From this vast subject, I will pick out and review three specific topics, namely the formation and evolution of bars, the formation of bulges, and the evolution during multiple major mergers. Bars form naturally in galactic discs. Their evolution is driven by the exchange of angular momentum within the galaxy. This is emitted mainly by near-resonant material in the inner disc (bar), and is abso...

Accurate pre-operative localization and removal of disc material are important for minimizing morbidity in dogs with thoracolumbar disc extrusions. Computed tomography (CT) is an established technique for localizing disc extrusions in dogs, however the effect of multi-planar reformatting (MPR) on surgeon diagnostic performance has not been previously described. The purpose of this study was to ...

Coating is one of the innovative approaches used to improve the wear resistance and load-carrying capacity of surfaces in rolling-sliding contact, such as gears and rolling element bearings. In this study, the tribological performance of standard gear material (EN 16MnCr5) and two kinds of powder metallurgy (PM) gear material (Distaloy AQ + 0.2% C and Astaloy 85Mo +0.2% C) with and without trib...

We investigate the correspondence between the variability seen in the stellar and supermassive black holes. Galactic Black Hole (GBH) power density spectra (PDS) are generally complex, and dependent on spectral state. In the low/hard state the high-frequency rollover in the PDS moves in a way which is not simply related to luminosity. Hence this feature can only be used as an approximate indica...

We present a unified semi-quantitative model for the disc-jet coupling in black hole X-ray binary systems. In the process we have compiled observational aspects from the existing literature, as well as performing new analyses. We argue that during the rising phase of a black hole transient outburst the steady jet known to be associated with the canonical ’low/hard’ state persists while the X-ra...

Carbon is the most well-known black material in the history of man. Throughout the centuries, carbon has been used as a black material for paintings, camouflage, and optics. Although, the techniques to make other black surfaces have evolved and become more sophisticated with time, carbon still remains one of the best black materials. Another well-known black surface is black silicon, reflecting...

We present 18 years of high resolution and S/N Hα spectroscopy of the Be shell star o And, obtained between 1985–2002. Spectra taken during late 1985 show a pure photospheric profile, with disc re-formation commencing in 1986; a process that is found to occur over long timescales (∼103 days). Analysis of the evolution of the properties of the Hα shell profile suggest that the disc kinematics ar...

Accretion onto a compact object must occur through a disc when the material has some initial angular momentum. Thin discs and the thicker low radiative efficiency accretion flows (LRAFs) are solutions to this problem that have been widely studied and applied. This is an introduction to these accretion flows within the context of X-ray binaries and cataclysmic variables. Accretion describes the ...

We present 18 years of high resolution and S/N Hα spectroscopy of the Be shell star o And, obtained between 1985–2002. Spectra taken during late 1985 show a pure photospheric profile, with disc re-formation commencing in 1986; a process that is found to occur over long timescales (∼103 days). Analysis of the evolution of the properties of the Hα shell profile suggest that the disc kinematics ar...

We present 18 years of high resolution and S/N Hα spectroscopy of the Be shell star o And, obtained between 1985–2002. Spectra taken during late 1985 show a pure photospheric profile, with disc re-formation commencing in 1986; a process that is found to occur over long timescales (∼103 days). Analysis of the evolution of the properties of the Hα shell profile suggest that the disc kinematics ar...