The Messenger: No. 121 - September 2005

The Messenger
No. 121 – September 2005

Science with Extremely Large Telescopes
Figure 1: Concepts for 50 –100-m ELTs. Left: the

OWL (Over Whelmingly Large) Telescope, a design for
a 100-m-class telescope being developed by
ESO (Gilmozzi 2004, Dierickx et al. 2004). Right: The
Euro-50 concept (Andersen et al., 2003, 2004).
Isobel Hook (University of Oxford) In the past half-century a new generation scope (TMT). In Europe the focus is on
and the OPTICON ELT Science of telescopes and instruments allowed even larger telescopes – preliminary stud-
Working Group remarkable new discoveries: quasars, ies indicate that the technology to achieve
http://www.astro-opticon.org/ masers, black holes, gravitational arcs, a quantum leap in telescope size is fea-
networking/elt.html extra-solar planets, gamma ray-bursts, sible, and a detailed design study is now
the cosmic microwave background, dark under way in Europe (led by ESO) to
matter and dark energy have all been develop the technology needed to build a
Astronomers around Europe are gearing discovered through the development of a 50–100-m telescope (see Figure 1).
up for the next generation of ground- succession of ever larger and more
based telescopes to follow on from the sophisticated telescopes. This progress A larger telescope is beneficial for two
success of the VLT and other 6–10-m poses new, and more fundamental, main reasons – firstly, a larger collecting
telescopes. All aspects of astronomy questions, the answers to some of which area (proportional to the square of the
will be dramatically advanced by the will perhaps unite astrophysics with diameter) allows fainter and more distant
enormous improvements attainable in elementary particle physics in a new ap- objects to be observed. Secondly, the
collecting area and angular resolution: proach to the nature of matter, while resolution achievable improves in propor-
major new classes of astronomical ob- others may give us insights as to the exis- tion to diameter of the telescope, pro-
jects will become accessible to obser- tence (or otherwise) of other life-sup- vided that the telescope is equipped with
vation for the first time. In July of this porting planets in our Galaxy. As the cur- an adaptive optics system that corrects
year a book1 was produced by a group rent generation of telescopes continues for the blurring effects of the Earth’s at-
of European astronomers, which de- to probe the universe and challenge our mosphere. Thus a 50-m telescope work-
scribes the science achievable with a understanding, the time has come to take ing at its diffraction limit could in theory
telescope of diameter 50–100 m. Here the next step. produce images over five times sharper
we present some highlights from this than the best images from today’s 6–10-m
science case, ranging from direct ob- Several projects are under way around telescopes. These two effects together
servations of Earth-like planets outside the world to design and construct have a profound effect on the scientific
our own Solar System to the most dis- the next generation of ground-based, Ex- observations that can be made – from the
tant objects in the Universe. tremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), which ability to resolve faint planets around
will provide astronomers with the ability to other stars, to studying the most distant
1
Hook, I. M. (Ed.), 2005, “The Science Case for the address the next generation of scientific object in the Universe.
European Extremely Large Telescope: The next step questions. Initial studies in the United
in mankind’s quest for the Universe”. Printed copies States and Canada are concentrating on Some examples are given below of the
and CDs are available on request from Suzanne
Howard ([email protected]). PDF files can be
potential designs in the 20–30-m range, potential scientific breakthroughs achiev-
downloaded from http://www.astro-opticon.org/ such as the proposed Giant Magellan able with the vast improvement in sen-
networking/elt.html Telescope (GMT) and Thirty Meter Tele- sitivity and precision allowed by the next
2 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

step in technological capabilities, focus- Table 1: Highlight science cases for a 50–100-m Extremely Large Telescope.
ing on the science case for a 50–100-m
telescope, which is being developed in Are there Terrestrial planets orbiting Are we alone? Direct detection of earth-like planets in extra-solar
Europe. Additionally, as we have seen other stars? systems and a first search for bio-markers (e.g water and oxygen)
becomes feasible.
in the past, each new generation of facili-
How typical is our Solar System? What Direct study of planetary systems during their formation from proto-
ties has advanced science by discover-
are the planetary environments around planetary disks will become possible for many nearby very young
ing the new and unexpected. Therefore it other stars? stars. In mature planetary systems, detailed spectroscopic analysis
is likely that the major scientific impact of Jupiter-like planets, determining their composition and atmos-
of these new telescopes will be discover- pheres, will be feasible. Imaging of the outer planets and asteroids in
our Solar System will complement space missions.
ies beyond those we can predict today.
When did galaxies form their stars? When and where did the stars now in galaxies form? Precision stud-
ies of individual stars determine ages and the distribution of the
chemical elements, keys to understanding galaxy assembly and evo-
Are we alone? lution. Extension of such analyses to a representative section of
Planets beyond our Solar System the Universe is the next great challenge in understanding galaxies.
How many supermassive black holes Do all galaxies host monsters? Why are supermassive black holes in
exist? the nuclei of galaxies apparently related to the whole galaxy? When
In 1995 the first planet around a normal
and how do they form and evolve? Extreme resolution and sensitivity
star other than the Sun was detected, are needed to extend studies to normal and low-mass galaxies to
by the Swiss astronomers Mayor and address these key puzzles.
Queloz, using a small French telescope When and where did the stars and the Can we meet the grand challenge, to trace star formation back to
with sophisticated instrumentation. The chemical elements form? the very first star ever formed? By discovering and analysing distant
galaxies, gas clouds, and supernovae, the history of star formation,
rate of announcement of new discov-
and the creation history of the chemical elements can be quantified.
eries of extra-solar planets currently ex-
What were the first objects? Were stars the first objects to form? Were the first stars the source
ceeds several tens per year, with dis- of the ultraviolet photons which re-ionised the Universe some
coveries dominated by indirect methods: 200 million years after the Big Bang, and made it transparent? These
either the motion of the parent star in- objects may be visible through their supernovae, or their ionisa-
tion zones.
duced by the gravitational pull of the plan-
How many types of matter exist? What Most matter is transparent, and is detectable only through its gra-
et, or the light-loss resulting as the planet
is dark matter? Where is it? vitational effect on moving things. By mapping the detailed
transits in front of its star, as seen by growth and kinematics of galaxies out to high redshifts, we can
us. First claims of direct imaging of planets observe dark-matter structures in the process of formation.
have already been made using 8–10-m What is dark energy? Does it evolve? Direct mapping of space-time, using the most distant possible trac-
telescopes (see Figure 2): it is only a mat- How many types are there? ers, is the key to defining the dominant form of energy in the Uni-
verse. This is arguably the biggest single question facing physical
ter of time until several reliable detections
science.
are available. Quantitative studies will
Extending the age of discovery In the last decades astronomy has revolutionised our knowledge of
become possible with advanced adaptive the Universe, of its contents, and the nature of existence. The next
optics, using coronographic techniques to big step is likely to be remembered for discovering the unimagined
suppress the glare from the planet’s new.
parent star. Studies of Earth-like planets,
especially via spectroscopy, will however
remain impossible.
Extremely Large Telescopes offer spec-

tacular advances in studying planetary
systems. In addition to the improved col-
lecting area, needed for observing such Figure 2: Infrared image obtained with
the NACO adaptive optics facility on 2MASSWJ1207334-393254
faint objects as the smaller extra-solar the VLT of the young (~ 10 Myr) brown
planets, the improved resolution allows dwarf 2M1207 (centre) in the nearby
cleaner separation of a planet from TW Hydrae association (Chauvin et al.
the image of its star. As a result, one of 2004). The fainter object seen near it
at an angular distance of 778 milliarc-
the most exciting new opportunities sec has recently been confirmed to be
for Extremely Large Telescopes is the abil- gravitationally associated with the
ity directly to detect and to study large brown dwarf. Models suggest that it is
samples of planets in other solar systems. a giant exoplanet with a mass about
five times that of Jupiter. The source is
very young, is still liberating consider-
Planets of course come in a wide range able energy as it contracts and cools,
of types, sizes and distances from their and probably formed in a way unlike
parent stars. What sort of planets can be that of planets in our Solar System. An 778 mas
ELT is essential to image fainter planets 55 AU at 70 pc
studied with different types of telescope, like our Earth, particularly as they are
N
and how many different planetary systems likely to be closer to their parent stars.
might one be able to detect? Simula- E
The Messenger 121 – September 2005 3

Hook I. et al., Science with Extremely Large Telescopes
Figure 3: A simulated time-series image of a solar-

system analogue, containing a Jupiter-like and an
Earth-like planet at a distance of 10 pc. The system
has been “observed” at number of epochs as the
planets go around in the 15-degree obliquity orbits to
illustrate the phase effect. Each epoch is represented
by a 100-ksec exposure in the V-band with the OWL
100-m telescope, based on adaptive-optics simula-
tions. The PSF of the central star has been subtracted
from the image. (From Hainaut, Rahoui, & Gilmozzi
2005.)
tions of observations of extra-solar plan-

ets show that a 30-m telescope at a
“standard” site, equipped with suitably
sophisticated adaptive optics instrumen-
tation, should be capable of studying
Jupiter-like gas giant planets out to sever-
al tens of light years, while only a much
larger, 100-m-class, telescope would be
capable of detecting and studying a sam-
ple of Earth-like planets – the key here 0.1 arcsec
is the extremely high spatial resolution
needed to observe an object that is about
10 billion times fainter than, and very
close to its parent star. Earth, for exam-
ple, would appear only 0.1? from the sun strumentation which could detect Earth- ated by on going planet formation around
if the Solar System were observed from like planets would with ease detect larger young stars. Current models, as yet
a distance of 10 parsecs (~ 30 light years): planets, and planets with larger separa- untested by direct observations, suggest
see the simulation in Figure 3. tion from their star. Imaging of entire plan- that planets form from condensations in a
etary systems will become possible. dusty disc encircling a young star, and
The habitable zone is the narrow region in Such data will define the outcome of the subsequently create circular gaps at dis-
a planetary system where water exists formation of planetary systems, by dis- crete positions in the disc; Figure 4 shows
in liquid form: this is a prerequisite for life covering and defining the types of sys- a simulation of this process. A telescope
as we know it. Not all stars have plan- tems which form and survive. Basic ques- with sufficient resolving power and a coro-
ets, and perhaps only a very few will have tions which remain unanswered to date nagraph to suppress light from the central
planets in the habitable zone, so the larg- include which stars have which types of young star will be able to detect these
est possible sample has to be surveyed planets, what conditions are required to planetary birthplaces, even at the inner
if we are to be confident of identifying a form the various types of planet, what are disc locations where habitable planets
true Earth-twin. The number of stars that the special properties, if any, of the parent should form.
can be studied is approximately propor- stars and are there planets around rare
tional to the spatial resolution to the cube types of stars (e.g. white dwarfs, very old A sub-millimetre detection capability on a
(i.e. to D 3, where D is the telescope halo stars: planets near neutron stars are suitably large telescope would even per-
diameter). A 100-m telescope can in prin- already known). mit the mapping of the colder, outer
ciple detect an Earth-like planet around a regions of protoplanetary systems out to
solar-type star out to a distance of By repeated imaging, planets will be fol- their Kuiper Belts, where the debris of
100 light years. This distance limit means lowed around their orbits. Variations planetary formation is believed to accu-
that there are about 1000 candidate in their apparent brightness during this mulate and survive.
Sun-like stars to be observed. The corre- process then can be used to determine
sponding numbers are about 200 stars many properties. For example, their
for a 50-m telescope and 30 stars for a reflectivities (albedo) determine their sur-
30-m telescope. face temperatures. For larger planets,
rings like those around Saturn, and the
The large telescope collecting area, which presence of moons may be inferred
is the key to achieving the challenging indirectly from the small deviations they
goal of detection of an Earth-like planet produce in brightness, position of
in a habitable zone, will automatically the planet and its velocity over time.
allow substantial extra analysis, beyond
‘just’ detection: it will characterise plan-
etary surfaces and atmospheres. Worlds in formation
The search for biomarkers in the planet
atmosphere has the potential to discover At least as important as determining the
life beyond our Solar System. diversity of mature planetary systems is
understanding the formation and early
evolution processes. Is planet formation
Massive planets ubiquitous but survival unlikely? Or vice-
versa? How long does planet formation
A limitation in studies of our own Solar take? How is it terminated? What hap- Figure 4: Simulation showing four stages in the for-
mation of gas giant planets via fragmentation of proto-
System is that we have only one example: pens to a planet after it forms? All these, planetary discs (from Mayer et al. 2004). As the plan-
is what we see typical? unique? tran- and many related, questions require ets form, gaps are carved in the disc. An ELT has the
sient? It is clear that a telescope and in- detection of the observable effects gener- potential to detect such gaps.

