Studying focal ratio degradation of optical fibres with a core size of 50 μm for astronomy

Along with the spectral attenuation properties, the focal ratio degradation (FRD) properties of optical fibres are the most important for instrumental applications in astronomy. We present a special study about the FRD of optical fibres with a core size of 50 μm to evaluate the effects of stress when mounting the fibre. Optical fibres like this were used to construct the Eucalyptus integral field unit. This fibre is very susceptible to the FRD effects, especially after the removal of the acrylate buffer. This operation is sometimes necessary to allow close packing of the fibres at the input to the spectrograph. Without the acrylate buffer, the protection of the cladding and core of the fibre may be easily damaged. In the near future, fibres of this size will be used to build the Southern Observatory for Astronomical Research (SOAR) integral field unit spectrograph (SIFS) and other instruments. It is important to understand the correct procedure which minimizes any increase in FRD during the construction of the instrument.     

The visibility of low‐frequency solar acoustic modes

We make predictions of the detectability of low‐frequency p modes. Estimates of the powers and damping times of these low‐frequency modes are found by extrapolating the observed powers and widths of higher‐frequency modes with large observed signal‐to‐noise ratios. The extrapolations predict that the low‐frequency modes will have small signal‐to‐noise ratios and narrow widths in a frequency‐power spectrum. Monte Carlo simulations were then performed where timeseries containing mode signals and normally distributed Gaussian noise were produced. The mode signals were simulated to have the powers and damping times predicted by the extrapolations. Various statistical tests were then performed on the frequency‐amplitude spectra formed from these timeseries to investigate the fraction of spectra in which the modes could be detected. The results of these simulations were then compared to the number of p‐modes candidates observed in real Sun‐as‐a‐star data at low frequencies. The fraction of simulated spectra in which modes were detected decreases rapidly as the frequency of modes decreases and so the fraction of simulations in which the low‐frequency modes were detected was very small. However, increasing the signal‐to‐noise (S/N) ratio of the low‐frequency modes by a factor of 2 above the extrapolated values led to significantly more detections. Therefore efforts should continue to further improve the quality of solar data that is currently available. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Tip-tilt requirements for coupling starlight into single-mode photonic crystal fibres using a lenslet: A first analysis

Single-mode fibres do not suffer from modal noise and are available in polarisation maintaining form. Single-mode photonic crystal fibres (smPCF) have a wavelength insensitive mode field allowing coupling of the telescope exit pupil into the fibre using a lenslet with a flat spectral response. This may allow single-mode Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS) and fibre fed integral field spectro-polarimetry. Initial results from a theoretical analysis of telescope/smPCF coupling using a lenslet are presented. Coherent imaging theory is used to determine the coupling efficiency into the fibre and thence the fibre numerical aperture is defined and used to compute the sample size on the sky. A higher degree of tip-tilt correction is shown to be required for coupling into single-mode fibres with a lenslet than the multimode fibre alternative, for sparse sampling integral field and multi-object spectroscopy and interferometry, but the magnitude of which is within the scope of current NIR and planned (extreme) VIS AO systems. Extension of the model to contiguous integral field spectroscopy is also considered.     

Radio circular polarization of active galaxies

We present the first results of a circular polarization survey conducted with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We demonstrate the ability to make circular polarization measurements with a standard error of only 0.01 per cent, and have detections from both blazar and non-blazar active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our results show that, as a group, BL Lac sources and quasars have systematically higher circular polarization than radio galaxies. We demonstrate the association of high levels of circular polarization with total-intensity variability and flat/inverted spectral index as further evidence that circular polarization is associated with blazar activity. We also include preliminary circular polarization monitoring data and the detection of circular polarization from the GHz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) source PKS 1934–638, and discuss possible implications.     

