We present MHD numerical simulations of a rotating turbulent convection system in a 3D domain (we have used the finite volume, Goudunov type MHD code PLUTO (Mignone et al. 2007)). Rotating convection is the natural scenario for the study of the dynamo action which is able to generate a large scale magnetic field, like the observed in the sun. Though we have neglected in the present approach the Ω effect, due to a large scale shear, our model is appropriate to test the controversial existence of the so called α effect that arises from helical turbulence (e.g. Cattaneo & Hughes 2006, Käpylä et al. 2009). We start with a two-layer piece-wise polytropic region in hydrostatic equilibrium (e.g. Ziegler 2002), considering one stable overshoot layer at the bottom and a convectively unstable layer at the top of the computational domain. We have allowed this hydrodynamic system to evolve up to the steady state, i.e., after about 10 turnover times (τ). Then, we introduced a seed magnetic field and let the system evolve for more ~40 τ. Our preliminary results are summarized below in Figure 2.

Using the test-field method for nearly irrotational turbulence driven by spherical expansion waves it is shown that the turbulent magnetic diffusivity increases with magnetic Reynolds numbers. Its value levels off at several times the rms velocity of the turbulence multiplied by the typical radius of the expansion waves. This result is discussed in the context of the galactic mean-field dynamo.

Post-AGB (pAGB) objects are low to intermediate initial mass (≤8 M⊙) objects that have terminated normal nuclear burning and as a result are undergoing rapid evolution toward the white dwarf sequence. In classical pAGB objects evolution is to hotter effective temperatures at roughly constant luminosity. However, there are also several classes of pAGB objects that have revived nuclear burning after approaching or being on the white dwarf sequence. These include objects with delayed final helium shell flashes (e.g. Sakurai's star) and white dwarf mergers (e.g. R CrB stars). Binary evolution plays a critical role in many of these systems. A group of pAGB supergiants with large infrared excesses are suspected to be binaries that have undergone common envelope evolution. Further details on many of these objects can be found in reviews, see for instance Van Winckel (2003) and Herwig (2005).

The binary fraction in the sub-stellar regime is a topic of discussion. The lower masses of ultra cool dwarfs (UCDs) with respect to the other stars make them even more important because a measurable effect on their radial velocity (RV) or luminosities can be caused by extremely low mass companions. Some UCDs in young star forming regions are bright enough to be studied with existing high resolution instrumentation. The UCDs are intrinsically faint in the optical and the optical RV measurements are affected by “rotationally modulated inhomogeneous surface features” that can mimic a companion, while the near-infrared (NIR) RVs are less prone to them. Therefore, we decided to monitor the RV of six UCDs in the NIR. Blake et al. (2007) demonstrated RV measurement accuracy of 300-600 m s−1 in the NIR using telluric calibration.

Highly collimated supersonic jets and outflows are very frequent in several astrophysical environments. They are seen in young stellar objects (YSOs), proto-planetary nebulae, compact objects (like galactic black holes or microquasars, and X-ray binary stars), active galactic nuclei, and are also possibly associated to gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and to ultra-high energy cosmic rays sources (UHECRs). Despite their different physical scales, all these outflow classes have strong morphological similarities, but questions such as - what physics do they share? - or - can we find a universal mechanism of acceleration and collimation that operates in all classes? - remain matters of debate. The most accepted mechanism for their origin relies on a rotating accretion disk threaded by perpendicular large-scale magnetic fields and, though most of the systems producing jets contain an accretion disk around the central source, the real role that rotation and magnetic fields play in these processes is still not fully understood, nor are the highly non-linear physical processes connected to these jet-disk systems in the large parameter space involved.

Interactions with close stellar or planetary companions can significantly influence the evolution and lifetime of protoplanetary disks. It has recently become possible to search for these companions, directly studying the role of multiplicity in protoplanetary disk evolution. We have described an ongoing survey to directly detect these stellar and planetary companions in nearby star-forming regions. Our program uses adaptive optics and sparse aperture mask interferometry to achieve typical contrast limits of Δ K=5-6 at the diffraction limit (5–8 MJup at 5–30 AU), while also detecting similar-flux binary companions at separations as low as 15 mas (2.5 AU). In most cases, our survey has found no evidence of companions (planetary or binary) among the well-known “transitional disk” systems; if the inner clearings are due to planet formation, as has been previously suggested, then this paucity places an upper limit on the mass of any resulting planet. Our survey also has uncovered many new binary systems, with the majority falling among the diskless (WTTS) population. This disparity suggests that disk evolution for close (5–30 AU) binary systems is very different from that for single stars. As we show in Figure 1, most circumbinary disks are cleared by ages of 1–2 Myr, while most circumstellar disks are not. These diskless binary systems have biased the disk frequency downward in previous studies. If we remove our new systems from those samples, we find that the disk fraction for single stars could be higher than was previously suggested.