Solar System astronomy Figure 5: Changes in
the surface of Io ob-
served by the Galileo
An Extremely Large Telescope provides spacecraft. The images
a natural and valuable complement to were taken on April 4
dedicated spacecraft. It would be capable and September 17 1997.
(Credit NASA /JPL).
of assembling a unique atlas of the
Ground-based ELTs will
surfaces of hundreds of solar system ob- allow repeated imaging
jects. Of unique value will be an Extremely and monitoring of such
Large Telescope’s ability to make re- events.
peated highly-resolved imaging and spec-
troscopic observations of planets and
moons with evolving surfaces and atmos-
pheres. Detailed and continuing observa-
tions of this kind cannot otherwise be ob-
tained except by dedicated (single-target)
orbiters, none of which have yet been
sent to the outer Solar System. Figure 5 redshifts up to ten in the case of a 100-m Figure 6 (below): Hubble diagram, normalised to a
cosmological model for an empty Universe, for super-
shows an image of Jupiter’s moon Io telescope (see Figure 6) and possibly to
novae out to redshift 20 (from Della Valle et al. 2005).
taken during a fly-by of the Jupiter orbiter redshift 20 for supernovae from the very Pink dots are simulated Type Ia SNe, black dots
Galileo: a 100-m telescope for example first (population III) stars. Redshift ten cor- Type II (+Ib/c), blue and green dots are Ia SNe actually
would have a diffraction-limited resolution responds to direct observation back to discovered by groundbased telescopes (Perlmutter et
al. 1998, 1999; Riess et al. 1998; Knop et al. 2003,
of about 8 km (at a wavelength of 1µm) 500 million years after the Big Bang, bare-
Tonry et al. 2003) and from HST (Riess et al. 2004).
at the distance of Io, allowing detailed ly 3 per cent of the present age of the The SNe have been distributed around the track
surface maps to be made and changes to Universe. The frequency of supernovae at ΩM = 0.3, ΩΛ = 0.7 after taking into account the intrin-
be monitored (such as the volcanic activi- different times in the history of the Uni- sic dispersion of the peak of the luminosity of Type Ia
and II SN populations, while the photometric errors
ty shown in Figure 5). Thermal-infrared verse is directly related to the number of
have been derived from the S/N ratio that has been
images at these resolutions have never stars that formed at that particular cosmic computed for each simulated observation, assuming
been secured. epoch. Measuring the rate of supernova a 100-m telescope. Red dots represent SNe from
explosions across the Universe can there- Pop III star population. A 100-m ELT could generate
such a sample of supernovae in about 130 nights of
Such a systematic series of imaging and fore tell us when stars formed and at what
observing, including crucial measurements of spec-
spectroscopic observations would also rate. Simulations suggest that a 100-m troscopic redshifts and determination of the superno-
allow us to follow the seasonal and long- telescope would require about 130 nights va types.
term variability of Titan’s dense haze lay- both to discover ~ 400 supernovae (using
ers, allow studies of the structures gener-
ated by the gas geysers on Triton and
permit the monitoring of the evolution of Ωm = 0 ΩΛ = 1
the atmosphere of Pluto as it recedes
from the sun. 1
When and where did the stars form? Ωm = 0 ΩΛ = 0

0
When did the stars form? This basic

question is a key puzzle in astronomy and Ωm = 0.3 ΩΛ = 0.7
is only partly answered: young stars are
-1
being born today in our and other galax-
∆m
ies, but at a very low rate. Most stars

were formed long ago. But when were the
stars that make up the giant elliptical -2
galaxies and the central bulges of spirals
like our own Milky Way formed? To
answer this we can make use of the fact Ωm = 1 ΩΛ = 0
that massive stars die young. Indeed -3
many explode only a few million years
after their birth, in spectacular supernovae
explosions, whose flash can outshine
whole galaxies. With an Extremely Large -4
Telescope, such supernovae could be
0 5 10 15 20
seen to vast distances, corresponding to z

Figure 7: A predicted distribution of stars as a func-

tion of magnitude (vertical axis), colour (horizontal axis)
and age, for a plausible galaxy model (from Aparicio &
Gallart 2004). The colour coding represents stars
in different age intervals, with units in billions of years.
A 100-m-class ELT would have the resolving power
and collecting area needed to place individual stars
on such a diagram, and hence measure the age of the
stellar populations, in galaxies as distant as the Virgo
cluster.
near-infrared imaging in the J-, H- and -8 t ≤ 0.1

0.1 < t ≤ 0.4
K-bands) and to carry out spectroscopy
0.4 < t ≤ 1.0
to confirm their nature, redshift and 1.0 < t ≤ 3.0
properties. Such a sample will provide a -6 BL 3.0 < t ≤ 6.0
reliable measure of the star-forming his- 6.0 < t ≤ 10.0
13.0 < t ≤ 10.0
tory of the Universe back to a time when
the Universe was a few per cent of its -4
present age. Labels indicate different
stellar evolutionary
HB phases:
MI
-2 AGB BL – Blue Loop

When did the stars assemble into today’s HB – Horizontal Branch
galaxies? RC RC – Red Clump
0 RGB – Red Giant Branch
AGB – Asymptotic giant
How did the galaxies that we observe RGB branch
around us come to be formed? This MS – Main Sequence
remains one of the outstanding questions 2 MS
in modern astronomy. The current best
model suggests that a hierarchical se-
quence of mergers of smaller component 4
galaxies built up most of the galaxies we -1 0 1 2 3
see today. Indeed, recent studies of (V–I)
our own Milky Way galaxy have revealed a
few small galaxies currently merging into indeed, of the components from which) In addition, the bulk motions of gas and
the Milky Way, while similar behaviour is the target galaxies were assembled, and stars inside galaxy could be determined,
apparent in our neighbour the Andromeda the role of dark matter in this process. thus allowing one to map the dark matter
galaxy M31. Detailed analysis of merg- content of individual galaxies at a range of
er events gives clues as to the timing of redshifts, corresponding to epochs when
the main mergers in a galaxy’s history and The physics of galaxy formation the galaxies were in the process of as-
through this, the role of the mysterious sembly. Then, measuring the kinematics
dark matter, which must play an important To understand the creation and evolution of their satellite objects, both internal and
part in galaxy formation through its domi- of galaxies in general we must address relative to their more massive partners,
nant gravitational effect. what is one of the major goals of future we can estimate the amount of and infer
astrophysics: to map the distribution and the distribution of the mass present in the
Up until now these studies have been lim- growth of both the baryonic (normal galaxy’s halo, which is one of the few
ited to our own Galaxy and its nearest matter) and dark matter components of ways we have of detecting and examining
neighbours. But do all galaxy types have galaxies at moderate to high redshift the dark matter and its distribution.
similar merger histories? How important (z = 1–5), a key epoch for galaxy forma-
is environment? To study a representative tion. Although individual stars cannot This will provide astronomers with a de-
section of the Universe requires reaching be resolved at these cosmological dis- tailed evolutionary history of the clump-
at least the nearest large galaxy clus- tances, a 50-m to 100-m Extremely Large ing of dark matter (Figure 8). We will “see”
ters which contain large elliptical galaxies. Telescope will not only resolve the dis- galaxy formation in all its glory from for-
This means observing galaxies in the tant galaxies into their luminous compo- mation to maturity, and so directly test our
Virgo or Fornax clusters at distances of 16 nents, but will be able to characterise understanding of the basic evolutionary
or 20 mega-parsecs respectively. Initial these individual components. processes in the Universe.
feasibility studies look very promising –
simulations show that a 100-m-class tele- Using techniques such as integral-field
scope should be able to resolve individ- spectroscopy, in which spectra are ob- Supermassive black holes
ual stars in galaxies in the Virgo cluster, tained at thousands of locations across a
and obtain sufficiently accurate photome- (proto-) galaxy simultaneously, it will be The centres of most, perhaps all, galaxies
try to determine their ages and composi- possible to determine the relative star for- harbour supermassive black holes. These
tion, even for the oldest, hence faintest, mation rate, the mass of stars and the exotic objects are usually discovered indi-
unevolved stars. Spectroscopic observa- chemical composition at these different rectly, as extreme radio- or X-ray-lumi-
tions of the brighter stars will also be pos- locations within each galaxy. This will nous sources, quasars and Active Galac-
sible, allowing measurements of the kine- shed light on the “feedback” mechanisms tic Nuclei. Direct studies, critical for
matic motion of the stars and accurate believed to affect the formation of galax- reliable mass determination, and essential
determination of their chemical composi- ies, such as the effects of a newly-formed when the hole is not active, are possi-
tion. From these a detailed picture will be active galaxy nucleus, or supernova ex- ble only when precision studies of the
derived of the process by which (and, plosions, on surrounding star formation. very local region of the galactic nucleus
are feasible: only (relatively) close to a

black hole is the gravity of the whole gal-
axy dominated by the mass of the
black hole, so that the black hole’s pres-
ence can be deduced. The methodology
has been proven by observations at ESO
over many years proving the existence
of a massive (~ 3 × 10 6 MA) black hole
in the core of the Milky Way galaxy. Direct
measurements of the speed at which
stars and gas clouds are orbiting the cen- z = 4.71 z = 4.00 z = 2.64
tre of a galaxy are required. The closer
to the centre these can be measured, the
more reliable is the evidence for, and
the determination of the mass of, the
black hole.
For reasons which are not understood,

the evolution and mass of the supermas-
sive black holes is apparently very close-
ly related to the properties of the very
much larger host galaxy. Understanding z = 2.08 z = 1.56 z = 1.35
this, and determining if it is indeed ubiq-
uitous, would be the first clue relating the
nuclei of galaxies to their major parts,
and the first link between the exotic and
the typical in galaxies. How do the black
holes first form? How do they grow,
and at what rate? Are growing black holes
always active? How does a central
black hole “know” the properties of the
larger galaxy in which it resides? Does
every galaxy have a massive black hole? z = 0.90 z = 0.38 z = 0.00
All these questions require for progress

detailed study of the masses and ubiquity early Universe an opaque gas of hydrogen Figure 8: Simulations showing Dark Matter particles
within a cube of 320 physical kpc on a side, shown
of central black holes. This requires the and helium. Some time later, the first ob-
at various redshifts and projected so that the luminous
highest possible spatial resolution and jects heated the hydrogen and helium, galaxy at z = 0 is seen edge-on (from Abadi et al.
faint-object spectroscopy, attainable only making it (again) transparent – the “era of 2003). The bottom right panel zooms into the inner-
with an extremely large telescope. For (re-)ionisation’’. A key goal of astrophysics most 40 kpc of the system. Each particle is coloured
according to the logarithm of the local dark matter
example, Figure 9 shows that a 100 m is to understand how and when the first
density using a palette that runs from red to blue: red
telescope working at its diffraction limit luminous objects in the universe formed and blue correspond to ρdm greater than and less
can in principle resolve the sphere of influ- from the primordial gas, what they were, than about 1010 MA kpc –3 respectively. An ELT has the
ence of a supermassive (10 9 MA) black and how they contributed to ionising and potential to observe such galaxy haloes in the pro-
cess of formation: observations of the motion of the
hole at all redshifts across the Universe enriching the gas with heavy elements.
central galaxy and its satellites will provide a mea-
(provided they exist of course!) and even surement of the distribution of dark matter in the ex-
detect the influence of a modest 100 MA Tantalising questions about the re-ionisa- tended galaxy halo.
black hole in the local Universe, out to tion history of the universe are raised by
about 1 Mpc from us. It will then be possi- recent results. Those from the Wilkinson-
ble to carry out a systematic census of MAP Cosmic Microwave Background sat- pletely all radiation bluer than the Lyman α
black holes as a function of cosmic epoch ellite probe, when combined with ground- recombination line of H I (Figure 10). What
and begin to understand their formation in based surveys of the large-scale structure is the solution to this apparent quanda-
relation to the galaxies around them. of the Universe today, suggest that the ry? It may be that there were two re-ioni-
gas was re-ionised by about 180 million sation epochs, an earlier caused by the
years after the Big Bang (redshift ~ 17) first generation of massive stars, followed
The ionisation of the Universe while observations of the highest redshift by cooling, and then one later by the
quasars at about 700 million years (red- first quasars and galaxies. Alternatively, a
The early Universe was hot (ionised) and shift ~ 6) demonstrate that enough of the slower, highly inhomogeneous re-ioni-
transparent. With time, the gas cooled. intergalactic medium remained un-ion- sation process may have occurred over
The aftermath of the Big Bang left the ised at that time to absorb almost com- the period between the two epochs.

