Cycle 13 Approved Programs

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Cycle 13 Approved Programs Cycle 13 Approved Programs as of 04/02/04 Science First Name Last Name Type Phase II ID Institute Country Title Category University of Michael A'Hearn GO 10115 USA Solar System Rotation of Comet Tempel 1 Maryland University of Stellar Systemic Proper Motions of the Magellanic Clouds from Charles Alcock SNAP 10130 USA Pennsylvania Populations Astrometry with ACS: II. Second Epoch Images Instituto de Estructura Star Formation in Luminous Infrared Galaxies: giant HII Almudena Alonso-Herrero GO 10169 Spain Galaxies de la Materia Regions and Super Star Clusters Stellar Improving the Astrometric Calibration of ACS/WFC for the Jay Anderson GO 10252 Rice University USA Populations Most Useful Filters Stellar Astrometric and Photometric Study of NGC 6397 for Internal Jay Anderson GO 10257 Rice University USA Populations Motions, Dark Binaries, and X-Ray Sources University of The Formation Histories and Dynamical Roles of X-ray Scott Anderson GO 10120 USA Hot Stars Washington Binaries in Globular Clusters Quasar University of UV Confirmation of New Quasar Sightlines Suitable for the Scott Anderson SNAP 10132 USA Absorption Washington Study of Intergalactic Helium Lines University of Abundances in AGN outflows: Putting Real Numbers Into Nahum Arav GO 10225 USA AGN/Quasars Colorado at Boulder Quasar Feedback Scenarios University of Thomas Ayres GO 10203 USA Cool Stars The Deep Lamp Project Colorado at Boulder Institute For John Bahcall GO 10264 USA Hot Stars Observing the Next Nearby Supernova Advanced Study The Core Dynamics of the Dense Globular Cluster NGC Charles Bailyn GO 10121 Yale University USA Galaxies 6752 California Institute of A Multiwavelength Study of POX 52, a Dwarf Seyfert Galaxy Aaron Barth GO 10239 USA AGN/Quasars Technology with an Intermediate-Mass Black Hole California Institute of Stars versus Gas: A Direct Comparison of Black Hole Mass Aaron Barth GO 10240 USA Galaxies Technology Measurement Techniques Quasar Jill Bechtold AR 10318 University of Arizona USA Absorption The Legacy HST Data Set of IGM Spectroscopy Lines Stellar Solving the problem of the White Dwarf Cooling Sequence Luigi Bedin GO 10146 Universita di Padova Italy Populations End in M4: an efficent approach Instituto de Narciso Benitez GO 10150 Astrofisica de Spain Cosmology NICMOS observations of A1689 Andalucia (IAA) Science First Name Last Name Type Phase II ID Institute Country Title Category ACS/NICMOS Imaging of Bright Lyman Break Galaxy Misty Bentz GO 10181 Ohio State University USA Galaxies Candidates from SDSS Carnegie Mellon The Most Massive Galaxies in the Universe: Double Mariangela Bernardi SNAP 10199 USA Galaxies University Trouble? The Johns Hopkins Luciana Bianchi GO 10234 USA Hot Stars A search for gamma Cas analogs at low metallicity University Space Telescope HST / Chandra Monitoring of a Dramatic Flare in the M87 John Biretta GO 10133 USA AGN/Quasars Science Institute Jet ISM and Space Telescope Matthew Bobrowsky AR 10304 USA Circumstellar Departures from Axisymmetry in Planetary Nebulae Science Institute Matter Space Telescope Stellar Howard Bond GO 10136 USA Post-AGB Stars in the Halo of M81 Science Institute Populations NASA Ames ACS and WFPC2 Stellar Photometry in the Kepler Mission William Borucki GO 10166 USA Solar System Research Center Target Field Max-Planck-Institut NICMOS Differential Imaging Search for Planetary Mass Wolfgang Brandner GO 10208 fur Astronomie, Germany Cool Stars Companions to Nearby Young Brown Dwarfs Heidelberg University of Joel Bregman GO 10148 USA Galaxies The Masses of the Ultraluminous X-Ray Sources Michigan Space Telescope Stellar The Formation Mechanisms of Extreme Horizontal Branch Thomas Brown GO 10261 USA Science Institute Populations Stars Space Telescope Stellar Thomas Brown GO 10265 USA The Formation History of Andromeda Science Institute Populations Eidgenossiche Switzerla C. Carollo GO 10157 Technische Galaxies Bulges or disks in