We analyze a prominence-like cool plasma structure as observed by Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We perform the Differential Emission Measure (DEM) analysis using various filters of AIA, and also deduce the temperature and density structure in and around the observed flux-tube. In addition to deducing plasma parameters, we also find an evidence of multiple harmonics of fast magnetoacoustic kink waves in the observed prominence-like magnetic structure. Making use of estimated plasma parameters and observed wave parameters, under the baseline of MHD seismology, we deduce magnetic field in the flux-tube. The wave period ratio P1/P2 = 2.18 is also observed in the flux-tube, which carries the signature of magnetic field divergence where we estimate the tube expansion factor as 1.27. We discuss constraints in the estimation of plasma and magnetic field properties in such a structure in the current observational perspective, which may shed new light on the localized plasma dynamics and heating scenario in the solar atmosphere.

By reprocessing the NICMOS coronagraphic archive using improved PSF subtraction methods, we have obtained new images of 5 debris disks, all previously unseen using classical PSF subtractions. Three of the disks are edge on and two appear to be ring like, one of which is extremely asymmetric.

Their stellar hosts are nearby, young F and G type stars (40-90 pc, 12–30 Myr), including one that is a close analog to the young sun at roughly the age at which terrestrial planets were assembling. This is a 25% increase in the sample of debris disks seen in scattered light. Analysis and modeling of the disk geometries is in process. Given these systems' youth, proximity, and brightness (V = 7.2 to 8.5), these will be superb targets for investigating planet formation, and are perfect targets for studies with GPI, SPHERE and JWST.

Imaging debris disks at millimeter wavelengths is important, because emission at these long wavelengths is dominated by large grains with dynamics similar to the population of dust-producing planetesimals. We have used the SMA and ALMA to make 1.3 millimeter observations of the debris disk surrounding the nearby (9.9 pc), ~10 Myr-old, M-type flare star AU Microscopii. We characterize the disk by implementing Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods to fit parametric models to the visibilities. The millimeter observations reveal a belt of dust emission that peaks at a radius of 40 AU. This outer size scale agrees with predictions for a reservoir of planetesimals (a “birth ring”) based on the shape of the midplane scattered light profile. We do not find any significant asymmetries in the structure or the centroid position of the emission belt. The ALMA observations with a resolution of 0.6 arcsec (6 AU) also reveal a previously unknown central emission peak, ~6 times brighter than the stellar photosphere at these wavelengths. This central component remains unresolved and could be explained by stellar activity or an inner planetesimal belt located ≲3 AU from the star and containing roughly 1% the mass of the outer belt. Future observations with higher angular resolution will be able to distinguish between these possibilities.

We investigated the prominence eruptions and disappearances observed with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph during over 20 years for studying the anomaly of the recent solar cycle. Although the sunspot number of Cycle 24 is smaller than the previous one dramatically, the occurrence rate, size and radial velocity of the prominence activities are not changed significantly. We also found that the occurrence of the prominence activities in the northern hemisphere is normal from the duration of the cycle and the migration of the producing region of the prominence activities. On the other hand, the migration in the southern hemisphere significantly differs from that in the northern hemisphere and the previous cycles. Our results suggest that the anomalies of the global magnetic field distribution started at the solar maximum of Cycle 23.

We report secondary eclipse detections of the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-3b at 3.6, 4.5 and 8.0μm using the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Array Camera. We find planet-to-star flux ratios of 0.210+0.043−0.029, 0.281+0.012−0.011 and 0.332+0.050−0.034% in the three bands respectively. Comparisons with 1D atmospheric models show these values strongly favour inefficient redistribution of heat around the planet and also favour the presence of a temperature inversion. In addition, WASP-3 probes the cut-off region of a proposed activity-inversion correlation and we find evidence of atmospheric differences between this system and a similarly active system, WASP-4.