Figure 9: Left: Artist’s conception of an AGN with the Supermassive black holes
black hole surrounded by accreting material and -1.0
ejecting jet at relativistic velocities. Right: The impact 100-m ELT
of a 100-m-class telescope on studies of interme- -1.5
30-m ELT
10 9 MA
diate and massive black holes would be considerable. 10 8 MA
Shown here are the distances to which the sphere 10 7 MA
10 6 MA
log(RBH ) [arcsec]
of influence can be resolved (for comparison, the res- -2.0
olution of a 30-m telescope is also shown). With a
100-m ELT we be able to detect 10 9 MA black holes
-2.5
at all redshifts (where they exist). Here we assume
a cosmology of H0 = 70 km s–1Mpc–1, ΩM = 0.3 and
ΩΛ = 0.7. The point spread function is given by -3.0
1.22 λ/D, where D is 30 m or 100 m and λ = 1 µm.
(Figure credits: Left: GLAST/NASA, Courtesy
Aurore Simonnet, Sonoma State University, Right: -3.5
M. Hughes.)
-4.0
1 2 3 4 5 6
1+ z
Figure 10: Spectra of quasars of increasing redshift

illustrating the increase in absorption due to inter-
vening neutral gas with increasing redshift. At the
highest redshifts these show a “Gunn-Peterson” ab-
sorption trough – the complete absorption of light
at wavelengths shortward of the Lyman α line of
atomic hydrogen – implying that the re-ionisation
epoch which began at redshift ~ 20 must have contin-
ued until redshift ~ 6. An ELT’s supreme sensitivity
to point sources (such as quasars, gamma ray bursts
and supernovae) will allow observations of the ionisa-
tion state of the Universe to very high redshift, possi-
bly all the way back to when the re-ionisation process
began. (Figure shows observations by W. Sargent
& M. Rauch; Tae-Sun Kim; M. Pettini. Compilation by
R. Carswell.)
These models, together with other more

complex possibilities, could be tested if
we can observe the ionisation state of the
high-redshift Universe directly: this is
feasible, through analysis of the absorp-
tion features produced in the spectra
of suitably-luminous very distant “back-
ground” objects. There are a few popu- er redshift. Although the epoch of first The first galaxies
lations of sources that could be observed quasar formation remains an open ques-
at such very high redshift with an ELT. tion, the quasars being found at redshifts The first galaxies, being the places of for-
The short-lived gamma-ray bursts are around 6 are (presumably!) powered by mation of the first stars (a prediction well
extremely bright for a short time, so much supermassive black holes, so we infer worth verifying!) compete with the first
so that they should be detectable up to that intermediate-mass black holes (cor- quasars for the re-ionisation of the gas in
redshift ~ 15–20. Supernova explosions responding to quasars of intermediate the early Universe. Candidate star-forming
of the first stars to form, though not luminosity) must have existed at earlier galaxies out to redshift about 6 have
yet detected, would probably be fainter epochs, up to at least redshifts of about already been discovered and a few have
than this, but could still be used to probe 10. Probing the physics of the gas in the been confirmed spectroscopically. Equiv-
the state of the gas at redshifts up to 10. early Universe requires intermediate/high- alent objects are expected to exist out
This population of “first supernovae” may resolution spectroscopy of these “back- to redshifts greater than 10 for several
well disappear once the local heavy- ground” sources in the near infrared, the reasons. Firstly, the analyses of the fluctu-
element enrichment becomes higher than natural domain of ground-based Extreme- ations in the Cosmic Microwave Back-
1/10 000 of the solar value. Testing this ly Large Telescopes. Apart from the very ground indicate ionisation of the universe
prediction will itself be a major challenge, rare extreme gamma-ray bursters (and/or at redshifts > 10, presumably by ultra-
and discovery. bursts caught very early), which could be violet emission from the first objects. Sec-
observed with a 30-m-class telescope, ondly, SPITZER satellite observations of
Quasars are currently used as powerful spectroscopic observations of these faint the higest redshift galaxies known to date
background sources, and will continue background objects can only be carried show evidence for old stellar populations
to be useful in future, if they exist at high- out with telescopes of the 60–100-m class. – indicating that these galaxies formed

Figure 11: HST/ACS images of high-redshift (z ~ 5–6)
galaxies from Bremer & Lehnert (2005) showing the
small but resolved nature of the galaxies, with typical
half-light radii of 0.1–0.2 arcsec (1–2 kpc). A 50 to
100-m ELT will not only measure detailed physical
properties of such galaxies but will also be capable of
finding and confirming (with spectroscopy) galaxies at
significantly higher redshifts (10 and beyond), possibly
including the first galaxies to form in the Universe.
much earlier. Very high-redshift star-form-

ing galaxies will probably be detectable in
considerable numbers with future space-
craft (James Webb Space Telescope) and
ground-based (ALMA) facilities. However
a 100-m-class Extremely Large Telescope
5011 5225 5296 5307 5788
will be needed to provide the desired di-
agnostics of the astrophysics of both the
gaseous interstellar medium and the early
stellar populations in these galaxies.
Furthermore, a sub-millimetre capability

on an Extremely Large Telescope, if 2399 3250 3262 3968 4173
it were at a suitable site, would allow
a large-scale survey (with mapping speed
thousands of times faster than ALMA
at 850 µm) that would detect the millions
of dusty high-redshift galaxies which
(probably) contribute the cosmic far-infra-
red and sub-mm background, resolved 443 712 1276 1392 2225
down to quite faint levels throughout the
Universe. With redshift estimates from
sub-mm flux ratios, such a survey would of the effects of dark energy are apparent gested by modern versions of quantum
yield a treasure-trove of information at relatively low redshifts (less than about field theories. The need for these obser-
on large-scale structure from very early z = 1), although equivalent studies at high vations is critical and the implications for
epochs to the recent past. redshift, when feasible, may well have their all of physics and cosmology are vast.
own surprises in store.
Furthermore, ELTs offer the intriguing pos-
Dark energy and fundamental physics An Extremely Large Telescope can deter- sibility of observing the expansion of
mine the expansion history of the Uni- the Universe directly – by observing the
The recent discovery of the accelerating verse using several different and comple- minute increase in redshift of absorp-
expansion of the Universe has led to an mentary astrophysical objects, thus tion lines in quasar spectra over a period
urgent need to understand the nature of decreasing any dependency on possibly of about 10 years it will be possible to
the mysterious “dark energy” which is unknown systematic effects. The well- watch the Universe expanding in “real
driving this expansion. The dark energy is understood primary distance calibrators, time”! Such detailed and direct measure-
believed to account for about 70 per cent pulsating Cepheid stars, globular clusters, ments will provide an important test of
of the energy budget of the Universe planetary nebulae and novae, could all in cosmological models and also allow tests
(Figure 12, see next page) and yet its principle be observed to cosmological for the constancy of fundamental parame-
nature is completely unknown. One po- distances where the effect of dark energy ters such as the fine structure constant.
tential candidate is the vacuum energy is dominant in the Universe. The exquisite
implied by the “cosmological constant” sensitivity to point sources of an Extreme- Cosmological observations have now
term in Einstein’s field equations (whose ly Large Telescope with appropriate adap- become the only way to characterise sev-
solutions represent global pictures of tive optics capability, combined with its eral of the most promising unexplored
the Universe). However measurements of impressive collecting area, will allow it to sectors beyond the Standard Model
the effects of dark energy on cosmo- detect Type I a supernovae to redshift of particle physics. The discovery and de-
logical scales constrain its contribution to of about 4, and Type II supernovae (which scription of dark energy is possible only
be many orders of magnitude smaller can also be used as distance indicators with cosmological-scale observations: no
than the vacuum energy scale predicted via the expanding photosphere method) small-scale effects are yet known. Howev-
by particle physics theories. possibly all the way to redshifts of about er, dark energy and dark matter must
ten (see Figure 6). be part of the process towards under-
The direct measurement of the dynamical standing the next generation of theory in
expansion history of the Universe via By mapping the geometry of the Universe Physics: they are related to super-sym-
Type I a supernovae has shown that the on the largest scales and accurately metric particles, string theory, theories of
dark energy exerts a negative pressure determining any variations of the strength gravity and quantum gravity, theories
and hence accelerates the universal of dark energy with time, astronomers of higher dimensions, and the constan-
expansion. Direct analysis of the expan- can answer the fundamental question of cies of the fundamental constants. An
sion rates of the Universe across space- whether dark energy corresponds Extremely Large Telescope is the next big
time is needed to investigate this remark- to Einstein’s cosmological constant or step in direct observation of the nature
able form of energy. Intriguingly, most to some “quintessence field” as sug- of the Universe.

Figure 12: Our current understanding of the mass-

energy content of the Universe. All “normal” matter is
a minor contribution of only about 4 %. Dark matter,
of unknown nature dominates mass. Dark energy, of
unknown identities, dominates the Universe. What
is it? ELTs can tackle this question by measuring the
expansion history of the Universe using a range of
independent techniques.
Why an ELT now?
The relatively large apertures which are

affordable and technically feasible Dark energy
for groundbased telescopes means that 73 %
these facilities are the natural means
to provide maximal light-gathering power.
Natural complementarity exists between
these and orbiting observatories which, Atoms
although considerably more expensive for 4%
the same size of telescope, benefit from
being clear of the thermal background Cold dark matter
and the seeing effects of the Earth’s at- 23 %
mosphere.
For example, routine images from the

Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced sources which will demand further study WWW sites for further information:
Camera for Surveys reveal objects which at other wavelengths. For example OPTICON European ELT science case
are so faint the largest existing teles- the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR), due work: http://www.astro-opticon.org/
copes are unable to acquire their spectra. for completion in 2008, will operate at networking/elt.html
Without spectroscopic information we long radio wavelengths, and a more ambi- Euro-50 telescope web site:
can learn only a limited amount about the tious project, the Square Kilometer Array http://www.astro.lu.se/~torben/euro50/
basic nature and properties of an astro- is being proposed to follow as the next- OWL telescope web site:
physical object. The advent of the James generation radio facility. In the sub-mm http://www.eso.org/projects/owl/
Webb Space Telescope, currently sched- bands the Atacama Large Millimeter Array
uled for launch in 2012, will increase this (ALMA), an interferometer currently in References
imbalance. Until the astronomical com- the initial stages of construction and a key
munity acquires complementary ground- element of ESO’s scientific strategy, Abadi M. G., Navarro J. F., Steinmetz M., Eke V. R.
based facilities which are much larger will provide very high sensitivity and spa- 2003, ApJ 591, 499
Andersen T., Ardeberg A., Owner-Petersen M. 2003,
than those available at present, the major- tial resolution beyond the limits of cur- “Euro50, A 50-m Adaptive Optics Telescope”,
ity of future discoveries will be beyond rent ground-based telescopes. ALMA is Lund Observatory
our spectroscopic reach and detailed un- due to be fully operational by 2012 and Andersen T., Ardeberg A., Riewaldt H., Quinlan N.,
derstanding. This is a major reason will cover a very wide range of science, Lastiwka M., McNamara K., Wang X., Enmark A.,
Owner-Petersen M., Shearer A., Fan C., Moraru D.
why astronomers are urgently seeking to detecting both thermal continuum emis- 2004, SPIE 5489, 407
begin construction of the first ground- sion from dust and line emission in Aparicio A. & Gallart C. 2004, AJ 128, 1465
based Extremely Large Telescopes. objects from the nearest star-forming re- Bremer M. & Lehnert M. 2005b, in proc “The Evolu-
gions to luminous galaxies at very high tion of Starbursts” AIP Proc 331. Heraeus Seminar:
The Evolution of Starbursts Eds. Huettemeister,
Space observatories which are designed redshift. Groundbased Extremely Large Manthey, Aalto, Bomans
for observations at wavelengths inacces- Telescopes will be ideally matched to pro- Chauvin G., Lagrange A.-M., Dumas C., Zuckerman
sible from the ground (because of absorp- vide imaging and spectroscopic follow-up B., Mouillet D., Song I., Beuzit J.-L., Lowrance P.
tion by the Earth’s atmosphere), such of these sources at optical to mid-infra- 2004, A&A 425, L29
Della Valle M., Gilmozzi R., Panagia N., Bergeron J.,
as the flagship X-ray facilities XMM-New- red wavelengths, with matched angular Madau P., Spyromilio J., Dierickx P. 2005, in pro-
ton and Chandra, regularly discover resolution. ceedings of the Berlin-04 meeting “Exploring the
sources which are too faint in the wave- Cosmic Frontier”, Springer-Verlag series “ESO
length range readily accessible to the Astrophysics Symposia”, ed. A. Lobanov, in press.
See also astro-ph/0504103
ground, the optical and near infrared, to Science Case Development Dierickx P., Brunetto E., Comeron F., Gilmozzi R.,
be detected or investigated by existing Gonte F., Koch F., le Louarn M., Monnet, G.,
telescopes. Planned next-generation mis- This summary is based on a full science Spyromilio J., Surdej I., Verinaud C., Yaitskova N.
sions will further increase the need for case document developed at a series 2004, SPIE 5489, 391
Gilmozzi R. 2004, SPIE 5489, 1
a major enhancement in the performance of meetings over four years involving over Hainaut O., Rahoui F., Gilmozzi R., 2005, in proceed-
of our large optical/near infrared tele- 100 astronomers. The work is sponsored ings of the Berlin-04 meeting “Exploring the
scopes if the new phenomena which they by the EC network OPTICON, and main- Cosmic Frontier”, Springer-Verlag series “ESO
reveal are to be understood. tained as part of the European Extremely Astrophysics Symposia”, ed. A. Lobanov, in press
Knop R. et al. 2003, ApJ 598, 102
Large Telescope Design Study, funded in Mayer L., Quinn T., Wadsley J., Stadel J. 2004, ApJ
New radio and sub-millimetre astronomy part by the EC FP6 programme, by ESO, 609, 1045
groundbased facilities are being built and by many European national agencies Perlmutter S. et al. 1998, Nature 391, 51
that will also naturally complement an Ex- and organisations. Perlmutter S. et al. 1999, ApJ 517, 565
Riess A. et al. 1998, 116, 1009
tremely Large Telescope’s optical and Riess A. et al 2004, ApJ 607, 665
infrared capabilities, and will discover Tonry J. et al. 2003, ApJ 594, 1

