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.     

Authentication controversies and impactite petrography of the New Quebec Crater

Abstract— A meteoritic origin was proposed for the New Quebec Crater in 1949 on the basis of an aerial photograph showing its unique circularity and raised rim amid Precambrian gneisses of the Canadian Shield. At that time, only those few craters associated with meteorites were generally accepted as of impact origin. When the earliest field expeditions failed to find meteorites or impact products, two leading meteoriticists, Frederick C. Leonard and Lincoln LaPaz, cited the “Chubb” Crater as a flagrant example for which claims of meteoritic origin were advanced without valid proof. They also listed the Lake Bosumtwi Crater in Ashanti (now Ghana) among crater-like features, clearly of non-meteoritic origin, misidentified as meteorite craters. Controversy over the origin these two craters continued for decades. In Part I of this paper, we trace the investigations that led to the current acceptance of New Quebec as an authentic impact crater. We note that, for reasons that are not entirely clear, a meteoritic origin for the New Quebec Crater achieved wider acceptance at an earlier date than for the Lake Bosumtwi Crater, where petrographic and chemical evidence is more abundant and compelling. In Part II, we describe the petrography of two impact melt samples from the New Quebec Crater and present new evidence on the degrees of shock metamorphism affecting the accessory minerals: apatite, sphene, magnetite and zircon. Zircon, in particular, shows a range from euhedral grains with no signs of alteration to those decomposed to baddeleyite plus silica.     

FAUST observations of ultraviolet sources in the directions of NGC 4038–39 and 6752

Analysis of ultraviolet (UV) observations with the FAUST shuttle-borne telescope toward the Antennae and NGC 6752 celestial regions resulted in the detection of 46 and 221 candidate sources respectively, for a signal-to-noise ratio of 8. We discuss the source detection process and the identification of UV sources with optical counterparts. Using correlations with existing catalogues, we present reliable identifications for approximately 60 per cent of the sources. We find that most identified objects are B, A and F stars. The remaining identified objects are galaxies, a white dwarf in a binary system, and two K-type stars. Nearly all of the remaining unidentified objects have assigned optical counterparts but, lacking additional information, we give these only as best estimates. With help from new diagnostic diagrams, we suggest that these unclassified objects are main-sequence (or giant) stars within the local spiral arm or halo; or other hot evolved objects within the local spiral arm. We discuss the nature of the objects found and compare our results with those predicted from spectral and Galactic models.     

The role of the deep mixing in the Storfjorden shelf water plume

Hydrographic observations in deep Fram Strait evidence a plume of Storfjorden Brine-enriched Shelf Water in 1986, 1988 and 2002. The plume spreads along the continental slope over 600 km away from its formation area and reaches 2000 m depth. The plume is 30 to 80 m thick in the deep layer of Fram Strait; it is almost 0.4 °C warmer and 0.06 more saline than the ambient water. The velocity of the plume, observed by a moored current meter in Fram Strait, is 12.60±4.70 cm s⁻¹ .The hydrographic properties of the plume are used to study entrainment. A streamtube model with four entrainment parameterizations is applied. Two Froude-number dependent parameterizations lead to mixing mostly happening over the shelf break, where the Froude number is large. This is in agreement with the traditional view, but is inconsistent with the observed temperature and salinity of the Storfjorden plume. Therefore further entrainment assumptions (a constant and a volume-dependent entrainment) are tested. The volume-dependent entrainment scheme yields the best representation of entrainment in the Storfjorden plume. Our results emphasize the necessity of strong mixing in the deep layers in Fram Strait to achieve an agreement with observed properties of the plume.     

Small observatories for the UV

We describe concepts for small space telescopes that are able to provide significant UV science and can be realized with small (but realistic) budgets. The concepts are based on nano-satellites carrying small optics, with no redundancy, without producing intermediate models prior to flight model, and using COTS (custom off-the-shelf) components. We describe a few concepts of deployable optics that could provide large collecting areas and high angular resolution while packaged in the small volume of a nano-satellite. We point out areas where technological development is still required.     

TAUVEX: status in 2011

We present a short history of the TAUVEX instrument, conceived to provide multi-band wide-field imaging in the ultraviolet, emphasizing the lack of sufficient and aggressive support on the part of the different space agencies that dealt with this basic science mission. First conceived in 1985 and selected by the Israel Space Agency in 1989 as its first priority payload, TAUVEX is fast becoming one of the longest-living space project of space astronomy. After being denied a launch on a national Israeli satellite, and then not flying on the Spectrum X-Gamma (SRG) international observatory, it was manifested since 2003 as part of ISRO’s GSAT-4 Indian satellite to be launched in the late 2000s. However, two months before the launch, in February 2010, it was dismounted from its agreed-upon platform. This proved to be beneficial, since GSAT-4 and its launcher were lost on April 15 2010 due to the failure of the carrier rocket’s 3rd stage. TAUVEX is now stored in ISRO’s clean room in Bangalore with no firm indications when or on what platform it might be launched.