In its normal synthesis mode of operation, the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) tracks a region of sky for a period of 12 hours with 64 real-time fan beams having high sensitivity at 843 MHz (Mills 1981). It thus provides an excellent opportunity to monitor the sky at the same time for transient radio events. During a 12 hour synthesis observation the fan beams rotate 180° on the field. Thus any sources producing occasional radio transients can be located by analysing the positions of the beams on which the events are recorded. Futhermore, by rejecting events which occur simultaneously on non-adjacent beams, local terrestrial sources of impulsive interference may be eliminated. This technique for recognizing extra-terrestrial sources was of considerable value in the first Molonglo pulsar search when only two beams were used.

The relevance of the results for the total heat energy transported across a fluid layer by convective motions, obtained from the time integrations of the set of non-linear partial differential equations for hydromagnetic convection, has already been designated in a previous contribution (Lopez and Murphy 1982). Some differences in the form of the boundary conditions adopted for the magnetic field disturbance, H, have been noted in other publications where the interaction of convection and a magnetic field has also been considered. The solutions of the time-dependent equations, referenced above, illustrate that the magnetic boundary conditions have a determining role in the resultant convective state for some ranges of values in parameter space.

Inhomogeneities in globular clusters are reviewed with the observational evidence for chemical abundance variations from star to star in individual clusters and the large-scale structural variation of clusters. The reality of the radial colour gradient is tested in 47 Tuc (NGC 104). The result shows that the observed radial colour gradient comes from the integration of the calculated colours of individual stars. The cause of this radial colour variation is the result of the concentration of evolved stars and the reddening of the main sequence in the central region. We propose that the CNO abundance gradient in the early stage of a cluster’s formation is the interpretation of the observed radial colour gradient.

Plasma loops are the dominant structures, in the higher levels of the Sun’s atmosphere above active regions. Much of our knowledge of their properties has come from space observations made over the past decade or so in the EUV and X-ray regions of the spectrum and, more recently, from high-resolution, two-dimensional images of microwave sources obtained with the Very Large Array radio interferometer (VLA). On the other hand, the spatial resolution of rocket and satellite observations has so far generally failed to match that of ground-level optical observations made in Hα and other strong chromospheric lines. The latter permit one to study in much greater detail the morphology of individual loops, as illustrated for example in the recent work of Loughhead, Wang and Blows (1983). These authors addressed themselves to the task of determining the true geometrical shapes of individual loops, a problem which had hitherto received little attention.

In this paper we discuss 80 MHz heliograph observations of the multiple source structure and polarization of a type IV solar radio outburst on 1970 November 16. At times during the event six sources were present. Three of these were highly circularly polarized in a L.H. sense and two in a R.H. sense. The sixth source was extended and had oppositely polarized edges. From the source behaviour we conclude that the radio emission came from two expanding and one stationary magnetic arch.

The stability of a swirling cylindrical jet of compressible fluid is examined by performing a normal mode analysis and numerically solving the eigenvalue problem. Perturbations of the form f(r)exp[i(ωt-mϕ-kz)] are considered, where f is any fluid variable. Instabilities which are characteristic of both a non-swirling (top-hat) jet and a Rankine vortex are investigated for a particular axial wavenumber.

The vortex instabilities are weak, and are found to remain weak when axial flow is present. The jet instabilities are much stronger, but axial flow is a stabilizing influence. The positive helicity (km > 0) non-axisymmetric modes (m ≠ 0) are stabilized by a small component of azimuthal flow. The axisymmetric mode (m = 0) and the negative helicity non-axisymmetric modes persist in rapidly swirling jets, but with a greatly reduced growth rate.

In the atmosphere of the Sun, most spectral lines are broadened by collisions between the radiating atom and neutral particles. The interaction between two atoms is usually represented by the multipole expansion of the total interaction potential. For two neutral atoms, the first non-zero term in this expansion arises from induced dipole-induced dipole forces and is proportional to r-6. Most calculations of broadening due to neutral atoms have assumed this van der Waals interaction, V(r) = —C6 r-6, between the atoms. Such an assumption is only valid if the interatomic separation is much greater than the sum of the radii of the two atoms so that no overlap occurs and only the leading term of the multipole expansion need be considered. However, in fitting the wings of solar line profiles, O’Mara found that the value of the van der Waals constant, C6, had to be increased by up to a factor of ten in order to obtain agreement between theoretical and observed profiles.

DF and DG white dwarfs are the only types which show metal lines (see Greenstein). Presently the only analysis is that of Weidemann who analyzed the star van Maanen 2 and found that the abundances of metals and hydrogen are the order of 10-3 and 10-2 that of solar, respectively. Bues finds H = 1 : 105 and Z = 2 × 10-4 for DB stars.