Reports from Observers
Deep Impact at ESO Telescopes
Hans-Ullrich Käufl1 This article is a first summary of the ob- of the short-period comets, while the
Nancy Ageorges1 servations done with ESO telescopes Oort Cloud contains comets originating
Stefano Bagnulo1 and instrumentation in the context of in general from the region of birth of the
Luis Barrera 2 NASA’s Deep Impact (DI) space mission. major planets in the Solar System.
Hermann Böhnhardt 3 The ESO observers* were part of an
Tanyu Bonev 4 extremely active, communicative and Gravitational interaction with the outer
Olivier Hainaut1 thus successful worldwide network of planets and the immediate and even more
Emmanuel Jehin1 observers. Through this network all distant neighbourhood of the Sun in
Florian Kerber 1 information was freely exchanged and the Milky Way (passing stars, molecular
Gaspare LoCurto1 highlights are reported here as well. clouds, galactic centre) has moved and
Jean Manfroid 5 stored these cometary nuclei into the Oort
Olivier Marco1 Cloud, now the repository of non-periodic
Eric Pantin6 Comets and the formation of the comets. It is the same process, gravita-
Emanuela Pompei1 Planetary System tional interaction with stars and molecular
Ivo Saviane1 clouds passing our Solar System, which
Fernando Selman1 The most important scientific rationale for is responsible for injecting comet nuclei
Chris Sterken 7 studying comets is to obtain informa- from their storage place back into the in-
Heike Rauer 8 tion on their origin, on their relationship ner Solar System where they can be ob-
Gian Paolo Tozzi 9 with interstellar and interplanetary materi- served from Earth. Comets then become
Michael Weiler 8 al, and on implications for the formation sometimes spectacular objects, since
of the Solar System. The knowledge close to the Sun, the frozen volatiles subli-
about comets had been synthesized in mate, which creates the dust and gas
1
ESO the 1950s by Fred Whipple into the comae. Coma is the Latin word for “hair”
2 “Dirty Snowball” model for cometary and thus, comets have been referred to
Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias
de la Educacíon, Santiago de Chile, nuclei. Today comets are referred to as as “hairy stars” by our ancestors.
Chile “icy dirt balls” of the solar system be-
3
Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnen- cause this is a better reflection of their Since comets stayed inactive most of
systemforschung, Katlenburg-Lindau, constitution of frozen volatiles and dust. their lifetime in the cold environment of
Germany Comets are known to arrive in the inner the outer Solar System, they are believed
4
Institute of Astronomy, Sofia, Bulgaria planetary system coming from two main to be primordial, i.e. representing in a
5
Université de Liège, Belgium reservoirs: the Oort Cloud at several close to original form an important popu-
6
CEA, Saclay, France 1000–10 000 AU distance from the Sun, lation of minor bodies that agglomerated
7
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium and the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt at in the protoplanetary disc from inter-
8
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und 30–50 AU from the Sun. The latter is con- stellar dust some 4.6 billion years ago.
Raumfahrt, Germany sidered to be also the birthplace of most Comets can thus be considered as fossil
9
Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) – records from the formation of our Solar
Osservatorio di Arcetri, Italy * The ESO observations were the result of a world- System. Of course, any fossil on Earth
wide scientific cooperation involving the following has been subject of some type of “weath-
colleagues: Michael A’Hearn (University of Maryland, ering”. Similarly cometary nuclei have not
USA), Claude Arpigny (Université de Liége, Belgium), survived 4.5 billion years in the Solar Sys-
Anita Cochran (McDonald Observatory USA),
Catherine Delahodde (University of Florida, USA),
tem without any changes. Their upper
Yanga Fernandez (University of Central Florida, USA), surface layers of a few metres thickness
Damien Hutsemekers (Université de Liège, Belgium), experience evolutionary modifications
Hideyo Kawakita (Gunma Astronomical Observatory, due to cometary activity, space weather-
Japan), Jörg Knollenberg (Deutsches Zentrum für
Luft und Raumfahrt, Germany), Ludmilla Kolokolova
ing and collisions with other minor bod-
(University of Maryland, USA), Mike Kretlow ies. Hence it is not surprising that comets
(Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, have very high priority on the target lists
Germany), Michael Küppers (Max-Planck-Institut für of interplanetary missions of the national
Sonnensystemforschung, Germany), Ekkehard Kührt
(Deutsches Zentrumfür Luft und Raumfahrt,
and international space agencies: trig-
Germany), Luisa Lara (Instituto de Astrofísica de gered by Halley’s comet’s encounter of a
Canarias, Spain), Javier Licandro (Instituto de fleet of five spacecraft in 1986, four more
Astrofísica de Andalucía, Spain), Casey Lisse (The comets were explored by man-made
John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laborato-
ry, USA), Karen Meech (Universitiy of Hawaii, USA),
scientific instrumentation in fly-by mis-
Rita Schulz (ESTEC, the Netherlands), Gerhard sions up to the last year. At this point, the
Schwehm (ESTEC, the Netherlands), Michael Sterzik exploration of comets with ground-based
(ESO), Joachim A. Stüwe (Universiteit Leiden, the telescopes and fly-by spacecraft had
Netherlands), Isabelle Surdej (Université de Liège,
Belgium), Diane Wooden (NASA Ames Research
resulted in a cornucopia of many, some-
Center, USA) and Jean-Marc Zucconi (Besançon, times fairly sophisticated detailed obser-
France). vations. The most important parameters

Reports from Observers Käufl H.-U. et al., Deep Impact at ESO Telescopes
of a solar-system body, density and thus

mass and the tensile strength of surface
and interior, however, were the subjects
of theoretical conjectures, but remained
basically undetermined. It was thus im-
portant to take the next logical step: 2005
has seen a new flavour of cometary ex-
ploration, Deep Impact, an active experi-
ment with a cometary nucleus.
The Deep Impact mission
On 4 July 2005, NASA’s discovery mis-

sion Deep Impact (DI) encountered Comet
9P/ Tempel 1, releasing a 370 kg copper
probe at the comet (A’Hearn 2005). The
probe was hit by the comet nucleus at
a speed of 10.2 km/s and penetrated into
the upper surface layers of the nucleus
while the mother spacecraft flew by the
nucleus at a distance of about 500 km
observing the event with three on-board
remote sensing experiments, a wide-
and a narrow-field camera (visible wave-
length range) and a near-infrared imaging
spectrometer (1–5 micron). The target
comet, 9P/ Tempel 1, is a medium-bright,
slowly rotating (41 h), medium-size
(> 7.5 km diameter), low-albedo (8 %)
short-period comet, most likely originating
in the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt. During the
impact the kinetic energy released by the Figure 1: Comet 9P/ Tempel 1 imaged 67 seconds
after it obliterated Deep Impact’s impactor spacecraft.
impactor was 19 GigaJoule or 5 300 kWh
The image was taken by the high-resolution camera
(this amount of energy is equivalent to on the mission’s fly-by spacecraft. The image reveals
the biannual electricity consumption by topographic features, including ridges, scalloped
the author in his apartment for which edges and possibly impact craters formed long ago.
First light from the impact flash arrived on Earth at
the local public utility company charges
05:52:03.3 UT. For ESO telescopes the comet had
approximately 900 €. Or it is slightly more just set (see text).
than the equivalent of an Airbus A380 Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD.
airplane flying at cruise speed – pick the
unit which is more familiar to you!). mission, the spacecraft could perform complementary means to guarantee the
only a short monitoring campaign of the expected science return and the success
Models describing the subsequent crater target peaking in an approximately of the mission. Hence, they formed an
formation resulting from this experiment 800 sec long period around close en- integral part of the DI mission concept
gave a wide range of predictions, from the counter, when the impact area was and have been coordinated world-wide by
comet swallowing the impactor with vir- in direct view of the instruments on board a dedicated mission scientist (Karen
tually no effects, to complete disruption of the fly-by spacecraft. Figure 1 shows Meech, University of Hawaii, see Meech
the nucleus. The most likely models pre- an example of images taken by the fly-by 2005). Due to the limitations of man-made
dicted a crater of football stadium size, an spacecraft. interplanetary spacecraft a short-period
impact flash, an ejecta plume with a comet had to be picked for this experi-
high probability that pristine material from ment. The comet should have a perihelion
the inner “original” layers is released dur- Need for earth-based DI science not too far from our Earth’s orbit. The
ing and after impact, when the Sun will encounter could only take place close to
illuminate this newly formed active region Given the limited scope of the on-board a crossing point of the cometary orbit
on the nucleus. Under lucky circum- instrumentation (described in Hampton, with the orbital plane of the Earth, the
stances even a new long-lasting active 2005) and the short visibility of the impact Ecliptic. For Comet 9P/ Tempel 1, one of
region might have been created by area from the spacecraft, Earth-based the few comets fitting the set of con-
the impact. Due to the fly-by nature of the observations were the most important straints, perihelion passage (July 5, 2005)

Figure 2: The partici-
pants of the ESO-Deep-
Impact preparatory
workshop in February
2004.
was very close to the descending node refer to Comet 73 P/Schwassmann- critical event such as Deep Impact, this
crossing (July 7, 2005). To have optimum Wachmann 3 (c.f. http://www.eso.org/ was, of course, an invaluable asset, espe-
conditions for ground based follow-up, outreach/press-rel/pr-1996/pr-01-96.html). cially in Chilean winter!
the event should take place during “dark In that sense it was considered advanta-
time” (new moon July 6, 2005). These geous, that the comet became visible
constraints set the date for the experi- in Chile 16 hours after impact. Given the The coordinated ESO DI campaign
ment. The visibility of the immediate light-collecting power and instrumental
impact event on Earth covered most of multiplexing capabilities, the ESO obser- For an optimum preparation of the cam-
the Pacific Ocean region except for the vatories in Chile were considered critical paign, an impromptu weekend workshop
west coast of South America. ESO’s sites for the ground-based observational was sponsored and organised at ESO
role in the scientific follow-up was to coverage of the impact event. Moreover, in February 2004, to get the ESO commu-
study and document the activity of Comet ESO is in the special position of having nity involved. Many of the participants had
9P/ Tempel 1 until shortly before impact. its telescopes located on two different been involved in the July 1994 observing
The comet set for Chile approximately mountain tops separated far enough geo- campaign for the collision between the
two hours before impact. From the study graphically that they have different weath- fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
of spontaneously broken-up comets er. Both sites by themselves are already with Jupiter (SL9, c.f. The Messenger 77,
it was known, that the break-up related excellent astronomical sites, but in combi- 1994 or http://www.eso.org/outreach/
phenomena peak in brightness 12–24 nation it is highly unlikely that both obser- info-events/sl9/). In total five proposals
hours after the event. For an example we vatories would be clouded out. For a time received time at ESO telescopes, of which
Table 1: Usage of different observing modes during impact period.
ESO Campaign Obs. mode Setup July 2005 Observatory Telescope Instrument
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Imaging Small field NQ-Filters x x x x x x x x VLT/LSO UT3/3.6-m VISIR/TIMMI2
AO LM-Filters x x x x x VLT UT4 NACO
AO JHK-Filters x x (x) x x x x x VLT UT4 NACO/SINFONI
Small field JHK-Filters x x x x x x x VLT/LSO NTT/UT1 SOFI/ISAAC
Small field BVR-Filters x x x x x x x x x VLT UT1/UT2 FORS1/FORS2
Small field Comet. Filters x x x x x x x LSO NTT EMMI
Wide field BVRI-Filters x x x x x x x LSO 2.2-m WFI
Wide field NB-Filters x x LSO 2.2-m WFI
Spectroscopy Low Disp. LSS N-Band x x x x x x x x x VLT/LSO UT3/3.6-m VISIR/TIMMI2
AO long slit L-Band x VLT UT1/UT4 ISAAC/NACO
AO IFU/LSS JHK-Band x x VLT UT4 NACO/SINFONI
Low Disp. LSS JHK-Band x x x x x x x x LSO NTT SOFI
Low Disp. LSS 370–920 nm x x x x x x x x x x VLT/LSO UT1/UT2/NTT FORS1/FORS2/EMMI
High Disp. SSS 304–1040 nm x x x x x x x x x x VLT UT2 UVES
Polarimetry Imaging linear JHK-Band x x x LSO NTT SOFI
Imaging linear NB visible x x VLT UT2 FORS1
Spectro. linear 400–900 nm x x VLT UT2 FORS1
Spectro. circular 400–900 nm x VLT UT2 FORS1

four were closely coordinated and per- range from 300 nm to 20 micron and ex- perfectly suited for such a unique and un-
formed by an international team of come- ploring almost all possible observing predictable event.
tary experts, experienced observers, data techniques such as seeing and diffraction
analysts and modelers. Two of the pro- limited direct imaging through broad-
posals (PIs: Hainaut, Käufl) characterised band, narrowband, and special cometary Paranal and La Silla,
the pre-impact status of the comet, filters, spectroscopy using long-slits/low- part of a world observatory
the other two (PIs: Böhnhardt, Rauer) dispersion, short-slit/high-dispersion and
focused on the observation of the im- integral field optics as well as imaging Even if the Deep Impact spacecraft had
pact event and its aftermath. During the and spectro-polarimetry with linear and missed the comet, the data set would be
impact period the team used all seven circular polarisation optics. Table 1 pro- absolutely unique, as the worldwide
telescopes currently operated by ESO at vides an overview of the usage of the campaign to observe Comet 9P/ Tempel 1
Paranal and La Silla, i.e. the four 8.2-m different observing modes applied during involved all major observatories and
unit telescopes of the ESO Very Large the impact period at the various ESO tele- various spacecraft. Hubble Space Tele-
Telescope (VLT) and the 3.6-m, the NTT scopes and instruments. In this context scope, Spitzer Infrared Space Obser-
and 2.2-m telescopes at La Silla (LSO). it is interesting to note that one of the ref- vatory, and Chandra and XMM/Newton in
Altogether 11 instruments at these tele- erence science cases for the VLT was X-rays, to name just the most impor-
scopes delivered scientific measurements to repeat an observational campaign such tant observatory type missions observed
covering the widest possible wavelength as SL9 and indeed, the VLT proved to be in parallel and even ESA’s Rosetta space-
–R6 –R5 –R4 –R3 –R2

