An instrument for commissioning the active and adaptive optics of modern telescopes: the Infrared Test Camera for the Large Binocular Telescope

We describe the design, integration, and operation of the infrared test cameras for the commissioning of the Large Binocular Telescope. The design and construction phase lasted slightly more than one year from February 2007 to April 2008 and was the result of a joint collaboration among INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, Università di Bologna Dipartimento di Astronomia (Italy) and the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Heidelberg, Germany). Thereafter, the camera was delivered to the LBT Observatory (USA) for commissioning of the telescope active optics and, more recently, for commissioning of the first light adaptive optics.     

Bounce Rock—A shergottite‐like basalt encountered at Meridiani Planum,Mars

Abstract– The Opportunity rover of the Mars Exploration Rover mission encountered an isolated rock fragment with textural, mineralogical, and chemical properties similar to basaltic shergottites. This finding was confirmed by all rover instruments, and a comprehensive study of these results is reported here. Spectra from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the Panoramic Camera reveal a pyroxene‐rich mineralogy, which is also evident in Mössbauer spectra and in normative mineralogy derived from bulk chemistry measured by the alpha particle X‐ray spectrometer. The correspondence of Bounce Rock’s chemical composition with the composition of certain basaltic shergottites, especially Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201, is very close, with only Cl, Fe, and Ti exhibiting deviations. Chemical analyses further demonstrate characteristics typical of Mars such as the Fe/Mn ratio and P concentrations. Possible shock features support the idea that Bounce Rock was ejected from an impact crater, most likely in the Meridiani Planum region. Bopolu crater, 19.3 km in diameter, located 75 km to the southwest could be the source crater. To date, no other rocks of this composition have been encountered by any of the rovers on Mars. The finding of Bounce Rock by the Opportunity rover provides further direct evidence for an origin of basaltic shergottite meteorites from Mars.     

Cosmic‐ray exposure history of the Norton County enstatite achondrite

Abstract– We report measurements of cosmogenic nuclides in up to 11 bulk samples from various depths in Norton County. The activities of ³⁶Cl, ⁴¹Ca, ²⁶Al, and ¹⁰Be were measured by accelerator mass spectrometry; the concentrations of the stable isotopes of He, Ne, Ar, and Sm were measured by electron and thermal ionization mass spectrometry, respectively. Production rates for the nuclides were modeled using the LAHET and the Monte Carlo N‐Particle codes. Assuming a one‐stage irradiation of a meteoroid with a pre‐atmospheric radius of approximately 50 cm, the model satisfactorily reproduces the depth profiles of ¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al, and ⁵³Mn (<6%) but overestimates the ⁴¹Ca concentrations by about 20%. ³He, ²¹Ne, and ²⁶Al data give a one‐stage cosmic‐ray exposure (CRE) age of 115 Ma. Argon‐36 released at intermediate temperatures, ³⁶Ar_n, is attributed to production by thermal neutrons. From the values of ³⁶Ar_n, an assumed average Cl concentration of 4 ppm, and a CRE age of 115 Ma, we estimate thermal neutron fluences of 1–4 × 10¹⁶ neutrons cm^?2. We infer comparable values from ε¹⁴⁹Sm and ε¹⁵⁰Sm. Values calculated from ⁴¹Ca and a CRE age of 115 Ma, 0.2–1.4 × 10¹⁶ neutrons cm^?2, are lower by a factor of approximately 2.5, indicating that nearly half of the ¹⁴⁹Sm captures occurred earlier. One possible irradiation history places the center of proto‐Norton County at a depth of 88 cm in a large body for 140 Ma prior to its liberation as a meteoroid with a radius of 50 cm and further CRE for 100 Ma.     

Near‐infrared spectra of clinopyroxenes: Effects of calcium content and crystal structure

Abstract– Pyroxenes are among the most common minerals in the solar system and are ideally suited for remote geochemical analysis because of the sensitivity of their distinctive spectra to mineral composition. Fe²⁺ is responsible for the dominant pyroxene absorptions in the visible and near‐infrared, but substitutions of other cations such as Ca²⁺ change the crystal structure and site geometries and thus the crystal field splitting energies of the Fe cations. To define spectral systematics resulting from major pyroxene cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe²⁺), we focus on a suite of pyroxenes synthesized with only Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Fe²⁺ in the two octahedral sites, specifically examining the effect of Ca²⁺ on pyroxene absorption bands. The modified Gaussian model is used to deconvolve pyroxene spectra into component bands that can then be linked directly to crystal field absorptions. In orthopyroxenes and low‐Ca clinopyroxenes, Ca²⁺‐content has a strong and predictable effect on the positions of the absorption bands. At a threshold of Wo₃₀, the crystal field environment stagnates and the M2 bands cease to change significantly as more Ca²⁺ is added. At Wo₅₀, when most of the M2 sites are filled by Ca²⁺, band positions do not change drastically, although the presence and strengths of the 1 and 2 μm bands are affected by even trace amounts of Fe²⁺ in the M2 site. It is thus apparent that next‐nearest neighbors and the distortions they impose on the pyroxene lattice affect the electronic states around the Fe²⁺ cations and control absorption band properties.     

