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The Galactic center is an interesting region for high-energy (0.1-100 GeV) and very-high-energy (E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray observations. Potential sources of GeV/TeV gamma-ray emission have been suggested, e.g., the accretion of matter onto the supermassive black hole, cosmic rays from a nearby supernova remnant (e.g., Sgr A East), particle acceleration in a plerion, or the annihilation of dark matter particles. The Galactic center has been detected by EGRET and by Fermi/LAT in the MeV/GeV energy band. At TeV energies, the Galactic center was detected with moderate significance by the CANGAROO and Whipple 10 m telescopes and with high significance by H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and VERITAS. We present the results from three years of VERITAS observations conducted at large zenith angles resulting in a detection of the Galactic center on the level of 18 standard deviations at energies above similar to 2.5 TeV. The energy spectrum is derived and is found to be compatible with hadronic, leptonic, and hybrid emission models discussed in the literature. Future, more detailed measurements of the high-energy cutoff and better constraints on the high-energy flux variability will help to refine and/or disentangle the individual models.
Most of the baryonic matter in the Universe resides in a diffuse gaseous phase in-between galaxies consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium. This intergalactic medium (IGM) is distributed in large-scale filaments as part of the overall cosmic web. The luminous extragalactic objects that we can observe today, such as galaxies and quasars, are surrounded by the IGM in the most dense regions within the cosmic web. The radiation of these objects contributes to the so-called ultraviolet background (UVB) which keeps the IGM highly ionized ever since the epoch of reionization.
Measuring the amount of absorption due to intergalactic neutral hydrogen (HI) against extragalactic background sources is a very useful tool to constrain the energy input of ionizing sources into the IGM. Observations suggest that the HI Lyman-alpha effective optical depth, τ_eff, decreases with decreasing redshift, which is primarily due to the expansion of the Universe. However, some studies find a smaller value of the effective optical depth than expected at the specific redshift z~3.2, possibly related to the complete reionization of helium in the IGM and a hardening of the UVB. The detection and possible cause of a decrease in τ_eff at z~3.2 is controversially debated in the literature and the observed features need further explanation.
To better understand the properties of the mean absorption at high redshift and to provide an answer for whether the detection of a τ_eff feature is real we study 13 high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio quasar spectra observed with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The redshift evolution of the effective optical depth, τ_eff(z), is measured in the redshift range 2.7≤z≤3.6. The influence of metal absorption features is removed by performing a comprehensive absorption-line-fitting procedure.
In the first part of the thesis, a line-parameter analysis of the column density, N, and Doppler parameter, b, of ≈7500 individually fitted absorption lines is performed. The results are in good agreement with findings from previous surveys.
The second (main) part of this thesis deals with the analysis of the redshift evolution of the effective optical depth. The τ_eff measurements vary around the empirical power law τ_eff(z)~(1+z)^(γ+1) with γ=2.09±0.52. The same analysis as for the observed spectra is performed on synthetic absorption spectra. From a comparison between observed and synthetic spectral data it can be inferred that the uncertainties of the τ_eff values are likely underestimated and that the scatter is probably caused by high-column-density absorbers with column densities in the range 15≤logN≤17. In the real Universe, such absorbers are rarely observed, however. Hence, the difference in τ_eff from different observational data sets and absorption studies is most likely caused by cosmic variance. If, alternatively, the disagreement between such data is a result of an too optimistic estimate of the (systematic) errors, it is also possible that all τ_eff measurements agree with a smooth evolution within the investigated redshift range. To explore in detail the different analysis techniques of previous studies an extensive literature comparison to the results of this work is presented in this thesis.
Although a final explanation for the occurrence of the τ_eff deviation in different studies at z~3.2 cannot be given here, our study, which represents the most detailed line-fitting analysis of its kind performed at the investigated redshifts so far, represents another important benchmark for the characterization of the HI Ly-alpha effective optical depth at high redshift and its indicated unusual behavior at z~3.2.