1.5
Relative Intensity
CN
–2 days
Flux [10 –16 erg cm –2 sec –1]
1
+1 days
10
+6 days 0.5
0
3870 3871 3872 3873
Wavelength (Å)
1
Figure 4 (above): Section of the UVES spectrum of
the CN (0,0) band in Comet 9P/Tempel 1. The black
thick line is the observed spectrum (50 hours); the
thin (red) line is the best fitting synthetic spectrum of
–1 × 10 5 –5 × 10 4 0 5 × 10 4 1 × 10 5 12 14
C N, 12C15N and 13C14N obtained for an isotopic
Projected Nucleocentric distance [km] mixture 12C/ 13C = (95 ± 15) and 14N/15N = (145 ± 20).
The lines of 12C15N are identified by the short ticks
Figure 3 (above): Comparison of the spatial profiles and those of 13C14N by the longer ticks. The quantum
along the slit for the integrated CN emission numbers of the R lines of 12C14N are also indicated.
(at ~ 390 nm) on the nights July 2/3 (black), July 4/5 This is only the second time that the C and N ratios
(red) and July 9/10 (green). The impact plume can have been measured in a Jupiter-family comet. The
be seen in CN and dust, being more extended in the ratios are the same as in Oort Cloud comets. This will
CN than in the dust continuum (not shown here). put important and interesting constraints on the for-
The distances are positive towards the sun direction mation history of Jupiter-family comets. (Jehin et al.,
(Rauer et al., in preparation). in preparation).
1.4 Figure 5 (left): Dust ejecta with SOFI: The left image
shows the extra signal after impact (“normal” comet
coma subtracted, July 4 – July 2) of the dust ejecta in
J-band. The differences in the radial profiles of JHK
1.2 images (right) of the ejecta cloud suggest that heavier
dust is concentrated closer to the nucleus than
the lighter one, since the K-band profile peaks at
2000 km projected nucleus distance while the J-band
1 reaches maximum around 10 000 km distance. From
the flux enhancement of the ejecta cloud over pre-
impact level, we deduce a total dust production by
the impact that compares to about 5–10 h of “normal”
0.8 undisturbed activity of the nucleus at the time of
the encounter (this assumes similar dust grain proper-
ties and a mean expansion velocity of about
100–200 m/s) (Tozzi et al., in preparation).
0.6
0 5 000 10 000 15 000
km

Figure 6: A set of four quasi-true-colour composite
July 4 July 5 images with FORS2. The dust cloud from the impact
was detected in broadband and narrowband images
until July 8, 2005. On July 4 it had a semi-spherical
shape expanding at the front edge with an average
speed of about 200 m/s into the south-western coma
quadrant (velocity of brightness maximum moved
at about 120 m/s). The main axis of the cloud was at
position angle (PA) of about 225 deg, which indicates
that the impact happened below the orbital plane of
the comet. The cloud expansion was slowed by radi-
ation pressure during the subsequent days and
reached a maximum expansion in the Sun direction
of about 30 000 km. This distance compares to
dust grains with a ratio of radiation pressure to gravity
β ~ 0.3 (assuming an initial expansion speed of
200 m/s). Latest as of July 6, 2005, the dust started
to be expelled into the tail direction (PA = 111 deg).
The sudden drop in surface brightness between
July 6 and 7 is yet to be understood.
– the nucleus albedo is 4 %

July 6 July 7 – the crater formation was most likely
“gravity controlled”; this implies that
the tensile strength of comet material
is of order of ~ 100 Pa, very similar
to the limits set by the tidal disruption
of comet Shoemaker/Levy 9 by Jupiter
– the impact angle was 50–70 deg
(measured in the optical convention,
from the surface normal)
– the nuclear shape model is not
finished, but the size is 3.5 × 5 km
(A’Hearn, IAUS 229)
– the infrared spectrum during the first
seconds after impact showed: H2O,
HCN, (CH)x, CO2 (CO2 /H2O) ~ 0.08,
CH3CN (Sunshine, IAUS 229)
craft – en route for a rendezvous with available two conference rooms, and two
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in data servers were set up, so that data As a selection of ESO results a few spec-
January 2014 took part in the scientific reduction could start immediately. At this tra and images are presented here. In
observations of the impact event. Thanks point nearly all data are reduced in general one can note that 4–5 days after
to the coordination through Karen Meech the sense that the instrumental signatures impact all impact related signatures
at the University of Hawaii and colleagues have been removed and the data have had disappeared in the “noise” of normal
at the University of Maryland a dedicated been calibrated and converted into physi- cometary activity.
web-server was available and a perma- cal units. Now the real work has to begin,
nent multi-site videoconference moderat- that is to compare the data to theoretical
ed from the control room of the NASA- models and to put them into context Dust grain characterisation
3-m Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on with data from the spacecraft and from
Mauna Kea provided the tools to com- other observatories. The ESO data set The characterisation of the physical and
municate preliminary results and to have was already partially presented at the IAU chemical properties of the dust grains
mutual consultation on the observations. Symposium 229, August 7–12, 2005 was attempted – among others (dynam-
Thus very effective observing was possi- Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (one oral pre- ics, near-IR) – through mid-IR and po-
ble and duplication of observations min- sentation and four posters). larimetric observations of the cometary
imised. coma before and after impact.
The following results from the spacecraft Mid-IR: By black-body fitting to mid-IR
were reported at the recent IAU Sympo- filter photometry of the cometary coma
Observational results sium 229: obtained with VISIR (VLT) and TIMMI 2
– the impact did release 1–2 * 107 kg (LSO), a significant temperature increase
All scientists involved in the ESO cam- of dust with a particle size < 10 µm; of the dust was seen post-impact (330 K).
paign met after the observations in Santi- particles were pre-existing, i.e. not The dust temperature dropped to the
ago at the ESO-Vitacura premises for the result of impact shattering of larger pre-impact level (280–290 K) as of July 6,
a 10-day “conclave”. ESO had made structures 2005. However, the overall mid-IR flux,

measured in the very inner coma (3–5?),

was higher from July 4–7, 2005 and re-
turned to the pre-impact state only there-
after. The N-band spectra of the inner
coma reveal a silicate emission with differ-
ent profile shape pre- and post-impact.
Preliminary modelling indicates the pres-
ence of a large amount of absorbing (car-
bon-like) material and an enhancement of
amorphous and crystalline silicates in the
post-impact dust. Furthermore, the post-
impact dust seems to be enriched in crys-
talline silicates and displays a shallower
size distribution (indicating larger grains
present).
Polarimetry: The linear polarisation of the
dust was found to be 7.5 and 0 % (Stokes
Q and U, respectively) in the visible Figure 7: Sample images from TIMMI 2 before and
wavelength range. The polarisation did after impact: the left image was taken on July 3
00h38 UT while the right image was recorded on
not change across the coma within
July 4 19h38 UT. The filter was the OCLI 11.9 µm filter,
~ 7 000 km projected distance from the showing the strongest variations after the impact. The
nucleus and was found the same on pixel scale in both cases is 0.2?/pix (130 km at the
July 3, 2005 (before impact) and July 5, 7, comet), N up E right. The right image was taken in
daytime.
9, 2005 (after impact). Using spectro-
polarimetric observations (July 5 + 9, 2005)
we could not detect any wavelength
dependence of the linear polarisation over
the wavelength range ~ 400– 850 nm. shown here (as well as the VISIR data) Synergies in Space, Time, and Wave-
Moreover, the post-impact dust was thus refer to material which either length” will take place August 7–10, 2006
found not to be circularly polarised over has been released hours after the impact at the Palace of The Royal Academies
the wavelength and distance range men- (fresh material under the impact site?), for Science and the Arts in Brussels (for
tioned above (July 8, 2005). or is very slowly moving or even gravita- more information consult http://www.eso.
tional bound to the nucleus. (Käufl et al., org/~hukaufl/deepimpact.html ). The
in preparation). workshop will be organized by the Vrije
TIMMI 2 observations Universiteit Brussels and ESO.
Thanks to daytime observing, the com- Outlook and future work

et could be observed from La Silla Acknowledgements
3–4 hours before Paranal. Indeed the At this point a series of special publica- On behalf of all scientists involved in the campaign we
TIMMI 2 data are most likely the first tions in Science is under way. Once wish to thank the observatory staff for “a job well
data taken after impact with a profession- results of the spacecraft are published done”. In spite of all the “extras” asked for by this un-
al telescope west of Greenwich! While in refereed journals we can start to as- usual and demanding campaign we felt a very positive
the comet coma appears clearly brighter attitude towards this project, including a genuine
semble the global picture from all ob- interest in the results of the observations. We appreci-
in the “after-impact” frames it is not servations. Back during the Jupiter-SL 9 ate the outstanding professionalism and dedication
entirely clear if this is due to the impact or event, the analysis of all observational of everybody involved: everything worked perfectly for
normal activity. Ground-based mid-IR data was severely handicapped as the this campaign. After the observations, in Vitacura we
observations cannot detect a signal for found excellent working conditions and a warm hospi-
impact areas were just behind the visi- tality.
distances exceeding typically ~ 4 arcsec ble limb of Jupiter. Astronomers thus did
or 2 600 km due to sensitivity limitations. not know the physical details of the im-
Assuming a “canonical” outflow velocity of pact and the viewing geometry was awk- References
200 m/s this in turn implies that ground- ward. The DI spacecraft data, however A’Hearn M. F. et al. 2005, Space Science Reviews,
based thermal IR observations are sensi- will provide us with the “ground truth” of Volume 117, Issue 1–2, pp. 1–21
tive only to material (dust) produced by the impact and the associated physics. Hampton, D. L. et al. 2005, Space Science
the comet in an interval of 10–15 000 s This will make the analysis much clearer. Reviews, Volume 117, Issue 1–2, pp. 43–93
before observation. This has to be kept in Meech, K. J. et al. 2005, Space Science Reviews,
However, a synthesis of this unprec- Volume 117, Issue 1–2, pp. 297–334
mind when comparing any mid-IR data edented worldwide multi-wavelength data
set obtained from the ground with optical, set is required to uncover synergies. Note: For in-depth reading on the subject,
near-IR or data obtained by the Spitzer To that end a dedicated workshop “Deep http://deepimpact.eso.org/ is a good starting point.
space-based observatory. TIMMI 2 data Impact as a World Observatory Event –

A Triple Asteroid System
Artist’s impression of the

triple asteroid system.
One of the thousands of minor planets

orbiting the Sun has been found to have
its own mini planetary system. Astrono-
mer Franck Marchis (University of Califor-
nia, Berkeley) and his colleagues at the
Observatoire de Paris1 have discovered
the first triple asteroid system – two small
asteroids orbiting a larger one known
since 1866 as 87 Sylvia2.
“Since double asteroids seem to be com-

mon, people have been looking for multi-
ple asteroid systems for a long time,” said
Marchis. “I couldn't believe we found
one.”
The discovery was made with NACO on

the VLT. Using the observatory’s Service
Observing Mode, Marchis and his col-
leagues obtained images of many aster-
oids over a six-month period.
One of these asteroids was 87 Sylvia,

which has been known to be double since
2001, from observations made by Mike and newly discovered moonlet, orbiting bits around it. “Because of the way they
Brown and Jean-Luc Margot with the about 710 km from Sylvia, is Remus, a form, we expect to see more multiple
Keck telescope. The astronomers used body only 7 km across and circling Sylvia asteroid systems like this.”
NACO to observe Sylvia on 27 occasions, every 33 hours. The second, Romulus,
over a two-month period. On each of orbits at about 1360 km in 87.6 hours Marchis and his colleagues reported their
the images, the known small companion and measures about 18 km across. discovery in the August 11 issue of
was seen, allowing Marchis and his col- the journal Nature, simultaneously with an
leagues to precisely compute its orbit. But The asteroid 87 Sylvia is one of the largest announcement that day at the Asteroid
on 12 of the images, the astronomers known from the asteroid main belt, and Comet Meteor conference in Armação
also found a closer and smaller compan- is located about 3.5 times further away dos Búzios, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.
ion. 87 Sylvia is thus not double but triple! from the Sun than the Earth, between the
orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The wealth (Based on ESO Press Release 21/05)
Because 87 Sylvia was named after Rhea of details provided by the NACO images
Sylvia, the mythical mother of the found- show that 87 Sylvia is shaped like a lumpy
ers of Rome, Marchis proposed nam- potato, measuring 380 × 260 × 230 km.
ing the twin moons after those founders: It is spinning at a rapid rate, once every
Romulus and Remus. The International 5 hours and 11 minutes.
Astronomical Union has approved the
names. The observations of the moonlets’ orbits
allow the astronomers to precisely calcu-
Sylvia’s moons are considerably smaller, late the mass and density of Sylvia. With a
orbiting in nearly circular orbits and in density only 20 % higher than the density
the same plane and direction. The closest of water, it is likely composed of water ice
and rubble from a primordial asteroid. “It
1
The team is composed of Franck Marchis (University
could be up to 60 per cent empty space,”
of California, Berkeley, USA) and Pascal Descamps, said co-discoverer Daniel Hestroffer. “It is
Daniel Hestroffer, and Jerome Berthier (Observatoire most probably a ‘rubble-pile’ asteroid”,
de Paris, France). Marchis added. These asteroids are loose
2
87 Sylvia is the 87th minor planet discovered. It was
aggregations of rock, presumably the re-
first observed from the Observatory of Madras (India) sult of a collision. The new asteroid
on May 16, 1866, by the Government Astronomer formed later by accumulation of large A composite image showing the positions of Remus
Norman R. Pogson. It was common in the early days fragments while the moonlets are proba- and Romulus around 87 Sylvia on nine different
to assign a name – mostly feminine – from the nights as seen on NACO images. It clearly reveals the
mythology to newly found asteroids. Pogson select-
bly debris left over from the collision orbits of the two moonlets. The inset shows the
ed a name from the list furnished to him by Sir John that were captured by the newly formed potato shape of 87 Sylvia. The field of view is 2 arc-
Herschel. asteroid and eventually settled into or- sec. North is up and East is left.