Studying the formation of massive stars with VLT/X‐shooter

The birth process and (early) evolution of massive stars is still poorly understood. Massive stars are rare, their birthplaces are hidden from view and their formation timescale is short. So far, our physical knowledge of these young massive stars has been derived from near‐IR imaging and spectroscopy, revealing populations of young OB‐type stars, some still surrounded by a (remnant?) accretion disk, others apparently “normal” main sequence stars powering H II regions. The most important spectral features of OB‐type stars are, however, located in the UV and optical range. With VLT/X‐shooter it is possible to extend the spectral coverage of these young massive stars into the optical range, to better determine their photospheric properties, to study the onset of the stellar wind, and to characterize the physical structure of the circumstellar disk (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

X‐shooting Herbig Ae/Be stars: Accretion probed by near‐infrared He I emission

The Herbig Ae/Be stars are intermediate mass pre‐main sequence stars that bridge the gap between the low mass T Tauri stars and the Massive Young Stellar Objects. In this mass range, the acting star forming mechanism switches from magnetically controlled accretion to an as yet unknown mechanism, but which is likely to be direct disk accretion onto the star. We observed a large sample of Herbig Ae/Be stars with X‐shooter to address this issue from a multi‐wavelength perspective. It is the largest such study to date, not only because of the number of objects involved, but also because of the large wavelength coverage from the blue to the near‐infrared. This allows many accretion diagnostics to be studied simultaneously. By correlating the various properties with mass, temperature and age, we aim to determine where and whether the magnetically controlled mass accretion mechanism halts and the proposed direct disk accretion takes over. Here, we will give an overview of the background, present some observations and discuss our initial results. We will introduce a new accretion diagnostic for the research of Herbig Ae/Be stars, the HeI 1.083 μm line (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Rest‐frame UV to optical X‐shooter spectrum of the gravitationally lensed galaxy “the 8 o'clock arc”: Dissection of its physical properties

We present the rest‐frame UV to optical spectrum of the gravitationally lensed galaxy, the “8 o'clock arc” at z = 2.735, obtained with the X‐shooter spectrograph. This is one of the rare comprehensive study of a high‐redshift star‐forming galaxy, usually not feasible due to the faintness of these objects. The spectrum of the 8 o'clock arc is rich in stellar and interstellar absorption features and in nebular emission features. Their analysis allowed us to derive most of the physical properties characterizing the galaxy. From HST images, we reconstruct the morphology of the arc in the source plane and confirm that we resolve a clump in rotation around the main core of galaxy in our X‐shooter spectrum (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Orbit of Comet C/1857 D1 (d'Arrest)

Comet C/ 1857 D1 (d'Arrest) is one of a large number of comets with parabolic orbits. Given that there are sufficient observations of the comet, 299 in right ascension and 279 in declination, it proves possible to calculate a better orbit. The calculations are based on a 12th order predictor‐corrector method. The comet's orbit is highly elliptical, e = 0.99982 and, from calculated mean errors, statistically different from a parabola. The comet will not return for at least 44000 years and thus represents no immediate NEO threat (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The magnetohydrodynamics of stellar structures

The equation governing the equilibrium of a centrally-symmetric, self-gravitating distribution of matter is obtained by assuming that matter is described by magnetofluid and it is shown that the equation of stellar structure described by an ideal fluid is recovered when magnetic fieldh is vanishing     

The ROSAT diffuse X-ray background survey

The quality and capabilities of the ROSAT survey (0.1–2.0 keV) for the study of the diffuse X-ray background and the interstellar medium are discussed. All-sky maps created from data collected during the survey phase of ROSAT operations will greatly exceed previous surveys in spatial resolution (5 arc min pixels) and statistical significance (better than 25% for unbinned pixels). The spectral information of the survey will, in general, be greater as well. Finally, because of the survey geometry, very accurate contamination identification and background subtraction will be possible ensuring the reliability of the data.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.