A generalization of the original ¨ O p i k ′ s cellular convection theory has been made to accomodate a rotating convective medium. With the use of the formulation, a set of rotating model envelopes of the sun and late type main sequence stars have been constructed under three different rotation periods. Their thermal structures are presented and characteristics of their convection are discussed in the context of stellar dynamo. In the present study it is noted that the rotational angular velocity increases in wards with depth, and its increase turns out to be about 6% at the bottom of the solar convection zone.

Making use of the arbitrary shock theory developed by Ulmschneider (1967, 1971) and Ulmschneider and Kalkofen (1978), we have calculated the dissipation rates of upward-travelling slow-mode acoustic shock waves in umbral chromospheres for two umbral chromosphere models, a plateau model by Avrett (1981) and a gradient model by Yun and Beebe (1984). The computed shock dissipation rates are compared with the radiative cooling rate given by Avrett (1981). The results show that the slow-mode acoustic shock waves with a period of about 20 second can heat the low umbral chromospheres travelling with a mechanical energy flux of 2.6 × 10 6 e r g / c m 2 s at a height of 300 ∼ 400 k m above the temperature minimum region.

Making use of a relation proposed by Wielen (1977), a new empirical relation between Call emission flux and stellar age is derived by analyzing Wilson and Woolley's spectroscopic data (1970) of late type main sequence stars (K0-M5) and kinematic properties of those stars given by Gliese (1969). The proposed relation shows that the emission flux excess of the Call H-K lines, F ′ k + F ′ k introduced by Linsky et al. (1979) decreases with stellar age τ as τ − 0.51 , consistent with the inverse square law as noted by Skumanich (1972).

The reduced profiles of C 2 5150.56, CN 3864.32, MgH 5150.20 and FeI 5150.84 lines, representing the penumbra, the penumbra-umbra boundary and the umbra of spa 6403 have been analyzed by comparing them with the synthetic profiles computed from a set of umbral and penumbral models. The results are presented and discussed. It is suggested that there may be a significant lateral flow of pbotospheric radiation into the umbral and penumbral regions of the sunspots.

High spatial and spectral resolution observations have been made over a sunspot (SPO 6403) with the Echelle Spectrograph at the Vacuum Tower Telescope, Sacramento Peak Observatory. Our observed spectra, scanned with SPO's fast microdensitometer, clearly show strengthening of C 2 lines in the penumbra relative to the photosphere and much weakening in the umbra in agreement with the predictions made by our molecular equilibrium calculations (Lee et al. 1981).

The luminosity functions of 12 open clusters are derived for which their membership and the colors of their individual stars have been established by detailed proper motion study and high quality photometric work. The resulting luminosity functions of these clusters are presented and discussed.

A hydrostatic model atmosphere of a typical umbral core is constructed on the basis of both Na I D 2 line profile and umbral core-to disk continuum intensity ratio. The observations were obtained by Mullan and Wyller with photoelectric means over the range from 4000 |AA a n d 6500 |AA . The computed line profile of Na I D 2 and the emergent continuum intensity distribution are compared with the observations. The temperature of umbral cores is found to be lower by 300 ˚ K t o 500 ˚ K than that of their ambient umbral region. The detailed physical structure of a working model of umbral cores is proposed.

The evolutionary tracks of a protostar of one solar mass under quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium are computed with mass-accretion time scales of 10^3,10^4,10^5 and 10^6 years, and their resulting behaviors in the H-R diagram are discussed. It is found that there exists a critical time scale of mass accretion, which reverses the course of their evolutionary tracks. A value of the critical time scale appears to lie between 10^3 and 10^4 years. The physical cause for the presence of the critical time scale is discussed. Finally, it is proposed that star formation requires at least several 10^3 years before any star is born out of dark dense interstellar clouds.

he translational and reactive parts of thermal conductivity of a partially ionized solar magneto-plasma gas have been calculated based on Yun and Wyller's formulation (1972) along with Devoto's theory(1968). The computed results are presented as functions of temperature and pressure for given magnetic field strengths. The results of the calculations show that for most photospheric conditions the magnetic field does not play any important role in characterizing thermal properties of the ionized gas. However, when the gas pressure is low(e.g., P<10 dynes/ c m 2 ) ) the field becomes extremely effective even if its strength is quite small (e.g., B<0.1 gauss). The reactive part of the thermal transport is found to be very important when the gas is undertaking active ionization.

Solar electrical conductivity has been calculated, making use of Yun and Wyller's formulation. The computed results arc presented in a tabulated form as functions of temperature and pressure for given magnetic field strengths. The results of the calculation show that the magnetic field does not play any important role in characterizing the electrical conductivity of the ionized gas when the gas pressure is relatively high (e.g., P ≥ 10 4 d y n e s / c m 2 ). However, when the gas pressure is low (e.g., P ≤ 10 d y n e s / c m 2 ), the magnetic field becomes very effective even if its field strength is quite small (e.g., B ≤ 0.01 gauss). It is also found that, except for lower temperature region (e.g., T ≤ 10 4 ∘ K ), there is a certain linear relationship in a log- log graph between the pressure and the critical magnetic field strength, which is defined as a field strength capable of reducing the non-magnetic component of the electrical conductivity by 20%.

Observational implication for a possible presence of a magnetic monopole-like field in the visible layers of sunspots is examined by constructing a magnetostatic model of sunspots with a monopole-like field configuration. The resulting monopole approximation for a magnetic structure of spots is found to be compatible with the observations within a certain limited range of optical depth, which happens to lie mostly in its visible range.

The earlier findings on the radiative heating through the umbral walls in large sunspots are further investigated. No significant evidence for the umbra! heating has been found in small-sized sunspot umbrae.