FLAMES Observations of Old Open Clusters:

Constraints on the Evolution of the Galactic Disc
and Mixing Processes in Stars
Sofia Randich1 Open clusters are populous groups of (IMF), or gas flows are still not well known.
Angela Bragaglia 2 stars whose members have the same For example, the question of how much
Livio Pastori 3 age, chemical composition, and dis- chaotic early accretion of dwarf satellites
Loredana Prisinzano 4 tance from the Sun. Hence, they provide and star-forming clouds, on one side,
Paola Sestito 2 homogeneous samples to investigate and a smoother, dissipative gas accretion,
several important issues related to stel- on the other side, concurred to build up
Paolo Spanò 4
lar and Galactic evolution. We present the Galaxy is currently one of the hot-
Sandro Villanova 5
here an overview and preliminary results
Giovanni Carraro 6 test open issues concerning galaxy for-
of a VLT/FLAMES programme aimed
Eugenio Carretta 2 at a detailed study of seven old clusters. mation (Freeman & Bland-Hawthorn
Donatella Romano 2 Our two main goals are the determina- 2002). Radial metallicity gradients and
Simone Zaggia 7 tion of the radial abundance gradients in their evolution with Galactic age are
Roberto Pallavicini 4 the Galactic disc and their evolution among the most useful observational con-
Luca Pasquini 8 with age, and the investigation of inter- straints that one can put on those pro-
Francesca Primas 8 nal mixing processes in stars similar cesses and, more in general, on Galactic
Gianpiero Tagliaferri 3 to our Sun. chemical evolution (GCE) models (Tosi
Monica Tosi 2 2000). For example, the predicted gradi-
ents can flatten or steepen in time, de-
Galactic open clusters (OCs) cover large pending on the different model assump-
1
INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di intervals in age (from a few × 107 years tions on the SFH and infall processes
to several billion years), metallicity (from (e.g., Portinari & Chiosi 1999). Hence,
Arcetri, Italy
2 about five times below to about twice empirically proving the flattening or steep-
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico
above the solar value), and position in the
di Bologna, Italy ening of the gradients with time appears
Galactic disc (up to 22 kpc from the
3
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico Galactic centre). OCs represent vital labo- crucial. Knowledge of [α /Fe] abundance
di Brera, Italy ratories for stellar astronomy because ratios and their evolution as well repre-
4 sents an important tool to trace a galaxy
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico they provide a means to study the individ-
di Palermo, Italy ual properties of stars as a function of SFH and IMF, since the timescales of the
5 variations of the abundance ratios depend
Dipartimento di Astronomia, Università age, metallicity, and mass. On the other
di Padova, Italy hand, the global properties of old OCs, on both the SFH and the IMF. More
6
Departamento de Astronomía, and in particular their chemical composi- specifically, the mass function affects the
Universidad de Chile, Chile tion, provide reliable information on the ratios of elements synthesised by stars
7
INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico status of the disc at early epochs, which of different mass, while the star formation
di Trieste, Italy is crucial for a better understanding of the rate regulates the timing of their produc-
8
ESO overall Galaxy formation and evolution. tion.
In this article we describe a FLAMES proj- Several abundance studies exist for the
ect on old Galactic OCs aimed at ad-
solar neighbourhood, but we still know
dressing two distinct issues: namely, i) the
formation and evolution of the Galactic little about the chemical composition in
disc, and ii) the study of the evolution of other parts of the disc. The mean metal-
lithium abundances and mixing processes licity gradient has been determined based
in solar analogues. Final results and con- on different spectroscopic studies of
clusions require completion of the analysis a variety of tracers (H II regions, B stars,
of our large data set and detailed com- planetary nebulae (PNe), OCs). However,
parison with both results available in the these samples provide partial results,
literature and theoretical models. Here mainly because they can only sample a
we provide an overview of the project limited range of distances and ages. In
together with a few examples of prelimi- particular, indicators such as H II regions
nary results, with the purpose of em- and B-type stars give independent esti-
phasising the wealth of information that mates of the shape and magnitude of the
can be achieved with a relatively small present-day Galactic gradients, while
amount of observing time with FLAMES.
information about the temporal variation
of the gradients can be obtained only
The astrophysical problems from PNe and old OCs. Also, uncertain-
ties arise since different classes of ob-
1. Formation and evolution of the jects (and even objects belonging to the
Galactic disc same class) are often analysed using dif-
ferent methods, resulting in possible sys-
Various important quantities related to the tematic effects in the derived gradients
evolution of the Galaxy, such as star-for- and in discrepant results. There is indeed
mation history (SFH), initial mass function a hot debate over whether OCs really

present a metallicity gradient or rather a otherwise similar stars do not deplete the tioned above could not be investigated in
discontinuous distribution of metals same amount of Li. Our Sun has a very a comprehensive and systematic way, due
with Galactocentric distance (Twarog et al. low Li abundance, a factor of about 100 to the lack of accurate, homogeneous
1997). Finally, very little is known about below the meteoritic value which is in- abundance data sets for large samples of
[α /Fe] ratios, their radial distribution, and dicative of the initial solar abundance, but stars in OCs well sampling the age-me-
evolution with Galactic age (Friel 2005). It several stars with similar or even older tallicity-Galactocentric distance parameter
thus becomes mandatory to use a large, age exist with a much higher Li. A large space. By exploiting FLAMES capabili-
homogeneous OC sample – like that dispersion in Li abundances is also ties, our project aims at simultaneously
presented in this paper – in order to shed seen among MS stars in the solar-age, acquiring high-quality spectra of signifi-
more light onto the actual behaviour solar-metallicity cluster M 67 (Jones et cant samples of evolved (7–14 per cluster)
of the metallicity distribution in the disc. al. 1999). and unevolved (100–200 per cluster)
members of seven well-selected OCs.
This puzzling scenario and, in particular Our specific goals are:
2. Evolution of lithium and mixing the evidence for MS Li depletion, has – The investigation of the [Fe/H] radial
in solar-type stars motivated theoreticians to introduce non- gradient in the disc and its evolution
standard or extra-mixing physics in the with Galactic age, based on a homoge-
Lithium (Li) is destroyed by proton cap- models. Several mechanisms have been neous abundance analysis of evolved
ture at the relatively low temperature proposed, together with the suggestion cluster members;
of 2.5 MK and it is depleted from stellar that an additional parameter, besides age, – The determination of abundances of
atmospheres when a mechanism is mass, and chemical composition, must α and Fe-peak elements and their ra-
present that is able to transport surface affect Li depletion. Stellar rotation and/or tios to Fe, to study their radial distribu-
material down to the deeper stellar rotational history appear as the most like- tion and evolution with Galactic age;
interiors where the temperature is high ly additional parameters, and rotational – The determination of cluster member-
enough for Li burning. Thus, although mixing is the extra-mixing process that ship of photometric cluster candidates
the absolute abundance of this element is presently receives the largest consensus; that will allow us to “clean” colour-
very small (3 × 10 –9 in number with nevertheless, this process is not able magnitude diagrams. This is crucial in
respect to hydrogen, at most), measure- to explain other observational results (for order to (re)derive secure and homo-
ments of Li abundance in stars are example beryllium abundances in M 67) geneous cluster parameters (age, dis-
unique tracers of internal mixing mecha- and, as a matter of fact, the mechanism tance, reddening);
nisms. With the exception of very low driving MS Li depletion in solar-type stars – The determination of Li abundances in
mass, fully convective stars, the physics remains elusive (Randich 2005). We also MS and/or TO cluster members, in
driving Li depletion in stars is not well mention that the effects of chemical com- order to carry out a systematic study of
understood. Measured Li abundances in position on Li depletion which are predict- the evolution of Li in solar-type stars
stars of different spectral types (from ed by theory are still rather poorly con- and its dependence on chemical com-
early-F to late-K) and evolutionary stages strained. position.
(from pre-main-sequence – PMS – to
evolved clump stars) strongly challenge Understanding mixing processes at work The multiplexing capability of FLAMES
the prediction of “standard” models of in Pop. I stars and their dependence and its high efficiency are perfectly suited
stellar evolution. With this term we refer on metals is important not only for a bet- to our purposes. Radial velocities and
to those models that include convection, ter comprehension of stellar structure Li abundances (from the Li 670.8 nm line)
but neglect other transport phenomena and evolution; it also provides a key to are determined from Giraffe spectra of
such as diffusion, gravity waves, rotation investigate whether this mechanism may unevolved cluster stars, while the detailed
and angular momentum loss. work for metal-poor Pop. II stars and, chemical analysis is obtained from
possibly, to explain the origin of the dis- UVES spectra of cluster clump or RGB
Focusing on stars similar to our Sun, crepancy between primordial 7 Li abun- members.
standard models predict that they should dance predicted by WMAP and Big Bang
deplete most of their Li while on the Nucleosynthesis and the stellar val- Giraffe has been used in MEDUSA mode
PMS, that they should not undergo any ue based on Pop. II star Li abundances with the high-resolution gratings
depletion on the main sequence (MS), (Romano et al. 2003). covering the ranges 630.8–670.1 nm,
and that stars with the same age, mass, 660.7– 679.7 nm and 647.0–679.0 nm.
and chemical composition should de- With UVES CDs covering 476.0–684.0 nm
plete a similar amount of Li. At variance The goals and target clusters and 660.0 –1060.0 nm have been used,
with these predictions, observations allowing us to target, besides several iron
of Li in field and cluster stars carried out Until the advent of multiplex facilities on lines, the forbidden lines of O around
during the last 20 years have shown that 8-m-class telescopes, high spectral reso- 630.0 nm, Na at 568.2–568.8 nm and
solar-type stars suffer very little PMS Li lution studies of OCs were very time 615.4–616.0 nm, Mg and Ca from several
depletion, but do deplete Li on the MS. consuming and limited to small samples lines, Si from lines around 570.0 nm.
Li depletion is not a monotonic function of of bright stars in the closest clusters. The O I triplet at 777.4–777.7 nm, the
age; rather it seems to be bimodal and As a consequence, the open issues men- Na lines at 813–819.4 nm, the N ones

Reports from Observers Randich S. et al., FLAMES Observations of Old Open Clusters
around 800.0 nm, and the 12 C/13C iso- Cluster Age (Gyr) [Fe/H] RGC(kpc) D (kpc) E (B-V) Table 1: Sample clusters in increasing
NGC 3960 0.9 –0.34 8.0 1.7 0.29 age order. Cluster parameters (age,
tope from the CN lines around 800.0 nm [Fe/H], Galactocentric distance, dis-
are included in the red UVES setting. NGC 2324 0.9 –0.15 11.6 3.6 0.20
tance from the Sun, and reddening)
NGC 2477 1.0 –0.13 8.9 1.3 0.28 have been retrieved from different
The sample clusters are listed in Table 1, NGC 2660 1.1 –0.18 9.2 2.8 0.31 sources in the literature. [Fe/H] values
NGC 6253 3.0 +0.36 7.0 1.5 0.20 for most of the clusters have been de-
while in Figure 1 we show, as an exam- rived from low-resolution spectra or
ple, the colour-magnitude diagram of Be 29 3.5 –0.44 22.0 14.8 0.16
photometry and are not on the same
Berkeley 32, the most metal-poor cluster Be 32 7.2 –0.50 11.3 3.1 0.15 scale. One of the goals of the present
in our sample. Table 1 shows that the se- project is the homogeneous determina-
tion of cluster parameters and abun-
lected clusters span large intervals in age, dances.
distance, and metallicity. Our sample will
be complemented by a sample of three
additional old OCs observed in the con-
text of the Ital-FLAMES Guaranteed Time
(GTO) programme (Pallavicini et al. 2005). Figure 1: V vs. V-I colour-magnitude
diagram of Berkeley 32. Photometry
12 was retrieved from the literature.
Two observing runs were approved for Two FLAMES pointings on this cluster
this programme, for a total of about were obtained and stars observed in
50 hrs; one of them was performed in both pointings are shown in the figure.
UVES targets are denoted as blue
Service Mode, while the other one has symbols, while Giraffe/Medusa targets
14
been carried out in Visitor Mode. The are indicated as red symbols.
data were reduced using the UVES pipe-
line within MIDAS and the Giraffe BLDRS
V
pipeline. Examples of extracted UVES

16
spectra of clump stars in NGC 3960 are
plotted in Figure 2, while in Figure 3
we show Giraffe spectra of 16 MS stars
in NGC 6253 around the Li I 670.8 nm
18
spectral region.
Results: first examples

