38 research outputs found
The FORS Deep Field: Field selection, photometric observations and photometric catalog
The FORS Deep Field project is a multi-colour, multi-object spectroscopic
investigation of an approx. 7 times 7 region near the south galactic pole based
mostly on observations carried out with the FORS instruments attached to the
VLT telescopes. It includes the QSO Q 0103-260 (z = 3.36). The goal of this
study is to improve our understanding of the formation and evolution of
galaxies in the young Universe. In this paper the field selection, the
photometric observations, and the data reduction are described. The source
detection and photometry of objects in the FORS Deep Field is discussed in
detail. A combined B and I selected UBgRIJKs photometric catalog of 8753
objects in the FDF is presented and its properties are briefly discussed. The
formal 50% completeness limits for point sources, derived from the co-added
images, are 25.64, 27.69, 26.86, 26.68, 26.37, 23.60 and 21.57 in U, B, g, R,
I, J and Ks (Vega-system), respectively. A comparison of the number counts in
the FORS Deep Field to those derived in other deep field surveys shows very
good agreement.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures (included), accepted for publication in A&
Patterns of long‐term vegetation change vary between different types of semi‐natural grasslands in Western and Central Europe
Questions: Has plant species richness in semi‐natural grasslands changed over recent decades? Do the temporal trends of habitat specialists differ from those of habitat generalists? Has there been a homogenization of the grassland vegetation?
Location: Different regions in Germany and the UK.
Methods: We conducted a formal meta‐analysis of re‐survey vegetation studies of semi‐natural grasslands. In total, 23 data sets were compiled, spanning up to 75 years between the surveys, including 13 data sets from wet grasslands, six from dry grasslands and four from other grassland types. Edaphic conditions were assessed using mean Ellenberg indicator values for soil moisture, nitrogen and pH. Changes in species richness and environmental variables were evaluated using response ratios.
Results: In most wet grasslands, total species richness declined over time, while habitat specialists almost completely vanished. The number of species losses increased with increasing time between the surveys and were associated with a strong decrease in soil moisture and higher soil nutrient contents. Wet grasslands in nature reserves showed no such changes or even opposite trends. In dry grasslands and other grassland types, total species richness did not consistently change, but the number or proportions of habitat specialists declined. There were also considerable changes in species composition, especially in wet grasslands that often have been converted into intensively managed, highly productive meadows or pastures. We did not find a general homogenization of the vegetation in any of the grassland types.
Conclusions: The results document the widespread deterioration of semi‐natural grasslands, especially of those types that can easily be transformed to high production grasslands. The main causes for the loss of grassland specialists are changed management in combination with increased fertilization and nitrogen deposition. Dry grasslands are most resistant to change, but also show a long‐term trend towards an increase in more mesotrophic species
The GLEAMing of the first supermassive black holes: II. A new sample of high-redshift radio galaxy candidates
While unobscured and radio-quiet active galactic nuclei are regularly being
found at redshifts , their obscured and radio-loud counterparts remain
elusive. We build upon our successful pilot study, presenting a new sample of
low-frequency-selected candidate high-redshift radio galaxies (HzRGs) over a
sky area twenty times larger. We have refined our selection technique, in which
we select sources with curved radio spectra between 72-231 MHz from the
GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey. In
combination with the requirements that our GLEAM-selected HzRG candidates have
compact radio morphologies and be undetected in near-infrared -band
imaging from the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy
Kilo-degree Infrared Galaxy (VIKING) survey, we find 51 new candidate HzRGs
over a sky area of approximately 1200 deg. Our sample also includes two
sources from the pilot study: the second-most distant radio galaxy currently
known, at , with another source potentially at . We present
our refined selection technique and analyse the properties of the sample. We
model the broadband radio spectra between 74 MHz and 9 GHz by supplementing the
GLEAM data with both publicly available data and new observations from the
Australia Telescope Compact Array at 5.5 and 9 GHz. In addition, deep -band imaging from the High-Acuity Widefield -band Imager (HAWK-I) on the
Very Large Telescope and from the Southern Herschel Astrophysical Terahertz
Large Area Survey Regions -band Survey (SHARKS) is presented for
five sources. We discuss the prospects of finding very distant radio galaxies
in our sample, potentially within the epoch of reionisation at .Comment: 49 pages, 3 figures (one of which is a multi-page figure with 102
separate panels), 9 tables, accepted for publication in PAS
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Motivation, implementation, GIRAFFE data processing, analysis, and final data products
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to
obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100,000 stars,
including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the
Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We
