Next Generation Of Large Telescopes Research Articles

Integral field spectroscopy supports atmospheric optics to reveal the finite outer scale of the turbulence

The spatial coherence wavefront outer scale ( characterizes the size of the largest turbulence eddies in Earth's atmosphere, determining low spatial frequency perturbations in the wavefront of the light captured by ground-based telescopes. Advances in adaptive optics (AO) techniques designed to compensate for atmospheric turbulence emphasize the crucial role of this parameter for the next generation of large telescopes. The motivation of this work is to introduce a novel technique for estimating \ from seeing-limited integral field spectroscopic (IFS) data. This approach is based on the impact of a finite \ on the light collected by the pupil entrance of a ground-based telescope. We take advantage of the homogeneity of IFS observations to generate band filter images spanning a wide wavelength range, enabling the assessment of image quality (IQ) at the telescope's focal plane. Comparing the measured wavelength-dependent IQ variation with predictions derived from a first-order analytical approach based on turbulence statistics simplifications using the von Kármán model provides valuable insights into the prevailing \ parameter during the observations. We applied the proposed technique to observations from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) in the wide-field mode obtained at the Paranal Observatory. Our analysis successfully validates the first-order analytical expression, which combines the seeing ($ $) and the \ parameters, to predict the IQ variations with the wavelength in ground-based astronomical data. However, we observed some discrepancies between the measured and predictions of the IQ that are analyzed in terms of uncertainties in the estimated $ $ and dome-induced turbulence contributions. This work constitutes the empirical validation of the analytical expression for estimating IQ at the focal plane of ground-based telescopes under specific $ $ and finite \ conditions. Additionally, we provide a simple methodology to characterize the \ and dome-seeing ($ dome $) as by-products of IFS observations routinely conducted at major ground-based astronomical observatories.

Measuring the Expansion or Contraction of Galaxies

Abstract Galaxies lose mass as a result of their luminosity or gaseous outflows. I calculate the resulting radial migration of stars outwards and show that it could potentially be measured with high resolution spectrographs on the next generation of large telescopes. Substantial accretion of matter in dense cosmic environments could trigger inward stellar migration that would be even more easily measurable.

Faint Standards for ZYJHK from the UKIDSS and VISTA Surveys

ABSTRACT The currently defined ‘United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Faint Standards’ have JHK magnitudes between 10 and 15, with Kmedian = 11.2. These stars will be too bright for the next generation of large telescopes. We have used multi-epoch observations taken as part of the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) and the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) surveys to identify non-variable stars with JHK magnitudes in the range 16–19. The stars were selected from the UKIDSS Deep Extragalactic Survey and Ultra Deep Survey, the WFCAM calibration data (WFCAMCAL08B), the VISTA Deep Extragalactic Observations (VIDEO), and UltraVISTA. Sources selected from the near-infrared databases were paired with the Pan-STARRS Data Release 2 of optical to near-infrared photometry and the Gaia astrometric Data Release 2. Colour indices and other measurements were used to exclude sources that did not appear to be simple single stars. From an initial selection of 169 sources, we present a final sample of 81 standard stars with ZYJHK magnitudes, or a subset, each with 20 to 600 observations in each filter. The new standards have Ksmedian = 17.5. The relative photometric uncertainty for the sample is <0.006 mag and the absolute uncertainty is estimated to be ≲ 0.02 mag. The sources are distributed equatorially and are accessible from both hemispheres.

BIG BANG NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND THE HELIUM ISOTOPE RATIO

The conventional approach to search for departures from the standard model of physics during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis involves a careful, and subtle measurement of the mass fraction of baryons consisting of helium. Recent measurements of this quantity tentatively support new physics beyond the standard model but, historically, this method has suffered from hidden systematic uncertainties. In this letter, I show that a combined measurement of the primordial deuterium abundance and the primordial helium isotope ratio has the potential to provide a complementary and reliable probe of new physics beyond the standard model. Using the recent determination of the primordial deuterium abundance and assuming that the measured pre-solar 3He/4He meteoritic abundance reflects the primordial value, a bound can be placed on the effective number of neutrino species, Neff(BBN) = 3.01 (+0.95 -0.76, with 95 per cent confidence). Although this value of Neff supports the standard model, it is presently unclear if the pre-solar 3He/4He ratio reflects the primordial value. New astrophysical measurements of the helium isotope ratio in near-pristine environments, together with updated calculations and experimental values of several important nuclear reactions (some of which are already being attempted), will lead to much improved limits on possible departures from the standard model. To this end, I describe an analysis strategy to measure the 3He I flux emitted from nearby low metallicity H II regions. The proposed technique can be attempted with the next generation of large telescopes, and will be easier to realize in metal-poor H II regions with quiescent kinematics.

