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The Large Fiber Array Spectroscopic Telescope (LFAST) concept involves the utilization of 2640 individual, 0.76 m "unit telescopes" to collect light from a target object. Through optical fibers, the lights from all telescope foci are directed to a high-resolution spectrograph, with fibers subtending a 1.47 arcsec diameter on the sky. The total light-collecting area of all telescopes combined is 1200 m2. Given the telescope's application for spectroscopy of seeing-limited images, the need for coherence is eliminated. The primary goal of the LFAST prototype is to demonstrate a telescope design that can be rapidly and cost-effectively replicated to achieve a 1200 m2 collecting area and match the capabilities of extremely large telescopes (ELTs) presently under construction. Engineering, manufacturing, and design challenges unique to LFAST differ significantly from those encountered in traditional ELTs. Considering that the unit telescope is to be replicated thousands of times, reducing the manufacturing cost per telescope is essential. The aim of the described design is to achieve this goal, with strong considerations for manufacturability, alignment, few moving parts, and high yield. Experience from the first prototype unit telescope built in 2022 will be leveraged to build the first 20-unit tracking module in 2024, with a collecting area of a 3.4-m-diameter mirror. The design is minimalistic and features commercial tolerances, thereby ensuring cost-effectiveness in manufacturing, assembly, and alignment processes. Moreover, the telescope is designed to operate at angles as low as 70° from the zenith by laterally translating a single lens to correct for atmospheric dispersion. We present a combined average of over 80% encircled energy across 2640 Monte Carlo trials. Simulations were conducted using commercially specified tolerances and capabilities to model the overall performance of the array. Highlights: LFAST is an "array telescope" designed to combine light from multiple telescopes. We design a telescope that is highly performing, even at elevations as low as 70° from the zenith. Monte Carlo trials show that 80% average encircled energy can be achieved with standard tolerances for 2640 telescopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of high-dispersion spectroscopic observations of the symbiotic system R Aquarii (R Aqr) obtained with the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph at the 2.1-m telescope of the San Pedro Mártir Observatory (Mexico) in conjunction with available narrow-band images. The data are interpreted by means of the shape software to disclose the morpho-kinematics of the nebulosities associated with R Aqr. The model that best reproduces narrow-band images and position–velocity diagrams consists of three structures: an outer (large) hourglass structure surrounding an inner bipolar with a spiral-like filament entwined around the latter. The expansion velocity pattern of each structure is defined by different homologous expansion laws, which correspond to kinematic ages of |$\tau _1$|  = 450 |$\pm$|  25 yr (outer hourglass), |$\tau _2$|  = 270 |$\pm$|  20 yr (inner bipolar), and |$\tau _3$|  = 285 |$\pm$|  20 yr (spiral-like filament). We suggest that the spiral-like filament is tracing the regions of the interaction of a precessing jet with the circumstellar material, which simultaneously carves the inner bipolar structure. If a similar process created the large hourglass structure, it means that the action of the jet ceased for about 170 yr. We discuss the implications for other unresolved symbiotic systems detected in X-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based astronomy is unavoidably subject to the adverse effect of atmospheric turbulence, a.k.a. the seeing, which blurs the images and limits the achievable spatial resolution. For spectroscopic observations, it leads to slit or fibre-injection losses, since not all photons distributed over the extended seeing disc can be captured. These losses might have a very substantial impact on the overall efficiency of a spectrograph and are naturally highly variable. Assessing the fibre-injection losses requires accurate information about the image quality (IQ) delivered by the telescope to the instrument over the course of the observations, which, however, is often not directly available. ESPRESSO provides acquisition and field-stabilization images attached to the science data and thus offers the opportunity for a post-processing analysis. Here, we present a novel method to infer the IQ profile and fibre-injection losses from the integrated field-stabilization images, utilizing the spill-over light that does not get injected into the fibre. We validate these measurements against the IQ observed in the acquisition images and determine that our method delivers unbiased estimates with a scatter of 0.11 arcsec for the FWHM of the profile and |$15~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| in terms of fibre-injection losses. This compares favourably to the estimates derived from either the differential image motion monitor or the telescope guide probe sensors and therefore represents a valuable tool to characterize the instrument efficiency and to correct raw spectra for fibre-injection losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Multi-purpose InSTRument for Astronomy at Low-resolution (MISTRAL) is the new Faint Object Spectroscopic Camera mounted at the folded Cassegrain focus of the 1.93 m telescope of the Haute-Provence Observatory (OHP). Aims. We describe the design and components of the instrument and give some details about its operation. Methods. We emphasize in particular the various observing modes and the performance of the detector. A short description of the working environment is also provided. Various types of objects, including stars, nebulae, comets, novae, and galaxies, have been observed during various test phases to evaluate the performance of the instrument. Results. The instrument covers the range of 4000-8000 Å with the blue setting, or from 6000 to 10 000 Å with the red setting, at an average spectral resolution of 700. Its peak efficiency is about 22% at 6000 Å. In spectroscopy, a limiting magnitude of r ~ 19.5 can be achieved for a point source in one hour with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 in the continuum (and better when emission lines are present). In imaging mode, limiting magnitudes of 20–21 can be obtained in 10–20 mn (with average seeing conditions of 2.5 arcsec at the OHP). The instrument is very user-friendly and can be put into operations in less than 15 mn (rapid change-over from the other instrument in use) if required by the science (e.g. for gamma-ray bursts). Some first scientific results are described for various types of objects, and in particular, for the follow-up of gamma-ray bursts. Conclusions. While some further improvements are still under way, in particular, to facilitate the switch from blue to red setting and add more grisms or filters, MISTRAL is ready for the follow-up of transients and other variable objects, in the soon-to-come era of the Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor satellite and of the Rubin telescope, for instance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new H- and K-band spectroscopy for the bulge of M31, taken with the LUCI spectrograph at the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). We studied radial trends of CO absorption features (namely, CO1.58, CO1.60, CO1.64, CO1.66, CO1.68, CO2.30, CO2.32, and CO2.35) in the bulge of M31, out to a galactocentric distance of ∼100″ (∼380 pc). We find that most COs do not exhibit a strong radial gradient, despite the strong metallicity gradient inferred from the optical spectral range, except for CO1.64, showing a steep increase in the center. We compared the observed line strengths to predictions of different state-of-the-art stellar population models, including an updated version of EMILES models, which also uses the extended IRTF spectral library. The observed COs are close to models' predictions, but in some models they turn out to be underestimated. We find that the lack of radial gradients is due to the combination of increasing CO strength with metallicity and C abundance, and decreasing CO strength with IMF slope and O abundance. We speculate that the steep gradient of CO1.64 might be due to Na overabundance. Remarkably, we were able to fit, at the same time, optical indices and all the NIR COs (except for CO1.68), leaving abundance ratios (i.e., [C/Fe], [O/Fe], and [Mg/Fe]) as free-fitting parameters, imposing age and metallicity constraints from the optical spectral range, with no significant contribution from intermediate-age populations (∼1 Gyr-old). For the majority of the bulge, we find [Mg/Fe] ∼ 0.15 dex, [O/Fe] larger than [Mg/Fe] (by ∼0.1 dex), and C abundance consistent with that of Mg. In the central (few arcsec) region, we still find an enhancement of O and Mg, but significantly lower [C/Fe]. We find that the COs' line strengths of the bulge are significantly lower than those of massive galaxies, possibly because of a difference in carbon abundance, as well as, to some extent, total metallicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision spectrographs can on occasion exhibit temporal variations in their reference velocity or nightly zero point (NZP). One way to monitor the NZP is to measure bright stars, whose intrinsic radial velocity variation is assumed to be much smaller than the instrument precision. The variations of these bright stars, which is primarily assumed to be instrumental, are then smoothed into a reference radial velocity time series (master constant) that is subtracted from the observed targets. While this method is effective in most cases, it does not fully propagate the uncertainty arising from NZP variations. We present a new method for correcting for NZP variations in radial velocity time series. This method uses Gaussian processes based on ancillary information to model these systematic effects. Moreover, it enables us to propagate the uncertainties of this correction into the overall error budget. Another advantage of this approach is that it relies on ancillary data that are collected simultaneously with the spectra and does not solely depend on dedicated observations of constant stars. We applied this method to the SOPHIE spectrograph at the Haute-Provence Observatory using a few instrument housekeeping data, such as the internal pressure and temperature variations. Our results demonstrate that this method effectively models the red noise of constant stars, even with a limited number of housekeeping data, while preserving the signals of exoplanets. Using simulations with mock planets and real data, we found that this method significantly improves the false-alarm probability of detections. It improves the probability by several orders of magnitude. Additionally, by simulating numerous planetary signals, we were able to detect up to 10% more planets with small-amplitude radial velocity signals. We used this new correction to reanalyse the planetary system around HD158259 and to improve the detection of the outermost planets. We propose this technique as a complementary approach to the classical master-constant correction of the instrumental red noise. We also suggest to decrease the observing cadence of the constant stars to optimise the telescope time for scientific targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Pipelines of state-of-the-art spectrographs dedicated to planet detection provide, for each exposure, series of cross-correlation functions (CCFs) built with a binary mask (BM), as well as the absolute radial velocity (RV) derived from the Gaussian fit of a weighted average CCFtot of the CCFs. Aims. Our aim was to test the benefits of the application of the shift-finding algorithm developed by Pierre Connes directly to the total CCFtot, and to compare the resulting RV shifts (DRVs) with the results of the Gaussian fits. In a second step, we investigated how the individual DRV profiles along the velocity grid derived from the shift-finding algorithm can be used as an easy tool for detection of stellar line shape variations. Methods. We developed the corresponding algorithm and tested it on 1151 archived spectra of the K2.5 V star HD 40307 obtained with ESO/ESPRESSO during a one-week campaign in 2018. Tests were performed based on the comparison of DRVs with RVs from Gaussian fits. DRV profiles along the velocity grid (DRV(i)) were scrutinized and compared with direct CCFtot ratios. Results. The dispersion of residuals from a linear fit to RVs from 406 spectra recorded within a single night, a measure of mean error, was found to be σ = 1.03 and 0.83 m s−1 for the Gaussian fit and the new algorithm, respectively, which is a significant 20% improvement in accuracy. The two full one-week series obtained during the campaign were also fitted with a three-planet system Keplerian model. The residual divergence between data and best-fit model is significantly smaller for the new algorithm than for the Gaussian fit. Such a difference was found to be associated in a large part with an increase of ≃1.3 m s−1 in the difference between the two types of RV values between the third and fourth nights. Interestingly, the DRV(i) profiles reveal at the same time a significant variation of line shape. Conclusions. The shift-finding algorithm is a fast and easy tool that provides additional diagnostics on the RV measurements in series of exposures. For observations made in the same instrumental configuration, and if line shapes are not varying significantly, it increases the accuracy of velocity variation determinations. On the other hand, departures from constancy of the DRV(i) profiles, as well as varying differences between RVs from this new method and RVs from a Gaussian fit can detect and report in a simple way line shape variations due to stellar activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planets orbiting binary systems are relatively unexplored compared to those around single stars. Detections of circumbinary planets and planetary systems offer a first detailed view into our understanding of circumbinary planet formation and dynamical evolution. The BEBOP (binaries escorted by orbiting planets) radial velocity survey plays a special role in this adventure as it focuses on eclipsing single-lined binaries with an FGK dwarf primary and M dwarf secondary allowing for the highest radial velocity precision using the HARPS and SOPHIE spectrographs. We obtained 4512 high-resolution spectra for the 179 targets in the BEBOP survey which we used to derive the stellar atmospheric parameters using both equivalent widths and spectral synthesis. We furthermore derive stellar masses, radii, and ages for all targets. With this work, we present the first homogeneous catalogue of precise stellar parameters for these eclipsing single-lined binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gemini High-resolution Optical SpecTrograph (GHOST) is a new Echelle spectrograph available on the Gemini-South telescope as of Semester 2024A. We present the first high-resolution spectrum of the quasar J1449−1227 (redshift z em = 3.27) using data taken during the commissioning of GHOST. The observed quasar hosts an intervening iron-poor {[Fe/H] = −2.5} damped Lyman α system (DLA) at redshift z = 2.904. Taking advantage of the high spectral resolving power of GHOST (R ≈ 55 000), we are able to accurately model the metal absorption lines of the metal-poor DLA and find a supersolar [Si/Fe], suggesting that the DLA gas is in an early stage of chemical enrichment. Using simple ionization models, we find that the large range in the C  iv /Si  iv column density ratio of individual components within the DLA's high-ionization absorption profile can be reproduced by several metal-poor Lyman limit systems surrounding the low-ionization gas of the DLA. It is possible that this metal-poor DLA resides within a complex system of metal-poor galaxies or filaments with inflowing gas. The high spectral resolution, wavelength coverage, and sensitivity of GHOST make it an ideal spectrograph for characterizing the chemistry and kinematics of quasar absorption lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a theoretical framework for linking quasar properties, such as quasar age, to the surrounding Ly α emission intensity. In particular, we focus on a method for mapping the large-scale structure of Ly α emission intensity with galaxy spectra from wide-field spectroscopic surveys, e.g. the Subaru Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) or the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), and consider the quasar-induced Ly α emission from the intergalactic medium (IGM). To do this, we construct a theoretical model based on two physical processes: resonant scattering of quasar Ly α photons and fluorescence due to quasar ionizing photons, finding that the fluorescence contribution due to optically thick gas clouds is dominant. Taking into account the light-cone effect and assuming a typical quasar spectrum, we calculate the fluorescence contribution to the spectrum stacked within each bin of the separation angle from the quasar as a function of quasar age. Furthermore, we compute the quasar-Ly α emission cross-correlation and its SNR for the planned PFS survey. The predicted signal can only account for |$\sim 10~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of the measurements indicated from the BOSS and eBOSS surveys in the outer region of |$\gtrsim 10\ \rm {cMpc}\ \rm {h}^{-1}$|⁠ , and the predicted SNR is not sufficient to detect the quasar-induced contribution. However, we found that our model, combined with the contribution of star-forming galaxies, is not in conflict with these measurements. We discuss other possible contributions to the Ly α emission excess around quasars, the efficiency of using spectroscopic fibres, and the redshift dependence of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time variability and spectra of directly imaged companions provide insight into their physical properties and atmospheric dynamics. We present follow-up R ∼ 40 spectrophotometric monitoring of red companion HD 1160 B at 2.8–4.2  μ m using the double-grating 360° vector Apodizing Phase Plate (dgvAPP360) coronagraph and ALES integral field spectrograph on the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer. We use the recently developed technique of gvAPP-enabled differential spectrophotometry to produce