Most stars are formed in a cluster or association, where the number density of stars can be high. This means that a large fraction of initially-single stars will undergo close encounters with other stars and/or exchange into binaries. We describe how such close encounters and exchange encounters can affect the properties of a planetary system around a single star. We define a singleton as a single star which has never suffered close encounters with other stars or spent time within a binary system. It may be that planetary systems similar to our own solar system can only survive around singletons. Close encounters or the presence of a stellar companion will perturb the planetary system, often leaving planets on tighter and more eccentric orbits. Thus planetary systems which initially resembled our own solar system may later more closely resemble some of the observed exoplanet systems.

The president proposed the following for the coming triennium: Alan C. Gilmore president, and Nikolai N. Samus vice-president. Members: Brian G. Marsden, Daniel W. E. Green, Syuichi Nakano, Elizabeth Roemer, Jana Tichá, Hitoshi Yamaoka, Kaare Aksnes. Supernova group representative: Hitoshi Yamaoka was invited on to the OC to provide a link with supernova observers.

Based on past astrometric and geodetic VLBI observations, a strategy for implementing differential VLBI (DVLBI) is developed by interpolating the non-geometric delay (NGD) at the target's direction using observations of several reference sources spreaded out within a circular ring centered on the target. In contrast to the ordinary approach, in our design the limitations in the angular distance are relaxed and the effects of observational uncertainties in reference sources are reduced. Analysis shows that in our design a precision of the NGD correction in S-band reaches about 1ns only. Our design can be adopted for observations of weak sources and in deep space exploration.

The growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) appears to be closely linked with the formation of spheroids. There is a pressing need to acquire better statistics on SMBH masses, since the existing samples are preferentially weighted toward early-type galaxies with very massive SMBHs. With this motivation we started a project aimed at measuring upper limits on the mass of the SMBHs that can be present in the center of all the nearby galaxies (D < 100 Mpc) for which STIS/G750M spectra are available in the HST archive. These upper limits will be derived by modeling the central emission-line widths ([N II] λλ6548, 6583, Hα and [S II] λλ6716, 6731) observed over an aperture of ~01 (R < 50 pc). Here we present our preliminary results for a subsample of 76 bulges.

This paper reports the contributions made on the occasion of the Special Session entitled “Evolution of Massive Stars at Low Metallicity” which was held on Sunday, December 9, 2007 in Kauai (USA).

We present recent results from our project of concurrent radio and infrared interferometry of oxygen-rich Mira stars. Our pilot study on the Mira variable S Ori included coordinated VLBA mapping of the v=1, J=1-0 43.1 GHz and v=2, J=1-0 42.8 GHz SiO maser radiation at one epoch and concurrent near-infrared K-band interferometry to constrain the stellar photospheric diameter. We recently obtained new maps of these SiO maser transitions toward S Ori at three additional epochs with the VLBA and concurrent mid-infrared interferometric data with VLTI/MIDI. The MIDI data are analyzed using recent self-excited dynamic model atmospheres including molecular shells close to continuum-forming layers, which we complement by a radiative transfer model of the dust shell. The modelling of our MIDI data results in phase-dependent continuum photospheric angular diameters. The dust shell can best be modelled with Al2O3 grains alone. We find that the mean SiO maser ring radii lie between about 1.9 and 2.4 stellar continuum radii. The maser spots mark the region of the molecular atmospheric layers shortly outward of the steepest decrease of the mid-infrared model intensity profile. Our results suggest that the SiO maser shells are co-located with the Al2O3 dust shell near minimum visual phase. Their velocity structure indicates a radial gas expansion. Preliminary results from a study of the Mira star GX Mon suggest a similar picture.

We investigate the impact of the disk self-gravity on type I migration. We first show that considering a planet migrating in a disk without self-gravity can lead to a significant overestimate of the migration rate. Unbiased drift rates can be obtained only if the planet and the disk feel the same gravitational potential. We then confirm that the disk gravity slightly accelerates type I migration.

Recent observations of the Galactic center revealed a nuclear disk of young OB stars, in addition to many similar outlying stars with higher eccentricities and/or high inclinations relative to the disk (some of them possibly belonging to a second disk). Binaries in such nuclear disks, if they exist in non-negligible fractions, could have a major role in the evolution of the disks through binary heating of this stellar system. We suggest that interactions with/in binaries may explain some (or all) of the observed outlying young stars in the Galactic center. Such stars could have been formed in a disk, and later on kicked out from it through binary related interactions, similar to ejection of high velocity runaway OB stars in young clusters throughout the galaxy.

Using N-Body/Treecode, SPH simulations, including a self regulating Star Formation-feedback model, the influence of cluster tidal forces on infalling dwarf irregulars is investigated. Results suggest that an encounter with the cluster potential can disrupt a rotating disk causing morphological transformation of the gaseous component, resulting in an enhancement of star formation rates (SFRs) of up to an order of magnitude.

