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We propose a new mission called Space Project for Astrophysical and Cosmological Exploration (SPACE) as part on the ESA long term planning Voyage 2050 programme. SPACE will study galaxy evolution at the earliest times, with the key goals of charting the formation of the heavy elements, measuring the evolution of the galaxy luminosity function, tracing the build-up of stellar mass in galaxies over cosmic time, and finding the first super-massive black holes (SMBHs) to form. The mission will exploit a unique region of the parameter space, between the narrow ultra-deep surveys with HST and JWST, and shallow wide-field surveys such as Roman Space Telescope and EUCLID, and should yield by far the largest sample of any current or planned mission of very high redshift galaxies at z > 10 which are sufficiently bright for detailed follow-up spectroscopy. Crucially, we propose a wide-field spectroscopic near-IR + mid-IR capability which will greatly enhance our understanding of the first galaxies by detecting and identifying a statistical sample of the first galaxies and the first SMBH, and to chart the metal enrichment history of galaxies in the early Universe - potentially finding signatures of the very first stars to form from metal-free primordial gas. The wide-field and wavelength range of SPACE will also provide us a unique opportunity to study star formation by performing a wide survey of the Milky Way in the near-IR + mid-IR. This science project can be enabled either by a stand-alone ESA-led M mission or by an instrument for an L mission (with ESA and/or NASA, JAXA and other international space agencies) with a wide-field (sub-)millimetre capability at wavelength > 500 microns., Submitted to Experimental Astronomy as one of the proposals for the European Space Agency Voyage 2050 Programme