differential light curves for HD 1160 B. We reproduce the previously reported ∼3.2 h periodic variability in archival data, but detect no periodic variability in new observations taken the following night with a similar 3.5 per cent level precision, suggesting rapid evolution in the variability of HD 1160 B. We also extract complementary spectra of HD 1160 B for each night. The two are mostly consistent, but the companion appears fainter on the second night between 3.0–3.2  μ m. Fitting models to these spectra produces different values for physical properties depending on the night considered. We find an effective temperature T eff  =  |$2794^{+115}_{-133}$|  K on the first night, consistent with the literature, but a cooler T eff  =  |$2279^{+79}_{-157}$| K on the next. We estimate the mass of HD 1160 B to be 16–81  M Jup, depending on its age. We also present R  = 50 000 high-resolution optical spectroscopy of host star HD 1160 A obtained simultaneously with the PEPSI spectrograph. We reclassify its spectral type to A1 IV-V and measure its projected rotational velocity |$\upsilon \sin i$| =  |$96^{+6}_{-4}$|  km s−1. We thus highlight that gvAPP-enabled differential spectrophotometry can achieve repeatable few per cent level precision and does not yet reach a systematic noise floor, suggesting greater precision is achievable with additional data or advanced detrending techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phased photometric variation provides a method for discovering potential non-transiting exoplanets in high-precision time-series photometry. Applying a Lomb–Scargle algorithm, we search for phased photometric variation in a selection of 140 000 bright dwarf stars with full-frame image light curves from the Southern ecliptic hemisphere of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. We fit the phased photometric variation signal for these candidates using a three-component model comprised of atmospheric reflection/emission, tidal ellipsoidal distortion, and Doppler beaming contributions. We find 27 candidate signals that can be attributed to short-period, massive planets. Our candidates have periods ranging from 0.74 to 1.98 d, and photometric variations with amplitudes ranging from 94 to 528 ppm. The host stars are all bright (9 < T < 11) F- and G-type dwarf stars. We estimate the radial velocity semi-amplitudes to be in excess of 60 m s−1 for each candidate, easily within reach of current high-precision spectrographs. If confirmed, these candidates would be the first non-transiting exoplanets discovered with TESS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

L 98-59b is a transiting exoplanet with radius |${0.85^{+0.061}_{-0.047}}$| R ⊕ and orbital period |${2.2531136^{+1.2e-06}_{-1.5e-06}}$| d. In 2021, a Doppler detection of  L 98-59b was announced, with radial velocity (RV) semi-amplitude |$K_{\rm b}=0.46^{+0.20}_{-0.17}$| |$\textrm {m}\, \textrm {s}^{-1}$| inferred from 164 High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher and 66 Échelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observation RVs. This translated into a mass |$M_{\rm b}=0.40^{+0.16}_{-0.15}$| M ⊕, or half the mass of Venus, making  L 98-59b then (by far) the lowest mass planet with a putative RV detection. To illuminate the difficulties in securely detecting <1  |$\textrm {m}\, \textrm {s}^{-1}$|  signals, we argue here that the published RV detection of  L 98-59b is not supported by sufficient statistical evidence. We show, under the published modelling assumptions, that Bayesian model comparison (BMC) suggests an |$\sim 50~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| false-detection probability. We also often infer ∼40  |$\textrm {cm}\, \textrm {s}^{-1}$| semi-amplitudes for Keplerians with periods not corresponding to any known planet; importantly, though, BMC rejects all these 'detections'. By implementing a more sophisticated stellar activity model and more realistic parameter priors, we infer a mass M b = 0.47 ± 0.14 M ⊕ from semi-amplitude K b = 0.56 ± 0.16  |$\textrm {m}\, \textrm {s}^{-1}$|⁠ , with BMC now indicating substantial yet still not decisive evidence for the detection. Definitive detection and characterization may require many additional RVs, alongside careful modelling and stringent statistical analysis. Our case study has implications for current extreme-precision RV campaigns and the longer term quest to discover the first Earth-twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the analysis of archival Very Large Telescope (VLT) Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) and multi-epoch Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) and Wide Field Camera 3/Ultraviolet-Visible Imaging Spectrograph (WFC3/UVIS) narrow-band observations of the remnant associated with the ejecta of the mid-nineteenth century outburst of the recurrent nova T Pyx. These data sets are used to investigate its true three-dimensional (3D) physical structure and the nebular expansion patterns along the line of sight and on the plane of the sky. The VLT MUSE emission line maps and 3D visualizations based on position–position–velocity diagrams reveal T Pyx as a bipolar nebula, with a knotty toroidal structure at its waist best seen in H  |$\beta$| and two open bowl-shaped bipolar lobes (a diabolo) best revealed by the [O  iii ] emission lines. The comparison of multi-epoch HST WFPC2 and WFC3/UVIS narrow-band images and VLT MUSE emission-line maps of T Pyx reveals the angular expansion of the remnant through the proper motion of individual knots and nebular features. The angular expansion is confirmed to be homologous in the period from 1994.2 to 2007.4 before the recent 2011 outburst, but there is suggestive evidence that the inner knots have experienced a higher expansion rate since then. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the observed galaxies cannot be resolved into individual stars and are studied through their integrated spectrum using simple stellar populations (SSPs) models, with stellar libraries being a key ingredient in building them. Spectroscopic observations are increasingly being directed towards the near-infrared (NIR), where much is yet to be explored. SSPs in the NIR are still limited, and there are inconsistencies between different sets of models. One of the ways to minimize this problem is to have reliable NIR stellar libraries. The main goal of this work is to present smarty (mileS Moderate resolution neAr-infRared sTellar librarY) a ∼0.9−2.4 |$\mu$| m stellar spectral library composed of 31 stars observed with the Gemini Near-IR Spectrograph (GNIRS) at the 8.1 m Gemini North telescope and make it available to the community. The stars were chosen from the miles library, for which the atmospheric parameters are reliable (and well-tested), to populate different regions of the Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram. Furthermore, five of these stars have NIR spectra available that we use to assess the quality of smarty. The remaining 26 stars are presented for the first time in the NIR. We compared the observed smarty spectra with synthetic and interpolated spectra, finding a mean difference of |$\sim 20~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| in the equivalent widths and ∼1 per cent in the overall continuum shape in both sets of comparisons. We computed the spectrophotometric broad-band magnitudes and colours and compared them with the 2MASS ones, resulting in mean differences up to 0.07 and 0.10 mag in magnitudes and colours, respectively. In general, a small difference was noted between the smarty spectra corrected using the continuum from the interpolated and the theoretical stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TOI-1518b, a hot Jupiter around a late A-type star, is one of the few planetary systems that transit the edge of the stellar surface (the impact parameter b ∼ 0.9) among hot Jupiters around hot stars (Cabot et al. 2021 , AJ, 162, 218). The high rotation speed of the host star (∼85 km s−1) and the nearly polar orbit of the planet (∼120○) may cause a nodal precession. In this study, we report the nodal precession undergone by TOI-1518 b. This system is the fourth planetary system in which nodal precession is detected. We investigate the time change in b from the photometric data of TOI-1518 acquired in 2019 and 2022 with TESS and from the spectral transit data of TOI-1518b obtained in 2020 with two high-dispersion spectrographs; CARMENES and EXPRES. We find that the value of b is decreasing with db |$/$| dt = −0.0116 ± 0.0036 yr−1, indicating that the transit trajectory is moving toward the center of the stellar surface. We also estimate the minimum value of the quadrupole mass moment of TOI-1518, J 2,min = 4.41 × 10−5, and the logarithm of the Love number of TOI-1518, log  k 2 = −2.17 ± 0.33, from the nodal precession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the absolute brightness of the zodiacal light (ZL), which is the sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust particles, is important not only for understanding the physical properties of the dust but also for constraining the extragalactic background light (EBL) by subtracting the ZL foreground. We describe the results of high-resolution spectroscopic observations of the night sky in the