In recent years, advances in deep optical, and especially deep near-infrared imaging with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and wide-field ground-based telescopes such as VISTA, have revolutionized our understanding of the cosmological evolution of galaxies and supermassive black-holes (as manifest through active galactic nuclei; AGN). In particular, the dynamic range provided by the survey `wedding cake' of available HST+ground-based optical/IR data offers new opportunities to push the meaningful statistical study of galaxy and AGN evolution out to high redshifts. Much recent attention has focused, unsurprisingly, on using these new data to push studies of galaxy formation back to within a billion years of the Big Bang, and exploring the role of young galaxies in driving cosmic hydrogen reionization during the crucial era corresponding to redshifts z ≃ 6-10. However, these data have not been as thoroughly exploited at intermediate redshifts, and have only recently been used to explore black-hole/AGN evolution. In this thesis I utilise the latest deep optical/near-infrared imaging and spectroscopy to explore three key facets of cosmological evolution. First, I present a new, robust measurement of the evolving rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) galaxy luminosity function (LF) over the key redshift range from z ≃ 2 to z ≃ 4. My results are based on the high dynamic range provided by combining the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), CANDELS/GOODS-South, and UltraVISTA/COSMOS surveys. I utilise the unparalleled multi-frequency photometry available in this survey `wedding cake' to compile complete galaxy samples at z ≃ 2; 3; 4 via photometric redshifts (calibrated against the latest spectroscopy). This study is important as the peak of star-formation is shown to happen within a redshift range z = 2 - 4 and determining the exact epoch that the galaxies were forming most of their stars depends significantly on the UV luminosity density which requires robust measurements of the galaxy UV luminosity function and its accurate parameterization. My new determinations of the UV LF extend from M1500 ≃ -22 (AB mag) down to M1500 =-14.5, -15.5 and -16 at z ≃2, 3 and 4 respectively (thus reaching ≃ 3-4 magnitudes fainter than previous blank-field studies at z ≃ 2 - 3). At z ≃ 2 - 3 I find a much shallower faint-end slope (α = -1:32 ± 0:03) than the steeper values (α ≃ -1:7) reported in the literature, and show that this new measurement is robust. By z ≃ 4 the faint-end slope has steepened slightly, to α = -1:43 ± 0:04, and I show that these measurements are consistent with the overall evolutionary trend from z = 0 to z = 8. I then calculate the UV luminosity density (and hence unobscured star-formation density) and show that it peaks at z ≃ 2:5 - 3, when the Universe was ≃ 2:5 Gyr old. Second, I have used these data to revisit the possibility that X-ray AGN played a significant role in cosmic hydrogen reionization which is one of the major processes in the formation of the Universe we see today. Hence, it is really important to understand this phenomenon thoroughly by studying the properties of sources capable of ionising photons, such as star-forming galaxies and high redshift AGNs. Although most recent studies have suggested that the emerging population of young star-forming galaxies can bathe the Universe in sufficient high-energy photons to complete reionization by z ≃ 6, some authors have reasserted the potentially important role of high-redshift AGN in the hydrogen reionization process. In an effort to clarify this situation, I reinvestigate a claimed sample of 22 X-ray detected active galactic nuclei (AGN) at redshifts z > 4, which has reignited the debate as to whether young galaxies or AGN reionized the Universe. These sources lie within the GOODS-S/CANDELS field, and I examine both the robustness of the claimed X-ray detections (within the Chandra 4Ms imaging) and perform an independent analysis of the photometric redshifts of the optical/infrared counterparts. I confirm the reality of only 15 of the 22 reported X-ray detections, and moreover find that only 12 of the 22 optical/infrared counterpart galaxies actually lie robustly at z > 4. I recalculate the evolving far-UV (1500Å) luminosity density produced by AGN at high redshift, and find that it declines rapidly from z ≃ 4 to z ≃ 6, in agreement with several other recent studies of the evolving AGN