Full list of authors: Bonoli, S.; Marín-Franch, A.; Varela, J.; Vázquez Ramió, H.; Abramo, L. R.; Cenarro, A. J.; Dupke, R. A.; Vílchez, J. M.; Cristóbal-Hornillos, D.; González Delgado, R. M.; Hernández-Monteagudo, C.; López-Sanjuan, C.; Muniesa, D. J.; Civera, T.; Ederoclite, A.; Hernán-Caballero, A.; Marra, V.; Baqui, P. O.; Cortesi, A.; Cypriano, E. S.; Daflon, S.; de Amorim, A. L.; Díaz-García, L. A.; Diego, J. M.; Martínez-Solaeche, G.; Pérez, E.; Placco, V. M.; Prada, F.; Queiroz, C.; Alcaniz, J.; Alvarez-Candal, A.; Cepa, J.; Maroto, A. L.; Roig, F.; Siffert, B. B.; Taylor, K.; Benitez, N.; Moles, M.; Sodré, L.; Carneiro, S.; Mendes de Oliveira, C.; Abdalla, E.; Angulo, R. E.; Aparicio Resco, M.; Balaguera-Antolínez, A.; Ballesteros, F. J.; Brito-Silva, D.; Broadhurst, T.; Carrasco, E. R.; Castro, T.; Cid Fernandes, R.; Coelho, P.; de Melo, R. B.; Doubrawa, L.; Fernandez-Soto, A.; Ferrari, F.; Finoguenov, A.; García-Benito, R.; Iglesias-Páramo, J.; Jiménez-Teja, Y.; Kitaura, F. S.; Laur, J.; Lopes, P. A. A.; Lucatelli, G.; Martínez, V. J.; Maturi, M.; Overzier, R. A.; Pigozzo, C.; Quartin, M.; Rodríguez-Martín, J. E.; Salzano, V.; Tamm, A.; Tempel, E.; Umetsu, K.; Valdivielso, L. ; von Marttens, R.; Zitrin, A.; Díaz-Martín, M. C.; López-Alegre, G.; López-Sainz, A.; Yanes-Díaz, A.; Rueda-Teruel, F.; Rueda-Teruel, S.; Abril Ibañez, J.; L Antón Bravo, J.; Bello Ferrer, R.; Bielsa, S.; Casino, J. M.; Castillo, J.; Chueca, S.; Cuesta, L.; Garzarán Calderaro, J.; Iglesias-Marzoa, R.; Íniguez, C.; Lamadrid Gutierrez, J. L.; Lopez-Martinez, F.; Lozano-Pérez, D.; Maícas Sacristán, N.; Molina-Ibáñez, E. L.; Moreno-Signes, A.; Rodríguez Llano, S.; Royo Navarro, M.; Tilve Rua, V.; Andrade, U.; Alfaro, E. J.; Akras, S.; Arnalte-Mur, P.; Ascaso, B.; Barbosa, C. E.; Beltrán Jiménez, J.; Benetti, M.; Bengaly, C. A. P.; Bernui, A.; Blanco-Pillado, J. J.; Borges Fernandes, M.; Bregman, J. N.; Bruzual, G.; Calderone, G.; Carvano, J. M.; Casarini, L.; Chaves-Montero, J.; Chies-Santos, A. L.; Coutinho de Carvalho, G.; Dimauro, P.; Duarte Puertas, S.; Figueruelo, D.; González-Serrano, J. I.; Guerrero, M. A.; Gurung-López, S.; Herranz, D.; Huertas-Company, M.; Irwin, J. A.; Izquierdo-Villalba, D.; Kanaan, A.; Kehrig, C.; Kirkpatrick, C. C.; Lim, J.; Lopes, A. R.; Lopes de Oliveira, R.; Marcos-Caballero, A.; Martínez-Delgado, D.; Martínez-González, E.; Martínez-Somonte, G.; Oliveira, N.; Orsi, A. A.; Penna-Lima, M.; Reis, R. R. R.; Spinoso, D.; Tsujikawa, S.; Vielva, P.; Vitorelli, A. Z.; Xia, J. Q.; Yuan, H. B.; Arroyo-Polonio, A.; Dantas, M. L. L.; Galarza, C. A.; Gonçalves, D. R.; Gonçalves, R. S.; Gonzalez, J. E.; Gonzalez, A. H.; Greisel, N.; Jiménez-Esteban, F.; Landim, R. G.; Lazzaro, D.; Magris, G.; Monteiro-Oliveira, R.; Pereira, C. B.; Rebouças, M. J.; Rodriguez-Espinosa, J. M.; Santos da Costa, S.; Telles, E., The Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) will scan thousands of square degrees of the northern sky with a unique set of 56 filters using the dedicated 2:55m Javalambre Survey Telescope (JST) at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory. Prior to the installation of the main camera (4:2 deg2 field-of-view with 1.2 Gpixels), the JST was equipped with the JPAS-Pathfinder, a one CCD camera with a 0:3 deg2 field-of-view and plate scale of 0.23 arcsec pixel?1. To demonstrate the scientific potential of J-PAS, the JPAS-Pathfinder camera was used to perform miniJPAS, a _1 deg2 survey of the AEGIS field (along the Extended Groth Strip). The field was observed with the 56 J-PAS filters, which include 54 narrow band (FWHM _ 145 ) and two broader filters extending to the UV and the near-infrared, complemented by the u; g; r; i SDSS broad band filters. In this miniJPAS survey overview paper, we present the miniJPAS data set (images and catalogs), as we highlight key aspects and applications of these unique spectro-photometric data and describe how to access the public data products. The data parameters reach depths of magAB ' 22?23:5 in the 54 narrow band filters and up to 24 in the broader filters (5_ in a 300 aperture). The miniJPAS primary catalog contains more than 64 000 sources detected in the r band and with matched photometry in all other bands. This catalog is 99% complete at r = 23:6 (r = 22:7) mag for point-like (extended) sources. We show that our photometric redshifts have an accuracy better than 1% for all sources up to r = 22:5, and a precision of _0:3% for a subset consisting of about half of the sample. On this basis, we outline several scientific applications of our data, including the study of spatially-resolved stellar populations of nearby galaxies, the analysis of the large scale structure up to z _ 0:9, and the detection of large numbers of clusters and groups. Sub-percent redshift precision can also be reached for quasars, allowing for the study of the large-scale structure to be pushed to z 2. The miniJPAS survey demonstrates the capability of the J-PAS filter system to accurately characterize a broad variety of sources and paves the way for the upcoming arrival of J-PAS, which will multiply this data by three orders of magnitude. © 2021 EDP Sciences. All rights reserved., Funding for OAJ, UPAD, and CEFCA has been provided by the Governments of Spain and Aragon through the Fondo de Inversiones de Teruel; the Aragon Government through the Research Groups E96, E103, and E16_17R; the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (MCIU/AEI/FEDER, UE) with grant PGC2018-097585-B-C21; the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER, UE) under AYA2015-66211-C2-1-P, AYA2015-66211-C2-2, AYA2012-30789, and ICTS2009-14; and European FEDER funding (FCDD10-4E-867, FCDD13-4E-2685). This work has made used of CEFCA's Scientific High Performance Computing system which has been funded by the Governments of Spain and Aragon through the Fondo de Inversiones de Teruel, and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO-FEDER, grant AYA2012-30789). Funding for the J-PAS project has been provided also by the Brazilian agencies FINEP, FAPESP, FAPERJ and by the National Observatory of Brazil. Additional funding was also provided by the Tartu Observatory and by the Chinese Consortium from the Academy of Sciences SB acknowledges partial support from the project PGC2018-097585-B-C22. R.A.D. acknowledges support from the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico -CNPq through BP grant 308105/2018-4, and the Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos -FINEP grants REF. 1217/13 -01.13.0279.00 and REF 0859/10 -01.10.0663.00 and also FAPERJ PRONEX grant E-26/110.566/2010 for hardware funding support for the J-PAS project through the National Observatory of Brazil and Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas. LRA acknowledges financial support from CNPq (306696/2018-5) and FAPESP (2015/17199-0). VMthanks CNPq (Brazil) and FAPES (Brazil) for partial financial support and the H2020 project No 888258. L.A.D.G. and K.U. acknowledge support from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Taiwan (grant MOST 106-2628-M-001-003-MY3) and from the Academia Sinica (grant AS-IA-107-M01). J.M.D. and D.H acknowledge the support of project PGC2018-101814-B-100. MQ thanks CNPq (Brazil) and FAPERJ (Brazil) for financial support. PC acknowledges financial support from FAPESP (2018/05392-8) and CNPq (310041/2018-0). AAC acknowledges support from FAPERJ (E26/203.186/2016), CNPq (304971/2016-2 and 401669/2016-5), and the Universidad de Alicante (contract UATALENTO1802). C.Q. acknowledges support from FAPESP (2015/11442-0 and 2019/067661). V.M.P. is supported by NOIRLab, which is managed by AURA under a cooperative agreement with the NSF. P.B acknowledges support from CAPES -Finance Code 001. IAA researchers acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the "Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa" award to the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709). Authors acknowledge support from the Generalitat Valenciana project of excellence Prometeo/2020/085. RGD, GMS, JRM, RGB, EP acknowledge financial support from the project AyA2016-77846-P. TC is supported by the INFN INDARK PD51 and PRIN-MIUR 2015W7KAWC. MAR and ALM acknowledge support from the MINECO project FIS2016-78859P(AEI/FEDER, UE). ET, AT and JL acknowledge the support by ETAg grants IUT40-2 and by EU through the ERDF CoE grant TK133 and MOBTP86. CK, JMV, JIP acknowledge financial support from project AYA2016-79724C4-4P. PAAL thanks the support of CNPq (309398/2018-5). LC thanks CNPq for partial support. Y.J-T acknowledges financial support from the FAPERJ (E26/202.835/2016), and from the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 898633. DMD acknowledges financial support from the SFB 881 of the DFG and from the MINECO grant AYA2016-81065-C2-2. FP acknowledges support of the project PGC2018-101931-B-I00. JC acknowledges support of the project E AYA2017-88007-C3-1-P, and co-financed by the FEDER. JIGs acknowledges support of projects of reference AYA2017-88007-C3-3-P, and PGC2018-099705-B-I00 and co-financed by the FEDER. EMG and PV would like to acknowledge financial support from the project ESP2017-83921C2-1-R. GMS acknowleges financial support from a predoctoral contract, ref. PRE2018-085523 (MCIU/AEI/FSE, UE). S.C. is partially supported by CNPq. R.G.L. acknowledges CAPES (process 88881.162206/2017-01) and Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for the financial support. JSA acknowledges support from FAPERJ (E26/203.024/2017), CNP (310790/2014-0 and 400471/2014-0) and FINEP (1217/13 -01.13.0279.00 and Ref. 0859/10 -01.10.0663.00). RvM acknowledges support from CNPq. AFS, PAM, VJM and FJB acknowledge support from project AYA2016-81065-C2-2. PAM acknowledges support from the "Subprograma Atraccio de Talent -Contractes Postdoctorals de la Universitat de Valencia". ESC acknowledges support from CNPq (308539/20184) and FAPESP (2019/19687-2). CMdO acknowledges support from CNPq (grant 312333/2014-5) and FAPESP (grant 2009/54202-8). LSJ acknowledges support from CNPq (grant 304819/2017-4) and FAPESP (grant 2012/008004). JMC acknowledges support from CNPq (grant 310727/2016-2). C.H.-M. and N. Greisel also acknowledge the support of the European Union via the Career Integration Grant CIG-PCIG9-GA-2011-294183. JJBP and AMC would like to acknowledge the support from the grant PGC2018-094626-B-C21 and the Basque Government grant IT-979-16. AMC acknowledges the postdoctoral contract from the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU "Especializacioon de personal investigador doctor" program. MLLD acknowledges CAPES -Finance Code 001; and CNPq (142294/2018-7). GB acknowledges financial support from the UNAM through grant DGAPA/PAPIIT IG100319, from CONACyT through grant CB2015-252364, and from FAPESP projects 2017/02375-2 and 2018/05392-8. M.J. Reboucas acknowledges the support of FAPERJ under a CNE E-26/202.864/2017 grant, and CNPq. Support by CNPq (305409/2016-6) and FAPERJ (E-26/202.841/2017) is acknowledged by DL. AB acknowledges a CNPq fellowship. C.A.G.acknowledges support from CAPES. EA acknowledges support from FAPESP (2011/18729-1). AC acknowledges support from PNPD/CAPES. ABA and FSK acknowledge the Severo Ochoa program SEV-2015-0548. FSK also thanks the AYA2017-89891-P and the RYC2015-18693 grants. DF acknowledges support from the Atraccion del Talento Cientifico en Salamanca programme and the project PGC2018-096038B-I00.

