We present the observations, reduction and preliminary analysis of a sample of 45 mid-to-high redshift galaxy clusters imaged with the Spitzer Space Telescope's MIPS camera at 24 ~m and selected from the Red Sequence Cluster Survey. The purpose of the data set is motivated by a broad review of studies into the evolutionary trends of galaxy clusters and their constituent galaxy populations, focusing specifically on recent results that indicate clusters are environmental drivers of dusty starburst and active galactic nuclei activity. To accommodate the large amount of data in hand, we have constructed an extensive data reduction pipeline for the MIPS data and describe its development and output in detail. Using the resulting catalogues for introductory analysis, we find strong evidence for an excess luminous infrared galaxy population in galaxy clusters at high redshift and discuss the implications of this discovery in terms of cluster evolution and motivate future work.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

A new version of Reticent, a command language to manipulate digital spectroscopic data, has been developed and applied to the analysis of time series of spectra. Observations of the Ca II 8498A and 8542A line profiles of Delta Delphini indicate variations in the radial velocity with an amplitude of about 8 kms⁻¹. The radial velocity variations were accompanied by variations in the depth of the line profiles. Observations of the H alpha emission line profile of Nova Cygni 1978 (V1668 Cygni) indicate that the continuum level declined by 0.46 magnitude between JD2443769.9 and JD2443770.8. The P. Cygni profile of the diffuse enhanced system appeared between JD2443769.9 and JD2443770.7. The absorption feature of the P. Cygni profile had a velocity of -960 kms⁻¹. Variations in the continuum level with an amplitude of 0.04; magnitude were detected between JD2443770.70 and JD2443770.97. The variations in the continuum level were accompanied by variations in the shape of the H alpha emission line profile. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

Measuring periodic changes in the line-of-sight velocities of stars via spectroscopy (the “radial velocity technique”) is a well-established method to detect planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. As those distant stars orbit their system’s center of mass the radial velocity technique confirms that companions exist and allows for the measurement of fundamental parameters: companion masses, orbital characteristics, and, in some cases, aspects of atmospheric chemistry. Until recently Doppler spectrometers have been limited to detecting radial velocity signals of larger than one meter-per-second, a constraint that significantly hinders our discovery and characterization of small rocky worlds similar to our own. This is the motivation for developing instruments sensitive to extremely precise radial velocities (EPRVs, ??? < 1ms−1). This dissertation describes critical aspects of the development of one such spectrometer: the Palomar Radial Velocity Instrument (PARVI).Chapter 2 presents the characterization of the fine-guiding camera used in the fiber injection unit that couples light from Palomar’s extreme adaptive optics to the spectrograph’s single-mode fiber feed. Chapter 3 describes the data acquisition and data reduction pipelines for PARVI. It includes the methodology for acquiring data with a Teledyne H2RG array, the description of the wavelength calibration using a laser frequency comb, and the process for reducing the 2D echellogram down to a 1D spectrum. Chapter 4 reveals the discovery of a new and significant, polarization-dependent, instrument noise and a warning for those considering using single-mode fibers for high resolution spectroscopy. Chapter 5 contains the first results from PARVI commissioning data. This includes the detection of the Rossiter-Mclaughlin signal of the transiting planet HD 189733 b, and presence of water and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b via transmission spectroscopy.

Not available / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-129).

Since the discovery of 51 Pegasi b in 1995, continued observations have indirectly identified over 110 planetary objects. These Jupiter-mass objects cause their host star to "wobble" slightly about the common centre-of-mass of the system, which is detectable as radial motion in high-precision Doppler spectroscopy. Of the known planets, approximately 20% are found to orbit within 0.1 AU of the star, whilst the transit of HD209458 has inferred the gas-giant nature of these close-in extrasolar giant planets (CEGPs). The discovery of CEGPs has produced a wave of speculative theory as to the exact nature of these objects, and how they came to exist so close to their parent star. Our spectroscopic technique provides a method of achieving the direct detection of a CEGP atmosphere, the results of which will allow us to test emerging models that aim to predict the atmospheric nature of CEGPs and may provide additional information on the orbital inclination and mass of the planet. We start with a historical review of the field of extrasolar planets, followed by an introduction to the fundamental concepts which underpin the reflection of starlight from a planet's surface. We then investigate the prospects of detecting such a reflection, before detailing the technique we have devised and applied here to two known CEGP hosts. In the first instance, r Bootis, we combined observations at the 4.2-m William Herschel telescope in 1998, 1999 and 2000. The dataset comprised 893 high-resolution échelle spectra with a total integration time of 75hr 32min spanning 17 nights. We establish an upper limit on the planet's geometric albedo p < 0.39 (at the 99.9% significance level) at the most probable orbital inclination i ~ 36 deg, assuming a grey albedo, a Venus-like phase function and a planetary radius Rp - 1.2RJup. Although a weak candidate signal appears near to the most probable radial velocity amplitude, its statistical significance is insufficient for us to claim a detection with any confidence. In the second instance, HD75289, 4 nights of VLT(UT2)/UVES observations were secured in 2003 Jan, yielding 684 high-resolution spectra with a total integration time of 26 hours. We establish an upper limit on the planet's geometric albedo p < 0.12 (to the 99.9% significance level) at the most probable orbital inclination i ~/= 60 deg, assuming a grey albedo, a Venus-like phase function and a planetary radius Rp = 1.6RJup. In both cases, we are able to rule out some combinations of the predicted planetary radius and atmospheric albedo models with high, reflective cloud decks.

