MPIA Annual Report 2000
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t für Astro titu nom ns ie -I H ck e n id la e P l - b x e r a g M C a e i n r t e r m o l A A s n tr a on m om Ale ico Hispano The Max Planck Society Max-Planck-Institut The Max Planck Society for the Promotion of Sciences was founded in 1948. In suc- cession to the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, which was founded in 1911, the Max Planck Society operates at present 78 Institutes and other facilities dedicated to basic and für Astronomie applied research. With an annual budget of around 2.3 billion DM in the year 2000, the Max Planck Society has about 11000 employees, of which one quarter are scien- tists. In addition, annually about 6900 junior and visiting scientists are working at the Institutes of the Max Planck Society. Heidelberg-Königstuhl The goal of the Max Planck Society is to promote centers of excellence at the fore- front of the international scientific research. To this end, the Institutes of the Society are equipped with adequate tools and put into the hands of outstanding scientists, who have a high degree of autonomy in their scientific work. Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften Public Relations Office Annual Report 2000 Hofgartenstr. 8 D-80539 München Tel.: 0049-89-2108-1275 or -1277 Fax: 0049-89-2108-1207 Internet: http://www.mpg.de Cover Picture: The domes of the Calar Alto Observatory. From left to right: 2.2 m telescope, 1.23 m telescope, 3.5 m telescope and Schmidt telescope. Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Heidelberg-Königstuhl Annual Report 2000 t für Astro titu nom ns ie -I H ck e n id la e P l - b x e r a g M C a e i n r t e r m o l A A s n tr a on m om Ale ico Hispano Max-Planck-Institute forAstronomy Managing Director: Prof. Immo Appenzeller (until 31. 7. 2000) Prof. Hans-Walter Rix (since 1.8. 2000) Scientific Members, Governing Body, Directors: Prof. Immo Appenzeller (kommissarisch, bis 31. Juli 2000) Prof. Steven Beckwith (beurlaubt) Prof. Hans-Walter Rix Emeritus Scientific Members: Prof. Hans Elsässer, Prof. Guido Münch External Scientific Members: Prof. Immo Appenzeller, Heidelberg Prof. K.-H. Böhm, Seattle Prof. G. H. Herbig, Honolulu Prof. R. Rebolo, Teneriffa Scientific Oversight Committee: Prof. R. Bender, München; Prof. R.-J. Dettmar, Bochum; Prof. G. Hasinger, Potsdam; Prof. P. Léna, Meudon; Prof. M. Moles Villamate, Madrid; Prof. F. Pacini, Florenz; Prof. K.-H. Schmidt, Potsdam; Prof. P. A. Strittmatter, Tucson; Prof. S. D. M White, Garching; Prof. L. Woltjer, St. Michel l’Observatoire The MPIA currently employs a staff of approximately 187 (including externally funded positions). There are 35 scientists and 39 junior and visiting scientists. Students of the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Heidelberg work on dissertations at the degree and doctorate level in the Institute. Apprentices are constantly undergoing training in the Institute’s workshops. Address: MPI für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg. Telephone: 0049-6221-5280, Fax: 0049-6221-528246. E-mail: [email protected] Anonymous ftp: //ftp.mpia-hd.mpg.de Internet: http://www.mpia-hd.mpg.de Isophot Datacenter: [email protected] Calar-Alto-Observatorium Address: Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán Calle Jesús Durbán Remón 2/2, E-04004 Almería, Spanien Telephone: 0034-50-230988, -632500, Fax: 0034-50-632504 E-mail: [email protected] Impressum © 2001 Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg All rights reserved. Printed in Germany. Editors: Dr. Jakob Staude, Prof. Hans-Walter Rix Text: Dr. Thomas Bührke Translation: Margit Röser Illustrations: MPIA and others Graphics and picture editing: Dipl.-Phys. Axel M. Quetz, Grafiklabor Layout: Josef Hegele Printing: Laub GmbH + Co., Elztal-Dallau ISSN 1437-2932 – Internet: ISSN 1617-0504 Contents I General ....................................................................... 5 IV Scientific Work ........................................................ 45 IV.1. Galactic Astronomy.............................................. 45 I.1. Research Goals at MPIA......................................... 5 Rotation of Young Stars................................................. 45 The Calar Alto Observatory .......................................... 5 Circumstellar Disk Causes Loss International Cooperation of Angular Momentum ............................................. 48 in Ground-based Astronomy ......................................... 6 Orbital Periods and Masses of Young Binaries.............. 49 Satellite Astronomy....................................................... 9 ISOPHOT Observes Star Formation Teaching and Public Relations Work............................. 10 within Dark Clouds ....................................................... 51 Star Formation within the Chamaeleon Complex ..... 