DOCSLIB.ORG

Guidestar July, 2016

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Guidestar July, 2016 JULY 2016 VOLUME 35 | #7 ST AT THE JULY 1 MEETING HIGHLIGHTS PRESIDENT’S LETTER 5 EDITOR’S LETTER 6 NOVICE PRESENTATION 7 MEMBER PROJECTS 7 ARTICLE 9 SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES CAUSE n July, Vojta Ciml, the Founder of work on program that would improve the GALACTIC WARMING ISlideslive.com will present at the HAS clarity of the video of the presenter as General meeting. SlidesLive is one-click well as the ability to show whatever the ARTICLE 10 conference recording service, that is presenter was showing during his original changing the audiovisual industry forever. demonstration. HUBBLE’S BUBBLE LIGHTS Their network of professional teams is The vision grew. Now that he UP THE INTERSTELLAR always ready to record any event. had a web-based format, he had to figure RUBBLE Easy to embed on your out a way to get high quality content. website, share publicly or privately So, he uses a network of professional with your colleagues or even monetize videographers, much like Uber, who are ALL MEETINGS ARE AT THE access to the content.Slideslive.com ready to take video and organize the UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON captures presentations using a unique presentations. The final presentations SCIENCE AND RESEARCH format whereby a dual screen setup are easy to embed on a website and can BUILDING. SEE THE LAST synchronizes a video of the presenter(s) be shared publically or privately. As he PAGE FOR DIRECTIONS TO with a video of the presentation slides states, “I am on the mission to record THE LOCATION AND MORE that are being shown to the audience. every single conference and presentation And you are seeing them side by side – in the World.” He was introduced at a INFORMATION. both being clearly viewed. speaking conference as “changing the Vojta started the company world of on-line education”. In one of his NOVICE MEETING when he was attending Czech Technical presentations, he likened capturing every 7:00 P.M. University in Prague. He used to video presentation as being the modern version SEE PAGE 7 tape certain lectures so he could play of the Library at Alexandria. them back during his studies. However, And, indeed, he’s on to something. Go GENERAL MEETING he discovered that his video wasn’t to Slidelive.com and see for yourself the high quality and he couldn’t make out variety of interesting topics and how 8:00 P.M the professor’s slides or other lecture clearly they are presented. materials. So he came up with an idea to 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS CALENDAR PG 3 JULY 1 AUGUST 2 7:00 P.M. HAS NOVICE MEETING 3:45 P.M. NEW MOON ABOUT H.A.S. AUGUST 5 @ U OF H 7:00 P.M. HAS NOVICE MEETING PG 4 8:00 P.M. HAS GENERAL MEETING @ U OF H @ U OF H SOCIETY DIRECTORY 8:00 P.M. HAS GENERAL MEETING JULY 2 @ U OF H PRIME NIGHT, COLUMBUS AUGUST 10 PG 5 1:21 P.M. FIRST QUARTER MOON JULY 4 AUGUST 12 PRESIDENT’S LETTER 6:01 A.M. NEW MOON PERSEID METEORS JULY 7 AUGUST 16 PG 6 11:00 A.M. PLUTO AT 4:00 P.M. MERCURY AT GREATEST ELONGATION EAST FROM THE EDITOR OPPOSITION AUGUST 18 JULY 12 4:27 A.M. FULL MOON PG 7 7:52 P.M. FIRST QUARTER MOON AUGUST 20 OBSERVATORY CORNER JULY 19 1:00 A.M. ASTEROID 2 PALLAS AT OPPOSITION 5:57 P.M. FULL MOON AUGUST 24 6:30 P.M. HAS BOARD MEETING, NOVICE PRESENTATION: 10:41 P.M. LAST QUARTER MOON TRINI MENDENHALL THE ART OF OBSERVING AUGUST 26 COMMUNITY CENTER 7:30 P.M. NOVICE LAB, COLUMBUS JULY 29 AUGUST 27 MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 6:00 P.M. LAST QUARTER MOON PRIME NIGHT, COLUMBUS PG 8 SHALLOW SKY OBJECT SEND CALENDAR EVENTS TO DOUG MCCORMICK OF THE MONTH [email protected] FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION ON CLUB EVENTS, GO TO ASTRONOMYHOUSTON.ORG PG 9 | ARTICLE: SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES CAUSE GALACTIC OTHER MEETINGS WARMING JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | jscas.net Meets in the the Lunar and Planetary Institute on the 2nd Friday of each month. PG 10 | ARTICLE: HUBBLE’S BUBBLE FORT BEND ASTRONOMY CLUB | fbac.org/club_meetings.htm. LIGHTS UP THE Meets the third Friday of the month at 8:00 p.m. at the Houston Community INTERSTELLAR RUBBLE College Southwest Campus in Stafford, Texas. PG 11 NORTH HOUSTON ASTRONOMY CLUB | astronomyclub.org A LETTER FROM THE GREAT Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the 4th Friday of each month in the Teaching