477 research outputs found
High spatial resolution and high contrast optical speckle imaging with FASTCAM at the ORM
In this paper, we present an original observational approach, which combines,
for the first time, traditional speckle imaging with image post-processing to
obtain in the optical domain diffraction-limited images with high contrast
(1e-5) within 0.5 to 2 arcseconds around a bright star. The post-processing
step is based on wavelet filtering an has analogy with edge enhancement and
high-pass filtering. Our I-band on-sky results with the 2.5-m Nordic Telescope
(NOT) and the lucky imaging instrument FASTCAM show that we are able to detect
L-type brown dwarf companions around a solar-type star with a contrast DI~12 at
2" and with no use of any coronographic capability, which greatly simplifies
the instrumental and hardware approach. This object has been detected from the
ground in J and H bands so far only with AO-assisted 8-10 m class telescopes
(Gemini, Keck), although more recently detected with small-class telescopes in
the K band. Discussing the advantage and disadvantage of the optical regime for
the detection of faint intrinsic fluxes close to bright stars, we develop some
perspectives for other fields, including the study of dense cores in globular
clusters. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that high
contrast considerations are included in optical speckle imaging approach.Comment: Proceedings of SPIE conference - Ground-based and Airborne
Instrumentation for Astronomy III (Conference 7735), San Diego 201
Lucky Imaging Adaptive Optics of the brown dwarf binary GJ569Bab
The potential of combining Adaptive Optics (AO) and Lucky Imaging (LI) to
achieve high precision astrometry and differential photometry in the optical is
investigated by conducting observations of the close 0\farcs1 brown dwarf
binary GJ569Bab. We took 50000 -band images with our LI instrument FastCam
attached to NAOMI, the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) AO facility. In
order to extract the most of the astrometry and photometry of the GJ569Bab
system we have resorted to a PSF fitting technique using the primary star
GJ569A as a suitable PSF reference which exhibits an -band magnitude of
. The AO+LI observations at WHT were able to resolve the binary
system GJ569Bab located at 4\farcs 92 \pm 0\farcs05 from GJ569A. We measure a
separation of mas and -band magnitudes of
and and colors of 2.720.08 and 2.830.08 for
the Ba and Bb components, respectively. Our study rules out the presence of any
other companion to GJ569A down to magnitude I 17 at distances larger than
1\arcsec. The colors measured are consistent with M8.5-M9 spectral types
for the Ba and Bb components. The available dynamical, photometric and
spectroscopic data are consistent with a binary system with Ba being slightly
(10-20%) more massive than Bb. We obtain new orbital parameters which are in
good agreement with those in the literature.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, 7 tables, in press in MNRA
High spatial resolution optical imaging of the multiple T Tauri system LkH{\alpha} 262/LkH{\alpha} 263
We report high spatial resolution i' band imaging of the multiple T Tauri
system LkH 262/LkH 263 obtained during the first commissioning
period of the Adaptive Optics Lucky Imager (AOLI) at the 4.2 m William Herschel
Telescope, using its Lucky Imaging mode. AOLI images have provided photometry
for each of the two components LkH 263 A and B (0.41 arcsec separation)
and marginal evidence for an unresolved binary or a disc in LkH 262.
The AOLI data combined with previously available and newly obtained optical and
infrared imaging show that the three components of LkH 263 are
co-moving, that there is orbital motion in the AB pair, and, remarkably, that
LkH 262-263 is a common proper motion system with less than 1 mas/yr
relative motion. We argue that this is a likely five-component gravitationally
bounded system. According to BT-settl models the mass of each of the five
components is close to 0.4 M and the age is in the range 1-2 Myr. The
presence of discs in some of the components offers an interesting opportunity
to investigate the formation and evolution of discs in the early stages of
multiple very low-mass systems. In particular, we provide tentative evidence
that the disc in 263C could be coplanar with the orbit of 263AB.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, Accepted 2016 May
A Model for Solving the Optimal Water Allocation Problem in River Basins with Network Flow Programming When Introducing Non-Linearities
[EN] The allocation of water resources between different users is a traditional problem
in many river basins. The objective is to obtain the optimal resource distribution and the
associated circulating flows through the system. Network flow programming is a common
technique for solving this problem. This optimisation procedure has been used many times
for developing applications for concrete water systems, as well as for developing complete
decision support systems. As long as many aspects of a river basin are not purely linear, the
study of non-linearities will also be of great importance in water resources systems optimisation.