the centers of late-type spirals? nd Hochschule (ETH) Space Telescope Stellar Evolution of Stars and Stellar Systems. I. The Initial Size Rupali Chandar AR 10281 USA Science Institute Populations Distribution of Clusters ISM and University of Illinois at You-Hua Chu GO 10162 USA Circumstellar Resolving the Thermal Conduction Front in the Bubble S308 Urbana - Champaign Matter The Pennsylvania Stellar Robin Ciardullo GO 10131 USA Determining the Origin of Virgo's Intracluster Stars State University Populations Saturn's Auroral Energy Deposition Coordinated with John Clarke GO 10156 Boston University USA Solar System Cassini UVIS Louisiana State ISM and University & The Shadow Echoes of the Unique R Coronae Borealis Geoffrey Clayton GO 10267 USA Circumstellar Agricultural & Star, UW Cen Matter Mechanical Colle Science First Name Last Name Type Phase II ID Institute Country Title Category Arizona State Structural Evolution of Galaxies with GOODS and the Ultra- Seth Cohen AR 10298 USA Galaxies University Deep Field Kapteyn Astronomical Netherlan Stellar Andrew Cole GO 10242 Pre-History of a Starburst: Deep Imaging of IC 10 Institute ds Populations California Institute of The Origin of Dwarf Galaxies and Steep Luminosity Christopher Conselice GO 10201 USA Galaxies Technology Functions in Clusters Space Telescope Ultracompact Blue Dwarfs: Galaxy Formation in the Local Michael Corbin GO 10180 USA Galaxies Science Institute Universe? The nature of quasar host galaxies: combining ACS imaging Frederic Courbin GO 10238 Universite de Liege Belgium AGN/Quasars and VLT Integral Field Spectroscopy. Columbia University Arlin Crotts GO 10273 in the City of New USA Galaxies Accurately Mapping M31's Microlensing Population York University of Kelle Cruz GO 10247 USA Cool Stars Resolving a Binary System that Straddles the L/T Transition Pennsylvania SLACR: The Simulation Lyman Alpha Comparison Romeel Dave AR 10308 University of Arizona USA Cosmology Repository University of The Evolution and Assembly of Galactic Disks: Integrated Marc Davis GO 10134 USA Galaxies California - Berkeley studies of mass, stars and gas in the Extended Groth Strip Our Galaxy's most promising Super Star Cluster candidate, Richard de Grijs GO 10172 University of Sheffield UK Star Formation Westerlund 1: Tip of the Iceberg? Michigan State A Snapshot Survey of a Complete Sample of X-ray Megan Donahue SNAP 10152 USA Cosmology University Luminous Galaxy Clusters from Redshift 0.3 to 0.7 University of Cluster Archeology: The Origin of Ultra-compact Dwarf Michael Drinkwater SNAP 10137 Australia Galaxies Queensland Galaxies Stellar Gordon Drukier AR 10292 Yale University USA Theoretical Studies of the Cores of Globular Clusters Populations California Institute of Richard Ellis AR 10293 USA Cosmology The Assembly History of Disks and Bulges out to z=1 Technology California Institute of Characterizing the Sources Responsible for Cosmic Richard Ellis GO 10159 USA Cosmology Technology Reionization University of Texas at Detecting the elusive low mass companion around epsilon Michael Endl GO 10147 USA Cool Stars Austin Indi Xiaohui Fan GO 10237 University of Arizona USA AGN/Quasars Low-Ionization BALs: Evolution or Orientation? University of Properties of moderate-redshift galaxy groups associated Christopher Fassnacht AR 10300 USA Cosmology California - Davis with gravitational lenses University of ACS Observations of the Gravitational Lens B1608+656: Christopher Fassnacht GO 10158 USA Cosmology California - Davis Characterizing the Einstein Ring Science First Name Last Name Type Phase II ID Institute Country Title Category Space Telescope Lori Feaga AR 10313 USA Solar System The Distribution and Variability of Io's SO2 Atmosphere Science Institute The Johns Hopkins The Gas Environment of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 During the Paul Feldman GO 10144 USA Solar System University Deep Impact Encounter Max-Planck-Institut Stellar Probing the Formation & Evolution of M31's Outer Disk and Annette Ferguson GO 10128 