wavelength range of 300–900 nm with the double spectrograph on the Hale telescope to determine the absolute brightness of the ZL continuum spectra from the Fraunhofer absorption line intensities. The observed fields are part of the fields observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope for the EBL study. Assuming that the spectral shape of the zodiacal light is identical to the solar spectrum in a narrow region around the Fraunhofer lines, we decomposed the observed sky brightness into multiple emission components by amplitude parameter fitting with spectral templates of the airglow, ZL, diffuse Galactic light, integrated starlight, and other isotropic components including EBL. As a result, the ZL component with the Ca  ii  λλ 393.3, 396.8 nm Fraunhofer lines around 400 nm is clearly separated from the others in all fields with uncertainties around 20%, mainly due to the template errors and the time variability of the airglow. The observed ZL brightness in most of the observed fields is consistent with the modeled ZL brightness calculated by combining the most conventional ZL model at 1250 nm based on the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment and the observational ZL template spectrum based on the Hubble Space Telescope. However, the ecliptic plane observation is considerably fainter than the ZL model, and this discrepancy is discussed in terms of the optical properties of the interplanetary dust accreted in the ecliptic plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed lunar telescope for optical and infrared astronomy aims at very large aperture, 600 m2, at a fundable cost. It comprises an array of 18 separate telescopes, each of 6.5 m aperture. The 200 m diameter array will be located within 1/2° (15 km) of a lunar pole on approximately level ground, with a perimeter screen deployed to provide shade and cooling to cryogenic temperature. The 500 m diameter screen will allow unobscured access down to 8° elevation. All 18 telescopes will reflect light into a central beam combiner to form a single image covering wavelengths from 0.4 µm to 10 µm. The initial instrument complement will include high-resolution and multi-object spectrographs to exploit the single combined field of view of two arcminute diameter, with the diffraction limited resolution of 6.5 m aperture. Scientific applications include the search for molecular biosignatures in transiting exoplanets, and the study of galaxy evolution using red-shifted spectra to beyond z = 10. The array cost, including delivery to the Moon by SpaceX Starship for installation using lunar base infrastructure, is around $10 billion, similar to that of the 25 m2 JWST. To test the concept, first a single prototype 6.5 m unit would be operated at the lunar south pole. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades (part 2)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the confirmation and mass determination of a mini-Neptune transiting the M3.5 V star TOI-4438 (G 182-34) every 7.44 days. A transit signal was detected with NASA's TESS space mission in the sectors 40, 52, and 53. In order to validate the planet TOI-4438 b and to determine the system properties, we combined TESS data with high-precision radial velocity measurements from the CARMENES spectrograph, spanning almost one year, and ground-based transit photometry. We found that TOI-4438 b has a radius of Rb = 2.52 ± 0.13 R⊕ (5% precision), which together with a mass of Mb = 5.4 ± 1.1 M⊕ (20% precision), results in a bulk density of ρb = 1.85−0.44+0.51 g cm−3 (~28% precision), aligning the discovery with a volatile-rich planet. Our interior structure retrieval with a pure water envelope yields aminimum water mass fraction of 46% (1σ). TOI-4438 b is a volatile-rich mini-Neptune with likely H/He mixed with molecules, such as water, CO2, and CH4. The primary star has a J-band magnitude of 9.7, and the planet has a high transmission spectroscopy metric (TSM) of 136 ± 13. Taking into account the relatively warm equilibrium temperature of Teq = 435 ± 15 K, and the low activity level of its host star, TOI-4438 b is one of the most promising mini-Neptunes around an M dwarf for transmission spectroscopy studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observing the vibrational/rotational lines in a comet's optical spectrum requires high-resolution spectroscopy, as they are otherwise seen as a blended feature. To achieve this, we have obtained medium and high-resolution (R (λ/Δλ) = 30 000 and 60 000) spectra of several comets, including C/2015 V2 (Johnson), 46P/Wirtanen, 41P/Tuttle–Giacobini–Kresák, and 38P/Stephan–Oterma, using the Hanle Echelle Spectrograph (HESP) mounted on the 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) in India. The spectra effectively cover the wavelength range 3700–10 000 Å, allowing us to probe the various vibrational bands and band sequences to identify the rotational lines in the cometary molecular emission. We were also able to separate the cometary Oxygen lines from the telluric lines and analyse the green-to-red (G/R) forbidden oxygen [O  i ] ratios in a few comets. For comets C/2015 V2, 46P, and 41P, the computed G/R ratios, 0.04 ± 0.01, 0.04 ± 0.01, and 0.08 ± 0.02, respectively, point to H2O being a major source of Oxygen emissions. Notably, in the second fibre pointing at a location 1000 km away from the photocentre of comet 46P, the G/R ratio reduced by more than half the value observed in the first fibre, indicating the effects of quenching within the inner coma. We also measured the NH2 ortho-to-para ratio of comet 46P to be about 3.41 ± 0.05 and derived an ammonia ratio of 1.21 ± 0.03 corresponding to a spin temperature of ∼26 K. With these, we present the results of the study of four comets from different cometary reservoirs using medium and high-resolution optical spectroscopy, emphasizing the capabilities of the instrument for future cometary studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RW Aurigae is a young stellar system containing a classical T Tauri star as the primary component. It shows deep, irregular dimmings, first detected in 2010. At the University Observatory Jena, we carried out optical follow‐up observations. We performed multiband (BVRI) photometry of the system with the Cassegrain‐Teleskop‐Kamera II and the Schmidt‐Teleskop‐Kamera between September 2016 and April 2019, as well as spectroscopy, using the Fibre Linked ÉCHelle Astronomical Spectrograph between September 2016 and April 2018. We present the apparent photometry of RW Aur, which is consistent with and complementary to photometric data from the American Association of Variable Star Observers. The V‐band magnitude of RW Aur changed by up to three magnitudes during the timespan of our monitoring campaign. For the observing epochs 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 we report a decreasing brightness, while in the epoch 2018/2019 the system remained in a relatively constant bright state. In the color‐magnitude diagram, we see that RW Aur lies close to a track for grey extinction. The spectra show a decreasing equivalent width (EW) of the Hα$$ \mathrm{H}\alpha $$ emission line for decreasing brightness, whereas the EW of the [OI]$$ \left[\mathrm{O}I\right] $$ line increases, indicating an increased outflow activity during the obscuration. Both give further evidence for the favored theory that the obscurations are caused by a hot dusty wind emerging from the inner disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the photometric data in the Wide layer of the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program (HSC-SSP) over ∼1200 deg2 to uncover new halo substructures beyond the distance, D ⊙ ∼ 30 kpc, from the Sun. For this purpose, we develop an isochrone filter for an old, metal-poor stellar system to extract the faint main-sequence stars at a range of distances. With this method, we detect not only the previously discovered substructures such as the Orphan Stream, but also a new overdensity toward Boötes at about D ⊙ ∼ 60 kpc and a new stream-like feature toward Pisces at around D ⊙ ∼ 60 kpc. It has been suggested that a small-scale overdensity exists in this direction of Pisces (the so-called Pisces Overdensity), but our results show that the overdensity is widely spread with a tidally elongated feature. Combining our results with the ongoing Hyper Suprime-Cam narrow-band survey and the near-future spectroscopic survey with Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS) will allow us to place strong constraints on the origin of these halo substructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dicarbon radical, C2, is one of the most abundant molecules in the universe, and has been widely observed in various energetic environments. Even though numerous experimental and theoretical investigations on C2 have been done during the last two centuries, spectroscopic study of C2 in vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) region has been rare. The only three known absorption band systems in VUV region were identified by Herzberg and co-workers in 1969 by VUV spectrograph, namely the electronic transitions F1Πu(v′)–X1Σg+(v″), f3Σg−(v′)–a3Πu(v″) and g3Δg(v′)–a3Πu(v″) (Herzberg-Lagerqvist-Malmberg transitions). In this study, we employ a two-photon resonance-enhanced