Bipolar and more complex morphologies observed in planetary nebulae have been explained by two principal hypotheses: by the existence of a companion producing a circumstellar disk, by the effects of a magnetic field, or by a combination of both. The polarimetric analysis of these objects could give information about the presence of dust grains aligned with any preferential direction, due to a magnetic field or to the action of radiative torques (RAT). We performed polarimetric observations of some planetary nebulae in order to detect linear polarization and (in the best scenario) to detect the signature of an accretion disk in these objects. We observed in the visual region with POLIMA at the San Pedro Mártir observatory, and with POLICAN the NIR polarimeter in the Guillermo Haro observatory. We present the result of these observations in one of these objects: the PN M2-9.

In the collapsing phase of a molecular cloud, the molecular gas temperature is a key to understand the evolutionary process from a dense molecular cloud to stars. In order to know this, mapping observations in NH3 lines are required. Therefore, we made them based on the FUGIN (FOREST Unbiased Galactic plane Imaging survey with Nobeyama 45m telescope). The 6 maps were observed in NH3 (J,K) = (1,1), (2,2), (3,3) and H2O maser lines and obtained temperature maps; some show temperature gradient in a cloud. Additionally 72 cores were observed. These candidates were called as KAGONMA or KAG objects as abbreviation of KAgoshima Galactic Object survey with Nobeyama 45-M telescope in Ammonia lines. We show the results of two regions in W33 and discuss their astrophysical properties.

Mass loss of AGB stars is a key process for the late stages of evolution of low and intermediate mass stars and the chemical enrichment of galaxies. It is not fully understood yet, as it is the result of a complex combination of pulsation, convection, chemistry, shocks and dust formation.

In this review I present what high angular resolution observations can teach us about this mass-loss process. Instruments such as SPHERE/VLT, Gravity and AMBER at the VLTI, and ALMA give us the possibility to map AGB stars from the optical to millimetre wavelengths with resolutions down to 1 milliarcsec. Moving from the surface of the star outwards, I present how high angular resolution observations can now produce images of the surface of the closest AGB stars and study convective motion at their surfaces, map their extended molecular atmospheres and the seeds for dust. The dust formation zone can also be mapped and its dust content characterized with mid-infrared interferometry, while ALMA can map the gas and its kinematics. I will conclude by showing how high angular resolution can help us study the impact of a companion on mass loss.

A promising candidate to initiate dust formation in oxygen-rich AGB stars is alumina (Al2O3) showing an emission feature around ∼13μm attributed to Al−O stretching and bending modes (Posch+99,Sloan+03). The counterpart to alumina in carbon-rich AGB atmospheres is the highly refractory silicon carbide (SiC) showing a characteristic feature around 11.3μm (Treffers74). Alumina and SiC grains are thought to represent the first condensates to emerge in AGB stellar atmospheres. We follow a bottom-up approach, starting with the smallest stoichiometric clusters (i.e. Al4O6, Si2C2), successively building up larger-sized clusters. We present new results of quantum-mechanical structure calculations of (Al2O3)n, n = 1−10 and (SiC)n clusters with n = 1−16, including potential energies, rotational constants, and structure-specific vibrational spectra. We demonstrate the energetic viability of homogeneous nucleation scenarios where monomers (Al2O3 and SiC) or dimers (Al4O6 and Si2C2) are successively added. We find significant differences between our quantum theory based results and nanoparticle properties derived from (classical) nucleation theory.

We report on new molecular-line observations of the bipolar pre-planetary nebula M 1–92. The new IRAM 30 m MRT and NOEMA data shows the presence of shock induced chemistry in the nebula. From the derived [17O]/[18O] ratio, we suggest that the sudden mass loss event responsible for the formation of the nebula 1200 yr ago may also have resulted in the premature end of the AGB phase of the central star.

Highly magnetized accretion disks are present in high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). A potential mechanism to explain the transition between the High/Soft and Low/Hard states observed in HMXBs can be attributed to fast magnetic reconnection induced in the turbulent corona. In this work, we present results of global general relativistic MHD (GRMHD) simulations of accretion disks around black holes that show that fast reconnection events can naturally arise in the coronal region of these systems in presence of turbulence triggered by MHD instabilities, indicating that such events can be a potential mechanism to explain the transient non-thermal emission in HMXBs. To find the zones of fast reconnection, we have employed an algorithm to identify the presence of current sheets in the turbulent regions and computed statistically the magnetic reconnection rates in these locations obtaining average reconnection rates consistent with the predictions of the theory of turbulence-induced fast reconnection.

