We report the observation and confirmation of the first group-and cluster-scale strong gravitational lensing systems found in Dark Energy Survey data. Through visual inspection of data from the Science Verification season, we identified 53 candidate systems. We then obtained spectroscopic follow-up of 21 candidates using the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph at the Gemini South telescope and the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph at the Magellan/Baade telescope. With this follow-up, we confirmed six candidates as gravitational lenses: three of the systems are newly discovered, and the remaining three were previously known. Of the 21 observed candidates, the remaining 15 either were not detected in spectroscopic observations, were observed and did not exhibit continuum emission (or spectral features), or were ruled out as lensing systems. The confirmed sample consists of one group-scale and five galaxy-cluster-scale lenses. The lensed sources range in redshift z similar to 0.80-3.2 and in i-band surface brightness i(SB) similar to 23-25 mag arcsec(-2) (2 '' aperture). For each of the six systems, we estimate the Einstein radius theta(E) and the enclosed mass M-enc, which have ranges theta(E) similar to 5 ''-9 '' and M-enc similar to 8 x 10(12) to 6 x 10(13)M(circle dot), respectively.

On 2014 December 9.61, the All-sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN or "Assassin") discovered ASASSN-141p just similar to 2 days after first light using a global array of 14 cm diameter telescopes. ASASSN-141p went on to become a bright supernova (V = 11.94 mag), second only to SN 2014J for the year. We present prediscovery photometry (with a detection less than a day after first light) and ultraviolet through near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic data covering the rise and fall of ASASSN-141p for more than 100 days. We find that ASASSN-141p had a broad light curve (Delta m(15) (B) = 0.80 +/- 0.05), a B-band maximum at 2457015.82 +/- 0.03, a rise time of 16.941(-0.10)(+0.11) days, and moderate host-galaxy extinction (E (B - V)host = 0.33 +/- 0.06). Using ASASSN-141p, we derive a distance modulus for NGC 4666 of mu = 30.8 +/- 0.2, corresponding to a distance of 14.7 +/- 1.5 Mpc. However, adding ASASSN-141p to the calibrating sample of Type Ia supernovae still requires an independent distance to the host galaxy. Finally, using our early-time photometric and spectroscopic observations, we rule out red giant secondaries and, assuming a favorable viewing angle and explosion time, any nondegenerate companion larger than 0.34 RG(circle dot).

The ubiquity of Lyman alpha (Ly alpha) emission in a sample of four bright [O III]- strong star-forming galaxies with redshifts above seven has led to the suggestion that such luminous sources represent a distinct population compared with their fainter, more numerous counterparts. The presence of Lya emission within the reionization era could indicate that these sources created early ionized bubbles due to their unusually strong radiation, possibly because of the presence of active galactic nuclei. To test this hypothesis, we secured long integration spectra with XSHOOTER on the VLT for three z similar or equal to 7 sources selected to have similar luminosities and prominent excess fluxes in the IRAC 3.6 or 4.5 mu m band, usually attributed to strong [O III] emission. We secured additional spectroscopy for one of these galaxies at z = 7.15 using MOSFIRE at the Keck telescope. For the most well-studied source in our sample with the strongest IRAC excess, we detect significant nebular emission from He II and N V indicative of a non-thermal source. For the other two sources at z = 6.81 and z = 6.85, for which no previous optical/near-infrared spectroscopy was available, Ly alpha is seen in one and C III] emission in the other. Although based on a modest sample, our results further support the hypothesis that the phenomenon of intense [O III] emission is associated preferentially with sources lying in early ionized bubbles. However, even though one of our sources at z = 7.15 suggests the presence of non-thermal radiation, such ionized bubbles may not uniquely arise in this manner. We discuss the unique advantages of extending such challenging diagnostic studies with JWST.

Measurements of the Hubble constantH(z) are increasingly being used to test the expansion rate predicted by various cosmological models. But the recent application of two-point diagnostics, such as Om(zi, zj) and Omh(2)(zi, zj), has produced considerable tension between Lambda CDM's predictions and several observations, with other models faring even worse. Part of this problem is attributable to the continued mixing of truly model-independent measurements using the cosmic-chronometer approach, and model-dependent data extracted from baryon acoustic oscillations. In this paper, we advance the use of two-point diagnostics beyond their current status, and introduce new variations, which we call Delta h(zi, zj), that are more useful for model comparisons. But we restrict our analysis exclusively to cosmic-chronometer data, which are truly model independent. Even for these measurements, however, we confirm the conclusions drawn by earlier workers that the data have strongly non-Gaussian uncertainties, requiring the use of both 'median' and 'mean' statistical approaches. Our results reveal that previous analyses using two-point diagnostics greatly underestimated the errors, thereby misinterpreting the level of tension between theoretical predictions and H(z) data. Instead, we demonstrate that as of today, only Einstein-de Sitter is ruled out by the two-point diagnostics at a level of significance exceeding similar to 3s. The R-h = ct universe is slightly favoured over the remaining models, including Lambda cold dark matter and Chevalier-Polarski-Linder, though all of them (other than Einstein-de Sitter) are consistent to within 1 sigma with the measured mean of the Delta h(zi, zj) diagnostics.

