This paper presents an overview of the radiative transfer problem of calculating the spectral line intensity and polarization that emerges from a (generally magnetized) astrophysical plasma composed of atoms and molecules whose excitation state is significantly influenced by radiative transitions produced by an anisotropic radiation field. The

We propose a wide-area, high latitude, imaging survey to trace the evolution of dusty, star-forming galaxies, evolved stellar populations, and AGN, as a function of environment from z~2.5 to the current epoch. Building on ISO's heritage, SWIRE complements smaller, deeper GTO (Guaranteed Time Observer) surveys, and paves the way for FIRST. With MIPS

Aims: We aim to derive the physical properties of the recurrent nova T Pyx and the structure of the ejecta during the early stages of expansion of the 2011 outburst. Methods: The nova was observed with high resolution spectroscopy (R ≈ 65 000), from one day after discovery of the outburst and until the last visibility of the star at the end of May

We present XMM-Newton observations of the black hole X-ray nova V404 Cyg in quiescence. Its quiescent spectrum can be best fitted by a simple power law with slope Γ~2. The spectra are consistent with that expected for the advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). V404 Cyg was roughly equal in luminosity compared to the previous observation of

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Context. Star-forming nuclear rings in barred galaxies are common in nearby spirals, and their detailed study can lead to important insights into the evolution of galaxies, their bars and their central regions. We present integral field spectroscopic observations obtained with SAURON of the bar and circumnuclear region of the barred spiral galaxy