Les poussières interstellaires sont une composante clé du milieu interstellaire (MIS). Elles jouent non seulement un rôleimportant dans la physique et la chimie du MIS, mais elles servent également de traceur, du gaz via leur émissionthermique, et du champ magnétique interstellaire via la polarisation de cette émission.De nombreux modèles de poussières reproduisent les principales observables sur les poussières (la courbe d'extinction,la distribution spectrale d'énergie (SED), la polarisation en extinction et en émission), tout en respectant les abundancecosmiques élémentaires. Notre compréhension des poussières reste cependant toujours incomplète, en particulier surl'origine physique des variations de l'extinction et de l'émission des poussières dans le MIS. Le changement d'opacitédes poussières entre le milieu diffus et les nuages moléculaires est bien établi, et des modèles physiques d'interprétationont été proposés. Avec ses cartes de l'émission submillimétrique de tout le ciel à plusieurs longueurs d'onde, le surveysubmillimétrique de Planck nous permet pour la première fois de mesurer la température des poussières, et d'étudierainsi les variations d'opacité des poussières dans le milieu diffus.Cette thèse, basée sur une comparaison des données Planck avec des mesures en extinction en direction d'étoiles et dequasars, combine modélisation et analyse de données, afin de contraindre les variations des propriétés optiques despoussières dans le MIS diffus, et d'estimer les contributions respectives de l'alignement et de l'évolution des poussières àleur émission polarisée.La première partie de la thèse se focalise sur l'émission non polarisée des poussières dans le MIS diffus. L'étude desvariations de l'émission par unité d'extinction permet de contraindre les variations des propriétées optiques despoussières. Nous fittons les 20 SEDs normalisées en extinction de Planck Intermediate Results XXIX à l'aide de troismodèles de poussière (Draine & Li 2007, Compiegne et al 2011, Jones etal 2013). Le meilleur accord entre modèle etobservations est obtenu pour le modèle utilisant les grains plus émissifs (Jones 2013), dont les propriétés optiques sontbasées sur des données de laboratoires portant sur les silicates et carbones amorphes. En combinant la mesure del'extinction et de la SED sur la même ligne de visée, nous obtenons un nouvel estimateur de l'intensité du rayonnementinterstellaire G0,, qui s'avère moins biaisé que celui obtenu par un fit de la SED. Aucun des modèles n'arrive àreproduire simultanément les variations de G0 et de la SED à propriétés optiques des poussières fixes. A l'aide de notreestimateur, nous démontrons que la variation des propriétées optiques et de l'intensité du rayonnement interstellaire ontdes contributions semblables aux variations observées des SED dans le MIS diffus.La seconde partie de la thèse se focalise sur l'extinction et l'émission polarisées dans les nuages moléculaires. Enconfrontant des données Planck et des observations stellaires à un modèle de poussières, nous tentons de séparer leseffets dûs aux variations de l'alignement des poussières des effets dûs aux variations de leurs propriétés optiques. Noustrouvons une corrélation entre le rapport de la polarisation en émission à la polarisation en extinction, RP/p = P353/pv, et lalongueur d'onde de polarisation maximale en extinction, λmax, qui trace la taille typique des grains alignés. A l'aide d'unnouveau modèle de poussières basé sur les données Planck, nous démontrons que la variation de la taille minimale desgrains alignés suffit à elle seule à reproduire la corrélation observée, sans avoir à modifier ni la distribution en taille niles propriétés optiques des poussières, et qu'elle est de plus compatible avec la chute observée des fractions depolarisation avec λmax. D'autres interprétations ne sont cependant pas exclues. / Interstellar dust is a key component of the interstellar medium (ISM). Not only does it play an important role in thephysics and chemistry of the ISM, but its thermal emission can be used to trace the gas column density, and itspolarization angle to trace the magnetic field orientation projected on the plane of the sky.Different dust models have been built to reproduce the main dust observables: extinction curve and albedo, spectralenergy distribution (SED) from the near-infrared to the microwave continuum, polarization in extinction and emission,within cosmic elemental abundance constraints. Our understanding of interstellar dust is, however, still incomplete;among other things, we do not fully understand the local variations in the emission and extinction properties of dust.The variation of the dust far-infrared opacity from the diffuse ISM to molecular clouds is well established, and modelshave been proposed. With the Planck submillimeter survey we have, for the first time, a multi-wavelength, all-sky mapof dust emission allowing for a precise measure of dust temperature, and therefore of dust opacity variations in thediffuse ISM.This thesis, based on the comparison of Planck data with extinction measures toward stars and QSOs, makes use of bothdust models and data analysis to constrain the dust optical properties and evolution within the diffuse ISM, and toimprove our understanding on the interplay between grain alignment and dust optical properties in the emission ofpolarized thermal radiation.The first half of the thesis focuses on the total emission of dust in the diffuse ISM. The variations in the ratio of dustemission to extinction is used to constrain the variations of the dust optical properties. We fit the 20 SEDs normalizedper unit extinction of Planck intermediate results XXIX with three dust models (Draine & Li 2007, Compiegne et al2011, Jones et al 2013). The best agreement between model and observations is obtained for the model with the moreemissive grains (Jones 2013), with optical properties derived from recent laboratory data on silicates and amorphouscarbons. We develop a new estimator of the radiation field intensity G0, which combines the dust SED and theextinction on the same line of sight. We show that this new estimator is less biased than the one obtained through thefitting of the dust SED. With their fixed optical properties, none of the models can simultaneously reproduce thevariations of G0 and of the shape of the SED. With our new estimator of G0, we demonstrate that the variations in thedust optical properties and in the radiation field intensity give similar contributions to the scatter observed in the dustSED per unit extinction in the diffuse ISM.The second half of the thesis focuses on polarized dust extinction and emission in molecular clouds. By confrontingPlanck and stellar observations to a dust model, we attempt to disentangle the effects of variations in the dust opticalproperties from the effects of variations in the grain alignment. We find a correlation between the ratio of polarizedemission to polarized extinction, RP/p = P353/pv, and the wavelength of maximum polarization in extinction, λmax, whichtraces the typical size of the aligned grains. Using a new dust model for polarization based on Planck data, we show thatthe variation of the minimal size of aligned grains can reproduce the observed correlation, without any need for achange in the size distribution or in the optical properties of grains. This scenario is also compatible with the drop of thefractions of polarization with λmax. Alternative models cannot however be ruled out.

