Macroscopic Transport Large-scale advection, turbulent diffusion, wave transport

While the solar convection zone is very well mixed by its turbulent motions, chemical composition gradients build up in the radiative interior due to microscopic diffusion and settling, and to nuclear burning. Standard models, which ignore any type of macroscopic transport, cannot explain the depletion of lithium in solar-type stars, as they evolve; neither do they account for the observed profile of molecular weight at the base of the solar convection zone. Such macroscopic transport can be achieved through thermally driven meridian currents, through turbulent diffusion generated by differential rotation and possibly through gravity waves. These processes transport also angular momentum, and therefore the internal rotation profile of the Sun provides a crucial test for their relative importance. So does also the behavior of tidally locked binaries, which appear to destroy less lithium than single stars of the same mass. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Tilts and polarity separation in the sunspot groups and active regions at the ascending and descending phases of the cycle 23

The Solar Feature Catalogues for sunspots and active regions measured with SOHO/MDI instrument and Ca II K3 spectroheliograph of the Paris-Meudon Observatory are analyzed with the automated classification technique for sunspot groups and active region polarities. We report the first classification results for daily variations of tilt angles (normal and trigonometric ones) in sunspot groups (SG) and active (AR) regions in the cycle 23. The average normal tilts are presented for every year at the ascending and descending phases of the cycle 23 which are similar to those deduced by other authors for the cycles 19–22. The normal tilts of both the sunspot groups and active regions are shown to increase in the ascending phase and a decrease in the descending phase. Similar to SG and AR areas, the trigonometric tilts are shown to have the noticeable North–South asymmetry with the Southern hemisphere dominant in the selected ascending and descending periods. The normal tilt variations with latitude follow Joy’s law revealing a periodicity along the meridian of about 10° and reaching the maximum of 14° at the latitude of about 32° corresponding to the top of the ‘royal zone’ where the sunspots appear. The variations of polarity separation with a latitude are in an anti-phase with those of the tilts reaching a maximum at the latitude of 35° and showing a small positive separation for the groups/active regions in a vicinity of the average tilts ±40°. The ratio R of the polarity separation to the trigonometric tilt fits the linear function of a latitude φ as R = −0.0213φ − 0.1245 confirming positive separation for the polarities of active regions with the average tilts, or the dominance of activity in the Southern hemisphere activity, for the selected period of observations.     

Intermediate-term periodicities in relativistic solar electron fluences during solar cycles 22 and 23

In this paper, we have investigated the intermediate-term periodicities of the relativistic (E > 10 MeV) solar electron flares measured by IMP-8 satellite of NASA for the time period of 1986–2001. This period of investigation includes the entire solar cycle 22; ascending, maximum and a part of descending phase of the current solar cycle 23. To determine accurately the occurrence rate of electron flux, we have employed three different spectral decomposition techniques, viz. fast Fourier transformation (FFT); maximum entropy method (MEM) and Lomb–Scargle periodogram analysis method. For solar cycle 22, in the low frequency range, power spectrum analysis exhibits statistically significant periodicities at ∼706, ∼504 and ∼392 days. In the intermediate frequency range, we have found a series of significant periodicities ∼294, ∼221, ∼153, ∼86, ∼73 and ∼66 days. For short term, periodicities of ∼21–23, ∼31 and ∼37 days were found in power spectrum. When solar cycle 23 is considered the significant periodicities are ∼20, ∼23, ∼29, ∼39, ∼54, ∼63, ∼118, ∼133 and ∼154 days. These results provide evidence that the best known Rieger period (∼153 days), appeared in the high energetic electron flux data for cycle 22 and also likely during maxima of cycle 23. The existence of these periodicities has been discussed in the light of earlier results.     

Differential code bias estimation based on uncombined PPP with LEO onboard GPS observations

Differential Code Bias (DCB) is an essential correction that must be provided to the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) users for precise position determination. With the continuous deployment of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, DCB estimation using observations from GNSS receivers onboard the LEO satellites is drawing increasing interests in order to meet the growing demands on high-quality DCB products from LEO-based applications, such as LEO-based GNSS signal augmentation and space weather research. Previous studies on LEO-based DCB estimation are usually using the geometry-free combination of GNSS observations, and it may suffer from significant leveling errors due to non-zero mean of multipath errors and short-term variations of receiver code and phase biases. In this study, we utilize the uncombined Precise Point Positioning (PPP) model for LEO DCB estimation. The models for uncombined PPP-based LEO DCB estimation are presented and GPS observations acquired from receivers onboard three identical Swarm satellites from February 1 to 28, 2019 are used for the validation. The results show that the average Root Mean Square errors (RMS) of the GPS satellite DCBs estimated with onboard data from each of the three Swarm satellites using the uncombined PPP model are less than 0.18 ns when compared to the GPS satellite DCBs obtained from IGS final daily Global Ionospheric Map (GIM) products. Meanwhile, the corresponding average RMS of GPS satellite DCBs estimated with the conventional geometry-free model are 0.290, 0.210, 0.281 ns, respectively, which are significantly larger than those obtained with the uncombined PPP model. It is also noted that the estimated GPS satellite DCBs by Swarm A and C satellites are highly correlated, likely attributed to their similar orbit type and space environment. On the other hand, the Swarm receiver DCBs estimated with uncombined PPP model, with Standard Deviation (STD) of 0.065, 0.037 and 0.071 ns, are more stable than those obtained from the official Swarm Level 2 products with corresponding STD values of 0.115, 0.101, and 0.109 ns, respectively. The above indicates that high-quality DCB products can be estimated based on uncombined PPP with LEO onboard observations.     

