To investigate the missing compact star of Supernova 1987A, we analyzed the cooling and heating processes of a possible compact star based on the upper limit of observational X-ray luminosity. From the cooling process, we found that a solid quark-cluster star (SQS), having a stiffer equation of state than that of a conventional liquid quark star, has a heat capacity much smaller than a neutron star. The SQS can cool down quickly, naturally explaining the non-detection of a point source in X-ray wavelengths. On the other hand, we considered the heating processes due to magnetospheric activity and possible accretion and obtained some constraints on the parameters of a possible pulsar. Therefore, we concluded that a SQS can explain the observational limit in a confident parameter space. As a possible central compact object, the pulsar parameter constraints can be tested for SN1987A with advanced, future facilities.

We investigate the relationship between stellar mass, metallicity and gas content for a magnitude- and volume-limited sample of 260 nearby late-type galaxies in different environments. Combining new oxygen abundance measurements with ultraviolet to near-infrared photometry and Hi 21 cm line observations, we observe the relationship between stellar mass and metallicity. We also find that, at fixed stellar mass, galaxies with lower gas fractions typically possess higher oxygen abundances. Gas-poor galaxies are typically more metal-rich. Our results indicate that internal evolutionary processes, rather than environmental effects, play a key role in shaping the stellar mass-metallicity relation.

In this paper, we focus to study the frequency and time properties of a group of spikes recorded by the 1.08-2.04 GHz spectrometer of NAOC on 27 October 2003. At the first we calculate the mean and minimum bandwidth of the spikes. We apply two different methods based on the wavelet analysis according to Messmer & Benz (2000). The first method determines the dominant spike bandwidth scale based on their scalegram, and the second method is a feature detection algorithm in the time-frequency plane. Secondly the time profile of each single spike was fitted and analyzed. In particular, we determined the e-folding rise and decay times corresponding to the ascending and decaying parts of the time profile, respectively. Several important correlations were studied and compared with the results in earlier literature, i.e. those between duration and frequency, e-folding rise time and decay time, e-folding decay time and duration, and e-folding decay time and peak flux. Finally some parameters of source region were estimated and the possible decaying mechanism was discussed.

The possible presence of dust in the habitable zone around nearby main-sequence stars is considered as a major hurdle toward the direct imaging of Earth-like extrasolar planets with future dedicated space-based telescopes (e.g., Roberge et al. 2012). In this context, NASA has funded two ground-based mid-infrared nulling interferometers to combine the large apertures available at the Keck Observatory and the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). In this poster, we present the preliminary results of the extended survey carried out with the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) between 2008 and 2011 and describe the forthcoming LBTI survey.

The investigation of the quasi-normal modes of oscillation of compact stars can reveal much information about their equation of state and internal structure mainly through the analysis of the expected emission of gravitational waves. In this work we study non-radial oscillation modes of strange stars consisting of color superconducting quark matter. We focus on the fundamental and pressure oscillation modes within the frame of the Cowling approximation. We discuss the observable features that may allow a differentiation among hadronic stars, strange stars, and strange stars with color superconductivity.

The [N ii] line is a major coolant in ionized interstellar medium, and is expected to be a good star formation rate indicator. Here we present a statistical study of [N ii] line emission for a large sample of local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) using Herschel SPIRE FTS data (Lu et al. 2012; Zhao et al. 2012, in preparation). For our sample of galaxies, the [N ii] to the total infrared luminosity ratio (L[Nii]/LIR) varies from ∼ 10−5 to ∼ 10−4. We investigate the correlation between L[Nii] and LIR, as well as the dependence of L[Nii]/LIR on LIR, infrared colors (f60/f100) and the OIII 88 μm to [N ii] luminosity ratio. We find that L[Nii] strongly, and almost linearly correlates with LIR for star-forming galaxies, namely log LIR = (4.23 ± 0.33) + (0.99 ± 0.05) log L[NII] (see Fig. 1). The scatter in this relation is mainly due to the variation of hardness, and/or high ionization parameter, of the background UV field.

We investigate the advantages of imaging solar filaments and prominences in Lyman-Alpha, coupled to H-Alpha on ground, to develop more reliable precursors indicators for large flares, several hours before their occurrence.

We use data on twin kHz QPOs and measured neutron star (NS) masses to test the relation between the lower (ν1) and upper (ν2) peak frequencies predicted with the MHD Alfvén wave oscillation model (AWOM) and the general relativistic precession model (GRPM). In the context of AWOM, the NS radius can be constrained from kHz QPO data and a measured NS mass.

With kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) sources in neutron star low mass X-ray binaries (NS-LMXBs) published up to now, we analyze the centroid frequency (ν) distribution of twin kHz QPOs. We find that Atoll and Z sources show the similar distributions of ν1 and ν2, which indicate that twin kHz QPOs may be the common property of NS-LXMBs and have the similar physical origins. The mean values of ν1 and ν2 in Atoll sources are higher than those in Z sources, and we consider that this may because the QPO signals are sheltered by the thicken accretion disk or corona in Z sources. The maximums of ν2 in both Atoll and Z sources are the same order as the Keplerian orbital frequency of the NS surface, so kHz QPOs could occur near the NS surface.