four-wave mixing based VUV laser source and a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for reinvestigating the above three electronic transitions of C2 through a resonant (1VUV + 1′UV) photoionization scheme. Besides those vibronic transitions as identified by Herzberg and co-workers, many more absorption bands belonging to the electronic transitions f3Σg−(v′)–a3Πu(v″) and g3Δg(v′)–a3Πu(v″) are observed with their spectroscopic parameters determined. The rather astrophysically important F1Πu state is not observed here by the resonant (1VUV + 1′UV) photoionization scheme, which must be due to its fast predissociation process. Instead, our study shows that the vibronic band g3Δg(v′ = 2)–a3Πu(v″ = 0) exactly overlaps with F1Πu(v′ = 0)–X1Σg+(v″ = 0), which was not realized in previous studies. The potential implications of these findings to astronomical observations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a spectroscopic survey of Ly α emitters in the Extended Groth Strip (EGS) field, targeting the regime near the Epoch of Reionization. Using Keck/DEep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph, we observed 947 high- z candidates with photometric redshifts from 3 < z phot < 7 and down to an H -band (Hubble Space Telescope /Wide Field Camera 3 F160W) magnitude limit of <27.5. Observations were taken over the course of eight nights, with integration times ranging from 4 to 7.8 h. Our survey secured 137 unique redshifts, 126 of which are Ly α emitters at 2.8 < z < 6.3 with a mean redshift of |$\overline{z} = 4.3$|⁠. We provide a comprehensive redshift catalogue for our targets, as well as the reduced one- and two-dimensional spectra for each object. These observations will provide an important auxiliary data set for the JWST Directors Discretionary Early Release Science programme the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey, which recently completed near- and mid-infrared imaging and spectroscopy of galaxies in the EGS field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an advanced undergraduate instructional laboratory, it is often necessary to analyze the spectrum of light emitted from an experimental setup. There are numerous instruments that are used to accomplish this analysis, including spectrometers and spectrographs. In this report, we present 3D-printed, low-budget spectrographs (∼ US $200), which are specifically designed for different applications. For example, one can either observe a visible spectrum over a large range of wavelengths about a desired center wavelength or achieve more precise measurements by choosing a smaller part of the visible spectrum. Our generalized design approach is well within the knowledge base of advanced undergraduate physics majors and can be applied to a wide range of applications within the visible spectrum. To demonstrate the utility of these designer spectrographs, we provide examples of recording multiple doublets in the sodium spectrum (a determination of the fine structure spin-orbit splitting of the 3p energy level) as well as measuring the wavelength differences between the hydrogen and deuterium Balmer alpha lines (a measurement of an isotope shift). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gemini High Resolution Optical Spectrograph (GHOST) is a fiber-fed spectrograph system on the Gemini South telescope that provides simultaneous wavelength coverage from 348 to 1061 nm, and is designed for optimal performance between 363 and 950 nm. It can observe up to two objects simultaneously in a 7.′5 diameter field of regard at R ≃ 56,000 or a single object at R ≃ 75,000. The spectral resolution modes are obtained by using integral field units to image slice a 1.″2 aperture by a factor of five in width using 19 fibers in the high resolution mode and by a factor of three in width using 7 fibers in the standard resolution mode. GHOST is equipped with hardware to allow for precision radial velocity measurements, expected to approach meters per second precision. Here, we describe the basic design and operational capabilities of GHOST, and proceed to derive and quantify the key aspects of its on-sky performance that are of most relevance to its science users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle acceleration, and the thermalisation of energetic particles, are fundamental processes across the universe. Whilst the Sun is an excellent object to study this phenomenon, since it is the most energetic particle accelerator in the Solar System, this phenomenon arises in many other astrophysical objects, such as active galactic nuclei, black holes, neutron stars, gamma ray bursts, solar and stellar coronae, accretion disks and planetary magnetospheres. Observations in the Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) are essential for these studies but can only be made from space. Current spectrographs operating in the EUV use an entrance slit and cover the required field of view using a scanning mechanism. This results in a relatively slow image cadence in the order of minutes to capture inherently rapid and transient processes, and/or in the spectrograph slit 'missing the action'. The application of image slicers for EUV integral field spectrographs is therefore revolutionary. The development of this technology will enable the observations of EUV spectra from an entire 2D field of view in seconds, over two orders of magnitude faster than what is currently possible. The Spectral Imaging of the Solar Atmosphere (SISA) instrument is the first integral field spectrograph proposed for observations at ∼180 Å combining the image slicer technology and curved diffraction gratings in a highly efficient and compact layout, while providing important spectroscopic diagnostics for the characterisation of solar coronal and flare plasmas. SISA's characteristics, main challenges, and the on-going activities to enable the image slicer technology for EUV applications are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistically, the cool loop's footpoints are diagnosed using Si  iv resonance lines observations provided by Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The intensity and full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the loop's footpoints in β–γ active regions (ARs) are higher than the corresponding parameters of footpoints in β ARs. However, the Doppler velocity of footpoints in both ARs are almost similar to each other. The intensities of footpoints from β–γ AR is found to be around nine times that of β AR when both ARs are observed nearly at the same time. The same intensity difference reduces nearly to half (four times) when considering all ARs observed over 9 yr. Hence, the instrument degradation affects comparative intensity analysis. We find that Doppler velocity and FWHM are well correlated while peak intensity is neither correlated with Doppler velocity nor FWHM. The loop's footpoints in β–γ ARs have around four times more complex Si  iv spectral profiles than that of β ARs. The intensity ratios (Si  iv 1393.78 Å/1402.77 Å) of the significant locations of footpoints differ, marginally, (i.e. either less than 1.9 or greater than 2.10) from the theoretical ratio of 2, i.e. 52 per cent (55 per cent) locations in β (β–γ) ARs significantly deviate from 2. Hence, we say that more than half of the footpoint locations are either affected by the opacity or resonance scattering. We conclude that the nature and attributes of the footpoints of the cool loops in β–γ ARs are significantly different from those in β ARs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmological and exoplanetary science using transformative telescopes like the ELT will demand precise calibration of astrophysical spectrographs in the blue-green, where stellar absorption lines are most abundant. Astrocombs—lasers providing a broadband sequence of regularly-spaced optical frequencies on a multi-GHz grid—promise an atomically-traceable calibration scale, but their realization in the blue-green is challenging for current infrared-laser-based technology. Here, we introduce a concept achieving a broad, continuous spectrum by combining second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency-mixing in an MgO:PPLN waveguide to generate 390–520 nm light from a 1 GHz Ti:sapphire frequency comb. Using a Fabry-Pérot filter, we extract a 30 GHz sub-comb spanning 392–472 nm, visualizing its thousands of modes on a high-resolution spectrograph. Experimental data and simulations demonstrate how the approach can bridge the spectral gap present in second-harmonic-only conversion. Requiring only ≈ 100 pJ pulses, our concept establishes a new route to broadband UV-visible generation at GHz repetition rates. Astrocombs serve as precision calibrators for astrophysical spectrographs by providing a regular sequence of optical lines on a multi-GHz grid. Here, the authors report the first broadband astrocomb in the UV to blue-green spectral region, where stellar absorption lines are most abundant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong accretion outbursts on to protostars are associated with emission dominated by a viscously heated disc, which is characterized by high luminosities. We report the discovery and characterization of a strong mid-IR (3.4, 4.6 μ m) outburst in the embedded protostar SSTgbs J21470601+4739394 (hereafter SSTgbsJ214706). SSTgbsJ214706 has steadily brightened in the mid-infrared by ∼2 mag over the past decade, as observed by NEOWISE. Follow-up investigations with the Gemini near-IR spectrograph reveal that SSTgbsJ214706 is a binary system with a spatially extended outflow. The outburst is occurring on the more embedded south-east (SE) component, which dominates the mid- and far-infrared emission from the source. The outbursting component exhibits a spectrum consistent with an FU Ori-type outburst, including the presence of enhanced absorption observed in the molecular bands of CO. The luminosity of the SE component is estimated to be |$\sim 0.23\,$| L⊙ before the outburst and |$\sim 0.95\,$| L⊙ during the outburst, which is one to two orders of magnitude fainter than bonafide FU Ori outbursts. We interpret this eruption as an FU Ori-type outburst, although the possibility of brightening following an extinction episode cannot be ruled out. We discuss the implications and potential explanations for such a low-luminosity eruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of the spectroscopic study of a chemically peculiar star HD 152564. Using medium-resolution (R  = 37 000) observations obtained with the high-resolution fibre échelle spectrograph mounted on the South African Large Telescope, we determined atmospheric parameters T eff = 11 950 ± 200 K and log  g  = 3.6 ± 0.2 dex. Abundance analysis revealed mild deficiency of the light elements and an overabundance of up to ∼2 dex of metals, with the greatest excess for silicon. With these characteristics, HD 152564 is a typical member of the silicon subgroup of Ap stars. The rotational modulation of the light curve and line profiles of HD 152564 are typical for the inhomogeneous surface distribution of elements in its atmosphere. We performed multi-element Doppler imaging of the surface of HD 152564. Abundance maps constructed for He, O, Mg, Si, and Fe revealed the concentration of these elements in a sequence of equatorial spots as well as in the circumpolar rings. The photometric maximum of the light curve coincided with the visibility of two most overabundant silicon spots. Abundances determined from the different ionization stages of Fe and Si show clear evidence for vertical stratification of these elements in the atmosphere of HD 152564. Meanwhile, the horizontal distribution of silicon reconstructed from the lines of different ionization stages and excitation energies appears to be identical with increasing average abundance deeper in atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A soft x-ray varied-line-spacing (VLS) laminar-type spherical grating with a super-mirror-type (SMT) multilayer was designed for a soft x-ray high resolution flat-field spectrograph in a region of 2–4 keV. The effective groove density of the designed VLS grating is 3200 lines/mm, and the local groove density varies from 2700 to 3866 lines/mm. The geometrical imaging property was evaluated by numerical calculations. The resolving power estimated by means of ray tracing was up to ∼103. For the evaluation of diffraction efficiency, the SMT multilayer structure designed for 3200 lines/mm in our previous work, Koike et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 94, 045109 (2023), was employed, and the numerical calculation was performed considering the local groove density of VLS grooves and the local incidence angle being affected by the curvature of the spherical surface and the geometrical relation between the source and incidence point on the grating. The results showed that the SMT multilayer-coated grating exhibited about an order of magnitude higher diffraction efficiency compared with an Au-coated grating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present proper-motion measurements and long-slit spectroscopy of the Mg  ii nebula around η Carinae obtained with the Wide Field Camera 3 and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. Detailed kinematics of the Mg  ii -emitting material constrain the geometry and history of mass-loss from η Car, and provide estimated ejection dates, assuming linear, ballistic motions. These measurements show that the neutral gas immediately outside the Homunculus – i.e. material into which the Homunculus is now expanding – was expelled over several decades prior to the Great Eruption, thus representing unshocked pre-eruption stellar wind. Material outside the Homunculus is therefore not part of a Hubble-like flow from the Great Eruption itself. This result discriminates between versions of merger-in-a-triple models for η Car. The STIS spectrum of Mg  ii -emitting gas along the projected outflow axis displays radial velocities consistent with bipolar expansion, redshifted several hundred km s−1 towards the northwest, similarly blueshifted towards the southeast, and with low internal velocity dispersion. The η Car system was therefore losing mass in a relatively fast, low-density polar wind for several decades that probably traces the critical inspiral phase preceding a merger event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among highly irradiated exoplanets, some have been found to undergo significant hydrodynamic expansion traced by atmospheric escape. To better understand these processes in the context of planetary evolution, we propose NIGHT (the Near-Infrared Gatherer of Helium Transits). NIGHT is a high-resolution spectrograph dedicated to surveying and temporally monitoring He  i triplet absorption at 1083 nm in stellar and planetary atmospheres. In this paper, we outline our scientific objectives, requirements, and cost-efficient design. Our simulations, based on previous detections and modelling using the current exoplanet population, determine our requirements and survey targets. With a spectral resolution of 70 000 on a 2-m telescope, NIGHT can accurately resolve the helium triplet and detect 1 per cent peak absorption in 118 known exoplanets in a single transit. Additionally, it can search for 3σ temporal variations of 0.4 per cent in 66 exoplanets in-between two transits. These are conservative estimates considering the ongoing detections of transiting planets amenable to atmospheric characterization. We find that instrumental stability at 40 m s−1, less stringent than for radial velocity monitoring, is sufficient for transmission spectroscopy in He  i. As such, NIGHT can utilize mostly off-the-shelf components, ensuring cost-efficiency. A fibre-fed system allows for flexibility as a visitor instrument on a variety of telescopes, making it ideal for follow-up observations after JWST or ground-based detections. Over a few years of surveying, NIGHT could offer detailed insights into the mechanisms shaping the hot Neptune desert and close-in planet population by significantly expanding the statistical sample of planets with known evaporating atmospheres. First light is expected in 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protostellar jets and outflows are signposts of active star formation. In H  ii regions, molecular tracers like CO only reveal embedded portions of the outflow. Outside the natal cloud, outflows are dissociated, ionized, and eventually completely ablated, leaving behind only the high-density jet core. Before this process is complete, there should be a phase where the outflow is partially molecular and partially ionized. In this paper, we capture the HH 900 outflow while this process is in action. New observations from the Enhanced Resolution Imager and Spectrograph/SPIFFIER near-infrared (IR) integral field unit spectrograph using the K-middle filter (λ = 2.06–2.34 μ m) reveal H2 emission from the dissociating outflow and Br-γ tracing its ionized skin. Both lines trace the wide-angle outflow morphology but H2 only extends ∼5000 au into the H  ii region while Br-γ extends the full length of the outflow (∼12 650 au), indicating rapid dissociation of the molecules. H2 has higher velocities further from the driving source, consistent with a jet-driven outflow. Diagnostic line ratios indicate that photoexcitation, not just shocks, contributes to the excitation in the outflow. We argue that HH 900 is the first clear example of an evaporating molecular outflow and predict that a large column of neutral material that may be detectable with Atacama Large Millimeter Array accompanies the dissociating molecules. Results from this study will help guide the interpretation of near-IR images of externally irradiated jets and outflows such as those obtained with the JWST in high-mass star-forming regions where these conditions may be common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth's mesopause region between about 75 and 105 km is characterised by chemiluminescent emission from various lines of different molecules and atoms. This emission was and is important for the study of the chemistry and dynamics in this altitude region at nighttime. However, our understanding is still very limited with respect to molecular emissions with low intensities and high line densities that are challenging to resolve. Based on 10 years of data from the astronomical X-shooter echelle spectrograph at Cerro Paranal in Chile, we have characterised in detail this nightglow (pseudo-)continuum in the wavelength range from 300 to 1800 nm. We studied the spectral features, derived