Observation and confirmation of six strong-lensing systems in the Dark Energy Survey Science Verification data

We report the observation and confirmation of the first group- and cluster-scale strong gravitational lensing systems found in Dark Energy Survey data. Through visual inspection of data from the Science Verification season, we identified 53 candidate systems. We then obtained spectroscopic follow-up of 21 candidates using the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph at the Gemini South telescope and the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph at the Magellan/Baade telescope. With this follow-up, we confirmed six candidates as gravitational lenses: three of the systems are newly discovered, and the remaining three were previously known. Of the 21 observed candidates, the remaining 15 either were not detected in spectroscopic observations, were observed and did not exhibit continuum emission (or spectral features), or were ruled out as lensing systems. The confirmed sample consists of one group-scale and five galaxy-cluster-scale lenses. The lensed sources range in redshift z ˜ 0.80--3.2 and in i-band surface brightness i SB ˜ 23--25 mag arcsec-2 (2" aperture). For each of the six systems, we estimate the Einstein radius theta E and the enclosed mass M enc, which have ranges theta E ˜ 5"--9" and M enc ˜ 8 × 1012 to 6 × 1013 M &sun;, respectively. This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescopes located at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile

ESPON Italian evidence in changing Europe

Il volume, che rientra nelle attività dell’ESPON Contact Point Italia, accoglie i risultati del contributo dei Partner Italiani allo sviluppo dei progetti del Programma ESPON 2013, acronimo di European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion. I testi sintetizzano ed evidenziano, tra l’altro, le relazioni con le politiche di sviluppo regionale dell’Italia, inserendole in un quadro di cooperazione transnazionale che coinvolge 28 + 4 paesi dell’Unione europea. Affrontando aspetti della politica territoriale europea che spaziano dall’innovazione e conoscenza all’accessibilità, dal policentrismo alle aree metropolitane, dalla migrazione alla globalizzazione, gli Autori mettono in luce la posizione dell’Italia e delle regioni anche rispetto agli obiettivi fissati da Europe 2020. Uno spazio è dedicato alle esperienze regionali che hanno trovato in ESPON uno stimolo e un’occasione di confronto; come pure ai concetti che sottendono il lessico, i principi di orientamento e i nuovi modelli della pianificazione in Europa; e alle esperienze formative rivolte alle giovani generazioni e ai decision maker Il libro si inquadra nelle iniziative del Semestre di Presidenza Italiana dell’Unione europea ed è cofinanziato dal Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (MIT) responsabile nazionale del Programma ESPON. E’ rivolto ai ricercatori, agli utilizzatori istituzionali, ai policy maker, ai “practioner” e ai “non specialisti”, tra cui gli studenti, affinché possano fare propri i risultati dell’impegno costante, rigoroso e rispettoso delle diversità territoriali che hanno contraddistinto, dal 2007 ad oggi, il contributo della ricerca, anche sperimentale e applicata, alla crescita della società italiana come parte integrante del sistema europeo. L’Osservatorio ESPON, per chi ancora non lo conosce, può rappresentare un viaggio nel territorio europeo, nelle sue diversità territoriali, economiche, sociali, culturali da integrare e rendere coese, sostenibili, mantenendo e sviluppando potenziali di competitività crescenti e, nel contempo, innovando e diffondendo nuovi modi, metodologie, strumenti e prassi per fare del territorio un bene comune e condiviso. Dati, riferimenti e raccomandazioni politiche utili alla crescita del Paese completano il quadro. Presentazione del Ministro delle Infrastrutture, On. Maurizio Lupi Postfazione del Direttore della Coordination Unit del Programma ESPON, Peter MehlbyeThe book is part of the activities of ESPON Contact Point Italy. It includes the results of the contribution of the Italian partners in the development of projects under the ESPON 2013 Programme, which stands for European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion. The texts summarise and highlight, among other things, the relations with the regional development policies of Italy, placing them in a framework of transnational cooperation involving the 28 + 4 EU Countries. Addressing aspects of European territorial policy, ranging from innovation and knowledge accessibility, from the polycentrism to metropolitan areas, from migration to globalization, the authors highlight the position of Italy and of regions also in relation to the objectives set by Europe 2020. A place is devoted to the regional experiences that in the ESPON found a stimulus and an opportunity for discussion, as well as to the concepts behind the vocabulary, to the principles of guidance, and new planning models in Europe, and to the training experiences aimed at the younger generations and the decision makers The book forms part of the initiatives of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and is co-financed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation (MIT) in charge of the national ESPON Programme. It is aimed at researchers, institutional users, policy makers, at "practitioners" and "non-specialists" including students, so that they can make use of the results of the constant and rigorous work also respectful of the territorial diversities that have characterized the experimental and applied research since 2007, so contributing to the growth of Italian society as an integral part of the European system. The ESPON Monitoring Centre, for those who still do not know, can be a journey into the European territory, its territorial, economic, social, cultural diversities to integrate and make cohesive and sustainable, by maintaining and developing the increasing potentials of competitiveness and, at the same time, by innovating and disseminating new ways, methodologies, tools and practices to make the territory a common and shared good. Data, references and useful policy recommendations to the growth of the country are also included in the book. Presentation by the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Maurizio Lupi Afterword by the Director of the Coordination Unit ESPON Programme , Peter Mehlby