The properties of ∼ 1000 high-excitation and low-excitation radio galaxies (HERGs and LERGs) selected from the Heywood et al. (2016) 1 – 2 GHz VLA survey of Stripe 82 are investigated. The HERGs in this sample are generally found in host galaxies with younger stellar populations than LERGs, consistent with other work. The HERGs tend to accrete at a faster rate than the LERGs, but there is more overlap in the accretion rates of the two classes than has been found previously. We find evidence that mechanical feedback may be significantly underestimated in hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy evolution; 84 % of this sample release more than 10 % of their energy in mechanical form. Mechanical feedback is significant for many of the HERGs in this sample as well as the LERGs; nearly 50 % of the HERGs release more than 10 % of their energy in their radio jets.

Filamentary molecular clouds are thought to fragment to form clumps and cores. However, the fragmentation may be suppressed by magnetic force if the magnetic fields run perpendicularly to the cloud axis. We evaluate the effect using a simple model. Our model cloud is assumed to have a Plummer like radial density distribution, $\rho= {\rho _{\rm{c}}}{\left[ {1 + {r^2}/(2p{H^2})} \right]^{2p}}$, where r and H denote the radial distance from the cloud axis and the scale length, respectively. The symbols, ρc and p denote the density on the axis and radial density index, respectively. The initial magnetic field is assumed to be uniform and perpendicular to the cloud axis. The model cloud is assumed to be supported against the self gravity by gas pressure and turbulence. We have obtained the growth rate of the fragmentation instability as a function of the wavelength, according to the method of Hanawa, Kudoh & Tomisaka (2017). The instability depends crucially on the outer boundary. If the displacement vanishes in regions very far from the cloud axis, cloud fragmentation is suppressed by a moderate magnetic field. If the displacement is constant along the magnetic field in regions very far from the cloud, the cloud is unstable even when the magnetic field is infinitely strong. The wavelength of the most unstable mode is longer for smaller index, p.

The Updated Nearby Galaxy Catalog (=UNGC) of 1047 Local Volume (=LV) galaxies, situated within a distance of 11 Mpc, contains 870 dwarfs, i.e. 5/6 of the sample. Almost 40% of them have accurate distances measured with Hubble Space Telescope. Most of the LV dwarfs have been observed in HI and Hα emission lines, as well in far-ultraviolet with GALEX. We present basic properties of the LV dwarfs, their HI -mass content and star-formation rate in different local environments. We discuss a baryonic Tully-Fisher relation for the LV dwarfs, and apply it to determine TF -distances for several hundreds local galaxies. The accurate distances and radial velocities of the LV dwarfs are used by us to trace dark matter distribution within 11 Mpc. We discuss also does the Local Group may be treated as a typical or uncommon representative of the LV population.

A tomographic method, aiming at probing velocity fields at depth in stellar atmospheres, is applied to the red supergiant star μ Cep and to snapshots of 3D radiative-hydrodynamics simulation in order to constrain atmospheric motions and relate them to photometric variability.

In this work, we proposed a possible mechanism for the formation S-type planet in close binaries (0.5 au < aB < 3 au). Numerical simulations showed that the maximum capture probability is ∼ 10%, which can be comparable to the tidal capture probability of hot Jupiters in single star systems. The capture probability is related to binary configurations. Furthermore, we find that S-type planets with retrograde orbits can be naturally produced via capture process. These planets on retrograde orbits can help us distinguish in situ formation and post-capture origin for S-type planet in close binaries. The forthcoming missions (PLATO or TESS) will provide the opportunity and feasibility to detect such planets.

“Columba-Hypatia: Astronomy for Peace” is a joint astronomy outreach project by GalileoMobile and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) which takes place on the divided island of Cyprus. The project aims to inspire young people, through astronomy, to be curious about science and the cosmos, while also using astronomy as a tool for promoting meaningful communication and a Culture of Peace and Non-violence. We conduct educational astronomy activities and explore the cosmos with children and the public, bringing together individuals from the various communities of Cyprus ‘under the same sky’ to look beyond borders and inspire a sense of global citizenship.