Filaments may be mistaken for coronal holes when observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) images; however, a closer and more careful look reveals that their photometric properties are different. The combination of EUV images with photospheric magnetograms shows some characteristic differences between filaments and coronal holes. We have performed analyses with 7 different SDO/AIA wavelengths (94, 131, 171, 211, 193, 304, 335 Å) and SDO/HMI magnetograms obtained in September 2011 and March 2012 to study coronal holes and filaments from the photometric, magnetic, and also geometric point of view, since projection effects play an important role on the aforementioned traits.

We present the analysis of a large solar near-relativistic (>50 keV) electron event observed by the Wind spacecraft on 1998 April 20. In-situ data show variations of the local magnetic field direction accompanied by changes in the topology of the observed electron pitch-angle distributions. These suggest changes in the magnetic flux tubes scanned by Wind. Using simulations of the interplanetary particle transport, we model the early rising phase of the electron event, from 10:30 to 11:00 UT, and infer the propagation conditions and the injection history of the first arriving 50–82 keV solar electrons. The results reveal a prompt (≤1 min) release in coincidence with the soft X-ray and type III radio bursts, suggesting that the first arriving electrons were flare-accelerated.

By using the data of Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we present a case study of the contraction of the overlying coronal loop and the rotation motion of a sigmoid filament on 2012 May 22. At the beginning of the filament eruption, the overlying coronal loop experienced a significant contraction. In the following, the filament started to rotate counterclockwise. We also carried the simulation to investigate the process of the filament eruption.

Exozodiacal dust clouds are thought to be the extrasolar analogs of the Solar System's zodiacal dust. Studying these systems provides insights in the architecture of the innermost regions of planetary systems, including the Habitable Zone. Furthermore, the mere presence of the dust may result in major obstacles for direct imaging of earth-like planets. Our EXOZODI project aims to detect and study exozodiacal dust and to explain its origin. We are carrying out the first large, near-infrared interferometric survey in the northern (CHARA/FLUOR) and southern (VLTI/PIONIER) hemispheres. Preliminary results suggest a detection rate of up to 30% around A to K type stars and interesting trends with spectral type and age. We focus here on presenting the observational work carried out by our team.

The solar wind (SW) is a suitable natural scenario to study the intermittent nature of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence for systems with low dissipation rate. In particular, nonlinear wave-wave interactions can be characterized by the degree of phase correlation and by departures from Gaussianity of the magnetic field. In this work, we study in situ observations of magnetic field intensity from the spacecraft ACE, which is located near one astronomical unit from the Sun, in the SW near Earth. We compute the phase coherence index analyzing two sets of observations, each one consisting of approximately three months during 2008 and 2012, respectively. From these sets of data we characterize intermittent features of the magnetic field intensity corresponding to a solar maximum and a solar minimum.

Recent imaging observations of transitional discs have revealed discrepancies between the structure observed at different wavelengths. In some targets, the gap measured using sub-mm observations disappears when observed using near infrared polarimetry, suggesting that the empty region is actually filled with small particles of dust (Dong et al., 2012). Assuming the gapped structure observed in transitional discs is caused by the presence of a planet, we try to explain such discrepancies simulating observations of physical models of disc/planet systems with VLT/SPHERE-ZIMPOL, Subaru/HiCIAO, VLT/VISIR and ALMA.

Dynamics of a filament is investigated in Hα. Counterstreaming flows are observed along the filament. Photospheric horizontal motions have been computed by using a Coherent Structure Tracking algorithm in the filament environment.

This paper describes an MHD simulation of an observed Sigmoid in AR 11283 from its formation to eruption. The Non-linear Force Free MHD model (Jiang and Feng, 2012) and the data-driven active region evolution model (Wu et al., 2006; Jiang et al. 2013) together with the SDO/HMI magnetograms are used. We show the successful simulation results of the eruption of a flux-rope structure.

