We present SDO/AIA observations of a potentially novel type of prominence, called “funnel prominence”, that forms out of coronal condensation at magnetic dips.

They can drain a large amount of mass (up to ~1015 g day−1) and may play an important role as return flows of the chromosphere-corona mass cycle.

Weihai Echelle Spectrograph (WES) is the first the fiber-fed echelle spectrograph in China. WES can provide data for the studies of metal abundance of stars, exoplanets researches and asteroseismology, etc. A brief description of its design and performance is given.

The solar research program at Oukaimeden Observatory started in 1988 with the helioseimological IRIS network. The Moroccan researchers involved in this research have analyzed solar observations in order to detect and characterize the solar sphere modes of oscillations. In the coming year, the researchers at the Oukaimeden Observatory will add new research capabilities by joining the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI), installing a suite of optical instruments, comprising a Remote Equatorial Nighttime Observatory of Ionospheric Regions (RENOIR). The scope and objectives to be achieved in this proposed project are to:

• • deploy a Fabry-Perot interferometer and wide-angle imaging system to the Observatoire Astronomique Universitaire de LOukaimeden;

• • train students and researchers from Cadi Ayyad University on the operation of the equipment and related analysis techniques;

• • collect and analyze data from the equipment to study properties of upper-atmospheric winds and temperatures and how they relate to the occurrence of space weather; and

• • develop an international collaboration network with other researchers using similar instrumentation in Brazil and Peru. We will present here the plan we intend to develop for the Moroccan solar program in connection with ISWI.

Starting in 2013, Gaia will deliver highly accurate astrometric data, which eventually will supersede most other stellar catalogues in accuracy and completeness. It is, however, limited to observations from magnitude 6 to 20 and will therefore not include the brightest stars. Nano-JASMINE, an ultrasmall Japanese astrometry satellite, will observe these bright stars, but with much lower accuracy. Hence, the Hipparcos catalogue from 1997 will likely remain the main source of accurate distances to bright nearby stars. We are investigating how this might be improved by optimally combining data from all three missions through a joint astrometric solution. This would take advantage of the unique features of each mission: the historic bright-star measurements of Hipparcos, the updated bright-star observations of Nano-JASMINE, and the very accurate reference frame of Gaia. The long temporal baseline between the missions provides additional benefits for the determination of proper motions and binary detection, which indirectly improve the parallax determination further. We present a quantitative analysis of the expected gains based on simulated data for all three missions.

In this work, we report two distinct peculiar “dimming channels” observed in all the seven EUV wavelengths around AR 11520 by SDO/AIA on July 12, 2012. Our results show that: (1) the two dimming channels are very narrow and the intensity in them dropped fierce; (2) specially, some flare ribbons appeared at the edge and prior to the appearance of dimming channels, which is a rare phenomenon; (3) the dimming channels seem to be located at the boundaries of some magnetic networks (or supergranules).

Studying the properties of the few compact massive galaxies that exist in the local Universe (Trujillo et al. 2009) might provide a closer look to the nature of their high redshift (z ≥ 1.0) massive counterparts. By this means we have characterized their main kinematics, structural properties, stellar populations and star formation histories with a set of new high quality spectroscopic and imaging data (Ferré-Mateu et al. 2012 and Trujillo et al. 2012). These galaxies seem to be truly unique, as they do not follow the characteristic kinematics, stellar surface mass density profiles and stellar population patterns of present-day massive ellipticals or spirals of similar mass. They are, instead, more alike their high-z analogs.

Summarizing, local compact massive galaxies are rare, unique and the perfect laboratory to study their high redshift counterparts.

We report multi-epoch VLBI observations of molecular masers towards the high-mass star forming region AFGL 5142, leading to the determination of the 3D velocity field of circumstellar molecular gas at radii <0.″23 (or 400 AU) from the protostar MM–1. Our observations of CH3OH maser emission enabled, for the first time, a direct measurement of infall of a molecular envelope on to an intermediate-mass protostar (radius of 300 AU, velocity of 5 km s−1, and infall rate of 6 × 10−4n8M⊙ yr−1, where n8 is the ambient volume density in units of 108 cm−3). In addition, our measurements of H2O maser (and radio continuum) emission revealed a collimated bipolar molecular outflow (and ionized jet) from MM–1. The evidence of simultaneous accretion and outflow at small spatial scales, makes AFGL 5142 an extremely compelling target for high-angular resolution studies of high-mass star formation.

We have observed Arp 270 using the GHαFaS Fabry-Perot spectrometer on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope (La Palma). In the edge-on companion we detect a radial gas inflow of ∼ 0.36 M⊙/yr to the centre and also an axially confined outflow of ∼ 0.24 M⊙/yr from the nucleus in two opposing directions. We find two different behaviors between the physical properties of the HII regions. We suggest as a possible explanation a sub and supersonic regime.