luminosity function. The associated rapid decline in inferred hydrogen-ionizing emissivity contributed by AGN falls an order-of-magnitude short of the level required to maintain hydrogen ionization at z ≃ 6. I conclude that AGNs make a very minor contribution to cosmic hydrogen reionization. Finally, I have utilized the deep optical/near-infrared survey data to explore the prevalence of quenched/passive galaxies at high redshift. Applying a robust method to isolate passive galaxies from star-forming galaxies is the key to improving our understanding of the quenching process. Focusing primarily on the deep HUDF data-set, I have revisited the effectiveness of simple colour-colour (UVJ) selection techniques in isolating robust samples of quenched galaxies, and find that dust plays a more important role in this selection process than has been previously appreciated. Through careful SED fitting I successfully isolate a sample of apparently dust-free quiescent galaxies in the redshift range 0:5 < z < 4:5 but (at least in the HUDF) fail to find any galaxy which has remained truly quiescent for > 1 Gyr. I conclude by focusing on the properties of a refined/robust sample of apparently quenched galaxies at z > 3, and in particular establishing the contribution of quenched galaxies to stellar-mass density at early times. I conclude with a summary of my findings, and a brief discussion of the most promising avenues for future advances with the next generation of facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Foram analisados espectros óticos de fenda longa de 29 galáxias que hospedam núcleos ativos (AGNs), sendo 6 galáxias Seyfert 1, 18 galáxias Seyfert 2, 4 Rádio-galáxias de linhas estreitas (NLRG) e 1 Rádio-galáxia de linhas largas (BLRG). Estas galáxias apresentam emissão por gás de alta excitação que se estende em alguns casos a 10 kpc do núcleo. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste em estudar e caracterizar as propriedades físicas da região estendida de linhas estreitas (ENLR) destes objetos bem como propriedades da fonte central. A distribuição radial de parâmetros que caracterizam o gás emissor em cada galáxia, tais como brilho superficial das linhas de emissão, densidade do gás, massa, extinção e excitação são obtidos. Estes valores característicos são comparados entre as diferentes classes de atividade nuclear presentes em nossa amostra, bem como às propriedades de galáxias normais com o mesmo tipo de Hubble quando possível. Nós encontramos que a massa de gás ionizado é consistente com a hipótese de que o gás é “originado” na fotoionização pela fonte central das nuvens de HI préexistentes na galáxia hospedeira. Os valores observados das razões entre as linhas estreitas de emissão são comparados com os obtidos através de modelos de fotoionização gerados com o código MAPPINGS Ic, obtendo os parâmetros do modelo – densidade, índice espectral da distribuição de energia e da metalicidade do gás – que melhor reproduzem as observações. Observamos que a variação da abundância química do gás é necessária para explicar o espalhamento nos valores observados. Adicionalmente, comparamos os valores observados com os obtidos com modelos de choques gerados por Dopita & Sutherland. Investigamos também a influência da emissão proveniente de regiões HII ao espectro observado – a qual concluímos ser importante particularmente nas regiões emissoras mais distantes do que 2 kpc do núcleo. Nós determinamos a luminosidade ionizante da fonte central nos AGNs usando a aproximação de que as nuvens de gás são limitadas por radiação, e obtivemos os correspondentes valores para o fator de cobertura do gás. Esta luminosidade ionizante foi então comparada com a luminosidade observada em raios-X na banda 2 –10 keV, através de aproximações para a distribuição espectral de energia (SED). Para 9 galáxias Seyfert 2 a luminosidade observada está disponível, e verificamos que nosso método recupera a luminosidade do AGN em raios-X – assim como obtida dos dados do satélite ASCA – bem como identifica os 3 casos Compton espessos. Por fim, investigamos a natureza do contínuo infravermelho (IR) médio e distante – comparandose a luminosidade observada no IR, calculada a partir dos fluxos IRAS, com a luminosidade predita para um toro que envolve a fonte central absorvendo a radiação incidente e re-emitindo esta no infravermelho. Encontramos que a luminosidade observada no IR é consistente com a luminosidade predita para o torus.