We present results of the analysis of 70 RR Lyrae stars located in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Combining the spectroscopically determined metallicity of these stars from the literature with precise periods from the OGLE III catalog and multi-epoch K-s photometry from the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system, we derive a new near-infrared period-luminosity-metallicity (PLKsZ) relation for RR Lyrae variables. In order to fit the relation we use a fitting method developed specifically for this study. The zero-point of the relation is estimated two different ways: by assuming the value of the distance to the LMC and by using Hubble Space Telescope parallaxes of five RR Lyrae stars in the Milky Way (MW). The difference in distance moduli derived by applying these two approaches is similar to 0.2 mag. To investigate this point further we derive the PL(Ks)Z relation based on 23 MW RR Lyrae stars that had been analyzed in Baade-Wesselink studies. We compared the derived PL(Ks)Z relations for RR Lyrae stars in the MW and LMC. Slopes and zero-points are different, but still consistent within the errors. The shallow slope of the metallicity term is confirmed by both LMC and MW variables. The astrometric space mission Gaia is expected to provide a huge contribution to the determination of the RR Lyrae PL(Ks)Z relation; however, calculating an absolute magnitude from the trigonometric parallax of each star and fitting a PL(Ks)Z relation directly to period and absolute magnitude leads to biased results. We present a tool to achieve an unbiased solution by modeling the data and inferring the slope and zero-point of the relation via statistical methods.
During the summer of 2013, a 4-month spectroscopic campaign took place to observe the variabilities in three Wolf-Rayet stars. The spectroscopic data have been analysed for WR 134 (WN6b), to better understand its behaviour and long-term periodicity, which we interpret as arising from corotating interaction regions (CIRs) in the wind. By analysing the variability of the He ii lambda 5411 emission line, the previously identified period was refined to P = 2.255 +/- 0.008 (s.d.) d. The coherency time of the variability, which we associate with the lifetime of the CIRs in the wind, was deduced to be 40 +/- 6 d, or similar to 18 cycles, by cross-correlating the variability patterns as a function of time. When comparing the phased observational grey-scale difference images with theoretical grey-scales previously calculated from models including CIRs in an optically thin stellar wind, we find that two CIRs were likely present. A separation in longitude of Delta I center dot a parts per thousand integral 90A degrees was determined between the two CIRs and we suggest that the different maximum velocities that they reach indicate that they emerge from different latitudes. We have also been able to detect observational signatures of the CIRs in other spectral lines (C iv lambda lambda 5802,5812 and He i lambda 5876). Furthermore, a DAC was found to be present simultaneously with the CIR signatures detected in the He i lambda 5876 emission line which is consistent with the proposed geometry of the large-scale structures in the wind. Small-scale structures also show a presence in the wind, simultaneously with the larger scale structures, showing that they do in fact co-exist.
Context. The solar magnetic field is responsible for all aspects of solar activity. Thus, emergence of magnetic flux at the surface is the first manifestation of the ensuing solar activity. Aims. Combining high-resolution and synoptic observations aims to provide a comprehensive description of flux emergence at photospheric level and of the growth process that eventually leads to a mature active region. Methods. The small active region NOAA 12118 emerged on 2014 July 17 and was observed one day later with the 1.5-m GREGOR solar telescope on 2014 July 18. High-resolution time-series of blue continuum and G-band images acquired in the blue imaging channel (BIC) of the GREGOR Fabry-Perot Interferometer (GFPI) were complemented by synoptic line-of-sight magnetograms and continuum images obtained with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Horizontal proper motions and horizontal plasma velocities were computed with local correlation tracking (LCT) and the differential affine velocity estimator (DAVE), respectively. Morphological image processing was employed to measure the photometric and magnetic area, magnetic flux, and the separation profile of the emerging flux region during its evolution. Results. The computed growth rates for photometric area, magnetic area, and magnetic flux are about twice as high as the respective decay rates. The space-time diagram using HMI magnetograms of five days provides a comprehensive view of growth and decay. It traces a leaf-like structure, which is determined by the initial separation of the two polarities, a rapid expansion phase, a time when the spread stalls, and a period when the region slowly shrinks again. The separation rate of 0.26 km s(-1) is highest in the initial stage, and it decreases when the separation comes to a halt. Horizontal plasma velocities computed at four evolutionary stages indicate a changing pattern of inflows. In LCT maps we find persistent flow patterns such as outward motions in the outer part of the two major pores, a diverging feature near the trailing pore marking the site of upwelling plasma and flux emergence, and low velocities in the interior of dark pores. We detected many elongated rapidly expanding granules between the two major polarities, with dimensions twice as large as the normal granules.
