We present a measurement of the rate of high-z Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) using multi-epoch observations of Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field (SXDF) with Suprime-Cam on the Subaru Telescope. Although SNe Ia are regarded as a standard candle, progenitor systems of SNe Ia have not been resolved yet. One of the key parameters to show the progenitor systems by observations is the delay time distribution between the binary system formation and subsequent SN explosion. Recently, a wide range of delay time is studied by SN Ia rates compared with an assumed cosmic star formation history. If SNe Ia with short delay time are dominant, the cosmic SN Ia rate evolution should closely trace that of the cosmic star formation. In order to detect a lot of high-z SNe Ia and measure SN Ia rates, we repeatedly carried out wide and deep imaging observations in the í-band with Suprime-Cam in 2002 (FoV~1 deg2, mi < 25.5 mag). We obtained detailed light curves of the variable objects, and 50 objects are classified as SNe Ia using the light curve fitting method at the redshift range of 0.2 < z < 1.3. In order to check the completeness and contamination of the light curve classification method, we performed Monte Carlo simulations and generated ~100,000 light curves of SNe Ia and II from templates. The control time and detection efficiency of the SN survey are also calculated using the artificial light curves. We derived an increasing trend of rates at around z ~ 1.2. Our results are almost consistent with other SN Ia rate results from low-z to high-z. Our results are the first results of high-z SN Ia rates with large statistics using light curves obtained by ground based telescopes, and give us visions of the SN rate studies for the future.

With over 80 years of existence, Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, West Java, Indonesia, still stands as one of the largest observatories that is registered by International Astronomical Union in the South East Asia region. Since first commissioned by the NISV (Netherlands Indische Sterrenkundige Vereeniging), Bosscha Observatory had played a major role in astronomy, particularly in research and observational activities in the southern hemisphere. But the current development has produced a serious impact on Bosscha Observatory, both tangible and intangible. With the challenges Bosscha Observatory faced the past decades, what can be done in the future to conserve not only the tangible value but most importantly the intangible value it embraces for the scientific development? This paper emphasizes its values, and opens some perspectives and ideas for conserving a (candidate to) Astronomy and World Heritage site. This important issue of how to best preserve the scientific value of this scientific heritage it embodied is discussed in some detail.

At present none of galactic chemical evolution (GCE) models provides a self-consistent description of observed trends for all iron-peak elements with metallicity simultaneously. The question is whether the discrepancy is due to deficiencies of GCE models, such as stellar yields, or due to erroneous spectroscopically-determined abundances of these elements in metal-poor stars. The present work aims at a critical reevaluation of the abundance trends for several odd and even-Z Fe-peak elements, which are important for understanding explosive nucleosynthesis in supernovae.

We present an analysis of glitches detected at Urumqi from 2000 to 2008. Statistics based on all known glitches, for example post glitch behavior were investigated.

Accretion of planetary (metal-rich) material onto a star in its early phases can produce episodes of thermohaline convection below the outer convective zone. These extra-mixing phases lead to rapid lithium destruction. The observed dispersion of lithium abundances in solar-type stars can be related to such events.

We present a study of star clusters in the interacting galaxy M51 using a star cluster catalog that includes about 3600 star clusters with mF555W < 23 mag, compiled by Hwang & Lee (2008). Combined with mF336W-band imaging data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST)'s WFPC2 camera, we have derived the ages and masses of star clusters in M51 using theoretical population synthesis models. The cluster age distribution displays multiple peaks that correspond to the epochs of dynamical encounters predicted by theoretical model studies and the cluster-formation rate appears to increase around the same epochs.

Following the approach of Melnikov & Shevchenko (2008), we explore how the nonlinearity in the emission-line luminosity Ll of a broad-line region cloud, in its dependence on the ionizing continuum flux Fi incident on the cloud, affects estimates of the size of the broad-line region by means of cross-correlation methods. We show that the estimates obtained by straightforward cross-correlation of emission-line and continuum light curves can significantly underestimate the BLR size. We demonstrate examples of direct reverberation modelling of AGN emission-line light curves taking into account the nonlinearity of the “Ll–Fi” relation. This nonlinearity allows one to explain the differences in the time lags for different lines. Cross-correlation estimates of the BLR size turn out to be small in comparison to the estimates obtained by the direct reverberation modelling.

A major role to the understanding of the chemical evolution of the Galaxy is played by studies of stellar chemical abundance distribution. In the last years, there has been an increase in the number of spectroscopic surveys of late-type stars. Classical problems on the chemical evolution of the Galaxy, such as the G dwarf problem and the age-metallicity relation, can be reinvestigated with better accuracy. We present a chemical abundance survey of 325 solar neighborhood G dwarfs stars situated within 25 pc from the Sun. We reinvestigate classical observational constraints, namely the metallicity distribution, using a number of chemical elements (Na, Si, Ca, Ni, Fe and Ba) as metallicity indicators. The abundance probability density function for each of the surveyed element was derived using a Gaussian kernel estimator. We have found mean values of −0.11, −0.14, −0.07, −0.05, −0.16 and −0.12 dex for the [Fe/H], [Na/H], [Si/H], [Ca/H], [Ni/H] and [Ba/H] pdfs, respectively. We also show that abundance distributions having higher mean values have smaller dispersion, in contradiction to the predictions of the Simple Model with Delayed Production. We discuss this result in the context and present an alternate explanation for this pattern.

We discuss the possible angular momentum loss mechanisms in AM Her type cataclysmic variables and their corresponding mass loss rates using the observed physical parameters of them.