At distances from the active galaxy nucleus where the ambient temperature falls below ∼1500-1800 K, dust is able to survive. It is thus possible to have a large dusty structure present that surrounds the active galaxy nucleus. This is the first of two papers aiming at comparing six dusty torus models with available spectral energy distributions, namely, Fritz et al., Nenkova et al., Hönig & Kishimoto, Siebenmorgen et al., Stalevski et al., and Hönig & Kishimoto. In this first paper we use synthetic spectra to explore the discrimination between these models and under which circumstances they allow us to restrict the torus parameters, while our second paper analyzes the best model to describe the mid-infrared spectroscopic data. We have produced synthetic spectra from current instruments GTC/CanariCam and Spitzer/IRS and future James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/MIRI and JWST/NIRSpec instruments. We find that for a reasonable brightness (F > 100 mJy) we can actually distinguish among models except for the two pairs of parent models. We show that these models can be distinguished based on the continuum slopes and the strength of the silicate features. Moreover, their parameters can be constrained within 15% of error, irrespective of the instrument used, for all the models except Hönig & Kishimoto. However, the parameter estimates are ruined when more than 50% of circumnuclear contributors are included. Therefore, future high spatial resolution spectra such as those expected from JWST will provide enough coverage and spatial resolution to tackle this topic.© 2019 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved., This research is mainly funded by the UNAM PAPIIT project IA103118 (PI OG-M). M.M.-P. acknowledges support by KASI postdoctoral fellowships. I.M. and J.M. acknowledge financial support from the research project AYA2016-76682-C3-1-P (AEI/FEDER, UE). J.M.R.-E. acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science under grants AYA2015-70498-C2-1 and AYA2017-84061-P. I.G.-B. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) through projects PN AYA2015-64346-C2-1-P and AYA2016-76682-C3-2-P. I.M. and J.M. acknowledge financial support from the State Agency for Research of the Spanish MCIU through the >Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa> award for the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (SEV-2017-0709). D.E.-A. acknowledges support from a CONACYT scholarship. D.-D. acknowledges PAPIIT UNAM support from grant IN113719.

On June 25th 2017, the new intermediate-resolution optical IFU and MOS of the 10.4-m GTC had its first light. As part of the tests carried out to verify the performance of the instrument in its two modes (IFU and MOS) and 18 spectral setups (identical number of VPHs with resolutions R=6000-20000 from 0.36 to 1 micron) a number of astronomical objects were observed. These observations show that MEGARA@GTC is called to fill a niche of high-throughput, intermediateresolution IFU and MOS observations of extremely-faint narrow-lined objects. Lyman-¿ absorbers, star-forming dwarfs or even weak absorptions in stellar spectra in our Galaxy or in the Local Group can now be explored to a new level. Thus, the versatility of MEGARA in terms of observing modes and spectral resolution and coverage will allow GTC to go beyond current observational limits in either depth or precision for all these objects. The results to be presented in this talk clearly demonstrate the potential of MEGARA in this regard. © 2018 SPIE.

We present the first results using a new SCHOTT 1% narrow band filter in the near infrared for the CIRCE camera of the 10.4m GTC telescope. The goal of the project is to detect very distant galaxies at the dawn of the Universe. These remote and extremely faint galaxies are selected by their Ly-alpha emission. For this project SCHOTT manufactured a high transmission 11 nm narrow band filter which has been used in the fully cryogenic near-infrared camera CIRCE of the Gran Telescopio Canarias Telescope. A steep interference filter Bandpass with FWHM 11nm centered at 1254nm was coated on a fused silica substrate. The filter achieved excellent maximum transmission and deep out of band blocking. This was achieved by using magnetron sputtering for the filter coating process. We report on the spectral and interferometric results of the filter and the scientific results achieved with a first set of observations.