We present K-s-band light curves for 299 Cepheids in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) of which 288 are new discoveries that we have identified using multi-epoch near-infrared photometry obtained by the VISTA survey of the Magellanic Clouds system (VMC). The new Cepheids have periods in the range from 0.34 to 9.1 d and cover the magnitude interval 12.9 <= currency sign < K-s > <= currency sign 17.6 mag. Our method was developed using variable stars previously identified by the optical microlensing survey OGLE. We focus on searching new Cepheids in external regions of the SMC for which complete VMC K-s-band observations are available and no comprehensive identification of different types of variable stars from other surveys exists yet.
The new generation of solar instruments provides better spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution for a better understanding of the physical processes that take place on the Sun. Multiple-component profiles are more commonly observed with these instruments. Particularly, the He i 10830 triplet presents such peculiar spectral profiles, which give information on the velocity and magnetic fine structure of the upper chromosphere. The purpose of this investigation is to describe a technique to efficiently fit the two blended components of the He i 10830 triplet, which are commonly observed when two atmospheric components are located within the same resolution element. The observations used in this study were taken on 2015 April 17 with the very fast spectroscopic mode of the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS) attached to the 1.5-m GREGOR solar telescope, located at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. We apply a double-Lorentzian fitting technique using Levenberg-Marquardt least-squares minimization. This technique is very simple and much faster than inversion codes. Line-of-sight Doppler velocities can be inferred for a whole map of pixels within just a few minutes. Our results show sub-and supersonic downflow velocities of up to 32 km s(-1) for the fast component in the vicinity of footpoints of filamentary structures. The slow component presents velocities close to rest. (C) 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH& Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Improved measurements of the photospheric and chromospheric three-dimensional magnetic and flow fields are crucial for a precise determination of the origin and evolution of active regions. We present an illustrative sample of multi-instrument data acquired during a two-week coordinated observing campaign in August 2015 involving, among others, the GREGOR solar telescope (imaging and near-infrared spectroscopy) and the space missions Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). The observations focused on the trailing part of active region NOAA 12396 with complex polarity inversion lines and strong intrusions of opposite polarity flux. The GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS) provided Stokes IQUV spectral profiles in the photospheric Si i.1082.7 nm line, the chromospheric He I lambda 1083.0 nm triplet, and the photospheric Ca I lambda 1083.9 nm line. Carefully calibrated GRIS scans of the active region provided maps of Doppler velocity and magnetic field at different atmospheric heights. We compare quick-look maps with those obtained with the " Stokes Inversions based on Response functions" (SIR) code, which furnishes deeper insight into the magnetic properties of the region. We find supporting evidence that newly emerging flux and intruding opposite polarity flux are hampering the formation of penumbrae, i.e., a penumbra fully surrounding a sunspot is only expected after cessation of flux emergence in proximity to the sunspots. (C) 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH& Co.KGaA, Weinheim
Aims. We demonstrate the high multiplex advantage of crowded field 3D spectroscopy with the new integral field spectrograph MUSE by means of a spectroscopic analysis of more than 12 000 individual stars in the globular cluster NGC 6397. Methods. The stars are deblended with a point spread function fitting technique, using a photometric reference catalogue from HST as prior, including relative positions and brightnesses. This catalogue is also used for a first analysis of the extracted spectra, followed by an automatic in-depth analysis via a full-spectrum fitting method based on a large grid of PHOENIX spectra. Results. We analysed the largest sample so far available for a single globular cluster of 18 932 spectra from 12 307 stars in NGC 6397. We derived a mean radial velocity of v(rad) = 17.84 +/- 0.07 km s(-1) and a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = -2.120 +/- 0.002, with the latter seemingly varying with temperature for stars on the red giant branch (RGB). We determine Teff and [Fe/H] from the spectra, and log g from HST photometry. This is the first very comprehensive Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) for a globular cluster based on the analysis of several thousands of stellar spectra, ranging from the main sequence to the tip of the RGB. Furthermore, two interesting objects were identified; one is a post-AGB star and the other is a possible millisecond-pulsar companion.
