A very high energy (VHE) γ-radiation was detected from a flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) 4C 21.35 (PKS1222+21) by MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes on June 17th 2010. 4C 21.35 is only the 3rd FSRQ detected in VHE γ-rays. With its hard spectrum (Γ = 2.72±0.34) with no apparent cut-off at energies below 130 GeV and an extremely fast variation of flux (doubling in 8.6+1.1−0.9 minutes), this detection poses a challenge to existing models of VHE γ-radiation from FSRQs. The most important results of observations performed by MAGIC telescopes are presented here, as well as some possible explanations of those results.

We present the results of space-based photometric and ground-based spectroscopic observing campaigns on the γ-ray binary LS 5039. The new orbital and physical parameters of the system are similar to former results, except we found a lower eccentricity. Our MOST-data show that any broad-band optical photometric variability at the orbital period is below the 2 mmag level. Light curve simulations support the lower value of eccentricity and imply that the mass of the compact object is higher than 1.8 M⊙.

Type II-plateau supernovae (SNe II-P) are fainter than Type Ia SNe and thus have so far been observed only at z < 1. We introduce shock breakout and propose a distant SN II-P survey at z > 1 with shock breakout. The first observation of shock breakout from the rising phase is reported in 2008. We first construct a theoretical model reproducing the UV-optical light curves (LCs) of the first example and demonstrate that the peak apparent g-band magnitude of the shock breakout would be mg ~ 26.4 mag if an identical SN occurs at a redshift z = 1, which can be reached by 8m-class telescopes. Furthermore, we present LCs of shock breakout of SN explosions with various main-sequence masses, metallicities, and explosion energies and derive the observable SN rate and reachable redshift as functions of filter and limiting magnitude by taking into account an initial mass function, cosmic star formation history, intergalactic absorption, and host galaxy extinction. The g-band observable SN rate with limiting magnitude 27.5 mag is 3.3 SNe deg−2 day−1 and half of them are located at z > 1.2.

A trigonometric parallax distance is measurable for a planetary nebula if it harbors H2O (or OH) maser spots. We have demonstrated it for H2O maser sources, K3-35, IRAS 19312+1950 and IRAS 18286-0959 using the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). They are post-AGB stars and exhibit peculiar morpho-kinematical structures like a bipolar planetary nebula or a bipolar molecular jet (water fountain). The luminosities and secular motions of these sources derived from the trigonometric distances and proper motions of the H2O masers suggest that their parental stars may be intermediate-mass (2M⊙ < M* < 8 M⊙) evolved stars.

Time-resolved polarisation measurements of pulsars provide an unique insight into the geometry of the emission regions. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) polarisation data of the Crab Nebula were obtained from the Multimission Archive at STScI (MAST). The data are composed of a series of observations of the Crab Nebula with the HST and ACS camera system taken in three different polarisation filters (0°, 60° and 120°) between 2003 August and 2005 December. Polarisation vector maps of the Nebula were produced with the polarimetry software IMPOL. The degree of polarisation (P.D.) and the position angle (P.A.) of the pulsar's integrated pulse beam were measured, and also that of the nearby Synchrotron Knot, yielding P.D. = 4.90 ± 0.33 %, P.A. = 106°.46 ± 1°.9 for the pulsar, and P.D. = 61.70 ± 0.72 %, P.A. = 126°.86 ± 0°.23 for the Synchrotron Knot. These results are consistent with those of obtained by others using INTEGRAL.

A giant e± pair halo is formed by electromagnetic cascades developing around an AGN under the intergalactic magnetic field (1nG - 1μG). Many studies have been focussed on the pair halos in the gamma band because it has been predicted that the e±s in the pair halos up-scatter the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) to be gamma-rays. However, the pair halos do not emit only gamma photons but also X-ray photons via synchrotron radiation. In this paper, the Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) and the angular distributions of the synchrotron radiation of the pair halos from the Monte Carlo simulations will be discussed.

The small group of λ Bootis stars comprises late B to early F-type stars, with moderate to extreme (up to a factor 100) surface under-abundances of most Fe-peak elements and solar abundances of lighter elements (C, N, O, and S). The main mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are atmospheric diffusion, meridional mixing, and accretion of material from their surroundings. Especially spectroscopic binary (SB) systems with λ Bootis-type components are very important to investigate the evolutionary status and accretion process in more details. Because also δ Scuti type pulsation was found for several members, it gives the opportunity to use the tools of astroseismology for further investigations. We present the results of our long term efforts of detailed abundance analysis, orbital parameter estimation and photometric time series analysis for five well investigated SB systems.

