Using the multi-wavelength data from AIA/SDO, we report a failed filament eruption, which was associated with an X1.9 flare, but without any distinct CME, coronal dimming or EUV wave. Some magnetic arches above the filament was observed distinctly in EUV channels, especially in 94 Å and 131 Å, before and during the filament eruption. Our results show that the overlying arcades expanded along with the ascent of the filament at first until they reached a projected height of about 49 Mm above the Suns surface, where they stopped. The following filament material was observed to be confined by the stopped EUV arches and not to escape from the Sun. These results support that the overlying arcades play an important role in preventing the filament to erupt outward successfully.

We present detailed models of the edge-on protoplanetary disk ESO Hα 569 (SSTgbs J111110.7-764157) from resolved scattered light images from HST and a complete spectral energy distribution. Data was obtained as part of an HST campaign to catalogue edge-on disks around young stars in nearby star forming regions (HST program 12514, PI: Karl Stapelfeldt). We confirm that this object is an optically thick edge-on disk around a young star with an outer radius of 125 AU. Using full radiative transfer models, we probe the distribution of dust grains and overall shape of the disk (inclination, scale height, dust mass, maximum particle size, inner radius, flaring exponent and surface/volume density exponent).

Real-time monitoring of filaments is essential for the prediction of their eruption and the ensuing coronal mass ejection (CME). We apply an automated algorithm for the detection and tracking of filaments in full-disc Hα images to obtain their physical attributes. This provides an accurate onset time of the eruption, and also allows us to study the physical characteristics of the erupting filaments in an objective manner.

Some of the fundamental processes involved in the evolution of circumstellar disks and the assembly of planetary systems are just now becoming accessible to astronomical observations. The new promise of observational work in the field of planet formation makes for a very dynamic research scenario, which is certain to be amplified in the coming years as the revolutionary Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) facility ramps up to full operations. To highlight the new directions being explored in these fields, this brief review will describe how high angular resolution measurements at millimeter/radio wavelengths are being used to study several crucial aspects of the formation and early evolution of planetary systems, including: the gas and dust structures of protoplanetary disks, the growth and migration of disk solids, and the interactions between a young planetary system and its natal, gas-rich disk.

We present the results of the astrometric monitoring of βPictoris b, the closest exoplanet imaged so far, using all VLT/NaCo data we obtained so far.

We present the first ground-based adaptive optics images of a silhouette disk. This disk, Orion 218-354, is seen in silhouette against the bright nebular background of Orion, and was resolved using the new Magellan Adaptive Secondary AO system and its VisAO camera in Simultaneous Differential Imaging (SDI) mode. PSF subtraction of Orion 218-354 reveals a disk ~1″ (400 AU) in radius, with the degree of absorption increasing steadily towards the center of the disk. By virtue of the central star being unsaturated, these data probe inward to a much smaller radius than previous HST images. Our data present a different picture than previous observers had hypothesized, namely that the disk is likely optically thin at Hα at least as far inward as ~20AU. In addition to being among the first high-resolution AO images taken in the optical on a large telescope, these data reveal the power of SDI imaging to illuminate disk structure, and speak to a bright future for visible AO imaging. Analysis of the results described briefly here can be found in full detail in Follette et al. (2013).

Solar coronal cavities are regions of rarefied density and elliptical cross-section. The Coronal Multi-channel Polarimeter (CoMP) obtains daily full-Sun coronal observations in linear polarization, allowing a systematic analysis of the coronal magnetic field in polar-crown prominence cavities. These cavities commonly possess a characteristic “lagomorphic” signature in linear polarization that may be explained by a magnetic flux-rope model. We analyze the spatial relation between the EUV cavity and the CoMP linear polarization signature.

We present Doppler tomographic observations of the transiting planet Kepler-13b (aka KOI-13b), a highly inflated hot Jupiter orbiting the Teff=8500 K primary of a hierarchical triple stellar system. As the planet transits the rapidly rotating host star, it successively blocks regions of the stellar disk with different radial velocities, causing a “bump” in the stellar spectral line shape, which we resolve spectroscopically. The manner in which this perturbation moves across the stellar line during the transit gives information on the relative alignment between the stellar spin and planetary orbital angular momentum vectors. This is a powerful statistical probe of planetary migration processes, as the expected spin-orbit misalignment distributions from dynamically cold migration (disk interactions) and dynamically hot migration (planet-planet scattering, Kozai cycles) are significantly different: the former will lead to primarily aligned orbits; the latter to a wide distribution. Doppler tomography also promises to be a powerful technique for confirming transiting planet candidates around rapidly rotating stars like Kepler-13A, which are not amenable to radial velocity follow-up and thus are currently a poorly sampled region of parameter space.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are eruptive events that originate, propagate away from the Sun, and carry along solar material with embedded solar magnetic field. Some are accompanied by prominence eruptions. A subset of the interplanetary counterparts of CMEs (ICMEs), so-called Magnetic Clouds (MCs) can be characterized by magnetic flux-rope structures. We apply the Grad-Shafranov (GS) reconstruction technique to examine the configuration of MCs and to derive relevant physical quantities, such as magnetic flux content, relative magnetic helicity, and the field-line twist, etc. Both observational analyses of solar source region characteristics including flaring and associated magnetic reconnection process, and the corresponding MC structures were carried out. We summarize the main properties of selected events with and without associated prominence eruptions. In particular, we show the field-line twist distribution and the intercomparison of magnetic flux for these flux-rope structures.

