A full alphabetical list of IAU members is available online as “Supplementary data” on Cambridge Journals Online: http://www.journals.cup.org/S1743921308024435

The business meeting of Commission 36 was held during the General Assembly in Prague on 16 August. It was attended by about 15 members. The issues presented included a review of the work made by members of Commission 36, and the election of the new Organising Committee. We note that a comprehensive report on the activities of the commission during the last triennium has been published in Reports on Astronomy, Transactions IAU Volume XXVIA. The scientific activity of the members of the commission has been very intense, and has led to the publication of a large number of papers.

In a variability survey of M81 using the Large Binocular Telescope we have discovered a peculiar eclipsing binary (MV ≃ −7.1) in the field of the dwarf galaxy Holmberg IX. It has a period of 271 days and the light curve is well-fit by an overcontact model in which both stars are overflowing their Roche lobes. It is composed of two yellow supergiants (V − I ≃ 1 mag, Teff = 4800 K), rather than the far more common red or blue supergiants. Such systems must be rare. While we failed to find any similar systems in the literature, we did, however note a second example. The SMC F0 supergiant R47 is a bright (MV ≃ −7.5) periodic variable whose All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) light curve is well-fit as a contact binary with a 181 day period. We propose that these massive systems are the progenitors of supernovae like SN 2004et and SN 2006ov, which appeared to have yellow progenitors. The binary interactions (mass transfer, mass loss) limit the size of the supergiant to give it a higher surface temperature than an isolated star at the same core evolutionary stage.

We discuss how rotation and binary interactions may be related to the diversity of type Ibc supernovae and long gamma-ray bursts. After presenting recent evolutionary models of massive single and binary stars including rotation, the Tayler-Spruit dynamo and binary interactions, we argue that the nature of SNe Ibc progenitors from binary systems may not significantly differ from that of single star progenitors in terms of rotation, and that most long GRB progenitors may be produced via the quasi-chemically homogeneous evolution at sub-solar metallicity. We also briefly discuss the possible role of magnetic fields generated in the convective core of a massive star for the transport of angular momentum, which is potentially important for future stellar evolution models of supernova and GRB progenitors.

Massive stars inject energy into the surrounding medium and form shell structures. Bubbles are blown by fast stellar winds from individual massive stars, while superbubbles are blown by fast stellar winds and supernova explosions from groups of massive stars. Bubbles and superbubbles share a similar overall structure: a swept-up dense shell with an interior filled by low-density hot gas. Physical properties of a bubble/superbubble can be affected by magnetic field, thermal conduction, turbulent mixing, inhomogeneous ambient medium, etc. I will review recent progresses on observations and compare them to theoretical expectations for (1) swept-up dense shells, (2) hot interiors, and (3) interface between a dense shell and its interior hot gas.

Division I provides a focus for astronomers studying a wide range of problems related to fundamental physical phenomena such as time, the inertial reference frame, positions and proper motions of celestial objects, and precise dynamical computation of the motions of bodies in stellar or planetary systems in the Universe.

We present Gemini/IFU observations that sample the roots of the galactic wind outflows in the starburst galaxies NGC 1569 and M82. The good spatial and spectral resolutions of these observations allow us to probe the interactions of cluster winds with their environments on small scales. For both galaxies, we find a ubiquitous broad (200–300 km s−1) Hα component underlying a brighter narrower component. By mapping the properties of the individual line components, we find correlations that suggest that the broad component results from powerful cluster wind-gas clump interactions. For NGC 1569, there is little evidence for organised gas flows within the central zone and we suggest that the flow-dominated wind must form well beyond the region containing the massive star clusters. For M82, we find that the kinematics of the wind base are very complex; the width of the broad component reaches values of > 350 km s−1 at the base of the wind, and the outflow itself rapidly becomes chaotic in the inner wind region.

We first summarize work that has been done on the effects of binaries on theoretical population synthesis of stars and stellar phenomena. Next, we highlight the influence of stellar dynamics in young clusters by discussing a few candidate UFOs (unconventionally formed objects) like intermediate mass black holes, η Car, ζ Pup, γ2 Velorum and WR 140.