Theatre TEXAS GIVEAWAY of the Student Center at Kingwood College. Call 281-312-1650 or E-mail [email protected]. PG 12 GENERAL GUIDESTAR BRAZOSPORT ASTRONOMY CLUB INFORMATION Meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Brazosport planetarium at 7:45 p.m. The Brazosport planetarium is located at 400 College Boulevard, Clute, TX, 77531. PG 13 For more information call 979-265-3376. PARKING AT UH 2 ABOUT THE HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY CHECK THE WEBSITE The Houston Astronomical Society is a non-profit corporation ASTRONOMYHOUSTON.ORG organized under section 501 (C) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The HAS website not only has news and The Society was formed for education and scientific purposes. information about our society, but also All contributions and gifts are deductible for federal income tax a variety of features to manage your purposes. General membership meetings are open to the public and membership and connect with other attendance is encouraged. club members. Current members can post photos, All members have the right to participate in Society functions trade gear, pay dues, manage discount and to use the Observatory Site. Regular and Student Members magazine subscriptions, swap stories in the forum, and more. receive a subscription to The Reflector. The GuideStar, the monthly Questions about the site? Need a hand publication of the Houston Astronomical Society is available on to get your account set up? Contact the web site. Associate Members, immediate family members of a [email protected]. Regular Member, have all membership rights, but do not receive The HAS web site is the winner of the publications. Sustaining members have the same rights as regular 2012 Astronomical League award for members with the additional dues treated as a donation to the excellence Society. Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines are available to Houston members at a discount. Astronomical Society MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION You can join (or renew at the organization web site, www. GuideStar_HAS astronomyhouston.org. Click the ‘Join HAS’ Tab. Send funds to address shown on last page of GuideStar. Attention - Treasurer, along with the following information: Name, Address, STARLINE Phone Number, Special Interests in Astronomy, Do you own a 832-go4-HAS0 Telescope? (If so, what kind?), and where you first heard of H.A.S. EVENT NOTIFICATION OR CANCELLATION To receive text messages, send any or all of HAS uses RAINEDOUT.NET to communicate late breaking updates about our various the following (one at a time) to 84483 events. Message delivery is via text messaging and e-mail. There are several ways to OUTREACH Public Outreach Events subscribe. If you would like to receive these notices via text messaging directly to your STARPARTY Members only star Parties phone, subscribe to any of the sub-groups which interest you. URBAN Urban Observing Events MEETINGS HAS Meetings RainedOut notices will also automatically be sent to our e-mail list. Note that regular e-mail list conversations are not part of RainedOut communications and will not be You will receive a confirmation message sent to your phone as part of this service. Instructions to sign up for the e-mail list (a back for each successful enrollment. great way to keep your finger on the pulse of the club) are found here: For more information, please visit www. http://www.astronomyhouston.org/about/email-list. RainedOut.net. 3 HOUSTON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY DIRECTORY DIRECTORS AT LARGE FIELD TR./OBSG TEXAS STAR PARTY JESSICA KINGSLEY STEPHEN JONES STEVE GOLDBERG [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] H: 713 385 4072 BILL KOWALCZYK MEMBERSHIP [email protected] JESSICA KINGSLEY & BILL KOWALCZYK OBSERVATORY & TRAILER [email protected] SPOT BOOKING JUSTIN MCCOLLUM STEVE GOLDBERG [email protected] NOVICE [email protected] DEBBIE MORAN DEBBIE MORAN [email protected] VIDEOGRAPHY [email protected] H:713-774-0924 C:713-562-7670 ROB MOREHEAD H:713.774.0924 C:713.562.7670 [email protected] OBSERVATORY BRAM WEISMAN MIKE EDSTROM observatory@ WEB TECHNOLOGY [email protected] astronomyhouston.org P: 832-689-4584 MARK FERRAZ [email protected] OFFICERS PROGRAM PRESIDENT JUSTIN MCCOLLUM URBAN OBSERVING RENE GEDALY [email protected] STEVE MUNSEY [email protected] [email protected] PUBLICITY VICE PRESIDENT BRAM WEISMAN ED FRANI [email protected] [email protected] ADVISORS TELESCOPE