Absorption spectroscopy of gamma‐ray burst afterglows: Probing the GRB line of sight

GRB absorption spectroscopy opened up a new window in the study of the high redshift Universe, especially with the launch of the Swift satellite and the quick and precise localization of the afterglow. Eight‐meter class telescopes can be repointed within a few hours from the GRB, enabling the acquisition of high signal‐to‐noise ratio and high resolution afterglow spectra. In this paper I will give a short review of what we learned through this technique, and I will present some of the first results obtained with the X‐shooter spectrograph (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Front‐ vs. back‐illuminated CCD cameras for photometric surveys: a noise budget analysis

Exoplanetary transit and stellar oscillation surveys require a very high precision photometry. The instrumental noise has therefore to be minimized. First, we perform a semi‐analytical model of different noise sources. We show that the noise due the CCD electrodes can be overcome using a Gaussian PSF (Point Spread Function) of full width half maximum larger than 1.6 pixels. We also find that for a PSF size of a few pixels, the photometric aperture has to be at least 2.5 times larger than the PSF full width half maximum. Then, we compare a front‐ with a back‐illuminated CCD through a Monte‐Carlo simulation. Both cameras give the same results for a PSF full width half maximum larger than 1.5 pixels. All these simulations are applied to the A STEP (Antarctica Search for Transiting Extrasolar Planets) project. As a result, we choose a front‐illuminated camera for A STEP because of its better resolution and lower price, and we will use a PSF larger than 1.6 pixels. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic field and radius of the innermost stable circular orbit near super‐massive black holes in active galactic nuclei

Magnetic fields in an accretion disk around the central black hole can modify the size of the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) and can produce a difference to the classical Novikov‐Thorne radius. We estimated the ISCO magnetic field strength from the polarimetric observations of the accretion‐disk radiation. This estimate is obtained taking into account the effect of the Faraday rotation of the polarization plane at the distance of the mean free path of photons between successive electron scattering events. We present the new method for estimating the ISCO radius in the accretion disk, i.e. in the nearest vicinity of a central black hole. Our estimates confirmed the Frolov, Shoom & Tzounis (2014) and Ranea‐Sandoval & Garcia (2015) conclusion that the magnetic field in the accretion disk decreases the size of the innermost stable circular orbit. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New constraints from the Hα line for the temperature of the transiting planet host star OGLE‐TR‐10

The spectroscopic analysis of systems with transiting planets gives strong constraints on planetary masses and radii as well as the chemical composition of the systems. The properties of the system OGLE‐TR‐10 are not well‐constrained, partly due to the discrepancy of previous measurements of the effective temperature of the host star. This work, which is fully independent from previous works in terms of data reduction and analysis, uses the Hα profile in order to get an additional constraint on the effective temperature. We take previously published UVES observations which have the highest available signal‐to‐noise ratio for OGLE‐TR‐10. A proper normalization to the relative continuum is done using intermediate data products of the reduction pipeline of the UVES spectrograph. The effective temperature then is determined by fitting synthetic Hα profiles to the observed spectrum. With a result of T_eff = 6020 ± 140 K, the Hα profile clearly favours one of the previous measurements. The Hα line is further consistent with dwarf‐like surface gravities as well as solar and super‐solar metallicities previously derived for OGLE‐TR‐10.The Hα line could not be used to its full potential, partly because of the varying shape of the UVES échelle orders after flat field correction. We suggest to improve this feature when constructing future spectrographs. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The power of low‐resolution spectroscopy: On the spectral classification of planet candidates in the ground‐based CoRoT follow‐up