continuum components with similar variability, calculated climatologies, studied the response to solar activity, and even estimated the effective emission heights. The results indicate that the nightglow continuum at Cerro Paranal essentially consists of only two components, which exhibit very different properties. The main structures of these components peak at 595 and 1510 nm. While the former was previously identified as the main peak of the FeO "orange arc" bands, the latter is a new discovery. Laboratory data and theory indicate that this feature and other structures between about 800 and at least 1800 nm are caused by emission from the low-lying A′′ and A′ states of HO2. In order to test this assumption, we performed runs with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) with modified chemistry and found that the total intensity, layer profile, and variability indeed support this interpretation, where the excited HO2 radicals are mostly produced from the termolecular recombination of H and O2. The WACCM results for the continuum component that dominates at visual wavelengths show good agreement for FeO from the reaction of Fe and O3. However, the simulated total emission appears to be too low, which would require additional mechanisms where the variability is dominated by O3. A possible (but nevertheless insufficient) process could be the production of excited OFeOH by the reaction of FeOH and O3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present observations with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph onboard the Hubble Space Telescope of nine most metal-deficient compact star-forming galaxies with oxygen abundances 12  + log(O/H)  = 6.97–7.23, redshifts z  = 0.02811–0.13320, and stellar masses M ⋆ ≤ 107 M⊙. We aim to study the properties of Ly α emission in these extremely metal-deficient objects. We find that all nine galaxies are Ly α emitters (LAEs). We examine various relations between the Ly α escape fraction f esc(Ly α) and other characteristics – such as absolute UV magnitude, oxygen abundance, O32 ratio, stellar mass, Lyman-alpha luminosity, and equivalent width EW(Ly α), ionizing photon production efficiency ξion and velocity separation V sep between the two peaks of the Ly α profile – of a large sample of LAEs, including our lowest metallicity galaxies and other objects from the literature. We find a relatively tight correlation between f esc(Ly α) and two characteristics, EW(Ly α) and V sep, whereas no correlation is found between f esc(Ly α) and the oxygen abundance. We also find a relatively tight relation between the Ly α and LyC escape fractions. We propose to use the latter relation to estimate indirectly the escaping ionizing radiation in LAEs, when direct measurements of LyC emission are not possible. We show that the global properties of low- z LAEs are very similar to those of z > 6 galaxies. They are thus ideal local proxies for studying physical processes during the epoch of reionization of the Universe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted research on the classification and physical properties of 10 objects from the HASH [Hong Kong/Australian Astronomical Observatory/Strasbourg Observatory H-alpha Planetary Nebula (PN)] data base with small angular sizes (<8 arcsec) in the Northern hemisphere. The sample consisted of six Likely PNe, two new candidates, one emission-line star, and one object of unknown nature. Among them, we observed four objects for the first time using the medium-resolution TUG Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera spectrograph located on the RTT150 cm of the TÜBİTAK National Observatory. To investigate the classification of the observed objects, we utilized the emission line ratios of [O  iii ]/Hγ, [O  iii ]/Hβ, [N  ii ]/Hα, and [S  ii ]/Hα, and diagnostic diagrams such as the Sabbadin–Minello–Bianchini and Baldwin–Phillips–Terlevich diagrams. When considering a broader range of diagnostic criteria compared to those provided in the literature, our analyses resulted in the reclassification of four objects from Likely PNe to True PNe and the retention of the previous classification for the remaining six objects. In addition, we obtained various physical conditions such as electron temperatures, electron densities, logarithmic extinction coefficients, and excitation classes for the 10 objects under study. Our analysis revealed that the ionic abundances of the majority of these objects were in agreement with Galactic PNe. Our spectral observations have led to the updating of 10 PNe in the HASH data base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sky subtraction is a crucial step in the data reduction process for LAMOST, including dark, bright, and grey nights. During the pilot survey, on bright nights, atmospheric scattering of moonlight can introduce gradients in the sky background. In observations during bright moonlit nights, the sky component is significant, and sometimes, variations in colour can be observed in the sky spectra. This phenomenon is not universally present during observations on bright moonlit nights. Taking this into consideration, this paper proposes a weighted trend-surface method to reconstruct the sky component within the science target fibre, aiming to achieve the subtraction of the sky component. We constructed a sky model using a trend surface, utilizing data from all sky fibre spectra on the same spectrograph to predict the sky component for each fibre spectrum. Subsequently, the reconstructed sky spectrum data were compared with the actually observed sky spectrum data and the 'super sky' from LAMOST's pipeline. The results indicate that our method is closer to the observed real sky spectrum than the 'super sky', showing smaller residuals and variance, with an average closer to zero. This method serves as a viable solution, particularly when dealing with colour variations observed during bright moonlit nights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warps have often been used to explain disc properties, but well-characterized examples are important due to their role in disc evolution. Scattered light images of discs with central gaps have revealed sharp warps, such that the outer rings are shadowed by tilted inner discs. The near-infrared intensity drops along the ring around T-Tauri star DoAr 44 have been interpreted in terms of a central warp. We report new ALMA observations of DoAr 44 in the continuum at 230 and 350 GHz (at ∼10 au), along with a new epoch of Spectro Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE)/Infrared Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph differential polarized imaging taken during excellent weather conditions. The ALMA observations resolve the ring and confirm the decrements proposed from deconvolution of coarse 336 GHz data. The scattered light image constrains the dips, which correspond to a misaligned inner disc with a relative inclination ξ = 21.4  |$^{+6.7}_{-8.3}$|  deg. The SPHERE intensity profile shows a morphological change compared to a previous epoch that may be interpreted as a variable orientation of the inner disc, from ξ ∼ 30 deg to ξ ∼ 20 deg. The intensity dips probably correspond to temperature decrements, as their mm-spectral index, |$\alpha ^{230 \textrm {GHz}}_{350 \textrm {GHz}} \sim$|  2.0 ± 0.1, is indicative of optically thick emission. The azimuth of the two temperature decrements are leading clockwise relative to the infrared-dips, by η = 14.95 deg and η = 7.92 deg. For a retrograde disc, such shifts are expected from a thermal lag and imply gas surface densities of Σg = 117 ± 10 g cm−2 and Σg = 48 ± 10 g cm−2. A lopsided disc, with contrast ratio f r = 2.4 ± 0.5, is also consistent with the large continuum crescent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminar-type spherical diffraction gratings overcoated with carbon-based materials were designed, fabricated, and evaluated for the purpose of enhancing the analytical sensitivity of the flat-field spectrograph in a vacuum ultraviolet region of 35–110 eV. As the design benchmark for numerical calculations, diffraction efficiency (DE) and spectral flux, which are defined by the product of the DE and numerical aperture and correlate with the analytical sensitivity of the spectrograph, were used. To simplify the feasibility study on the overcoating effects, we assumed a laminar-type grating having a grating constant of 1/1000 mm and coated with a Au layer of 30.0 nm thickness and an incidence angle of 84.0°. The optimized groove depth and duty ratio were 30.0 nm and 0.3, respectively. In addition, the optimum thicknesses of the overcoating layer were 44, 46, 24, and 30 nm for B4C, C, diamond-like-carbon, and SiC, respectively. Based on these results, we have fabricated a varied-line-spacing holographic grating overcoated with B4C with a thickness of 47 nm. For the experimental evaluation, we used the light source of Mg-L and Al-L emissions excited by the electron beam generated from an electron microscope, an objective flat-field spectrograph, and a CCD imaging detector. The experimental results showed that the spectrograph employing a new grating overcoated with the B4C layer indicated almost the same spectral resolution and 2.9–4.2 times higher analytical sensitivity compared with those obtained with a