Very high energy (VHE ≳0.1 TeV) gamma-rays from extragalactic sources, interacting by γ-γ collisions with diffuse intergalactic radiation fields, provide an alternative way to constrain the diffuse background light, completely independent of direct measurements. The limits depend however on our knowledge of the physics of the gamma-ray sources. After clarifying the interplay between background light and VHE spectra, I summarize the extent and validity of the obtainable limits, and where future improvements can be expected.

SuperWASP is the world's leading ground-based survey for transiting exoplanets. Its database now contains over 300 billion data points covering 30 million unique objects from 10 million images obtained over 1700 nights since 2004. In addition to having discovered 70 transiting exoplanets, SuperWASP enables long-baseline, high-cadence studies of variable stars to be performed. We summarise some of the studies already carried out, and look ahead to the prospects for studying periodic variables with varying periods. The science which is thus supported will include studies of the Blazhko effect in RR Lyræ stars, migrating starspots in rotational variables, third bodies in eclipsing binaries, and coalescing binary stars.

Since 2010, a program to explore new eclipsing binary systems identified from STEREO photometry has been in progress. Our first results are presented here: light curves and high resolution spectra taken with Coudé spectrograph (National Astronomical Observatory Rozhen) and ARC Échelle spectrometer (ARCES, Apache Point Observatory).

Gamma-ray bursts are normally split into two classes, primarily determined by their observed duration, so called long (> 2s) and short (< 2s) GRBs. There have been many claims of a third duration class, with emission lasting for intermediate periods between 2 - 5s, although the reality of this class remains controversial. Here, we investigate this further utilising the 2.9s duration, spectrally hard GRB 100816A. This burst lies well offset from its host galaxy, has no evidence for an associated supernova (albeit to only moderately constraining limits), and has properties which appear to be genuinely intermediate between long- and short- population bursts. We extend this analysis by comparing the physical locations of a population of intermediate duration GRBs with those of short-GRBs and long-GRBs, concluding that the intermediate sample is indistinguishable from the long-GRB population, whose locations are very different from other transients.

As a tool helping to interpret diffuse X-ray emission of PNe, and as a supplement to our RHD simulations, we have started to construct a grid of theoretical X-ray spectra of wind-blown bubbles with temperature and density profiles according to thermal conduction theory. We investigate how the X-ray spectra depend on chemical composition (e.g. H-rich vs. H-deficient) and how temperature and abundance determinations reflect gradients of temperature and chemical composition within the bubbles. These synthetic models shall allow to quickly perform detailed parameter studies without the need for dedicated hydrodynamical simulations. We report on ideas and goals.

We present a code which can be used to simulate the light curve of a binary system harbouring a non-circular accretion disk, and show that such a system geometry can produce light curves with asymmetric minima and different heights of the maxima. We have applied this code to check for the possible existence of a non-circular accretion disk, as suggested by Smak & Plavec (1997), in the Algol-type binary KU Cyg. We compare the best solutions for two sets of multicolour light curves, obtained within circular and non-circular disk models.

The canonical classification of GRBs establishes two types of bursts, long and short. Although an intermediate class of GRBs was suggested, its existence is not yet conclusive. In the present work, we explore the temporal classification of GRBs in the burst frame, because in recent years the statistics of bursts with known redshifts has increased. We studied a sample of Swift GRBs with known redshifts to determine three different time estimators: autocorrelation functions, emission times and duration times. In order to look for a subclass in long GRBs, we studied the distribution of the cosmologically corrected time estimators. The distribution of time estimators of the sample suggests an internal division of long GRBs. The proposed bimodality is also supported in the isotropic luminosity - time estimator planes and we discuss some possible implications of the classification of GRBs in the burst frame.

The Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) at UV, optical and NIR wavelengths consists of the integrated light of all unresolved galaxies along the line of sight plus any contributions by intergalactic matter including hypothetical decaying relic particles. The measurement of the EBL has turned out to be a tedious problem. This is because of the foreground components of the night sky brightness, much larger than the EBL itself: the Zodiacal Light (ZL), Integrated Starlight (ISL), Diffuse Galactic Light (DGL) and, for ground-based observations, the Airglow (AGL) and the tropospheric scattered light. We have been developing a method for the EBL measurement which utilises the screening effect of a dark nebula on the EBL. A differential measurement in the direction of a high-latitude dark nebula and its surrounding area provides a signal that is due to two components only, i.e. the EBL and the diffusely scattered ISL from the cloud. We present a progress report of this method where we are now utilising intermediate resolution spectroscopy with ESO's VLT telescope. We detect and remove the scattered ISL component by using its characteristic Fraunhofer line spectral signature. In contrast to the ISL, in the EBL spectrum all spectral lines are washed out. We present a high quality spectrum representing the difference between an opaque position within our target cloud and several clear OFF positions around the cloud. We derive a preliminary EBL value at 400 nm and an upper limit to the EBL at 520 nm. These values are in the same range as the EBL lower limits derived from galaxy counts.