Aims. We present an extensive study of the BL Lac object Mrk 501 based on a data set collected during the multi-instrument campaign spanning from 2009 March 15 to 2009 August 1, which includes, among other instruments, MAGIC, VERITAS, Whipple 10 m, and Fermi-LAT to cover the gamma-ray range from 0.1 GeV to 20 TeV; RXTE and Swift to cover wavelengths from UV to hard X-rays; and GASP-WEBT, which provides coverage of radio and optical wavelengths. Optical polarization measurements were provided for a fraction of the campaign by the Steward and St. Petersburg observatories. We evaluate the variability of the source and interband correlations, the gamma-ray flaring activity occurring in May 2009, and interpret the results within two synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scenarios. Methods. The multiband variability observed during the full campaign is addressed in terms of the fractional variability, and the possible correlations are studied by calculating the discrete correlation function for each pair of energy bands where the significance was evaluated with dedicated Monte Carlo simulations. The space of SSC model parameters is probed following a dedicated grid-scan strategy, allowing for a wide range of models to be tested and offering a study of the degeneracy of model-to-data agreement in the individual model parameters, hence providing a less biased interpretation than the "single-curve SSC model adjustment" typically reported in the literature. Results. We find an increase in the fractional variability with energy, while no significant interband correlations of flux changes are found on the basis of the acquired data set. The SSC model grid-scan shows that the flaring activity around May 22 cannot be modeled adequately with a one-zone SSC scenario (using an electron energy distribution with two breaks), while it can be suitably described within a two (independent) zone SSC scenario. Here, one zone is responsible for the quiescent emission from the averaged 4.5-month observing period, while the other one, which is spatially separated from the first, dominates the flaring emission occurring at X-rays and very-high-energy (> 100 GeV, VHE) gamma-rays. The flaring activity from May 1, which coincides with a rotation of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA), cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by either a one-zone or a two-independent-zone SSC model, yet this is partially affected by the lack of strictly simultaneous observations and the presence of large flux changes on sub-hour timescales (detected at VHE gamma rays). Conclusions. The higher variability in the VHE emission and lack of correlation with the X-ray emission indicate that, at least during the 4.5-month observing campaign in 2009, the highest energy (and most variable) electrons that are responsible for the VHE gamma rays do not make a dominant contribution to the similar to 1 keV emission. Alternatively, there could be a very variable component contributing to the VHE gamma-ray emission in addition to that coming from the SSC scenario. The studies with our dedicated SSC grid-scan show that there is some degeneracy in both the one-zone and the two-zone SSC scenarios probed, with several combinations of model parameters yielding a similar model-to-data agreement, and some parameters better constrained than others. The observed gamma-ray flaring activity, with the EVPA rotation coincident with the first gamma-ray flare, resembles those reported previously for low frequency peaked blazars, hence suggesting that there are many similarities in the flaring mechanisms of blazars with different jet properties.