Interacting galaxies in deep fields of the Hubble Space Telescope

The morphologies of galaxies in several deep fields (HDF-N, HDF-S, HUDF, GOODS, GEMS) of the Hubble Space Telescope are analyzed visually. Lists are made of the galaxies with tidal structures (tails, bridges) and type M51 galaxies in these fields. Photometric characteristics and estimated redshifts for most of these objects are found in the published literature. A total of 29 candidate type M51 galaxies and 381 galaxies with tidal structures are discovered in three of the fields (HDF-N, HDF-S, HUDF). More than two hundred interacting galaxies are found in the regions of each of the GOODS and GEMS projects.     

Galactic bulges from Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS observations: ages and dust

We present optical and near-infrared colour maps of the central regions of bulges of S0 and spiral galaxies obtained with WFPC2 and NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ). By combined use of HST and ground-based data, the colour information spans a region from a few tens of pc to a few kpc. In almost all galaxies, the colour profiles in the central 100–200 pc become more rapidly redder. We attribute the high central colour indices to a central concentration of dust. We infer an average extinction at the centre of A _V =0.6–1.0 mag. Several objects show central dust rings or discs at subkpc scales similar to those found by others in giant ellipticals. For galactic bulges of types S0 to Sb, the tightness of the B − I versus I − H relation suggests that the age spread among bulges of early-type galaxies is small, at most 2 Gyr. Colours at 1 R _eff, where we expect extinction to be negligible, are similar to those of elliptical galaxies in the Coma cluster, suggesting that these bulges formed at the same time as the bright galaxies in Coma. Furthermore, the galaxy ages are found to be independent of their environment. As it is likely that Coma was formed at redshift z >3, our bulges, which are in groups and in the field, must also have been formed at this epoch. Bulges of early-type spirals cannot be formed by secular evolution of bars at recent epochs, because such bulges would be much younger. There are three galaxies of type Sbc and later; their bulges are younger and could perhaps arise from secular evolution of transient bars. Our results are in good agreement with semi-analytic predictions, which also predict that bulges, in clusters and in the field, are as old as giant ellipticals in clusters.     

Creation of the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope has been the most successful space astronomy project to date, producing images that put the public in awe and images and spectra that have produced many scientific discoveries. It is the natural culmination of a dream envisioned when rocket flight into space was first projected and a goal set for the US space program soon after NASA was created. The design and construction period lasted almost two decades and its operations have already lasted almost as long. The capabilities of the observatory have evolved and expanded with periodic upgrading of its instrumentation, thus realizing the advantages of its unique design. The success of this long-lived observatory is closely tied to the availability of the Space Shuttle and the end of the Shuttle program means that the end of the Hubble program will follow before long.     

Prospects for astrometry with the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a large optical telescope having an aperture of 2.4 meters and a length of 8.8 meters, is being developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This telescope will be placed into earth orbit by the space shuttle. Astrometric observations with the HST are made using a Fine Guidance Sensor which is capable of measuring the position of one object relative to another with an accuracy of ±0.002 arcseconds. The astrometric user of HST will be provided with an Astrometric Data Reduction Software package (ADRS). The variety of astrometric problems to be investigated with HST is discussed.     

Scientific Research using the Electronic Archive of the Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a collaborative project between the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) has been operating since 1990. The European HST Science Data Archive, operated at the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility(ST-ECF) in Garching, Germany, contains all data taken with the scienceinstruments of the HST. The services of the Archive include data browsing,preview, retrieval and re-calibration. Access to the Archive is providedthrough the World Wide Web, data distribution is through the Internet oron bulk media.This paper describes the data products, access to theArchive services, and the procedures for the use of the HST Science DataArchive by qualified scientists from remote locations. The Archive providestools implemented as Java Applets which can be used over the Net. For moresophisticated operations access to a suitable data analysis system isrequired; such software can be downloaded from our site.     

Photometric modelling of the Martian dust rings

There are reasons to expect that Mars is surrounded by a region of dust, similar to rings, originating from the bombardment of Phobos and Deimos by meteroids. Using a simple radiative transfer model, we have investigated the angular distribution and the absolute values of the solar radiance scattered by such a dust region, to the purpose of assessing the possibilities and limitations of future photometric searches after the circummartian dust. Our model values of the number density of the dust grains in the space around Mars and of their size distribution have been derived from the results obtained by other authors. The single-scattering albedo of the dust grains has been deduced from the reflectance spectra of Phobos, taken by the spacecraft Phobos 2. Calculations, carried out for a few phenomenological phase functions, have shown that in the visible the radiance scattered by the rings is well within the detectability range of a modern sensible photometer, so that the prospectives for photometric search for the Martian dust rings are optimistic. Furthermore, our results confirm that the dust region could not be observed by the Viking cameras and this supports o our assumptions regarding the optical properties of the circummartian grains.     

