The evolution of massive stars to explosion

We review the possible evolutionary paths from massive stars to explosive endpoints as various types of supernovae associated with Population I and hence with massive stars: Type II-P, Type II-L, Type Ib, Type Ic, and the hybrid events SN 1987K and SN 1993J. We identify SN 1954A as another hybrid event from the evidence for both H and He in its spectrum with velocities nearly the same as SN 1983J. Evidence for ejected⁵⁶Ni mass of 0.07 M suggests that SN II-P underwent standard iron core collapse, not collapse of an O–Ne–Mg core nor thermonuclear explosion of a C–O core. Most SN II-P presumably arise in single stars or wide binaries of 10–20 M. There may be indirect evidence for duplicity in some cases in the form of strong Ba II lines, such as characterized SN 1987A. SN II-L are recognizably distinct from typical SN II-P and must undergo a significantly different evolution. Despite indications that SN II-L have small envelopes that may be helium enriched, they are also distinct from events like SN 1993J that must have yet again a different evolution. The SN II-L that share a common Luminosity seem to have ejected a small nickel mass and hence may come from stars with O–Ne–Mg cores. The amount of nickel ejected by the exceptionally bright events, SN 1980K and SN 1979C, remains controversial. SN Ib require the complete loss of the H envelope, either to a binary companion or to a wind. The few identified have relatively large ejecta masses. It is not clear what evolutionary processes distinguish SN Ib's evolving in binary systems from hybrid events that retain some H in the envelope. SN Ic events are both H and He deficient. Binary models that can account for transfer of an extended helium envelope from low mass helium cores, 2 to 4 M, imply C–O core masses that are roughly consistent with that deduced from the ejecta mass plus a neutron star, 2 to 3 M. It is possible that the hybrid events are the result of Roche lobe overflow and that the pure events, SN Ib or SN Ic, result from common envelope evolution.     

Characteristics and interpretation of the photometric variability of eta carinae and its nebula

A short review is given on the history of the peculiar variable object Car and on a number of relevant references describing and discussing its physical characteristics and behaviour, based on different types of observational techniques. The star is known to be variable since the 17th century. The excessive mass loss to which it was subject during the 19th century is now visible as an ellipsoidal reflection nebula of 15 diameter: the so-called homunculus. The remainder of the paper is spent on different kinds of problems partly based on the results of a decade of photometric monitoring in the VBLUW photometric system of Walraven. Foreground reddening and reddening by dust in the homunculus are determined and amount to E(B - V) _J = 0 50 and < 6, respectively. Scanning of the homunculus revealed an estimate for the photometric characteristics of the central object, which presumably consists of a massive hot star surrounded by a cooler gas envelope. The total luminosity is derived using fluxes of various sources in the wavelength region 0.15 < < 175 n resulting in M _bol = - 12 3 ± 0 2. The total observed flux corrected for foreground extinction corresponds to a star with R 96 R if T _eff 30 000 K. The mass may be near 150 M . The excess luminosity in 1843, when the star was presumably bolometrically at least 2 5 brighter than at present, may have been caused by envelope-energized pulsations when the star's luminosity was close to its Eddington limit. The temperature should then have been 50 000 K. The mass loss rate, during the excess luminosity phase lasting 30 yr, is estimated to amount to M 4 × 10^-3 M yr^-1. At present the mass loss may be M 10^-4M yr^-1. Since the homunculus is mainly built up from material expelled in the 30 yr interval (from 1830 to 1860), its total mass amounts to M _hom 0.15 M . The historical observations of the colours of Car and a comparison with the characteristics of S Dor type stars, suggest that Car was subject to a number of S Dor type phases similar to those of P Cyg (in the 17th century), S Dor and others. A satisfactory explanation is found for the complete historical light curve. The decrease in light after the 1843 maximum by 9 ^m , presumably consists of a fading of the luminosity excess and the S Dor effect by 2 5 and 3^m, respectively, and a 3 5 extinction by circumstellar dust. The small amplitude light variations which Car showed during the last decade, were studied with the aid of the variations of the Balmer jump. They are presumably caused by temperature variations of the central star.Percy and Welch (1983) (Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific 95, 491) have observed P Cyg on a number of nights in 1982 and found for the photometric variations a time scale of 30 to 50 days and an amplitude of 0 _. ^m 15.Based partly on observations collected at the ESO, La Silla, Chile.     