Division VIII gathers astronomers engaged in the study of the visible and invisible matter in the Universe at large, from Local Group galaxies via distant galaxies and galaxy clusters to the large-scale structure of the Universe and the cosmic background radiation.

The session was brief and quite informal as there were only six participants. The agenda included my report on organizational activities of the Commission during the 2003-2006 term and Virginia Trimble's presentation Presence of binary stars in the current astronomical literature. I summarize below the most important part of my report.

Despite the complexity and uncertainties of core collapse supernova simulations there is a need to provide correct nucleosynthesis abundances for the progressing field of galactic evolution and observations of low metallicity stars. Especially the innermost ejecta are directly affected by the explosion mechanism, i.e. most strongly the yields of Fe-group nuclei for which an induced piston or thermal bomb treatment will not provide the correct yields because the effect of neutrino interactions is not included.

Recent observations of metal-poor halo stars support the suggested existence of a lighter element primary process (LEPP) which operates very early in the galaxy and is independent of the r-process. We present a candidate for the LEPP, the so-called νp-process.

The business meeting began with a brief review of the current rules and procedures of the WG, which are documented on the WG web page. Four regional FITS committees have been established by the WG, covering North American, Europe, Japan, and Australian/New Zealand, to provide advice to the WG on pending proposals. While it is recognized that this committee structure might need to be revised to provide representation to other regions, the current system is working well, and there were no motions to make any changes at this time.

We review the properties of the gas surrounding high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) assessed through the analysis of damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs) identified in their afterglow spectra. These GRB-DLAs are characterized by large H I column densities with a median of N(H I) = 1021.7 cm−2, no molecular gas signatures, metallicities ranging from 1/100 to nearly solar with a median exceeding 1/10 solar, and no anomalous abundance patterns. The detection of the atomic Mg lines and the time-variability of the fine-structure lines demonstrates that the majority of the neutral gas along the GRB sightlines is located between 50 pc and a few kpc from the GRB. This implies that this gas is presumably associated with the ambient interstellar medium of the host galaxy and that the derived properties from low-ionization lines do not directly constrain the local environment of the GRB progenitor. The highly ionized gas, traced by N V lines, which could result from a pre-existing H II region produced by the GRB progenitor and neighboring OB stars, appears on the other hand to be very local to the GRB at about 10 pc, yielding a snapshot of the medium's physical conditions at this radius.

The Statutes of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) define the goals and organizational structure of the Union, while the Bye-Laws specify the main tasks of the various bodies of the Union in implementing the provisions of the Statutes. The Working Rules are designed to assist the membership and governing bodies of the Union in carrying out these tasks in an appropriate and effective manner. Each of the sections below is preceded by an introduction outlining the goals to be accomplished by the procedures specified in the succeeding paragraphs. The Executive Committee updates the Working Rules as necessary to reflect current procedures and to optimize the services of the IAU to its membership.

The IAU Division II WG on International Collaboration in Space Weather has as its main goal to help coordinate the many activities related to space weather at an international level. The WG currently includes the international activities of the International Heliospheric Year (IHY), the International Living with a Star (ILWS) program, the CAWSES (Climate and Weather of the Sun-Earth System) Working Group on Sources of Geomagnetic Activity, and Space Weather Studies in China. The coordination of IHY activities within the IAU is led by Division II under this working group. The focus of this half-day meeting was on the activities of the IHY program. About 20 people were in attendance. The Chair of the WG, David F. Webb, gave a brief introduction noting that the meeting would have two parts: first, a session on IHY activities emphasizing IHY Regional coordination and, second, a general discussion of the other programs of the WG involving international Space Weather activities.