Resolving Sirius-like binaries with the Hubble Space Telescope

We present initial results from a Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet imaging survey of stars known to have hot white dwarf companions which are unresolved from the ground. The hot companions, discovered through their EUV or UV emission, are hidden by the overwhelming brightnesses of the primary stars at visible wavelengths. Out of 17 targets observed, we have resolved eight of them with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2, using various ultraviolet filters. Most of the implied orbital periods for the resolved systems are hundreds to thousands of years, but in at least three cases (56 Persei, ζ Cygni and RE J1925−566) it should be possible to detect the orbital motions within the next few years, and they may eventually yield new dynamically determined masses for the white dwarf components. The 56 Persei and 14 Aurigae systems are found to be quadruple and quintuple, respectively, including the known optical components as well as the newly resolved white dwarf companions. The mild barium star ζ Cygni, known to have an 18-year spectroscopic period, is marginally resolved. All of these newly resolved Sirius-type binaries will be useful in determining gravitational redshifts and masses of the white dwarf components.     

Testing the Models for Jet Generation with Hubble Space Telescope Observations

Many magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) models have been developed to describe the acceleration and collimation of stellar jets, in the framework of an infall/outflow process. Thanks to high angular resolution instrumentation, such as the one on-board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we are finally able to test observationally the proposed ideas. We present the results obtained by us from the first 0”.1 resolution spectra of the initial portion (within 100–200 AU from the source) of the outflows from visible T Tauri stars, taken with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). We obtain the jet morphology, kinematics and excitation in different velocity intervals, and we derive the jet mass and momentum fluxes. These results confirm the predictions of magneto-centrifugal models for the jet launch. Recently we have also found indications for rotation in the peripheral regions of several flows. The derived rotational motions appear to be in agreement with the expected extraction of angular momentum from the star/disk system caused by the jet, which in turn allows the star to accrete up to its final mass. Improvements to resolution are expected from observations with STIS in the ultraviolet, and with the forthcoming AMBER spectrometer to be mounted at the VLTI.     

Unusual comets (?) as observed from the Hubble Space Telescope

In separate projects, the Hubble Space Telescope has been used to assess the nature of 3 unusual objects: Chiron, Pholus and P/Shoemaker-Levy 9. This paper will compare these objects and discuss how the unique capabilities of the HST may be used to address the issue of cometary activity in each. Chiron, which has exhibited obvious cometary characteristics for several years, might have a bound dust coma that is unresolvable from the ground. In an attempt to directly observe this bound coma, we have obtained a series of images of Chiron with the HST Planetary Camera. Inner coma structure out to 0.″2 has been detected. From these observations we infer a low bulk nucleus density for Chiron. Both HST and ground-based images of 5145 Pholus have been obtained to search for evidence of activity. The ground-based data give the most sensitive limits; however, it is shown that the WFPC-2 on HST can give limits 2–3 orders of magnitude more sensitive than conventional ground-based limits. Finally, as part of a collaborative effort, we have been obtaining HST observations of SL9 in order to determine the fragment sizes and to assess their nature (i.e., cometary vs. asteroid). Both ground-based observations from the UH 2.2m telescope on Mauna Kea and HST observations show that the near-nucleus dust is redder than the sun. While FOS spectra did not detect OH emission, the WFPC-2 HST data show that the inner coma remained very circular from July 1993 up until 2 weeks prior to impact, implying continued production of dust.     

Utilization of the European Hubble Space Telescope Science Data archive

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a very complex astronomical observing facility, producing data with unique calibration and analysis requirements. The data are collected in Science Data Archives which are available through computer networks world wide. This paper describes the approaches and technologies which are being used at the Space Telescope European Coordinating Facility (ST-ECF) to enable users in different institutions to efficiently work with HST data.     

依巴谷卫星和哈勃空间望远镜的天体测量观测结果

综述了以下几个方面的工作：（１）依巴谷卫星３０个月观测资料的初步处理结果；（２）空间望远镜精密导星传感器的性能测试；（３）依巴谷卫星和空间望远镜近期在观测和仪器改进上的进展；（４）我们开展空间天体测量工作的概况。     

Deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging surveys and the formation of spheroidal galaxies