arXiv:1710.00826v1, We analyze the properties of a multiply imaged Lyα (Lyα) emitter at z = 5.75 identified through SHARDS Frontier Fields intermediate-band imaging of the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) cluster Abell 370. The source, A370-L57, has low intrinsic luminosity (M ∼ -16.5), steep UV spectral index (β = -2.4 ± 0.1), and extreme rest-frame equivalent width of Lyα. Two different gravitational lens models predict high magnification (μ ∼ 10-16) for the two detected counterimages, separated by 7″, while a predicted third counterimage (μ ∼ 3-4) is undetected. We find differences of ∼50% in magnification between the two lens models, quantifying our current systematic uncertainties. Integral field spectroscopy of A370-L57 with MUSE shows a narrow (FWHM = 204 ± 10 km s) and asymmetric Lyα profile with an integrated luminosity L(Lyα) ∼ 10 erg s. The morphology in the Hubble Space Telescope bands comprises a compact clump (r < 100 pc) that dominates the Lyα and continuum emission and several fainter clumps at projected distances ≲1 kpc that coincide with an extension of the Lyα emission in the SHARDS F823W17 and MUSE observations. The latter could be part of the same galaxy or an interacting companion. We find no evidence of a contribution from active galactic nuclei to the Lyα emission. Fitting of the spectral energy distribution with stellar population models favors a very young (t < 10 Myr), low-mass (), and metal-poor (Z ≲ 4 10) stellar population. Its modest star formation rate (SFR ∼ 1.0 yr) implies high specific SFR (sSFR ∼ 2.5 10 yr) and SFR density ( yr kpc). The properties of A370-L57 make it a good representative of the population of galaxies responsible for cosmic reionization., A.H.-C. and P.G.P.-G. acknowledge funding by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) under grants AYA2012-31277, AYA2015-70815-ERC, and AYA2015-63650-P. J.M.D. acknowledges support of the projects AYA2015-64508-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE), AYA2012-39475-C02-01, and the consolider project CSD2010-00064 funded by MINECO. D.J.L. and J.R. acknowledge support from the ERC starting grant 336736-CALENDS. R.A.M. acknowledges support by the Swiss National Science Foundation. A.A.-H. acknowledges funding by the MINECO grant AYA2015-64346-C2-1-P, which is partly funded by the FEDER program. H.D.S. acknowledges funding from the program ANR-T-ERC ASTROBRAIN. P.S. acknowledges funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation under grant P2GEP2_165426. J.M.R.E. acknowledges funding by the MINECO grant AYA2015-70498-C2-1-R. H.D. acknowledges financial support from the Spanish 2014 Ramón y Cajal program MINECO RYC-2014-15686.

It has been well established in the past decades that the central black hole masses of galaxies correlate with dynamical properties of their harbouring bulges. This notion begs the question of whether there are causal connections between the AGN and its immediate vicinity in the host galaxy. In this paper we analyse the presence of circumnuclear star formation in a sample of 15 AGN using mid-infrared observations. The data consist of a set of 11.3{\mm} PAH emission and reference continuum images, taken with ground based telescopes, with sub-arcsecond resolution. By comparing our star formation estimates with AGN accretion rates, derived from X-ray luminosities, we investigate the validity of theoretical predictions for the AGN-starburst connection. Our main results are: i) circumnuclear star formation is found, at distances as low as tens of parsecs from the nucleus, in nearly half of our sample (7/15); ii) star formation luminosities are correlated with the bolometric luminosity of the AGN ($L_{AGN}$) only for objects with $L_{AGN} \ge 10^{42}\,\,{\rm erg\,\,s^{-1}}$; iii) low luminosity AGNs ($L_{AGN} < 10^{42}\,\,{\rm erg\,\,s^{-1}}$) seem to have starburst luminosities far greater than their bolometric luminosities., 12 pages, 10 figures

We combine observational data on a dozen independent cosmic properties at high-$z$ with the information on reionization drawn from the spectra of distant luminous sources and the cosmic microwave background (CMB) to constrain the interconnected evolution of galaxies and the intergalactic medium since the dark ages. The only acceptable solutions are concentrated in two narrow sets. In one of them reionization proceeds in two phases: a first one driven by Population III stars, completed at $z\sim 10$, and after a short recombination period a second one driven by normal galaxies, completed at $z\sim 6$. In the other set both kinds of sources work in parallel until full reionization at $z\sim 6$. The best solution with double reionization gives excellent fits to all the observed cosmic histories, but the CMB optical depth is 3-$\sigma$ larger than the recent estimate from the Planck data. Alternatively, the best solution with single reionization gives less good fits to the observed star formation rate density and cold gas mass density histories, but the CMB optical depth is consistent with that estimate. We make several predictions, testable with future observations, that should discriminate between the two reionization scenarios. As a byproduct our models provide a natural explanation to some characteristic features of the cosmic properties at high-$z$, as well as to the origin of globular clusters., Comment: 25 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ. Minor typos corrected

We present mid-infrared data of a sample of 57 AGNs obtained with the instrument ISOCAM on board the satellite ISO. The images were obtained through the LW2 (6.75 microns) and LW7 (9.62 microns) filters. This is a new analysis of Clavel et al. (2000) galaxy sample, which is divided into 26 type 1 (< or = 1.5) and 28 type 2 (> 1.5) Seyfert galaxies, plus three QSOs. The spatial resolution of the images allow us to separate the nuclear and the extended contributions to the total emission after decomposing the brightness profiles into different morphological components. The most common components are a central point source (identified as the active nucleus) and an exponential disk. In some cases a bulge, a bar or a ring are needed. The relative contribution of the nucleus to the total emission appears larger in Seyfert 1 than in Seyfert 2. This result confirms that both types of Seyfert galaxies are different in the mid-infrared and supports the existence of an structure which produces anisotropic emission in this wavelength range. We have also explored correlations between the mid-infrared and the radio and X-ray wavelength ranges. The well established radio/infrared correlation is mantained in our sample for the global emission of the galaxies. If only the nuclear infrared emission is considered then a non-linear correlation is apparent in the luminosity-luminosity scatter diagram. The ratio between the intrinsic hard X-ray and the nuclear mid-infrared emission presents large scatter and slightly larger values for type 2 Seyfert galaxies. These results seem to be consistent with the presence of a clumpy dusty torus surrounding the active nucleus., 28 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Published in AJ. Erratum added, 2 pages, 1 figure, accepted by AJ

MEGARA (Multi-Espectrógrafo en GTC de Alta Resolución para Astronomía) is an optical Integral-Field Unit (IFU) and Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) designed for the GTC 10.4m telescope in La Palma. MEGARA offers two IFU fiber bundles, one covering 12.5x11.3 arcsec^2 with a spaxel size of 0.62 arcsec (Large Compact Bundle; LCB) and another one covering 8.5x6.7 arcsec^2 with a spaxel size of 0.42 arcsec (Small Compact Bundle; SCB). The MEGARA MOS mode will allow observing up to 100 objects in a region of 3.5x3.5 arcmin^2 around the two IFU bundles. Both the LCB IFU and MOS capabilities of MEGARA will provide intermediate-to-high spectral resolutions (R_FWHM∽6,000, 12,000 and 18,700, respectively for the low-, mid-and high-resolution Volume Phase Holographic gratings) in the range 3650-9700 ÅÅ. These values become R_FWHM∽7,000, 13,500, and 21,500 when the SCB is used. A mechanism placed at the pseudo-slit position allows exchanging the three observing modes and also acts as focusing mechanism. The spectrograph is a collimator-camera system that has a total of 11 VPHs simultaneously available (out of the 18 VPHs designed and being built) that are placed in the pupil by means of a wheel and an insertion mechanism. The custom-made cryostat hosts an E2V231-84 4kx4k CCD. The UCM (Spain) leads the MEGARA Consortium that also includes INAOE (Mexico), IAA-CSIC (Spain), and UPM (Spain). MEGARA is being developed under a contract between GRANTECAN and UCM. The detailed design, construction and AIV phases are now funded and the instrument should be delivered to GTC before the end of 2016.