As with all binaries, those that contain massive stars reveal various degrees of interaction, depending mainly on orbital separation and age, although things happen much faster in massive binaries. Those massive binaries with initial periods exceeding ~10 years generally only interact via wind-wind collisions, with little or no effect on their subsequent evolution (unless located in dense clusters). Shorter-period systems show even stronger wind-wind collisions as a rule, but also interact more directly via Roche Lobe Overflow or Common Envelope, with dramatic effects on their evolution. If we didn't have binaries among massive stars, we would be missing a whole host of interesting phenomena in the Universe, such as sources of enhanced stellar X-ray or non-thermal radio emission, WR dust-spirals, inverse mass-ratios, very rapid spin, rejuvenation and massive blue-stragglers, enhanced cluster dynamics, many runaways and possibly even SMBHs and GRBs! On the other hand, non(or little)-interacting massive binaries are also useful to provide information on Star-Formation processes and determination of stellar parameters (such as the mass) that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to obtain from single stars. In this review, I highlight some of the developments that have occurred during the past few years since the last IAU Symposium on Massive Stars in 2002.

Luminous blue variables (LBVs) are characterized by semi-periodic episodes of enhanced mass-loss, or outburst. The cause of these outbursts has thus far been a mystery. One explanation is that they are initiated by κ-effect pulsations in the atmosphere caused by a blocking of luminosity at temperatures near the so-called “iron bump” (T ~ 200,000 K), where the Fe opacity suddenly increases and blocks the luminosity. Due to a lag in the onset of convection, the luminosity can build until it exceeds the Eddington limit locally, seeding pulsations and possibly driving some mass from the star. We present preliminary results from a parameter study focusing on the conditions necessary to trigger normal S-Dor type (as opposed to extreme η-Car type) outbursts. We find that as Y increases or Z decreases, the pulsational amplitude decreases and outburst-like behavior, indicated by a large, sudden increase in photospheric velocity, becomes less likely.

The connection between the long GRBs and Type Ic Supernovae (SNe) has revealed the interesting diversity: (i) GRB-SNe, (ii) Non-GRB Hypernovae (HNe), (iii) X-Ray Flash (XRF)-SNe, and (iv) Non-SN GRBs (or dark HNe). We show that nucleosynthetic properties found in the above diversity are connected to the variation of the abundance patterns of extremely-metal-poor (EMP) stars, such as the excess of C, Co, Zn relative to Fe. We explain such a connection in a unified manner as nucleosynthesis of hyper-aspherical (jet-induced) explosions of Pop III core-collapse SNe. We show that (1) the explosions with large energy deposition rate, Ėdep, are observed as GRB-HNe and their yields can explain the abundances of normal EMP stars, and (2) the explosions with small Ėdep are observed as GRBs without bright SNe and can be responsible for the formation of the C-rich EMP (CEMP) and the hyper metal-poor (HMP) stars. We thus propose that GRB-HNe and the Non-SN GRBs (dark HNe) belong to a continuous series of BH-forming massive stellar deaths with the relativistic jets of different Ėdep.

The members of Commission 28 on Galaxies were very busy during this General Assembly, with the Commission involved in two Symposia (IAU Symposium No. 235 Galaxy Evolution across the Hubble Time, IAU Symposium No. 238 Black Holes: from Stars to Galaxies), and two Joint Discussions (JD07 The Universe at z > 6, JD15 New Cosmology Results from the Spitzer Space Telescope). Therefore, the Business Meeting was combined with the Division VIII Business Meeting, which included a short information session on the new Commission 28 Organizing Committee. The triennial report of the Commission for 2003-2005 was also distributed, and is available on the Commission 28 web site.

Commission 16 held its business meeting during the General Assembly in Prague, on Wednesday August 23, 2006, with nine members present. The meeting was called to order at 14:00 hr by president Guy Consolmagno. A moment of silence was observed in memory of those Commission (or Division) members deceased since the last General Assembly. They are Joseph W. Chamberlain, Michel Festou, Thomas Gold, Cornell H. Mayer, Vasilij I. Moroz, William M. Sinton, Willem Wamsteker, James A. Westphal, and Fred L. Whipple.