DR. REGINALD DUFOUR SECRETARY ALLEN WILKERSON Rice University MARK HOLDSWORTH [email protected] [email protected] P: 832- 265-4773 DR. LAWRENCE PINSKY University of Houston TREASURER DON SELLE AD-HOC COMMITTEE DR. LAWRENCE ARMENDAREZ [email protected] CHAIRPERSONS University of St. Thomas AL COORDINATOR DOUG MCCORMICK COMMITTEE [email protected] HAS BOARD MEETING CHAIRPERSONS AUDIO/VISUAL HAS Board meetings are scheduled AUDIT MICHAEL RAPP regularly. All members are invited to SCOTT MITCHELL [email protected] attend these meetings, but only board [email protected] members can vote on issues brought GUIDESTAR EDUCATION & OUTREACH before the board. Meetings are held BOB WIESNER DEBBIE MORAN & JOE KHALAF at the Trini Mendenhall Community [email protected] [email protected] Center (1414 Wirt Road) at 6:30 p.m. [email protected] TEXAS 45 COORDINATOR on the date specified the calendar.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Arxiv:2007.09714V1 [Gr-Qc] 19 Jul 2020 Tem PSR J0737-3039A/B
    Probing Noncommutative Gravity with Gravitational Wave and Binary Pulsar Observations Leah Jenks,1 Kent Yagi,2 and Stephon Alexander1 1Brown Theoretical Physics Center and Department of Physics, Brown University, 182 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island, 02903 2Department of Physics, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400714, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4714, USA (Dated: July 21, 2020) Noncommutative gravity is a natural method of quantizing spacetime by promoting the spacetime coordinates themselves to operators which do not commute. This approach is motivated, for exam- ple, from a quantum gravity perspective, among others. Noncommutative gravity has been tested against the binary black hole merger event GW150914. Here, we extend and improve upon such a previous analysis by (i) relaxing an assumption made on the preferred direction due to noncommuta- tivity, (ii) using posterior samples produced by the LIGO/Virgo Collaborations, (iii) consider other gravitational wave events, namely GW151226, GW170608, GW170814 and GW170817, and (iv) consider binary pulsar observations. Using Kepler's law that contains the noncommutative effect at second post-Newtonian order, we derive corrections to the gravitational waveform phase and the pericenter precession. Using the gravitational wave and double pulsar binary observations, we find bounds on a space-time noncommutative tensor θ0i in terms of the preferred frame direction with respect to the orientation of each binary. We find that the gravitational wave bounds are stronger than the binary pulsar one by an order of magnitude and the noncommutative tensor normalized by the Planck length and time is constrained to be of order unity. I. INTRODUCTION of noncommutative gravity stems from these theories.
    [Show full text]
  • Star Formation in Ring Galaxies Susan C
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Undergraduate Honors Theses Student Works 5-2016 Star Formation in Ring Galaxies Susan C. Olmsted East Tennessee State Universtiy Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/honors Part of the Astrophysics and Astronomy Commons, and the Physics Commons Recommended Citation Olmsted, Susan C., "Star Formation in Ring Galaxies" (2016). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 322. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/ 322 This Honors Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Star Formation in Ring Galaxies Susan Olmsted Honors Thesis May 5, 2016 Student: Susan Olmsted: ______________________________________ Mentor: Dr. Beverly Smith: ____________________________________ Reader 1: Dr. Mark Giroux: ____________________________________ Reader 2: Dr. Michele Joyner: __________________________________ 1 Abstract: Ring galaxies are specific types of interacting galaxies in which a smaller galaxy has passed through the center of the disk of another larger galaxy. The intrusion of the smaller galaxy causes the structure of the larger galaxy to compress as the smaller galaxy falls through, and to recoil back after the smaller galaxy passes through, hence the ring-like shape. In our research, we studied the star-forming regions of a sample of ring galaxies and compared to those of other interacting galaxies and normal galaxies. Using UV, optical, and IR archived images in twelve wavelengths from three telescopes, we analyzed samples of star-forming regions in ring and normal spiral galaxies using photometry.