Germany fur Astrophysik Populations Halo, Part II University of NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF OUTFLOWS IN Gary Ferland AR 10316 USA AGN/Quasars Kentucky QUASARS: THE MICROPHYSICS OF BAL WINDS ISM and University of Physical Processes in Orion's Veil: A High Resolution UV Gary Ferland GO 10124 USA Circumstellar Kentucky Absorption Study of the Line of Sight towards the Trapezium Matter ISM and Robert Fesen GO 10118 Dartmouth College USA Circumstellar Imaging the Chemical Distribution in Type Ia SN Ejecta Matter University of Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Type Ia Alex Filippenko GO 10182 USA Hot Stars California - Berkeley Supernovae: The Necessity of UV Observations California Institute of Derek Fox GO 10119 USA Galaxies Solving the Mystery of the Short-Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts Technology ISM and University of The Astrophysics of Heterogeneous ("Clumpy") Stellar Adam Frank AR 10289 USA Circumstellar Rochester Outflows Matter Netherlan Morphologies of a new class of rest-frame optical selected Marijn Franx GO 10196 Universiteit Leiden Cosmology ds high redshift galaxies ISM and Constraining Models of Galactic Chemical Evolution and Space Telescope Scott Friedman GO 10232 USA Circumstellar Mixing by Measuring the Spatial Variability of D/H in the Science Institute Matter Interstellar Medium University of Radial Velocity Variability in the Mass Outflow in the Seyfert Jack Gabel GO 10230 USA AGN/Quasars Colorado at Boulder 1 Galaxy NGC 3783 The University of Towards a global understanding of accretion physics - Clues Boris Gaensicke SNAP 10194 UK Hot Stars Warwick from an UV spectroscopic survey of Cataclysmic Variables
Recommended publications
  • Astronomie in Theorie Und Praxis 8. Auflage in Zwei Bänden Erik Wischnewski
    Astronomie in Theorie und Praxis 8. Auflage in zwei Bänden Erik Wischnewski Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Beobachtungen mit bloßem Auge 37 Motivation 37 Hilfsmittel 38 Drehbare Sternkarte Bücher und Atlanten Kataloge Planetariumssoftware Elektronischer Almanach Sternkarten 39 2 Atmosphäre der Erde 49 Aufbau 49 Atmosphärische Fenster 51 Warum der Himmel blau ist? 52 Extinktion 52 Extinktionsgleichung Photometrie Refraktion 55 Szintillationsrauschen 56 Angaben zur Beobachtung 57 Durchsicht Himmelshelligkeit Luftunruhe Beispiel einer Notiz Taupunkt 59 Solar-terrestrische Beziehungen 60 Klassifizierung der Flares Korrelation zur Fleckenrelativzahl Luftleuchten 62 Polarlichter 63 Nachtleuchtende Wolken 64 Haloerscheinungen 67 Formen Häufigkeit Beobachtung Photographie Grüner Strahl 69 Zodiakallicht 71 Dämmerung 72 Definition Purpurlicht Gegendämmerung Venusgürtel Erdschattenbogen 3 Optische Teleskope 75 Fernrohrtypen 76 Refraktoren Reflektoren Fokus Optische Fehler 82 Farbfehler Kugelgestaltsfehler Bildfeldwölbung Koma Astigmatismus Verzeichnung Bildverzerrungen Helligkeitsinhomogenität Objektive 86 Linsenobjektive Spiegelobjektive Vergütung Optische Qualitätsprüfung RC-Wert RGB-Chromasietest Okulare 97 Zusatzoptiken 100 Barlow-Linse Shapley-Linse Flattener Spezialokulare Spektroskopie Herschel-Prisma Fabry-Pérot-Interferometer Vergrößerung 103 Welche Vergrößerung ist die Beste? Blickfeld 105 Lichtstärke 106 Kontrast Dämmerungszahl Auflösungsvermögen 108 Strehl-Zahl Luftunruhe (Seeing) 112 Tubusseeing Kuppelseeing Gebäudeseeing Montierungen 113 Nachführfehler
    [Show full text]
  • "#$%&'() + '', %-./0$%)%1 2 ()3 4&(5' 456')5'
