The oxygen isotopic compositions of densely packed submicron oxide grains in two grain separates of different grain size from the CM2 carbonaceous chondrite Murray were determined by multi-detection raster imaging on the NanoSIMS ion microprobe. This led to the identification of 81 presolar spinel and 3 presolar corundum grains among ∼51 700 grains in the CF residue (mean diameter 0.15 µm) and 171 presolar spinel and 29 presolar corundum grains among ˜21 500 grains in the CG residue (mean diameter 0.45 µm). Previous NanoSIMS analysis of individual grains from the same residues has led to the discovery of 15 presolar spinel and 3 presolar corundum grains among 628 CF grains, and 9 presolar spinels among 753 CG grains. The oxygen isotopic compositions of the presolar oxides found by raster imaging are comparable to those of the presolar oxides measured individually. While the abundance of presolar spinel among the (larger) grains of the CG residue is the same for both techniques, the detection efficiency for presolar spinel by imaging among the (smaller) grains in CF is lower due to the small size of these grains. Nonetheless, it is possible to identify presolar grains of this size range. Though single grain measurements are effective for determining the precise isotopic compositions and abundances of presolar grains, raster ion imaging is the method of choice in searches for rare presolar grain types such as presolar silicates.

We report early results of an observational campaign targeted on a sample of compact steep spectrum sources selected from the FIRST survey which are significantly weaker than those investigated before. The selection criteria and procedure are given in detail. We present here an assortment of MERLIN and VLBI observations and make some general comments based on the morphologies of the sources presented.

We have extended our published set of low-mass AGB stellar modelsto lower metallicities. Different mass-loss rates have been explored. We provide interpolation formulae for the luminosity, effective temperature, core mass, mass of dredge up material and maximum temperature in the convective zone generated by thermal pulses. Finally, we discuss the resultant modification of these quantities when we use an appropriate treatment of the inward propagation of the convective instability, as caused by the steeprise in radiative opacity when the convective envelope penetratesthe H-depleted region.

According to the currently accepted paradigm compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources are precursors of larger/older objects and gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources may be earlier stages of CSS sources. In this paper we confront this paradigm with the outcome of recent observations of CSS sources that are significantly weaker than those known before. In particular we claim that not all CSS sources must end up as large scale objects; if the activity phase of an AGN's central engine is shorter than the lifetime of a large scale radio source (up to ˜108 yr) the radio source associated with such an AGN decays earlier, e.g. at the CSS stage. We point out that a theory of thermal–viscous instabilities in the accretion disks of AGN may explain many features of radio sources at all stages of their evolution.

The compact steep spectrum (CSS) and gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources are widely believed to be young radio sources, with ages ≤106 yr. If the activity in the nucleus is fuelled by the supply of gas, one might find evidence of this gas by studying the structural and polarisation characteristics of CSS sources and their evolution through this gas. In this paper we discuss some of the possible ‘smoking-gun’ evidence of this gas which may have triggered and fuelled the radio source.

Asymptotic giant branch stars are expected to produce 22Ne through the combined H and He burning that operates during their thermally pulsing evolution. However, observationally there is a fairly tight correlation between the O and Ne abundances as measured in planetary nebulae in various populations. In this paper we use recent detailed stellar evolutionary calculations for compositions appropriate to the Galaxy and the Large Magellanic Cloud, in an attempt to determine if the models are consistent with the observed abundances. We show that there is only a narrow range in stellar mass, about 2 to 4 M⊙ (lower for lower [Fe/H]) where 22Ne is produced in sufficient quantities to affect the total observed elemental neon abundance, which is mostly 20Ne. The models appear to be consistent with the observations, but a more thorough analysis is required.

The primary present-day observables upon which theories of galaxy evolution are based are a system’s morphology, dynamics, colour, and chemistry. Individually, each provides an important constraint to any given model; in concert, the four represent a fundamental (intractable) boundary condition for chemodynamical simulations. We review the current state-of-the-art semi-analytical and chemodynamical models for the Milky Way, emphasising the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches.

