• Volume 4, Issue 2

June 1983,   pages  65-159

• Temperature distribution in the corona from λ 5303 Å line-width observations: Eclipse of 1980 February 16 – Tentative evidence for a temperature maximum

Fabry-Perot interferometfic observations in the green coronal line during the total eclipse of 1980 February 16, have yielded line-width temperatures up to 1.5 over a wide range of position angles. Least square analysis of the data indicates a tentative temperature maximum near 1.2 from the centre of the Sun. The ratio of peak line intensity to square of the continuum intensity Eline/E2cont appears to be inversely correlated to the temperature. Turbulent velocities calculated using this ratio and the observed line-width temperatures show a peak at ~ 10 km s-1.

• Abundance analysis of selected cepheids and the galactic distribution of metallicity

We have determined the atmospheric abundances of selected Cepheids in order to study the large-scale chemical inhomogeneities across the galactic disk. The classical Cepheids were selected as probes to study the variation of metallicity in the galactic disk, because of their high intrinsic luminosity, small age and the existence of period-luminosity and period-age relationships. High dispersion spectra of programme stars WZ Sgr, X Sgr, ς Gem, T Mon and S V Mon were obtained using the 102-cm reflector of Kavalur Observatory. The atmospheric abundances were determined by theoretically synthesizing the selected portions of the stellar spectrum and comparing with the observed spectra. In order to compute the theoretical spectrum, the formal solution of the equation of radiative transfer was numerically evaluated with the simplifying assumptions of local thermodynamical equilibrium, plane-parallel geometry and hydrostatic equilibrium. These assumptions are reasonably good for the metallic lines of F-G supergiants and hence the observations were confined to the phases where Cepheids behave like nonvariable F-G supergiants.

The atmospheric abundances of iron-peak elements, Fe, Cr, Ti, Ca and heavier s-process elements Y, Ba, La, Ce, Sm were obtained by synthesizing a selected spectral region in the range 4330 Å — 4650 Å. We derive a radial abundance gradient for iron$$\frac{{d(Fe/H)}}{{dr_{gc} }} = - 0.056 \pm 0.08$$ for the region of galactic disk between 6.7 and 10.9 kpc from the galactic centre (assuming rgc = 8.5 kpc for the Sun). This value agrees with the one obtained from the general sample of Cepheids for which spectroscopic abundances are available, and also with the existing photometric determinations, but is shallower than the one derived by Luck (1982).

Abundances of the elements derived in the present investigation do not show any significant correlation with atomic number. Also the abundance ratio of s-process elements does not show any correlation with Fe. This lack of correlation for disk population stars shows the inadequacy of simple models of galactic chemical evolution and favours the infall models. Alternately, the evolution of [s/Fe] may be determined by the ratio of intermediate-mass stars (which contribute s-process nuclei) to high-mass stars (which contribute Fe peak nuclei). Thus the different behaviour of halo and disk population may indicate a difference in the mass spectrum of star formation.

• The large-scale distribution of quasars identified with strong radio sources at 5 GHz

The large-scale angular distribution of quasars from a complete sample of extragalactic radio sources is examined at different redshifts. The sample contains 264 quasars which have been found so far among the complete sample of 518 radio sources stronger than. 1 Jy at 5 GHz. Of these, 19 quasars have redshift z &gt; 2. Dividing the entire sky into three separate declination zones of equal area, the counts of quasars seem to indicate a deficit of high redshift quasars in the northernmost declination zone. On the other hand, the Iow-redshift quasars (z &lt; 1) appear fairly uniformly distributed. We discuss some possible selection effects that might have led to the apparent anomaly at high redshifts and estimate the expected number of high-redshift quasars amongst the radio sources in the sample for which redshifts are presently not available.

• Astrophysical properties of red giants in three open clusters older than the hyades

Results fromCMT1T2 1T2 broad-band and DDO intermediate-band photometry are presented for G and K giants in the old open clusters NGC. 2482, NGC 3680, and IC 4651. Two independent photometric criteria have been used to separate red field stars from the physical members of the clusters. Recent calibrations of the DDO andCMT1T2 systems have been used to derive reddening, distance moduli, metallicities, effective temperatures, and surface gravities. Rough estimates of masses have also been made. The giants of NGC 2482 and IC 4651 have CN strengths nearly identical to the Hyades giants, while those of NGC 3680 are slightly richer in CN than the nearby K giants.CMT1T2 abundance analysis in NGC 2482 and NGC 3680 yield [Fe/H]MT = - 0.1 ± 0.1 as derived from the iron lines, while abundances derived from the CNO - contaminated (C - M) index are 0.4 dex higher. BothCMT1T2 and DDO data support the conclusion that 1C 4651, with [Fe/H] = + 0.2 ± 0.1, is on the metalrich side of the distribution of intermediate and old open clusters. Finally, the mass results suggest that the clump stars in NGC 3680 and. IC 4651 could have undergone mass loss before reaching their helium core burning phase of evolution.

• Nonlinear development of convective instability within slender flux tubes. I. Adiabatic flow

The nonlinear development of convective instability within slender flux tubes is studied using the method of characteristics. It is seen that the initial magnetic field influences the development of the instability. The asymptotic state of the unstable tube depends on the boundary conditions. Flux tubes subjected to ’open’ boundary conditions show a better evidence for field amplification than those subjected to ’closed’ boundary conditions. In either case, convective instability results in the generation of significant gas flow within slender flux tubes.

• Reflection effect in close binaries. III. Distribution of radiation incident from an extended source

We have studied the effects of irradiation from an extended surface of the secondary component on the atmosphere of the primary. We have considered an isothermal and purely scattering medium. The resultant radiation field due to irradiation from an extended surface and self-radiation is different from that due to irradiation from a point source and self-radiation. In the case of the point source the middle layers of the exposed part of the atmosphere show maximum reflection while in the former case the reflection gradually decreases from the centre of the component towards the surface of the outermost layers of the atmosphere. The reflection effect appears to be strongly dependent on the density distribution of the electrons.

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• # Continuous Article Publication

Posted on January 27, 2016

Since January 2016, the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy has moved to Continuous Article Publishing (CAP) mode. This means that each accepted article is being published immediately online with DOI and article citation ID with starting page number 1. Articles are also visible in Web of Science immediately. All these have helped shorten the publication time and have improved the visibility of the articles.