Foram analisados espectros óticos de fenda longa de 29 galáxias que hospedam núcleos ativos (AGNs), sendo 6 galáxias Seyfert 1, 18 galáxias Seyfert 2, 4 Rádio-galáxias de linhas estreitas (NLRG) e 1 Rádio-galáxia de linhas largas (BLRG). Estas galáxias apresentam emissão por gás de alta excitação que se estende em alguns casos a 10 kpc do núcleo. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste em estudar e caracterizar as propriedades físicas da região estendida de linhas estreitas (ENLR) destes objetos bem como propriedades da fonte central. A distribuição radial de parâmetros que caracterizam o gás emissor em cada galáxia, tais como brilho superficial das linhas de emissão, densidade do gás, massa, extinção e excitação são obtidos. Estes valores característicos são comparados entre as diferentes classes de atividade nuclear presentes em nossa amostra, bem como às propriedades de galáxias normais com o mesmo tipo de Hubble quando possível. Nós encontramos que a massa de gás ionizado é consistente com a hipótese de que o gás é “originado” na fotoionização pela fonte central das nuvens de HI préexistentes na galáxia hospedeira. Os valores observados das razões entre as linhas estreitas de emissão são comparados com os obtidos através de modelos de fotoionização gerados com o código MAPPINGS Ic, obtendo os parâmetros do modelo – densidade, índice espectral da distribuição de energia e da metalicidade do gás – que melhor reproduzem as observações. Observamos que a variação da abundância química do gás é necessária para explicar o espalhamento nos valores observados. Adicionalmente, comparamos os valores observados com os obtidos com modelos de choques gerados por Dopita & Sutherland. Investigamos também a influência da emissão proveniente de regiões HII ao espectro observado – a qual concluímos ser importante particularmente nas regiões emissoras mais distantes do que 2 kpc do núcleo. Nós determinamos a luminosidade ionizante da fonte central nos AGNs usando a aproximação de que as nuvens de gás são limitadas por radiação, e obtivemos os correspondentes valores para o fator de cobertura do gás. Esta luminosidade ionizante foi então comparada com a luminosidade observada em raios-X na banda 2 –10 keV, através de aproximações para a distribuição espectral de energia (SED). Para 9 galáxias Seyfert 2 a luminosidade observada está disponível, e verificamos que nosso método recupera a luminosidade do AGN em raios-X – assim como obtida dos dados do satélite ASCA – bem como identifica os 3 casos Compton espessos. Por fim, investigamos a natureza do contínuo infravermelho (IR) médio e distante – comparandose a luminosidade observada no IR, calculada a partir dos fluxos IRAS, com a luminosidade predita para um toro que envolve a fonte central absorvendo a radiação incidente e re-emitindo esta no infravermelho. Encontramos que a luminosidade observada no IR é consistente com a luminosidade predita para o torus.

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was originally proposed and funded in the 1970's with a launch planned for the early 1980's. However, the launch finally occurred on April 24, 1990, largely due to the Challenger accident. Once launched in 1990, one of HST's earliest projects was the Key Project. One of the main purposes of the Key Project was to calibrate the distances to nearby galaxies and determine a definitive value of the Hubble constant H0. All secondary distance determination methods were based on the period-luminosity relation of Cepheid variable stars. This thesis examines the Cepheid data from the Key Project by first redetermining the periods of Cepheids in selected galaxies and then applying a time correction to the data. This time correction is to compensate for the effects of the recessional motion of each galaxies, as caused by the finite speed of light. The recovery stage of the project was mostly successful, but revealed concerns with the original data set. This result led to less compelling results for the time-correction stage due to the larger than anticipated errors. A further examination was performed on part of the sample by using a more accurate form of the time input as found in the HST image headers. Overall we conclude that the short observation baseline of the Cepheids, with medium to long periods, is a major deficiency of the Cepheid data from the Key Project with regard to testing for the effects of recessional motion. Future studies on the effects of the time correction need to be done using data with longer time coverage that spans at least 4 pulsational cycles, perferably more than 30 cycles.

