We study the MHD processes related to a flare/CME event in the lower solar corona using numerical simulations. Our initial state is an isothermal gravitationally stratified corona with an embedded flux rope magnetic field structure. The eruption is driven by applying an artificial force to the flux rope. The results show that as the flux rope rises, a shock structure is formed, reaching from ahead of the flux rope all the way to the solar surface. The speed of the shock quickly exceeds that of the driving flux rope, and the shock escapes from the driver. Thus, the shock exhibits characteristics both of the driven and blast wave type. In addition, the temperature distribution behind the shock is loop-like, implying that erupting loop-like structures observed in soft X-ray images might be shocks. Finally, we note that care must be taken when performing correlation analysis of the speed and location of type II bursts and ejecta.

The Working Group FITS (WG-FITS) is the international control authority for the Flexible Image Transport System (FITS) data format. The WG-FITS was formed in 1988 by a formal resolution of the IAU XX General Assembly in Baltimore (MD, USA), 1988, to maintain the existing FITS standards and to approve future extensions to FITS.

In this talk, we present the general principles of binary evolution and give two examples. The first example is the formation of subdwarf B stars (sdBs) and their application to the long-standing problem of ultraviolet excess (also known as UV-upturn) in elliptical galaxies. The second is for the progenitors of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). We discuss the main binary interactions, i.e., stable Roche lobe overflow (RLOF) and common envelope (CE) evolution, and show evolutionary channels leading to the formation of various binary-related objects. In the first example, we show that the binary model of sdB stars of Han et al. (2002, 2003) can reproduce field sdB stars and their counterparts, extreme horizontal branch (EHB) stars, in globular clusters. By applying the binary model to the study of evolutionary population synthesis, we have obtained an “a priori” model for the UV-upturn of elliptical galaxies and showed that the UV-upturn is most likely resulted from binary interactions. This has major implications for understanding the evolution of the UV excess and elliptical galaxies in general. In the second example, we introduce the single degenerate channel and the double degenerate channel for the progenitors of SNe Ia. We give the birth rates and delay time distributions for each channel and the distributions of companion stars at the moment of SN explosion for the single degenerate channel, which would help to search for the remnant companion stars observationally.

Stellar magnetic fields including a strong dipole component are believed to play a critical role in the early evolution of newly formed stars and their circumstellar accretion disks. It is currently believed that the stellar magnetic field truncates the accretion disk several stellar radii above the star. This action forces accreting material to flow along the field lines and accrete onto the star preferentially at high stellar latitudes. It is also thought that the stellar rotation rate becomes locked to the Keplerian velocity near the radius where the disk is truncated. This paper reviews recent efforts to measure the magnetic field properties of low mass pre-main sequence stars, focussing on how the observations compare with the theoretical expectations. A picture is emerging indicating that quite strong fields do indeed cover the majority of the surface on these stars; however, the dipole component of the field appears to be alarmingly small. The current measurements also suggest that given their strong magnetic fields, T Tauri stars are somewhat faint in X-rays relative to what is expected from simple main sequence star scaling laws.

The reflected spectral energy distribution of low-albedo, red-colored, airless bodies in the outer Solar System (planetary satellites, Centaur objects, Kuiper Belt objects, bare comet nuclei) can be modeled with spectral models that incorporate the optical properties of refractory complex organic materials synthesized in the laboratory and called tholins. These materials are strongly colored and impart their color properties to the models. The colors of the bodies cannot be matched with plausible minerals, ices, or metals. Iapetus, a satellite of Saturn, is one such red-colored body that is well matched with tholin-rich models. Detection of aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons on Iapetus by the Cassini spacecraft, and the presence of these hydrocarbons in the tholins, is taken as evidence for the widespread presence of solid organic complexes aromatic and aliphatic units on many bodies in the outer Solar System. These organic complexes may be compositionally similar to the insoluble organic matter in some classes of the carbonaceous meteorites, and thus may ultimately derive from the organic matter in the interstellar medium.