We present initial results from a water-vapour monitoring campaign initiated in 1996. A certain amount of caution must still be applied to the interpretation of the water-vapour statistics as a large majority of the data have been taken in summer, or autumn. Continued monitoring is accumulating strong evidence of a seasonal effect, with typically much smaller water-vapour columns during the winter months. The data suggests that a high percentage of nights (∼39%) are acceptable for thermal infrared observing (

We present a study of the atmospheric extinction over the observatories of the Canary Islands, based mainly on photometric measurements of the V -band extinction coefficient obtained during 2850 nights at the Carlsberg Automatic Meridian Circle at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma), and complemented with visible and infrared data obtained at the Teide Observatory (Tenerife). The median value of the extinction coefficient in the V -band is found to be 0.113 mag airmass −1 , which compares favourably with the extinction found at other first-quality astronomical sites. Long-term extinction variations due to the effects of the volcanic eruptions of El Chichon (1982) and Mt. Pinatubo (1991) are also described in this study. A detailed description of the seasonal variations provides the opportunity to study the influence of Saharan dust episodes, mostly concentrated in the summer period. This allowed us to estimate how Saharan dust affects astronomical observations. It is concluded that more than 75% of summer nights are not affected by dust, while this number rises over 90% for the rest of the year.

In this paper the main findings are presented of a recent study made by a team of sociologists from the University of Granada on the professional astronomers currently working in Spain. Despite the peculiarities of this group – its youth, twentyfold increase in size over the last 20 years, and extremely high rate of specialization abroad – in comparison with other Spanish professionals, this is the first time that the sociological characteristics of the group have been studied discretely. The most significant results of the study are presented in the following sections. Section 1 gives a brief historical background of the development of Astronomy in Spain. Section 2 analyzes the socio-demographic profile of Spanish Astronomy professionals (sex, age, marital status, etc.). Sections 3–5 are devoted to the college education and study programs followed by Spanish astronomers, focusing on the features and evaluations of the training received, and pre- and postdoctoral study trips made to research centers abroad. The results for the latter clearly show the importance that Spanish astronomers place on having experience abroad. Special attention is paid to scientific papers published as a result of joint research projects carried out with colleagues from centers abroad as a result of these study trips. Section 6 describes the situation of Astronomy professionals within the Spanish job market, the different positions available and the time taken to find a job after graduation. Section 7 examines Astronomy as a discipline in Spain, including the astronomers' own opinions of the social status of the discipline within Spanish society. Particular attention is paid to how Spanish astronomers view the status of Astronomy in Spain in comparison with that of other European countries.

In these proceedings we give a summary of the characteristics and current status of the MEGARA instrument, the future optical IFU and MOS for the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). MEGARA is being built by a Consortium of public research institutions led by the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM, Spain) that also includes INAOE (Mexico), IAA-CSIC (Spain) and UPM (Spain). The MEGARA IFU includes two different fiber bundles, one called LCB (Large Compact Bundle) with a field-of-view of 12.5x11.3 arcsec(2) and a spaxel size of 0.62 arcsec yielding spectral resolutions between R=6,800-17,000 and another one called SCB (Small Compact Bundle) covering 8.5x6.7 arcsec(2) with hexagonally-shaped and packed 0.42-arcsec spaxels and resolutions R=8,000-20,000. The MOS component allows observing up to 100 targets in 3.5x3.5 arcmin(2). Both the IFU bundles and the set of 100 robotic positioners of the MOS will be placed at one of the GTC Folded-Cass foci while the spectrographs (one in the case of the MEGARA-Basic concept) will be placed at the Nasmyth platform. On March 2012 MEGARA passed the Preliminary Design Review and its first light is expected to take place at the end of 2015.

We have employed a reliable technique of classification of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) based on the fit of well-sampled spectral energy distributions (SEDs) with a complete set of AGN and starburst galaxy templates. We have compiled ultraviolet, optical, and infrared data for a sample of 116 AGN originally selected for their X-ray and mid-infrared emissions (96 with single detections and 20 with double optical counterparts). This is the most complete compilation of multiwavelength data for such a big sample of AGN in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS). Through these SEDs, we are able to obtain highly reliable photometric redshifts and to distinguish between pure and host-dominated AGN. For the objects with unique detection we find that they can be separated into five main groups, namely: Starburst-dominated AGN (24 % of the sample), Starburst-contaminated AGN (7 %), Type-1 AGN (21 %), Type-2 AGN (24 %), and Normal galaxy hosting AGN (24 %). We find these groups concentrated at different redshifts: Type-2 AGN and Normal galaxy hosting AGN are concentrated at low redshifts, whereas Starburst-dominated AGN and Type-1 AGN show a larger span. Correlations between hard/soft X-ray and ultraviolet, optical and infrared luminosities, respectively, are reported for the first time for such a sample of AGN spanning a wide range of redshifts. For the 20 objects with double detection the percentage of Starburst-dominated AGN increases up to 48%.

CanariCam is the facility mid-infrared (MIR) instrument for the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), a 10.4m telescope at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma. One of the science drivers for CanariCam is the study of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We will exploit the instrument's high sensitivity in imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry modes to answer fundamental questions of AGN and their host galaxies. Dust in the nucleus of an active galaxy reprocesses the intrinsic radiation of the central engine to emerge in the MIR. Current work demonstrates that the hot dust immediately associated with the AGN, which blocks direct views of the AGN from some lines of sight, is confined to small (parsec) scales. Thus, high spatial resolution is essential to probe the "torus" of unified AGN models separate from the host galaxy. CanariCam provides a 0.08" pixel scale for Nyquist sampling the diffraction-limited point spread function at 8μm, and narrow (0.2") spectroscopy slits (with R=120-1300). New observations with the GTC/CanariCam will provide key constraints on the physical conditions in the clumpy torus, and we will sensitively determine AGN obscuration as a function of nuclear activity. We will therefore address the fueling process and its relationship to the torus, the interaction with the host galaxy, and dust chemistry. These data will be essential preparation for the next generation of telescopes that will observe the distant universe directly to explore galaxy and black hole formation and evolution, and the GTC/CanariCam system uniquely provides multiple modes to probe AGN.

