[en] The transition from early Of stars to WN-type objects is poorly understood. O-type supergiants with emission lines (OIf⁺) are considered to be intermediate between these two classes. The scope of this paper is to investigate the spectral variability of three Of⁺ supergiants. We constituted spectral time series of unprecedented quality for our targets (∼200 spectra in total), essentially in the blue domain, covering timescales from a few hours up to a few years. Temporal Variance Spectrum and Fourier analyses were performed in order to characterize their spectral variability. We report on a correlated significant line profile variability in the prominent He II λ4686 and Hβ lines most likely related to the strong stellar winds. The variability pattern is similar for the three stars investigated (HD 14947, HD 15570, and HD 16691), and the main differences are more quantitative than qualitative. However, the reported timescales are somewhat different, and the most striking variability pattern is reported for HD 16691. We did not find any clear evidence for binarity, and we focus mainly on an interpretation based on a single-star scenario. We show that the behavior of the three stars investigated in this study present strong similarities, pointing to a putative common scenario, even though a few differences should be noted. Our preferred interpretation scheme is that of Large-Scale Corotating Structures modulating the profile of the lines that are produced in the strong stellar wind.

[en] The low frequency cutoffs f _lo and the observed plasma frequency f _p of 176 type III radio bursts are investigated in this paper. These events are observed by the Parker Solar Probe when it is in the encounter phase from the first to the fifth orbit. The result shows that the distribution of cutoffs f _lo is widely spread between 200 kHz and 1.6 MHz. While the plasma frequency f _p at the spacecraft is between 50 and 250 kHz, which is almost all smaller than f _lo. The result also shows that the maximum probability distribution of f _lo (∼680 kHz) is remarkably higher than that observed by Ulysses and Wind (∼100 kHz) in previous research. Three possible reasons, i.e., solar activity intensity, event electing criteria, and radiation attenuation effect, are also preliminarily discussed.

[en] On UT 2009 January 16, we observed a white light megaflare on the dM4.5e star YZ CMi as part of a long-term spectroscopic flare-monitoring campaign to constrain the spectral shape of optical flare continuum emission. Simultaneous U-band photometric and 3350-9260 A spectroscopic observations were obtained during 1.3 hr of the flare decay. The event persisted for more than 7 hr and at flare peak, the U-band flux was almost 6 mag brighter than in the quiescent state. The properties of this flare mark it as one of the most energetic and longest-lasting white light flares ever to be observed on an isolated low-mass star. We present the U-band flare energetics and a flare continuum analysis. For the first time, we show convincingly with spectra that the shape of the blue continuum from 3350 A to 4800 A can be represented as a sum of two components: a Balmer continuum as predicted by the Allred et al. radiative hydrodynamic flare models and a T∼ 10,000 K blackbody emission component as suggested by many previous studies of the broadband colors and spectral distributions of flares. The areal coverage of the Balmer continuum and blackbody emission regions vary during the flare decay, with the Balmer continuum emitting region always being significantly (∼3-16 times) larger. These data will provide critical constraints for understanding the physics underlying the mysterious blue continuum radiation in stellar flares.

[en] Complete text of publication follows. Descriptive study of the variations in the geomagnetic indices and the correlation with solar activities in history has been studied. Analytical studies of the effects of Geomagnetic storms on the earth's atmosphere. Historical studies of the last fifteen solar cycles and its effects on Earth's climate. The Earth's global temperature variation during the last two thousand years has been studied too.

[en] Michigan InfraRed Combiner-eXeter (MIRC-X) is a new highly sensitive six-telescope interferometric imager installed at the CHARA Array that provides an angular resolution equivalent of up to a 330 m diameter baseline telescope in J- and H-band wavelengths ($\frac{\mathrm{\lambda <!--\; ??\; -->}}{2B}\sim <!--\; ???\; -->0.6$ mas). We upgraded the original Michigan InfraRed Combiner (MIRC) instrument to improve sensitivity and wavelength coverage in two phases. First, a revolutionary sub-electron noise and fast-frame-rate C-RED ONE camera based on an SAPHIRA detector was installed. Second, a new-generation beam combiner was designed and commissioned to (i) maximize sensitivity, (ii) extend the wavelength coverage to J band, and (iii) enable polarization observations. A low-latency and fast-frame-rate control software enables high-efficiency observations and fringe tracking for the forthcoming instruments of the CHARA Array. Since mid-2017, MIRC-X has been offered to the community and has demonstrated best-case H-band sensitivity down to 8.2 correlated magnitude. MIRC-X uses single-mode fibers to coherently combine the light from six telescopes simultaneously with an image-plane combination scheme and delivers a visibility precision better than 1%, and closure phase precision better than 1°. MIRC-X aims at (i) imaging protoplanetary disks, (ii) detecting exoplanets with precise astrometry, and (iii) imaging stellar surfaces and starspots at an unprecedented angular resolution in the near-infrared. In this paper, we present the instrument design, installation, operation, and on-sky results, and demonstrate the imaging capability of MIRC-X on the binary system ι Peg. The purpose of this paper is to provide a solid reference for studies based on MIRC-X data and to inspire future instruments in optical interferometry.

