Internal Kinematics and Stellar Populations of the Poststarburst+AGN Galaxy SDSS J230743.41+152558.4

We present the first 3D spectroscopic observations of a nearby HI detected poststarburst, or E+A, galaxy, SDSS J230743.41+152558.4, obtained with the VIMOS IFU spectrograph at ESO VLT. Using the NBursts full spectral fitting technique, we derive maps of stellar kinematics, age, and metallicity out to 2-3 half-light radii. Our analysis reveals a large-scale rapidly rotating disc (v_circ = 300km/s) with a positive age gradient (0.6 to 1.5 Gyr), and a very metal-rich central region ([Fe/H]=+0.25 dex). If a merger or interaction is responsible for triggering the starburst, the presence of this undisturbed disc suggests a minor merger with a gas-rich satellite as the most plausible option, rather than a disruptive major merger. We find spectroscopic evidence for the presence of a LINER or AGN. This is an important clue to the feedback mechanism that truncated the starburst. The presently observed quiescent phase may well be a temporary episode in the galaxy's life. SDSS J230743.41+152558.4 is gas-rich and may restart forming stars, again becoming blue before finally settling at the red sequence.Comment: accepted for publication by Astrophysical Journal Letters, 9 pages, 4 figure

Upper limits on the central black hole masses of 47Tuc and NGC6397

We present upper-limits on the masses of the putative central intermediate-mass black holes in two nearby Galactic globular clusters: 47Tuc (NGC104), the second brightest Galactic globular cluster, and NGC6397, a core-collapse globular cluster and, with a distance of 2.7 kpc, quite possibly the nearest globular cluster, using a technique suggested by T. Maccarone. These mass estimates have been derived from 3sigma upper limits on the radio continuum flux at 1.4 GHz, assuming that the putative central black hole accretes the surrounding matter at a rate between 0.1% and 1% of the Bondi accretion rate. For 47Tuc, we find a 3sigma upper limit of 2060 - 670 solar masses, depending on the actual accretion rate of the black hole and the distance to 47Tuc. For NGC6397, which is closer to us, we derive a 3sigma upper limit of 1290 - 390 solar masses. While estimating mass upper-limits based on radio continuum observations requires making assumptions about the gas density and the accretion rate of the black hole, their derivation does not require complex and time consuming dynamical modeling. Thus, this method offers an independent way of estimating black hole masses in nearby globular clusters. If, generally, central black holes in stellar systems accrete matter faster than 0.1% of the Bondi accretion rate, then these results indicate the absence of black holes in these globular clusters with masses as predicted by the extrapolated M-sigma relation.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication by MNRA

MULTITEXCO - high performance smart multifunctional technical textiles for tensile structures

In recent years, the textile industry developed a new generation of advanced textile materials for the construction sector designed to address the needs of one of the largest markets for textile products. Examples of the advanced textiles developed include fabrics for the rehabilitation of buildings, geotextiles for the consolidation of a wide range of soil structures and the high performance technical textiles for tensile structures. When combine with innovative sensors the fabrics provide an useful tool for the constant monitoring of the structures and can be used to record the mechanical performance or detect anomalies in the expected use of the structures by measuring applied loads, deformations, operating temperatures or other important parameters. This work highlights recent advances in sensor embedded textiles for structural health monitoring of tensile structures. Attention is paid on ease of application, integration in the textile and the use of established and relatively low cost sensing methodologies. The real innovation lies therefore in transferring these methods to unexplored technological fields for smart textiles such as tensile structures

Radial stability of a family of anisotropic Hernquist models with and without a supermassive black hole

We present a method to investigate the radial stability of a spherical anisotropic system that hosts a central supermassive black hole (SBH). Such systems have never been tested before for stability, although high anisotropies have been considered in the dynamical models that were used to estimate the masses of the central putative supermassive black holes. A family of analytical anisotropic spherical Hernquist models with and without a black hole were investigated by means of N-body simulations. A clear trend emerges that the supermassive black hole has a significant effect on the overall stability of the system, i.e. an SBH with a mass of a few percent of the total mass of the galaxy can prevent or reduce the bar instabilities in anisotropic systems. Its mass not only determines the strength of the instability reduction, but also the time in which this occurs. These effects are most significant for models with strong radial anisotropies. Furthermore, our analysis shows that unstable systems with similar SBH but with different anisotropy radii evolve differently: highly radial systems become oblate, while more isotropic models tend to form into prolate structures. In addition to this study, we also present a Monte-Carlo algorithm to generate particles in spherical anisotropic systems.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS (some figures have a lowered resolution