Amongst our sample of radio-excess IRAS galaxies, we have identified compact steep spectrum radio sources that fall into the classes of CSS or GPS sources, but have not previously been identified as such. The sample includes objects that have radio powers as low as ˜1022 W Hz−1. We suggest that these are low-power analogues of CSS and GPS sources, with weaker radio jets. These may be precursors to FR I radio galaxies or may ‘fade’ into radio-quiet galaxies.

Combining our own observations with data from the literature, we consider the incidence of HI absorption in gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) and compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources. Here we present our preliminary results, where we find that the smaller GPS sources (<1 kpc) on average have larger HI column densities than the larger CSS sources (>1 kpc). Both a spherical and an axi-symmetric gas distribution, with a radial power law density profile, can be used to explain this anti-correlation between projected linear size and HI column density. Since most detections occur in galaxy classified objects, we argue that if the unified schemes apply to the GPS/CSS sources, a disk distribution for the HI is more likely.

This is a paper on young jet material in a frustratingly complex environment.

NGC 1052 has a compact, flat or GHz peaked spectrum radio nucleus consisting of bi-symmetric jets, oriented close to the plane of the sky. Many features on both sides move away at υapp ˜0.26 c (H0 = 65 km s−1 Mpc−1). VLBI at seven frequencies shows a wide range of spectral shapes and brightness temperatures; there is clearly free–free absorption, probably together with synchrotron self-absorption, on both sides of the core. The absorbing structure is likely to be geometrically thick and oriented roughly orthogonal to the jets, but it is patchy.

HI VLBI shows atomic gas in front of the approaching as well as the receding jet. There appear to be three velocity systems, at least two of which are local to the AGN environment. The ‘high velocity system’, 125–200 km s−1 redward of systemic, seems restricted to a shell 1–2 pc away from the core. Closer to the centre, this gas might be largely ionised; it could cause the free–free absorption.

WSRT spectroscopy shows 1667 and 1665 MHz OH absorption over a wide velocity range. OH and HI profile similarity suggests co-location of molecular and atomic ‘high velocity’ gas; the connection to H2O masing gas is unclear. Further, at ‘high velocity’ we detected the OH 1612 MHz satellite line in absorption and the 1720 MHz line in emission, with complementary strengths.

We discuss recent measurements of proper motions of the hotspots of compact symmetric objects (CSOs). Source expansion has been detected in 10 CSOs so far and all these objects are very young (≤ 3 × 103 yr). In a few sources ages have also been estimated from energy supply and spectral ageing arguments and these estimates are comparable. This argues that these sources are close to equipartition and that standard spectral ageing models apply. Proper motion studies are now constraining hotspot accelerations, side-to-side motions, and differences in hotspot advance speeds between the two hotspots of a source. Although most CSOs are young sources their evolution is unclear. There is increasing evidence that in some objects the CSO structure represents a new phase of activity within a recurrent source.

The main topic of this contribution is the investigation of the morphological self-similarity of the growth process during the gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) and compact steep spectrum (CSS) phase of evolving radio galaxies. By investigating a new sample of faint CSS radio sources we establish that self-similar evolution must hold for peaked spectrum sources over a wide range of luminosities as well as physical sizes. Thus, we argue that self-similarity should be regarded as an essential, intrinsic characteristic of the growth process of young radio sources, and be treated as such, and not merely as a supplementary constraint for evolution models.

There is quite a clear anticorrelation between the intrinsic peak frequency and the overall radio source size in compact steep spectrum (CSS) and gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) radio sources. This feature is interpreted in terms of synchrotron self-absorption (although free–free absorption may play a role as well) of the radiation emitted by a small radio source which is growing within the inner region of the host galaxy. This leads to the hypothesis that these objects are young and that the radio source is still developing/expanding within the host galaxy itself.

Very young radio sources must have the peak in their radio spectra occurring above a few tens of gigahertz, and for this reason they are termed high frequency peakers (HFPs). These newly born radio sources must be very rare given that they spend very little time in this stage. Ho = 100 km s−1 Mpc−1 and qo = 0.5 are used throughout this paper.