A multi-epoch study of the C IV absorption variability in the broad absorption line quasar APM 08279+5255

Broad absorption line (BAL) variability potentially represents a powerful tool to investigate the physical nature and the structure of gas outflows in active galactic nuclei. Most existing BAL variability studies rely on observations taken at a few epochs for samples of tens of BAL QSOs. In this study we present the first “monitoring” of a single object, APM 08279+5255, which has been observed more than 20 times since 2003. All available spectra from the literature have also been analysed, including two high resolution spectra, extending the time interval from 1998 to 2012. A relative stability of the shape of the absorption profile is found. At the same time significant variations of the equivalent width are observed. A correlation of the BAL equivalent width with the QSO luminosity is found for the first time. These results suggest that changes in the ionisation state of the gas are causing opacity changes.     

The ultraviolet sky: An overview from the GALEX surveys

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) has performed the first surveys of the sky in the ultraviolet (UV). Its legacy is an unprecedented database with more than 200 million source measurements in far-UV (FUV) and near-UV (NUV), as well as wide-field imaging of extended objects, filling an important gap in our view of the sky across the electromagnetic spectrum. The UV surveys offer unique sensitivity for identifying and studying selected classes of astrophysical objects, both stellar and extra-galactic. We examine the overall content and distribution of UV sources over the sky, and with magnitude and color. For this purpose, we have constructed final catalogs of UV sources with homogeneous quality, eliminating duplicate measurements of the same source. Such catalogs can facilitate a variety of investigations on UV-selected samples, as well as planning of observations with future missions. We describe the criteria used to build the catalogs, their coverage and completeness. We included observations in which both the far-UV and near-UV detectors were exposed; 28,707 fields from the All-Sky Imaging survey (AIS) cover a unique area of 22,080 square degrees (after we restrict the catalogues to the central 1° diameter of the field), with a typical depth of ∼20/21mag (FUV/NUV, in the AB mag system), and 3008 fields from the Medium-depth Imaging Survey (MIS) cover a total of 2251 square degrees at a depth of ∼22.7mag. The catalogs contain ∼71 and ∼16.6 million sources, respectively. The density of hot stars reflects the Galactic structure, and the number counts of both Galactic and extra-galactic sources are modulated by the Milky Way dust extinction, to which the UV data are very sensitive.     

Stark broadening of B IV lines for astrophysical and laboratory plasma research

Stark broadening parameters for 36 multiplets of B IV have been calculated using the semi-classical perturbation formalism. Obtained results have been used to investigate the regularities within spectral series and temperature dependence.     

Stark widths of Ar III spectral lines in the atmospheres of subdwarf B stars

Using semiclassical perturbation approach in impact approximation, we have calculated Stark widths for 32 spectral lines of doubly charged argon (Ar III). Oscillator strengths are calculated using Hartree–Fock method with relativistic correction (HFR) and an atomic model including 17 configurations. Energy levels are taken from NIST database. For perturbing levels for which the corresponding energy does not exist in NIST database, the calculated energies are used. Our widths are compared with the experimental results. The results presented here are of interest for modelling and investigation of stellar atmospheres since argon in different ionization stages is observed in many astrophysical objects. Finally, the importance of Stark broadening mechanism is studied in the atmospheric conditions of sdB stars. Electron impact Stark widths are compared to thermal Doppler widths as a function of temperature and optical depth of atmospheric layers.     

New line profiles of Li–H2 for brown dwarfs

In order to calculate the opacity of a gas it is necessary to consider how its constituent atoms are perturbed by the surrounding medium. This is required both in order to calculate the equation of state, and in order to determine the profiles of the spectrum lines. In this work we report new theoretical Li line profiles perturbed by H₂ and their dependence with temperature.     

Low ionization lines in high luminosity quasars: The calcium triplet

In order to investigate where and how low ionization lines are emitted in quasars we are studying a new collection of spectra of the CaII triplet at λ8498, λ8542, λ8662 observed with the Very Large Telescope (VLT) using the Infrared Spectrometer And Array Camera (ISAAC). Our sample involves luminous quasars at intermediate redshift for which CaII observations are almost nonexistent. We fit the CaII triplet and the OI λ8446 line using the Hβ profile as a model. We derive constraints on the line emitting region from the relative strength of the CaII triplet, OI λ8446 and Hβ.