previously designed Au-coated grating having a grating constant of 1/1200 mm and used at an incidence of 86.0°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the stellar magnetism studies published in 2022. We analyzed a total of 75 papers, which focus mostly on the study of magnetic fields in chemically peculiar and active cool stars. In the latter, migration of magnetic spots and change of their configuration is observed. Projects of spectrographs and spectropolarimeters for new big telescopes are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical spectroscopy offers the most direct view of the stellar properties and the accretion indicators. Standard accretion tracers, such as H β , H α and Ca II triplet lines, and most photospheric features fall in the optical wavelengths. However, these tracers are not readily observable from deeply embedded protostars because of the large line of sight extinction ( A v ∼ 50 –100 mag) toward them. In some cases, however, it is possible to observe protostars at optical wavelengths if the outflow cavity is aligned along the line-of-sight that allows observations of the photosphere, or the envelope is very tenuous and thin, such that the extinction is low. In such cases, we not only detect these protostars at optical wavelengths, but also follow up spectroscopically. We have used the HOPS catalog (Furlan et al. in 2016) of protostars in Orion to search for optical counterparts for protostars in the Gaia DR3 survey. Out of the 330 protostars in the HOPS sample, an optical counterpart within 2 ′ ′ is detected for 62 of the protostars. For 17 out of 62 optically detected protostars, we obtained optical spectra (between 5500 and 8900 Å) using nt Object Spectrograph and Camera (ADFOSC) on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT) and Hanle Faint Object Spectrograph Camera (HFOSC) on 2-m Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). We detect strong photospheric features, such as the TiO bands in the spectra (of 4 protostars), hinting that photospheres can form early in the star-formation process. We further determined the spectral types of protostars, which show photospheres similar to a late M-type. Mass accretion rates derived for the protostars are similar to those found for T-Tauri stars, in the range of 10 - 7 –10 - 8 M ⊙ yr - 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a method to characterize star-formation driven outflows from edge-on galaxies and apply this method to the metal-poor starburst galaxy, Mrk 1486. Our method uses the distribution of emission line flux (from H β and [O  iii ] 5007) to identify the location of the outflow and measure the extent above the disc, the opening angle, and the transverse kinematics. We show that this simple technique recovers a similar distribution of the outflow without requiring complex modelling of line-splitting or multi-Gaussian components, and is therefore applicable to lower spectral resolution data. In Mrk 1486 we observe an asymmetric outflow in both the location of the peak flux and total flux from each lobe. We estimate an opening angle of 17–37° depending on the method and assumptions adopted. Within the minor axis outflows, we estimate a total mass outflow rate of ∼2.5 M⊙ yr−1, which corresponds to a mass loading factor of η = 0.7. We observe a non-negligible amount of flux from ionized gas outflowing along the edge of the disc (perpendicular to the biconical components), with a mass outflow rate ∼0.9 M⊙ yr−1. Our results are intended to demonstrate a method that can be applied to high-throughput low spectral resolution observations, such as narrow-band filters or low spectral resolution integral field spectrographs that may be more able to recover the faint emission from outflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV-vis spectroscopy is widely used for kinetic studies in physical chemistry, as species' absolute cross-sections are usually less sensitive to experimental conditions (i.e., temperature and pressure). Here, we present the design and characterization of a multipass UV-vis absorption spectroscopy white cell coupled to a pulsed-laser photolysis flow reactor. The glass reactor was designed to facilitate studies of gas phase chemical reactions over a range of conditions (239–293 K and 10–550 Torr). Purged windows mitigate contamination from chemical precursors and photolysis products. We report the measured impact of this purging on temperature uniformity and the absorption length and present some supporting flow calculations. The combined optical setup is unique and enables the photolysis laser to be coaligned with a well-defined absorption pathlength probe beam. This alignment leverages the use of one long-pass filter to increase the spectrum flatness and increase the light intensity vs other systems that use two dichroic mirrors. The probe beam is analyzed with a dual exit spectrograph, customized to split the light between an intensified CCD and photomultiplier tube, enabling simultaneous spectrum and single wavelength detection. This multipass system yields a pathlength of ∼450 cm and minimum observable concentrations of ∼3.7 × 1011 molecule cm−3 (assuming cross-sections ∼1.2 × 10−17 cm2). The temperature profile across the reaction region is ±2 K, defined by the worst-case temperature of 239 K, validated by measurements of the N2O4 equilibrium constant. Finally, the system is implemented to study the simplest Criegee intermediate, demonstrating the instrument performance and advantages of simultaneous spectrum and temporal profile measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency combs with mode spacing of 10–20 GHz are critical for increasingly important applications such as astronomical spectrograph calibration, high-speed dual-comb spectroscopy, and low-noise microwave generation. While electro-optic modulators and microresonators can provide narrowband comb sources at this repetition rate, a significant remaining challenge is a means to produce pulses with sufficient peak power to initiate nonlinear supercontinuum generation spanning hundreds of terahertz (THz) as required for self-referencing. Here, we provide a simple, robust, and universal solution to this problem using off-the-shelf polarization-maintaining amplification and nonlinear fiber components. This fiber-integrated approach for nonlinear temporal compression and supercontinuum generation is demonstrated with a resonant electro-optic frequency comb at 1550 nm. We show how to readily achieve pulses shorter than 60 fs at a repetition rate of 20 GHz. The same technique can be applied to picosecond pulses at 10 GHz to demonstrate temporal compression by 9× and achieve 50 fs pulses with a peak power of 5.5 kW. These compressed pulses enable flat supercontinuum generation spanning more than 600 nm after propagation through multi-segment dispersion-tailored anomalous-dispersion highly nonlinear fibers or tantala waveguides. The same 10 GHz source can readily achieve an octave-spanning spectrum for self-referencing in dispersion-engineered silicon nitride waveguides. This simple all-fiber approach to nonlinear spectral broadening fills a critical gap for transforming any narrowband 10–20 GHz frequency comb into a broadband spectrum for a wide range of applications that benefit from the high pulse rate and require access to the individual comb modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a sliding spark and a 6.65 m normal incidence vacuum spectrograph, the third spectrum of platinum was analyzed. The transitions involving high-lying levels were studied. A total of 241 Pt III lines of the transitions from the levels of the 5d76p + 5d66s6p configurations in the region 728–2062 Å were classified, increasing the number of known Pt III lines to more than 1000. Ninety-one energy levels belonging mostly to the 5d66s6p configuration were added to Pt III. The odd Pt III levels were theoretically interpreted by means of multiconfiguration Dirak–Fock calculations and a least-squares fit of the calculated to the observed levels in the framework of the orthogonal parameters technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new spectroscopic study of 175 stars in the vicinity of the dwarf galaxy Hercules (d ∼ 132 kpc) with data from the Anglo-Australian Telescope and its AAOmega spectrograph together with the Two Degree Field multi-object system to solve the conundrum that whether Hercules is tidally disrupting. We combine broad-band photometry, proper motions from Gaia , and our Pristine narrow-band and metallicity-sensitive photometry to efficiently weed out the Milky Way contamination. Such cleaning is particularly critical in this kinematic regime, as both the transverse and heliocentric velocities of Milky Way populations overlap with Hercules. Thanks to this method, three new member stars are identified, including one at almost 10 r h of the satellite. All three have velocities and metallicities consistent with that of the main body. Combining this new data set with the entire literature cleaned out from contamination shows that Hercules does not exhibit a velocity gradient (d〈 v 〉/dχ |$= 0.1^{+0.4}_{-0.2}$| km s−1 arcmin−1, 1.6 km s−1 arcmin−1 as a 3σ upper limit) and, as such, does not show evidence to undergo tidal disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]