Os aglomerados globulares (GCs) são laboratórios essenciais no estudo da formação e evolução quimiodinâmica da Via Láctea, pois formaram-se durante os episódios iniciais de formação estelar das galáxias. Na última década, evidências observacionais fotométricas e espectroscópicas têm desafiado o paradigma clássico da formação dos GCs em um episódio único de formação estelar, dando origem ao debate sobre as múltiplas populações estelares. Com o objetivo de explorar esse fenômeno, o programa do Telescópio Espacial Hubble GO-13297 (UV Legacy Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters, PI G. Piotto) obteve fotometria para 57 GCs com os filtros UV/azul F275W, F336W e F438W (WFC3/UVIS), sensíveis às variações nas abundâncias de CNO e, portanto, capazes de distinguir múltiplas populações ao longo dos diagramas cor-magnitude. Combinados com fotometria anterior nos filtros do óptico F606W e F814W (programa GO-10775, PI A. Sarajedini), eles formam uma base de dados fotométricos sem precedentes para GCs. Este trabalho expõe a análise de sete desses aglomerados, sendo seis do Bojo Galáctico (NGC 6304, NGC 6624, NGC 6637, NGC 6652, NGC 6717 e NGC 6723) e um localizado no Halo interno para referência (NGC 6362). A amostra é representativa dos dois picos na distribuição de metalicidades dos GCs do Bojo, em [Fe/H] ~ -0.5 e -1.0. Adotou-se métodos homogêneos para a separação das múltiplas populações nos diferentes estágios evolutivos e para o ajuste de isócronas, com o intuito de analisar comparativamente os dois grupos de metalicidade e verificar se ocorre alguma diferença de idades detectável entre as múltiplas populações. Algoritmos de classificação com aprendizado de máquina, e métodos utilizando estatística Bayesiana (máxima verossimilhança e MCMC) foram implementados e uma ferramenta em Python, nomeada SIRIUS, foi desenvolvida pelo grupo. Os resultados apontam para uma tendência de idades maiores (~ 13 Gyr) para os GCs mais pobres em metais com ramo horizontal azul, comparado com 12.0-12.5 Gyr para os outros GCs. Os resultados para as múltiplas populações indicam idades ligeiramente mais altas para a primeira geração em geral, mas com diferenças menores que 400 Myr comparado com a segunda geração. O resultado de 13.14 +0.25/-0.43 Gyr para o aglomerado NGC 6717 surpreende pois este é o aglomerado menos massivo da amostra, com maior fração de estrelas da primeira geração e com um ramo horizontal azul estendido: aspectos que o colocam como um dos objetos mais velhos da Galáxia. Esses resultados são bastante relevantes, com impactos diretos nos cenários de formação das partes centrais da Galáxia. / The globular clusters (GCs) are fundamental laboratories to study the formation and chemodynamical evolution of the Milky Way, as they formed during the initial episodes of star formation in galaxies. In the last decade, photometric and spectroscopic observational results have challenged the classical paradigm of GCs formation in a single star formation burst, giving rise to the debate about multiple stellar populations. With the purpose of better explore this phenomenon, the Hubble Space Telescope GO-13297 program (UV Legacy Survey of Galactic Globular Clusters, PI: G. Piotto) obtained photometry for 57 GCs with the UV/blue filters F275W, F336W and F438W (WFC3/UVIS), sensitive to variations in CNO abundances, and consequently able to distinguish multiple populations along the color-magnitude diagrams. Combined with previous photometry in the optical filters F606W and F814W (GO-10775 program, PI A. Sarajedini), they provide an unprecedented photometric database for GCs. This work presents the analysis of seven of these clusters, six of them from the Galactic Bulge (NGC 6304, NGC 6624, NGC 6637, NGC 6652, NGC 6717 and NGC 6723) and one located in the inner Halo for reference purposes (NGC 6362). This sample is representative of the two peaks in the metallicity distribution of Bulge GCs, with [Fe/H] ~ -0.5 and -1.0. We adopted homogeneous methods to the separation of multiple populations in the different evolutionary stages and to the isochrone fitting, with the purpose of analyze comparatively the two metallicity groups, and check whether there occurs any detectable age difference between the multiple populations. Classification algorithms with machine learning, and methods using Bayesian statistics (maximum likelihood and MCMC) were implemented and a Python tool, named SIRIUS, was developed by the group. The results point to a trend of larger ages (~ 13 Gyr) for the more metal-poor clusters with a blue horizontal branch, compared with 12.0-12.5 Gyr for the other GCs. The results for the multiple populations indicate slightly larger ages for the first generation in general, but with differences lower than 400 Myr compared with the second generation. The result of 13.14 +0.25/-0.43 Gyr for the cluster NGC 6717 is surprising because this is the least massive cluster of the sample, with the highest fraction of first generation stars and with a blue horizontal branch: features that place it as one of the oldest objects in the Galaxy. These results are quite relevant, with direct impacts on the formation scenarios of the innermost regions of the Galaxy.