We show the results of a mid and far IR study of ISO data of the CfA Seyfert sample. These data allow a detailed study of the far IR Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of these galaxies. We.nd that the mid and far IR SED of Seyfert galaxies can be explained solely through thermal reradiation of high energy photons by dust, and, that this thermalemission is made up of two or three di.erent independent components, a warm, a cold and a very cold dust component. These thermal components have been explained as produced respectively by warm dust heated by either the active nucleus or by circumnuclear starburts, cold dust heated by star forming region in the galaxy disk, and very cold dust heated by the general interstellar radiation field.

Elmer is an imager and spectrograph in the visible range that has been designed and managed within the GTC Project Office. Elmer will be installed at the telescope at the beginning of the commissioning phase. The observing modes of the instrument are: Imaging, Long Slit, Mask and Slit-less multi-object Spectroscopy, Fast Photometry and Fast short-slit Spectroscopy. The pupil elements are a set of conventional broad band and narrow band filters as well as a set of prisms, grisms and VPHs, that allow spectroscopy with resolving powers of 200, 1000 and 2500 between 365 and 1000nm. Elmer has been exhaustively tested and each of its observing modes has been fully characterized at the laboratory. This contribution summarizes the results of this Test Plan, showing the excellent performance of Elmer in both, Imaging and Spectroscopy modes that, together with the GTC, will lead to a powerful scientific return.

The GTC (Gran Telescopio Canarias) is a 10,4 meter segmented telescope, whose integration is currently being completed at the ORM in La Palma, Spain. The GTC is a partnership between Spain, Mexico and the University of Florida. Main science drivers for the GTC are image quality, operational efficiency and reliability. First light is planned for late-2006. The GTC Project, initiated in 1996, is nearly complete in its integration. Groundbreaking was done in 2000. The telescope building and dome were finished by end 2002. The telescope structure was complete in early 2005. Since then this structure is being completed with the rest of the parts, i.e. M1 mirror subcells, M3 tower, main axes encoders and motors, cables, pipes and cable-rotators, electronic cabinets, etc. The mirrors will be installed at the telescope, just before First Light. All the optical elements have been finished and are being prepared to be installed. Three science instruments are being completed to be installed as first generation instruments. Two second-generation instruments, including one exploiting the future Adaptive Optics capabilities of the GTC, are under development.

Satellite data measuring aerosols over the Canary Islands need to be correctly interpreted in accordance with the spatial resolution and spectroscopic channels used. In situ data are still a necessary reference for calibrating and interpreting the aerosol index provided by different spectrometers onboard satellites. A comparison of both techniques (in situ and remote) is discussed in this paper, showing there is no linear correlation between the aerosol index and the extinction coefficient. Here, we present an interpretation of different situations arising and discuss critically the correct interpretation of the aerosol index and images provided by the TOMS in accordance with the dust presence over the Observatories. The aerosol index measured at sectors centered at both Observatories (Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos -ORM-, on La Palma and Observatorio del Teide -OT-, on Tenerife) is also compared.

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC1) 10m telescope is now being integrated at the ORM, in La Palma Spain. Likewise, three instruments are being prepared for first light and, as of this writing, are about to start their laboratory integration. These first light instruments are: 1) OSIRIS, a large field of view imager and multi-object spectrograph, optimized for tuneable filter imaging, 2) ELMER a very sensitive imager and spectrograph, also for the visible range, and 3) CANARICAM, a diffraction-limited imager, spectrograph, polarimeter and coronagrapher for the mid-IR. The GTC set of first light instruments will offer some special observational capabilities to the astronomical community, namely Tuneable filter Imaging in OSIRIS, fast spectroscopy and photometry in both, ELMER and OSIRIS, and 10 microns Coronagraphy and Polarimetry with CANARICAM. Yet another instrument, EMIR, a large field, near-IR multi-object spectrograph and imager is in the Detailed Design phase. EMIR will be the first of the GTC second generation set of instruments. At the planning stage are several future instruments that will arrive to the GTC with different calendars after Day One. In particular, FRIDA, a near-IR diffraction-limited imager and spectrograph, that will operate with the GTC Adaptive Optics system. FRIDA's conceptual design is being started by a consortium lead by UNAM (Mexico) and in which the IAC and the University of Florida also participate. FRIDA should be at the telescope by the time that the AO system is having first light. This is expected by late 2007 early 2008. There is interest in the GTC community for installing visiting instruments on the GTC, thus the GTC board is discussing a policy to allow visitor instruments, some of which have already been proposed to be hosted by the GTC. In particular, CIRCE is a near IR camera that is being built by the Department of Astronomy of the University of Florida in Gainesville for the GTC using private funds, under the GTC visitor instrument scheme. CIRCE should bridge the gap between Day One and the arrival of EMIR enabling near IR imaging capabilities to the GTC.

Satellite data measuring aerosols over the Canary Islands need to be correctly interpreted in accordance with the spatial resolution and spectroscopic channels used. In situ data are still a necessary reference for calibrating and interpreting the aerosol index provided by different spectrometers onboard satellites. Most of the airmass flux component arriving at the Canarian Archipelago comes from the North Atlantic Ocean and consists of sea aerosols, i.e. absorbent chloride in the UV which does not affect the extinction in the visible range. African dust intrusions affect the western and eastern Canary Islands differently. Moreover, the presence of a stable inversion layer and the sharp orography of the western islands (La Palma at Tenerife) produce different mass flux patterns in the low (mixing) layers closer to the sea and in the median-upper (or free) troposphere layer. The aerosol index provided by the TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer) is one of the most widely accepted products to detect the daily aerosol content. On the other hand, several techniques have been developed in situ to characterize the presence of dust locally at the Canarian Observatories. In particular, a parameter related to sky transparency, the atmospheric extinction coefficient, has been measured at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM) on La Palma since 1984 by the Carslberg Automatic Meridian Circle Telescope (CAMC). In situ aerosols are also available for the Teide Observatory (OT) on Tenerife, from 1986 onwards. In this work we compare aerosol index data of TOMS/Earth Probe observations and atmospheric optical extinction coefficient from CAMC in the period 1996-2004. A preliminary comparison of both techniques (in situ and remote) is discussed in this paper, showing there is no linear correlation between the aerosol index and the extinction coefficient. Here, we present an interpretation of different situations arising and discuss critically the correct interpretation of the aerosol index and images provided by the TOMS in accordance with the dust presence over the Observatories.