Observations of the interplanetary shock provide us with strong evidences of particle acceleration to multi-MeV protons in a coronal mass ejection (CME). Diffusive shock acceleration (DSA) is an efficient mechanism for cosmic ray (CR). This work presents a dynamical Monte Carlo simulation of a CME-driven shock on 14-Dec-2006 by using a series of Gaussian scattering angular distributions. With the simulated results, we find that particle energy spectrum is affected by energy injection processes under the anisotropic scattering law.

Infrared (IR) observations provide significant information on the lifecycle of dust grains in the interstellar medium (ISM), which is crucial for the understanding of the evolution of matter in the universe. The IR spectral energy distribution (SED) of the dust emission tells us the relative abundance of sub-micron grains, very small grains, and carriers of the unidentified infrared (UIR) emission bands, since they emit the far-IR, the mid-IR, and the UIR bands from the near- to mid-IR, respectively. On the other hand, the UIR emission bands themselves offer a useful means to probe the physical conditions from which the band emission arises because each band is assigned to a specific C-H or C-C vibration mode and because its relative intensity should reflect the properties of the band carriers and the physical conditions of the environment. Here the two diagnostic methods using IR observations are briefly described together with examples of the observational results. Implications for the dust lifecycle are also discussed.

New evidence for the detection of Geminga at three low frequencies is presented. The observations were carried out on two sensitive transit radio telescopes in the range 42-112 MHz. We used three new digital receivers to detect the pulses and to obtain dynamic spectra. The exact value of the dispersion measure has been calculated.

We present the preliminary findings of an investigation of the multiplicity of debris disk stars identified within our Volume-limited A-star (VAST) multiplicity survey. Previous studies have produced conflicting results regarding the multiplicity fraction of debris disk-hosting stars compared with non-excess stars. By combining our large-scale volume-limited AO survey of A-type stars with the all-sky WISE catalogue, we have investigated the frequency of binary companions to a large sample of A-type stars with and without measured 22μm excess. The results of this study will allow for a greater understanding of the interaction between a companion star and a circumstellar debris disk, informing future study into the formation and stability of planetary-mass companions within binary systems.

We present a summary of the scientific objectives, payload and mission profile of the Space Weather & Ultraviolet Solar Variability Microsatellite Mission (SWUSV) proposed to CNES and ESA (small mission).

We gather a sample of both metal-rich and metal-poor galaxies. Both samples have oxygen abundances estimated from electron temperature (Te). The calibration of the emission-line ratio, N2(≡log([NII]6583/Hα), to oxygen abundances is then re-derived from this combined sample, finding good agreement for the wide metallicity and line-ratio ranges considered.

We examine the innermost 100 parsec scale region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 using a high spatial resolution X-ray image obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which allows comparison between X-ray emission clumps, optical narrow line ([OIII]) clouds and sub-arcsecond scale radio jet. Based on the combined X-ray, [OIII], and radio continuum morphology, we identify the locations of intense radio jet-cloud interaction. The [OIII] to soft X-ray ratios show that some of these clouds are strongly affected by shock heating. We estimate that the kinematic luminosity of the jet-driven shocks is 6 × 1038 erg s−1.

We study the correlation between the speed of two-ribbon separation and the magnetic flux density during the 2001 April 10 solar flare. A weak negative correlation is found between the ribbon separation speed (Vr) and the longitudinal magnetic flux density (Bz). In addition, we estimate the magnetic reconnection rate (Erec). Along the flare ribbons, Erec fluctuates in the small range except near the HXR source. The localized enhancement of the reconnection rate corresponds to the position of the HXR source.

We presented results using the Nearby Galaxies Legacy Survey (NGLS), which is being carried out with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) on Mauna Kea in Hawai'i. We have obtained CO J=3−2 data for 155 nearby galaxies to trace the dense molecular gas in which stars are believed to be born. The sample of this survey covers a wide morphological range and has been selected to include galaxies that have been thoroughly studied in the literature, and for which abundant observational data are available. In parallel, we have observed the same sample of galaxies using the Hα spectral line, which traces massive star formation.

Within galaxies, gas and dust are constantly exchanged between stars and the interstellar medium (ISM). The life-cycle of gas and dust is the key to the evolution of galaxies. Despite its importance, it is has been very difficult to trace the life-cycle of gas and dust via observations. The Spitzer Space Telescope and Herschel Space Observatory have provided a great opportunity to study the life-cycle of the gas and dust in very nearby galaxies, the Magellanic Clouds. AGB stars are more important contributors to the dust budget in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), while in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), SNe are dominant. However, it seems that the current estimates of the total dust production from AGB stars is insufficient to account for dust present in the ISM. Other dust sources are needed, and supernovae are promising sources. Alternatively the time scale of dust lifetime itself needs some revisions, potentially because they could be unevenly distributed in the ISM or clumps.

It is shown that there are neither necessary nor sufficient properties to provide unambiguous evidence for including any object in the AXP/SGR class.