Using data from HST/STIS (Hubble Space Telescope / Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) and FUSE (Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer) toward two QSOs, H1821+643 and HS0624+6907, we find that the overall metallicity of the Galactic “Outer Arm” is Z=0.3−0.5 Z⊙ with underabundant nitrogen and little depletion by dust. The results are consistent with those based on H II region measurements in the outer galaxy and provide additional constrains on models of the Galactic abundance gradient and Milky Way (MW) chemical evolution. The lower metallicity observed in the outer galaxy is consistent with abundance patterns observed in higher redshift damped Lyα absorbers (DLAs) extrapolated to z=0. The slow metallicity evolution of DLAs could be due to the larger cross sections of the outer regions of galaxies combined with the observed metallicity gradients.

The cool hypergiants are the most luminous known stars in the upper HR Diagram in the apparent temperature range represented by spectral types A to M. Most of the stars in this regime are unstable as evidenced by their high mass loss rates, variability, and in some cases large IR excesses and circumstellar ejecta. We have obtained high resolution multi-wavelength images with HST/WFPC2 of several of the most known evolved cool stars including several well known stellar masers. VX Sgr and S Per were marginally resolved, while NML Cyg has a peculiar asymmetric envelope that has been shaped by its environment. The powerful maser sources IRC+10420 and VY CMa have extensive and complex circumstellar ejecta due to high mass loss episodes apparently driven by large-scale convective activity.

We present preliminary results from an observational campaign aimed at the study of the binary fraction and binary radial distribution in Galactic globular clusters. In particular, we concentrate on the ongoing observational campaign for the search of spectroscopic binaries.

We investigate type I migration in a two-dimensional adiabatic disk. We find entropy perturbations that are advected in the planet's coorbital region. These entropy perturbations yield an excess of corotation torque that scales with the unperturbed entropy gradient at corotation. This torque excess can be large enough to slow down migration significantly, or even stop it.

Magnetic fields are unexpected in massive stars, due to the absence of a sub-surface convective dynamo. However, advances in instrumentation over the past three decades have led to their detection in a small but growing subset of these stars. Moreover, complementary theoretical developments have highlighted their potentially significant influence over the structure, evolution and circumstellar environments of massive stars. Here, we summarize a special session convened prior to the main conference, focused on presenting recent developments in the study of massive-star magnetic fields.

We present very deep HST/ACS images of five QSO host galaxies, classified as undisturbed ellipticals in earlier studies. For four of the five objects, our images reveal strong signs of interaction such as tidal tails, shells, and other fine structure, suggesting that a large fraction of QSO host galaxies may have experienced a relatively recent merger event. Our preliminary results for a control sample of inactive elliptical galaxies do not reveal comparable fine structure.

In our commission the vice-president (VP) becomes the president, and a new VP is chosen from members of the Organizing Committee. The position of secretary was discontinued and its responsibilities incorporated into the VP position. The president announced that the new officers are Steven R. Federman (president) and Glenn M. Wahlgren (vice-president).

Comparing the tropospheric zenith delays derived from VLBI and GPS data at VLBA stations collocated with GPS antenna, the systematic biases and standard deviations of the difference are both found to be at the level of a sub-centimeter. Based on this agreement, we used GPS data to correct the tropospheric effects in VLBI phase-referencing, resulting in close peak-to-noise ratios of images after tropospheric correction using GPS and VLBI data.

We study the effect of poloidal magnetic field on type I planetary migration by linear perturbation analysis with the shearing-sheet approximation and the analytic results are compared with numerical calculation. We investigate the cases where magneto-rotational instability (MRI) does not occur: either the disk is two-dimensional, or a very strong field is exerted. We derive formulae for torque exerted on the planet for both cases. We find that two-dimensional torque is suppressed when plasma beta is less than 1 and three-dimensional modes dominate, in contrast to unmagnetized case.

On Tuesday 22 August 2006 approximately 40 people attended the Commission 41 History of Astronomy Business Meeting at the IAU XXVI General Assembly in Prague. Commission president Alex Gurshtein opened the meeting, welcoming the commission members and calling for a moment of silence for those members who passed away in the last triennium. David DeVorkin was appointed recording secretary for the meeting, with Steven Dick as the scruitineer of the ballot. A moment of silence was then observed in the memory of members departed over the last triennium, including: Jerzy Dobrzycki (Poland), Robert Duncan (Australia), Mohammad Edalati (Iran), Philip Morrison (USA), John Perdix (Australia), Neil Porter (Ireland), Gibson Reaves (USA), Brian Robinson (Australia), and Raymond E. White (USA).

We use second epoch images taken with WFPC2 on the HST and imaging polarimetry taken with the HST/ACS/HRC to explore the three dimensional structure of the circumstellar dust distribution around the red supergiant VY Canis Majoris. Transverse motions, combined with radial velocities, provide a picture of the kinematics of the ejecta, including the total space motions. The fractional polarization and photometric colors provide an independent method of locating the physical position of the dust along the line-of-sight. Most of the individual arc-like features and clumps seen in the intensity image are also features in the fractional polarization map, and must be distinct geometric objects. The location of these features in the ejecta of VY CMa using kinematics and polarimetry agree well with each other, and strongly suggest they are the result of relatively massive ejections, probably associated with magnetic fields.