Related papers: Six Hot Topics in Planetary Astronomy
Planetary nebulae are formed by the matter ejected by low-to-intermediate mass stars (~0.8-8 times the mass of the Sun) towards the end of their lives. As hydrogen and then helium fuel sources run out, stars expand. During these giant…
If planetary systems are ubiquitous then a fraction of stars should possess a transiting planet when being microlensed. This paper presents a study of the influence of such planets on microlensing light curves. For the giant planets…
I review progress that has been made in nuclear astrophysics over the past few years and summarize some of the questions that remain. Topics selected include solar neutrinos, supernovae (the explosion and associated nucleosynthesis),…
Our Solar System includes the Sun, eight major planets and their moons, along with numerous asteroids, comets, and dust particles, collectively known as the small Solar System bodies. Small bodies are relics from the birth of the Solar…
A recent analysis of high precision photometry obtained using the Kepler spacecraft has revealed two surprising discoveries: (1) over 860 main sequence A-type stars -- approximately 40% of those identified in the Kepler field -- exhibit…
Evidence has continued to accumulate over the last few decades as to the existence and nature of dark matter. Depending on the particle candidate, the dark matter can exhibit one of several cosmologically defined models: hot dark matter,…
This talk summarizes some of the theoretical issues currently most debated in the field of hot and dense QCD matter and ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions.
CONTENTS The Milky Way -- Pulsars and Isolated Neutron Stars / Introduction: Historical Overview / Physics and Astrophysics of Isolated Neutron Stars / Rotation-powered Pulsars: The Magnetic Braking Model / High-energy Emission Models /…
All planets and satellites of our solar system are subject to a continuous rain of material, ranging in size from specks of dust to objects the size of boulders. Upon impact, these objects deposit their kinetic energy into the incident…
We discuss three different observational diagnostics related to disks around hot stars: absorption line determinations of rotational velocities of Be stars; polarization diagnostics of circumstellar disks; and X-ray line diagnostics of one…
This review covers four current questions in the behavior of the atomic and molecular interstellar medium. These include whether the atomic gas originates primarily in cold streams or hot flows onto galaxies; what the filling factor of cold…
This chapter for the new CUP book "Compact Stellar Sources" reviews the state of work on multi-wavelength observations of high mass and low mass X-ray binaries. Both neutron star and black hole systems are considered for this work.
Thousands of extrasolar planets have been discovered, and it is clear that the galactic planetary census draws on a diversity greatly exceeding that exhibited by the solar system's planets. We review significant landmarks in the chronology…
Stellar model atmospheres form the basis for any element abundance determination and hence are crucial ingredients for studies of stellar, galactic and cosmic evolution. With recent observational progress with the advent of 8m-class…
Surveys of nearby field stars indicate that stellar binaries are common, yet little is known about the effects that these companions may have on planet formation and evolution. The Friends of Hot Jupiters project uses three complementary…
In this lecture, we give a first introduction to neutron stars, based on fundamental physical principles. After outlining their amazing macroscopic properties, as obtained from observations, we infer the extreme conditions of matter in…
This white paper addresses selected new (to X-ray astronomy) physics and data analysis issues that will impact ASTRO-H SWG observations as a result of its high-spectral-resolution X-ray microcalorimeter, the focussing hard X-ray optics and…
This paper provides a brief overview of the journey of molecules through the Cosmos, from local diffuse interstellar clouds and PDRs to distant galaxies, and from cold dark clouds to hot star-forming cores, protoplanetary disks,…
We summarize here the discussions around photospheric constraints, current uncertainties in models of stellar atmospheres, and reports on ongoing spectroscopic surveys. Rather than a panorama of the state of the art, we chose to present a…
About half of all known stellar systems with Sun-like stars consist of two or more stars, significantly affecting the orbital stability of any planet in these systems. This observational evidence has prompted a large array of theoretical…