We introduced our preliminary results of chromospheric activity of late-type stars based on the stellar spectrum of the pilot survey of the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST, also called Guo Shou Jing telescope). We have found 1151 active M stars from 17471 M samples using the chromospheric active indicator of the Hα line.

From theoretical analysis and site testing work for 4 years on Dome A, Antarctica, we can reasonably predict that it is a very good astronomical site, as good as or even better than Dome C and suitable for observations ranging from optical to infrared & sub-mm wavelengths. After the Chinese Small Telescope ARray (CSTAR), which was composed of four small fixed telescopes with diameter of 145mm and the three Antarctic Survey Telescopes (AST3) with 500mm entrance diameter, the Kunlun Dark Universe Survey Telescope (KDUST) with diameter of 2.5m is proposed. KDUST will adopt an innovative optical system which can deliver very good image quality over a 2 square degree flat field of view. Some other features are: a fixed focus suitable for different instruments, active optics for miscollimation correction, a lens-prisms that can be used as an atmospheric dispersion corrector or as a very low-dispersion spectrometer when moved in / out of the main optical path without changing the performance of the system, and a compact structure to make easier transportation to Dome A. KDUST will be mounted on a tower with height 15m in order to make a full use of the superb free atmospheric seeing.

It has recently been shown that there is a close correlation between the slowdown rates and the pulse shapes of six pulsars, and between the slowdown rates and the flux density of three others. This indicates that these phenomena are related by changes in the current flows in the pulsar magnetospheres. In this paper we review the observational status of these studies, which have now been extended to a total of 16 pulsars having correlated slowdown and pulse emission properties. The changes seem to be due to sudden switching between just two discrete magnetospheric states in the well-known processes of mode-changing and pulse nulling. We also address how widespread these phenomena are in the wider pulsar population.

We carried out magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to reveal the formation mechanism of molecular towers observed in the central region of our galaxy. These molecular clouds can be formed by the interaction of magnetic tower jet with the interstellar gas. When the jet collides with dense HI clouds, the HI gas is compressed by the bow shock ahead of the jet. Since the density enhancement triggers the cooling instability because it increases the cooling rate, the shocked gas cools down and forms cold, dense gas. We carried out MHD simulations including the cooling. The magnetized jet which triggers the formation of the molecular column appears in global magnetohydrodynamic simulations of accretion disks, in which the magnetic loops emerging from the disk are twisted by the differential rotation between the footpoints of magnetic loops anchored to the disk. Numerical results indicate that the magnetic loops expand, and form a magnetic tower. When the ambient density is small, the propagation speed of the tower can be as large as the rotation speed of the disk. When the ambient density is high, the collision of the jet and the HI cloud forms dense molecular tower.

The close environment of Herbig stars starts to be revealed step by step and it appears to be quite complex. Many physical phenomena interplay: the dust sublimation causing a puffed-up inner rim, a dusty halo, a dusty wind or an inner gaseous component. To investigate more deeply these regions, getting images at the first Astronomical Unit scale is necessary. This has become possible with near infrared instruments on the VLTI. We have developed a new imaging method adapted to young stellar objects where we process separately the stellar component from the rest of the image to reveal the environment by using the spectral differences between these two components. We present the result of this method on the first imaging survey of Herbig stars carried out by PIONIER on the VLTI.

This review summarises current observations of masers around evolved stars and models for their location and behaviour, followed by some of the many highlights from the past 5 years. Some of these have been the fruition of long-term monitoring, a vital aspect of study of stars which are both periodically variable and prone to rapid outbursts or transition to a new evolutionary stage. Interferometric imaging of masers provide the highest-resolution probes of the stellar wind, but their exponential amplification and variability means that multiple observations are needed to investigate questions such as what drives the wind from the stellar surface; why does it accelerate slowly over many tens of stellar radii; what causes maser variability. VLBI parallaxes have improved our understanding of individual objects and of Galactic populations. Masers from wide range of binary and post-AGB objects are accessible to sensitive modern instruments, including energetic symbiotic systems. Masers have been detected up to THz frequencies with Herschel and ALMA's ability to resolve a wide range of maser and thermal lines will provide accurate constraints on physical conditions including during dust formation.

Magnetic clouds (MCs) consist of flux ropes that are ejected from the low solar corona during eruptive flares. Following their ejection, they propagate in the interplanetary medium where they can be detected by in situ instruments and heliospheric imagers onboard spacecraft. Although in situ measurements give a wide range of data, these only depict the nature of the MC along the unidirectional trajectory crossing of a spacecraft. As such, direct 3D measurements of MC characteristics are impossible. From a statistical analysis of a wide range of MCs detected at 1 AU by the Wind spacecraft, we propose different methods to deduce the most probable magnetic cloud axis shape. These methods include the comparison of synthetic distributions with observed distributions of the axis orientation, as well as the direct integration of observed probability distribution to deduce the global MC axis shape. The overall shape given by those two methods is then compared with 2D heliospheric images of a propagating MC and we find similar geometrical features.

