Using tree-ring radiocarbon 14C data, solar cycles are now reconstructed for the last millennium, more than doubling the previously known statistic of direct solar observations and giving a new opportunity to validate basic empirical rules connecting solar cycle lengths, strengths and intensities. This includes the Waldmeier rule relating the cycle’s strength to the length of its ascending phase, and the Gnevyshev-Ohl rule suggesting that cycles are paired so that the intensity of an odd solar cycle is higher than that of the preceding even cycle. Using the extended solar-cycle statistic, we found that the Waldmeier rule remains robust for the well-defined solar cycles implying that it is an intrinsic feature of the solar cycle. However, the validity of the Gnevyshev-Ohl rule is not confirmed at any reasonable statistical level, indicating that either the insufficient accuracy of the reconstructed solar cycles or that this rule is not a robust feature.

This paper reviews our current knowledge about pulsating chemically peculiar (CP) stars. CP stars are slowly rotating upper main-sequence objects, efficiently employing diffusion in their atmospheres. They can be divided into magnetic and non-magnetic objects. Magnetic activity significantly influence their pulsational characteristics. Only a handful of magnetic, classical pulsating objects are now known. The only exceptions are about 70 rapidly oscillating Ap stars, which seem to be located within a very tight astrophysical parameter space. Still, many observational and theoretical efforts are needed to understand all important physical aspects and their interrelationships. The most important steps to reach these goals are reviewed.

Super star cluster (SSC) A1 in starburst galaxy NGC 3125 has the strongest broad He II λ1640 emission line ever observed in the nearby Universe and constitutes an important template for interpreting observations of galaxies that are located out to a redshift of z∼3. We use observations of SSC A1 obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on board of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in order to check if there is a contribution of nebular emission to the He II line. In addition, we compare the COS G130M + G160M observations of A1 (1150 – 1750∘A) to the latest Charlot & Bruzual population synthesis models, which account for Very Massive Stars (VMS) of up to 300 Mȯ. A model with Z = 0.008 and age = 2.4 Myr provides a very reasonable fit to the C III λ1175, N V λ1240, C IV λ1550, He II λ1640, and N IV λ1718 stellar-wind features, although the O V λ1371 line is not well reproduced. Overall, our results show the great improvement of stellar evolution and population synthesis models over the past decade, and in particular, the improved formulation of stellar mass loss rates.

Systems near mean-motion resonances (MMRs) are subject to large transit-timing variations (TTVs). The amplitude and period of the TTVs strongly depend on the distance to exact MMR and the planetary eccentricities which are shaped during the formation and long-term evolution of the system. For close-in planets, the tides raised by the star provide a source of dissipation, placing the planets further away from the MMR. In this work, we will discuss how the tidal interactions with the central star play an important role in shaping the period ratios and resonant angles in resonant chains. Moreover, we will show how they can impact the TTVs and therefore how the TTVs could serve as a means to put constraints on the tidal history of planetary systems. The study will focus on the four-planet resonant chain of Kepler-80.

An analysis of geomagnetic disturbances and global ionospheric electron density perturbations during the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day geomagnetic storm is presented in this paper. GPS observations from worldwide IGS stations are used and analysed through GPS-TEC analysis application developed by Gopi Seemala to get VTEC profiles. The St. Patrick’s geomagnetic storm covers the interval of 15-23 March 2015, when transient solar eruptions (a prolonged C9-class solar flare and associated CMEs on 15 March) and a strong geomagnetic storm during 16-18 March (Dst dropped to -223 nT) were reported. This geomagnetic storm led to complex effects on the ionosphere. The global maps have been created after analysing VTEC profiles at Low, Mid and High-latitudes over different longitudinal sectors. Major features of the positive and negative ionospheric storm development are observed in Asian, European and American Low, Mid and High-latitudes.

Extragalactic maser sources are unique tools to derive fundamental physical quantities of the host galaxies, e.g, geometry of accretion disks around super-massive black holes and precise black hole masses, and study in detail the interaction region of nuclear jets/outflows with the interstellar medium, in nearby and distant Active Galactic Nuclei. So far, however, extragalactic maser searches have yielded detection of few percent, and only relatively few maser sources have been found. Because of their unprecedented sensitivity, new upcoming facilities, like the SKA and the ngVLA, will allow to significantly increase the number of known (water) maser sources. This will lead to the chance of performing statistically-relevant studies of the maser phenomenon (and its occurrence), derive extragalactic masers luminosity functions, and ultimately (in particular, through the aid of longer-baselines arrays options) to perform the studies described above for larger samples and up to cosmological distances.