This paper presents a generalised model for solving the optimal allocation of water
resources in schemes where the objectives are minimising the demand deficits, complying
with the required flows in the river and storing water in reservoirs. Evaporation from
reservoirs and returns from demands are considered, and an iterative methodology is
followed to solve these two non-network constraints. The model was applied to the Duero
River basin (Spain). Three different network flow algorithms (Out-of-Kilter, RELAX-IVand
NETFLO) were used to solve the allocation problem. Certain convergence issues were
detected during the iterative process. There is a need to relate the data from the studied
systems with the convergence criterion to be able to find the convergence criterion which
yields the best results possible without requiring a long calculation time.We thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity (Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia, CICYT) for funding the projects INTEGRAME (contract CGL2009-11798) and SCARCE (program Consolider-Ingenio 2010, project CSD2009-00065). We also thank the European Commission (Directorate-General for Research & Innovation) for funding the project DROUGHT-R&SPI (program FP7-ENV-2011, project 282769). And last, but not least, to the Fundacion Instituto Euromediterraneo del Agua with the project "Estudio de Adaptaciones varias del modelo de optimizacion de gestiones de recursos hidricos Optiges".Haro Monteagudo, D.; Paredes Arquiola, J.; Solera Solera, A.; Andreu Álvarez, J. (2012). A Model for Solving the Optimal Water Allocation Problem in River Basins with Network Flow Programming When Introducing Non-Linearities. Water Resources Management. 26(14):4059-4071. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-012-0129-7S405940712614Ahuja R, Magnanti T, Orlin J (1993) Network flows: theory, algorithms and applications. Prentice Hall, New YorkAndreu J, Capilla J, Sanchís E (1996) AQUATOOL, a generalized decision-support system for water resources planning and operational management. J Hydrol 177:269–291Bersetkas D (1985) A unified framework for primal-dual methods in minimum cost network flows problems. Math Program 32:125–145Bersetkas D, Tseng P (1988) The relax codes for linear minimum cost network flow problems. Ann Oper Res 13:125–190Bersetkas D, Tseng P (1994) RELAX-IV: A faster version of the RELAX code for solving minimum cost flow problems. Completion Report under NSFGrant CCR-9103804. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT, BostonChou F, Wu C, Lin C (2006) Simulating multi-reservoir operation rules by network flow model. 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J Water Resour Plan Manag 135:48–55Kennington JL, Helgason RV (1980) Algorithms for network programming. John Wiley and Sons, New YorkKhaliquzzaman, Chander S (1997) Network flow programming model for multireservoir sizing. J Water Resour Plan Manag 123:15–21Kuczera G (1989) Fast Multireservoir Mulltiperiod Linear Programming Models. Water Resour Res 25:169–176Kuczera G (1993) Network linear programming codes for water-supply headworks modeling. J Water Resour Plan Manag 119:412–417Labadie J (2004) Optimal operation of multireservoir systems: state-of-the-art review. J Water Resour Plan Manag 130:93–111Labadie J (2006) MODSIM: river basin management decision support system. In: Singh W, Frevert D (eds) Watershed models. CRC, Boca Raton, pp 569–592Labadie J, Baldo M, Larson R (2000) MODSIM: decision support system for river basin management. Documentation and user manual. Dept. Of Civil Engineering, CSU, Fort CollinsManca A, Sechi G, Zuddas P (2010) Water supply network optimisation using equal flow algorithms. Water Resour Manag 24:3665–3678MMA (2000) Libro blanco del agua en España. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Secretaría general Técnica, Centro de PublicacionesMMA (2008) Confederación Hidrográfica del Duero. Memoria 2008. http://www.chduero.es/Inicio/Publicaciones/tabid/159/Default.aspx . Last accessed 25 June 2012Perera B, James B, Kularathna M (2005) computer software tool REALM for sustainable water allocation and management. J Environ Manag 77:291–300Rani D, Moreira M (2010) Simulation-optimization modeling: a survey and potential application in reservoir systems operation. Water Resour Manag 24:1107–1138Reca J, Roldán J, Alcaide M, López R, Camacho E (2001a) Optimisation model for water allocation in deficit irrigation systems I. Description of the model. Agric Water Manag 48:103–116Reca J, Roldán J, Alcaide M, López R, Camacho E (2001b) Optimisation model for water allocation in deficit irrigation systems II. Application to the Bembézar irrigation system. Agric Water Manag 48:117–132Sechi G, Zuddas P (2008) Multiperiod hypergraph models for water systems optimization. Water Resour Manag 22:307–320Sun H, Yeh W, Hsu N, Louie P (1995) Generalized network algorithm for water-supply-system optimization. J Water Resour Plan Manag 121:392–398Wurbs R (1993) Reservoir-system simulation and optimization models. J Water Resour Plan Manag 119:455–472Wurbs R (2005) Modeling river/reservoir system management, water allocation, and supply reliability. J Hydrol 300:100–113Yamout G, El-Fadel M (2005) An optimization approach for multi-sectoral water supply management in the greater Beirut area. Water Resour Manag 19:791–812Yates D, Sieber J, Purkey D, Hubert-Lee A (2005) WEAP21 – a demand-, priority-, and preference-driven water planning model. 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Planet Formation Imager (PFI): Introduction and Technical Considerations
