SINFONI Observations of Starclusters in Starburst Galaxies

We have used ESO's new NIR IFS SINFONI during its Science Verification period to observe the central regions of local starburst galaxies. Being Science Verification observations, the aim was two-fold: to demonstrate SINFONI's capabilities while obtaining information on the nature of starclusters in starburst galaxies. The targets chosen include a number of the brighter clusters in NGC1808 and NGC253. Here we present first results.Comment: Submitted to "Adaptive Optics-Assisted Integral-Field Spectroscopy", Rutten R.G.M., Benn C.R., Mendez J., eds., May 2005, La Palma (Spain), New Astr. Re

Letter from E. C. and Mrs. E. C. Garman to Emma P. Larimore

Letter from E. C. and Mrs. E. C. Garman to Emma P. Larimore. The one-page typewritten letter is dated 20 November 1912

NIR spectroscopy of the most massive open cluster in the Galaxy: Westerlund 1

Using ISAAC/VLT, we have obtained individual spectra of all NIR-bright stars in the central 2'x2' of the cluster Westerlund 1 (Wd 1) with a resolution of R~9000 at a central wavelength of 2.30 micron. This allowed us to determine radial velocities of ten post-main-sequence stars, and from these values a velocity dispersion. Assuming virial equilibrium, the dispersion of sigma=8.4 km/s leads to a total dynamical cluster mass of 1.25x10^5 solar masses, comparable to the photometric mass of the cluster. There is no extra-virial motion which would have to be interpreted as a signature of cluster expansion or dissolution.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of IAU 246: "Dynamical Evolution of Dense Stellar Systems" (E. Vesperini, M. Giersz, A. Sills, eds.

Anadromous fish as marine nutrient vectors

The tidal freshwater of Virginia supports anadromous herring (Alosa spp.) spawning runs in the spring; however, their importance as nutrient delivery vectors to the freshwater fish food web remains unknown. The stable isotope signatures of fishes from 21 species and four different guilds (predators, carnivores, generalists, and planktivores) were examined in this study to test the hypothesis that marine derived nutrients (MDNs) brought by anadromous fish would be traced into the guilds that incorporated them. Spawning anadromous fish were 13C and 34S-enriched (δ13C and δ34S of approximately 18‰ and 17.7‰, respectively) relative to resident freshwater fish. Of the guilds examined, only predators showed 13C and 34S-enrichment similar to the anadromous fish; however, some generalist catfish also showed enriched signatures. Specific fatty acid δ13C signatures for gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), and alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), show a 10‰ range among fishes, clearly reflecting isotopically distinct dietary sources. The δ13C and δ34S distribution and range among the freshwater fishes suggest that both autochthonous and allochthonous (terrestrial C3 photosynthetic production and MDN) nutrient sources are important to the tidal freshwater fish community

Letter from E. C. Garman to B. R. Colson

Letter from E. C. Garman to B. R. Colson. The one-page typewritten note is on E. C. Garman & Son letterhead and dated 25 November 1912

Fearfully, wonderfully : for solo tenor, solo baritone, and orchestra

When I was in sixth grade my Sunday School teacher, Rebecca McIntosh O\u27Dell, had my entire class memorize Psalms 139. While I have never been particularly adept at memorizing anything, to this day I can recite this Psalm by heart. In the Spring of 2010 cancer took Rebecca\u27s life. It was this tragedy that inspired the dual texts of Fearfully, Wonderfully. The first text, sung exclusively by the solo tenor, is most of the Psalm Rebecca taught me. The second text, sung almost exclusively by the solo baritone, is a poem by Thomas Hardy entitled A Wasted Illness. Fearfully, Wonderfully follows the joint journey of the combined texts, beginning contemplatively with the Psalm, and slowly exploring the changing moods of the two texts. The piece is through-composed, but the horn and viola present a theme in the introduction that permeates the work in modified forms. This theme is meant to represent God\u27s presence, which never fades despite our ever-changing circumstances. The arcs of the two texts are similar, lending themselves to being spliced together over the course of the piece. However at times the individual meanings seem at odds with one another. In particular, the end of the Psalm combined with the end of Hardy\u27s poem blurs the line between life and death, and it is up to the listener to decide whether the peaceful resolution at the end of the work stems from the recovery or the passing of the subject

ALFA & 3D: integral field spectroscopy with adaptive optics

One of the most important techniques for astrophysics with adaptive optics is the ability to do spectroscopy at diffraction limited scales. The extreme difficulty of positioning a faint target accurately on a very narrow slit can be avoided by using an integral field unit, which provides the added benefit of full spatial coverage. During 1998, working with ALFA and the 3D integral field spectrometer, we demonstrated the validity of this technique by extracting and distinguishing spectra from binary stars separated by only 0.26". The combination of ALFA & 3D is also ideally suited to imaging distant galaxies or the nuclei of nearby ones, as its field of view can be changed between 1.2"x1.2" and 4"x4", depending on the pixel scale chosen. In this contribution we present new results both on galactic targets, namely young stellar objects, as well as extra-galactic objects including a Seyfert and a starburst nucleus.Comment: SPIE meeting 4007 on Adaptive Optical Systems Technology, March 200