The aim of this work has been to increase our understanding of the surface brightness distributions of late-type stars through Doppler imaging and eclipse mapping techniques. Combining spectroscopic and photometric observations with the technique of Doppler Imaging, I have reconstructed surface images of the G2V star He 699 (for 08 October 2000), which show high latitude and polar structures. In the case of the KOV star AB Dor, the Doppler images for January 1992 and November 1993 show a large polar cap with small dark features also present at intermediate to high latitudes. As the phase sampling of the observations was insufficient to apply the sheared-image method it was not possible to detect any differential rotation. In the second part of my thesis I determine the surface brightness distribution of the primary component of the RS CVn eclipsing binary SV Cam. I have used extrapolated size distributions of sunspots to an active star to synthesize images of stellar photospheres with high spot filling factors. The resulting surface images, reconstructed with the Maximum Entropy eclipse mapping technique, show large spurious spot features at the quadrature points. It is concluded that two-spot modelling or chi-squared minimisation techniques are more susceptible to spurious structures being generated by systematic errors, arising from incorrect assumptions about photospheric surface brightness, than simple Fourier analysis of the light-curves. Spectrophotometric data from 9 HST orbits, observed in November 2001, have been used to eclipse-map the primary component of SV Cam. In combination with its HIPPAR- COS parallax it is found that the surface flux in the eclipsed low-latitude region is about 30% lower than computed from the best fitting PHOENIX model atmosphere. This flux deficit can only be accounted for if about a third of the primary's surface is covered with unresolved spots. However, when the spottedness from the eclipsed region is applied to the entire surface of the primary star, there still remains an unaccounted flux deficit. The remaining flux deficit is explained by the presence of a large polar spot extending down to latitude 48+/-6 deg. When the Maximum Entropy eclipse mapping technique is used to fit SV Cam's lightcurve, the observed minus computed residuals show strong spurious peaks at the quadrature points. It is only possible to reduce these peaks with the addition of a polar cap and the reduction of the primary star's temperature, to account for the star being peppered with unresolvable spots. Motivated by this result we investigate the limb darkening of the primary component of SV Cam. The wavelength dependence of the limb darkening is analysed by sub-dividing the HST lightcurve into 10 bands of equal emission flux. Flux variations between the first and fourth contact of the primary eclipse indicate that the limb darkening decreases towards longer wavelengths, in accordance with published limb darkening laws. Comparing fits of ATLAS and PHOENIX model atmospheres we find a wavelength dependence of the best fitting model. Due to its smooth cutoff at the stellar limb, the spherical geometry of the PHOENIX model atmosphere gives the best fit during partial eclipse. Between the second and third contact the difference between spherical and plane-parallel geometry is less important.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-05-12T13:15:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Magali Conceição de Barros de Marchi.pdf: 3776158 bytes, checksum: 69bb899a4464db6873c96be97e829f2e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T13:15:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Magali Conceição de Barros de Marchi.pdf: 3776158 bytes, checksum: 69bb899a4464db6873c96be97e829f2e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-13 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Fundação São Paulo - FUNDASP / At the end of the 19thand beginning of the 20th there was a technological advance regarding the use of the telescope: the introduction of the photograph to record the images that were observed facilitated the access of the women in an environment previously considered predominantly masculine, the observatory. This study has as its main axis the Spectral Classification developed by Annie Jump Cannon and the importance of spectroscopy in the astronomical studies. The Harvard Spectral Classification, as it became known, is still used today. To understand this period will be shown the main points of the technological evolution of telescopes, the introduction of photography in astronomy, spectroscopy as a tool for astronomical studies and an example of the beginning of the spectral classification of a star made by Cannon / No final do séc. XIX e início do séc. XX, houve um avanço tecnológico no que diz respeito ao uso do telescópio: a introdução da fotografia para registro das imagens que eram observadas facilitou o acesso das mulheres em um ambiente até então considerado predominantemente masculino, o observatório. Este estudo tem como eixo principal a Classificação Espectral desenvolvidapor Annie Jump Cannon e a importância da espectroscopia nos estudos astronômicos. A Classificação Espectral de Harvard, como ficou conhecida, ainda é utilizada atualmente. Para compreender esse período serão mostrados os pontos principais da evolução tecnológica dos telescópios, a introdução da fotografia na astronomia, a espectroscopia como ferramenta para estudos astronômicos e um exemplo do início da classificação espectral de uma estrela feita por Cannon