Astrophysics
Low-frequency radio observations of neutral hydrogen during and before the epoch of cosmic reionization will provide ~ 1000 quasi-independent source planes, each of precisely known redshift, if a resolution of ~1 arcminutes or better can be…
We examine constraints obtained from SNIa surveys on a two parameter model of dark energy in which the equation of state $w (z) = P(z) / \rho (z)$ undergoes a transition over a period significantly shorter than the Hubble time. We find that…
The Hubble Space Telescope has provided the first clear evidence for weaker winds of metal-poor massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud, confirming theoretical predictions of the metallicity dependence of mass-loss rates and wind…
We introduce two new methods to obtain reliable velocity field statistics from N-body simulations, or indeed from any general density and velocity fluctuation field sampled by discrete points. These methods, the {\it Voronoi tessellation…
Dense low mass cores in nearby clouds like Taurus and Auriga are some of the simplest sites currently forming stars like our Sun. Because of their simplicity and proximity, dense cores offer the clearest view of the different phases of star…
This paper will review the basic concepts of gas-phase and grain surface chemistry of dense molecular clouds, where low mass and high mass stars form. The chemistry of cold pre-stellar cloud cores, where molecular freeze-out and deuterium…
In the present-day universe, it appears that most, and perhaps all, massive stars are born in star clusters. It also appears that all star clusters contain stars drawn from an approximately universal initial mass function, so that almost…
Since this contributions was meant to cover two subjects which are both in the field of massive star formation but which in its details can be discussed separately, this paper is divided in two sections. First, we present characteristics of…
The lecture notes describe the Delaunay Tessellation Field Estimator for Cosmic Web analysis. The high sensitivity of Voronoi/Delaunay tessellations to the local point distribution is used to obtain estimates of density and related…
These notes provide an introduction to the theory of the formation and early evolution of planetary systems. Topics covered include the structure, evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary disks; the formation of planetesimals, terrestrial…
A combined analysis of the profiles of the main broad quasar emission lines in both Hubble Space Telescope and optical spectra shows that while the profiles of the strong UV lines are quite similar, there is frequently a strong increase in…
The theory of the solar/stellar activity cycles is presented, based on the mean-field concept in magnetohydrodynamics. A new approach to the formulation of the electromotive force and the theory of differential rotation and meridional…
The advantages of high-order finite difference scheme for astrophysical MHD and turbulence simulations are highlighted. A number of one-dimensional test cases are presented ranging from various shock tests to Parker-type wind solutions.…
We observed an X-ray afterglow of GRB 060904A with the Swift and Suzaku satellites. We found rapid spectral softening during both the prompt tail phase and the decline phase of an X-ray flare in the BAT and XRT data. The observed spectra…
Exact analytical solutions are given for the three finite disks with surface density $\Sigma_n=\sigma_0 (1-R^2/\alpha^2)^{n-1/2} \textrm{with} n=0, 1, 2$. Closed-form solutions in cylindrical co-ordinates are given using only elementary…
We derive the X-ray luminosity function (XLF) of the X-ray source population detected in the Chandra observation of NGC4038/39 (the Antennae). We explicitly include photon counting and spectral parameter uncertainties in our calculations.…
We plan to fit the complete gamma- and X-ray light curves of the long duration GRB060218, including the prompt emission, in order to clarify the nature of the progenitors and the astrophysical scenario of the class of GRBs associated to SNe…
If a quark-nova occurs inside a collapsar, the interaction between the quark-nova ejecta (relativistic iron-rich chunks) and the collapsar envelope, leads to features indicative of those observed in Gamma Ray Bursts. The quark-nova ejecta…
We present a modified stratified jet model to interpret the observed spectral energy distributions of knots in 3C 273 jet. Based on the hypothesis of the single index of the particle energy spectrum at injection and identical emission…
In this letter we report the possible existence of a second planet in the transiting extrasolar planet system HD 17156 and its interactive dynamics with the previously known planet. The analysis is achieved through the \POFP\ optimization…