Semantics in the wild : a digital assistant for Flemish citizens

Public service fragmentation across more than 800 digital channels of government administrations in the region of Flanders (Belgium), causes administrative burden and frustrations, as citizens expect a coherent service. Given the autonomy of the various entities, the fragmentation of information and budget constraints, it is not feasible to rewire the entire e-gov ecosystem to a single portal. Therefore, the Flemish Government is building a smart digital assistant, which supports citizens on the governmental portals, by integrating status information of various transactions. This paper outlines our ongoing research on a method for raising semantic interoperability between different information systems and actors. In this approach, semantic agreements are maintained and implemented end-to-end using the design principles of Linked Data. The lessons learned can speed-up the process in other countries that face the complexity of integrating e-government portals

The HI content of the recently discovered field dwarf galaxy APPLES1

We present observations in a search for neutral hydrogen associated with the recently detected field dwarf galaxy APPLES1, performed with the Parkes radiotelescope. The observed radio spectrum shows no evident (> 3sigma rms) line emission indicating an upper limit for the HI content of the galaxy of ~ 10E6 solar masses and providing an upper value for the M(HI)/L(B) ratio equal to 2.4 solar masses/solar luminosities. The low value of the HI content suggested by the observations, together with the galaxy optical morphology, might indicate that APPLES1 is a dwarf spheroidal. This indication is in contrast with the evidence of recent star formation, which is typical for dwarf irregular galaxies. This may suggest that APPLES1 belongs to the class of mixed dwarf irregular/spheroidal transition-type galaxies. We also conclude that the relatively low neutral gas mass in APPLES1 can be explained by an extended and inefficient star formation process, without the need for a dramatic event such as enhanced star formation or a past encounter with a massive galaxy or galaxy group.Comment: 5 pages including 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Main Journa

The HI content of E+A galaxies

We present deep single-dish HI observations of a sample of six nearby E+A galaxies (0.05<z<0.1). A non-negligible fraction of a local sample of E+As are detected in HI. In four galaxies, we have detected up to a few times 10^9 Msun of neutral gas. These E+A galaxies are almost as gas-rich as spiral galaxies with comparable luminosities. There appears to exist no direct correlation between the amount of HI present in an E+A galaxy and its star-formation rate as traced by radio continuum emission. Moreover, the end of the starburst does not necessarily require the complete exhaustion of the neutral gas reservoir. Most likely, an intense burst of star formation consumed the dense molecular clouds, which are the sites of massive star formation. This effectively stops star formation, even though copious amounts of diffuse neutral gas remain. The remaining HI reservoir may eventually lead to further episodes of star formation. This may indicate that some E+As are observed in the inactive phase of the star-formation duty cycle.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 9 pages, 3 figures (reduced in resolution