Planetary transits detected by the CoRoT mission can be mimicked by a low‐mass star in orbit around a giant star. Spectral classification helps to identify the giant stars and also early‐type stars which are often excluded from further follow‐up. We study the potential and the limitations of low‐resolution spectroscopy to improve the photometric spectral types of CoRoT candidates. In particular, we want to study the influence of the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the target spectrum in a quantitative way. We built an own template library and investigate whether a template library from the literature is able to reproduce the classifications. Including previous photometric estimates, we show how the additional spectroscopic information improves the constraints on spectral type. Low‐resolution spectroscopy (R ≈ 1000) of 42 CoRoT targets covering a wide range in SNR (1–437) and of 149 templates was obtained in 2012–2013 with the Nasmyth spectrograph at the Tautenburg 2 m telescope. Spectral types have been derived automatically by comparing with the observed template spectra. The classification has been repeated with the external CFLIB library. The spectral class obtained with the external library agrees within a few sub‐classes when the target spectrum has a SNR of about 100 at least. While the photometric spectral type can deviate by an entire spectral class, the photometric luminosity classification is as close as a spectroscopic classification with the external library. A low SNR of the target spectrum limits the attainable accuracy of classification more strongly than the use of external templates or photometry. Furthermore we found that low‐resolution reconnaissance spectroscopy ensures that good planet candidates are kept that would otherwise be discarded based on photometric spectral type alone. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spectro‐polarimetry in the era of large solar telescopes

This paper discusses some of the challenges of spectro‐polarimetric observations with a large aperture solar telescope such as the ATST or the EST. The observer needs to reach a compromise between spatial and spectral resolution, time cadence, and signal‐to‐noise ratio, as only three of those four parameters can be pushed to the limit. Tunable filters and grating spectrographs provide a natural compromise as the former are more suitable for high‐spatial resolution observations while the latter are a better choice when one needs to work with many wavelengths at full spectral resolution. Given the requirements for the new science targeted by these facilities, it is important that 1) tunable filters have some multi‐wavelength capability; and 2) grating spectrographs have some 2D field of view (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Properties of optical fibres at cryogenic temperatures

A perhaps surprising property of optical fibres is that they remain flexible at cryogenic temperatures. This implies that they may be used for multiple-object and integral field spectroscopy in the thermal infrared in cryogenic instrumentation. In this paper the results of performance tests of optical fibres (silica and zirconium fluoride) at cryogenic temperatures are presented. By mounting the fibres in glass tubes with the appropriate adhesive, it was found that only negligible focal ratio degradation occurs when the fibre is cooled to 77 K.     

Comparison of chaos detection methods in the circular restricted three‐body problem

In this study, a sample of orbits is considered in the framework of the planar circular restricted three‐body problem. In order to separate ordered from chaotic orbits three numerical methods are compared: the Largest Lyapunov Characteristic Exponent (LLCE) and the Smaller Alignment Index (SALI) provide a fairly good characterization of the chaotic motions, while the computational time required is of the same order; the Correlation Dimension (CD) has the advantage of correctly classifying sticky orbits, but at the expense of a longer computational time. In order to classify a given orbit, any pair of the three methods can be considered, but LLCE and SALI are recommended due to their speed. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Detection and temporal coherence of p‐modes below 1.4 mHz

Data collected recently by the helioseismic experiments aboard the SOHO spacecraft have allowed the detection of low degree p‐modes with increasingly lower order n. In particular, the GOLF experiment is currently able to unambiguously identify low degree modes with frequencies as low as 1.3 mHz. The detection of p‐modes with very low frequency (i.e., low n), is difficult due to the low signal‐to‐noise ratio in this spectral region and its contamination by solar signals that are not of acoustic origin. To address this problem without using any theoretical a priory, we propose a methodology that relies only on the inversion of observed values to define a spectral window for the expected locations of these low frequency modes. The application of this method to 2920‐day‐long GOLF observations is presented and its results discussed. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Fundamental constants and high‐resolution spectroscopy