A persistent difficulty in terrestrial planet formation models is creating Mars analogs with the appropriate mass: Mars is typically an order of magnitude too large in simulations. Some recent work found that a small Mars can be created if the planetesimal disk from which the planets form has an outermost edge at 1.0 AU. However, that work and no previous work could produce a truncation of the planetesimal disk while also explaining the mass and structure of the asteroid belt. We show that gas-driven migration of Jupiter inward to 1.5 AU, before its subsequent outward migration, can truncate the disk and repopulate the asteroid belt. This dramatic migration history of Jupiter suggests that the dynamical behavior of our giant planets was more similar to that inferred for extra-solar planets than previously thought, as both have been characterised by substantial radial migration.

NGC 1266 is a nearby field galaxy observed as part of the ATLAS3D survey (Cappellari et al. 2011). NGC 1266 has been shown to host a compact (< 200 pc) molecular disk and a mass-loaded molecular outflow driven by the AGN (Alatalo et al. 2011). Very Long Basline Array (VLBA) observations at 1.65 GHz revealed a compact (diameter < 1.2 pc), high brightness temperature continuum source most consistent with a low-level AGN origin. The VLBA continuum source is positioned at the center of the molecular disk and may be responsible for the expulsion of molecular gas in NGC 1266. Thus, the candidate AGN-driven molecular outflow in NGC 1266 supports the picture in which AGNs do play a significant role in the quenching of star formation and ultimately the evolution of the red sequence of galaxies.

We present a study of galaxy sizes in the local Universe as a function of galaxy environment, comparing clusters and the general field. Galaxies with radii and masses comparable to high-z massive and compact galaxies represent 4.4% of all galaxies more massive than 3 × 1010M⊙ in the field. Such galaxies are 3 times more frequent in clusters than in the field. Most of them are early-type galaxies with intermediate to old stellar populations. There is a trend of smaller radii for older luminosity-weighted ages at fixed galaxy mass. We show the relation between size and luminosity-weighted age for galaxies of different stellar masses and in different environments. We compare with high-z data to quantify the evolution of galaxy sizes. We find that, once the progenitor bias due to the relation between galaxy size and stellar age is removed, the average amount of size evolution of individual galaxies between high- and low-z is mild, of the order of a factor 1.6.

Accurate geometric distances, which are inherently free of systematic effects are of very great importance for an independent recalibration of extragalactic distance estimators. Local Group galaxies are close enough for both primary and secondary distance indicators to be readily isolated in ground- and space-based observations. Astrometric accuracies of a few micro-arcseconds based on Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of water masers in high-mass star-forming regions in nearby galaxies allow a measurement of the proper motions of these masers. Since these high-mass star-forming regions rotate with the galaxies, one can deduce a rotational parallax by comparing the known rotation curve with the proper motions of the masers. I provide an update of our previous rotation parallax of M33 and show first results of observations of the recently discovered water masers in the Andromeda galaxy (M31).

As a recently recognized class of objects exhibiting apparently cometary (sublimation-driven) activity yet orbiting completely within the main asteroid belt, main-belt comets (MBCs) have revealed the existence of present-day ice in small bodies in the inner solar system and offer an opportunity to better understand the thermal and compositional history of our solar system, and by extension, those of other planetary systems as well. Achieving these overall goals, however, will require meeting various intermediate research objectives, including discovering many more MBCs than the currently known seven objects in order to ascertain the population's true abundance and distribution, confirming that water ice sublimation is in fact the driver of activity in these objects, and improving our understanding of the physical, dynamical, and thermal evolutionary processes that have acted on this population over the age of the solar system.

General relativity has predicted the existence of gravitational waves (GW), which are waves of the distortions of space-time with two degrees of polarization and the propagation speed of light. Alternative theories predict more polarizations, up to a maximum of six, and possible frequency dependent propagation speed from the light speed. The polarization and dispersion properties of GWs shed light on the spin and mass information of gravitons. Although GWs have not been directly detected yet, their amplitude upper-bounds has been addressed by research using different types of detectors. For example, the amplitude upper-bounds for the stochastic background derived from pulsar timing observations have already become astrophysically interesting. The present paper reviews proposals to test the gravity theories in the radiation regime by observing GWs using pulsar timing arrays. We also present the estimation for the upper-bounds on the amplitude of alternative modes for the stochastic background of GW.

We alert the community to a paradigm method to calibrate a range of standard candles by means of well-calibrated photometry of eclipsing binaries in star clusters. In particular, we re-examine systems studied as part of our Binaries-in-Clusters program, and previously analyzed with earlier versions of the Wilson–Devinney light-curve modeling program. We make use of the 2010 version of this program, which incorporates a procedure to estimate the distance to an eclipsing system directly, as a system parameter, and is thus dependent on the data and analysis model alone. As such, the derived distance is accorded a standard error, independent of any additional assumptions or approximations that such analyses conventionally require.

