CCD SDSS gr Photometry of Poorly Studied Star Clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present for the first time CCD SDSS gr photometry, obtained at the Gemini South telescope with the GMOS attached, of stars in the field of the poorly studied star clusters NGC1768, HS 85, SL 676, NGC2107, NGC2190, and SL 866, which are distributed in the main body of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We applied a subtraction procedure to statistically clean the cluster CMDs from field star contamination. In order to disentangle cluster features from those belonging to their surrounding fields, we applied a subtraction procedure which makes use of variable cells to reproduce the field star color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) as closely as possible. We then traced their stellar density radial profiles from star counts performed over the cleaned field stars dataset and derived their radii. Using the cleaned cluster CMDs, we estimated ages and metallicities from matching theoretical isochrones computed for the SDSS system. The studied star clusters have ages from 0.1 up to 2.0 Gyr and are of slightly metal-poor metal content ([Fe/H]≈−0.4 dex).

A Statistical Study on DH CMEs and Its Geoeffectiveness

A detailed investigation on geoeffectiveness of CMEs associated with DH-type-II bursts observed during 1997–2008 is presented. The collected sample events are divided into two groups based on their association with CMEs related to geomagnetic storms Dst ≤−50 nT, namely, (i) geoeffective events and (ii) nongeoeffective events. We found that the geoeffective events have high starting frequency, low ending frequency, long duration, wider bandwidth, energetic flares, and CMEs than nongeoeffective events. The geoeffective events are found to have intense geomagnetic storm with mean Dst index (−150 nT). There exists good correlation between the properties of CMEs and flares for geoeffective events, while no clear correlation exists for nongeoeffective events. There exists a weak correlation for geoeffective events between (i) CME speed and Dst index (R=-0.51) and good correlation between (i) CME speed and solar wind speed (R=0.60), (ii) Dst index and solar wind speed (R=-0.64), and (iii) Dst index and southward magnetic field component (Bz) (R=0.80). From our study we conclude that the intense and long duration southward magnetic field component (Bz) and fast solar wind speed are responsible for geomagnetic storms, and the geomagnetic storms weakly depend on CME speed. About 22% (50/230) of the DH-type-II bursts are associated with geomagnetic storms. Therefore the DH-type-II bursts associated with energetic flares and CMEs are good indicator of geomagnetic storms.

BVRcIc Observations and Analysis of the Near-Contact Solar Type Eclipsing Binary, V530 Andromedae

We present the first precision UBVRcIc light curves, an initial period study, and a simultaneous light curve solution for the near-contact solar type eclipsing binary V530 And. Our observations were taken with the 0.81 m Lowell reflector on 27 and 29 September, 2011, with time being granted from the National Undergraduate Research Observatory (NURO). Our Wilson Devinney Program solution yields a semidetached, V1010 Oph configuration: the more massive component is filling its Roche lobe. The system is apparently approaching contact for the first time. It is not a classic Algol.

Axially Symmetric Bulk Viscous String Cosmological Models in GR and Brans-Dicke Theory of Gravitation

Axially symmetric string cosmological models with bulk viscosity in Brans-Dicke (1961) and general relativity (GR) have been studied. The field equations have been solved by using the anisotropy feature of the universe in the axially symmetric space-time. Some important features of the models, thus obtained, have been discussed. We noticed that the presence of scalar field does not affect the geometry of the space-time but changes the matter distribution, and as a special case, it is always possible to obtain axially symmetric string cosmological model with bulk viscosity in general relativity.

LRS Bianchi Type-I Dark Energy Cosmological Models in General Scalar Tensor Theory of Gravitation

Locally rotationally symmetric (LRS) Bianchi type-I dark energy cosmological model with variable equation of state (EoS) parameter in (Nordtvedt 1970) general scalar tensor theory of gravitation with the help of a special case proposed by (Schwinger 1970) is obtained. It is observed that these anisotropic and isotropic dark energy cosmological models always represent an accelerated universe and are consistent with the recent observations of type-Ia supernovae. Some important features of the models, thus obtained, have been discussed.

A Central Mass in a Stationary Vacuum without Spherical or Axial Symmetry

A vacuum spacetime with a central mass is derived as a stationary solution to Einstein's equations. The vacuum metric has a geodesic, shear-free, expanding, and twisting null congruence k and thus is algebraically special. The properties of the metric are calculated. In particular, it is shown that the spacetime has an event horizon inside which there is a black hole. The metric is neither spherically nor axially symmetric. It is therefore in interesting contrast with the majority of metrics featuring a central mass which have one or more of these symmetry properties. The metric reduces to the Schwarzschild case when a certain parameter is set to zero.

The Restricted 2+2 Body Problem: Parametric Variation of the Equilibrium States of the Minor Bodies and Their Attracting Regions

The restricted 2+2 body problem was stated by Whipple (1984) as a particular case of the general n + v problem described by Whipple and Szebehely (1984). In this work we reconsider the problem by studying some aspects of the dynamics of the minor bodies, such as the parametric variation of their equilibrium positions, as well as the attracting regions formed by the initial approximations used for the numerical determination of these positions. In the latter case we describe the process to form these regions, and we numerically investigate their dependence on the parameters of the system. The results in many cases show a fractal-type structure of these regions. As test problems, we use the Sun-Jupiter-binary asteroids and the Earth-Moon-dual artificial satellites systems.

Robe's Restricted Three-Body Problem with Variable Masses and Perturbing Forces

The linear stability of equilibrium points of a test particle of infinitesimal mass in the framework of Robe's circular restricted three-body problem, as in Hallan and Rana, together with effect of variation in masses of the primaries with time according to the combined Meshcherskii law, is investigated. It is seen that, due to a small perturbation in the centrifugal force and an arbitrary constant of a particular integral of the Gylden-Meshcherskii problem, every point on the line joining the centers of the primaries is an equilibrium point provided they lie within the shell. Further, a number of pairs of equilibrium points lying on the -plane and forming triangles with the centers of the shell and the second primary exist, for some values of . The points collinear with the center of the shell are found to be stable under some conditions and the range of stability depends on the small perturbations and , while the triangular points are unstable. Illustrative numerical exploration is given to indicate significant improvement of the problem in Hallan and Rana.

The Localized Energy Distribution of Dark Energy Star Solutions

We examine the question of energy localization for an exact solution of Einstein's equations with a scalar field corresponding to the phantom energy interpretation of dark energy. We apply three different energy-momentum complexes, the Einstein, the Papapetrou, and the Møller prescriptions, to the exterior metric and determine the energy distribution for each. Comparing the results, we find that the three prescriptions yield identical energy distributions.