We report on observations of transit events of the transiting planets XO-1b and TrES-1 with the AIU Jena telescope in Großschwabhausen. Based on our (IR) photometry (in March 2007) and available transit timings (SuperWASP, XO and TLC-project-data) we improved the orbital period of XO-1b (P = 3.941497 ± 0.000006) and TrES-1 (P = 3.0300737 ± 0.000006), respectively. The new ephemeris for the both systems are presented.

We provide a brief overview of some key issues that came out of the IAUS 256 symposium on the Magellanic System (http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/iaus256).

We present three full z-band transit light curves for the extrasolar planet XO-2 obtained with KeplerCam and the FLWO 1.2m telescope. The system parameters were determined fitting the data to transit models using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation (MCMC). The main results presented in this poster are revised values for the parameters Rp/Rs, a/Rs and b.

The Working Group Virtual Observatories, Data Centers, and Networks was established under Commission 5 at the Prague General Assembly in 2006. The purpose of the WG is to provide IAU oversight of the activities of the International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA, <www.ivoa.net/>), to encourage data centers and other data providers to archive and publish data according to IVOA standards, and to help assure that astronomical research facilities are electronically linked with current network technologies. The WG coordinates activities closely with the WG-FITS, as the IVOA uses FITS as its primary format for binary data exchange, and the WG on Astronomical Data.

External energy inputs into all planetary upper atmospheres (including more than a half dozen moons with atmospheres) are comprised of combinations of solar EUV, soft x-rays, solar energetic particles, solar wind charged particles, magnetospherically accelerated particles, solar wind electric field, interplanetary dust particles as well as propagating lower atmosphere disturbances. Each input has analogous physical interactions with all planetary ionospheres and upper atmospheres, but the integrated consequences of the multiple energy inputs vary from planet to planet. The Earth forms the framework for most fundamental processes because of extensive measurements of the effects of each of the inputs. However the conditions at Earth are far different from those at the carbon dioxide atmosphere of magnetic field-free, slow-rotating Venus, the carbon dioxide atmosphere of Mars with patchy remnant magnetic fields, while the outer planets have hydrogen atmospheres, are fast rotating with intrinsic magnetic fields, and encompass moons that interact with the magnetospheres and have exotic atmospheres. Although the physical processes are known, our understanding of our solar system's ionospheres diminishes with increasing distance from the Sun.

More than about 50% stars are in binaries, but the effects of binary evolution were not taken into account in most previous stellar population synthesis studies. In fact, binaries can affect the integrated peculiarities such as spectral energy distributions (SEDs), colours, and line-strength indices of populations. With the effects of binary stars taken into account, some new results for stellar population studies will be shown. We discuss how binaries affect the colours and Lick indices of simple stellar populations, and the measurement of stellar ages and metallicities.

The coronal structure of main sequence stars continues to puzzle us. While the solar corona is relatively well understood, it has become clear that even stars of the same mass as the Sun can display very non-solar coronal behaviour, particularly if they are rapid rotators or in a binary system. At masses greater than and also less than that of the Sun, the non-solar internal structure appears to affect both the geometry and dynamics of the stellar corona and the nature of the X-ray and radio emission. In this talk I will describe some recent advances in our understanding of the structure of the coronae of some of the most active (and interesting) main sequence stars.

The insoluble organic material (IOM) in primitive meteorites is related to the organic material in interplanetary dust particles and comets, and is probably related to the refractory organic material in the diffuse interstellar medium. If the IOM is representative of refractory ISM organics, models for how and from what it formed will have to be revised.

Starspots, just as Sunspots, are among the most obvious tracers and signatures of stellar surface magnetic activity. Emphasized already several decades ago as the origin for the rotationally modulated brightness of cool late-type stars, it is just now that we start to trace individual surface features in great enough detail to understand their magnetic behavior and interaction. Starspots also became the most important “noise” for detecting extra-solar planets and could possibly be decisive when it comes to detect another Earth. Since this is not a review, and because indirect imaging techniques are covered in other papers in this volume, I focus in this paper on some specific detections of starspots and introduce four new facilities particularly suited for starspot research in the near future.

