Analyses of Early Sunspot Records by Jean Tarde (1615 – 1617) and Jan Smogulecki (1621 – 1625)

Jean Tarde and Jan Smogulecki carried out sunspot observations in the 1610s and 1620s at the dawn of the telescopic era. We analysed their original observational records to revise their sunspot-group numbers in the existing database. In this study, we provide a new counting as a basis for future scientific discussions. Furthermore, we compared Smogulecki’s sunspot observations with those of Scheiner and Schönberger on the same observation days. We also detected a big sunspot group on 2 – 3 February 1622 in Smogulecki’s sunspot drawings and estimated its area to be approximately 1600 millionths of the solar disc. In addition, we measured the sunspot positions in Tarde’s and Smogulecki’s sunspot drawings to construct a butterfly diagram for this early period.

Stellar magnetic activity and the butterfly diagram of Kepler-63

Context. The study of young solar-type stars is fundamental for better understanding the magnetic activity of the Sun. Most commonly, this activity manifests itself in the form of spots and faculae. As a planet in transit crosses in front of its host star, a dark spot on the stellar surface may be occulted, causing a detectable variation in the light curve. Kepler-63 is a young solar-like star with an age of only 210 Myr that exhibits photometric variations compatible with spot signatures. Because the planet that orbits it is in an almost polar orbit, different latitudes of the star can be probed by the method of spot transit mapping. Aims. The goal of this work is to characterise the spots of Kepler-63 and thus decipher the behaviour of the young Sun. Because planetary orbit is highly oblique, the latitudinal distribution and thus the differential rotation of the spots may be determined. Methods. A total of 150 transits of Kepler-63b were observed in the short-cadence light curve, corresponding to a total duration of about four years. Each transit light curve was fit by a model that simulates planetary transits and allows including starspots on the surface of the host star. This enables the physical characterisation of the spot size, intensity, and location. We determined the spot position in a reference frame that rotates with the star, and thus obtained the latitudinal distribution of the spots. Results. We fit a total of 297 spots and determined their sizes, intensities, and positions. The longitude and latitude of the spots were calculated in a reference frame that rotated with the star. The latitude distribution of spots exhibits a bimodality with a lack of spots around 34°. Moreover, the spot sizes tend to be larger close to the equator, but decrease toward the latitude distribution gap, after which they again increase toward the poles. High-latitude spots dominate the magnetic cycle of Kepler-63. For a mean stellar rotation period of 5.400 d, 59 spots were found at approximately the same longitude and latitude on a later transit. Some of these spots were detected eight transits later. This shows that the lifetimes of spots can be at least 75 d. Conclusions. The geometry of the Kepler-63 system, enabled us to build a starspot butterfly diagram, similar to that of sunspots. It was also possible to infer the differential rotation of Kepler-63 from the spots at different latitudes. This star was found to rotate almost rigidly with a period of 5.400 d and a relative shear close to 0.01% for latitudes lower than 34°, whereas the high latitudes do not follow a well-behaved pattern.

Spatiotemporal Symmetry and Trend Assessment of Ms≥7.0 Earthquakes in the Sichuan-Yunnan Region of China

Commensurability information, a butterfly diagram and a commensurability structure system were used to analyse the spatiotemporal symmetry and to assess the trends of Ms≥7.0 earthquakes in the Sichuan-Yunnan region of China. The results show that the next earthquake may occur in 2020 or 2021, as seismic signals are strong. Analysing the characteristics of epicentre spatial migration, there is a significant synchrony and symmetry between the latitudinal and longitudinal epicentre migrations. The symmetry axis is 30°N in latitude and 101.5°E in longitude. There is a northeast–southwest strike symmetry axis, and the next epicentre may migrate toward the southwest (i.e., south of 30°N and west of 101.5°E); the calculated strike symmetry axis is Y=3.5X-329. By grouping earthquake disaster events, the spatial migration pathways of the epicentres regularly exhibit jump-migration and sequential-migration. The migration distributions over the symmetry axis quadrants are ‘uniform-discrete’ and ‘concentrated-dispersion’.

Butterfly diagram of a Sun-like star observed using asteroseismology

Stellar magnetic fields are poorly understood, but are known to be important for stellar evolution and exoplanet habitability. They drive stellar activity, which is the main observational constraint on theoretical models for magnetic field generation and evolution. Starspots are the main manifestation of the magnetic fields at the stellar surface. In this study we measured the variation in their latitude with time, called a butterfly diagram in the solar case, for the solar analogue HD 173701 (KIC 8006161). To this end, we used Kepler data to combine starspot rotation rates at different epochs and the asteroseismically determined latitudinal variation in the stellar rotation rates. We observe a clear variation in the latitude of the starspots. It is the first time such a diagram has been constructed using asteroseismic data.

Identifying Money Laundering in Business Operations as a Factor for Estimating Risk

Money laundering and terrorist financing can be performed in many ways, regular business operations being among them. Business activities go through a large number of business changes, which offers numerous options for money or assets to enter the company via seemingly legal business transactions, enabling money or assets to remain in regular business flows once money laundering is completed. On the other hand, the opposite scenario, in which there is interest in money to be transferred from regular flows to alternative flows, including terrorism financing, is also common. This paper will discuss legal business operations as a framework for money laundering and terrorist financing. Cash flow cycles are presented in form of an algorithm as connections between irregularly and regularly acquired assets in the process of money laundering through business operations, as well as re-entry from regular flows into alternative cash flows. The “Butterfly Diagram”, presenting groups of business changes enabling entry of larger amounts of money and assets owned by a company in order to be laundered or their exit with the effect or tax evasion or terrorism financing, evolved from the algorithm. Also, the “Butterfly Diagram” includes certain forms of legal and tax misuse which enable legalizing the specified activities. The business reality is exceptionally dynamic and needs of money launderers keep growing, this is why there is an increase in types and numbers of business transactions that can be used for money laundering or terrorism financing, resulting in the need to keep modifying the presented “Butterfly Diagram”.