To examine the stray light in magnetograph observations, we determined the point spread function of the Video Vector Magnetograph mounted on the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT) installed at the Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS). Then we obtained the curve on large-spread-angle (LSA) stray light intensity as a function of distance from disk center. A new way to correct LSA stray light is proposed.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Recent high-resolution observations provide us with key information that allows us to begin to assemble a coherent theoretical picture of the formation and maintenance of a sunspot and its complex thermal and magnetic structure. A new picture of penumbral structure has emerged from observations, involving two components having different magnetic field inclinations and remaining essentially distinct over the lifetime of the spot, with little interchange of magnetic flux. The darker component, with more nearly horizontal magnetic field, includes “returning” magnetic flux tubes that dive down below the surface near the outer edge of the penumbra and carry much of the Evershed flow. The configuration of these flux tubes can be understood to be a consequence of downward pumping of magnetic flux by turbulent granular convection in the moat surrounding a sunspot. This process has been demonstrated in recent three-dimensional numerical simulations of fully compressible convection. The process of flux pumping is an important key to understanding the formation and maintenance of the penumbra, the hysteresis associated with the transition from a pore to a sunspot, and the behavior of moving magnetic features in the moat.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Interstellar dust grains approaching the Sun are influenced mainly by solar gravity, solar electromagnetic radiation and Lorentz force due to the existence of interplanetary magnetic field. These interactions together with the effect of the solar wind on dust grain and the effect of solar cycle are taken into account when modelling behaviour of interstellar dust in the vicinity of the Sun. As a consequence, nonspherical dust grains can be captured and survive in the solar system – they can orbit the Sun in sufficiently large distances from the Sun not to be thermally destroyed. On the other hand, captured spherical dust grains are practically all destroyed. Detailed numerical simulations showed an interesting behaviour of a quantity of the dimension of length cubed divided by time squared. The quantity behaves practically as an invariant of motion: it is a constant during the process when surviving captured interstellar grain is orbiting the Sun. The constancy is fulfilled with an accuracy better than 1%.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Most of the baryons in the universe remain undetected. They are thought to be floating in intergalactic space, and their thermal state is highly uncertain. The only places where we have reasonably complete observations of the overall baryon population are in clusters of galaxies, where the baryons reveal themselves through their X-ray emission. There we find that only about 10% of the baryons have turned into stars, probably because feedback processes intervene to prevent more baryons from condensing. These galaxy formation processes seem to have left an imprint on the thermal state of the intracluster medium, but in order to interpret that imprint, one needs to pay close attention to how entropy develops in the intergalactic gas. Many of the global properties of clusters turn out to be determined primarily by the entropy threshold for cooling within a Hubble time. However, XMM-Newton observation are revealing a sort of altered similarity among the entropy profiles of clusters seeming to indicate that galactic winds may have smoothed the local intergalactic medium before it accreted onto clusters.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Nonspherical dust grains orbiting the Sun are influenced by solar electromagnetic radiation. Interaction of electromagnetic radiation with nonspherical grains is complex and analogy with spherical grains may not be physically justified. As a consequence, equation of motion for nonspherical grain is more general than the equation of motion for spherical particle. Application of this more general interaction to possible trapping of the grain in resonances with planet Neptune is investigated. Approximation of the planar circular restricted three-body problem with action of solar electromagnetic radiation on nonspherical grain is used.

The orbital evolution of nonspherical dust grains of radius $\approx$ 2 micrometers is numerically calculated. Attention is payed to exterior resonances with the Neptune, and the numerical experiments are concentrated on their possible high capture efficiency. Physical difference between possibilities for resonant captures for spherical and nonspherical dust particles is pointed out.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

A-type supergiants are the primary targets for the quantitative spectroscopy of individual stars in nearby galaxies because of their intrinsic brightness. An overview is given on the non-LTE techniques required for their analysis. Applications concentrate on placing observational constraints on evolutionary models for massive stars and their host galaxies by detailed abundance analyses. Results from high-resolution studies of A-type supergiants in Local Group galaxies and from intermediate-resolution multi-object spectroscopy of supergiants far beyond the Local Group are summarised.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