    rs uvvwxyuzyws { yz|z|} rsz}~suzywsu}u~w vz~wsw 456789@A C 99D 7EFGH67A7I P @AQ R8@S9 RST9AS9 UVWUX `abcdUVVe fATg96GTHP7Eh96HE76QGiT69pf q rAS76876@HTAs tFR u Fv wxxy @AQ 4FR 4u Fv wxxy UVVe abbc d dbdc e f gc hi` ij ad bch dgcadabdddc c d ac k lgbc bcgb dmg agd g` kg bdcd dW dd k bg c ngddbaadgc gabmob nb boglWad g kdcoddog kedgcW pd gc bcogbpd kb obpcggc dd kfq` UVVe c iba ! " #$%& $' ())01023 Book of Abstracts – Table of Contents Welcome to the European Week of Astronomy & Space Science ...................................................... iii How space, and a few stars, came to Hatfield ............................................................................... v Plenary I: UK Solar Physics (UKSP) and Magnetosphere, Ionosphere and Solar Terrestrial (MIST) ....... 1 Plenary II: European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) ....... 2 Plenary III: European Space Agency (ESA) .................................................................................. 3 Plenary IV: Square Kilometre Array (SKA), High-Energy Astrophysics, Asteroseismology ................... 4 Symposia (1) The next era in radio astronomy: the pathway to SKA .............................................................. 5 (2) The standard cosmological models - successes and challenges .................................................. 17 (3) Understanding substellar populations and atmospheres: from brown dwarfs to exo-planets .......... 28 (4) The life cycle of dust ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Unlocking Galactic Wolf-Rayet Stars with $\Textit {Gaia} $ DR2 II: Cluster
    MNRAS 000,1{19 (2019) Preprint 7 May 2020 Compiled using MNRAS LATEX style file v3.0 Unlocking Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars with Gaia DR2 II: Cluster and Association membership Gemma Rate,? Paul A. Crowther, Richard J. Parkery Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK Accepted XXX. Received YYY; in original form ZZZ ABSTRACT Galactic Wolf-Rayet (WR) star membership of star forming regions can be used to constrain the formation environments of massive stars. Here, we utilise Gaia DR2 parallaxes and proper motions to reconsider WR star membership of clusters and associations in the Galactic disk, supplemented by recent near-IR studies of young massive clusters. We find that only 18{36% of 553 WR stars external to the Galac- tic Centre region are located in clusters, OB associations or obscured star-forming regions, such that at least 64% of the known disk WR population are isolated, in contrast with only 13% of O stars from the Galactic O star Catalogue. The fraction located in clusters, OB associations or star-forming regions rises to 25{41% from a global census of 663 WR stars including the Galactic Centre region. We use simu- lations to explore the formation processes of isolated WR stars. Neither runaways, nor low mass clusters, are numerous enough to account for the low cluster member- ship fraction. Rapid cluster dissolution is excluded as mass segregation ensures WR stars remain in dense, well populated environments. Only low density environments consistently produce WR stars that appeared to be isolated during the WR phase.
    [Show full text]
  • The Low-Mass Stellar Content of Westerlund 1
    The low-mass stellar content of Westerlund 1 Morten Andersen (Gemini South) Galactic young massive star clusters • Connection between local and global SF. • Can resolve the stellar populations to low masses • Star counts instead of integrated properties • Directly measure the IMF The IMF in resolved massive clusters Only scale-free part probed Westerlund 1 • Distance of ~4 Kpc, age 3-5 Myr • Total mass estimated to be 50000 Msun • High foreground extinction • Best opportunity for resolving the low mass content in a young massive cluster • HST J (F125W) and H (F160W) band imaging Westerlund 1 from ground 5pc 4.5’ SOfI JHK, Brandner et al. 2007, Gennaro et al. Early lessons • Probe down to ~3 Msun, normal (Salpeter) IMF • Total mass of ~50000 Msun assuming standard IMF • Mass segregated, at least for high masses • Elliptical cluster • Currently difficult to improve from the ground Westerlund 1 with HST 5pc 4.5’ WFC3 F125W, F160W. Andersen et al. 2016 Color-magnitude diagrams Andersen et al. 2016 Foreground population Andersen et al. 2016 Red Clump Andersen et al. 2016 Background contamination Andersen et al. 2016 Cluster main sequence MS/PMS turn-on Andersen et al. 2016 Field star subtraction Andersen et al. 2016 Mass Functions Log-normal fit below 1 Msun to the 50% completeness limit. Power-law fit above 1 Msun (Siess 4 Myr isochrone) Change of fit parameters as a function of radius M < 1 Msun, log-normal fits Comparable peak mass as the field. More narrow distribution Change of fit parameters as a function of radius M > 1 Msun Evidence for mass segregation out to 1.5-2 pc Andersen et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Spatial Distribution of Galactic Wolf–Rayet Stars and Implications for the Global Population
