Past analysis of HD 189733b's atmosphere has been a cause for some debate, with conflicting findings regarding water and sodium abundances and the presence of a high altitude haze. We present our models of HD 189733b's atmospheric composition using VSTAR (Versatile Software for Transfer of Atmospheric Radiation). Since the effective temperature of the planet is expected to be approximately 5000K, newly available high-temperature spectral line lists were used.

Accretion disks in compact binaries are thought to sometimes tilt and precess in the retrograde direction as indicated by modulations in light curves and/or signals. Using 3D Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and a low mass transfer rate, Montgomery (2012) shows the disk in non-magnetic Cataclysmic Variables tilts naturally after enough time has passed. In that work, twice the fundamental negative superhump signal 2ν_ is associated with disk tilt around the line of nodes, gas stream overflow approximately twice per orbital period, and retrograde precession. In this work, we show that after enough additional time has passed in the same simulation, the 4ν_ harmonic appears. The decrease in the 2ν_ amplitude approximately equals the amplitude of the 4ν_ harmonic. We discuss the implications.

Magnetic helicity quantifies the degree of linkage and/or twistedness in the magnetic field. It is probably the only physical quantity which is approximately conserved even in resistive MHD. This makes it an ideal tool for the exploration of the physics of solar eruptions. In this article, I discuss the sources of magnetic helicity injected into active regions and I point out that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are probably necessary to remove at least part of the excess helicity produced in the Sun. I also discuss the importance of magnetic helicity in the overall coronal evolution that may lead to eruptions.

In earlier work, we demonstrated the in-situ formation of a quiescent prominence in a sheared magnetic arcade by chromospheric evaporation and thermal instability in a multi-dimensional MHD model. Here, we improve our setup and reproduce the formation of a curtain-like prominence from first principles, while showing the coexistence of the growing, large-scale prominence with short-lived dynamic coronal rain in overlying loops. When the localized heating is gradually switched off, the central prominence expands laterally beyond the range of its self-created magnetic dips and falls down along the arched loops. The dipped loops recover their initially arched shape and the prominence plasma drains to the chromosphere completely.

Many planets have been detected so far but very few around nearby stars that could allow characterization of their atmosphere thanks to their proximity. There are known exoplanets around less than 8.3% of the FGK stars of the Solar neighborhood (d<20 pc) and the vast majority of them are giant planets. Within the ESA Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan, the scientific goal of the NEAT (Nearby Earth Astrometric Telescope) mission is to detect and characterize planetary systems around these nearby stars in an exhaustive way down to 1 Earth-mass in the habitable zone. This survey would provide the actual planetary masses, the full characterization of the orbits including their inclination, for all the components of the planetary system down to the Earth-mass limit. NEAT will continue the work performed by Hipparcos and Gaia by reaching a precision that is improved by two orders of magnitude on pointed targets compared to Gaia. We present the free-flyer concept that has been submitted to the 2010 ESA call for M3 missions with two satellites flying in formation 40m apart.

At present time there are investigations of precession and nutation for very different celestial multi-layer bodies: the Earth (Getino 1995), Moon (Gusev 2010), planets of Solar system (Gusev 2010) and pulsars (Link et al. 2007). The long-periodic precession phenomenon was detected for few pulsars: PSR B1828-11, PSR B1557-50, PSR 2217+47, PSR 0531+21, PSR B0833-45, and PSR B1642-03. Stairs, Lyne & Shemar (2000) have found that the arrival-time residuals from PSR B1828-11 vary periodically with a different periods. According to our model, the neutron star has the rigid crust (RC), the fluid outer core (FOC) and the solid inner core (SIC). The model explains generation of four modes in the rotation of the pulsar: two modes of Chandler wobble (CW, ICW) and two modes connecting with free core nutation (FCN, FICN) (Gusev & Kitiashvili 2008). We are propose the explanation for all harmonics of Time of Arrival (TOA) pulses variations as precession of a neutron star owing to differential rotation of RC, FOC and crystal SIC of the pulsar PSR B1828-11: 250, 500, 1000 days. We used canonical method for interpretation TOA variations by Chandler Wobble (CW) and Free Core Nutation (FCN) of pulsar.

The two - layer model can explain occurrence twin additional fashions in rotation pole motion of a NS: CW and FCN. In the frame of the three-layer model we investigate the free rotation of dynamically-symmetrical PSR by Hamilton methods. Correctly extending theory of SIC-FOC-RC differential rotation for neutron star, we investigated dependence CW, ICW, FCN and FICN periods from flatness of different layers of pulsar.

Our investigation showed that interaction between rigid crust, RIC and LOC can be characterized by four modes of periodic variations of rotation pole: CW, retrograde Free Core Nutation (FCN), prograde Free Inner Core Nutation (FICN) and Inner Core Wobble (ICW). In the frame of the three-layer model we proposed the explanation for all pulse fluctuations by differential rotation crust, outer core and inner core of the neutron star and received estimations of dynamical flattening of the pulsar inner and outer cores, including the heat dissipation. We have offered the realistic model of the dynamical pulsar structure and two explanations of the feature of flattened of the crust, the outer core and the inner core of the pulsar.