The heliosphere and solar magnetic field play an important role in protecting the solar system from harmful, high-energy Galactic radiation. Until recently, the magnetic field had been assumed to be passive, carried outwards by the solar wind. The influence of the solar magnetic field on the plasma has just begun to be understood. Among the consequences, the magnetic field could cause the heliotail to be short, collimating the flow into two lobes instead of the classical long, comet-like tail. In this dissertation, I investigate the role certain aspects of the magnetic field have on the heliosphere and detail how interstellar neutral particles alter its effect on the environment. From the observation by Voyager 1 (V1) and Voyager 2 (V2), it is clear that the plasma environment in the outer heliosphere is not fully understood. I present the first time-dependent model of the outer heliosphere that includes solar-cycle variations of the magnetic field strength. I find that the model can accurately predict the plasma environment at V2 but cannot describe all features observed at V1, suggesting additional processes are present. The effect of including the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) on large-scale modeling of the heliosphere is also studied. The inherent numerical dissipation in the HCS reduces the magnetic field strength in the heliosheath; however, the two-lobe structure of the heliotail remains. Neutral hydrogen has also been shown to greatly affect the location of the heliospheric boundaries. The large mean free path of these neutrals requires them to be described kinetically. To understand how the neutrals affect the influence of the solar magnetic field, I developed the Solar-wind with Hydrogen Ion Exchange and Large-scale Dynamics (SHIELD) model, a kinetic-magnetohydrodynamic model of the outer heliosphere. The model couples a 3D Monte-Carlo model to the magnetohydrodynamic solver. SHIELD reproduces the results of similar models, namely a higher filtration of neutrals into the heliosphere when compared to a fluid description of the atoms. When SHIELD is applied to the heliotail, the two-lobe structure persists even with kinetic neutrals. These results show that the solar magnetic field plays a crucial role in determining the heliospheric structure.