Unit: We will use in this paper the abbreviation 1 cgs = 10−9erg s−1cm−2sr−1Å−1

In the last years (metallicity-dependent) radiation-hydrodynamics simulations have become a powerful tool to understand the formation and evolution of PNe in terms of simple morphologies and kinematics. Contrary to photoionization models, with their ad-hoc assumptions on structure and physics, the RHD models are self-consistent with respect to their density distribution, velocity field, chemical composition, and stellar evolution. We use our models as simple proxies for real PNe and investigate the reliability of common abundance determination methods, which are based on either plasma diagnostics or static photoionization (PI) models.

ARCONS, the Array Camera for Optical to Near-infrared Spectrophotometry, was recently commissioned at the coudé focus of the 200-inch Hale Telescope at the Palomar Observatory. At the heart of this unique instrument is a 1024-pixel Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID), exploiting the Kinetic Inductance effect to measure the energy of the incoming photon to better than several percent. The ground-breaking instrument is lens-coupled with a pixel scale of 0″.23/pixel, each pixel recording the arrival time (< 2 μ sec) and energy of a photon (~10%) in the optical to near-IR (0.4–1.1 microns) range. The scientific objectives of the instrument include the rapid follow-up and classification of transient phenomena.

With the precision of space-borne photometers better than 100 ppm (i.e. MOST, CoRoT and Kepler), the derived stellar properties often suffer from systematic offsets due to the values used for solar mass, radius and luminosity, and to fundamental astrophysical constants. Stellar parameters are often expressed in terms of L⊙, M⊙ and R⊙, but the actual values used vary from study to study. Here, we propose to adopt a nominal set of fundamental solar parameters that will impose consistency across published works and eliminate systematics that stem from inconsistent values. We further implore the community to rigorously use the official values of fundamental astrophysical constants set forth by the Committee on Data for Science and Technology (CODATA).

Our sample of round/elliptical double-shell PNe around central stars (CSs) with H-rich surface chemistry covers all evolutionary phases across the HRD. By means of high-resolution and high-S/N spectra we determine bulk matter velocities of the inner wind-driven rims and the maximum (= post-shock) gas velocities of the surrounding thermally expanding shells. Studying the details of the internal kinematics allows a look at processes of PN formation and at PN expansion history helping, for instance, to determine expansion distances.

We present the new constraints on the cosmic optical background (COB) obtained from an analysis of the Pioneer 10/11 Imaging Photopolarimeter (IPP) data. After careful examination of data quality, the usable measurements free from the zodiacal light are integrated into sky maps at the blue (~0.44 μm) and red (~0.64 μm) bands. Accurate starlight subtraction is achieved by referring to all-sky star catalogs and a Galactic stellar population synthesis model down to 32.0 mag. We find that the residual light is separated into two components: one component shows a clear correlation with thermal 100 μm brightness, while another betrays a constant level in the lowest 100 μm brightness region. Presence of the second component is significant after all the uncertainties and possible residual light in the Galaxy are taken into account, thus it most likely has the extragalactic origin (i.e., the COB). The derived COB brightness is (1.8 ± 0.9) × 10−9 and (1.2 ± 0.9) × 10−9 erg s−1 cm−2 sr−1 Å−1 at the blue and red band, respectively, or 7.9 ± 4.0 and 7.7 ± 5.8 nW m−2 sr−1. Based on a comparison with the integrated brightness of galaxies, we conclude that the bulk of the COB is comprised of normal galaxies which have already been resolved by the current deepest observations. There seems to be little room for contributions of other populations including “first stars” at these wavelengths. On the other hand, the first component of the IPP residual light represents the diffuse Galactic light (DGL)---scattered starlight by the interstellar dust. We derive the mean DGL-to-100 μm brightness ratios of 2.1 × 10−3 and 4.6 × 10−3 at the two bands, which are roughly consistent with the previous observations toward denser dust regions. Extended red emission in the diffuse interstellar medium is also confirmed.