The low-mass end of the initial mass function remains poorly understood. In this mass range, very low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and massive planets are able to form through a variety of physical processes. Here, we study the long-term evolution of disk-fragmented systems around low-mass stars, for the epoch up to 10 Myr (the typical lifetime of an embedded cluster) and up to 10 Gyr (the age of the Milky Way). We carry out N-body simulations to study the decay of disk-fragmented systems and the resulting end products. Our simulations indicate rapid decay and frequent physical collisions during the first 10 Myr. We find that disk fragmentation provides a viable mechanism for explaining hierarchical triple systems, the brown dwarf desert, single and binary brown dwarfs, and very low-mass binary systems in the solar neighbourhood.

Planets form in protoplanetary accretion discs around young protostars. These discs are driven by internal turbulence and the gas flow is not laminar but has stochastic components. For weakly ionised discs the turbulence can be generated purely hydrodynamically through the vertical shear instability (VSI). Embedded particles (dust/pebbles) experience a hydrodynamic drag and drift inward radially and are stirred up vertically by the turbulent motion of the disc. We study the accretion of particles onto a forming planet embedded in a VSI turbulent protoplanetary disc through a series of 3D hydrodynamical simulations for locally isothermal discs with embedded planets in the mass range from 5 to 100 Earth masses (M2295).

The 6th Focus Meeting (FM6) at the XXXth IAU GA 2018 aimed at overviewing the rise in angular momentum (AM) science seen in the last 10 years and debating new emerging views on galaxy evolution. The foundational works on galaxy formation of the 1970s and 80s clearly exposed the fundamental role of AM, suspected since the time of Kant. However, quantitative progress on galactic AM remained hampered by observational and theoretical obstacles. Only in the last 10 years, numerical simulations began to produce galactic disks with realistic AM. Simultaneously, the fast rise of Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) and millimetre/radio interferometry have opened the door for systematic AM measurements, across representative samples and cosmic volumes. The FM bridged between cutting-edge observational programs and leading simulations in order to review, debate and resolve core issues on AM science, ranging from galactic substructure (e.g. gas fraction, turbulence, clumps) to global properties (e.g. size evolution, morphologies) and cosmology (spin alignment, cosmic origin of AM). The co-chairs and SOC members strived to assemble a representative selection of leading scientists in the field, while adhering to principles of equal opportunity and inclusivity.

The Learning Services Management System of the Network for the Education of Astronomy in the School (IAU-NASE) has been developed following the guidelines of the ISO 29990: 2013 Standard, which understands on the “Learning services for non-formal education and training’’, and which aims to improve quality of learning services and facilitate comparison on worldwide basis.

We have carried out near-IR imaging polarimetry toward RCW 106 with the JHKs-simultaneous imaging polarimeter SIRPOL mounted on the IRSF 1.4m telescope at SAAO, in March and May, 2017 and January, 2018. We have observed 29 fields and covered mostly the southern part of the giant molecular cloud complex associated with the ${{\rm{H}}_\mathbb{I}}$ region RCW 106, which is located at a distance of 3.5 kpc (Moises etal 2011) and is elongated approximately in the north-south direction with a size of ∼70×15 pc. Our preliminary analysis indicates that the magnetic field seems to globally run along the complex elongation, unlike many other elongated clouds that are often reported to have their global elongations perpendicular to the magnetic fields. The RCW 106 complex consists of many small filaments or clumps. Some of such filaments seem to parallel to the magnetic fields, but some others perpendicular. Around the central part of the ${{\rm{H}}_\mathbb{I}}$ region RCW 106, the magnetic field appears to be influenced by the expansion of this ${{\rm{H}}_\mathbb{I}}$ region. Here, we present our preliminary results by comparing with the archival molecular line and far- to mid-IR data.

Nearby star-forming galaxies offer a unique environment to study the populations of young (<100 Myr) accreting binaries. These systems are tracers of past populations of massive stars that heavily affect their immediate environment and parent galaxies. Using a Chandra X-ray Visionary program, we investigate the young neutron-star binary population in the low metallicity of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) by reaching quiescent X-ray luminosity levels (~few times 1032 erg/s). We present the first measurement of the formation efficiency of high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) as a function of the age of their parent stellar populations by using 3 indicators: the number ratio of HMXBs to OB stars, to the SFR, and to the stellar mass produced during the specific star-formation burst they are associated with. In all cases, we find that the HMXB formation efficiency increases as a function of time up to ~40–60 Myr, and then gradually decreases.