We have extended our previous analysis of morphologically selected elliptical and S0 galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) North to include Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) data in the HDF South and the HDFS–NICMOS areas. Our final sample amounts to 69 E/S0 galaxies with K <20.15 over an area of 11 arcmin². Although a moderately small number over a modest sky area, this sample benefits from the best imaging and photometric data available on high-redshift galaxies. Multi-waveband photometry allows us to estimate with good accuracy the redshifts for the majority of these galaxies, which lack a spectroscopic measure. We confirm our previous findings that massive E/S0s tend to disappear from flux-limited samples at z >1.4. This adds to the evidence that the rest-frame colours and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the numerous objects found at 0.8< z <1.2 are inconsistent with a very high redshift of formation for the bulk of stars, while they are more consistent with protracted (either continuous or episodic) star formation down to z ≤1. These results based on high-quality imaging on a small field can be complemented with data from colour-selected extremely red objects (EROs) on much larger sky areas: our claimed demise of E/S0s going from z =1 to z =1.5 is paralleled by a similarly fast decrease in the areal density of EROs when the colour limit is changed from ( R − K )=5 to ( R − K )=6 (corresponding to z ≃1 and z ≃1.3 respectively). Altogether, the redshift interval from 1 to 2 seems to correspond to a very active phase for the assembly of massive E/S0 galaxies in the field, and also probably one where a substantial fraction of their stars are formed.     

Hubble Space Telescope photometry of globular clusters in the Sombrero galaxy

We explore the rich globular cluster (GC) system of the nearby Sa galaxy M104, the 'Sombrero' (NGC 4594), using archive Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 data. The GC colour distribution is found to be bimodal at the >99 per cent confidence level, with peaks at     and     . The inferred metallicities are very similar to those of GCs in our Galaxy and M31. However, the Sombrero reveals a much enhanced number of red (metal-rich) GCs compared to other well-studied spirals. Because the Sombrero is dominated by a huge bulge and only has a modest disc, we associate the two subpopulations with the halo and bulge components, respectively. Thus our analysis supports the view that the metal-rich GCs in spirals are associated with the bulge rather than with the disc. The Sombrero GCs have typical effective (half-light) radii of ∼2 pc with the red ones being ∼30 per cent smaller than the blue ones. We identify many similarities between the GC system of the Sombrero and those of both late-type spirals and early-type galaxies. Thus both the GC system and the Hubble type of the Sombrero galaxy appear to be intermediate in their nature.     

Hubble Space Telescope imaging polarimetry of Mars during the 2003 opposition

We report results of polarimetric imaging observations of Mars with the Hubble Space Telescope during the 2003 opposition. Through careful calibration, the observations with the ACS camera allow measurements of the polarization degree with an absolute accuracy better than 0.5% and detection of features with polarization degree contrast as small as 0.2%. The general distribution of linear polarization parameters over the Mars disk and their dependence on phase angle and wavelength are well explained qualitatively by a combination of scattering separately by the martian surface and atmosphere. We have discovered transient polarization phenomena interpreted as clouds that are best observed in ultraviolet light. These clouds are optically thin but strongly polarizing, and their origin may be related to atmospheric ice condensation processes.     

Virtual Versus Real Jets: New Clues from the Hubble Space Telescope

During past years high angular (<1″) resolution imaging has provided useful information about the propagation of “real” jets. Recently, in addition, the spectrograph Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging spectrograph (STIS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has finally allowed us to test the magneto-centrifugal paradigm for the jet launching. I present results from HST/STIS spectra at 0.″1 resolution of small-scale jets from T Tauri stars in their initial 140 AU (1″). The jet morphology, kinematics and excitation in different velocity intervals are derived, from which we calculate mass and momentum fluxes. Even more interestingly, we find indications for rotation around the symmetry axis in the peripheral regions of the flow. The investigated component of the wind appears to originate in the disk at a distance of 0.5-2 AU from the star, and it extracts at least 60% of the inner disk angular momentum. These results confirm for the first time the validity of the magneto-centrifugal approach for the jet launching, and constitute a benchmark to test models and simulations. In the near future, near-infrared (NIR) interferometry with AMBER/VLTI and with the LBTI will permit to observe the jet engine down to 0.1 AU from the source, where the acceleration of the jet takes place.     

The deepest Hubble Space Telescope far-ultraviolet observations in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We present a new analysis of the deepest pure-ultraviolet (UV) observations with the highest angular resolution ever performed. A set of 12 exposures with the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) WFPC2 and F160BW filter obtained in parallel observing mode, which cover ∼12 arcmin² in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), north of the bar and in the 'general field' region of the LMC, contain stars with far-UV monochromatic magnitudes as faint as 22 mag. The 198 detected UV sources represent an accumulated exposure of  ≥ 2 × 10⁴ s  and reveal stars as faint as   m _UV≃ 20 mag  . We combine these observations with deep UBVI charge-coupled device (CCD) imaging of the same region reaching as faint as   V ≃ 26 mag  , and reselect probable optical counterparts for the UV sources. After a two-stage search-and-analysis process, we detect robust counterparts for 129 stars. These are mostly upper main-sequence stars, from early B to early A spectral classes, with several F stars. We point out the lack of blue supergiants, which could have been easily detected in our survey. We measure a foreground extinction   E ( B − V ) ≃ 0.08 mag  by Galactic dust and a surface density of star formation rate twice the average Galactic value. These observations indicate that relatively recent star formation took place even off the bar of the LMC.