0.5 1 1.5
Cluster membership V–I
In Figure 4 we show the radial velocity

histograms obtained from the analysis of
Giraffe spectra of 196 and 111 photo- Figure 2: UVES spectra of six clump
NGC 3960 members of NGC 3960 in a 100 Å wide
metric candidate members of NGC 6253 c9 region around Hα. Besides Hα, a few
and Be 32 respectively. In both cases lines employed for the chemical analy-
the distribution of radial velocities is char- sis are indicated. Abundance analy-
acterised by a well-defined, narrow peak, c8 sis has been performed using MOOG
and Kurucz model atmospheres. The
implying a small velocity dispersion. Our sample stars have magnitudes V ~ 13
velocity determination for Be 32 is in good c6 and the spectra are the sum of two
agreement with available velocities for 45 minute long exposures.
evolved cluster members from the litera-
ture. To our knowledge no radial velocity c5
measurements have so far been per-
formed for NGC 6253 and thus our esti-
c4
mate represents the first determination
of the cluster velocity. Noticeably, for
both clusters the percentage of confirmed c3
members is rather low (slightly above
50 %).
Fe I Ni I Ti I Ca I Fe I Ni I
A zoom of the colour-magnitude diagram Hα
of Be 32 is shown in Figure 5; radial-ve-
locity members are denoted as red dots. 6520 6540 6560 6580
Wavelength (Å)
The figure indicates that, when removing

Figure 3: Giraffe spectra of 16 MS members of the
metal-rich cluster NGC 6253. The Li I 670.8 nm
and Ca I 671.8 nm features are indicated in the upper
row. Magnitudes of the sample stars are in the range
V = 15.5 –16.5 and they were exposed for 45 min.
Note the varying strength of the Li feature for stars
with similar Ca I line (i.e. of similar spectral type).
non-members, the cluster sequence of 1

confirmed members remains rather broad.
normal flux
This suggests the presence of a signifi- 0.8 Li I Li I Li I Li I
cant fraction of photometric binaries
and/or differential reddening. Interestingly, 0.6 Ca I Ca I Ca I Ca I
we note that all but one of the stars bluer
and brighter than the TO, which were 1
normal flux
classified as possible blue stragglers be-
longing to the cluster, are instead non- 0.8
members.
0.6
1
Chemical abundances: NGC 3960
normal flux
0.8
NGC 3960 is one of the youngest and
closest clusters in our sample. It hence 0.6
represents an important extreme for
the determination of the radial metallicity 1
gradient and its evolution with Galactic
normal flux
age. A photometric study of this cluster 0.8

was recently carried out by Prisinzano et
al. (2004), who concluded that the clus- 0.6
ter has an age between 0.9 and 1.4 Gyr
670.5 671 671.5 670.5 671 671.5 670.5 671 671.5 670.5 671 671.5
and is characterised by differential wavelength (nm) wavelength (nm) wavelength (nm) wavelength (nm)
reddening. Spectroscopic studies of the
cluster are therefore also important to
better constrain its parameters.
NGC 6253 Be 32
From the analysis of the UVES spectra of
60
Cluster velocity –28.1 +/– 1.3 (km/s) Cluster velocity 105.1 +/– 1.1 (km/s)
80
seven clump stars we derive an iron con- Field stars velocity –19 +/– 42 (km/s) Field stars velocity 66 +/– 33 (km/s)
Number of observed stars 196 Number of observed stars 111
tent close to solar ([Fe/H] = – 0.02 ± 0.11), Possible cluster members 105 Possible cluster members 58
50
Contamination 7 Contamination 2
at variance with earlier reports of a some-
60
what lower metallicity ([Fe/H] = – 0.34)

40
number of stars
based on modest-resolution spectra. This

result evidences the need for abundance
30
40
determinations using high-resolution

spectra. Also, the previous low-metallicity
20
estimate for NGC 3960 made this clus-

20
ter one of the most metal-poor ones at its

10
age and Galactocentric distance, sig-

nificantly contributing to the dispersion in
the [Fe/H] vs. age and RGC diagrams at
0
0
relatively young ages and small distances. –100 –50 0 50 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
This dispersion is considerably reduced vHelio (km/s) vHelio (km/s)
when considering the value of [Fe/H] de-

rived by us. Figure 4: Left: Histogram of heliocentric radial veloci- stars were determined either with our own proce-
ties of candidate NGC 6253 members observed dures within the MIDAS or IRAF1 contexts or using the
with Giraffe. The solid line indicates the best fit of the appropriate recipe within the BLDRS software. As
Our [X/Fe] ratios represent the first de- observed distribution obtained using a maximum a by-product, we were able to assess the accuracy of
terminations of these quantities for likelihood fitting procedure. The resulting mean veloci- the latter and its dependence on the set-up (or spec-
NGC 3960; we find values close to solar ties for the cluster and field stars are indicated, tral range), the reference templates, and the S/N ratio
together with their standard deviations, the number of of the spectrum. Right: Same as left-hand panel,
ratios for Mg, Si, Ti, and Ni, while alumi-
possible cluster members, and expected number but the histogram of radial velocities for Berkeley 32 is
nium is slightly underabundant and Na, of contaminants. Individual radial velocities of cluster shown.
Ca and Cr appear somewhat enhanced.
The mean [α /Fe] ratio is almost solar.
1
IRAF is distributed by the National Optical Astronom-
ical Observatory, which is operated by the Associa-
tion of Universities for Research in Astronomy, under
contract with the National Science Foundation.

Reports from Observers Randich S. et al., FLAMES Observations of Old Open Clusters
Lithium in NGC 6253 15 Figure 5: Zoom of the colour-magni-

tude diagram of Berkeley 32.
Only Giraffe targets are plotted. Red
NGC 6253 is the most metal rich cluster and black filled circles indicate
in our sample and provides a good target confirmed radial-velocity members and
to better investigate the dependence of stars rejected as members.
Li depletion on metals, which is predicted 16
by both standard and non-standard mod-
els. In particular, at the high metallicity of
this cluster a larger amount of Li depletion
V
for a given mass is expected.

17
In Figure 6 we show the canonical plot of
Li abundances vs. effective temperature
for NGC 6253 MS stars together with
the distribution of M 67. Besides the nor-
mal trend of decreasing Li abundance 18
with decreasing temperature (mass), two
important features are evident in the fig-
ure: 1. Li abundances for stars warmer 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
than about 5 800 K are characterised by V–I
a small dispersion, much narrower than
that observed among M 67 members. On
the other hand, cooler stars do show a
dispersion comparable to M 67. Together
with the results for other old clusters, this Figure 6: Lithium abundances
3 (log n(Li) = log n(Li)/n(H) + 12) as a
suggests that the presence of the scat-
function of effective temperature (Teff)
ter and the temperature/mass at which it for NGC 6253 (red symbols) and
is seen are related to some (still unknown) M 67 (black symbols). The sample of
characteristics of the cluster, rather than NGC 6253 includes only stars cov-
2 ered by one of the two pointings on this
to the cluster age. The complete analysis
log n(Li)
cluster, that were confirmed as mem-

of the whole Li data set will shed more bers, and that are fainter than V = 15.5,
light on this aspect. 2. Stars in the upper i.e., are still on the MS and have
envelope of NGC 6253 are not more not undergone any post-MS Li dilution.
1 Data for M 67 were taken from the
Li depleted than stars in the upper enve-
literature. NGC 6253 Li abundances
lope of the about a factor of two more were determined using the method
metal poor M 67, suggesting that, at vari- that we have used in other studies and
ance with model predictions, even a consistently with M 67.
rather large difference in the overall metal 0
6200 6000 5800 5600
content does not affect the rate of Teff (K)
Li depletion, at least in the temperature
range considered here.
In summary, the few preliminary results ters and abundances will let us put strin- Pallavicini, R., Spanò, P., Prisinzano, L., Randich, S.,
and Sestito, P., 2005, in Chemical Abundances and
discussed above already attest the gent and robust empirical constraints
Mixing in Stars in the Milky Way and its Satellites,
strength of our approach. Radial velocity on models of Galactic disc formation and L. Pasquini and S. Randich eds., ESO Astrophysics
analysis has been completed for all the evolution, as well as on the physics Symposia, Springer, in press
sample clusters and we are now ready to at work in the interiors of solar analogues Portinari, L., and Chiosi, C. 1999, A&A 350, 829
Prisinzano, L., Micela, G., Sciortino, S., Favata, F.
determine cluster parameters in a homo- during the MS phases. Several spin-off
2004, A&A 417, 945
geneous way using the synthetic colour- scientific topics will also be addressed. Randich, S. 2005, in Chemical Abundances and
magnitude diagram technique developed Mixing in Stars in the Milky Way and its Satellites,
by us. At the same time, we will complete L. Pasquini and S. Randich eds., ESO Astro-
References physics Symposia, Springer, in press
the analysis of UVES spectra to derive
Romano, D., Tosi, M., Matteucci, F., Chiappini, C.
the chemical composition of the whole Freeman, K., and Bland-Hawthorn, J. 2002, 2005, MNRAS 346, 295
sample and the analysis of Giraffe spectra ARA&A 40, 487 Tosi, M. 2000 in The Evolution of the Milky Way: Stars
for Li determination. Spectra of the clus- Friel, E. 2005, in Chemical Abundances and Mixing versus Clusters, F. Matteucci and F. Giovannelli
in Stars in the Milky Way and its Satellites, eds. (Dordrecht: Kluwer), p. 505
ters observed in the context of the
L. Pasquini and S. Randich eds., ESO Astrophysics Twarog, B. A., Ashman, K. M., Anthony-Twarog, B. J.
GTO project mentioned above are also Symposia, Springer, in press 1997, AJ 114, 2556
being consistently analysed. The final Jones, B. F., Fisher, D., Soderblom, D. R. 1999,
homogeneous data set of cluster parame- AJ 117, 330

Measuring Improved Distances to Nearby Galaxies:

The Araucaria Project
Wolfgang Gieren1
Grzegorz Pietrzynski1
Fabio Bresolin 2
Rolf-Peter Kudritzki 2
Dante Minniti 3
Miguel Urbaneja 2
Igor Soszynski 1
Jesper Storm 4
Pascal Fouqué 5
Giuseppe Bono 6
Alistair Walker 7
José García 1
1
Universidad de Concepción, Chile
2
Institute for Astronomy, Hawaii, USA
3
Universidad Católica, Chile
4
Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam,
Germany
5
Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, France
6
Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy
7
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory,
Chile
Figure 1: The spiral galaxy NGC 55 in the Sculptor

Group, one of the target galaxies of the Araucaria
An intense use of ESO telescopes over Project. The presence of an abundant young stellar
the past years has allowed us to make population is revealed by the many blue objects con-
significant improvements in the charac- centrated towards the disc of this galaxy.
terisation of stellar populations, and
in the determination of the distances of of nearby galaxies in order to calibrate number of important scientific results
nearby galaxies. We report on recent far-reaching secondary methods of dis- have emerged from the abundant data
progress on the use of Cepheid vari- tance measurement which could be used obtained with ESO telescopes, some
ables and blue supergiant stars for the to determine the distances to galaxies of which we will briefly describe in this
accurate measurement of galaxy dis- remote enough to find an unbiased value article. In this progress report, we will
tances. This work will finally lead to a of H0. Their very successful work was focus on two types of distance indicators,
significant reduction of the uncertainty hampered by the fact that Cepheid vari- the pulsating Cepheid variables, and the
on the Hubble constant, which meas- ables are not a perfect instrument for extremely luminous blue supergiant stars.
ures the current rate of expansion of the distance measurement. Cepheids, like
Universe. other stellar standard candles, are affect-
ed to some degree by the environmental Progress on the Cepheid
properties of their host galaxies, most period-luminosity relation
The measurement of distances to astro- notably abundances of the heavy ele-
nomical objects is a fundamental problem ments, and the ages of the stellar popula- The radially pulsating and relatively cool
ever since humanity began to look at the tions. Such effects must be taken into ac- Cepheid supergiant stars exhibit a well-
stars. Knowledge of precise distances count if truly accurate distances to nearby known relation between their mean in-
to galaxies is important for the study of a galaxies are to be measured. With this trinsic luminosity, and their pulsation peri-
broad range of astrophysical phenomena, motivation in mind, our group set out, ods – the famous period-luminosity
including the true energy outputs of lu- a few years ago, to thoroughly investigate (PL) relation, which is normally written in
minous sources; it is also fundamental for the environmental dependences of a the form M = a log P + b, where M is
establishing accurate cosmological pa- number of stellar distance indicators, the mean absolute magnitude (in a given
rameters which describe the actual state, including Cepheids, blue supergiants, RR photometric band), and P the period
and history of the Universe. One par- Lyrae stars, red clump giants, and the (in days). With the PL relation calibrated,
ameter of particular interest is the Hubble tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) magni- the mean luminosities of Cepheids,
constant H0 which measures the cur- tude in the Araucaria Project (http://ifa. and thus their distances, can be inferred
rent acceleration of the expanding Uni- hawaii.edu/~bresolin/Araucaria/). This from their periods. In order to determine
verse. Some ten years ago, the HST Key project is a necessary complement to the the dependence of the PL relation on
Project on the Extragalactic Distance HST Key Project. Over the past two metallicity, we have been conducting sur-
Scale (Freedman et al. 2001) set out to years, the Araucaria Project has obtained veys for Cepheids in a number of spiral
measure Cepheid distances to a sample a Large Programme status at ESO, and a and irregular galaxies of widely different