In Yoshii et al., we described a new method for measuring extragalactic distances based on dust reverberation in active galactic nuclei (AGNs), and we validated our new method with Cepheid variable stars. In this Letter, we validate our new method with Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) that occurred in two of the AGN host galaxies during our AGN monitoring program: SN 2004bd in NGC 3786 and SN 2008ec in NGC 7469. Their multicolor light curves were observed and analyzed using two widely accepted methods for measuring SN distances, and the distance moduli derived are m= 33.47 +/- 0.15 for SN 2004bd and 33.83 +/- 0.07 for SN 2008ec. These results are used to obtain independently the distance measurement calibration factor, g. The g value obtained from the SN Ia discussed in this Letter is gSN= 10.61 +/- 0.50, which matches, within the range of 1s uncertainty, gDUST = 10.60, previously calculated ab initio in Yoshii et al. Having validated our new method for measuring extragalactic distances, we use our new method to calibrate reverberation distances derived from variations of Ha emission in the AGN broad-line region, extending the Hubble diagram to z approximate to 0.3 where distinguishing between cosmologies is becoming possible.

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / I combine 610 MHz Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) data, 1.4 GHz Very Large Array (VLA) data and 1.4 GHz Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) observations, encompassing a ∼ 4 square degree field (sq. deg. field) centred on the verification strip of the Spitzer First Look Survey (FLS) field (RA = 17h18m00s, Dec = 59◦30′30′′), to study radio sources down to fluxes of about 0.1 mJy. The results of an analysis of a sample of 107 multi-component radio sources obtained by cross-correlating the VLA and GMRT catalogues are shown. The spectral index analysis shows that the majority of multi-component sources are steep-spectrum sources. Nevertheless the spread in the spectral distribution is wide, with a significant number of ultrasteep,flat or inverted sources. By cross-correlating 107 multi-component radio sources with the optical catalogues of Marleau et al. (2007) and Papovich et al. (2006), 23 objects were identified and spectroscopically classified as galaxies. Some of them are classified as star-forming or star-burst galaxies, perhaps indicating that AGN and starformation activity are ongoing in the same galaxy. The measured redshifts span the range 0 < z < 1.8 and peak at z ∼ 0.2. According to their radio power (P), 6 of the identified objects are in the range of FR II sources (P1.4GHz > 1024.5W/Hz) while 17 are in the range of FR I sources (P1.4GHz < 1024.5W/Hz). Most of the sources having P1.4GHz < 1024.5W/Hz are compact and few are extended and peculiar, while all sources in the range of P1.4GHz > 1024.5W/Hz are extended. Further optical followup is recommended to allow a more complete census of the sub-mJy population and more information on AGN feedback from such sources.

Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the Universe. Their masses are dominated by dark matter ($\sim$85\% of the mass) with stars representing 1-4\% of their masses. A hot, X-ray emitting gas called the intracluster medium makes most of their baryonic mass. The presence of this gas and of numerous neighbouring galaxies prematurely stop the star formation in clusters. In other terms, more galaxies in clusters are passive than in the general population of galaxies. This effect is mass and position-dependant: high-mass galaxies are more likely to be passive than less massive ones; galaxies inhabiting the cluster core are also less likely to form stars than those in the outskirts. The fraction of passive galaxies is greater in local clusters than in high-redshift ones, because they had more time to evolve. Much is unknown about the cessation of star formation, called quenching, in clusters. Thus, although many examples of infalling galaxies being stripped of their gas have been reported for low-mass galaxies, it is unclear if the most massive members became quenched before or after they become cluster members. The relationship between quenching and the cluster mass is also poorly understood. Despite the variety of methods devised to find clusters of galaxies, most of what we know about quenching in $z\gtrsim 1$ clusters was discovered with optically/infrared-selected cluster samples (clusters found as overdensities of galaxies), or samples of mixed origin. Yet, there is tentative evidence that optically/infrared-selected samples are biased toward having more passive galaxies than those that were X-ray selected. In the present dissertation, quenching is explored in X-ray selected cluster samples. A sample of high-redshift, low-mass galaxy clusters is built by finding galaxy overdensities coincident with sources of extended X-ray emission. A photometry-based analysis reveals that the fraction of quenched galaxies in these clusters is very variable. Moreover, the brightest cluster galaxies are also diverse. Yet, for all the information that photometry can provide, this sample candidate clusters need to be confirmed with spectroscopy. Spectroscopic observations obtained for four candidate clusters are reduced and analysed. The results show that three of them are clusters, the fourth candidate being a superposition of structures. Member spectra are examined to infer their star formation history, and the results shows the existence of an intermediary population of galaxies, where an old stellar population coexists with weak star formation. Finally, the galaxies of a $z=1.98$ X-ray selected cluster, XLSSC 122 are investigated in detail. Photometric data in 12 bands are organized to perform spectral energy distribution fittings, a technique that allows a simplified reconstitution of the history of the star formation. Results show that the members were formed at diverse epochs, the oldest being about 2.5 Gyrs old. Simulations drawn from the Multi Dark Planck 2 are used to infer the mass-scale of the cluster when the oldest galaxies were formed, something that has never been done before. The oldest galaxies were probably formed when XLSSC 122 had accreted $<$10\% of its $z=1.98$ mass, i.e. the mass-scale of a galaxy group. / Graduate