    [Show full text]
  • Supernova Physics with Gravitational Waves: Newborn Black Holes Are “Kicked”
    Supernova physics with gravitational waves: Newborn black holes are “kicked” Richard O’Shaughnessy [email protected] 614 906 9649 Davide Gerosa [email protected] 626 395 6829 Daniel Wysocki [email protected] ! ! Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters Poster 317.07 [see iPoster] June 5, AAS 2 3 GW151226: Gravitational waves from a black hole binary B. P.• ABBOTTGW151226et al. is the second, less massive binary black hole confidently detectedPHYS. by REV. LIGO X 6, 041015 (2016) GW151226 Abbott et al, PRX 6, 041015 (2016) ; PRL 118 221101 (2017) FIG. 4. Posterior probability densities of the masses, spins, and distance to the three events GW150914, LVT151012, and GW151226. source For the two-dimensional distributions, the contours show 50% and 90% credible regions. Top left panel: Component masses m1 and source source source m2 for the three events. We use the convention that m1 ≥ m2 , which produces the sharp cut in the two-dimensional source 0.3 distribution. For GW151226 and LVT151012, the contours follow lines of constant chirp mass (M 8.9−þ0.3 M and source 1.4 ¼ ⊙ M 15:1−þ1.1 M , respectively). In all three cases, both masses are consistent with being black holes. Top right panel: The mass and¼ dimensionless⊙ spin magnitude of the final black holes. Bottom left panel: The effective spin and mass ratios of the binary components. Bottom right panel: The luminosity distance to the three events. following section and are consistent with our expect- closely mirror the original analysis of GW150914, as ations for an astrophysical BBH source.
    [Show full text]
  • The Denver Observer May 2016
    The Denver MAY 2016 OBSERVER A section of a recent Hubble image of the Antennae Galaxies, NGCs 4038 and 4039, reveals intense star formation resulting from the galaxies’ colliding gases. Pink star-forming nebulae and blue (hot), new stars are clearly visible. Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA MAY SKIES by Zachary Singer The Solar System ing 18.6” across from a distance of 0.50 AU. Interestingly, at opposi- Quite frequently in these pages, you’ll see that such-and-so planet tion, Mars will be roughly the same distance from us as Mercury at the is “lost in the solar glare,” and this month, Mercury embraces the spirit transit—so their relative disk sizes, 12 arcseconds vs. 18, quickly give of that phrase with gusto: The planet transits the Sun on the morning you a feel for each planet’s physical size. of May 9th. Already crossing the Sun’s face as it rises just before 6 AM, As May gives way to June, Mars will shrink in the eyepiece, return- the planet will finish its transit around 12:40 PM, as seen from Denver. ing to a 16” disk by early July. Even at the smaller diameter, the planet The planet’s apparent diameter will be 12.1 seconds of arc, making it should present some quite obvious even at moderate power—even small telescopes (with so- of its larger features, Sky Calendar lar filters, naturally) should show it clearly. While the DAS won’t have like ice caps or large 6 New Moon an official presence there, DU will open the Chamberlin Observatory plains like Syrtis Ma- 9 Mercury Transit from 9 AM to 12 noon.