OH(1720 MHz) masers are created by the interaction of supernova remnants with molecular clouds. These masers are pumped by collisions in warm, shocked molecular gas with OH column densities in the range 1016–1017, cm−2. Excitation calculations suggest that inversion of the 6049 MHz OH line may occur at the higher column densities that have been inferred from main-line absorption studies of supernova remnants with the Green Bank Telescope. OH(6049 MHz) masers have therefore been proposed as a complementary indicator of remnant-cloud interaction.

This motivated searches for 6049 MHz maser emission from supernova remnants using the Parkes 63 m and Effelsberg 100 m telescopes, and the Australia Telescope Compact Array. A total of forty-one remnants have been examined by one or more of these surveys, but without success. To check the accuracy of the OH column densities inferred from the single-dish observations we modelled OH absorption at 1667 MHz observed with the Very Large Array towards three supernova remnants, IC 443, W44 and 3C 391. The results are mixed – the OH column is revised upwards in IC443, downwards in 3C391, and is somewhat reduced in W44. We conclude that OH columns exceeding 1017 cm−2 are indeed present in some supernova remnants and so the lack of any detections is not explained by low OH column density. We discuss the possibility that non-local line overlap is responsible for suppressing the inversion of the 6049 MHz line.

We present initial results from adaptive optics deep imaging in the Ks-band of QSO UM402 (zem=2.856), with the IRCS camera on Subaru telescope.

We show that Monte Carlo simulations of the TP-AGB stellar population in the LMC and SMC galaxies using the CB* models produce LF and color distributions that are in closer agreement with observations than those obtained with the BC03 and CB07 models. This is a progress report of work that will be published elsewhere.

A model with a condensed iron surface and partially ionized hydrogen-thin atmosphere allows us to fit simultaneously the observed general spectral shape and the broad absorption feature (observed at 0.3 keV) in different spin phases of the isolated neutron star RBS 1223. We constrain some physical properties of the X-ray emitting areas, i.e. the temperatures (Tpole1 ~ 105 eV, Tpole2 ~ 99 eV), magnetic field strengths (Bpole1 ≈ Bpole2 ~ 8.6 × 1013 G) at the poles, and their distribution parameters (a1 ~ 0.61, a2 ~ 0.29, indicating an absence of strong toroidal magnetic field component). In addition, we are able to place some constraints on the geometry of the emerging X-ray emission and the gravitational redshift (z ~ 0.160.03−0.01) of the isolated neutron star RBS 1223.

It has been suggested that the CO line width (FWHM(CO)) is a surrogate for the bulge velocity dispersion (σ) of the host galaxies of high-redshift quasars, and the black hole – bulge (M−σ) relation obtained with this assumption departs significantly from the M−σ relation in the local universe. Based on an investigation of the correlation between the CO line width and the bulge velocity dispersion using a sample of 33 nearby Seyfert galaxies, we find that the formula adopted in previous studies, σ=FWHM(CO)/2.35, is generally not a good approximation. By involving the galactic inclination angle i as an additional parameter, we obtain a tight correlation between the inclination-corrected CO line width and the bulge velocity dispersion, namely, FWHM(CO)/sin i=−67.16±80.18+(3.62±0.68)σ. Using this new relation, we can better estimate the bulge velocity dispersion from the CO line width if the galactic inclination is known. We apply this new relation to nine high-redshift quasars with CO line detections and find that they are consistent with the local M−σ relation if their inclination angles are around 15°. The possible smaller inclinations of the high-redshift quasars are preferred because of their relatively greater likelihood of detection, and are also consistent with their relatively smaller CO line widths compared to the submillimeter galaxies (SMGs) at high redshift having a similar total amount of molecular gas.

Using the magnetograms observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, we statistically study the ephemeral regions (ERs) of the Sun. we notice that the areas with locations around S15° and N25° have larger ER number density, implying that the generation of ERs may be affected by the large-scale background fields from dispersed active regions. According to their evolution, the ERs can be classified into two types, i.e., normal ERs (2798 ones) and self-canceled ERs (190 ones). Submergence of initial magnetic flux loops connecting the opposite dipolar polarities may lead to the self-cancellation.

Templates and models of galaxy spectra are often essential for determining the physical properties of galaxies. Many commonly used templates have large systematic errors, which significantly impact photometric redshifts and k-corrections. We present a new library of 110 galaxy template spectra spanning from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. The templates combine optical, Spitzer and Akari spectra with MAGPHYS models, all normalised and verified with matched aperture photometry. Our library contains more galaxies, spans a broader range of colours and has smaller systematic errors than previous libraries of galaxy spectra.