A class of compact cold stars in the presence of strange matter is obtained for a pseudo-spheroidal geometry. Considering the strange matter equation of state $p = \frac{1}{3}(\rho-4B)$ with pressure anisotropy described by Vaidya-Tikekar metric, we determine the parameter B both inside and on the surface of the star for different values of anisotropy parameter α. In the anisotropic case, we note that a stable model of a compact star may be realized.

The dust measured in debris disks traces the position of planetesimal belts. In our Solar System, we are also able to measure the largest planetesimals directly and can extrapolate down to make an estimate of the dust. The zodiacal dust from the asteroid belt is better constrained than the only rudimentary measurements of Kuiper belt dust. Dust models will thus be based on the current orbital distribution of the larger bodies which provide the collisional source. The orbital distribution of many Kuiper belt objects is strongly affected by dynamical interactions with Neptune, and the structure cannot be understood without taking this into account. We present the debiased Kuiper belt as measured by the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey (CFEPS). This model includes the absolute populations for objects with diameters >100 km, measured orbital distributions, and size distributions of the components of the Kuiper belt: the classical belt (hot, stirred, and kernel components), the scattering disk, the detached objects, and the resonant objects (1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 including Kozai subcomponent, 5:3, 7:4, 2:1, 7:3, 5:2, 3:1, and 5:1). Because a large fraction of known debris disks are consistent with dust at Kuiper belt distances from the host stars, the CFEPS Kuiper belt model provides an excellent starting point for a debris disk model, as the dynamical interactions with planets interior to the disk are well-understood and can be precisely modelled using orbital integrations.

We found evidence for the super–orbital modulation in the X-ray emission of LS I + 61°303 from the longest monitoring date by the RXTE. The time evolution of the modulated fraction in the orbital light curves can be well fitted with a sinusoidal function having a super-orbital period of 1667 days. However, we have found a 281.8±44.6 day shift between the super-orbital variability found at radio frequencies and our X-ray data. We also find a super-orbital modulation in the maximum count rate of the orbital light curves, compatible with the former results, including the shift.

Since the discovery of the transiting Super-Earth CoRoT-7b, several investigations have been made of the number and precise masses of planets present in the system, but they all yield different results, owing to the star's high level of activity. Radial velocity (RV) variations induced by stellar activity therefore need to be modelled and removed to allow a reliable detection of all planets in the system. We re-observed CoRoT-7 in January 2012 with both HARPS and the CoRoT satellite, so that we now have the benefit of simultaneous RV and photometric data. We fitted the off-transit variations in the CoRoT lightcurve using a harmonic decomposition similar to that implemented in Queloz et al. (2009). This fit was then used to model the stellar RV contribution, according to the methods described by Aigrain et al. (2011). This model was incorporated into a Monte Carlo Markov Chain in order to make a precise determination of the orbits of CoRoT-7b and CoRoT-7c. We also assess the evidence for the presence of one or two additional planetary companions.

Supermassive black holes (BHs) have been found in 75 galaxies by observing spatially resolved dynamics. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) revolutionized BH work by advancing the subject from its ‘proof of concept’ phase into quantitative studies of BH demographics. Most influential was the discovery of a tight correlation between BH masses M• and the velocity dispersions σ of stars in the host galaxy bulge components at radii where the stars mostly feel each other and not the BH. Together with correlations between M• and bulge luminosity, with the ‘missing light’ that defines galaxy cores, and with numbers of globular clusters, this has led to the conclusion that BHs and bulges coevolve by regulating each other's growth. This simple picture with one set of correlations for all galaxies dominated BH work in the past decade.

New results are now replacing the above, simple story with a richer and more plausible picture in which BHs correlate differently with different kinds of galaxy components. BHs with masses of 105—106M⊙ live in some bulgeless galaxies. So classical (merger-built) bulges are not necessary equipment for BH formation. On the other hand, while they live in galaxy disks, BHs do not correlate with galaxy disks or with disk-grown pseudobulges. They also have no special correlation with dark matter halos beyond the fact that halo gravity controls galaxy formation. This leads to the suggestion that there are two modes of BH feeding, (1) local, secular and episodic feeding of small BHs in largely bulgeless galaxies that involves too little energy feedback to drive BH–host-galaxy coevolution and (2) global feeding in major galaxy mergers that rapidly grows giant BHs in short-duration events whose energy feedback does affect galaxy formation. After these quasar-like phases, maintenance-mode BH feedback into hot, X-ray-emitting gas continues to have a primarily negative effect in preventing late-time star formation when cold gas or gas-rich galaxies get accreted. Finally, the highest-mass galaxies inherit coevolution effects from smaller galaxies; the tightness of their BH correlations is caused mainly by averaging during dissipationless major mergers.