    [Show full text]
  • MY SO October Showdown Rules
    S P A C E - O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 MY SO STEM SHOWDOWN C O N T E N T , R E C O M M E N D E D M A T E R I A L S & S C O R I N G STEM SHOWDOWN CONTENT The STEM Showdown will consist of a series of online multiple-choice questions. Middle school (Grade 6-9) participant questions will center around the properties and evolution of stars and galaxies as well as their observation using different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., Radio, Infrared, Visible, Ultraviolet, X-Ray, Gamma Ray). While high school (Grades 9-12) participants will focus on Star and Galaxy Formation and Evolution. A Showdown participant will have 55- minutes to answer as many questions as possible. The middle school (Grades 6-9) content and skills covered by the Showdown this month is as follows: 1.Stellar and galactic evolution 2.Spectral classification of stars 3.Hubble classification of galaxies 4.Observation using multiple portions of the electromagnetic spectrum 5.The relationship between stellar temperature, radius, and luminosity 6.Magnitude and luminosity scales, distance modulus, inverse square law 7.Identification of the stars, constellations, and deep sky objects included in the list below as they appear on star charts, H-R diagrams, portable star labs, photos, or planetariums. Note: Constellations are underlined; Stars are boldface; Deep Sky Objects are italicized. a.Andromeda: M31 (Andromeda Galaxy) b.Aquila: Altair c.Auriga: Capella d.Bootes: Arcturus e.Cancer: DLA0817g f.Canis Major: Sirius g.Canis Minor: Procyon h.Centaurus: NGC5128 i.Coma Berenices: NGC4676, NGC4555 j.Corvus: NGC4038/NGC4039 k.Crux: Dragonfish Nebula l.Cygnus: Deneb m.Dorado: 30 Doradus, LMC n.Gemini: Castor, Pollux o.Lyra: Vega p.Ophiuchus: Zeta Ophiuchi, Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex q.Orion: Betelgeuse, Rigel & M42 (Orion Nebula) r.Perseus: Algol, NGC1333 Science Olympiad, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • NGC 3628-UCD1: a Possible $\Omega $ Cen Analog Embedded
    DRAFT VERSION NOVEMBER 6, 2018 Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 5/2/11 NGC 3628-UCD1: A POSSIBLE ! CEN ANALOG EMBEDDED IN A STELLAR STREAM ZACHARY G. JENNINGS1 ,AARON J. ROMANOWSKY1,2 ,JEAN P. BRODIE1 ,JOACHIM JANZ3 ,MARK A. NORRIS4 ,DUNCAN A. FORBES3 , DAVID MARTINEZ-DELGADO5 ,MARTINA FAGIOLI3 ,SAMANTHA J. PENNY6 Draft version November 6, 2018 ABSTRACT Using Subaru/Suprime-Cam wide-field imaging and both Keck/ESI and LBT/MODS spectroscopy, we iden- tify and characterize a compact star cluster, which we term NGC 3628-UCD1, embedded in a stellar stream around the spiral galaxy NGC 3628. The size and luminosity of UCD1 are similar to ! Cen, the most luminous Milky Way globular cluster, which has long been suspected to be the stripped remnant of an accreted dwarf 6 galaxy. The object has a magnitude of i = 19:3 mag (Li = 1:4 × 10 L ). UCD1 is marginally resolved in our ground-based imaging, with a half-light radius of ∼ 10 pc. We measure an integrated brightness for the stellar stream of i = 13:1 mag, with (g - i) = 1:0. This would correspond to an accreted dwarf galaxy with an 8 approximate luminosity of Li ∼ 4:1 × 10 L . Spectral analysis reveals that UCD1 has an age of 6:6 Gyr , [Z=H] = -0:75, and [α=Fe] = -0:10. We propose that UCD1 is an example of an ! Cen-like star cluster possi- bly forming from the nucleus of an infalling dwarf galaxy, demonstrating that at least some of the massive star cluster population may be created through tidal stripping.
    [Show full text]
  • Stellar Disks of Collisional Ring Galaxies I. New Multiband Images, Radial Intensity and Color Profiles, and Confrontation with N-Body Simulations R
    Draft version July 9, 2008 Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 4/9/03 STELLAR DISKS OF COLLISIONAL RING GALAXIES I. NEW MULTIBAND IMAGES, RADIAL INTENSITY AND COLOR PROFILES, AND CONFRONTATION WITH N-BODY SIMULATIONS R. Romano1, Y.D. Mayya1 and E. I. Vorobyov2 (Accepted in Astronomical Journal; astroph/0807.1477) Draft version July 9, 2008 ABSTRACT We present new multi-band imaging data in the optical (BV RI and Hα) and near infrared bands (JHK) of 15 candidate ring galaxies from the sample of Appleton & Struck-Marcell (1987). We use these data to obtain color composite images, global magnitudes and colors of both the ring galaxy and its companion(s), and radial profiles of intensity and colors. We find that only nine of the observed galaxies have multi-band morphologies expected for the classical collisional scenario of ring formation, indicating the high degree of contamination of the ring galaxy sample by galaxies without a clear ring morphology. The radial intensity profiles, obtained by masking the off-centered nucleus, peak at the position of the ring, with the profiles in the continuum bands broader than that in the Hα line. The images as well as the radial intensity and color profiles clearly demonstrate the existence of the pre-collisional stellar disk outside the star-forming ring, which is in general bluer than the disk internal to the ring. The stellar disk seems to have retained its size, with the disk outside the ring having a shorter exponential scale length as compared to the values expected in normal spiral galaxies of comparable masses.