In current theory of planet formation, streaming instability is one of the most promising mechanisms to overcome the meter-barrier in the course of core accretion. Almost all previous works, however, were focused on a local region of protoplanetary disks with a limited size of about 0.2 gas scale heights. Only one radial filamentary particle concentration was seen in these studies. To address this, we conduct the largest-scale simulations of this kind to date, up to 0.8 gas scale heights both horizontally and vertically. We demonstrate that streaming instability remains robust on large scale and multiple radial particle concentrations exist in large enough boxes. This result may be important in characterising the feeding zone of planetesimal formation.

The HR 8799 four-planet host is known to host a multi-component disk from Spitzer observations. We have obtained Herschel† observations of the disk which provide increased sensitivity and resolution of its outer components: the planetesimal belt and halo. We find that the two components cannot be discerned from the spectral energy distribution alone, but require resolved images to independently identify them. In the resolved images, the halo stands out for its steep radial profile and large radial extent to 2000 AU, a factor of two larger than was estimated from Spitzer data.

Direct imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets is a key element for understanding planet formation and migration. Such direct detections and characterizations remains technologically challenging, since a very high contrast ratio and small angular separation are involved, and futhermore speckle noise limits the high-contrast imaging performance. We further discuss a speckle subtraction and suppression technique that fully takes advantage of spectral and time-domain information on quasi-static speckles to measure the highest-fidelity photometry as well as accurate astrometry of detected companions.

Sudden Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) intensity decreases are related to the passage of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections (ICMEs). These phenomena are also known as Forbush Decreases (FDs). The deepest FDs are associated with the passage of Magnetic Clouds (MCs). In this preliminary study we select “non-interacting” MCs associated with FDs observed from ground Neutron Monitors in the period 1996-2009, with the aim of reducing the complexity and the number of parameters involved in the GCR-MC interactions. We introduce a method to determine properties of the “ejecta component” of the FD. We analyze properties of the ejecta component in combination with properties of MCs. From the resulting selection of events, we find that those FDs containing ejecta components show stronger correlations with MC parameters than our total sample of events.

Characterization of exoplanet atmospheres with space-based infrared telescopes is important to detect biomarkers. A promising method is temporary differential observation. For this method, designs of a wideband infrared spectral disperser are presented. A design using a CdTe prism simultaneously covers λ=1–30 μm. Designing binary pupil masks for segmented pupils to be used in spatially resolved observations are also shown for another observational method.

Stable long lived solar filaments during their lives can approach each other, merge, and form circular structures. Since filaments follow large scale polarity inversion lines of the photospheric magnetic field, their evolution reflects changes of the photospheric field distribution. On the other hand, filament interaction depends on their internal magnetic structure reviled in particular by filament chirality. Possibility of magnetic field line reconnection of neighbor filaments is discussed. Many examples of connectivity changes in a course of photospheric field evolution were found in our analysis of daily Hα filtergrams for the period of maximum activity of the solar cycle 23.

In this work, we report two distinct peculiar “dimming channels” observed in all the seven EUV wavelengths around AR 11520 by SDO/AIA on July 12, 2012. Our results show that: (1) the two dimming channels are very narrow and the intensity in them dropped fierce; (2) specially, some flare ribbons appeared at the edge and prior to the appearance of dimming channels, which is a rare phenomenon; (3) the dimming channels seem to be located at the boundaries of some magnetic networks (or supergranules).

We present preliminary results on the investigation of one polar crown prominence that erupted on 2012 March 11. This prominence is viewed at the east limb by SDO/AIA and displays a simple vertical-thread structure. A bright U-shape (double horn-like) structure is observed surrounding the upper portion of the prominence before the eruption and becomes more prominent during the eruption. When viewed on the disk, STEREO_B shows that this prominence is composed of series of vertical threads and displays a loop-like structure during the eruption. We focus on the magnetic support of the prominence by studying the structure and dynamics before and during the eruption using observations from SDO and STEREO. We will also present preliminary DEM analysis of the cavity surrounding the prominence.

In this conclusion to the conference, I shall attempt to summarise what we knew before about solar prominences and what we have learnt during the conference (mainly from the review talks), as well as to make suggestions for their future study.

Recent observations and models of solar prominences are reviewed. The observations suggest that prominences are located in or below magnetic flux ropes that lie horizontally above the PIL. However, the details of the magnetic structure are not yet fully understood. Gravity likely plays an important role in shaping the vertical structures observed in quiescent prominences. Preliminary results from a time-dependent model describing the interaction of a magnetic flux rope with photospheric magnetic elements are presented.

An approach for high-precision 2D linear polarimetry is briefly described. The key components are reducing random errors, reducing systematic errors, and obtaining 2D distributions of the linear polarization degree, p, and polarization angle, χ (deviation of the polarization plane from the direction tangential to the solar limb).