    MNRAS 447, 2322–2347 (2015) doi:10.1093/mnras/stu2525 Spatial distribution of Galactic Wolf–Rayet stars and implications for the global population C. K. Rosslowe‹ andP.A.Crowther Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, S3 7RH, UK Accepted 2014 November 26. Received 2014 November 26; in original form 2014 September 5 ABSTRACT We construct revised near-infrared absolute magnitude calibrations for 126 Galactic Wolf– Rayet (WR) stars at known distances, based in part upon recent large-scale spectroscopic surveys. Application to 246 WR stars located in the field permits us to map their Galactic distribution. As anticipated, WR stars generally lie in the thin disc (∼40 pc half-width at half- maximum) between Galactocentric radii 3.5–10 kpc, in accordance with other star formation tracers. We highlight 12 WR stars located at vertical distances of ≥300 pc from the mid-plane. Analysis of the radial variation in WR subtypes exposes a ubiquitously higher NWC/NWN ratio than predicted by stellar evolutionary models accounting for stellar rotation. Models for non- rotating stars or accounting for close binary evolution are more consistent with observations. We consolidate information acquired about the known WR content of the Milky Way to build a simple model of the complete population. We derive observable quantities over a range of wavelengths, allowing us to estimate a total number of 1900 ± 250 Galactic WR stars, implying an average duration of ∼ 0.4 Myr for the WR phase at the current Milky Way star formation rate. Of relevance to future spectroscopic surveys, we use this model WR population to predict follow-up spectroscopy to KS 17.5 mag will be necessary to identify 95 per cent of Galactic WR stars.
    [Show full text]
  • Resolving the Low-Mass Content of Westerlund 1 Using MCAO
    Resolving the low-mass content of Westerlund 1 using MCAO M. Andersena, B. Neichelb, A. Bernardb, and V. Garrela aGemini Observatories, Casilla 603 La Silla, Chile bAix Marseille Universit´e,CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, 13388 Marseille, France ABSTRACT We present deep Ks band Gemini GeMS/GSAOI observations of Westerlund 1, the most massive young Galactic star cluster known. The high spatial resolution combined with a relatively stable point spread function across a large field of view provide unique possibilities to resolve the low-mass content of the cluster. We show that the clean point spread function is crucial in handling the source detection in this crowded field suffering extremely high contrast from the brightest hypergiants in the cluster to faint brown dwarfs. Keywords: star clusters: Westerlund 1, Initial Mass Function, Photometry, MCAO, Laser Guide Star Systems 1. INTRODUCTION Much progress has been made in the last decades in our understanding of low-mass star forming regions. Detailed observations of individual objects have made it possible to characterise them in detail and to determine the star formation history and the impact of environment. 4 Similar studies of massive star clusters (more than 10 M ) are much less detailed. However, they differ fundamentally from nearby regions in terms of their central densities and large content of massive stars that may have influenced the star formation process within the cluster. These clusters are rare and the nearest ones known are an order of magnitude more distant than the nearby low-mass regions. This, together with their higher densities, means that high spatial resolution observations are necessary to resolve the low-mass content of the clusters.