In this work, we investigate the power source of the most energetic giant outbursts in MS 0735 + 7421, which released ~ 1062 erg of energy. Due to the very high mean jet power in the cavities (Pjet/LEdd ~ 0.02), we produce several jet formation models based on a relativistic thin disk model, i.e., general BP + BZ mechanisms (model A), Livio's (model B) and Meier's (model C) model, to explain the giant outbursts in AGNs. It is found that the energy provided by both model B and model C are inadequate for an initial black hole spin a0 ~ 0.1, only model A can explain the most violent outbursts in MS 0735 + 7421. But if the initial black hole spin a0 ~ 0.95, model B can also blow up the cavity. The final spin of the black hole is found to be very high in spite of the initial spin.

The ‘holy grail’ of exoplanet research today is the detection of an earth-like planet: a rocky planet in the habitable zone around a main-sequence star. Extremely precise Doppler spectroscopy is an indispensable tool to find and characterize earth-like planets; however, to find these planets around solar-type stars, we need nearly one order of magnitude better radial velocity (RV) precision than the best current spectrographs provide. Recent developments in astrophotonics (Bland-Hawthorn & Horton 2006, Bland-Hawthorn et al. 2010) and adaptive optics (AO) enable single mode fiber (SMF) fed, high resolution spectrographs, which can realize the next step in precision. SMF feeds have intrinsic advantages over multimode fiber or slit coupled spectrographs: The intensity distribution at the fiber exit is extremely stable, and as a result the line spread function of a well-designed spectrograph is fully decoupled from input coupling conditions, like guiding or seeing variations (Ihle et al. 2010). Modal noise, a limiting factor in current multimode fiber fed instruments (Baudrand & Walker 2001), can be eliminated by proper design, and the diffraction limited input to the spectrograph allows for very compact instrument designs, which provide excellent optomechanical stability. A SMF is the ideal interface for new, very precise wavelength calibrators, like laser frequency combs (Steinmetz et al. 2008, Osterman et al. 2012), or SMF based Fabry-Perot Etalons (Halverson et al. 2013). At near infrared wavelengths, these technologies are ready to be implemented in on-sky instruments, or already in use. We discuss a novel concept for such a spectrograph.

An Ensemble Pulsar Time Scale (EPT) is derived based on the Pulsar Timing Array. It is interesting to compare the EPT with the TT terrestrial time scale, and get many new realization on the pulsar time scale and the algorithm. Some future interesting applications of the EPT are described and discussed.

In the absence of any form of feedback heating, the gas in the central regions of massive relaxed cluster should cool and initiate a cooling flow. The presence/efficiency of an additional heating and the ultimate fate of the cooling gas is the subject of an extensive debate. In the last decade, molecular and atomic gas have been found in many Brightest Cluster Galaxies. I will review these observational results and discuss their implication for galaxy formation/evolution, in the perspective of ALMA.

In the present study, we consider where large, stable solar filaments form relative to underlying magnetic polarities. We find that 92% of all large stable filaments form in magnetic configurations involving the interaction of two or more bipoles. Only 7% form above the Polarity Inversion Line (PIL) of a single bipole. This indicates that a key element in the formation of large-scale stable filaments is the convergence of magnetic flux, resulting in either flux cancellation or coronal reconnection.

We report a trigonometric parallax measurement for the H2O masers around the protoplanetary nebula OH 231.8+4.2 carried out with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). Based on astrometric monitoring for 1 year, we measured a parallax of 0.65 ± 0.01 mas, corresponding to a distance of 1.54 +0.02−0.01 kpc. The spatial distribution of H2O masers is consistent with that found in the previous studies. After removing the average proper motion of 1.4 mas yr−1, corresponding to 10 km s−1, the internal motions of the H2O maser spots indicate a bipolar outflow.

We carried out astrometric observations with VERA of H2O masers in ON1 and ON2N. The measured distances to ON1 and ON2N are 2.47 ± 0.11 and 3.83 ± 0.13 kpc, respectively. We found that ON1 and ON2N are located near the tangent point and the Solar circle, respectively. We derive an angular velocity of the Galactic rotation at the Sun's position (i.e. the ratio of the Galactic constants) of 28 ± 2 km s−1 kpc−1 using the measured distances and three-dimensional velocity components of the two sources. This value is consistent with recent estimates obtained using Very Long Baseline Interferometry but different from the IAU-recommended value of 25.9 km s−1 kpc−1.