The GTC (Gran Telescopio Canarias) is a 10,4 meter segmented telescope currently being integrated at the ORM in La Palma, Spain. It is a partnership between Spain, Mexico and the University of Florida. Main science drivers for the GTC are image quality, operational efficiency and reliability. First light is planned for mid-2005. The GTC Project, initiated in 1996, is well advanced in its integration. Construction started in October 1999. The main building and dome were finished by end 2002 and are now enclosing the assembly work of the telescope structure. All telescope subsystems are finished and in La Palma where the telescope structure keeps growing. The segments of the primary mirror, probably one of the most demanding part of the GTC, have also started to be delivered by the polisher. Three science instruments are starting their integration and are expected to arrive at the telescope well on time. Two second-generation instruments, including one exploiting the future Adaptive Optics capabilities of the GTC, are under development. Preparation for operation and maintenance has started to ensure a smooth transition from construction into the operation phase. The current status of the project and the short term plans are presented here.

The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is, being assembled at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM) in the island of La Palma. First light is expected for early 2005 with the first science observations late in 2005. The GTC, being a segmented primary mirror telescope, could be employed for testing several technological aspects relevant to the future generation of Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT). In the short term, the mass production of aespheric mirror segments can be examined in detail and improvements made along the way, or planned for the future. Indeed the GTC segments are now entering into a chain production scheme. Later on, different strategies for the control aspects of the primary mirror can be explored to optimize the optical performance of segmented telescopes. Moreover, the entire GTC active optics can offer a learning tool for testing various strategies and their application to ELTs.

We have found two dwarf galaxies exhibit indicative features of possible superwind and/or superbubble structures. These galaxies are part of a catalog of starburst galaxies observed from Canarias (A.M. Perez-Garcia et al. 2001). The Atlas of starburst galaxies will be available at our web page. In it we present images in H α , J, H and Ks filters.

The real dimensions of a spiral galaxy are crucial to understand the impact of intense star formation in the galaxy and to study the possibility that processed material be throw out to intergalactic medium. For this is necesary to map as many galactic components as be possible and in particular the spatial distribution of cold material, e.g. dust. In a recent paper (Melo et al. 2002) we have study the far-infrared emission properties of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 based on IRAS maps and an ISOPHOT map at 180 µm. Based on the analysis of the light profiles, we have been able to identify three main structural components: an unresolved nuclear component, an exponential disk, and a kiloparsec scale bar. In addition, we also found a ring structure at the end of the bar that is particularly conspicuous at 12 µm. The Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of each morphological component has been modeled as thermal dust emission at different temperatures. We detect an extension of the disk emission due to very cold dust, which contributes a large fraction (94%) of the total dust mass of the galaxy. The estimated total dust mass is 8.2 × 107 M⊙.

We study the far-infrared emission properties of the nearby starburst galaxy NGC 253 based on IRAS maps and an ISOPHOT map at 180 microns. Based on the analysis of the light profiles, we have been able to identify three main structural components: an unresolved nuclear component, an exponential disk, and a kiloparsec scale bar.In addition, we also found a ring structure at the end of the bar that is particularly conspicuous at 12 microns. The Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of each morphological component has been modeled as thermal dust emission at different temperatures. The unresolved nuclear component is dominated by cold dust emission (T ~ 50 K), whereas the disk emission is dominated by very cold dust (T ~ 16 K) plus a contribution from cold dust (T ~ 55 K). The bar emission corresponds mainly to cold dust (T ~ 23 K) plus a warm component (T ~ 148 K). We detect an extension of the disk emission due to very cold dust, which contributes a large fraction (94%) of the total dust mass of the galaxy. The estimated total dust mass is 8.2 +/- 10^7 Msun., 20 pages, 9 figures. Accepted in ApJ

New ground based observing opportunities are becoming, or about to become, available to astronomers for QSO research. These, combined with state of the art focal plane instruments, provide unprecedented sensitivity for detecting faint surface brightness features. During the talk I will take the liberty of talking about one of these new large telescope facilities currently being built in Spain, and will discuss some of the advantages for QSO research offered by these new facilities.

NGC253 is a nearby spiral galaxy with an active starburst nucleus. Here we present preliminary results obtained from ISO data in the range of 5 to 16 microns (ISOCAM-CVF) and of 120 to 180 microns (ISOPHOT). The mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectrum exhibits typical broad PAH features as well as weak atomic emission, which is not seen in the continuum and [Arii] emission line. The molecular emission (PAH) shows up a ring structure with 6 arcsecons radius. The ring might be produced by an inner bar, that could feed the nuclear starburst. We present a far-IR map (180 microns) as well as several profiles across the minor axis of the galaxy,through which we observe a variation of the cold dust temperature from the inner to the outer regions of the galaxy. This cold dust is responsible for far-IR emission observed in this galaxy. We detect an extension of cold dust (20 K) emission not seen previously in IRAS maps, which may contribute to a large fraction of the galaxy total mass.

NGC 253 is a nearby spiral galaxy with an active starburst nucleus. Its proximity allows observation with good spatial resolution with state of the art mid and far IR facilities. Here we present preliminary results obtained from the ISO archive in 5 to 16 microns (ISOCAM-CVF) and 120 to 180 μm (ISOPHOT) ranges. The mid IR spectrum exhibits typical broad PAH features as well as weak atomic emission, which is not seen in the continuum nor in the [ArII] emission line. For the first time we present a far IR map (180 μm) as well as several profiles across the minor axis of the galaxy, showing a variation of the dust temperature. We detect an extension of the cold dust (20K) emission not seen previously in IRAS maps, which may contribute to a large fraction of the galaxy total mass.

Based on Mid and far-IR data of a complete set of Seyfert galaxies we analyse the Spectral Energy Distributions (SED) of these objects. These SEDs can be separated into three thermal emission components. This separation can be used to introduce some sort of spatial resolution in the inherently low resolution ISO data. It can also be applied as a method for detecting galactic disc components in high-z objects. The separation into emission components allows the study of these independently. In particular differences in the emission of the type 1 and 2 Seyferts can be seen in the warm emission component supposedly originated in dust heated by the nuclear source. The colder components tell us about the extended host galaxies.

We present mid-infrared (mid-IR) data from ISOCAM (6.75 and 9.62 μm) of a sample of Seyfert galaxies (Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2). The spatial resolution of the images allow us to separate the nuclear and extended contributions of the total emission. The relative contribution of the nucleus to the total emission is larger in Seyfert 1 than in Seyfert 2. This result confirms that Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 are different at mid-IR and supports the existence of a torus that produces anisotropic emission in the mid-IR. We also compare the mid-IR emission (nuclear and integrated) with the total emission from 16 to 120 μm (ISOPHOT data). We find that the correlation between mid-IR nuclear emission and total emission is lost beyond 120 μm, which suggests that at far-IR the host galaxy emission dominates.