We study the evolution of SNRs in starburst regions taking into consideration the role of the high ambient pressure and the influence of gravitational forces from the stellar component within the shell of a SNR. On this basis, we discuss the connection between the radio, infrared, and gamma emissions from starburst regions.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are eruptive events that originate, propagate away from the Sun, and carry along solar material with embedded solar magnetic field. Some are accompanied by prominence eruptions. A subset of the interplanetary counterparts of CMEs (ICMEs), so-called Magnetic Clouds (MCs) can be characterized by magnetic flux-rope structures. We apply the Grad-Shafranov (GS) reconstruction technique to examine the configuration of MCs and to derive relevant physical quantities, such as magnetic flux content, relative magnetic helicity, and the field-line twist, etc. Both observational analyses of solar source region characteristics including flaring and associated magnetic reconnection process, and the corresponding MC structures were carried out. We summarize the main properties of selected events with and without associated prominence eruptions. In particular, we show the field-line twist distribution and the intercomparison of magnetic flux for these flux-rope structures.

The Galaxy And Mass Assembly Survey (GAMA) has now been operating for almost 5 years gathering spectroscopic redshifts for five regions of sky spanning 300 sq degrees in total to a depth of r < 19.8 mag. The survey has amassed over 225,000 redshifts making it the third largest redshift campaign after the SDSS and BOSS surveys. The survey has two novel features that set it apart: (1) complete and uniform sampling to a fixed flux limit (r < 19.8 mag) regardless of galaxy clustering due to multiple-visits to each sky region, enabling the construction of high-fidelity catalogues of groups and pairs, (2) co-ordination with diverse imaging campaigns which together sample an extremely broad range along the electro-magnetic spectrum from the UV (GALEX) through optical (VST KIDs), near-IR (VISTA VIKING), mid-IR (WISE), far-IR (Herschel-Atlas), 1m (GMRT), and eventually 20cm continuum and rest-frame 21cm line measurements (ASKAP DINGO). Apart from the ASKAP campaign all multi-wavelength programmes are either complete or in the final stages of observations and the UV-far-IR data are expected to be fully merged by the end of 2013. This article provides a brief flavour of the coming panchromatic database which will eventually include measurements or upper-limits across 27 wavebands for 380,000 galaxies. GAMA DR2 is scheduled for the end of January 2013.

We present a study of the observational properties of Millisecond Pulsars (MSPs) by way of their magnetic fields, spin periods and masses. These measurements are derived through the scenario of Accretion Induced Collapse (AIC) of white dwarfs (WDs) in stellar binary systems, in order to provide a greater understanding of the characteristics of MSP populations. In addition, we demonstrate a strong evolutionary connection between neutron stars and WDs with binary companions from a stellar binary evolution perspective via the AIC process.

Magnetic fields in our Galaxy and nearby galaxies have been revealed by starlight polarization, polarized emission from dust grains and clouds at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength, the Zeeman effect of spectral lines or maser lines from clouds or clumps, diffuse radio synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in interstellar magnetic fields, and the Faraday rotation of background radio sources as well as pulsars for our Milky Way. It is easy to get a global structure for magnetic fields in nearby galaxies, while we have observed many details of magnetic fields in our Milky Way, especially by using pulsar rotation measure data. In general, magnetic fields in spiral galaxies probably have a large-scale structure. The fields follow the spiral arms with or without the field direction reversals. In the halo of spiral galaxies magnetic fields exist and probably also have a large-scale structure as toroidal and poloidal fields, but seem to be slightly weaker than those in the disk. In the central region of some galaxies, poloidal fields have been detected as vertical components. Magnetic field directions in galaxies seem to have been preserved during cloud formation and star formation, from large-scale diffuse interstellar medium to molecular clouds and then to the cloud cores in star formation regions or clumps for the maser spots. Magnetic fields in galaxies are passive to dynamics.

Radio and infrared interferometry of SiO maser stars provide complementary information on the atmosphere and circumstellar environment at comparable spatial resolution. Here, we present the latest results on the atmospheric structure and the dust condensation region of AGB stars based on our recent infrared spectro-interferometric observations, which represent the environment of SiO masers. We discuss, as an example, new results from simultaneous VLTI and VLBA observations of the Mira variable AGB star R Cnc, including VLTI near- and mid-infrared interferometry, as well as VLBA observations of the SiO maser emission toward this source. We present preliminary results from a monitoring campaign of high-frequency SiO maser emission toward evolved stars obtained with the APEX telescope, which also serves as a precursor of ALMA images of the SiO emitting region. We speculate that large-scale long-period chaotic motion in the extended molecular atmosphere may be the physical reason for observed deviations from point symmetry of atmospheric molecular layers, and for the observed erratic variability of high-frequency SiO maser emission.