Anomalous Cosmic Rays and Solar Modulation

We review aspects of anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) that bear on the solar modulation of energetic particles in the heliosphere. We show that the latitudinal and radial gradients of these particles exhibit a 22-year periodicity in concert with the reversal of the Sun's magnetic field. The power-law index of the low energy portion of the energy spectrum of ACRs at the shock in 1996 appears to be -1.3, suggesting that the strength of the solar wind termination shock at the helioequatorial plane is relatively weak, with s 2.8. The rigidity dependence of the perpendicular interplanetary mean free path in the outer heliosphere for particles with rigidities between 0.2 and 0.7 GV varies approximately as R2, where R is particle rigidity. There is evidence that ACR oxygen is primarily multiply charged above 20 MeV/nuc and primarily singly-charged below 16 MeV/nuc. The location of the termination shock was at 65 AU in 1987 and 85 AU in 1994.     

Radio occultation studies with Solar Corona Sounders

Solar Corona Sounders (SCS), a mission designed to utilize the radio occultation technique for investigations of the inner heliosphere, was submitted to ESA in response to a call for new mission concepts. The SCS platforms are two small multifrequency transmitters placed at the anti-Earth position (superior solar conjunction) for continuous radio sounding of the solar corona. Appropriately specifying certain orbital elements for the heliocentric trajectories of the spacecraft, their radially-aligned positions as seen from Earth appear to circle the solar disk over the course of a year. The two radio sources would be most effectively positioned at apparent solar distances inside and outside the nominal solar wind critical point, respectively, e.g., at 3 R and 10 R. Radio parameters to be measured using the linearly polarized, coherent dual-frequency links to ground include the group time delay, signal amplitude, the phase (Doppler) shift, linewidth, and Faraday rotation. The link frequencies for coronal sounding observations this close to the Sun could be the interplanetary standards at S-band (2.3 GHz) and X-band (8.4 GHz). These measurements are used to derive both mean values and fluctuation spectra of such coronal parameters as the electron density, the solar wind velocity, and the magnetic field. The geometry afforded by the two radio ray paths from the SCS transmitters would provide unprecedented observations of the radial evolution of dynamic coronal events such as coronal mass ejections.     

Starburst galaxies

Bursts of massive star formation can temporarily dominate the luminosity of galaxies spanning a wide range of morphological types. This review is concerned primarily with such events in the central 1 kpc region of spiral galaxies which result from bar driven inflows of gas triggered by interactions or mergers. Most of the stellar radiant luminosity of such bursts is absorbed by dust and re-emitted in the far-infrared and is accompanied by radio and X-ray emission from supernova remnants which can also act collectively to drive galaxy scale outflows. Both evolutionary stellar models and estimates of the gas depletion times are consistent with typical burst durations of 10^7–8 yr. Spatially-resolved studies of nearby starburst galaxies reveal that the activity is distributed over many individual star forming complexes within rings and other structures organized by interactions between bars and the disc over a range of scales. More distant and extreme examples associated with mergers of massive spirals have luminosities > 10¹³ L and molecular gas masses > 10¹⁰ M implying star formation rates > 1000 M yr^–1 which can only be sustained for 10⁷ yr. In the most luminous merging systems, however, the relative importance of starburst and AGN activity and their possible evolutionary connection is still a hotly debated issue. Also controversial are suggestions that starbursts in addition to a black hole are required to account for the properties of AGNs or that starbursts alone may be sufficient under certain conditions. In a wider context, starbursts must clearly have played an important role in galaxy formation and evolution at earlier times. Recent detections of high redshift galaxies show that star formation was underway at z 4 but do not support a continuing increase of the strong evolution in the co-moving star formation density seen out to z l. Primeval starburst pre-cursors of spheroidal systems also remain elusive. The most distant candidates are radio galaxies and quasars at z = 4–5 and a possible population of objects responsible for an isotropic sub-mm wave background tentatively claimed to have been detected by the COBE satellite.     

Study of distribution functions of interplanetary particles accelerated at co-rotating interaction region at∼5A.U.