Over a period of one year from March 1967, the 24-inch rotatable telescope at Siding Spring Observatory was used to make polarization measurements for about 1400 stars, most of which were within 400 pc of the Sun. It was found that the E vectors of the polarization formed quite definite patterns on the sky which could only be produced if the magnetic field has a helical structure. Results of model-making showed that the magnetic lines of force form tightly wound right-handed helices of pitch angle 7°. They lie on the surface of tubes which have elliptical cross-sections of axial-ratio 3 with semi-major axes parallel to the galactic plane.

NGC 4945 is a ninth-magnitude southern galaxy orientated almost edge-on to the line-of-sight. De Vaucouleurs and de Vaucouleurs (1964) list its classification as SB(s)cd and its optical dimensions as 17’ x 3’ arc. It is of particular interest because 18 cm OH and 6 cm H2CO absorption has been detected (Whiteoak and Gardner 1973; Gardner and Whiteoak 1974) in molecular clouds in this galaxy which overlie the small-diameter radio source located near the nucleus. In reporting the detection of the OH absorption we suggested that the HI profile in the direction of the nucleus was affected by HI absorption. In this paper we describe a study of the HI distribution which substantiates this conclusion.

The majority of OH/IR stars have been identified as M-type Mira variables, but there are a few cases where the stars have been identified as M supergiants or late-type semi-regular variables. A large number of OH sources have also been discovered with the 1612 MHz OH characteristics of OH/IR stars but no apparent optical or infrared counterparts. In several cases the velocities of these unidentified sources (OH stars) have been outside the velocity range of the neutral hydrogen distribution, suggesting that some of these sources may represent a population with a higher velocity dispersion than Population I objects (Kerr and Bowers 1974a, b). The lack of infrared and optical counterparts may indicate that the sources are quite distant, since identified OH/IR stars are often bright infrared objects. A large-scale 1612 MHz sky survey has therefore been initiated to study the galactic distribution and kinematics of the OH stars and to investigate the possibility that they may represent an older population of stars (Bowers et al. 1974).

In recent years there have been numerous investigations of the helium shell-burning evolution of low-mass stars, and it was in such studies that Schwarzschild and Härm and Weigert independently discovered the thermal instability phenomenon. In the case of stars with hydrogen-rich envelopes, its reality has been amply confirmed. On the other hand, studies have also been made of the shell-burning in pure helium stars (many for comparison with the nuclei of planetary nebulae), and here the situation is far less clear. Some investigators have found the instability, while others have not. Paczyński has drawn attention to the fact that in all cases where thermal pulses have been reported for pure helium stars, the helium shell-source was treated as an abundance discontinuity, while in all cases where a detailed abundance profile was used, there was no evidence of pulses. He suggests therefore that the shells in pure helium stars are stable. We wish to report a calculation for a 0.8 ɱ⊙ pure helium star, with a detailed shell abundance profile, in which a single thermal pulse was encountered at the end of the shell-burning evolution.

During the Skylab period from June 1973 to January 1974 approximately 1500 type III metre-wave radio bursts or burst groups were reported (Solar Geophysical Data Prompt Reports). The longitudinal distribution of these type III bursts closely resembles that of sunspots and of the coronal transients observed above 2 R⊙ by the white-light coronagraph on Skylab. White light ejection transients appear as large loop or blob-like structures which carry material outward from the Sun and rearrange the corona. In front of the main, bright structures there are weak enhancements of brightness, termed forerunners (Jackson and Hildner 1978; Jackson 1978). In this paper we enquire into whether or not type III bursts are in any way related to the onset of solar mass ejections indicated by coronal transients.

The atmospheric 14C record, the corresponding WM values derived from a carbon reservoir model, auroral numbers and the Zurich relative annual sunspot numbers all demonstrate a substantial downturn in solar activity for the duration of solar cycles 5 and 6. This reduction is also imbedded in some dendrochronological proxy data sets, which describe an annual index radial growth rate for trees at high-altitude sites. A significant lagged correlation can exist between tree-ring indices and the 11–year solar cycle during periods of high solar activity, a feature which is not evident during quiescent periods.

This paper outlines the extensive range of public programs offered by the Carter Observatory, including ‘public nights’, new planetarium and audio-visual shows, displays, the Carter Memorial Lectures, the annual Astronomical Handbook and other publications, a monthly newspaper column and three monthly radio programs. It also deals with the Observatory’s involvement in undergraduate and postgraduate astronomy at Victoria University of Wellington, various adult education training programs, ‘Overnight Extravaganzas’, holiday programs, and the recent development of the Education Service in response to the introduction of an astronomy curriculum into schools throughout New Zealand. Some possible future developments in the public astronomy and education areas are also discussed.

The prompt radio emission associated with SN 1987A appeared and disappeared within the space of a few days. The next radio emission is expected as the high velocity ejecta expand into the circumstellar material. The evidence from the timing of the initial UV-flash is that this stage may occur shortly. We have therefore begun to monitor the field around SNR 1987A at high sensitivity with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. At λ6cm, an upper limit to the radio emission of 180μJy has been obtained. Continued observations are planned.