Using a collection of 40 debris disks (DD) around dwarf A-type stars (from which 17 are spatially resolved) having well determined stellar ages (Vican 2012), we found that for a collisional self-stirring model of flux distributions (Kenyon & Bromley, 2008, 2010) dusty DD occupy for a large part the terminal age positions corresponding the end of the MS phase. This situation does not necessarily mean that the dust generation in these DD is finished at this stage. Dusty DD can continue their lives in the next Post-MS stages, as is the case of the recent first resolved dusty DD with planets around the K-type subgiant star κ CrB. This star is considered a “retired” A star (Bonsor et al. 2013). In order to explain the apparent lack of dusty DD in the giant phase, we propose here that this could be due, in part, to a dilution of any planetesimal belt existing around these stars, with the corresponding diminishing of collisions and subsequent dust generation. This dilution is provoked by the dynamical expansion of this belt produced by the important stellar mass loss during the RGB phase. This scenario is being studied by means of numerical simulations by de la Reza, Roig & Chavero 2013 (in preparation).

Using photospheric data obtained by vector magnetograph in Huairou Solar Observing Station of China, we have statistically studied the strength evolution of several magnetic nonpotentiality measures, along with a quantified parameter characterizing the active-region magnetic complexity – effective distance, and their relationship with associated flares during the latest 22nd and 23rd solar cycles. And the flare-prediction performance of these magnetic nonpotentiality and complexity parameters is verified by a machine learning technique.

Quark matter at finite temperature and subject to strong magnetic fields is possibly present in the early stages of heavy ion collisions and in the interior of protoneutron stars. We use the mean field approximation to investigate this type of quark matter described by the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model. The energy per baryon of magnetized quark matter becomes more bound than nuclear matter made of iron nuclei, for magnetic fields around 1019 G. When the su(3) NJL model is applied to stellar matter, the maximum mass configurations are always above 1.45 solar masses and may be as high as 1.9 solar masses for a central magnetic field of 1018 G. These numbers are within the masses of observed neutron stars but exclude the recently measured star with 1.97 solar mass.

The effect of the magnetic field on the effective quark masses and chemical potentials is only felt for quite strong magnetic fields, above 5 × 1018 G, with larger effects for the lower densities. Spin polarizations are more sensitive to weaker magnetic fields and are larger for lower temperatures and lower densities.

With AKARI, we have performed a systematic study of interstellar dust grains in various environments of galaxies. In many cases, the IR emission of dust is an important tool to trace star-forming activities in galaxies. However it is much more than just star-formation tracers. AKARI has revealed the detailed properties of dust grains in regions not relevant to star formation as well, some of which are found not to follow our old empirical knowledge. Because of its unique capabilities, such as near- and far-IR spectroscopy, and all-sky coverage, AKARI has provided new knowledge on the processing of carbonaceous grains including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We present the latest results obtained from our AKARI observations of the ISM in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies.

It is known that the Z and atoll sources are two typical types of neutron-star sources in low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), which present very different Q-ν relations of lower kHz QPOs. We propose that the Z and atoll sources are two different phases in the evolutionary track of neutron star in LMXBs, instead of two types of distinct sources.

We analyse a sample of 15,019 narrow emission-line galaxies, i.e. Seyferts, LINERs, composites and star-forming galaxies, from SDSS DR7 to study the differences between the different emission-line classes. We report two clear sequences of electron temperature (Te) and density (ne): Te-LINER ≳ Te-composite > Te-Seyfert > Te-star-forming and ne-Seyfert ≳ ne-LINER > ne-composite > ne-star-forming. General transitions of ne and Te from central regions to disks are quantitatively confirmed.

Exozodiacal dust clouds are thought to be the extrasolar analogs of the Solar System's zodiacal dust. Studying these systems provides insights in the architecture of the innermost regions of planetary systems, including the Habitable Zone. Furthermore, the mere presence of the dust may result in major obstacles for direct imaging of earth-like planets. Our EXOZODI project aims to detect and study exozodiacal dust and to explain its origin. We are carrying out the first large, near-infrared interferometric survey in the northern (CHARA/FLUOR) and southern (VLTI/PIONIER) hemispheres. Preliminary results suggest a detection rate of up to 30% around A to K type stars and interesting trends with spectral type and age. We focus here on presenting the observational work carried out by our team.

SXP 1062 is an exceptional case of a young neutron star in a wind-fed high-mass X-ray binary associated with a supernova remnant. A unique combination of measured spin period, its derivative, luminosity and young age makes this source a key probe for the physics of accretion and neutron star evolution. Theoretical models proposed to explain the properties of SXP 1062 shall be tested with new data.