We present a detailed study of mid-infrared spectroscopy and optical imaging of Seyfert galaxies with the goal of understanding the properties of astronomical dust around the central supermassive black hole and the accretion disk. Specifically, we have studied Spitzer Space Telescope mid-infrared spectra of 12 Seyfert 1.8-1.9s and 58 Seyfert 1s and 2s available in the Spitzer public archive, and the nuclear dust morphology in the central 500 pc of 91 narrow and broad-line Seyfert 1s using optical images from the Hubble Space Telescope. We have also developed visualization software to aid the understanding of the geometry of the central engine. Based on these studies, we conclude that the nuclear regions of Seyfert galaxies are fueled by dusty spirals driven by the large-scale stellar bars in the host galaxy. The accumulation of dusty gas in the central kiloparsec leads to enhanced star formation. In this case, the circumnuclear starburst and the central engine compete for dominance in the heating of the circumnuclear dust. Emission from the heated dust is most clearly seen in the mid-infrared. We find that the spectra of Seyfert 2s show the most variety in the continuum shapes due to different starburst contributions. We find that the spectra of Seyfert 2s that are devoid of starburst contribution are dominated by a single thermal component at a temperature of T ~ 170 K. We also find that the mid-IR continua of Seyfert 1.8/1.9 galaxies are more like those of starburst-dominated Seyfert 2s than Seyfert 1s, contrary to expectations. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of the Unified Model of AGN and the secular evolution of Seyfert nuclei.

Io is the innermost Galilean moon of Jupiter and is considered the most volcanically active body in our solar system. With the help of the Hubble Space Telescope’s (HST) on-board Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), far-ultraviolet (FUV) images of Io have been captured for the past 20 years. The final goal of this project is to study the sulphur dioxide (SO2) distribution and volcanic activity on Io in FUV data taken in 1997/98 and 2013/14. The method used concerns the conversion of spectral Lyman-α intensity to SO2 density using algorithms implemented in MATLAB. As a result the SO2 distribution and volcanic activity on Io were determined and compared between the data collections. We found that the SO2 was higher in the images from 1997/98 compared to 2013/2014.

