The design and scientific applications of a 96-channel filter spectrograph of 1 MHz resolution are presented. The spectrograph is currently under construction and will be installed on the Parkes telescope in 1987-1988. Its main scientific objective is dynamic spectral studies of decimetre- and metre-wavelength bursts from flare stars. However, it will also be used for performing large-scale pulsar surveys, and dynamic spectral observations of interplanetary scintillation of compact sources, interstellar scintillation of compact extragalactic sources, and interesting radio sources in general.

We show that plasma emission generated in the coronae of flare stars should be detectable at metre- and decimetre-wavelengths. We plan to search for fundamental and second-harmonic plasma radiation by observing in two harmonically related bands, 200 to 250 MHz and 400 to 500 MHz. With noise-adding to stabilize receiver gain, the sensitivity (3σ) of each channel of the spectrograph is ∼ 1.5 Jy for a 1-s integration. Previous studies have reported peak flux densities of up to ∼ 35 Jy and ∼ 12 Jy at 240 MHz and 410 MHz respectively for radio bursts from flare stars.

SN 1987A has illuminated a great diversity of astrophysical processes – from neutrino emission during core collapse to the structure of the interstellar medium on a scale of hundreds of parsecs. Here I cover the evolution of SN 1987A from the outside in; the topics are interstellar light echoes, circumstellar light echoes, circumstellar shock waves, late emission and structure of the ejecta, and the effects of a central neutron star.

The theory of solar radio bursts remains a mystery to most astronomers and astrophysicists. The reasons for this are not hard to identify. First, the solar radioastronomical data are unfamiliar. (The observational data on solar radio bursts is being reviewed separately at this meeting (McLean 1981).) The important features of this data involve frequency-time structures in dynamic spectra, and such features are absent in data on galactic and extra galactic objects. Even for pulsars the data are obtained at discrete frequencies, and the frequency-time structures are not of major importance. Second, the theory itself involves plasma physical concepts which are unfamiliar to most physicists and astronomers. These concepts include those of plasma instabilities, microturbulence, and of particle-wave and wave-wave interactions. Third, one must also admit that there is a prejudice amongst many astronomers against solar physics: the Sun is regarded as interesting only to the extent that it can teach us about other astronomical objects. I shall return to this third point later.

This paper discusses opportunities for collaboration in astronomy among the countries of the Asian–Pacific region.

Astronomy has always occupied a prominent place in scientific research in Australia. For this reason it is of interest to see which institutions, journals and subfields of astronomy feature in the Australian research effort. A sample of 1166 astronomy papers produced by Australian authors in recent years has been compiled, and from this statistics have been derived for the number of times authors’ institutions are referred to and also those journals which are most frequently used. In addition, an analysis has been made of the various subfields where Australian astronomy research is concentrated, how this compares with the rest of the world, and which institutions and journals figure most prominently in each particular subfield.

Since 1957, the University of Tasmania has operated cosmic-ray meson telescopes at an underground site near Hobart for the purpose of monitoring the intensity variations in the high energy component of the primary flux near the Earth. Details relating to the site, equipment, and meteorological influences on the observed intensity have been given previously. At a depth equivalent to 36m of water (36 m.w.e.), the equipment responds to an effective primary spectrum having a mean particle energy in the vicinity of 200 GeV and falling off rapidly at low energies, so that about 90% of the primaries have energy exceeding 50 GeV. The corresponding mean energy of response for surface muon telescopes at Hobart is about 25 GeV, while a neutron monitor at Hobart has a mean response at about 7 GeV.

There is a need for standardised terminology in the field of astronomy. A project on behalf of the International Astronomical Union has been undertaken by astronomy librarians to compile a thesaurus for inputting to and accessing computer database systems.

We present 6 cm Australia Telescope images of 22 strong southern radio sources. At least one of these sources appears likely to be a gravitationally lensed mirage.

This paper describes the plans for a planetarium and observatory at Sydney’s Macquarie University.

It is impossible in half an hour to do justice to the vast literature on Shockwaves in interstellar space. Here, an attempt is made to identify outstanding problems with particular regard to the optical spectrum and to determine what physical data can be relatively unambiguously obtained from interpretation of this.

The Orion Nebula is the best known and most often observed of the bright emission nebulae. However, the radio continuum spectrum of the nebula has been the subject of some misconception, particularly at low frequencies. A rediscussion is worthwhile as the spectrum has been used to derive an electron temperature for the nebula which is at variance with other determinations and carries important implications. Also some of the difficulties of measurement and problems of interpretation are relevant to similar investigations of other emission nebulae.