We derive the 3D-NLTE lithium abundance in the solar photosphere from the Lii line at 670 nm as measured in several solar atlases. The Li abundance is obtained from line profile fitting with 1D/3D-LTE/3D-NLTE synthetic spectra, considering several possibilities for the atomic parameters of the lines blending the Li feature. The 670 nm spectral region shows considerable differences in the two available disc-centre solar atlases, while the two integrated disc spectra are very similar. We obtain A(Li)3D–NLTE = 1.03. The 1D-LTE abundance is 0.07 dex smaller. The line-lists giving the best fit for the Sun may fail for other stars, while some line-lists fail to reproduce the solar profile satisfactorily. We need a better knowledge of the atomic parameters of the lines blending the Li feature in order to be able to reproduce both the solar spectrum and the spectra of other stars. An improved line-list is also required to derive reliable estimates of the isotopic Li ratio in solar-metallicity stars.

The first discussion session held at the IAU Symposium 268 focussed on the deuterium content in the local interstellar medium (LISM) and in high-redshift systems. There were two key questions proposed to the audience: 1) what should be taken as representative abundance of D in the LISM, and 2) how can we explain the dispersion of the D abundance measured in high-redshift, very low metallicity environments? While on the latter point people seem to agree that observational and data analyses uncertainties are the most likely explanation, on the former question no consensus was reached. The historical and observational background at the basis of these questions and the discussion are schematically reported here.

For our understanding of the origin and evolution of baryonic matter in the Universe, the Protosolar Cloud (PSC) is of unique importance in two ways: 1) Up to now, many of the naturally occurring nuclides have only been detected in the solar system. 2) Since the time of solar system formation, the Sun and planets have been virtually isolated from the galactic nuclear evolution, and thus the PSC is a galactic sample with a degree of evolution intermediate between the Big Bang and the present.

The abundances of the isotopes of hydrogen and helium in the Protosolar Cloud are primarily derived from composition measurements in the solar wind, the Jovian atmosphere and “planetary noble gases” in meteorites, and also from observations of density profiles inside the Sun. After applying the changes in isotopic and elemental composition resulting from processes in the solar wind, the Sun and Jupiter, PSC abundances of the four lightest stable nuclides are given.

Evolved low mass stars (LMS) contribute not only to the synthesis of s-process nuclei, but also to modifications in the isotopic mix of light elements (Li and CNO especially), induced by proton captures. In particular, RGB and AGB stars show a wide range of Li abundances. This spread is currently attributed to deep phenomena of non-convective mixing. These processes can, in principle, either produce or destroy Li, depending on their velocity. This is due to the fact that Li production requires preserving the unstable 7Be, which has a half-life of only 53 days. Physical mechanisms devised so far to explain the existence of deep mixing in low mass stars generally fail in accounting for fast transport and in avoiding 7Be destruction; on the contrary, this is easily obtained in Intermediate Mass Stars, where Hot Bottom Burning can occur. However, as Li-rich low-mass red giants do exist, we propose here a scenario where both production and destruction of Li are possible in LMS, thanks to the buoyancy of magnetized parcels of processed matter, traveling from the H shell to the envelope at different speeds (depending on their size). Consequences of this transport for CNO nuclei are also discussed.

In our detailed study of chemical abundances in the Galactic bulge (see Zoccali et al. 2008 for a description of the entire project) we have measured Li abundances by fitting synthetic spectra to the 7Li (6707.18Å) line for ~400 giants in Baade's Window and a field at b=−6 (Gonzalez et al. 2009). We have found 13 stars showing strong 7Li lines in complete contrast to the rest of the sample for which only upper limits could be obtained. Our sample is at least 1.2 mag brighter than the expected RGB bump, therefore we interpreted our results as evidence for stars that might have avoided the observed extra-mixing process or undergoing a Li enrichment process not necessarily linked to the RGB bump.