Extragalactic Diffuse Interstellar Bands: A Universal Problem

AbstractThe first extragalactic diffuse interstellar band (DIB) detections were of λ4430 in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC) in the 1960s and 70s. Driven mainly by the increased sensitivity afforded by 8-10 m-class telescopes, the last 13 years have witnessed an explosion of DIB discoveries throughout the nearby and distant universe. This review focuses on the history of extragalactic DIB studies, including some of the important results that have come out of this field, and looks to the future for what can be learned about DIBs in external galaxies with the next generation of large telescopes. So far, DIBs have been observed in the Magellanic Clouds, starburst galaxies, DLAs, and nearby (≤30 Mpc distant) spiral galaxies, and are found to be ubiquitous in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) of extragalactic environments wherever dust is present. Important results include the finding that DIB carriers are significantly more closely related to dust than to neutral hydrogen, and that the λ6283 DIB tends to be anomalously weak in low-metallicity sightlines.

MAGNETIC LIQUID DEFORMABLE MIRRORS FOR ASTRONOMICAL APPLICATIONS: ACTIVE CORRECTION OF OPTICAL ABERRATIONS FROM LOWER-GRADE OPTICS AND SUPPORT SYSTEM

Deformable mirrors are increasingly used in astronomy. However, they still are limited in stroke for active correction of high-amplitude optical aberrations. Magnetic liquid deformable mirrors (MLDMs) are a new technology that has the advantages of high-amplitude deformations and low costs. In this paper, we demonstrate extremely high strokes and interactuator strokes achievable by MLDMs which can be used in astronomical instrumentation. In particular, we consider the use of such a mirror to suggest an interesting application for the next generation of large telescopes. We present a prototype 91 actuator deformable mirror made of a magnetic liquid (ferrofluid). This mirror uses a technique that linearizes the response of such mirrors by superimposing a large and uniform magnetic field on the magnetic field produced by an array of small coils. We discuss experimental results that illustrate the performance of MLDMs. A most interesting application of MLDMs comes from the fact they could be used to correct the aberrations of large and lower optical quality primary mirrors held by simple support systems. We estimate basic parameters of the needed MLDMs, obtaining reasonable values.

Cosmology with hypervelocity stars

In the standard cosmological model, the merger remnant of the Milky Way and Andromeda (Milkomeda) will be the only galaxy remaining within our event horizon once the Universe has aged by another factor of ten, ∼ 1011 years after the Big Bang. After that time, the only extragalactic sources of light in the observable cosmic volume will be hypervelocity stars being ejected continuously from Milkomeda. Spectroscopic detection of the velocity-distance relation or the evolution in the Doppler shifts of these stars will allow a precise measurement of the vacuum mass density as well as the local matter distribution. Already in the near future, the next generation of large telescopes will allow photometric detection of individual stars out to the edge of the Local Group, and may target the ∼ 105±1 hypervelocity stars that originated in it as cosmological tracers.

Imprints of dynamical dark energy on weak-lensing measurements

We show that simple models of scalar-field dark energy leave a generic enhancement in the weak-lensing power spectrum when compared to the LCDM prediction. In particular, we calculate the linear-scale enhancement in the convergence (or cosmic-shear) power spectrum for two best-fit models of scalar-field dark energy, namely, the Ratra-Peebles and SUGRA-type quintessence. Our calculations are based on linear perturbation theory, using gauge-invariant variables with carefully defined adiabatic initial conditions. We find that geometric effects enhance the lensing power spectrum on a broad range of scales, whilst the clustering of dark energy gives rise to additional power on large scales. The dark-energy power spectrum for these models are also explicitly obtained. On degree scales, the total enhancement may be as large as 30-40% for sources at redshift ~1. We argue that there are realistic prospects for detecting such an enhancement using the next generation of large telescopes.

Mapping the galactic gravitational potential with peculiar acceleration

It has been suggested recently that the change in cosmological redshift (the Sandage test of expansion) could be observed in the next generation of large telescopes and ultra-stable spectrographs. In a recent paper we estimated the change of peculiar velocity, i.e. the peculiar acceleration, in nearby galaxies and clusters and shown it to be of the same order of magnitude as the typical cosmological signal. Mapping the acceleration field allows for a reconstruction of the galactic gravitational potential without assuming virialization. In this paper we focus on the peculiar acceleration in our own Galaxy, modeled as a Kuzmin disc and a dark matter spherical halo. We estimate the peculiar acceleration for all known Galactic globular clusters and find some cases with an expected velocity shift in excess of 20 cm/sec for observations fifteen years apart, well above the typical cosmological acceleration. We then compare the predicted signal for a MOND (modified Newtonian dynamics) model in which the spherical dark matter halo is absent. We find that the signal pattern is qualitatively different, showing that the peculiar acceleration field could be employed to test competing theories of gravity. However the difference seems too small to be detectable in the near future.

Antennas for the next generation of low-frequency radio telescopes

The next generation of large telescopes for radio astronomy at frequencies below 100 MHz will consist of tens of thousands of wide-band dipole-like antennas, each individually instrumented with a receiver and combined using digital signal processing. At these frequencies, the sensitivity of a telescope is limited by Galactic noise, with the result that even simple dipoles can deliver extraordinary useable bandwidth. In this paper the necessary characteristics for these antennas are explained, some bounds on performance are developed, and a few candidate designs are analyzed. It is shown that antenna systems consisting of simple wire dipoles, a 360 K active balun, and a long coaxial feedline can achieve Galactic noise-limited performance over large portions of the range 10-100 MHz. It is further shown that when these antennas are used as elements in a compact array, their Galactic noise-limited characteristics are not significantly affected.