    [Show full text]
  • Study of Globular Cluster Sources Using Erass1 Data
    Study of Globular Cluster Sources using eRASS1 data Bachelorarbeit aus der Physik Vorgelegt von Roman Laktionov 27. April 2021 Dr. Karl Remeis-Sternwarte Friedrich-Alexander-Universit¨at Erlangen-Nu¨rnberg Betreuerin: Prof. Dr. Manami Sasaki Abstract Due to the high stellar density in globular clusters (GCs), they provide an ideal envi- ronment for the formation of X-ray luminous objects, e.g. cataclysmic variables and low-mass X-ray binaries. Those X-ray sources have, in the advent of ambitious observa- tion campaigns like the eROSITA mission, become accessible for extensive population studies. During the course of this thesis, X-ray data in the direction of the Milky Way's GCs was extracted from the eRASS1 All-Sky Survey and then analyzed. The first few chap- ters serve to provide an overview on the physical properties of GCs, the goals of the eROSITA mission and the different types of X-ray sources. Afterwards, the methods and results of the analysis will be presented. Using data of the eRASS1 survey taken between December 13th, 2019 and June 11th, 2020, 113 X-ray sources were found in the field of view of 39 GCs, including Omega Cen- tauri, 47 Tucanae and Liller 1. A Cross-correlation with optical/infrared catalogs and the subsequent analysis of various diagrams enabled the identification of 6 foreground stars, as well as numerous background candidates and stellar sources. Furthermore, hardness ratio diagrams were used to select 16 bright sources, possibly of GC origin, for a spectral analysis. By marking them in X-ray and optical images, it was concluded that 6 of these sources represent the bright central emission of their host GC, while 10 are located outside of the GC center.
    [Show full text]
  • A 3Mm ALMA Census of the Massive Cluster Westerlund 1 1 2 1 3 4 5 6 2 D
    A 3mm ALMA census of the massive cluster Westerlund 1 D. Fenech1, J. Clark2, R. Prinja1, S. Dougherty3, F. NaJarro4, I. Negueruela5, A. Richards6 and B. Ritchie2 1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, U.K.; 2School of Physical Science, The Open University, UK; 3Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, National Research Council Canada; 4Departamento de Física, Ingenaría de Sistemas y Teoría de la Señal, Universidad de Alicante, Spain; 5Departamento de Astrofísica, Centro de Astrobiología, (CSIC-INTA) Spain; 6JBCA, University of Manchester & MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, JBO,U.K. Westerlund 1 Massive stars Cool super-/hypergiants Westerlund 1 (Wd1) is one of the first examples of a super star cluster within our Despite their rarity, massive stars play a major role in galactic evolution. They deposit large amounts of Galaxy and contains a population of co-eval massive stars. Located at a distance of Yellow hypergiants (YHGs) and red supergiants (RSGs) are of particular chemically enriched material, energy and ionising radiation into their environment and dominate the ~5 kpc, Wd1 was discovered by Westerlund in 1961 (Westerlund, 1961,PASP, 73, interest as they are believed to shed mass at suffucent rates to profoundly integrated galactic spectra in the UV and IR regimes (via re-radiation). However, the lives of massive stars 51). However, the large extinction towards Wd1 (Av~11 mag) meant that few affect a stars evolution in spite of spending relatively little time in this are still poorly understood. observations were made of the cluster until relatively recently when radio images phase. Mass-loss is considered a critical factor in the evolutionary pathway of massive stars and consequently the revealed a large number of radio sources (Dougherty et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2007 ESO
    ESO European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere Annual Report 2007 ESO European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere Annual Report 2007 presented to the Council by the Director General Prof. Tim de Zeeuw ESO is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in the field of ground-based astronomy. It is supported by 13 countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Further coun- tries have expressed interest in member- ship. Created in 1962, ESO provides state-of- the-art research facilities to European as- tronomers. In pursuit of this task, ESO’s activities cover a wide spectrum including the design and construction of world- class ground-based observational facili- ties for the member-state scientists, large telescope projects, design of inno- vative scientific instruments, developing new and advanced technologies, further- La Silla. ing European cooperation and carrying out European educational programmes. One of the most exciting features of the In 2007, about 1900 proposals were VLT is the possibility to use it as a giant made for the use of ESO telescopes and ESO operates the La Silla Paranal Ob- optical interferometer (VLT Interferometer more than 700 peer-reviewed papers servatory at several sites in the Atacama or VLTI). This is done by combining the based on data from ESO telescopes were Desert region of Chile. The first site is light from several of the telescopes, al- published. La Silla, a 2 400 m high mountain 600 km lowing astronomers to observe up to north of Santiago de Chile.