We report the results of a study of the 12-hour average distribution functions of high Z nuclei as measured over a 10-day interval on the Ulysses spacecraft at a helioradius of5.2 A.U. We use the good time and atomic mass resolution of the composition aperture of the HI-SCALE instrument to determine the form of the distribution functions for C, O, Ne, Mg, Si, and Fe over the energy range 0.5–16 MeV/nucl. We find that the distribution functions of these ions can be organized by characteristic velocities that have values ranging between2000–3500 km/sec over this interval.     

Detection limits in the far infrared

The advent of far infrared arrays will change fundamentally the means of analyzing observations in this spectral region. Sources much fainter than traditional confusion limits will be extracted from images by using computer algorithms similar to CLEAN or DAOPHOT. We have conducted numerical experiments to evaluate these techniques and show that they will permit long integrations (10,000 sec at 60 m, 200 sec at 100 m) to achieve nearly photon-background-limited performance and hence very deep detection limits. The dominant noise sources—photon noise, confusion by distant galaxies, and confusion by IR cirrus — scale with nearly the same power of the telescope aperture. As a result, the integration times required to reach confusion limits are nearly aperture-independent.     

Three-dimensional energetic ion observations and the tangential magnetopause electric field

Three-dimensional distributions for 24.0–44.5 keV protons (ions) are presented from the ISEE-1 medium energy particles instrument during a magnetopause traversal at 01:10 UT on 20 November 1977. Local time of the traversal was 1030. Ion fluxes were observed coming generally from the subsolar region, but over a wide range of latitudes. Enhanced fluxes were observed at the magnetopause crossing with strong components from the subsolar region and from the +Z _SE direction. These observations are compared with the simultaneous electric field observations presented by Mozer et al. (1978). Ion streaming in a direction consistent with the Y-component of the drift velocity was observed whereas streaming along the X and Z-components is not seen. Based on energy arguments we conclude that in this case, 24 keV ions are not the major energy carrier of the locally measured · dissipation.     

Ariel-6 medium energy spectral observations of active galaxies

X-ray spectra of the BL Lac type object Mkn 421 and several Seyfert type 1 galaxies; IIIZw2, MCG8-11-11 and NGC 4151, have been obtained using the Leicester University instrument on board the Ariel-6 satellite. The Mkn 421 spectrum is best represented by two powerlaw components, the soft component having 3.4 whilst the hard flux has 1.0. In MCG8-11-11 there is clear evidence for spectral variability between our observation in late 1979 and that of HEAO-1/A2 in 1977. The Ariel-6 spectrum of MCG8-11-11 can be fitted by a powerlaw of index 2.1 together with an iron line at 6.2 keV with an equivalent width of 1.6 keV. The first X-ray spectrum of IIIZw2 is also presented, fitting with a powerlaw we find an index of 1.7. With the exception of NGC 4151 there is no evidence for a significant column of cool material along the line of sight.     

A New Mechanism of Coronal Heating

The interaction between network magnetic fields and emerging intranetwork fields may lead to magnetic reconnection and microflares, which generate fast shocks with an Alfvén Mach number M _A<2. Protons and less abundant ions in the solar corona are then heated and accelerated by fast shocks. Our study of shock heating shows that (a) the nearly nondeflection of ion motion across the shock ramp leads to a large perpendicular thermal velocity (v _th), which is an increasing function of the mass/charge ratio; (b) the heating by subcritical shocks with 1.1 M_A 1.5 leads to a large temperature anisotropy with T/T 50 for O⁵⁺ ions and a mild anisotropy with T_/T 1.2 for protons; (c) the large perpendicular thermal velocity of He⁺⁺ and O⁵⁺ ions can be converted to the radial outflow velocity (u) in the divergent coronal field lines; and (d) the heating and acceleration by shocks with 1.1 M_A 1.5 can lead to u(O⁵⁺) v _th(O⁵⁺) 460 km s^–1 for O⁵⁺ ions, u(He⁺⁺) v _th(He⁺⁺) 360 km s^–1 for He⁺⁺ ions, and u(H⁺) v _th(H⁺) 240 km s^–1 for protons at r=3–4 R . Our results can explain recent SOHO observations of the heating and acceleration of protons and heavier ions in the solar corona.     