    [Show full text]
  • Searching for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with a Cross- Correlation Method: from Mock Data to Advanced LIGO
    Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses 8-11-2017 Searching for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with a Cross- correlation Method: from Mock Data to Advanced LIGO Yuanhao Zhang [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Zhang, Yuanhao, "Searching for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with a Cross-correlation Method: from Mock Data to Advanced LIGO" (2017). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rochester Institute of Technology Ph.D. Dissertation Searching for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with a Cross-correlation Method: from Mock Data to Advanced LIGO Author: Advisor: Yuanhao Zhang Dr. John T. Whelan A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology in the College of Science, School of Physics and Astronomy August 11, 2017 Rochester Institute of Technology Ph.D. Dissertation Searching for Gravitational Waves from Scorpius X-1 with a Cross-correlation Method: from Mock Data to Advanced LIGO Author: Advisor: Yuanhao Zhang Dr. John T. Whelan A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology in the College of Science, School of Physics and Astronomy Approved by Dr. Joel Kastner Date Director, Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Certificate of Approval Astrophysical Sciences and Technologies R I T College of Science · · Rochester, NY, USA The Ph.D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Structure & Stellar Populations of Nuclear Star Clusters in Late-Type
    UC Irvine UC Irvine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Structure and Stellar Populations of Nuclear Star Clusters in Late-Type Spiral Galaxies Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3634g66n Author Carson, Daniel James Publication Date 2016 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE The Structure & Stellar Populations of Nuclear Star Clusters in Late-Type Spiral Galaxies DISSERTATION submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Physics by Daniel J. Carson Dissertation Committee: Professor Aaron Barth, Chair Associate Professor Michael Cooper Professor James Bullock 2016 Portion of Chapter 1 c 2015 The Astronomical Journal Chapter 2 c 2015 The Astronomical Journal Chapter 3 c 2015 The Astronomical Journal Portion of Chapter 5 c 2015 The Astronomical Journal All other materials c 2016 Daniel J. Carson TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES iv LIST OF TABLES vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii CURRICULUM VITAE viii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION x 1 Introduction 1 2 HST /WFC3 data 9 2.1 SampleSelection ................................. 9 2.2 DescriptionofObservations . 10 2.3 DataReduction.................................. 14 3 Analysis of Structural Properties 17 3.1 Surface Brightness Profile Fitting . 17 3.1.1 PSFModels................................ 18 3.1.2 FittingMethod .............................. 19 3.1.3 Comparison with ISHAPE ......................... 21 3.1.4 1DRadialProfiles ............................ 22 3.1.5 Uncertainties in Cluster Parameters . 25 3.2 Results....................................... 29 3.2.1 SingleBandResults ........................... 29 3.2.2 PanchromaticResults........................... 40 3.2.3 Stellar Populations . 46 3.3 CommentsonIndividualObjects . 51 3.3.1 IC342................................... 51 3.3.2 M33 ...................................