Water is an abundant molecule in the Cosmos. It has exploitable and unique spectroscopic and physical properties and has been found to be ubiquitous in places that we would expect in the standard model of solar system formation and nebular condensation: beyond the snow line in outer solar system planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. However, water is also an important constituent of planetary bodies (dominating at least one of their surfaces) in the inner solar system, likely indicating significant mixing between inner and outer solar system reservoirs of water during planetary accretion and the early history of the solar system. Water has played a critical role in the differential evolution of the terrestrial planets Venus, Earth, and Mars, and the concept of the “habitable zone” where liquid water could be stable on an Earth-like planet provides a starting point for assessing the habitability of worlds in our solar system and beyond. Examples of potentially habitable environments outside this zone in our own solar system warn us that this concept should only be a guide, however-important exceptions will no doubt occur. Recent discoveries of past liquid water and abundant present subsurface ice on Mars, of water reservoirs in unexpected places like the poles of Mercury and the Moon and the subsurface of Enceladus, of water in circumstellar disks and in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, and the expectation of the discovery of water on Earth-like worlds in the habitable zones around other stars make this an exciting time in the study of water on planets both in our own solar system, and beyond.

This work presents some observations during the period of the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI) of the effects of interplanetary (IP) structures on the near-Earth space using three sets of observations: magnetic field and plasma from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite, ground-based cosmic ray data from the Global Muon Detection Network (GMDN) and geomagnetic indices (Disturbance storm-time, Dst, and auroral electrojet index, AE). Since WHI was near minimum solar activity, high speed streams and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) were the dominant structures observed in the interplanetary space surrounding Earth. Very pronounced geomagnetic effects are shown to be correlated to CIRs, especially because they can cause the so-called High-Intensity Long-Duration Continuous AE Activity (HILDCAAs) - Tsurutani and Gonzalez (1987). At least a few high speed streams can be identified during the period of WHI. The focus here is to characterize these IP structures and their geospace consequences.

The effects of dry and wet merging on the Scaling Laws (SLs) of elliptical galaxies (Es) are discussed. It is found that the SLs, possibly established at high redshift by the fast collapse of gas-rich and clumpy stellar distributions in preexisting dark matter halos following the cosmological SLs, are compatible with a (small) number of galaxy mergers at lower redshift.

While most warm halo dwarfs show lithium abundances at the level of the Spite Plateau, a small number (~5%) have undetectable lithium lines. The existence of these stars has long raised questions when interpreting the plateau abundances: are they an extreme example of a depletion mechanism that has affected the plateau stars, or do they have an entirely different history? We provide an overview of what is currently known about the lithium-poor halo stars and discuss a possible origin for the lithium deficiency in this unique group of stars.

Within the context of ALMA (and future missions such as SPICA) we present some recent observational and theoretical work on molecular line emissions from extragalactic environments.

In many theories of unified interactions, there are additional degrees of freedom which may allow for the variation of the fundamental constants of nature. I will review the motivation for such variations, and describe the theoretical relations between variations of gauge and Yukawa couplings.

The physical properties of the hot interstellar matter in elliptical galaxies are directly related with the formation and evolution of elliptical galaxies via star formation episodes, environmental effects such as stripping, infall, and mergers, and growth of super-massive black holes. The recent successful Chandra and XMM-Newton X-ray space missions have provided a large amount of high spatial/spectral resolution observational data on the hot ISM in elliptical galaxies. At the same time, theoretical studies with numerical simulations and analytical modeling of the dynamical and chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies have made a significant progress and start to predict various observable quantities.

We highlight the IPHAS Data Releases and how access to the primary data products has been implemented through use of standard virtual observatory (VO) publishing interfaces as provided by the Astro- Grid system. The IPHAS Early Data release (EDR), is a photometric catalogue of more than 200 million unique objects, coupled with associated image data covering more than 1000 square degrees in three colours. These data represent the largest data sets to date published solely through Virtual Observatory interfaces.

One of the currently most disputed issues in Star Formation is the timeline of the whole process. Is it a “slow” process of cloud assembly which, mediated by magnetic fields, evolve toward turbulence-supported clumps which are eventually super-critical to collapse, e.g. McKee & Tan (2003)? Or do clumps originate in already super-critical state in the post-shock regions of large-scale Galactic converging flows, e.g. Hartmann et al. (2001) with a rapid collapse in a crossing time or so (Elmegreen 2000)?

A pan-chromatic 1μm-1mm continuum view of cluster forming regions in their early stages offers access to the most massive members longward of 5-10μm, as well as the low-mass members which instead dominate the emission in the near-IR, offering an interesting potential in stimulating advances in theoretical modelling of clustered star formation, its history and rate.