provide internally consistent results calibrated on benchmark stars and star
clusters, extending across a very wide range of abundances and ages. This
provides a legacy data set of intrinsic value, and equally a large wide-ranging
dataset that is of value for homogenisation of other and future stellar surveys
and Gaia's astrophysical parameters. This article provides an overview of the
survey methodology, the scientific aims, and the implementation, including a
description of the data processing for the GIRAFFE spectra. A companion paper
(arXiv:2206.02901) introduces the survey results. Gaia-ESO aspires to quantify
both random and systematic contributions to measurement uncertainties. Thus all
available spectroscopic analysis techniques are utilised, each spectrum being
analysed by up to several different analysis pipelines, with considerable
effort being made to homogenise and calibrate the resulting parameters. We
describe here the sequence of activities up to delivery of processed data
products to the ESO Science Archive Facility for open use. The Gaia-ESO Survey
obtained 202,000 spectra of 115,000 stars using 340 allocated VLT nights
between December 2011 and January 2018 from GIRAFFE and UVES. The full
consistently reduced final data set of spectra was released through the ESO
Science Archive Facility in late 2020, with the full astrophysical parameters
sets following in 2022
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Motivation, implementation, GIRAFFE data processing, analysis, and final data products
Context. The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100 000 stars, including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We provide internally consistent results calibrated on benchmark stars and star clusters, extending across a very wide range of abundances and ages. This provides a legacy data set of intrinsic value, and equally a large wide-ranging dataset that is of value for the homogenisation of other and future stellar surveys and Gaia's astrophysical parameters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey methodology, the scientific aims, and the implementation, including a description of the data processing for the GIRAFFE spectra. A companion paper introduces the survey results. Methods. Gaia-ESO aspires to quantify both random and systematic contributions to measurement uncertainties. Thus, all available spectroscopic analysis techniques are utilised, each spectrum being analysed by up to several different analysis pipelines, with considerable effort being made to homogenise and calibrate the resulting parameters. We describe here the sequence of activities up to delivery of processed data products to the ESO Science Archive Facility for open use. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey obtained 202 000 spectra of 115 000 stars using 340 allocated VLT nights between December 2011 and January 2018 from GIRAFFE and UVES. Conclusions. The full consistently reduced final data set of spectra was released through the ESO Science Archive Facility in late 2020, with the full astrophysical parameters sets following in 2022. A companion article reviews the survey implementation, scientific highlights, the open cluster survey, and data products
The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy
Context. In the last 15 years different ground-based spectroscopic surveys have been started (and completed) with the general aim of delivering stellar parameters and elemental abundances for large samples of Galactic stars, complementing Gaia astrometry. Among those surveys, the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey, the only one performed on a 8m class telescope, was designed to target 100 000 stars using FLAMES on the ESO VLT (both Giraffe and UVES spectrographs), covering all the Milky Way populations, with a special focus on open star clusters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey implementation (observations, data quality, analysis and its success, data products, and releases), of the open cluster survey, of the science results and potential, and of the survey legacy. A companion article reviews the overall survey motivation, strategy, Giraffe pipeline data reduction, organisation, and workflow. Methods. We made use of the information recorded and archived in the observing blocks; during the observing runs; in a number of relevant documents; in the spectra and master catalogue of spectra; in the parameters delivered by the analysis nodes and the working groups; in the final catalogue; and in the science papers. Based on these sources, we critically analyse and discuss the output and products of the Survey, including science highlights. We also determined the average metallicities of the open clusters observed as science targets and of a sample of clusters whose spectra were retrieved from the ESO archive. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey has determined homogeneous good-quality radial velocities and stellar parameters for a large fraction of its more than 110 000 unique target stars. Elemental abundances were derived for up to 31 elements for targets observed with UVES. Lithium abundances are delivered for about 1/3 of the sample. The analysis and homogenisation strategies have proven to be successful; several science topics have been addressed by the Gaia-ESO consortium and the community, with many highlight results achieved. Conclusions. The final catalogue will be released through the ESO archive in the first half of 2022, including the complete set of advanced data products. In addition to these results, the Gaia-ESO Survey will leave a very important legacy, for several aspects and for many years to come