This paper outlines the plans for a Japanese lunar exploration mission in the mid-1990s.

Symbiotic stars are at the same time perplexing and rewarding to study. Their spectra contain great numbers of emission lines due to atoms in a range of ionization states from neutral to coronal. The continua are weak and usually unobtrusive: the strongest lines may have equivalent widths of thousands of Angstroms. But the crowding of weak lines complicates their measurement and, often, their identification. Many symbiotic stars probably emit weak lines which currently defy identification, but which cannot be distinguished from their neighbours. It is, however, rather rare to find a strong unidentified emission line.

The dry, cold, tenuous and stable air above the Antarctic Plateau provides superb conditions for the conduct of many classes of astronomical observations. We review in particular the rationale for undertaking near-IR, mm and particle astronomy in Antarctica, disciplines where telescopes are now operating at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

Spectroscopic observations of BF Cygni performed at the Haute-Provence Observatory in 1981 August, October and November are presented. The spectrum of BF Cyg was dominated by strong emission lines of H I, He I, [O III] and [Ne III]. Emission lines of He II and N III were weak. The spectrum of the star displayed dramatic variations during our observations. The intensities of Balmer lines, Balmer continuum and He I lines clearly increased from August to October, while the lines of [Ne III] and [O III] showed inverse variability.

We discuss the basic concept and the problems of magnetic braking via magnetically controlled hot plasmas in late-type stars. We investigate the magnetic braking process in special magnetic field structures in both single stars and binaries. We find that in single solar-type stars, the high-order component of the observed complicated fields can account for the braking rate of the present Sun. However, this component cannot account for the braking rate of young solar-type stars, even though this field is much stronger than the simple (monopolar or dipolar) field usually adopted in braking models. For magnetically interacting cataclysmic binaries, the magnetic fields of the white dwarf greatly change the magnetic fields on the main-sequence secondaries. In particular, in synchronously rotating magnetic CVs (AM Herculis systems) magnetic braking may even turn off if the white dwarf magnetic field is sufficiently strong. These results suggest that the magnetic field structure has a crucial effect on magnetic braking.

According to Dyson (1960), Malthusian pressures may have led extra-terrestrial civilizations to utilize significant fractions of the energy output from their stars or the total amount of matter in their planetary systems in their search for living space. This would have been achieved by constructing from a large number of independently orbiting colonies, an artificial biosphere surrounding their star. Biospheres of this nature are known as Dyson spheres. If enough matter is available to construct an optically thick Dyson sphere the result of such astroengineering activity, as far as observations from the earth are concerned, would be a point source of infra-red radiation which peaks in the 10 micron range. If not enough matter is available to completely block the stars’ light the result would be anomalous infra-red emission accompanying the visible radiation (Dyson 1960).

The standard formula for the resolving power R(= λ/Δλ) of an astronomical grating spectrograph isHere L is the linear size of the grating, perpendicular to the direction of the grooves, θB is the blaze angle of the grating, θS is the angular size of the slit, projected back on to the sky, and D is the diameter of the telescope objective. The formula is valid for gratings used in the Littrow condition, when the angle of incidence α, and the angle of diffraction β, are both close to θB .

Optical spectra of pre-main sequence flare stars in Orion are presented and analysed by the use of stellar chromospheric models. The stars observed divide into three groups on the basis of their quiescent spectra. The majority of the sample are similar to the dMe stars, with prominent Ca II and Balmer line emission. A second group possesses very strong emission spectra, including He I lines. Stars in third group, however, show little or no emission spectrum. Amongst the emission line stars observed progressively brighter stars exhibit increased Ca II and Balmer line surface fluxes relative to the fainter stars. This trend is also exhibited as a rise in emission line surface fluxes with increasing effective temperature. To analyse this trend a set of non-LTE stellar models were calculated. Using this analysis the trend in line fluxes between stars of different brightness and temperature is interpreted as a spread in the level of chromospheric heating. Furthermore, this trend is interpreted as indicating a spread in the effectiveness of the stellar magnetic dynamos within these stars, perhaps arising from shallowing in their convective layers as they contract to the main sequence.

Sir William Herschel and his sister, Caroline, had swept the skies over England as members of the court of George III. They had made amazing discoveries: a new planet in our solar system, the movement of the solar system with respect to the fixed stars, and hundreds of new nebulae and star clusters.

Then Sir William’s son John swept the southern skies from Cape Town, South Africa (1834 to 1838), mapping and sketching many more stars and nebulae.