Electric Dipole Radiation from Spinning Dust Grains

We discuss the rotational excitation of small interstellar grains and the resulting electric dipole radiation from spinning dust. Attention is given to excitation and damping of rotation by: collisions with neutrals; collisions with ions; plasma drag; emission of infrared radiation; emission of microwave radiation; photoelectric emission; and formation of H_2 on the grain surface. We introduce dimensionless functions F and G which allow direct comparison of the contributions of different mechanisms to rotational drag and excitation. Emissivities are estimated for dust in different phases of the interstellar medium, including diffuse HI, warm HI, low-density photoionized gas, and cold molecular gas. Spinning dust grains can explain much, and perhaps all, of the 14-50 GHz background component recently observed in CBR studies. It should be possible to detect rotational emission from small grains by ground-based observations of molecular clouds.Comment: 59 pages, 19 eps figures, uses aaspp4.sty . Submitted to Ap.

Flares and variability from Sagittarius A*: five nights of simultaneous multi-wavelength observations

Aims. We report on simultaneous observations and modeling of mid-infrared (MIR), near-infrared (NIR), and submillimeter (submm) emission of the source Sgr A* associated with the supermassive black hole at the center of our Galaxy. Our goal was to monitor the activity of Sgr A* at different wavelengths in order to constrain the emitting processes and gain insight into the nature of the close environment of Sgr A*. Methods. We used the MIR instrument VISIR in the BURST imaging mode, the adaptive optics assisted NIR camera NACO, and the sub-mm antenna APEX to monitor Sgr A* over several nights in July 2007. Results. The observations reveal remarkable variability in the NIR and sub-mm during the five nights of observation. No source was detected in the MIR, but we derived the lowest upper limit for a flare at 8.59 microns (22.4 mJy with A_8.59mu = 1.6+/- 0.5). This observational constraint makes us discard the observed NIR emission as coming from a thermal component emitting at sub-mm frequencies. Moreover, comparison of the sub-mm and NIR variability shows that the highest NIR fluxes (flares) are coincident with the lowest sub-mm levels of our five-night campaign involving three flares. We explain this behavior by a loss of electrons to the system and/or by a decrease in the magnetic field, as might conceivably occur in scenarios involving fast outflows and/or magnetic reconnection.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, published in A&

A probable giant planet imaged in the Beta Pictoris disk

Since the discovery of its dusty disk in 1984, Beta Pictoris has become the prototype of young early-type planetary systems, and there are now various indications that a massive Jovian planet is orbiting the star at ~ 10 AU. However, no planets have been detected around this star so far. Our goal was to investigate the close environment of Beta Pic, searching for planetary companion(s). Deep adaptive-optics L'-band images of Beta Pic were recorded using the NaCo instrument at the Very Large Telescope. A faint point-like signal is detected at a projected distance of ~ 8 AU from the star, within the North-East side of the dust disk. Various tests were made to rule out with a good confidence level possible instrumental or atmospheric artifacts. The probability of a foreground or background contaminant is extremely low, based in addition on the analysis of previous deep Hubble Space Telescope images. The object L'=11.2 apparent magnitude would indicate a typical temperature of ~1500 K and a mass of ~ 8 Jovian masses. If confirmed, it could explain the main morphological and dynamical peculiarities of the Beta Pic system. The present detection is unique among A-stars by the proximity of the resolved planet to its parent star. Its closeness and location inside the Beta Pic disk suggest a formation process by core accretion or disk instabilities rather than a binary-like formation process.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. A&A Letters, in pres

A giant planet imaged in the disk of the young star Beta Pictoris

Here we show that the ~10 Myr Beta Pictoris system hosts a massive giant planet, Beta Pictoris b, located 8 to 15 AU from the star. This result confirms that gas giant planets form rapidly within disks and validates the use of disk structures as fingerprints of embedded planets. Among the few planets already imaged, Beta Pictoris b is the closest to its parent star. Its short period could allow recording the full orbit within 17 years.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Published online 10 June 2010; 10.1126/science.1187187. To appear in Scienc