M & L Jaargang 12/6

GeneriekMiek Goossens Leven in de brouwerij of hoe iets ouds iets nieuws werd. [From old to new: the Christiaen Brewery in Koekelare.]Bijna twee eeuwen lang wist deze organisch gegroeide dorpsbrouwerij het West-Vlaamse Koekelare tegelijk aan werkgelegenheid te helpen, te lessen en te voorzien in burgemeesters. Het kan dan ook niet enkel toeval genoemd worden dat na het stilvallen van de activiteiten in 1968 en een sindsdien voortschrijdend verval, het controversieel industrieel-archeologisch relict vanaf 1984 een nieuwe bestemming tegemoet ging als gemeentelijk en cultureel polyvalent centrum. Terecht bedacht een Prijs dan ook dit eerste Vlaamse Monument.Ann Bergmans Van Lucca naar Brugge. Een Volto Santo in de Speelmanskapel. [From Lucca to Bruges. A Volto Santo in the Speelmanskapel.]Enige verwarring tussen de gekruisigde Christus-voorstelling en de legendarische vrouw-met-de-baard is niet geheel denkbeeldig, gezien de ooit bijzonder populaire aldus getooide Heilige Wilgefortis. De thans verdwenen muurschildering in de Brugse Speelmanskapel leverde alleszins het verrassende bewijs van een vroeg 15de-eeuwse beïnvloeding door het Italiaanse Lucca. Voor de Zuidelijke Nederlanden een unicum.Roger Deneef en Lutgart Vrancken De Hortus Thenensis. [The Hortus Thenensis.]Met merkelijk meer succes wist de Tiense Léon P. Ch. Van den Bossche vanaf 1883 zijn korte diplomatieke carrière te ruilen voor deze van gepassioneerd plantenverzamelaar: tot méér dan 3000 soorten in 1900, op een oppervlakte van nauwelijks 2,5 hectare, van wetenschappelijke geloofsbrieven voorzien door latere Nationale Plantentuindirecteur Emile De Wildeman. Een weelde, waarvan het Stadspark onverhoopt nog tastbare restanten blijkt te hebben bewaard.P. Vissers Mecenaat in de monumentenzorg, een (her)nieuw(d) gegeven. [Sponsoring historic preservation.]Van het 15de-eeuwse Brugse Oosterlingenhuis, pleisterplaats van Duitse Hanze-kooplui, bleven ingevolge brand en ingrijpende verbouwingen, slechts spaarzame fragmenten intact.Onlangs bij renovatiewerken vrij gelegde kinderbalken brachten alvast een zeldzaam overblijfsel aan het licht van persbrokaat, een uiterst fragiele decoratietechniek ... met een geëigende conserverende behandeling.Marjan Buyle Het plafond van het Oosterlingenhuis te Brugge. [The ceiling of the Oriental House in Bruges.]Van bij haar oprichting in 1984 ijverde de Stichting Monumenten- en Landschapszorg onverdroten voor een meer tastbare financiële inzet van de zakenwereld bij de behartiging van het cultureel erfgoed.Welke zijn nu de reeds bereikte resultaten en in welke mate varen àlle betrokken partijen wel bij deze transactie?SummaryM&L Binnenkran

Collaborative custodianship through collaborative cloud mapping : challenges and opportunities

Collaborative custodianship refers to an arrangement where a number of custodians work together to produce integrated datasets for a spatial data infrastructure (SDI), e.g. local authorities contributing address or street data to a national SDI dataset. Collaborative cloud mapping allows for ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand, configured and tailor-made mapping with resources shared between various entities collaborating on a specific initiative, such as an SDI or for disaster management. This paper presents the results of a workshop in South Africa during which case studies from the Netherlands, Belgium and Austria of collaborative custodianship of address data were presented, and OpenStreetMap as a case study of collaborative cloud mapping. Subsequently, challenges and opportunities for implementing similar initiatives in the context of the South African SDI were debated in break-away sessions. The results from these sessions were analysed using the PESTEL framework

Resolving Stellar Populations outside the Local Group: MAD observations of UKS2323-326

We present a study aimed at deriving constraints on star formation at intermediate ages from the evolved stellar populations in the dwarf irregular galaxy UKS2323-326. These observations were also intended to demonstrate the scientific capabilities of the multi-conjugated adaptive optics demonstrator (MAD) implemented at the ESO Very Large Telescope as a test-bench of adaptive optics (AO) techniques. We perform accurate, deep photometry of the field using J and Ks band AO images of the central region of the galaxy. The near-infrared (IR) colour-magnitude diagrams clearly show the sequences of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, red supergiants, and red giant branch (RGB) stars down to ~1 mag below the RGB tip. Optical-near-IR diagrams, obtained by combining our data with Hubble Space Telescope observations, provide the best separation of stars in the various evolutionary stages. The counts of AGB stars brighter than the RGB tip allow us to estimate the star formation at intermediate ages. Assuming a Salpeter initial mass function, we find that the star formation episode at intermediate ages produced ~6x10^5 M_sun of stars in the observed region.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A Letter