We present global VLBI and VLBA observations of the compact steep spectrum quasar B1524–136. These observations reveal well-defined radio jets on both sides of the active nucleus. Also, the overall radio structure appears highly distorted and asymmetric with the counter-jet exhibiting several oscillations. A possible scenario is one in which jet and counter-jet are inclined at about 25° and 75° to the line of sight respectively and an environment which is dense on the jet side. Possible implications of these results are discussed.

We have obtained HST/STIS long slit spectroscopy of the aligned emission line nebulae in three compact steep spectrum (CSS) radio sources — 3C 67, 3C 277.1, and 3C 303.1. We find systematic offsets (˜300–500 kms) of the emission line velocities on one or both sides of the radio sources. We also see evidence for broad lines (FWHM ˜500 kms) and complex emission line profiles. In 3C 303.1 the data are consistent with multiple components and possibly split lines. The amplitude of the velocity variations is not so large as to exclude gravitationally-induced motions. However, the complex kinematics, the lack of a signature of Keplerian rotation, and the association of the velocity variations with the radio lobes are consistent with the observed ˜300–500 kms velocities being driven by the expansion of the radio source. Acceleration of the clouds by the bow shock is plausible given the estimated densities in the clouds and the velocities observed in the much smaller compact symmetric objects and with expansion velocities estimated from spectral ageing. This conclusion is unchanged if we consider the scenario in which the cloud acceleration is dominated by the post bow shock flow.

Compact symmetric objects are considered the young counterparts of large doubles according to advance speeds measured or inferred from spectral ageing. Here we present a simple power law model for the CSO/FR II evolution based on the study of sources with well defined hot spots. The luminosity of the hot spots is estimated under minimum energy conditions. The advance of the source is considered to proceed in ram pressure equilibrium with the ambient medium. Finally, we also assume that the jets feeding the hot spots are relativistic and have a time dependent power. Comparison with observational data points to an interpretation of the CSO–FR II evolution in terms of decreasing jet power with time.

We have recently developed a detailed analytical model for powerful radio sources based on the results of a series of 2-D numerical hydrodynamical simulations. Here we make use of the model results to investigate the radio source luminosity evolution. Changes in the radio spectrum due to radiation losses were calculated in two different scenarios for energy gains/losses: Kardashev–h;Pacholczyk (KP) and ‘continuous injection’ (CI). The magnetic field was calculated in two limiting cases: (1) assuming equipartition of energy between relativistic particles and fields and (2) magnetic flux conservation inside the cocoon. The effect of the surrounding medium was taken into account by considering three different ambient density profiles. The evolutionary tracks were plotted in a power–diameter (P-D) diagram and compared with the predictions of self-similar models. In general, the evolutionary tracks cannot be represented by a simple power law and have a complex form that is most probably the result of the nonself-similar evolution of the source.

We review theoretical ideas that seem to be currently important for the physics of GPS and CSS radio sources. These include models for their evolution, the production of emission lines, and the origin of the low frequency turnover. We also describe the initial phases of a program of simulations that is aimed at understanding the radiative interactions between jets, lobes, and dense clouds in the nuclei of these objects.

The anticorrelation between the turnover frequency in the radio spectrum and the projected linear size (indicative of the age in the currently favoured youth model) in powerful and intrinsically compact radio sources suggests that the youngest objects must have the highest turnover frequencies. We present preliminary results of new VLBA observations of a sample of sources peaking at frequencies higher than a few GHz, making them good candidates for being newly born sources. Our initial analysis deals with the morphological classification which allows us to study the contamination from beamed sources dominated by a single unresolved component.

The high spatial resolution of the Chandra X-ray Observatory allows us to study the environment of GPS/CSS sources to within an arcsec of the strong compact core. We present the discovery of X-ray jets in two GPS quasars, PKS1127–145 and B2 0738+313, indicating that X-ray emission associated with the relativistic plasma is present at large distances from the GPS nucleus. We also discuss first results from Chandra observations of our GPS/CSS sample. We find that six out of ten sources show intrinsic absorption at a level which may be sufficient to confine the GPS source.