The GTC (Gran Telescopio Canarias) Project, a 10 meter segmented telescope to be installed at the ORM in La Palma, Spain, is moving forward at full steam. Main science drivers for the GTC are image quality, operational efficiency and reliability. First light is planned for end-2002.

The Grain Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC) is a high performance 10-m class telescope which is being built by the IAC (Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias). It will be installed at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, on the island of La Palma. First light is planned for end-2002. Image quality, operational efficiency and reliability are emphasized in the Conceptual Design which was finished in mid-97. Preliminary design is now proceeding on all the aspects of the project. The GTC Project is presently funded at the 50% level by Spain. Other partners are encouraged to participate in this challenging project. The scientific drives behind the GTC project are described here, as well as the current technical, managerial, and operational baseline.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

1. Techniques for high angular resolution astronomical imaging J. M. Beckers 2. Detectors and data analysis techniques for wide field optical imaging M. J. Irwin 3. Modern methods of image reconstruction R. C. Puetter 4. Spectroscopic techniques for large optical/infrared telescopes K. Taylor 5. High resolution spectroscopy D. F. Gray 5. Near infrared instrumentation for large telescopes I. S. McLean 6. Mid-infrared astronomy with large telescopes B. Jones 7. Polarimetry with large telescopes S. di Serego Alighieri.

A project to build a large telescope at the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), in the island of La Palma, has been underway for several years. Spanish astronomy has progressed steadily to the point where gaining access to large telescope time is key to its continued and future growth. Also the technological situation within Spain is such that building a large telescope is regarded as a scientific and advanced technology endeavor worth investing in. The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) project has thus been granted approval in February this year, with an allocation of 51% of the budget. Current activities of the telescope project are mainly concentrated in the conceptual design and analysis of the telescope optics, including plans for the adaptive optics, its mechanical structure and enclosure, and an active campaign of site testing. We are also carrying out detailed programs aimed at producing and testing prototype models for sensors, actuators and the control system for aligning the primary mirror segments. In the following sections, the current status of the activities being carried out by the telescope project team are described.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We present ISOPHOT observations of several objects from the CfA sample of Seyfert galaxies. Data for over 50% of the objects in the sample have been acquired so far. In all instances the far IR emission can be accounted for by assuming two different emission components.

The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) is taking preliminary steps towards the building of an 8-m class optical-infrared telescope to be placed at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos (ORM) on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. This paper presents a brief description of the preliminary conceptual design of the control system for the telescope and its instrumentation in all planned modes of observation and configurations. An outline of the devices that are to be controlled and the functions that are to be performed is presented, together with a description of the system architecture. The system will be distributed and highly modular, and will allow for an easy and efficient exchange of instruments, focal stations and observing modes. It will also be designed so that technological upgrades can be implemented at low cost and minimum down-time.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We have just finished the first tests at the telescope of an infrared camera designed and developed at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC). This camera, based on a 256 X 256 focal plane array, has been built to operate at the 1.5 m Carlos Sanchez IR telescope (CST) in the Observatorio del Teide (Canary Islands, Spain). In this paper we describe the final configuration and performance of the camera. Some images taken during two telescope commissioning periods are shown.

The technology division of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) is developing a data acquisition system (DAS) for an IR camera to be used at the 1.5m Carlos Sanchez Telescope (TCS) in the Observatorio del Teide (Canary Islands, Spain). This camera will work between a wavelength of 1 and 5 microns and will employ an InSb focal plane array (FPA). The DAS and the user interface are based on a UNIX workstation with a modular transputer based controller. The IGA-256 (Cincinnati Electronics) has been evaluated as a candidate for the focal plane array. The main features related to the potential astronomical performance, such as well depth and dark current are reported. The testing procedures and present status of the camera are discussed.

We used the CLUMPY torus models and a Bayesian approach to fit the infrared spectral energy distributions and ground-based high angular resolution mid-infrared spectroscopy of 13 nearby Seyfert galaxies. This allowed us to put tight constraints on torus model parameters such as the viewing angle i, the radial thickness of the torus Y, the angular size of the cloud distribution σtorus, and the average number of clouds along radial equatorial rays N0. We found that the viewing angle i is not the only parameter controlling the classification of a galaxy into type 1 or type2. In principle, type 2s could be viewed at any viewing angle i as long as there is one cloud along the line of sight. A more relevant quantity for clumpy media is the probability for an active galactic nucleus (AGN) photon to escape unabsorbed. In our sample, type 1s have relatively high escape probabilities, Pesc ∼ 12%-44%, while type 2s, as expected, tend to have very low escape probabilities. Our fits also confirmed that the tori of Seyfert galaxies are compact with torus model radii in the range 1-6pc. The scaling of the models to the data also provided the AGN bolometric luminosities L bol(AGN), which were found to be in good agreement with estimates from the literature. When we combined our sample of Seyfert galaxies with a sample of PG quasars from the literature to span a range of Lbol(AGN) ∼ 1043-1047 erg s-1, we found plausible evidence of the receding torus. That is, there is a tendency for the torus geometrical covering factor to be lower (f2 ∼ 0.1-0.3) at high AGN luminosities than at low AGN luminosities (f2 ∼ 0.9-1 at ∼ 1043-1044 erg s-1). This is because at low AGN luminosities the tori appear to have wider angular sizes (larger σtorus) and more clouds along radial equatorial rays. We cannot, however, rule out the possibility that this is due to contamination by extended dust structures not associated with the dusty torus at low AGN luminosities, since most of these in our sample are hosted in highly inclined galaxies. © 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

The Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) is undertaking the construction of an IR camera for astronomical use at the 1.5 meter (f/13,8) Carlos Sanchez IR Telescope (CST), sited at the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife). The camera will employ a 256 X 256 InSb focal plane array, and will be used in the 1 - 5 micron atmospheric windows. The Camera uses an optical reimaging system which maps 0.5 square arcseconds of sky per pixel. The optical system will be diamond turned in aluminum and mounted in such a way that the optical alignment is facilitated. Two filter wheels will accommodate 14 broad and narrow band filters. A SUN SPARCstation will control the camera and allow data handling and displaying of the images. With this configuration we expect to achieve sensitivities of 17 and 12.5 magnitude (3 (sigma) in 10 sec) at the K and L band respectively.