NGC 1241 is a Sy 2 galaxy with a 1.4 kpc circumnuclear ring (CNR) of star formation revealed in Paα. A 0.3 kpc long Paα emitting bar centered on the nucleus is present, apparently without associated absorption features. GEMINI (+QUIRC+Hokupa) IR pixel-photometry reveals instead an azimuthally symmetric (J−Ks) color which is redder at the nucleus than at the CNR. This property may well be due to the increasing importance of dust when going from the ring inward into the nucleus. Nevertheless the (V−H) color does not indicate special absorption conditions in the nucleus with respect to the CNR, and no absorption features are evident, as normally expected near emitting bars. Then, we propose as an alternative explanation an excess of C-stars in the nuclear region which decreases outwards until reaching the CNR and its colors. We have compared the pixel color-magnitude diagram with the 2-MASS (J−Ks) vs. Ks diagram for the Large Magellanic Cloud: about 5×102 C-stars and 2.5×104 AGB Oxygen-rich stars inside r∼50 pc, are enough to reproduce the observed nuclear tip in the diagram. This stars would release gas that, gravitationally bounded, pollutes the nuclear environment and could amount 10−2 to 10−1 M$_{\odot}$ yr−1 of fuel for the central engine during the lifetime of stars with masses 2 M$_{\odot}\lt M_{CStars} \lt 6{\rm M}_{\odot}$. This scenario may also explain the observed increased strength of the CN-bands in the stellar populations of Sy 2 nuclei, and the recent claim of a significant contribution of intermediate age stars to the optical continuum of low luminosity AGNs.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Four coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurs successively from the solar disk near the west limb on October 26, 2003. They, together with the associated activities of the solar surface, were observed by various instruments both in space and on ground, such as the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph Experiment (LASCO), the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, and the Michelson Doppler Imager on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, as well as the Huairou Solar Observing Station and the Big Bear Solar Observatory. These four events start with a filament eruption that manifests a two-ribbon flare in a spotless region, destroyed a helmet streamer, and give rise to an X1.2 flare in the active region AR0484. We notice that these eruptions occur either in active region, or in quiescent region, or in the region without any precursors. The time profiles of the CME (filament) heights show that the main acceleration takes place within one solar radius $(R_\odot)$ from the solar surface, and that all the CMEs almost propagate at constant speeds as they appear in the field of view of LASCO C2. We conclude that the most dynamical process of each of these CMEs happens at the altitudes lower than one $R_\odot$ from the surface. Among the four activities, the fourth one comes from AR10484 and shows the largest speed projected on the sky plane, which is about 1500 km s$^{-1}$; and the first filament shows the largest acceleration, $\sim 50$m s$^{-2}$.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

New methods of local area helioseismology provide three-dimensional maps of sound-speed variations and mass flows in the upper convection zone, giving important insight into the internal structure and dynamics of sunspots and active regions. Most of these results are obtained from SOHO/MDI data using the method of time-distance helioseismology (or acoustic tomography). Robustness of this method has been significantly improved by incorporating most important wave propagation effects and stochastic properties of solar oscillations. Time-distance helioseismology reveals that developed sunspots have a two layer structure: a relatively thin sub-photospheric layer of lower sound speed, and a deeper layer of higher sound speed. The mass flows in the upper layer are typically converging and directed downward, while in the deeper interior the flows are mostly diverging. These results support the cluster model of sunspots suggested by Parker. New observations also provide interesting information about emerging magnetic flux, formation and evolution of active regions and complexes of activity, and allow us to investigate effects of sub-photospheric dynamics of active regions on the global circulation of the Sun and also small-scale rapid shear flows associated with flares and CME.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Dworetsky: In the blue metal poor stars shown by you (from C. Sneden) you had a lot of Pb. Were there any signs of Hg, Mn, or Y, typical signatures of diffusion? Or is nuclear processing a sufficient explanation without diffusion?To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

I review recent results of cosmological hydrodynamic simulations for clusters of galaxies. Such simulations have developed into an increasingly powerful tool to make theoretical predictions for clusters, and to confront them with observations. I focus, in particular, on the continuing challenge to reproduce the observed cluster X-ray scaling relations in CDM simulations. Self-consistent simulations that include radiative cooling, star formation and supernova feedback generally overpredict the X-ray luminosity on group scales and exhibit overly strong cooling flows. Solving these problems may require the consideration of more physics in cluster simulations, for example thermal conduction or heating by a central AGN.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

We present results from realistic, high resolution, simulations of solar magneto-convection. Simulations were run with both a mean vertical and a mean horizontal field. The magnetic field is quickly swept out of the granules and meso-granules and concentrated in the intergranular lanes.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

We investigated the complex subsurface magnetic rope structure of a super-active region NOAA 10488. With the set of twisted magnetic loop, knot and bifurcate configuration ,we could explain the complicated flux emerging, developing and disappearing by following Tanaka model (Tanaka, 1991). Based on Huairou photospheric vector magnetograms, we calculated the current helicity and found the dominant helicity sign is positive. We deduced that the whole active region might be one twisted magnetic rope.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