The Stardust Mission collected samples from Comet 81P/Wild 2 on 2 Jan 2004 and returned these samples to Earth on 15 Jan 2006. After recovery, a six month preliminary examination was done on a portion of the samples. Studies of the organics in the samples were made by the Organics Preliminary Examination Team (PET) - a worldwide group of over 55 scientists. This paper provides a brief overview of the findings of the Organics PET. Organics in the samples were studied using a multitude of analytical techniques including spatial determination of C and heteroatom elemental abundances (STXM), functional group identification (micro-FTIR/Raman, C,N,O-XANES), and specific molecular identification of certain classes of organics (HPLC-LIF, L2MS, TOF-SIMS). Analyses were also made of spacecraft components and environmental samples collected near the recovered returned capsule to assess contamination issues. The distribution of organics (abundance, functionality, and relative elemental abundances of C,N,O) is heterogeneous both within and between particles. They are an unequilibrated reservoir that experienced little parent body processing after incorporation into the comet. Some organics look like those seen in IDPs (and to a lesser extent, meteorites), while new aromatic-poor and highly labile organics, not seen in meteoritic materials, are also present. The organics are O,N-rich compared to meteoritic organics. Some of the organics have an interstellar heritage, as evidenced by D and 15N enrichments.

The effects of changes in the solar radiative emission on ozone levels in the stratosphere have been considered as a candidate to explain the link between solar activity and its effects on the climate. As ozone absorbs electromagnetic radiation, changes in ozone concentrations alter Earth's radiative balance by modifying both incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation. In this way, ozone controls solar energy deposition in the stratosphere and its variations alter the thermal structure of the stratosphere. These changes are assumed to propagate downward through a chain of feedbacks involving thermal and dynamical processes. The effects of high energy particle precipitation on mesospheric and stratospheric ozone have also been investigated. However, while the effects of high energy particle precipitation on ozone distribution in the auroral region has been investigated during the last decades, little is known about the role of the high energy particle precipitation on the stratospheric composition and thermal structure in the tropical/subtropical region. Here we show that the spatial distribution of the lower stratosphere temperature is affected by the presence of the southern hemisphere magnetic anomaly. We found that during the austral winter and spring, in the subtropical region (below 30 deg S), the reduction of the lower stratosphere temperature occurs systematically in the magnetic anomaly area. This result is consistent with the observations that in the southern hemisphere subtropical region the energy of precipitating particles is deposited lower in altitude in regions with weaker magnetic field intensity.

From Director Dan Green's report, following this report, it is obvious that the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT) continues its excellent work. The Electronic Telegrams (CBETs), established in the previous triennium, have become the regular means for fast communication, with the Circulars providing the official and archival record of discoveries and designations. It is regretted that subscriptions to the printed Circulars continue to decline, but inevitable in this age of electronic communication.

Searching for transit timing variations in the known transiting exoplanet systems can reveal the presence of other bodies in the system. Here we report such searches for two transiting exoplanet systems, TrES-1 and WASP-2. Their new transits were observed with the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope located on La Palma, Spain. In a continuing programme, three consecutive transits were observed for TrES-1, and one for WASP-2 during September 2007. We used the Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations to derive transit times and their uncertainties. The resulting transit times are consistent with the most recent ephemerides and no conclusive proof of additional bodies in either system was found.

Rotational mixing a very important but uncertain process in the evolution of massive stars. We propose to use close binaries to test its efficiency. Based on rotating single stellar models we predict nitrogen surface enhancements for tidally locked binaries. Furthermore we demonstrate the possibility of a new evolutionary scenario for very massive (M > 40M⊙) close (P < 3 days) binaries: Case M, in which mixing is so efficient that the stars evolve quasi-chemically homogeneously, stay compact and avoid any Roche-lobe overflow, leading to very close (double) WR binaries.