In 2016 Sparks et al. [14] reported evidence of water plumes above the Galilean moon Europa. Their method consisted of creating a model image of Europa transiting Jupiter and analytically comparing it with an actual far-ultraviolet observation from the Hubble Space Telescope. In 2020 Giono et al. [2] reported discrepancies in the original method and expanded it, concluding that Sparks’ results were not sufficient to provide evidence for plumes. Sparks’ team commissioned a total of 51 transit images but only 10 were used in the original paper from Sparks et al. Here an attempt to use the expanded method from Giono et al. on all 51 images is reported, with changes made to accommodate the varying quality of the individual transit images. The changes included a new method of cropping the raw data, corrections were made to the treatment of the solar phase angle, using native image resolution instead of re-scaling the images, excluding proximate shadows from the moon itself when creating model backgrounds, and disk-brightness scaled individually for each image. The analysis showed no evidence of plumes. Prevalent mismatches between models and observations suggested systematic flaws in the creation of the model. The original method, while clever, is deemed untrustworthy until better modelling can be made, and the discussion includes possible sources of and solutions to the systematic flaws. / 2016 rapporterade Sparks m.fl. [14] bevis på vattenaktivitet i form av plymer från ytan av Jupiters måne Europa. Deras metod utgick från en modell skapad för att efterlikna Europa i passage över Jupiters yta som jämfördes analytiskt med faktiska observationer gjorda i ultravioletta våglängder m.h.a. Hubbleteleskopet. 2020 rapporterade Giono m.fl. [2] avvikelser de funnit i Sparks metod vilken de utvecklade, för att sedan dra slutsatsen att resultaten från Sparks m.fl. ej räckte för att påvisa vattenplymer. Sparks forskarlag beställde totalt 51 bilder som visade Europa passera över Jupiters yta men endast 10 användes i rapporten. I detta arbete görs ett försök att med hjälp av Gionos utökade metod analysera samtliga 51 bilder, med ändringar gjorda för att ackommodera variationen på bildkvalite som upptäcktes i datan. Ändringarna inkluderade korrigerade solvinklar, användande av ursprunglig bildupplösning istället för att skala om datan, exkludering av närliggande bakgrundsskuggor vid modellering av bakgrundsbild, samt individuellt anpassad ljusintensitet av modellerad månyta. Analysen visade inga tecken på plymaktivitet i någon av bilderna och framträdande missanpassningar mellan modell och observation upptäcktes i flertalet bilder, vilket tyder på systematiska fel vid framställning av modeller. Ursprungsmetoden är väl uttänkt men bör ej ses som tillförlitlig innan modelleringen förbättrats. Disskussion förs kring orsaker och möjliga lösningar för de systematiska felen.

Les naines brunes sont définies comme des objets généralement plus massifs que les planètes géantes, mais qui demeurent moins massifs que les plus petites étoiles. Étant incapables de fusionner de l’hydrogène en hélium comme les étoiles de la séquence principale en raison de leur faible masse, les naines brunes rayonnent seulement leur chaleur initiale de formation et se refroidissent continuellement au fil du temps. Cette perpétuelle diminution en luminosité introduit une dégénérescence entre leurs propriétés physiques, car il devient impossible de distinguer par sa seule luminosité une jeune naine brune massive de celle d’une vielle naine brune moins massive. Une modélisation atmosphérique et évolutive devient donc nécessaire pour contraindre les propriétés physiques (masse, rayon, âge, température effective, métallicité) des naines brunes sans compagnons, où seulement la luminosité peut être mesurée directement. Le flux émergeant de ces modèles semble bien reproduire ceux des naines brunes observées jusqu’à présent. Cependant, les paramètres physiques qu’ils prédisent demeurent sans calibration empirique, car il n’existe pas suffisamment de mesures indépendantes de ces paramètres venant de naines brunes observées qui permettrait de vérifier les prédictions des modèles. L’étude de naines brunes binaires éclipsant une étoile ouvre la possibilité de prendre des mesures directes de ses caractéristiques physiques via des analyses de vitesses radiales, de transits et d’éclipses secondaires, le tout de manière indépendante des modèles. Ce mémoire porte sur l’étude d’une naine brune binaire éclipsante découverte en 2011 via photométrie de transit par le télescope Kepler: LHS 6343 C. Des observations de transit (Kepler) en plus d’observations de vitesses radiales (Keck/HIRES) et d’éclipses secondaires (Kepler, HST, Spitzer) permettent la mesure directe de tous ses paramètres physiques importants sauf l’âge. Ce mémoire apporte une première analyse des données d’éclipse secondaire HST pour obtenir un spectre d’émission de la naine brune dans la bande passante WFC3-G141 (1.1 à 1.7 µm), permettant d’identifier un type spectrale de T1.5. De plus, ce mémoire met à jour la masse et le rayon de LHS 6343 C en utilisant une