The near-infrared spectral energy distribution of {\beta} Pictoris b

A gas giant planet has previously been directly seen orbiting at 8-10 AU within the debris disk of the ~12 Myr old star {\beta} Pictoris. The {\beta} Pictoris system offers the rare opportunity to study the physical and atmospheric properties of an exoplanet placed on a wide orbit and to establish its formation scenario. We obtained J (1.265 {\mu}m), H (1.66 {\mu}m), and M' (4.78 {\mu}m) band angular differential imaging of the system between 2011 and 2012. We detect the planetary companion in our four-epoch observations. We estimate J = 14.0 +- 0.3, H = 13.5 +- 0.2, and M' = 11.0 +- 0.3 mag. Our new astrometry consolidates previous semi-major axis (sma=8-10 AU) and excentricity (e <= 0.15) estimates of the planet. These constraints, and those derived from radial velocities of the star provides independent upper limits on the mass of {\beta} Pictoris b of 12 and 15.5 MJup for semi-major axis of 9 and 10 AU. The location of {\beta} Pictoris b in color-magnitude diagrams suggests it has spectroscopic properties similar to L0-L4 dwarfs. This enables to derive Log10(L/Lsun) = -3.87 +- 0.08 for the companion. The analysis with 7 PHOENIX-based atmospheric models reveals the planet has a dusty atmosphere with Teff = 1700 +- 100 K and log g = 4.0+- 0.5. "Hot-start" evolutionary models give a new mass of 10+3-2 MJup from Teff and 9+3-2 MJup from luminosity. Predictions of "cold-start" models are inconsistent with independent constraints on the planet mass. "Warm-start" models constrain the mass to M >= 6MJup and the initial entropies to values (Sinit >= 9.3Kb/baryon), intermediate between those considered for cold/hot-start models, but likely closer to those of hot-start models.Comment: 19 pages, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Diagnostics for specific PAHs in the far-IR: searching neutral naphthalene and anthracene in the Red Rectangle

Context. In the framework of the interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) hypothesis, far-IR skeletal bands are expected to be a fingerprint of single species in this class. Aims. We address the question of detectability of low energy PAH vibrational bands, with respect to spectral contrast and intensity ratio with ``classical'' Aromatic Infrared Bands (AIBs). Methods. We extend our extablished Monte-Carlo model of the photophysics of specific PAHs in astronomical environments, to include rotational and anharmonic band structure. The required molecular parameters were calculated in the framework of the Density Functional Theory. Results. We calculate the detailed spectral profiles of three low-energy vibrational bands of neutral naphthalene, and four low-energy vibrational bands of neutral anthracene. They are used to establish detectability constraints based on intensity ratios with ``classical'' AIBs. A general procedure is suggested to select promising diagnostics, and tested on available Infrared Space Observatory data for the Red Rectangle nebula. Conclusions. The search for single, specific PAHs in the far-IR is a challenging, but promising task, especially in view of the forthcoming launch of the Herschel Space Observatory.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Sequence structure emission in The Red Rectangle Bands

We report high resolution (R~37,000) integral field spectroscopy of the central region (r<14arcsec) of the Red Rectangle nebula surrounding HD44179. The observations focus on the 5800A emission feature, the bluest of the yellow/red emission bands in the Red Rectangle. We propose that the emission feature, widely believed to be a molecular emission band, is not a molecular rotation contour, but a vibrational contour caused by overlapping sequence bands from a molecule with an extended chromophore. We model the feature as arising in a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) with 45-100 carbon atoms.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ. A version of the paper with full resolution figures is available at: http://www.aao.gov.au/local/www/rgs/Sequence-Structure

Morphological evolution of z~1 galaxies from deep K-band AO imaging in the COSMOS deep field