More than 300 000 artificial debris particles with diameter larger than 1 cm are orbiting the Earth. The space debris population is similar to the asteroid belt, since it is subject to a process of high-velocity mutual collisions that affects the long-term evolution of its size distribution. The near–Earth space can be divided in three major regions where orbital debris is of concern: Low Earth Orbits (LEOs), below about 2000 km, Geosynchronous Orbits (GEOs), at an altitude of about 36000 km and the Medium Earth Orbits (MEOs) in between. The issues are in principle the same in the three regions, nevertheless they require different approaches and solutions. The space debris are composed by several different populations according to their source and their orbital region. A description of the nature and dynamics of the different populations in the low, medium and high orbital regimes is given. The impact risk posed by these debris is then briefly outlined.

The long term evolution of the whole debris population can be studied with computer models allowing the simulation of all the known source and sinks mechanisms. One of these codes is described and the evolution of the debris environment, over the next 100 years, under different traffic scenarios is shown, pointing out the possible measures to mitigate the growth of the orbital debris population.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

We present an X-ray binary population synthesis model, and use it to simulate the evolution of X-ray binaries formed in a burst of star formation of duration 20 Myr and star-formation rate 10 M$_{\odot}$ yr−1. We find that the X-ray luminous phase persists long after the star-formation episode has ended. The 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity can reach values of 1040−1041 erg s−1, comparable to those of some Seyfert galaxies. These models are directly applicable to starburst galaxies as well as LINERs powered by vigorous star formation.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Stars in various parts of the HR diagram often have atmospheres in which the departure from the simplest kind of plane-parallel model is largely dominated by a single physical effect. For example, massive stars and giants exhibit symptoms of strong winds and lower Main Sequence stars are very strongly influenced by the presence of deep and energetic envelope convection. Main Sequence A stars, in contrast, appear to display the competing effects of several physical effects of comparable magnitude. The effects which can be detected by observation include large and relatively simple magnetic fields, strong surface convection, pulsation (often in multiple modes), diffusion of specific species under the competing influences of gravity and radiative acceleration, and (more indirectly) internal turbulent mixing, weak winds, and non-thermal heating. This situation makes these stars extremely useful as laboratories to explore and to understand the physics of these various phenomena, and how these effects interact with each other. This review will summarize some of the interconnections that are gradually being understood and emphasize some of the major remaining problems.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

The solar active regions observations were carried out with facilities for multi-spectral investigations of solar atmosphere on Large solar coronagraph of Sayan observatory. The facilities permits to perform the spectral observations in selected chromospheric and coronal lines simultaneously with obtaining of $H_\alpha$ and He I images.

In this work we analyze the results of spectral observations in the range from 10824 Å to 10835 Å (the He I 10830 Å and Si I 10827 Å lines) and images of the sunspot umbrae in the He I 10830 Å.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

We have studied the magnetic helicity transport rate and the current helicity for solar active region (AR) NOAA 10488 and find a complex relationship between them. We further extend this study to a statistical one, and find that 33 among the selected 57 ARs show opposite sign for the two parameter.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

We have established under which conditions core collapse of a spherical cluster occurs before massive stars have time to evolve off the main sequence (MS). We consider cluster central velocity dispersions of 100 km s−1 and higher, appropriate for galactic nuclei. At such high velocities, binary stars play little dynamical role and are therefore neglected. On the other hand whether collisions allow the growth of very massive stars (VMS, with $\ensuremath{M_{\ast}} \gg 100\,\ensuremath{M_{\odot}}$) or, on the contrary, grind them down is a central unknown addressed in this work. We find that, in spite of the high relative velocities, run-away growth of a VMS, a likely progenitor for an intermediate-mass BH (IMBH), occurs in all clusters with short enough a core collapse time.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

The problem of escape/capture is encountered in many problems of the celestial mechanics – the capture of the giants planets irregular satellites, comets capture by Jupiter, and also orbital transfer between two celestial bodies as Earth and Moon. To study these problems we introduce an approach which is based on the numerical integration of a grid of initial conditions. The two-body energy of the particle relative to a celestial body defines the escape/capture. The trajectories are integrated into the past from initial conditions with negative two-body energy. The energy change from negative to positive is considered as an escape. By reversing the time, this escape turns into a capture. Using this technique we can understand many characteristics of the problem, as the maximum capture time, stable regions where the particles cannot escape from, and others. The advantage of this kind of approach is that it can be used out of plane (that is, for any inclination), and with perturbations in the dynamics of the n-body problem.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html