En 1665, Adrien Auzout (1622-1691) figure parmi les membres des cercles scientifiques qui fleurissent en France depuis une trentaine d'années. Une comète est apparue l'année précédente et il adresse à Louis XIV son «Ephéméride du Comète» [sic] correspondant à cette voyageuse. Cette épître permet de voir combien art et science sont pour lui étroitement associés. L'observatoire Royal créé deux ans plus tard illustrera cette interaction comme le montre l'examen de ses collections.

Studying by the authors of paper of solar wind parameters, namely: density, speed and temperature and also a module of interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensity has allowed to find out in them fluctuations with the period of 399 days. From references it is known that this period coincidence with the synodic period of Jupiter. So long as close by the given period another source of such fluctuations is not known we have assumed that fluctuations with the period of 399 days are fluctuations with the synodic period of Jupiter. The change of the solar wind plasma parameters and IMF intensity can lead to the change of the Earth's magnetic field parameters and, as a consequence, to the change of charged particle fluxes in the Earth's magnetosphere. On this assumption the IMF intensity in the Earth's vicinity, geomagnetic disturbance (Kp-index) and riometer absorption for the years of 1986-1996 have been analyzed. The analysis of the data has shown the presence of certain changes of these physical parameters with the period of 399 days. When the Earth and Jupiter were found to be on the same magnetic field line, the IMF intensity was decreasing up to 3.0±0.57, the geomagnetic activity and riometer absorption were decreasing up to 5.2±1.46% and 9.4±2.63%, respectively.

The uncertainties which still plague our understanding of the evolution of the light nuclides D, 3He and 4He in the Galaxy are described. Measurements of the local abundance of deuterium range over a factor of 3. The observed dispersion can be reconciled with the predictions on deuterium evolution from standard Galactic chemical evolution models, if the true local abundance of deuterium proves to be high, but not too high, and lower observed values are due to depletion onto dust grains. The nearly constancy of the 3He abundance with both time and position within the Galaxy implies a negligible production of this element in stars, at variance with predictions from standard stellar models which, however, do agree with the (few) measurements of 3He in planetary nebulae. Thermohaline mixing, inhibited by magnetic fields in a small fraction of low-mass stars, could in principle explain the complexity of the overall scenario. However, complete grids of stellar yields taking this mechanism into account are not available for use in chemical evolution models yet. Much effort has been devoted to unravel the origin of the extreme helium-rich stars which seem to inhabit the most massive Galactic globular clusters. Yet, the issue of 4He evolution is far from being fully settled even in the disc of the Milky Way.

In this contribution, we estimate the temperature at the surface of known exoplanets and of their putative satellites for two albedo extreme cases (Venus and Mars) and present a selection of extremophiles living on Earth that can live under those conditions. We examine also the possibility of survival of microorganisms in planetary systems of variable stars.

We present a new analysis of the Galactic structure in the field of Lacerta. The investigation uses precise uvbyβ photometry and the recalculated Hipparcos parallaxes to provide an improved homogeneous distance scale to the main stellar groups in the field. The OB association Lac OB1 (Lac OB1b) is reliably identified as a very compact young group at an average distance of 520 ± 80 pc. The characteristics of the older Lac OB1a group and the open cluster NGC 7243 are extensively studied based on photometric diagrams and the inferred distances. A good agreement between the photometry-derived distances and the recalculated Hipparcos parallaxes is found for the Lac OB1 group, but in general discrepancies still exist for this particular field.

We discuss the relations between the metallicity gradients and the other characteristics of a set of dwarf elliptical galaxies in different environments. We suggest that dEs have typically metallicity gradients of −0.30 ± 0.25 dex/re, unrelated to their mass. Dwarf elliptical galaxies with embedded disks, or dS0, may have flat metallicity gradients.

In this work, we present temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, microturbulence and element abundances, determined from a detailed spectroscopic analysis for a sample of 9 Herbig Ae stars, based on high resolution, high S/N spectra.

Simultaneous timing of several pulsars distributed over the sky, so called Pulsar Timing Array (PTA), is used for a variety of metrological and astronomical applications. Three examples of PTA application are presented: link between celestial reference frames, ensemble pulsar time scale and detection of gravitational waves.

From the geocentric, closed world model of Antiquity to the wraparound universe models of relativistic cosmology, the parallel history of space representations in science and art illustrates the fundamental rôle of geometric imagination in innovative findings. Through the analysis of works of various artists and scientists like Plato, Dürer, Kepler, Escher, Grisey or the author, it is shown how the process of creation in science and in the arts rests on aesthetical principles such as symmetry, regular polyhedra, laws of harmonic proportion, tessellations, group theory, etc., as well as on beauty, conciseness and an emotional approach of the world.

Work done to date on the SMBH mass function has brought to light some interesting puzzles, the best known of which is cosmic downsizing. The solution to this problem is based upon the methodology by which we determine SMBH masses, which comes mainly from studies of active galaxies. The most massive SMBHs cease to be active at earlier epochs than their less massive counterparts, thus leading to an apparent decrease in the SMBH mass function with time. The larger SMBHs should still be present in the local Universe, but they lie in quiescent galaxies. This lack of certainty reflects the biggest gap in the observational record – the mass of SMBHs in quiescent galaxies.

GALEV evolutionary synthesis models describe the evolution of stellar populations in general, of star clusters as well as of galaxies, both in terms of resolved stellar populations and of integrated light properties over cosmological timescales of >13 Gyr from the onset of star formation shortly after the Big Bang until today. A new web-interface now allows to run customized GALEV models with user-defined parameters. This web-interface, all data, and many more features to come, can be found at http://www.galev.org.