Investigating the thermal and non-thermal processes in galaxies is vital to understand their evolution over cosmic time. This can best be studied by combining the radio and optical/near-infrared observations of galaxies. The JWST can resolve the evolution of the thermal processes by mapping ionized gas and dust in distant galaxies. This information combined with the upcoming surveys with the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) will make a major breakthrough in mapping the non-thermal processes and understanding their role in the evolution of galaxies. Our simulations show that SKA surveys will be able to trace the evolution history of spiral galaxies such as M 51 and NGC 6946 back to a redshift of 3 already in its first phase of construction. This study indicates the important role of the non-thermal pressure inserted by cosmic rays and magnetic fields in deriving winds and outflows at cosmic noon as deduced by a flat synchrotron spectrum in star forming galaxies.

The gravitational lensing signal produced by a galaxy or a galaxy cluster is determined by its total matter distribution, providing us with a way to directly constrain their dark matter content. State-of-the-art numerical simulations successfully reproduce many observed properties of galaxies and can be used as a source of mock observations and predictions. Many gravitational lensing studies aim at constraining the nature of dark matter, discriminating between cold dark matter and alternative models. However, many past results are based on the comparison to simulations that did not include baryonic physics. Here we show that the presence of baryons can significantly alter the predictions: we look at the structural properties (profiles and shapes) of elliptical galaxies and at the inner density slope of subhaloes. Our results demonstrate that future simulations must model the interplay between baryons and alternative dark matter, to generate realistic predictions that could significantly modify the current constraints.

We probe how common extremely rapid rotation is among massive stars in the early universe by measuring the OBe star fraction in nearby metal-poor dwarf galaxies. We apply a new method that uses broad-band photometry to measure the galaxy-wide OBe star fractions in the Magellanic Clouds and three more distant, more metal-poor dwarf galaxies. We find OBe star fractions of ∼20% in the Large Magallanic Cloud (0.5Zȯ), and ∼30% in the Small Magellanic Cloud (0.2Zȯ) as well as in the so-far unexplored metallicity range 0.1 Z/Zȯ < 0.2 occupied by the other three dwarf galaxies. Our results imply that extremely rapid rotation is common among massive stars in metal-poor environments such as the early universe.

This paper corresponds to an invited oral contribution to the session 5A organised by the IAU inter-commission B2-B5 working group (WG) “Laboratory Astrophysics Data Compilation, Validation and Standardization: from the Laboratory to FAIR usage in the Astronomical Community” at the IAU 2022 General Assembly (GA) Rengel (2022). This WG provides a platform where to discuss the Findability, Accessibility,Interoperability, Reuse (FAIR) usage of laboratory Atomic and Molecular (A&M) data in astronomy and astrophysics.

A&M data play a key role in the understanding of the physics and chemistry of processes in several research topics, including planetary science and interdisciplinary research in particular the atmospheres of planets and planetary explorations, etc. Databases, compilation of spectroscopic parameters, and facility tools are used by computer codes to interpret spectroscopic observations and simulate them. In this talk I presented existing A&M databases of interest to the planetary community focusing on access, organisation, infrastructures, limitations and issues, etc.

Pulsating variable δ Scuti stars are intermediate-mass stars with masses in the range of 1–3 δ and spectral types between A2 and F2. They can be found at the intersection of the Cepheid instability strip with the main sequence. They can be used as astrophysical laboratories to test theories of stellar evolution and pulsation. In this contribution, we investigate the observed period–colour and amplitude–colour (PCAC) relations at maximum/mean/minimum light of Galactic bulge and Large Magellanic Cloud δ Scuti stars for the first time and test the hydrogen ionization front (HIF)-photosphere interaction theory using the mesa-rsp code. The PCAC relations, as a function of pulsation phase, are crucial probes of the structure of the outer stellar envelope and provide insight into the physics of stellar pulsation and evolution. The observed behaviour of the δ Scuti PCAC relations is consistent with the theory of the interaction between the HIF and the stellar photosphere.

Like our Moon, the large icy satellites of Jupiter are thought to be in a Cassini State, an equilibrium rotation state characterized by a synchronous rotation rate and a precession rate of the rotation axis equal to that of the normal to the orbit. In these equilibrium states (up to four Cassini States are possible for a solid and rigid satellite), the spin axis of the satellite, the normal to its orbit and the normal to the inertial plane remain coplanar with an obliquity that remains theoretically constant. However, as the gravitational torque exerted on the satellite shows small periodic variations, the orientation of the rotation axis will also vary with time and nutations in obliquity will appear.

Here we present a dynamical model for the study of the Cassini States. This model includes the coupling between the polar motion and the spin axis precession/nutation which is neglected in the classical studies. We study the influence of the triaxiality of Ganymede on its four possible Cassini States, use a Toy model of the Moon to illustrate the nutations in obliquity obtained with the dynamical model, and investigate the influence of the presence of a subsurface ocean on the Cassini State I of Europa.

