E3D, The Euro3D Visualization Tool I: Description of the program and its capabilities

We present the first version of E3D, the Euro3D visualization tool for data from integral field spectroscopy. We describe its major characteristics, based on the proposed requirements, the current state of the project, and some planned future upgrades. We show examples of its use and capabilities.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publishing in AN (ref.proc. of Euro3D Science workshop, IoA Cambridge, May 2003

Cluster of galaxies around seven radio-loud QSOs at 1<z<1.6: K-band images

We have conducted a NIR study of the environments of seven radio-loud quasars at redshifts 1<z<1.6. In present paper we describe deep $K$ band images obtained for the fields of ~6X6 arcmin around the quasars with 3$\sigma$ limiting magnitudes of K~20.5. These fields were previously studied using deep B and R band images (Sanchez & Gonzalez-Serrano 1999). Using together optical and NIR data, it has been found a significant excess of galaxies which optical-NIR colours, luminosity, spatial scale, and number of galaxies are compatible with clusters at the redshift of the quasar. We have selected a sample of cluster candidates analyzing the R-K vs. K diagram. A ~25% of the candidates present red optical-NIR colours and an ultraviolet excess. This population has been also found in clusters around quasars at the same redshifts (Tanaka et al. 2000; Haines et al. 2001). These galaxies seem to follow a mixed evolution: a main passive evolution plus late starformation processes. The quasars do not inhabit the core of the clusters, being found in the outer regions. This result agrees with the hypothesis that the origin/feeding mechanism of the nuclear activity were merging processes. The quasars inhabit the region were a collision is most probably to produce a merger.Comment: 15 pages. A&A, accepted for publishin

Seeing the sky through Hubble's eye: The COSMOS SkyWalker

Large, high-resolution space-based imaging surveys produce a volume of data that is difficult to present to the public in a comprehensible way. While megapixel-sized images can still be printed out or downloaded via the World Wide Web, this is no longer feasible for images with 10^9 pixels (e.g., the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys [ACS] images of the Galaxy Evolution from Morphology and SEDs [GEMS] project) or even 10^10 pixels (for the ACS Cosmic Evolution Survey [COSMOS]). We present a Web-based utility called the COSMOS SkyWalker that allows viewing of the huge ACS image data set, even through slow Internet connections. Using standard HTML and JavaScript, the application successively loads only those portions of the image at a time that are currently being viewed on the screen. The user can move within the image by using the mouse or interacting with an overview image. Using an astrometrically registered image for the COSMOS SkyWalker allows the display of calibrated world coordinates for use in science. The SkyWalker "technique" can be applied to other data sets. This requires some customization, notably the slicing up of a data set into small (e.g., 256^2 pixel) subimages. An advantage of the SkyWalker is the use of standard Web browser components; thus, it requires no installation of any software and can therefore be viewed by anyone across many operating systems.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

Skywalking GEMS and UDF

The two large colour mosaics of the GEMS and UDF projects, both obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope and ACS, consist of large amounts of data. We present two web application pages (the GEMS and UDF "Skywalker") that allow to pan around in these mosaics with downloading only small parts at a time.Comment: 1 pag

An investigation into the perspectives of providers and learners on MOOC accessibility

An effective open eLearning environment should consider the target learner’s abilities, learning goals, where learning takes place, and which specific device(s) the learner uses. MOOC platforms struggle to take these factors into account and typically are not accessible, inhibiting access to environments that are intended to be open to all. A series of research initiatives are described that are intended to benefit MOOC providers in achieving greater accessibility and disabled learners to improve their lifelong learning and re-skilling. In this paper, we first outline the rationale, the research questions, and the methodology. The research approach includes interviews, online surveys and a MOOC accessibility audit; we also include factors such the risk management of the research programme and ethical considerations when conducting research with vulnerable learners. Preliminary results are presented from interviews with providers and experts and from analysis of surveys of learners. Finally, we outline the future research opportunities. This paper is framed within the context of the Doctoral Consortium organised at the TEEM'17 conference

SAOLIM, a prototype of a low cost System for Adaptive Optics with Lucky Imaging

A prototype of a low cost Adaptive Optics (AO) system has been developed at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC) and tested at the 2.2m telescope of the Calar Alto observatory. We present here the status of the project, which includes the image stabilization system and compensation of high order wavefront aberrations with a membrane deformable mirror. The image stabilization system consists of magnet driven tip-tilt mirror. The higher order compensation system comprises of a Shack-Hartmann sensor, a membrane deformable mirror with 39 actuators and the control computer that allows operations up to 420Hz in closed loop mode. We have successfully closed the high order AO loop on natural guide stars. An improvement of 4 times in terms of FWHM was achieved. The description and the results obtained on the sky are presented in this paper.Comment: Accepted for publishing in PASP, 11 pages, 14 figures, 6 table