Solar wind charge states measured by ULYSSES/SWICS in the south polar hole

The Ulysses mission now has an extensive data base covering several passes of the south polar coronal hole as the spacecraft proceeds to higher latitudes. Using composition measurements from the SWICS experiment on the Ulysses spacecraft, we have obtained charge state distributions, and hence inferred coronal ionization temperatures, for several solar wind species. In particular, we present an overview of Oxygen ionization temperature measurements, based on the O⁷⁺/O⁶⁺ ratio, for the period January 1993 until April 1994 (23°S to 61°S heliographic latitude), and detailed Oxygen, Silicon and Iron charge state distributions of the south polar hole during a two month period of nearly continuous hole coverage, Dec 1993–Jan 1994 (45°S to 52°S heliographic latitude).     

Large scale structure of the universe

The current situation with the cosmological model and fundamental constants is briefly reviewed. Here, we concentrate on evolutionary effects of large-scale structure formation, in particular, the relationship with the quasar distribution and dynamics is discussed. We argue that groups of bright quasars with few or more than dozen of members within regions l _LS(100–150)h ^–1 Mpc found atz<2 may belong to concentrations of young rich clusters of galaxies, and thus be distant Great Attractors like the local GA or the Shapley concentration. These early large-scale galactic structures (i) provide a natural way to bias the distribution of Abell clusters, and (ii) suggest that the spectrum of primordial density perturbations is nearly flat on scales encompassing both the cluster and GAs,l=k ^–1(10,100)h ^–1 Mpc: _k ² k ³ P(k) k , =1 _–0.4 ^+0.6 , whereP(k) is the power spectrum of density perturbations.     

Cos-B X-ray observations of Cyg X-3; An indication for apsidal motion

Results are presented of three 40 d COS-B X-ray observations of Cyg X-3. The shape of the 4.8 h light curve showed variations on all observational time scales. An 20 d periodicity was found in the arrival time of the minimum of the light curve, interpreted as apsidal motion of an orbit with an eccentricity of 0.03.     

Time variation of the pulse period of Vela X-1

X-ray pulsar Vela X-l was observed with the X-ray astronomy satellite HAKUCHO in five occasions between March 1979 and March 1981. An increase of the pulsation period at an average rate of P/P 3.0 × 10^–4 yr^–1 was observed over the time span of two years. Besides, variations of the pulse period in the time scale of 10 days were resolved in superposition on the secular spin-down trend. The observed rate of change P - 3 × 10^–8, for both spin-up and spin-down, is an order of magnitude greater than the secular spin-down rate.     

Some results of ionospheric investigations by means of coherent radiowaves emitted by satellites

In this paper we discuss theoretical expressions, determining the difference of Doppler shifts of various coherent radiowave frequencies emitted by a radiator moving in the ionosphere or interplanetary medium. The rotating Doppler effect (Faraday effect) caused by the Doppler shifts ±H of the ordinary and extraordinary waves is also considered. In a three-dimensional inhomogeneous ionosphere, stationary in time (N/t = 0), is determined in the general case, by an equation with three variables. The equation for proper depends only on the local value of the electron concentration N _c around the radiator and on integral values, determining, by means of additional calculations, the angle of refraction or its components, the horizontal gradients of electron concentration N/x and N/y, and in some cases, the integral electron concentration ₀ ^zcN dz. We describe the analysis of the measurements, made with the satellites Cosmos I, II and partially XI, assuming that N/t = N/y = 0, with a two variables equation. The expected errors are considered. The results coincide well for different points (Moscow, The Crimea, Sverdlovsk) and thus agree with the measurements of _H and with height-frequency ionospheric characteristics. The curve giving electron concentration versus height N (z) in the outer ionosphere (above the maximum of F2), shows a new maximum higher than the main maximum of the ionosphere N _MF2 at 120–140 km. At this maximum the value of N (z) is (0.9–0.95) N _MF2. The new data on the large-scale horizontal inhomogeneities of the ionosphere, exceed the previous ones by about a factor 10. By means of the irregular variations of the spectrum W() of the inhomogenous formation is determined. Three unknown constant maxima with values 16 to 18 km, 28 to 32 km and 100 to 120 km are found. The spectrum W () mainly characterizes the local properties of the ionosphere along the orbit of the satellite.     