We present new theoretical period–luminosity (PL) and period–radius (PR) relations at multiple wavelengths (Johnson–Cousins–Glass and Gaia passbands) for a fine grid of BL Herculis models computed using mesa-rsp. The non-linear models were computed for periods typical of BL Her stars, i.e. 1 ≤ P(days) ≤ 4, covering a wide range of input parameters: metallicity (−2.0 dex ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ 0.0 dex), stellar mass (0.5–0.8 ), luminosity (50–300 ) and effective temperature (full extent of the instability strip; in steps of 50K). We investigate the impact of four sets of convection parameters on multi-wavelength properties. Most empirical relations match well with theoretical relations from the BL Her models computed using the four sets of convection parameters. No significant metallicity effects are seen in the PR relations. Another important result from our grid of BL Her models is that it supports combining PL relations of RR Lyrae and Type II Cepheids together as an alternative to classical Cepheids for the extragalactic distance scale calibration.

Stellar bars drive the galaxy secular evolution. While rotating around the galaxy centre with a given angular frequency, the bar pattern speed, they sweep material and modify the galaxy structure. In the LCDM model, bars are expected to slow down by exchanging angular momentum with the other omponents and/or through dynamical friction exerted by the dark matter halo. The only direct method to derive the bar pattern speed, the Tremaine-Weinberg method, revealed that real bars rotate fast, stressing a tension between the observations, conducted to date in the local universe, and the LCDM model. Measuring the bar pattern speed to bars up to z∼1-2 will reveal if the expected bar evolutionary path is actually taking place and/or to confirm if the dark matter is able to exert friction. Using high resolution N-body simulations we tested the applicability of the Tremaine-Weinberg method to deep spectroscopy of the NIRSpec@JWST for a sample of bars at z∼1-2. Our analysis can be used to prepare an observational proposal to get dedicated data.

We took profit of the availability of large catalogs of active galact nuclei (AGNs) selected in the hard X-ray from satellite missions (e. g., INTEGRAL, Swift/BAT) to investigate the relation between the occurrence of water maser emission and the X-ray properties of the nuclei on a statistically meaningful basis. Our studies demonstrate that the hard X-ray selection may significantly enhance the maser detection rate over comparably large optical or infrared surveys. Here, we report on a recent survey to search for water maser emission with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT) in a sample of heavily absorbed AGN taken from the 70 months Swift/BAT catalog.

Through Spectroscopy, we aim to develop the field of pulsating stars, especially the atmospheric dynamics of high amplitude pulsators such as RR Lyr and R Scuti, in order to establish new models of the mechanical and thermal behavior of their atmospheres (shock waves, relaxation time, energy loss…). We used high-resolution spectra over a total of 81 nights from made with the spectrograph Eshell during years 2013 and 2015 runs from Oukaïmeden observatory in the High Atlas mountains (Morocco) completed with made with the spectrograph ELODIE (Haute Provence observatory, France) during years 1994–1997. A detailed analysis of line profile variations over the whole pulsation cycle is performed. Shock wave velocity and lines intensity were used as indicators of atmospheric dynamics activities. We have obtained and compared our results with those obtained by the large telescopes, we have obtained thanks to our site very satisfactory results, Indeed : For RR lyr: For the first time the second apparition of Helium (D3) was detected using our Telescope (0.35m) at Oukaïmeden Observatory.

For the first time, during the phase of expansion of the star, the emission of the line D3 is visible on various phases Blazhko, including during the minimum of the cycle Blazhko.

Also, we presented the results of a long- term, high-resolution spectroscopic study of the variable star R Sct. We analyzed the features of the optical spectra of this object and found RSct shows irregular behavior in its slight variations for much of the time that it was observed. Its average period is close to 142 d, but some- times the irregularities are so strong that it is not possible to define a periodic variation.

The formation of multiples has seen some significant progress over the past years mainly due to the advent and the expansion of high-angular resolution facilities. Star-forming regions are the laboratories where massive stars can be caught right after their formation phase. Still, the observational constraints and the properties of young multiple systems are poorly documented. These proceedings contain recent results about the multiplicity properties of six young O-type stars in the M17 star-forming region, observed by the means of near-IR interferometric observations, which have provided insight into the origin of massive close binaries in a cluster environment.

Strong gravitational lensing by galaxies provides us with a powerful laboratory for testing dark matter models. Various particle models for dark matter give rise to different small-scale distributions of mass in the lens galaxy, which can be differentiated with sensitive observations. Th. The sensitivity of a gravitational lens observation to the presence (or absence) of low-mass dark structures in the lens galaxy is determined mainly by the angular resolution of the instrument and the spatial structure of the source. Here, I discuss results from the analysis of a global VLBI observation of a gravitationally lensed radio jet. With an angular resolution better than 5 milli-arcseconds and a highly extended, spatially resolved source, we are able to place competitive constraints on the particle mass in fuzzy dark matter models using this single observation. I also discuss preliminary results from our analysis of warm dark matter models using this lens system.