We present the results of an imaging programme of distant galaxies (z~0.8) at high spatial resolution (~0.1").We observed 7 fields of 1'*1' with the NACO Adaptive Optics system (VLT) in Ks (2.16um) band with typical V ~ 14 guide stars and 3h integration time per field. Observed fields are selected within the COSMOS survey area. High angular resolution K-band data have the advantage to probe old stellar populations in the rest-frame, enabling to determine galaxy morphological types unaffected by recent star formation, better linked to the underlying mass than classical optical morphology studies (HST). Adaptive optics on ground based telescopes is the only method today to obtain such high resolution in the K-band. In this paper we show that reliable results can be obtained and establish a first basis for larger observing programmes. We analyze the morphologies by means of B/D (Bulge/Disk) decomposition with GIM2D and CAS (Concentration-Asymmetry) estimators for 79 galaxies with magnitudes between Ks = 17-23 and classify them in three main morphological types (Late Type, Early Type and Irregulars). We obtain for the first time an estimate of the distribution of galaxy types at redshift z ~ 1 as measured from the near infrared at high spatial resolution. We show that galactic parameters (disk scale length, bulge effective radius and bulge fraction) can be estimated with a random error lower than 20% for the bulge fraction up to Ks = 19 (AB = 21) and that classification into the three main morphological types can be done up to Ks = 20 (AB = 22) with at least 70% of correct identifications. We used the known photometric redshifts to obtain a redshift distribution over 2 redshift bins (z < 0.8, 0.8 < z < 1.5) for each morphological type.Comment: 19 pages, 19 figures, 5 tables, Accepted for publication in A&A, typos corrected, referee's suggestions added, figure 3 has been strongly degrade

The FALCON concept: multi-object spectroscopy combined with MCAO in near-IR

A large fraction of the present-day stellar mass was formed between z=0.5 and z~3 and our understanding of the formation mechanisms at work at these epochs requires both high spatial and high spectral resolution: one shall simultaneously} obtain images of objects with typical sizes as small as 1-2kpc(~0''.1), while achieving 20-50 km/s (R >= 5000) spectral resolution. The obvious instrumental solution to adopt in order to tackle the science goal is therefore a combination of multi-object 3D spectrograph with multi-conjugate adaptive optics in large fields. A partial, but still competitive correction shall be prefered, over a much wider field of view. This can be done by estimating the turbulent volume from sets of natural guide stars, by optimizing the correction to several and discrete small areas of few arcsec2 selected in a large field (Nasmyth field of 25 arcmin) and by correcting up to the 6th, and eventually, up to the 60th Zernike modes. Simulations on real extragalactic fields, show that for most sources (>80%), the recovered resolution could reach 0".15-0".25 in the J and H bands. Detection of point-like objects is improved by factors from 3 to >10, when compared with an instrument without adaptive correction. The proposed instrument concept, FALCON, is equiped with deployable mini-integral field units (IFUs), achieving spectral resolutions between R=5000 and 20000. Its multiplex capability, combined with high spatial and spectral resolution characteristics, is a natural ground based complement to the next generation of space telescopes.Comment: ESO Workshop Proceedings: Scientific Drivers for ESO Future VLT/VLTI Instrumentation, 10 pages and 5 figure

A robust morphological classification of high-redshift galaxies using support vector machines on seeing limited images. I Method description

We present a new non-parametric method to quantify morphologies of galaxies based on a particular family of learning machines called support vector machines. The method, that can be seen as a generalization of the classical CAS classification but with an unlimited number of dimensions and non-linear boundaries between decision regions, is fully automated and thus particularly well adapted to large cosmological surveys. The source code is available for download at http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/~huertas/galsvm.html To test the method, we use a seeing limited near-infrared ($K_s$ band, $2,16\mu m$) sample observed with WIRCam at CFHT at a median redshift of $z\sim0.8$. The machine is trained with a simulated sample built from a local visually classified sample from the SDSS chosen in the high-redshift sample's rest-frame (i band, $0.77\mu m$) and artificially redshifted to match the observing conditions. We use a 12-dimensional volume, including 5 morphological parameters and other caracteristics of galaxies such as luminosity and redshift. We show that a qualitative separation in two main morphological types (late type and early type) can be obtained with an error lower than 20% up to the completeness limit of the sample ($KAB\sim 22$) which is more than 2 times better that what would be obtained with a classical C/A classification on the same sample and indeed comparable to space data. The method is optimized to solve a specific problem, offering an objective and automated estimate of errors that enables a straightforward comparison with other surveys.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to A&A. High resolution images are available on reques