LISM structure — Fragmented superbubble shell?

Small scale structure in local interstellar matter (LISM) is considered. Overall morphology of the local cloud complex is inferred from Ca II absorption lines and observations of H I in white dwarf stars. Clouds with column densities ranging from 2–100 × 10¹⁷ cm^–2 are found within 20 pc of the Sun. Cold (50 K) dense (10⁵ cm^–3) small (5–10 au) clouds could be embedded and currently undetected in the upwind gas. The Sun appears to be embedded in a filament of gas with thickness 0.7 pc, and cross-wise column density 2 × 10¹⁷ cm^–2. The local magnetic field direction is parallel to the filament, suggesting that the physical process causing the filamentation is MHD related. Enhanced abundances of refractory elements and LISM kinematics indicate outflowing gas from the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. The local flow vector and Sco data are consistent with a 4,000,000 year old superbubble shell at –22 km s^–1, which is a shock front passing through preshock gas at –12 km s^–1, and yielding cooled postshock gas at –26 km s^–1in the upwind direction. A preshock magnetic field strength of 1.6 G, and postshock field strength of 5.2 G embedded in the superbubble shell, are consistent with the data.Abbreviations LISM Local ISM - SIC Surrounding Interstellar Cloud - LIC Local Interstellar Cloud     

Characteristics of nearby interstellar matter

There is a warm tenuous partially ionized cloud (T10⁴ K,n(HI)0.1 cm^–3,n(Hii 0.22–0.44 cm^–3) surrounding the solar system which regulates the environment of the solar system, determines the structure of the heliopause region, and feeds neutral interstellar gas into the inner solar system. The velocity (V–20 km s^–1 froml335°,b0° in the local standard of rest) and enhanced Caii and Feii abundances of this cloud suggest an origin as evaporated gas from cloud surfaces in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. Although the soft X-ray emission attributed to the Local Bubble is enigmatic, optical and ultraviolet data are consistent with bubble formation caused by star formation epochs in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association as regulated by the nearby spiral arm configuration. The cloud surrounding the solar system (the local fluff) appears to be the leading region of an expanding interstellar structure (the squall line) which contains a magnetic field causing polarization of the light of nearby stars, and also absorption features in nearby upwind stars. The velocity vectors of the solar system and local fluff are perpendicular in the local standard of rest. Combining this information with the low column densities seen towards Sirius in the anti-apex direction, and the assumption that the cloud velocity vector is parallel to the surface normal, suggests that the Sun entered the local fluff within the historical past (less than 10 000 years ago) and is skimming the surface of the cloud. Comparison of magnesium absorption lines towards Sirius and anomalous cosmic-ray data suggest the local fluff is in ionization equilibrium.Reason has moons, but moons not hers, Lie mirror'd on her sea, Confounding her astronomers, But, O! delighting me.Ralph Hodgson     

The synthesis of helium and CNO isotopes in massive stars

We present helium and CNO isotopic yields for massive mass-losing stars in the initial mass range 15M M _i 50M . We investigate their dependence on assumptions about mass loss rates, internal mixing processes, and metallicity, and specify the contributions from stellar winds and from supernova ejecta.     

Optical pre-nova identification for the X-ray Nova GRO J0422+32 (Nova Persei, 1992)

The X-ray Nova GRO J0422+32 in its low brightness has been identified with a B 21 ^m , R20 ^m star on Palomar Sky Survey glass copies. The scans obtained with an automatical microdensitometer along with our special PC program were used. The resulting outburst amplitude 8 ^m is one of similarity features for the class of the low mass X-ray Novae, black hole candidates.     

H0323+022: Classification as a BL Lac and EXOSAT coordinated observations

The object H0323+022 (Doxsey et al. 1983) has been shown to be a BL Lac object by virtue of a diversity of observational characteristics at radio, optical, and x-ray wavelengths, in agreement with the conclusion of Margon and Jacoby (1984). Multi-frequency coordinated observations of this highly variable object with EXOSAT in September 1984 found it to be in a faint quiescent state (1/3; Jy at 5 keV and V=16.55). Preliminary results from the latter observations are presented.