51 I.2. Scientific Questions ............................................... 11 The Chamaeleon Complex Galactic Research.......................................................... 11 in the ISOPHOT Serendipity Survey........................... 54 Extragalactic Research.................................................. 11 Isolated Star Formation in Barnard 217 .................... 55 Palomar 5 – a Dissolving Globular Cluster ................... 57 II Highlights .................................................................. 13 Turbulence in Star Formation ....................................... 61 II.1 Free Floating Planetary Objects.............................. 13 Simulations with Turbulence and Self-gravity.......... 61 Frequency of Brown Dwarfs Rotation of Turbulent Clouds.................................... 62 and “Free Floating Planets”........................................... 13 Planet Formation in Binary Stars................................... 65 Why do “Free Floating Planets” Exist? ......................... 15 Computer Simulations of a Real Case....................... 66 II.2. Three Stages of Dust Heating IV.2. Extragalactic Astronomy ...................................... 69 in Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxies ............................ 17 Lopsided Spiral Galaxies .............................................. 69 Three Stages: Hot, Warm and Cold Dust....................... 17 Far Infrared Extragalactic Background Radiation......... 71 Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons .............................. 21 The Extragalactic Background Radiation ................ 72 A Hidden Quasar in Arp 220?........................................ 23 The ISOPHOT Observational Projects........................ 72 The Antennae – a ULIRG in the Making ........................ 23 Hierarchical Evolution of the Universe .................... 73 ISO Confirms Unification of Radio Galaxies II.3. Black Holes in Galactic Centers ............................ 26 and Radio-Loud Quasars............................................... 75 Black Holes in Four Weakly Active Spiral Galaxies ..... 26 The Unified Scheme ................................................. 76 The Black Hole in the S0-Galaxy NGC 3245................ 28 Infrared Observations Using ISOPHOT...................... 76 Evolutionary Effects ................................................. 79 III Instrumental Development....................................... 31 ALFA – Adaptive Optics for Calar Alto ......................... 31 ALFA – Astronomical Performance ............................... 32 Staff............................................................................... 81 ALFA with a Laser Guide Star ....................................... 34 Working Groups and Scientific Cooperations ............. 82 LAICA – the Wide Field Camera for Calar Alto.............. 35 Cooperation with Industrial Firms................................ 84 OMEGA 2000 – a Wide Field Infrared Camera Teaching Activities....................................................... 86 for Calar Alto ................................................................ 35 Meetings, Invited Talks and Public Lectures ............... 86 CONICA – a High Resolution Infrared Camera Service in Committees.................................................. 88 for the VLT.................................................................... 36 Publications.................................................................. 89 MIDI – an Infrared Interferometer for the VLT .............. 37 PACS – the Infrared Camera for HERSCHEL (formerly FIRST) ........................................................... 39 LUCIFER and LINC – Two Instruments for the LBT ...... 40 ISOPHOT – Measuring Scattered Light during a Solar Eclipse.................................................... 42 5 I General I.1 Research Goals at MPIA The Calar Alto Observatory Between 1975 and 1984 the 1.2m reflector finan- ced by the German Research Society (DFG) as well In 1967, the Senate of the Max Planck Society as the 2.2m and the 3.5m telescopes started operation decided to establish the Max Planck Institute for on Calar Alto (Fig. I.2). The 80cm Schmidt reflector Astronomy in Heidelberg with the intention to enable was transferred from the Hamburg Observatory. The astronomical research in Germany to catch up with site also hosts a Spanish 1.5m telescope which is ope- international standards. Two years later, the Institute rated by the Observatorio Nacional de Madrid and commenced its work in temporary accommodation on does not belong to DSAZ. The original plans to build the Königstuhl, and in 1975 it moved into its new a southern observatory on the Gamsberg in Namibia buildings (Fig. I.1). The MPIA was assigned with the could not be realized for political reasons. The 2.2 m construction