Absorption‐line systems detected in high resolution quasar spectra can be used to compare the value of dimensionless fundamental constants such as the fine‐structure constant, α, and the proton‐to‐electron mass ratio, μ = m_p/m_e, as measured in remote regions of the Universe to their value today on Earth. In recent years, some evidence has emerged of small temporal and also spatial variations in α on cosmological scales which may reach a fractional level of ≈ 10 ppm (parts per million). We are conducting a Large Programme of observations with the Very Large Telescope's Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES), and are obtaining high‐resolution (R ≈ 60000) and high signal‐to‐noise ratio (S/N ≈ 100) spectra calibrated specifically to study the variations of the fundamental constants. We here provide a general overview of the Large Programme and report on the first results for these two constants, discussed in detail in Molaro et al. (2013) and Rahmani et al. (2013). A stringent bound for Δα /α is obtained for the absorber at z_abs = 1.6919 towards HE 2217‐2818. The absorption profile is complex with several very narrow features, and is modeled with 32 velocity components. The relative variation in α in this system is +1.3 ± 2.4_stat ± 1.0_sys ppm if Al II λ 1670 Å and three FeII transitions are used, and +1.1 ± 2.6_stat ppm in a slightly different analysis with only FeII transitions used. This is one of the tightest bounds on α ‐variation from an individual absorber and reveals no evidence for variation in α at the 3‐ppm precision level (1σ confidence). The expectation at this sky position of the recently‐reported dipolar variation of α is (3.2–5.4) ± 1.7 ppm depending on dipole model used and this constraint of Δα /α at face value is not supporting this expectation but not inconsistent with it at the 3σ level. For the proton‐to‐electron mass ratio the analysis of the H₂ absorption lines of the z_abs ≈ 2.4018 damped Lyα system towards HE 0027–1836 provides Δμ /μ = (–7.6 ± 8.1_stat ± 6.3_sys) ppm which is also consistent with a null variation. The cross‐correlation analysis between individual exposures taken over three years and comparison with almost simultaneous asteroid observations revealed the presence of a possible wavelength dependent velocity drift as well as of inter‐order distortions which probably dominate the systematic error and are a significant obstacle to achieve more accurate measurements. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The sun‐as‐a‐star solar spectrum

The Sun is the only star for which individual surface features can be observed directly. For other stars, the properties of starspots, stellar rotation, stellar flares, etc, are derived indirectly via variation of star‐integrated spectral line profiles or their luminosity measurements. Solar disk‐integrated and disk‐resolved observations allow for investigations of the contribution of individual solar disk features to sun‐as‐a‐star spectra. Here, we provide a brief overview of three sun‐as‐a‐star programs, currently in operation, and describe recent improvements in observations and data reduction for the Integrated Sunlight Spectrometer (ISS), one of three instruments comprising the Synoptic Optical Long‐term Investigations of the Sun (SOLIS) system. Next, we discuss studies employing sun‐as‐a‐star observations (including Ca II K line as proxy for total unsigned magnetic flux and 2800 MHz radio flux) as well as the effects of flares on solar disk‐integrated spectra. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Inferring asteroid surface properties from radar albedos and circular‐polarization ratios

We model electromagnetic scattering from varying closely packed random aggregates of spheres imitating piles of rocks on the surface of an asteroid. We utilize the Multiple Sphere T‐Matrix Method software to study how different parameters affect the radar albedo and the circular‐polarization ratio, for example, the size distribution and electric permittivities of the spherical particles forming the aggregates, and to see if the computed radar albedos and circular‐polarization ratios can be linked to the observational data of asteroids detected using radar. The results of the simulations show the radar albedo and the circular‐polarization ratio as a function of size parameter for different silicate minerals, including anorthosite, peridotite olivine, and basalt. A direct vacuum‐rock surface interface will be considered as well as an approximation for a case in which the rocks are covered by a layer of powdered material, that is, fine regolith. The promising results show values on the range of observed values and imply that the highest circular‐polarization values (μ_c > 1) are measurable only for targets with surface material of high electric permittivity (ε′ > 4.0). However, the asteroid surface model requires further development before more robust conclusions can be made of the surface chemical and structural composition.     