We report on 36 and 44 GHz Class I methanol (CH3OH) maser emission in the Sagittarius A (Sgr A) region with the Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA). At least three different maser transitions tracing shocked regions in the cm-wave radio regime can be found in Sgr A. 44 GHz masers correlate with the positions and velocities of 36 GHz CH3OH masers, but the methanol masers correlate less with 1720 MHz OH masers. Our results agree with theoretical predictions that the densities and temperatures conducive for 1720 MHz OH masers may also produce 36 and 44 GHz CH3OH maser emission. However, many 44 GHz masers do not overlap with 36 GHz methanol masers, suggesting that 44 GHz masers also arise in regions too hot and too dense for 36 GHz masers to form. This agrees with the non-detection of 1720 MHz OH masers in the same area, which are thought to be excited under cooler or denser conditions. We speculate that the geometry of the bright 36 GHz masers in Sgr A East outlines the location of a SNR shock front.

The α-effect is central to magnetic field generation in αΩ dynamo theory (Parker, 1955), however, it lacked observational and experimental supports over a long term (Sokoloff, 2007). Mirror asymmetries of magnetic field (magnetic helicity) were not observed until the recent 20 years (Seehafer, 1990; Pevtsov et al., 1995, Bao & Zhang, 1998). Later, the advancement in local helioseismology has made possible the measurements of solar subsurface velocity field and the vorticity (or kinetic helicity) as well (Zhao & Kosovichev, 2003). Apparently, frozen flow with the magnetic field in the fluid of high magnetic Reynold number is a necessary condition for the α-effect in the framework of Parker's dynamo model.

Recent observations by Jensen et al. of Hα absorption by the upper atmosphere of HD189733b have motivated the need for a theoretical understanding of the distribution of n=2 hydrogen within hot Jupiter atmospheres. With this in mind, we model the n=2 state of atomic hydrogen in a hydrostatic atmosphere in thermal and photoionization equilibrium. Both collisional and radiative transitions are included in the calculation of the n = 2 state level population. In our model, the Hα absorption is dominated by a τ ~ 1 shell composed of metastable 2s hydrogen located within the neutral atomic layer, with the contribution coming roughly uniformly throughout the layer instead of from a specific impact parameter. An ionization rate an order of magnitude over the expected value can reproduce the observed transit depth.

We present and highlight the first results of the three main exoplanet surveys we are currently conducting at Universidad de Chile: CHEPS, Red Giant Exoplanets (radial velocity), and TraMoS (transit lightcurves). We have several interesting candidates at the Calan-Hertfordshire Extrasolar Planet Search (CHEPS) project, which is aimed at searching for the currently missing southern bright transiting planets at a few m/s radial velocity precision. Using the same technique, we are also characterizing the planetary population in a constrained sample of Red Giant stars. The Transit Monitoring from the South (TraMoS) project is aimed both at improving transit parameters and at detecting any kind of lightcurve variability from several known southern exoplanet systems.

The Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) is a project aimed to discover transients in the Universe, including Type Ia supernovae, core-collapse supernovae, and other exotic and rare transient events. PTF utilizes the Palomar 48-inch Telescope (P48) for discovering the transients, and follow-up mainly by the Palomar 60-inch Telescope (P60, for photometric light and color curves), as well as other telescopes. The discovery rate of PTF is about 7000 candidate transients per year, but currently only about 10% of the candidates are being followed-up and classified. To overcome this shortcoming, a dedicated spectrograph, called the SED Machine, is being designed and built at the California Institute of Technology for the P60 Telescope, aiming to maximize the classification efficiency of transients discovered by PTF. The SED Machine is a low resolution (R ~ 100) IFU spectrograph. It consists of a rainbow camera for spectrophotometric calibration, and a lenslet array plus 3-prism optics system for integrated field spectra. An overview of the science and design of the SED Machine is presented here.

I model changes in cyclotron line energy with luminosity, considering the effect of polar cap dimensions and changes in beam pattern as well as shock height. Cyclotron lines are calculated by a superposition of a large number of cyclotron lines formed in different heights of an accretion column. Cyclotron line energy has been observed to change with luminosity in a number of accreting X-ray pulsars. In X0115+63 and V0332+53, the fundamental cyclotron line energy has been observed to decrease with increasing luminosity. This phenomenon has been interpreted as a change in shock height with luminosity. However, the rate of the change seems to be very different, in which the line energy in V0332+53 seems to vary slowly with luminosity compared with that in X0115+63. I found that the changes in the cyclotron line energies with luminosity can be explained by changes in beam pattern and the size of a polar cap rather than a shock height.

Hydrogen radio recombination line (RRL) masers are a rare phenomenon in star forming regions. Since RRL masers were first detected in 1989 toward the emission line star MWC349A, several single-dish surveys at millimeter wavelengths have been carried out to detect other RRL maser objects. However, although RRL maser amplification is expected to appear at wavelengths <2mm, MWC349A still remains as the only RRL maser object known to date. In this contribution, I will present our recent findings of two new RRL maser objects with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) toward the massive star forming regions Cepheus A HW2 and MonR2-IRS2. Sub-millimeter observations with interferometers such as the SMA and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) open the possibility to detect a much larger sample of RRL maser objects, where very detailed information about the kinematics and physical structure of the innermost ionized regions can be obtained toward these objects.