The existence of an observed meteor shower associated with some Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is one of the few useful criteria that can be used to indicate that such an object could be a candidate for being regarded as an extinct or dormant cometary nucleus. In order to identify possible new NEA-meteor showers associations, the secular variations of the orbital elements of the NEA 2000 PG3, with comet-like albedo (0.02), and moving on a comet-like orbit, was investigated under the gravitational action of the Sun and six planets (Mercury to Saturn) over one cycle of variation of the argument of perihelion. The theoretical geocentric radiants and velocities of four possible meteor showers associated with this object are determined. Using published data, the theoretically predicted showers were identified with the night-time September Northern and Southern δ-Piscids fireball showers and several fireballs, and with the day-time meteor associations γ-Arietids and α-Piscids. The character of the orbit and low albedo of 2000 PG3, and the existence of observed meteor showers associated with 2000 PG3 provide evidence supporting the conjecture that this object may be of cometary nature.

The statistical algorithm MEMPHIS (Cubarsi & Alcobé 2006) was applied to a large sample from the Hipparcos catalogue with the full space motions (Cubarsi & Alcobé 2004), to segregate the kinematic populations of the solar neighbourhood. Four stellar populations were obtained, namely early-thin disk, young-thin disk, the whole thin disk (which contains both previous populations plus the continuum of old thin disk stars), and the thick disk population. Now, we wish to point out two main results from the analysis of such a segregation (Alcobé & Cubarsi 2005). First, the relationship between the maximum stellar velocity of a sample and its average age τ can be approximated by the relation |V|max ∝ τ. Second, the local stellar populations can be described from a Titius-Bode like law (TBLL) for the radial velocity dispersion, , so that for values n = 2, 3, 5, 8 it determines some average energy levels of discrete populations, while for continuous intervals n ≤ 5 and n ≥ 7 it describes the velocity-age evolution of thin and thick disk components, as shown in the Table below.

Thus, the velocity dispersions of the local kinematic populations seem to follow a geometrical progression, allowing us to do an analogy with the old Titius-Bode distribution for keplerian orbits, although a physical explanation for the later law remains still open (Lynch 2003). Indeed, such a TBLL in the velocity space could be already conjectured from previous published kinematic parameters of the Galactic components (e.g. Alcobé & Cubarsi 2001). As in the keplerian case, it is possible to argue that velocity dispersion values have too much uncertainty, but, even so, it is not possible to ignore anymore such a resemblance.

Such results are consistent with Galactic formation models that predict some quasi-continuous stellar populations in the sense that the continuity is constricted by σ1 levels of the TBLL. The physical meaning of the variable n involved in the TBLL may be related with the average epicycle energy ER ~ σ21 of the stars representative of the disk heating process. It shows continuity from n = 3 to 5 for the thin disk, and from 7 to 8 for the thick disk, but discreteness from n = 2 to 3 between early-thin and young-thin disk, and from 5 to 8 between thin and thick disk components. For the thin disk, for example, the level n = 5 should represent the saturation point of maximum velocity dispersion, likely corresponding to the limited predicted by the observed wavenumber of spiral structure of the Milky Way, while the discontinuity from n = 5 to 7 indicates an abrupt jump in the average energy, that was produced when the thick disk was formed about 10±1 Gyr ago.

The evolution of central stars of planetary nebulae can proceed in several distinct ways, either leading to H-deficiency or to H-normal surface composition. Several new simulations of the evolution channels that lead to H-deficiency are now available, mainly the born-again scenarios that are triggered by a He-shell flash during the hot pre-white dwarf evolution phase. A realistic AGB progenitor evolution is important for correct HRD tracks, that allow mass determinations. New hydrodynamic simulations of He-shell flash convection including cases with H-ingestion are now performed, and allow a determination of the convective extra-mixing efficiency. This has direct consequences for the intershell abundance distribution of AGB stars that can be observed in the H-deficient CSPN.

Interstellar superbubbles generated by multiple supernova explosions are common in star-forming galaxies. They are the most obvious manifestation of mechanical feedback, and are largely responsible for transferring both thermal and kinetic energy to the interstellar medium from the massive star population. However, the details of this energy transfer remain surprisingly murky when individual objects are studied. I will summarize what we currently know about candidate dominant processes on these scales.

We discuss some benefits and pitfalls when combining conceptually different types of closure approximations into complete Reynolds stress models of stellar convection.

About 1.5% of the world's professional astronomers are based Africa, yet in terms of research output, African astronomers produce less than 1% of the world's astronomical research. The advent of new large-scale facilities such as SALT and HESS provides African astronomers with tools to pursue their research on the continent. Such facilities also provide unprecedented training opportunities for the next generation of African astronomers. This paper discusses recent efforts to develop astronomy education and research capacity on the continent. Various capacity-building initiatives are discussed, as well as the lessons learnt from those initiatives.

Only stellar atmosphere models that span a wide range of optical depth can allow a correct treatment of radiative transfer at all the frequencies of the spectrum.

Most dwarf elliptical galaxies except for ‘dE, N’ galaxies which are characterized by young stellar populations in the nuclear regions are located in the high density environment. The colors and spectra of ‘dE, N’ galaxies are different from other types, in the sense that they have redder colors with little emission lines. The majority of dwarf elliptical galaxies are younger than 7 Gyr with metallicity larger than [z/H]=−0.5.

The comparison between the observed and theoretical p-mode oscillation frequencies of many orders and degrees allows a detailed determination of the internal solar structure (Christensen-Dalsgaard et al. 1996). The most recent analysis shows that one source of error in the modern description of the Sun is located in the convective layers close to the surface, in the superadiabatic region (Gabriel 1994).