The discovery of a population of massive, compact and quiescent early-type galaxies has changed the view on plausible formation scenarios for the present day population of elliptical galaxies. Traditionally assumed formation histories dominated by 'single events' like early collapse or major mergers appear to be incomplete and have to be embedded in the context of hierarchical cosmological models with continuous gas accretion and the merging of small stellar systems (minor mergers). Once these processes are consistently taken into account the hierarchical models favor a two-phase assembly process and are in much better shape to capture the observed trends. We review some aspects of recent progress in the field.

The irradiation instability is a disk instability caused by the radiation pressure cast by a central source onto an optically thick disk. The criterion for this instability depends on a sharp transition from an optically thin inner disk to an optically thick outer disk. The quickly diminishing radiation pressure in this transition region creates a radially compressing effect, which is in many ways similar to the effects of self-gravity. In this modal analysis, we demonstrate that a disk marginally stable to irradiation can develop global modes, with growth rates being of order the dynamical timescale of the disk. The non-linear evolution of the our model shows the formation of vortices near the transition region and spiral structures propagating into the optically thick region. Consequently the scale-height of our disk's inner edge becomes time-variable and can likely be observed as a variation in its infrared flux.

Cyclotron resonance scattering features (CRSF) are the direct observational evidence for the strongly magnetized neutron stars. Since the first detection of the absorption line in the X-ray source Her X-1 thirty years ago, more than ten sources are indentified as the strongly magnetized neutron stars through detecting CRSFs. INTEGRAL is the new X-ray/gamma-ray mission with good angular resolution, high sensitivity and spectral resolution in the range of 18 C 200 keV, so that it provides us a good chance to detect the CRSFs in neutron star systems. INTEGRAL has confirmed the line features in 5 previous known sources and discovered 4 new candidates. Physical mechanism of CRSFs and accretion physics can be probed with detailed spectral analysis.

The Herschel-ATLAS (H-ATLAS) will provide an unrivalled sample of galaxies, probing the normal star-forming submillimetre population of galaxies for the first time. Here, we exploit the Science Demonstration Phase (SDP) data to model the evolution of the interstellar content of galaxies in recent history. The most massive H-ATLAS galaxies show a large increase in the dust content five billion years ago compared to the present epoch. These observations are difficult to explain using standard dust models, one possibility could be contributions from a non-stellar source of dust e.g. grain growth in dense clouds; this would imply that less than 10% of dust would be condensed in stellar atmospheres. Alternatively, an initial mass function which becomes top heavy at high star formation rate densities could also explain this discrepancy.

We investigated the variations of 74 microwave ZP structures observed by Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer at 2.6–3.8 GHz in 9 solar flares, found that the ratio between the plasma density scale height LN and the magnetic field scale height LB in emission source displays a tendency of decrease during the flaring process, indicates that LB increases faster than the LN during solar flares. The detailed analysis of the step-wise decrease of LN/LB in three typical X-class flares reveals the magnetic field relaxation relative to the plasma density.

We present reflection and refraction of a global EUV wave observed by SDO on August 4, 2011. The global EUV wave originated in the NOAA AR 11261 located at the solar northwest. Partial EUV wave stopped and partial EUV wave traversed through the active region 11263 during the propagation of the EUV wave. Partial EUV wave interacted with coronal hole and was reflected and refracted by coronal hole.

Using data from the ATNF pulsar catalogue, 186 binary pulsars are shown in the magnetic field versus spin period (B-P) diagram, and their relationship to the spin-up line is investigated. Generally speaking, pulsars in binary systems should be below the spin-up line when they get enough accretion mass from their companions. It is found that there are seven binary pulsars above the spin-up line. Based on the parameters of these seven binary systems, we describe possible reasons why they are above the spin-up line.

I highlight three results from cosmological hydrodynamic simulations that yield a realistic red sequence of galaxies: 1) Major galaxy mergers are not responsible for shutting off star-formation and forming the red sequence. Starvation in hot halos is. 2) Massive galaxies grow substantially (~ × 2 in mass) after being quenched, primarily via minor (1:5) mergers. 3) Hot halo quenching naturally explains why galaxies are red when they either (a) are massive or (b) live in dense environments.

Metal-rich dust disks around white dwarfs are thought to be the debris of tidally disrupted rocky bodies. While normally the number of features to study the planetary material directly is very limited, ancillary gas disks around some of these white dwarfs provide the opportunity to do so. We used our Tübingen Accretion Disk code AcDc, assuming non-LTE conditions, to model the gaseous spectrum component. We investigated the chemical mixture as well as the surface density and effective temperature, and utilized the Ca ii infrared triplet to determine the geometry of the disk.