This contribution summarises the first characterisation of the 12 μm warm dust (“exo-Zodi”) luminosity function around Sun-like stars, focussing on the dustiest systems that can be identified by the WISE mission (Kennedy & Wyatt 2013). We use the sample of main-sequence stars observed by Hipparcos within 150pc as an unbiased sample, and report the detection of six new warm dust candidates. The ages of five of these new sources are unknown, meaning that they may be sites of terrestrial planet formation or rare analogues of other old warm dust systems. We show that the dustiest old (> Gyr) systems such as BD+20 307 are 1 in 10,000 occurrences. Bright warm dust is much more common around young (<120 Myr) systems, with a ~1% occurrence rate. We show that a two component in situ model where all stars have initially massive warm disks and in which warm debris is also generated at some random time along the stars' main-sequence lifetime, perhaps due to a collision, can explain the observations. However, if all stars only have initially massive warm disks these would not be visible at Gyr ages, and random collisions on the main-sequence are too infrequent to explain the high disk occurrence rate for young stars. That is, neither component can explain the observations on their own. Despite these conclusions, we cannot rule out an alternative dynamical model in which comets are scattered in from outer regions because the distribution of systems with the appropriate dynamics is unknown. Our in situ model predicts that the fraction of stars with exo-Zodi bright enough to cause problems for future exo-Earth imaging attempts is at least roughly 10%, and is higher for populations of stars younger than a few Gyr. This prediction of roughly 10% also applies to old stars because bright systems like BD+20 307 imply a population of fainter systems that were once bright, but are now decaying through fainter levels. Our prediction should be strongly tested by the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer, which will provide valuable constraints and input for more detailed evolution models. A detection fraction lower than our prediction could indicate that the hot dust in systems like BD+20 307 has a cometary origin due to the quirks of the planetary dynamics. Population models of comet delivery need to be developed to help distinguish between different possible origins of warm dust.

We present new on-sky results for the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics imager (SCExAO) verifying and quantifying the contrast gain enabled by key components: the closed-loop coronagraphic low-order wavefront sensor (CLOWFS) and focal plane wavefront control (“speckle nulling”). SCExAO will soon be coupled with a high-order, Pyramid wavefront sensor which will yield > 90% Strehl ratio and enable 106–107 contrast at small angular separations allowing us to image gas giant planets at solar system scales. Upcoming instruments like VAMPIRES, FIRST, and CHARIS will expand SCExAO's science capabilities.

Here we present the installation and successful commissioning of an L'-band Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM) coronagraph on VLT/NACO. The AGPM is a vector vortex coronagraph made from diamond subwavelength gratings tuned to the L' band. The vector vortex coronagraph enables high contrast imaging at very small inner working angle (here 0″.09, the diffraction limit of the VLT at L'), potentially being the key to a new parameter space. During technical and science verification runs, we discovered a late-type companion at two beamwidths from an F0V star (Mawet et al. 2013), and imaged the inner regions of β Pictoris down to the previously unexplored projected radius of 1.75 AU. The circumstellar disk was also resolved from ≃ 1″ to 5″ (see J. Milli et al., these proceedings). These results showcase the potential of the NACO L-band AGPM over a wide range of spatial scales.

The possible presence of dust in the habitable zone around nearby main-sequence stars is considered as a major hurdle toward the direct imaging of Earth-like extrasolar planets with future dedicated space-based telescopes (e.g., Roberge et al. 2012). In this context, NASA has funded two ground-based mid-infrared nulling interferometers to combine the large apertures available at the Keck Observatory and the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). In this poster, we present the preliminary results of the extended survey carried out with the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) between 2008 and 2011 and describe the forthcoming LBTI survey.

Quiescent solar prominences are cool and dense plasma clouds located inside the hot and less dense solar corona. They are highly dynamic structures displaying flows, instabilities, oscillatory motions, etc. The oscillations have been mostly interpreted in terms of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, which has allowed to perform prominence seismology as a tool to determine prominence physical parameters difficult to measure. Here, several prominence seismology applications to large and small amplitude oscillations are reviewed.

Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP-S), developed by HAO/NCAR, has been introduced to regular operation at the Lomnicky Peak Observatory (High Tatras in northern Slovakia, 2633 m a.s.l.) of the Astronomical Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences. We present here the technical parameters of the current version of the instrument and its potential for observations of prominences in the visual and near-IR spectral regions. The first results derived from observations of prominences in the Hα emission line taken during a coordinated observing campaign of several instruments in October 2012 are shown here.