Complex non-linear and dynamic processes lie at the heart of the planet
formation process. Through numerical simulation and basic observational
constraints, the basics of planet formation are now coming into focus. High
resolution imaging at a range of wavelengths will give us a glimpse into the
past of our own solar system and enable a robust theoretical framework for
predicting planetary system architectures around a range of stars surrounded by
disks with a diversity of initial conditions. Only long-baseline interferometry
can provide the needed angular resolution and wavelength coverage to reach
these goals and from here we launch our planning efforts. The aim of the
"Planet Formation Imager" (PFI) project is to develop the roadmap for the
construction of a new near-/mid-infrared interferometric facility that will be
optimized to unmask all the major stages of planet formation, from initial dust
coagulation, gap formation, evolution of transition disks, mass accretion onto
planetary embryos, and eventual disk dispersal. PFI will be able to detect the
emission of the cooling, newly-formed planets themselves over the first 100
Myrs, opening up both spectral investigations and also providing a vibrant look
into the early dynamical histories of planetary architectures. Here we
introduce the Planet Formation Imager (PFI) Project
(www.planetformationimager.org) and give initial thoughts on possible facility
architectures and technical advances that will be needed to meet the
challenging top-level science requirements.Comment: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference, June
2014, Paper ID 9146-35, 10 pages, 2 Figure
High contrast optical imaging of companions: the case of the brown dwarf binary HD-130948BC
High contrast imaging at optical wavelengths is limited by the modest
correction of conventional near-IR optimized AO systems.We take advantage of
new fast and low-readout-noise detectors to explore the potential of fast
imaging coupled to post-processing techniques to detect faint companions to
stars at small separations. We have focused on I-band direct imaging of the
previously detected brown dwarf binary HD130948BC,attempting to spatially
resolve the L2+L2 benchmark system. We used the Lucky-Imaging instrument
FastCam at the 2.5-m Nordic Telescope to obtain quasi diffraction-limited
images of HD130948 with ~0.1" resolution.In order to improve the detectability
of the faint binary in the vicinity of a bright (I=5.19 \pm 0.03) solar-type
star,we implemented a post-processing technique based on wavelet transform
filtering of the image which allows us to strongly enhance the presence of
point-like sources in regions where the primary halo dominates. We detect for
the first time the BD binary HD130948BC in the optical band I with a SNR~9 at
2.561"\pm 0.007" (46.5 AU) from HD130948A and confirm in two independent
dataset that the object is real,as opposed to time-varying residual speckles.We
do not resolve the binary, which can be explained by astrometric results
posterior to our observations that predict a separation below the NOT
resolution.We reach at this distance a contrast of dI = 11.30 \pm 0.11, and
estimate a combined magnitude for this binary to I = 16.49 \pm 0.11 and a I-J
colour 3.29 \pm 0.13. At 1", we reach a detectability 10.5 mag fainter than the
primary after image post-processing. We obtain on-sky validation of a technique
based on speckle imaging and wavelet-transform processing,which improves the
high contrast capabilities of speckle imaging.The I-J colour measured for the
BD companion is slightly bluer, but still consistent with what typically found
for L2 dwarfs(~3.4-3.6).Comment: accepted in A\&
High-resolution optical imaging of the core of the globular cluster M15 with FastCam
We present high-resolution I-band imaging of the core of the globular cluster
M15 obtained at the 2.5 m Nordic Optical Telescope with FastCam, a low readout
noise L3CCD based instrument. Short exposure times (30 ms) were used to record
200000 images (512 x 512 pixels each) over a period of 2 hours 43 min. The
lucky imaging technique was then applied to generate a final image of the
cluster centre with FWHM ~ 0".1 and 13" x 13" FoV. We obtained a catalogue of
objects in this region with a limiting magnitude of I=19.5. I-band photometry
and astrometry are reported for 1181 stars. This is the deepest I-band
observation of the M15 core at this spatial resolution. Simulations show that
crowding is limiting the completeness of the catalogue. At shorter wavelengths,
a similar number of objects has been reported using HST/WFPC observations of
the same field. The cross-match with the available HST catalogues allowed us to
produce colour-magnitude diagrams where we identify new Blue Straggler star
candidates and previously known stars of this class.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Societ
FU Orionis disk outburst: evidence for a gravitational instability scenario triggered in a magnetically dead zone
Context: FUors outbursts are a crucial stage of accretion in young stars.