[en] We present polarimetric observations of the Keyhole Nebula in the Carina Nebula Complex carried out using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. The Keyhole Nebula, located to the west of η Carinae, is believed to be disturbed by the stellar winds from the massive star. We observed the Keyhole Nebula at 89 μm wavelength with the HAWC+ instrument. The observations cover the entire Keyhole Nebula spanning 8′ by 5′ with central position R.A. = 10:44:43 and decl. = −59:38:04. The typical uncertainty of polarization measurement is less than 0.5% in the region with intensity above 5500 MJy sr⁻¹. The polarization fraction has a mean value of 2.4% with a standard deviation of 1.6% in the region above this intensity, similar to values in other high-mass star-forming regions. The magnetic field orientation in the bar-shaped structure is similar to the large-scale magnetic field orientation. On the other hand, the magnetic field direction in the loop is not aligned with the large-scale magnetic fields but is tightly aligned with the loop itself. Analysis of the magnetic field angles and the gas turbulence suggests that the field strength is ∼70 μG in the loop. A simple comparison of the magnetic field tension to the ram pressure of η Carinae’s stellar wind suggests that the magnetic fields in the Keyhole Nebula are not strong enough to maintain the current structure against the impact of the stellar wind and that the role of the magnetic field in resisting stellar feedback in this region is limited.

[en] We report the discovery of two planetary systems around comoving stars: TOI-2076 (TIC 27491137) and TOI-1807 (TIC 180695581). TOI-2076 is a nearby (41.9 pc) multiplanetary system orbiting a young (204 ± 50 Myr), bright (K = 7.115 in TIC v8.1) start. TOI-1807 hosts a single transiting planet and is similarly nearby (42.58 pc), similarly young (180 ± 40 Myr ), and bright. Both targets exhibit significant, periodic variability due to starspots, characteristic of their young ages. Using photometric data collected by TESS we identify three transiting planets around TOI-2076 with radii of R _b = 3.3 ± 0.04 R _⊕, R _c = 4.4 ± 0.05 R _⊕, and R _d = 4.1 ± 0.07 R _⊕. Planet TOI-2076b has a period of P _b = 10.356 days. For both TOI-2076c and d, TESS observed only two transits, separated by a 2 yr interval in which no data were collected, preventing a unique period determination. A range of long periods (<17 days) are consistent with the data. We identify a short-period planet around TOI-1807 with a radius of R _b = 1.8 ± 0.04 R _⊕ and a period of P _b = 0.549 days. Their close proximity, and bright, cool host stars, and young ages make these planets excellent candidates for follow up. TOI-1807b is one of the best-known small (R < 2 $R_{\oplus <!--\; ???\; -->}$) planets for characterization via eclipse spectroscopy and phase curves with JWST. TOI-1807b is the youngest ultra-short-period planet discovered to date, providing valuable constraints on formation timescales of short-period planets. Given the rarity of young planets, particularly in multiple-planet systems, these planets present an unprecedented opportunity to study and compare exoplanet formation, and young planet atmospheres, at a crucial transition age for formation theory.

[en] In order to observe flare stars of nearby open clusters and star associations, astronomers of many countries employ the same method. This method of photographic photometry by wide-field telescopes is only partly standardized. Differences in the various steps of the method, in the fields of view of the telescopes and in sky brightness of the observatories participating in the common work can make the statistical evaluation of the results more difficult and can lead to delusive conclusions. A critical evaluation of the problematic points of the observations and reports is given. Statistical results of flare star observations in the Pleiades field made during the past two decades are summarized. It is shown that the estimated number of flare stars in the region observed as published by scientists of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory is too low. A model of the flare star system of the field is presented. It is composed of seven differently populated subsystems with various mean flare frequencies. The strength of this model is shown on the basis of the photographic observations of the last decade. The total number of flare stars in the Pleiades field is estimated to be higher than 2500 and the expected number of flare-up observations in order to discover all of them is given (nearly 23000). (author)

[en] Optical and infrared emission lines from H II regions are an important diagnostic used to study galaxies, but interpretation of these lines requires significant modeling of both the internal structure and dynamical evolution of the emitting regions. Most of the models in common use today assume that H II region dynamics are dominated by the expansion of stellar wind bubbles, and have neglected the contribution of radiation pressure to the dynamics, and in some cases also to the internal structure. However, recent observations of nearby galaxies suggest that neither assumption is justified, motivating us to revisit the question of how H II region line emission depends on the physics of winds and radiation pressure. In a companion paper we construct models of single H II regions including and excluding radiation pressure and winds, and in this paper we describe a population synthesis code that uses these models to simulate galactic collections of H II regions with varying physical parameters. We show that the choice of physical parameters has significant effects on galactic emission line ratios, and that in some cases the line ratios can exceed previously claimed theoretical limits. Our results suggest that the recently reported offset in line ratio values between high-redshift star-forming galaxies and those in the local universe may be partially explained by the presence of large numbers of radiation-pressure-dominated H II regions within them.

[en] With the development of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) precise point positioning (PPP) technology, higher positioning accuracy is required in some applications. An important error source in PPP is the residual higher-order (i.e. second- and third-order) ionospheric error after the first-order ionospheric error has been removed by dual-frequency observation combinations. Generally, higher-order ionospheric errors are negligible; but at high ionospheric activities, higher-order ionospheric errors can reach a few centimeters, which must be considered in high-precision positioning. In this study, a quad-constellation PPP approach with higher-order ionospheric corrections is proposed. The temporal variations of the higher-order ionospheric errors for GPS, GLONASS, BDS and Galileo are analyzed and their effects on quad-constellation PPP are evaluated. The GNSS observations collected at different solar activities are used to analyze the effect of the higher-order ionospheric errors and the results indicate that their magnitudes can reach almost 2 cm for their first frequency signals at high solar activity. The occurrence of geomagnetic storms further increases the higher-order ionospheric errors by a few millimeters. Multi-GNSS datasets collected at low, middle and high latitude stations at different ionospheric activities are processed and the results indicate that the higher-order ionospheric delay can affect the 3D position solutions of the quad-constellation PPP at a maximum of 6 mm. (paper)