Astrophysics
We investigate the distance-redshift relation in the simple void model. As discussed by Moffat and Tatarski, if the observer stays at the center of the void, the observed Hubble parameter is not so different from the background Hubble…
We consider the lifecycle of dust introduced into the hot interstellar medium in isolated elliptical galaxies. Dust grains are ejected into galactic-scale cooling flows in large ellipticals by normal mass loss from evolving red giants.…
We describe methods for setting up self-consistent disk-bulge-halo galaxy models. The bulge and halo distribution functions (\df) are functions of $E$ and $L_z$ only. The halo's flattening and rotation can be specified. The disk \df\ is a…
We describe the effects of both magnetic buoyancy and differential rotation on a disc of isothermal gas embedded in a purely azimuthal magnetic field, in order to study the evolution and interplay of Parker and shearing instabilities. Both…
In this work, we analyse the temperature fluctuations of the cosmic microwave background radiation observed by COBE and show that the distribution can be fitted by a fractal distribution with a fractal dimension $ D= 1.43 \pm 0.07 $. This…
Measurements of element abundances in damped Lyman alpha systems are providing new means to investigate the chemical evolution of galaxies, particularly at early times. We review progress in this area, concentrating on recent efforts to…
Observations with the PC2 CCD of the Hubble Space Telescope are described of two bright QSOs of redshift ~0.3. 1403+434 is IR-bright and radio-quiet, and 2201+315 is radio-loud with extended structure. Exposures were taken with the F702W…
We present the results of a ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter observation of the variable radio star \ls. The source has a power law spectrum with photon index 1.1 +/- 0.3 and a luminosity of 5.9 x 10^{33} erg/s in the 0.1 -2.4…
After reviewing the multifrequency behaviour of the Isolated Neutron Stars detected so far, we analyze for each object the efficiency of conversion of the star's rotational energy loss into optical, X and gamma radiation. Although the…
The need for high dynamic range imaging is crucial in many astronomical fields, such as extra-solar planet direct detection, extra-galactic science and circumstellar imaging. Using a high quality coronograph, dynamic ranges of up to…
We have obtained infrared spectra of the star suggested to be the counterpart of the soft gamma-ray repeater (SGR) 1806-20. We found strong emission lines similar to those seen in the spectra of the rare Luminous Blue Variables and B[e]…
A new method for estimating the power spectrum $C_l$ from cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps was recently presented by the author and applied to the 2 year COBE data. It was found that the spectral resolution $\Delta l$ for COBE could…
Nucleosynthesis in the standard hot big bang cosmology offers a successful account of the production of the light nuclides during the early evolution of the Universe. Consistency among the predicted and observed abundances of D, $^3$He,…
The minimum mass ratio for tidal stability of a contact binary containing two unevolved main-sequence stars is calculated to be $\qmin\simeq0.09$ in the case of a mostly radiative primary, and is higher if an appreciable fraction of the…
From the Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database LEDA, we constructed a sample of 27,000 galaxies with radial velocities smaller than 15,000 km s$^{-1}$. From this first sample we selected the 5,683 largest galaxies which constitute a sample…
Observational tests during the next decade may determine if the evolution of the Universe can be understood from fundamental physical principles, or if special initial conditions, coincidences, and new, untestable physical laws must be…
We present the redshifts of the galaxies and galaxy clusters which form the Edinburgh--Milano (EM) cluster redshift survey. A total of 777 galaxy redshifts have been measured in 94 clusters extracted from the digitised Edinburgh Durham…
A brief review is given of neutrino emission processes in dense matter, with particular emphasis on recent developments. These include direct Urca processes for nucleons and hyperons, which can give rise to rapid energy loss from the…
We use the moments of counts of neighbors as given by the Generalized Correlation Integrals, to study the clustering properties of Dark Matter Halos (DH) in Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and Cold+Hot Dark Matter (CHDM) models. We compare the…
A re-analysis of Lauer \& Postman's (1994; LP) finding that the Abell cluster inertial frame (ACIF), defined by the 119 Abell clusters within 15,000 km/s, is moving at almost 700 km/s with respect to the cosmic microwave background. Such a…