PEPSI: The high‐resolution échelle spectrograph and polarimeter for the Large Binocular Telescope

PEPSI is the bench‐mounted, two‐arm, fibre‐fed and stabilized Potsdam Echelle Polarimetric and Spectroscopic Instrument for the 2×8.4 m Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Three spectral resolutions of either 43 000, 120 000 or 270 000 can cover the entire optical/red wavelength range from 383 to 907 nm in three exposures. Two 10.3k×10.3k CCDs with 9‐µm pixels and peak quantum efficiencies of 94–96 % record a total of 92 échelle orders. We introduce a new variant of a wave‐guide image slicer with 3, 5, and 7 slices and peak efficiencies between 92–96 %. A total of six cross dispersers cover the six wavelength settings of the spectrograph, two of them always simultaneously. These are made of a VPH‐grating sandwiched by two prisms. The peak efficiency of the system, including the telescope, is 15 % at 650 nm, and still 11 % and 10 % at 390 nm and 900 nm, respectively. In combination with the 110 m² light‐collecting capability of the LBT, we expect a limiting magnitude of ≈20th mag in V in the low‐resolution mode. The R = 120 000 mode can also be used with two, dual‐beam Stokes IQUV polarimeters. The 270 000‐mode is made possible with the 7‐slice image slicer and a 100‐µm fibre through a projected sky aperture of 0.74″, comparable to the median seeing of the LBT site. The 43 000‐mode with 12‐pixel sampling per resolution element is our bad seeing or faint‐object mode. Any of the three resolution modes can either be used with sky fibers for simultaneous sky exposures or with light from a stabilized Fabry‐Pérot étalon for ultra‐precise radial velocities. CCD‐image processing is performed with the dedicated data‐reduction and analysis package PEPSI‐S4S. Its full error propagation through all image‐processing steps allows an adaptive selection of parameters by using statistical inferences and robust estimators. A solar feed makes use of PEPSI during day time and a 500‐m feed from the 1.8 m VATT can be used when the LBT is busy otherwise. In this paper, we present the basic instrument design, its realization, and its characteristics. Some pre‐commissioning first‐light spectra shall demonstrate the basic functionality. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Star‐forming galaxies observed with X‐shooter

In the last couple of decades hundreds of studies have explored the nature of star‐forming galaxies at different redshifts. This contribution focuses on X‐shooter observations of star‐burst galaxies at 0 < z < 6 from commissioning runs, science verification, and regular observations, and demonstrates the capability of the new instrument in this competitive field. Observations of gravitationally lensed galaxies show that X‐shooter has no limitation in the redshift desert (1.4 < z < 2) where the strong optical emission lines are shifted to the near‐IR region. Physical properties of galaxies, such as masses, metallicities, abundance ratios, and star formation rates can be derived from observations with relatively short integration times for faint galaxies. The simultaneous UV to near‐IR spectral coverage makes derivation of physical quantities more reliable because there are no differential slit losses as may occur when observations from different optical and near‐IR instruments are used. Over the entire redshift range, spectra of faint galaxies will allow us to better measure stellar ages and dominating ionisation sources compared to broad band spectral energy distribution measurements (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

VLT‐CRIRES: “Good Vibrations” Rotational‐vibrational molecular spectroscopy in astronomy

Near‐Infrared high spectral and spatial resolution spectroscopy offers new and innovative observing opportunities for astronomy. The “traditional” benefits of IR‐astronomy – strongly reduced extinction and availability of adaptive optics – more than offset for many applications the compared to CCD‐based astronomy strongly reduced sensitivity. Especially in high resolution spectroscopy interferences by telluric lines can be minimized. Moreover for abundance studies many important atomic lines can be accessed in the NIR. A novel spectral feature available for quantitative spectroscopy are the molecular rotational‐vibrational transitions which allow for fundamentally new studies of condensed objects and atmospheres. This is also an important complement to radio‐astronomy, especially with ALMA, where molecules are generally only observed in the vibrational ground state. Rot‐vib transitions also allow high precision abundance measurements – including isotopic ratios – fundamental to understand the thermo‐nuclear processes in stars beyond the main sequence. Quantitative modeling of atmospheres has progressed such that the unambiguous interpretation of IR‐spectra is now well established. In combination with adaptive optics spectro‐astrometry is even more powerful and with VLT‐CRIRES a spatial resolution of better than one milli‐arcsecond has been demonstrated. Some highlights and recent results will be presented: our solar system, extrasolar planets, star‐ and planet formation, stellar evolution and the formation of galactic bulges (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)