We report on a high-spatial-resolution survey for binary stars in the periphery of the Orion Nebula Cluster, at 5–15 arcmin (0.65 – 2 pc) from the cluster center. We observed 228 stars with adaptive optics systems, in order to find companions at separations of 0.13 – 1.12 arcsec (60 – 500 AU), and detected 13 new binaries. Combined with the results of Petr (1998), we have a sample of 275 objects, about half of which have masses from the literature and high probabilities to be cluster members. We used an improved method to derive the completeness limits of the observations, which takes into account the elongated point spread function of stars at relatively large distances from the adaptive optics guide star. The multiplicity of stars with masses >2 M⊙ is found to be significantly larger than that of low-mass stars. The companion star frequency of low-mass stars is comparable to that of main-sequence M-dwarfs, less than half that of solar-type main-sequence stars, and 3.5 to 5 times lower than in the Taurus-Auriga and Scorpius-Centaurus star-forming regions. We find the binary frequency of low-mass stars in the periphery of the cluster to be the same or only slightly higher than for stars in the cluster core (< 3′ from θ1C Ori). This is in contrast to the prediction of the theory that the low binary frequency in the cluster is caused by the disruption of binaries due to dynamical interactions. There are two ways out of this dilemma: Either the initial binary frequency in the Orion Nebula Cluster was lower than in Taurus-Auriga, or the Orion Nebula Cluster was originally much denser and dynamically more active. A detailed report of this work has been published in Astronomy & Astrophysics (Köhler et al. 2006).

The standard torus picture for explaining the difference between Type I and Type II AGN is physically unlikely and provides no natural explanation for a number of simple facts - the average covering factor, the broad range of covering factors, and the characteristic reprocessing distance. Parsec scale warped discs are a strong alternative. A very simple “misaligned disc” model produces good agreement with covering factor statistics, but predicts too many off-axis emission line cones. I discuss possible ways to improve such a model.

The African perspectives of astronomy are explored from the point of view of using indigenous knowledge of the night sky for purposes of addressing local challenges such as food insecurity and periodic natural weather phenomena such as droughts and floods. The local ethnic groups use stellar positions, and plant and animal behaviour changes for purposes of forecasting the weather and climate for the coming seasons. These traditional indicators give rise to an interdisciplinary discourse that could benefit the community in environmental protection measures and boost the tourism industry in some countries in Africa.

The gravitational instability of shells and supershells and its relevance to the triggering of the star formation in a turbulent ISM is discussed. The IMF of the self-gravitating clumps formed out of shells is computed and triggering time is compared with the shell dissolution time due to chaotic motions.

Fourier local correlation tracking (FLCT) was applied to time series of the normal magnetic field in vector magnetograms of NOAA AR 8210, from 17:13–21:29 UT on 1998 May 1, to derive photospheric flows. These flows, combined with both the observed horizontal magnetic field and an inferred horizontal potential magnetic field, can be used to derive the flux of free magnetic energy across the photosphere. Here, we present the formalism used, as well as a map of the time-averaged free energy flux. Over the time interval covered by the magnetograms, ${\sim} 10^{31}\,$erg of free magnetic energy flowed upward across the photosphere, a significant fraction of the energy typically released in large flares coronal mass ejections (CMEs). A flare and coronal mass ejection began at 22:30 UT. We acknowledge the kind support of AFOSR's MURI program.

Cross-checking the reliability of various stellar spectral databases is an important and desirable exercise. Since number of stars in various databases have no known spectral types and some of the libraries do not have complete coverage resulting in gaps. We use an automated classification scheme based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to cross-classify stars in the Indo-US stellar spectral library (Valdes et al. 2004), JHC (Jacoby, Hunter & Christian 1984), ELODIE spectra (Moultaka et al. 2004) and STELIB (Le Borgne et al. 2003). We have also examined the effects of over-training and over-fitting on the classification efficiency of a Neural Network. It is hoped that such a automated data analysis and validation technique will be useful in the future.

Here we suggest that efficient stochastic particle re–acceleration in galaxy clusters may be driven by compressible modes. The damping of these modes is severely dominated by the TTD–resonance with thermal electrons and protons in the ICM. However, a small energy flux of these modes may be channelled into particle re-acceleration and this gives re-acceleration times of the order of ∼ 108 yrs, sufficient to mantain GeV radiating electrons in the ICM.

Only a handful of binary central stars of planetary nebulae (PNe) are known today, due to the difficulty of detecting their companions. Preliminary results from radial velocity surveys, however, seem to indicate that binarity plays a fundamental, rather than marginal role in the evolution of PNe and that the close binary fraction might be much larger than the currently known value of 10-15%. In this review, we list all the known binary central stars, giving an updated census of their numbers and selected characteristics. A review is also given of the techniques used to detect binaries as well as selected characteristics of related stellar classes which might provide constraints (or additional puzzles) to the theory of PN evolution. Finally, we will formulate the conjecture that all PNe derive from binary interactions and suggest that this is not inconsistent with our current knowledge.

Radar is a uniquely powerful source of information about near-Earth asteroid (NEA) physical properties and orbits. This review consists largely of edited excerpts from Ostro and Giorgini (2004).

We present deep Color Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs), based on HST/ACS data, of two star-forming dwarf galaxies, NGC4449 and IZw18.

We analyze three solar active regions observed with the MDI instrument onboard SoHO (Scherrer et al. 1995). We apply the time-distance helioseismology formalism to derive the travel times of acoustic waves propagating through these active regions. The inversion of these acoustic travel times gives us access to the 3D sound-speed structure below the sunspots. We compare the main characteristics of these inversion results as a function of the active region size and magnetic field strength.