    [Show full text]
  • Magnetars Unleash Mammoth Bursts of Energy, but How and Why? Astronomers Are Working to Understand These Bizarre Stellar Objects
    In search of the galaxy’s magnetic Magnetars unleash mammoth bursts of energy, but how and why? Astronomers are working to understand these bizarre stellar objects. By Steve Nadis monsters n 1987, when Robert Duncan and Chris- the 5-day event, seemingly lumped in the objects constitute a distinct class of pul- Blasts from beyond IN a magNetar’S gIaNt flareS, magnetic field lines break and reconnect, releasing a burst of topher Thompson first contemplated the fringe category. sars. They are rapidly spinning, intensely Scientists’ now believe magnetars exist energy. This process resembles solar-flare formation, except magnetars’ flares are much more existence of ultramagnetized neutron Six years later, in 2004, colleagues magnetic neutron stars — dense remnants because of a confluence of theory and obser- powerful. Don Dixon for Astronomy stars (later dubbed “magnetars”), they finally recognized Duncan and Thompson of massive stars that expired in fiery vational data from some of nature’s most had a hard time convincing themselves (now at the University of Texas and the supernova blasts. impressive high-energy displays. For astron- magnetic field of about a million billion powerful flare from outside our solar sys- I that the notion made sense. Five years University of Toronto, respectively) for Armed with this knowledge, researchers omers, says Thompson, the turning point (1015) gauss. (Earth’s magnetic field reaches tem astronomers had ever recorded. In later, when they got their first opportunity their theoretical work on magnetars.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2019 BRAS Newsletter
    Monthly Meeting January 14th at 7PM at HRPO (Monthly meetings are on 2nd Mondays, Highland Road Park Observatory). Speaker: Jim Gutierrez, Sunspots, Hot Spots and Relativity What's In This Issue? President’s Message Secretary's Summary Outreach Report Astrophotography Group Comet and Asteroid News Light Pollution Committee Report “Free The Milky Way” Campaign Recent BRAS Forum Entries Messages from the HRPO Science Academy Friday Night Lecture Series Globe at Night Adult Astronomy Courses Total Lunar Eclipse Observing Notes – Ara – The Alter & Mythology Like this newsletter? See PAST ISSUES online back to 2009 Visit us on Facebook – Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Newsletter of the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society January 2019 © 2019 President’s Message First off, I thank you for placing your trust in me for another year. Another thanks goes out to Scott Cadwallader and John R. Nagle for fixing the Library Telescope. The telescope was missing a thumbnut witch Orion Telescope replaced, Scott and John, put the thumbnut back on and reset the collimation. Let’s don’t forget the Total Lunar Eclipse coming up this January 20th. See HRPO announcement below. We are planning 2019 and hope to have an enjoyable year for our members. I’d like to find more opportunity to point our telescopes at the night sky. If there is anything you’d like to see, do, or wish to offer let us know. Our webmaster has set up a private forum: "BRAS Members Only" Group/Section to the "Baton Rouge Astronomical Society Forum" (http://www.brastro.org/phpBB3/). The plan is to use this Group/Section to get additional information to members and get feedback from members without the need of flooding everyone's inbox.
    [Show full text]
  • Miljenko Čemeljić, CAMK, Warsaw & ASIAA, Taiwan
    arXiv:2012.08550 Miljenko Čemeljić, CAMK, Warsaw & ASIAA, Taiwan Miljenko Čemeljić, CAMK Journal Club, March, 2021, Warsaw Outline -Hypergiants? -VY Canis Majoris -Possible implications on the explanation of the recent dimming of Betelgeuse. Miljenko Čemeljić, CAMK Journal Club, March, 2021, Warsaw Hypergiants -Hypergiants: how giant are they? -At the beginning of the article is written that if VY Cma, with radius about 1420 R_sun, would be in place of our Sun, it would reach to Jupiter. Jupiter? I remembered “giants, e.g. Antares, would reach to Mars”, this one ... Jupiter?! Other supergiants are Westerlund 1-26, WOH G64, with about 1200 and 1500 R_sun, and Stephenson 2-18 with about 2500 R_sun-it would reach to Saturn! Light travelling around the equator of VY CMa star would take 6 hours, compared to 14.5 seconds for the Sun. It is not at all that “obvious” for me that gaseous spheres can be THAT big. I did not remember it from the HR diagrams I saw. “Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space.” ― Douglas Adams, “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” Supergiants in HR diagram Radius of the Sun is about 695,700 km --> diameter is of the order of 1 million km. Distance Earth-Moon is 384 000 km. Hypergiants? Supergiants in HR diagram About 90 percent of the stars in the universe exist along Main sequence line at one time in their lives, when they still fuse hydrogen to helium.
    [Show full text]