We present preliminary analysis of mid-infrared spectra of M-type and C-type Mira variables. Due to the brightness of this sample, it is straightforward to monitor changes with phase in the infrared spectral features of these regular pulsators. We have spectra of 25 Mira variables, taken with phase, using the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) high-resolution module. Each star has multiple spectra obtained over a one-year period from 2008-09. This is a rich, unique data set due to multiple observations of each star and the high signal-to-noise ratio from quick exposure times to prevent saturation of the IRS instrument. This paper focuses on the 17.6 and 33.2 micron lines shared by M-types and C-types. These are mostly emission lines that change with phase. We discuss preliminary physical diagnostics for the atmospheres based on the lines, as well as possible line identifcations such as fuorescence of metal species.

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The quality and quantity of polarimetric data being collected for stellar sources creates new opportunities for studying stellar properties and evolution, and also leads to new challenges for modeling and interpreting such data. Inspired by fresh prospects for detecting the Hanle effect to study photospheric magnetic fields, we have focused attention on purely geometrical aspects for polarimetric variability in the example of oblique magnetic rotators. In the case of axisymmetric fields, we highlight two key facts: (a) polarimetric lightcurves necessarily exhibit a certain time symmetry with rotation phase, and (b) variations in the polarization position angle can be modeled based on geometrical projection effects, independent of the photospheric magnetic field. These conclusions also have general applicability, such as to Thomson scattering and the transverse Zeeman effect. The authors gratefully acknowledge that funding for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation, grant AST-0807664.

Clumped structures in wind flows have substantially altered our interpretations of multiwavelength data for understanding mass loss from massive stars. Embedded wind shocks have long been the favored explanation for the hot plasma production and X-ray generation in massive star winds. This contribution reports on line profile shapes fromthe clump bowshock model and summarizes the temperature and emission measure distributions throughout the wind for this model with a focus on results that can be tested against observations.The authors acknowledge funding support for this work from a NASA grant(NNH09CF39C

The action of X-rays is commonly invoked to explain the wind properties of low-luminosity O-type stars. These stars have significantly smaller mass loss rates than predicted radiation-driven wind theories. In this respect they may resemble the first generation of supermassive stars in the early universe which presumably had weak winds due to their low metallicity. We present the high-resolution X-ray spectrum of a weak-wind star, mu Col, and discuss the potential for X-ray emission line strengths and profiles to discriminate among proposed mechanisms for the generation of X-rays in stellar winds, and in resolving the weak-wind problem.

Classical Cepheids and eclipsing binary systems are powerful probes for measuring stellar fundamental parameters and constraining stellar astrophysics. A Cepheid in an eclipsing binary system is even more powerful, constraining stellar physics, the distance scale and the Cepheid mass discrepancy. However, these systems are rare, only three have been discovered. One of these, OGLE-LMC-CEP1812, presents a new mystery: where the Cepheid component appears to be younger than its red giant companion. In this work, we present stellar evolution models and show that the Cepheid is actually product of a stellar merger during main sequence evolution that causes the Cepheid to be a rejuvenated star. This result raises new questions into the evolution of Cepheids and their connections to smaller-mass anomalous Cepheids.

Massive star winds are understood to be structured. Structures can come in the form of co-rotating interaction regions, which are globally organized flow streams that thread the winds. Structures can also be stochastic in nature, generically referred to as "clumps". The theory for interpreting the radio emissions from randomly distributed microclumps in single star winds is established. Results are presented here for macroclumping, in which the radiative transfer is sensitive to the clump geometry. Two cases are compared: spherical clumps and pancake-like fragments. The geometry of macroclumps can influence the power-law slope of the long wavelength spectral energy distribution.