreting the nature of prehistoric and historical stone structures from the viewpoint of archaeoastronomy. This kind of analysis is likely to be fruitful, since the kingship of the Ryukyu Islands was strongly associated with sun worship.

High velocity jets are among the most prominent features of a wide class of planetary nebulae, but their origins are not understood. Several different types of physical models have been suggested to power the jets, but there is no consensus or preferred scenario. We compare current theoretical ideas on jet formation with observations, using the best studied pre–planetary nebulae in millimeter CO, where the dynamical properties are best defined. In addition to the mass, velocity, momentum, and energy of the jets, the mass and energetics of the equatorial mass-loss that typically accompanies jet formation prove to be important diagnostics. Our integrated approach provides estimates for some key physical quantities – such as the binding energy of the envelope when the jets are launched – and allows testing of model features using correlations between parameters. Even with a relatively small sample of well-observed objects, we find that some specific scenarios for powering jets can be ruled out or rendered implausible, and others are promising at a quantitative level.