distance Gaia DR3 et des relations stellaires empiriques. Ce nouvel ensemble de paramètres est ensuite comparé à ceux prédits par des modèles atmosphériques, où l’on trouve que ceux en déséquilibre chimique reproduisent mieux les données comparés à ceux en équilibre chimique. Finalement, des modèles d’évolution sont utilisés pour déterminer l’âge de la naine brune. / Brown dwarfs are defined as substellar objects that are generally more massive than giant planets, but which remain less massive than the smallest stars. Being unable to fuse hydrogen into helium like main-sequence stars due to their low mass, brown dwarfs do not have access to a long-term energy source. They therefore radiate only their initial heat of formation and cool continuously over time. This perpetual decrease in luminosity introduces a degeneracy between their physical properties, making it impossible to distinguish a young massive brown dwarf from an older less massive one based on their luminosity and spectra alone. Therefore, atmospheric and evolutionary modelling becomes necessary to obtain other properties (e.g. mass, radius, age, effective temperature) of field brown dwarfs, since only their luminosity can be measured directly. Fortunately, the luminosities and spectra of the best models reproduce observations well. However, the physical parameters they predict (i.e. mass, radius, effective temperature, metallicity) lack an empirical calibration; i.e. there are not enough independent measurements of these parameters to meaningfully confirm the predictive power of models. One of the scenarios allowing the direct measurement of several physical characteristics is provided by brown dwarf eclipsing binaries (BDEB), i.e. a brown dwarf orbiting a star. With radial velocity, transit, and secondary eclipse analyses, all but the age of a BDEB can be determined independently of models. This thesis pertains to the study of a minimally irradiated BDEB, LHS 6343 C, discovered in 2011 via transit photometry by the Kepler telescope. Since its discovery, a greater amount of transit (Kepler) observations in addition to radial velocity (Keck/HIRES) and secondary eclipse (Kepler, HST, Spitzer) observations allow for everything but an age measurement to be obtained. This thesis provides a first analysis of the HST secondary eclipse data to obtain a brown dwarf emission spectrum in the WFC3-G141 filter (1.1 to 1.7 µm), identifying it as a T1.5 dwarf. In addition, this thesis updates the physical parameters of previous studies using a Gaia DR3 distance and empirical stellar relations. This new set of parameters is then compared to those predicted by atmospheric models, where those in chemical nonequilibrium reproduce the observed flux better than chemical equilibrium or cloud models. Finally, evolutionary models are used to determine the age of the brown dwarf.

This thesis is concerned with methods for Bayesian inference and their applications in astrophysics. We principally discuss two related themes: advances in nested sampling (Chapters 3 to 5), and Bayesian sparse reconstruction of signals from noisy data (Chapters 6 and 7). Nested sampling is a popular method for Bayesian computation which is widely used in astrophysics. Following the introduction and background material in Chapters 1 and 2, Chapter 3 analyses the sampling errors in nested sampling parameter estimation and presents a method for estimating them numerically for a single nested sampling calculation. Chapter 4 introduces diagnostic tests for detecting when software has not performed the nested sampling algorithm accurately, for example due to missing a mode in a multimodal posterior. The uncertainty estimates and diagnostics in Chapters 3 and 4 are implemented in the $\texttt{nestcheck}$ software package, and both chapters describe an astronomical application of the techniques introduced. Chapter 5 describes dynamic nested sampling: a generalisation of the nested sampling algorithm which can produce large improvements in computational efficiency compared to standard nested sampling. We have implemented dynamic nested sampling in the $\texttt{dyPolyChord}$ and $\texttt{perfectns}$ software packages. Chapter 6 presents a principled Bayesian framework for signal reconstruction, in which the signal is modelled by basis functions whose number (and form, if required) is determined by the data themselves. This approach is based on a Bayesian interpretation of conventional sparse reconstruction and regularisation techniques, in which sparsity is imposed through priors via Bayesian model selection. We demonstrate our method for noisy 1- and 2-dimensional signals, including examples of processing astronomical images. The numerical implementation uses dynamic nested sampling, and uncertainties are calculated using the methods introduced in Chapters 3 and 4. Chapter 7 applies our Bayesian sparse reconstruction framework to artificial neural networks, where it allows the optimum network architecture to be determined by treating the number of nodes and hidden layers as parameters. We conclude by suggesting possible areas of future research in Chapter 8.