Particle response of antenna-coupled TES arrays: results from SPIDER and the laboratory

Future mm-wave and sub-mm space missions will employ large arrays of multiplexed transition-edge-sensor (TES) bolometers. Such instruments must contend with the high flux of cosmic rays beyond our atmosphere that induce ‘glitches’ in bolometer data, which posed a challenge to data analysis from the Planck bolometers. Future instruments will face the additional challenges of shared substrate wafers and multiplexed readout wiring. In this work, we explore the susceptibility of modern TES arrays to the cosmic ray environment of space using two data sets: the 2015 long-duration balloon flight of the SPIDER cosmic microwave background polarimeter, and a laboratory exposure of SPIDER flight hardware to radioactive sources. We find manageable glitch rates and short glitch durations, leading to minimal effect on SPIDER analysis. We constrain energy propagation within the substrate through a study of multi-detector coincidences and give a preliminary look at pulse shapes in laboratory data

ESPON Italian evidence in changing Europe

The book is part of the activities of ESPON Contact Point Italy. It includes the results of the contribution of the Italian partners in the development of projects under the ESPON 2013 Programme, which stands for European Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion. The texts summarise and highlight, among other things, the relations with the regional development policies of Italy, placing them in a framework of transnational cooperation involving the 28 + 4 EU Countries. Addressing aspects of European territorial policy, ranging from innovation and knowledge accessibility, from the polycentrism to metropolitan areas, from migration to globalization, the authors highlight the position of Italy and of regions also in relation to the objectives set by Europe 2020. A place is devoted to the regional experiences that in the ESPON found a stimulus and an opportunity for discussion, as well as to the concepts behind the vocabulary, to the principles of guidance, and new planning models in Europe, and to the training experiences aimed at the younger generations and the decision makers The book forms part of the initiatives of the Italian Presidency of the European Union and is co-financed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation (MIT) in charge of the national ESPON Programme. It is aimed at researchers, institutional users, policy makers, at "practitioners" and "non-specialists" including students, so that they can make use of the results of the constant and rigorous work also respectful of the territorial diversities that have characterized the experimental and applied research since 2007, so contributing to the growth of Italian society as an integral part of the European system. The ESPON Monitoring Centre, for those who still do not know, can be a journey into the European territory, its territorial, economic, social, cultural diversities to integrate and make cohesive and sustainable, by maintaining and developing the increasing potentials of competitiveness and, at the same time, by innovating and disseminating new ways, methodologies, tools and practices to make the territory a common and shared good. Data, references and useful policy recommendations to the growth of the country are also included in the book. Presentation by the Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Maurizio Lupi Afterword by the Director of the Coordination Unit ESPON Programme , Peter Mehlby

Exploring the dual-foundation model: evidence from British and Czech children

Future mm-wave and sub-mm space missions will employ large arrays of multiplexed Transition Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers. Such instruments must contend with the high flux of cosmic rays beyond our atmosphere that induce "glitches" in bolometer data, which posed a challenge to data analysis from the Planck bolometers. Future instruments will face the additional challenges of shared substrate wafers and multiplexed readout wiring. In this work we explore the susceptibility of modern TES arrays to the cosmic ray environment of space using two data sets: the 2015 long-duration balloon flight of the SPIDER cosmic microwave background polarimeter, and a laboratory exposure of SPIDER flight hardware to radioactive sources. We find manageable glitch rates and short glitch durations, leading to minimal effect on SPIDER analysis. We constrain energy propagation within the substrate through a study of multi-detector coincidences, and give a preliminary look at pulse shapes in laboratory data.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, Proceedings of the 18th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detector

SPIDER: CMB polarimetry from the edge of space

Spider is a balloon-borne instrument designed to map the polarization of the millimeter-wave sky at large angular scales. Spider targets the B-mode signature of primordial gravitational waves in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), with a focus on mapping a large sky area with high fidelity at multiple frequencies. Spider ’s first long-duration balloon (LDB) flight in January 2015 deployed a total of 2400 antenna-coupled transition-edge sensors (TESs) at 90 GHz and 150 GHz. In this work we review the design and in-flight performance of the Spider instrument, with a particular focus on the measured performance of the detectors and instrument in a space-like loading and radiation environment. Spider ’s second flight in December 2018 will incorporate payload upgrades and new receivers to map the sky at 285 GHz, providing valuable information for cleaning polarized dust emission from CMB maps