    [Show full text]
  • Popular Names of Deep Sky (Galaxies,Nebulae and Clusters) Viciana’S List
    POPULAR NAMES OF DEEP SKY (GALAXIES,NEBULAE AND CLUSTERS) VICIANA’S LIST 2ª version August 2014 There isn’t any astronomical guide or star chart without a list of popular names of deep sky objects. Given the huge amount of celestial bodies labeled only with a number, the popular names given to them serve as a friendly anchor in a broad and complicated science such as Astronomy The origin of these names is varied. Some of them come from mythology (Pleiades); others from their discoverer; some describe their shape or singularities; (for instance, a rotten egg, because of its odor); and others belong to a constellation (Great Orion Nebula); etc. The real popular names of celestial bodies are those that for some special characteristic, have been inspired by the imagination of astronomers and amateurs. The most complete list is proposed by SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space). Other sources that have been used to produce this illustrated dictionary are AstroSurf, Wikipedia, Astronomy Picture of the Day, Skymap computer program, Cartes du ciel and a large bibliography of THE NAMES OF THE UNIVERSE. If you know other name of popular deep sky objects and you think it is important to include them in the popular names’ list, please send it to [email protected] with at least three references from different websites. If you have a good photo of some of the deep sky objects, please send it with standard technical specifications and an optional comment. It will be published in the names of the Universe blog. It could also be included in the ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES OF DEEP SKY.
    [Show full text]
  • LIGO Magazine Issue #14 !
    LIGO Scientific Collaboration Scientific LIGO issue 14 3/2019 LIGO MAGAZINE The Gravitational Weather Forecast: Predicting sources for O3 Upgrades to Hanford, Livingston and Virgo sites Getting ready for O3 p.12 The LVC‘s first Gravitational Wave Transient Catalog Inventorizing the dark side p. 15 ... and an interview with Sir James Hough on the early days p.19 Front cover A new study using Chandra data of GW170817 indicates that the event that produced gravitational waves likely created the lowest mass black hole known. The artist’s illustration shows the black hole that resulted from the merger, along with a disk of infalling matter and a jet of high-energy particles. (Credit: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss) The top inset shows the view from below the ‘north input test mass’ of Virgo. The bottom inset shows a schematic of binary mergers observed by LIGO and Virgo so far. Image credits Photos and graphics appear courtesy of Caltech/MIT LIGO Laboratory and LIGO Scientific Collaboration unless otherwise noted. Cover: Main illustration from NASA/CXC/M.Weiss. Top inset from M. Perciballi / The Virgo collaboration. Bottom inset from LIGO-Virgo / Frank Elavsky / Northwestern University p. 3 Comic strip by Nutsinee Kijbunchoo p. 6-9 Colliding neutron stars illustration by NASA/CXC/M.Weiss. Gravitational wave sources by Chris Messenger. Sensitivity curves from LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA p. 12-14 Livingston photo by Matthew Heintze. Hanford photo by Nutsinee Kijbunchoo, Virgo photo by M. Perciballi / The Virgo Collaboration. p. 15-18 Time frequency plots and waveforms by S. Ghonge, K. Janu / Georgia Tech. Masses in the Stellar Graveyard by LIGO-Virgo / Frank Elavsky / Northwestern University.
    [Show full text]
  • GW151226: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a 22-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence
    week ending PRL 116, 241103 (2016) PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 17 JUNE 2016 GW151226: Observation of Gravitational Waves from a 22-Solar-Mass Binary Black Hole Coalescence B. P. Abbott et al.* (LIGO Scientific Collaboration and Virgo Collaboration) (Received 31 May 2016; published 15 June 2016) We report the observation of a gravitational-wave signal produced by the coalescence of two stellar-mass black holes. The signal, GW151226, was observed by the twin detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) on December 26, 2015 at 03:38:53 UTC. The signal was initially identified within 70 s by an online matched-filter search targeting binary coalescences. Subsequent off-line analyses recovered GW151226 with a network signal-to-noise ratio of 13 and a significance greater than 5σ. The signal persisted in the LIGO frequency band for approximately 1 s, increasing in frequency and amplitude over about 55 cycles from 35 to 450 Hz, and reached a peak gravitational strain of 3 4þ0.7 10−22 14 2þ8.3M 7 5þ2.3M . −0.9 × . The inferred source-frame initial black hole masses are . −3.7 ⊙ and . −2.3 ⊙, 20 8þ6.1M and the final black hole mass is . −1.7 ⊙. We find that at least one of the component black holes has spin þ180 greater than 0.2. This source is located at a luminosity distance of 440−190 Mpc corresponding to a redshift 0 09þ0.03 of . −0.04 . All uncertainties define a 90% credible interval. This second gravitational-wave observation provides improved constraints on stellar populations and on deviations from general relativity.
    [Show full text]