However a complete mechanism at the origin of the outburst still remains
missing. Aims: We aim at constraining the instability mechanism in FU Orionis
star itself, by directly probing the size and the evolution in time of the
outburst region with near-infrared interferometry, and to confront it to
physical models of this region. Methods: FU Orionis has been a regular target
of near-infrared interferometry. In this paper, we analyze more than 20 years
of interferometric observations to perform a temporal monitoring of the region
of the outburst, and compare it to the spatial structure deduced from 1D MHD
simulations. Results: We measure from the interferometric observations that the
size variation of the outburst region is compatible with a constant or slightly
decreasing size over time in the H and K band. The temporal variation and the
mean sizes are consistently reproduced by our 1D MHD simulations. We find that
the most compatible scenario is a model of an outburst occurring in a
magnetically layered disk, where a Magneto-Rotational Instability (MRI) is
triggered by a Gravitational Instability (GI) at the outer edge of a dead-zone.
The scenario of a pure Thermal Instability (TI) fails to reproduce our
interferometric sizes since it can only be sustained in a very compact zone of
the disk <0.1 AU. The scenario of MRI-GI could be compatible with an external
perturbation enhancing the GI, such as tidal interactions with a stellar
companion, or a planet at the outer edge of the dead-zone. Conclusions: The
layered disk model driven by MRI turbulence is favored to interpret the spatial
structure and temporal evolution of FU Orionis outburst region. Understanding
this phase gives a crucial link between the early phase of disk evolution and
the process of planet formation in the first inner AUs.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
An overview of the mid-infrared spectro-interferometer MATISSE: science, concept, and current status
MATISSE is the second-generation mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the
Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. This new interferometric
instrument will allow significant advances by opening new avenues in various
fundamental research fields: studying the planet-forming region of disks around
young stellar objects, understanding the surface structures and mass loss
phenomena affecting evolved stars, and probing the environments of black holes
in active galactic nuclei. As a first breakthrough, MATISSE will enlarge the
spectral domain of current optical interferometers by offering the L and M
bands in addition to the N band. This will open a wide wavelength domain,
ranging from 2.8 to 13 um, exploring angular scales as small as 3 mas (L band)
/ 10 mas (N band). As a second breakthrough, MATISSE will allow mid-infrared
imaging - closure-phase aperture-synthesis imaging - with up to four Unit
Telescopes (UT) or Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) of the VLTI. Moreover, MATISSE
will offer a spectral resolution range from R ~ 30 to R ~ 5000. Here, we
present one of the main science objectives, the study of protoplanetary disks,
that has driven the instrument design and motivated several VLTI upgrades
(GRA4MAT and NAOMI). We introduce the physical concept of MATISSE including a
description of the signal on the detectors and an evaluation of the expected
performances. We also discuss the current status of the MATISSE instrument,
which is entering its testing phase, and the foreseen schedule for the next two
years that will lead to the first light at Paranal.Comment: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference, June
2016, 11 pages, 6 Figure
KELT-20b: A Giant Planet With A Period Of P ~ 3.5 Days Transiting The V ~ 7.6 Early A Star HD 185603
We report the discovery of KELT-20b, a hot Jupiter transiting a early A star, HD 185603, with an orbital period of days. Archival and follow-up photometry, Gaia parallax, radial velocities, Doppler tomography, and AO imaging were used to confirm the planetary nature of KELT-20b and characterize the system. From global modeling we infer that KELT-20 is a rapidly rotating ( ) A2V star with an effective temperature of K, mass of , radius of , surface gravity of , and age of . The planetary companion has a radius of , a semimajor axis of au, and a linear ephemeris of . We place a upper limit of on the mass of the planet. Doppler tomographic measurements indicate that the planetary orbit normal is well aligned with the projected spin axis of the star ( ). The inclination of the star is constrained to , implying a three-dimensional spin–orbit alignment of . KELT-20b receives an insolation flux of , implying an equilibrium temperature of of ∼2250 K, assuming zero albedo and complete heat redistribution. Due to the high stellar , KELT-20b also receives an ultraviolet (wavelength nm) insolation flux of , possibly indicating significant atmospheric ablation. Together with WASP-33, Kepler-13 A, HAT-P-57, KELT-17, and KELT-9, KELT-20 is the sixth A star host of a transiting giant planet, and the third-brightest host (in V ) of a transiting planet
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