Reports from Observers Gieren W. et al., Measuring Improved Distances to Nearby Galaxies
Figure 2: The Cepheid period-luminosity relation de-

fined by Cepheid variables in NGC 55, in the I-band.
The period P is in days. From wide-field images
taken on about 50 different nights, we discovered
81 Cepheids with periods longer than 10 days –
these are the first Cepheid variables ever discovered
in this galaxy. Differential reddening in this rather
inclined galaxy is likely to contribute significantly to
the observed scatter. This effect should be greatly
reduced in the near-infrared PL relations we are cur-
rently measuring from VLT/ISAAC images.
metallicities in the Local Group, and in the

Sculptor Group. From a comparative NGC 55
study of the PL relations exhibited by the
Cepheids in the different galaxies, in a 19
variety of optical and near-infrared photo-
metric bands, we can expect to deter-
mine both, the effect of metallicity on the
I [mag]
20
slope, and on the zero point of the PL
relation, and to filter out the most appro-
priate photometric band for distance
work in which the effect is minimised.
21
So far, we have completed optical (BVI)

surveys for Cepheids over the whole
spatial extents for the Local Group galax-
ies NGC 6822 (Pietrzynski et al. 2004), 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
NGC 3109 and WLM; these data comple- logP
ment previous surveys for Cepheids in
other Local Group irregular galaxies (LMC,
SMC, and IC 1613). In Sculptor, Cepheid NGC 55 Cep 7 P = 67.13 d
surveys have been completed for the spi-
ral galaxies NGC 300 (Gieren et al. 2004),
NGC 55, NGC 247, and NGC 7793. 19
21
The wide-field imaging data used in these
V [mag]
I [mag]
surveys were obtained at the ESO 2.2-m

telescope and WFI instrument, with a
21.5
strong complement from the Polish 1.3-m
telescope and mosaic camera at 0.5 1 1.5 2 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
Las Campanas Observatory, and the 4-m phase phase
Blanco telescope and mosaic camera

at CTIO. In all Araucaria target galaxies, NGC 55 Cep 14 P = 45.99 d
including those in the Local Group, we 19 20.5
were able to very substantially enlarge the
number of known Cepheids, and in par- 21
V [mag]
I [mag]
ticular find long-period ones which carry 19,5
the strongest weight in the distance 21.5
determinations. In three of the four Sculp-

20
tor Group spiral galaxies, we have dis- 22
covered the first Cepheid variables ever. 0 0.5 1

phase
1.5 2 0 0.5 1
phase
1.5 2
An example is NGC 55 (Figure 1); in this

galaxy, we have detected 81 Cepheids
with periods in the range 10–100 days Figure 3: Phased light curves in V- and I-bands for
two of the Cepheids we discovered in NGC 55.
which define a tight PL relation (Figure 2).
The periods are indicated on the plots. Such data lead
In Figure 3, we show the light curves to a very precise determination of the mean magni-
of two of these variables in the V- and I- tudes of the variables.
bands, obtained from our mosaic images
taken on about 50 different nights. As an One first conclusion from these data is with the direct Baade-Wesselink-type
example of the improvement on the that in the optical V and I bands, the infrared surface brightness technique
Cepheid census in the Local Group, we slopes of the PL relations observed in all (Gieren et al. 2005a) has furthermore pro-
show in Figure 4 (see next page) the these different galaxies are consis- vided strong evidence that the slope of
PL relation defined by some 100 Cephe- tent with the slopes defined by the LMC the PL relation keeps being independent
ids in NGC 3109, most of them discov- Cepheids observed in the OGLE-II Project of metallicity up to the solar abundance
ered in the Araucaria Project from data (Udalski 2000), arguing for a very small shown by the Milky Way Cepheids. This is
taken during 80 nights at the Polish 1.3-m metallicity effect (consistent with a null ef- an especially important result since many
telescope on Las Campanas. In contrast fect) on the PL relation slope in the [Fe/H] of the massive spiral galaxies in the
to the more massive spiral NGC 55, range from about – 1.0 dex to – 0.3 dex, HST Key Project have near-solar heavy-
NGC 3109 does not contain a population spanned by the young populations of our element abundances. Application of
of very long-period Cepheids. target galaxies. Recently, our distance the LMC Cepheid slopes in V and I to the
work on LMC and Milky Way Cepheids observed Cepheid PL relations in such

Figure 5: The near-infrared PL relations in J- and
K-bands determined from VLT/ISAAC data for
Cepheids in the Sculptor galaxy NGC 300. The
variables were previously discovered by Pietrzynski
et al. (2002) from wide-field images obtained at
the ESO-MPI 2.2-m telescope. Each Cepheid was
Figure 4: The Cepheid PL relation in the I-band for the observed at two different epochs and its mean mag-
Local Group galaxy NGC 3109. Most of the Cepheids nitude determined with the method of Soszynski
in this plot were discovered in the Araucaria Project. et al. (2005). The data fit very well the PL relations in
Note that NGC 3109, in contrast to NGC 55, does not J and K as obtained for the LMC Cepheids by
contain truly long-period Cepheids – the longest ob- Persson et al. (2004). The slopes of the solid lines
served period is 31 days. were taken from this work.
19
NGC 3109 NGC 300
18
20
19
K [mag]
I [mag]
21
20
21
22
0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4

logP
18
galaxies should therefore not cause any
important systematic problem.
Very recently (Bresolin et al. 2005a), we 19

J [mag]
have been testing the effect blending

of Cepheids with nearby projected neigh-
bour stars in the crowded images of dis- 20
tant galaxies has, by comparing ground-
based photometry of Cepheids in NGC
300 from ESO-WFI data to BVI images of
the same Cepheids obtained with the 21
Hubble Space Telescope and ACS. In the
1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
case of NGC 300, with its distance of
logP
close to 2 Mpc, the systematic effect of
blending on the distance derived from
the ground-based images is found to be
only ~ 2 per cent. The main reason is that in the LMC with the Polish 1.3-m tele- and provide a definitive answer about
long-period Cepheids are intrinsically scope on Las Campanas which is expect- the reality of a period break in the relation.
bright enough to outshine nearly all of the ed to discover a large number of new
close companions on the images, making bright, long-period Cepheids close to the
their relative contributions to the Cepheid bar. These data, which cover most of Cepheid work in the near-infrared
flux measured on ground-based images the spatial extent of the LMC and which
insignificant in most cases. This is good will become available in 2007, will also There are at least three substantial advan-
news for ground-based Cepheid distance decide the nagging question of whether tages when Cepheid distance work is car-
work on relatively distant galaxies. the LMC Cepheid PL relation shows ried out in near-infrared bands. The first
a break near 10 days, as claimed by obvious advantage is the strong reduction
Since the LMC Cepheids are currently Sandage et al. (2004). Such a departure of the effect of dust absorption. A second
providing the fiducial PL relations for from a uniform slope over the whole advantage is that Cepheid light curves in
the distance determination of other galax- period range, if real, would evidently con- the near-infrared, and particularly in the
ies, owing to the very large number of stitute a serious problem in the use of K-band, are more symmetrical than their
Cepheids discovered by the OGLE-II and the Cepheid PL relation for distance work. optical light curves, and have smaller am-
other microlensing projects, it is extremely If the break at 10 days turns out to be plitudes. This makes it possible to mea-
important to establish the Cepheid PL re- real, new fiducial LMC PL relations must sure a Cepheid’s mean K-band brightness
lations (in different bands) in the LMC with be established in the period range long- with a very good precision from just one
the highest possible accuracy. Since wards of 10 days, which is the relevant random phase photometric observation, if
the existing microlensing surveys have not range for the measurement of the dis- the star’s optical light curve and period is
found many long-period Cepheids in the tances of galaxies beyond about 1 Mpc. known (Soszynski et al. 2005). K-band
LMC, due to long integration times which Our current “LMC shallow Cepheid PL relations can therefore be determined
overexposed any Cepheids longward survey” is expected to provide a signifi- very economically if the Cepheids of a
of periods of ~ 30 days, we are currently cant improvement of the calibration of galaxy have been previously found and
undertaking a “shallow” Cepheid survey the LMC Cepheid PL relation in V and I, characterised in the optical spectral range.

In addition to these important advan- 1.4

tages, theoretical studies suggest an even 1.6
He I
He I
Si III
C III
O II
O II
NI I
smaller dependence of the PL relation
on metallicity in the near-infrared, as com- 1.2 1.4
pared to optical wavelengths.
1.2
For these reasons, we have been under- 1.0
taking near-infrared follow-up imaging 1.0
for selected subsamples of long-period
Relative Flux
Cepheids in most of the target galaxies 0.8

0.8
of our project. We have been obtaining
these images using VLT/ISAAC, and the 3990 4045 4100 4280 4340 4440 6520 6570 6620
NTT with the SOFI instrument. Superb 1.4

He I
He I
He I
He I
Si III
N II
results are being obtained from these very N II + O II
high-quality data, as recently demon-
1.2
strated in the case of NGC 300. Figure 5
shows the PL relations in the J- and
K- bands obtained from our VLT images
1.0
for this galaxy, which have led to a very
accurate determination of the distance to
NGC 300 by combining the near-infared 0.8
and optical data for this galaxy (Gieren et 4470 4510 4550 4590 4630 4670 4710 4850 4900 4950 5000 5050
al. 2005b; see also a recent August 1, Wavelength (Å)
2005 ESO Press Release). The work on
NGC 300 has shown how essential in- are, however, considerable uncertainties Figure 6: The technique used to measure the abun-
dance of metals of blue supergiants is shown here.
frared images are to achieve an accurate on the gas-phase abundance scale at
With the stellar gravity fixed by fits of model spectra to
determination of the reddening of a high metallicity (around the solar value and the high-order Balmer lines and the effective tem-
galaxy, including the contribution coming above), as encountered in the central perature determined from line diagnostics, the abun-
from dust absorption inside the galaxy. regions of spiral galaxies (Bresolin et al. dances of different elements are varied in the models
until the best fit (in yellow) to the observed spec-
Only in this way can it be hoped to 2005b). Stellar abundance studies allow
trum (orange line) is obtained. The sensitivity to the
achieve the final goal of the Araucaria us to circumvent this difficulty, although abundance is indicated in the lower part of the pan-
Project, which is to measure the dis- the chemical analysis in young massive els, where models differing by ± 0.2 dex relative to the
tances to nearby galaxies with a precision stars is a complex task, due to strong de- best-fitting model are compared. The effects of strong
stellar winds in this B 3 supergiant in NGC 300 are
of at least 5 per cent, or better. partures from conditions of local thermo-
visible in the Hα line, which is in emission (upper right).
dynamic equilibrium and to the effects
of stellar winds on the atmospheric struc- supergiant stars in NGC 300 (Urbaneja et
Blue supergiants ture. It is important to note that both al. 2005). By combining our good-quality
the blue supergiants and the H II regions data with modern stellar-atmosphere
The spectroscopy of blue supergiants, the are young (< 10–20 million years) objects, analysis techniques for massive stars we
brightest young stars visible in galaxies, and therefore the galactic chemical have been able to compare for the first
and among the most massive, is an inte- abundances derived from them are rele- time in a galaxy located outside the Local
gral part of the Araucaria Project. The vant for the study of young stellar Group the chemical abundance gradient
goal of our detailed study of these stars is distance indicators, such as Cepheids. in its disc obtained independently from
twofold: to measure chemical abundances the stellar analysis, and from the ionised
of heavy elements and to develop and The analysis of the chemical composition gas (Figure 7).
apply a new distance determination tech- of blue supergiants complements
nique based on a small set of fundamen- the study of H II regions, which is limited The NGC 300 observations were carried
tal stellar parameters. mostly to the abundances of oxygen, out utilising the multi-object spectroscop-
nitrogen and sulphur, by providing infor- ic capabilities of FORS at the VLT, yield-
Gathering information on the metal con- mation not only for these elements, but ing intermediate-resolution spectra of sev-
tent of galaxies is essential to obtain also for additional species, such as eral dozens of stars in this galaxy (Bresolin
accurate distances, since the techniques magnesium, iron and silicon. Model spec- et al. 2002). This observing strategy, re-
used, such as the Cepheid PL relation, tra, calculated accounting for the pres- peated for all the galaxies included in
could significantly depend on metallicity. ence of millions of atomic transitions, are the Araucaria Project, has allowed us to
The chemical abundances in spiral and compared to the observed supergiant collect several hundred spectra of blue
irregular galaxies are commonly obtained spectra to measure the abundances of supergiant candidates (the case of NGC
from the spectroscopic analysis of giant these metals. An example of this pro- 247 in Sculptor is shown in Figure 8).
H II regions, resulting from the photoioni- cedure is shown in Figure 6, taken from This represents an unprecedented sample
sation of gas clouds by hot stars. There our chemical analysis of early B-type of extragalactic massive star spectra, of

Figure 7 (left): A comparison of the radial oxygen
Log (O/H) + 12 abundance gradient in NGC 300 obtained from the
8.9 NGC 300 B supergiants (green star symbols) and the
H II regions (orange disks). The oxygen abundance is
in the 12 + log(O/H) scale, commonly adopted in neb-
ular work (the solar value is ~ 8.7 on this scale),
8.7 while the horizontal coordinate is the deprojected gal-
actocentric distance in units of the isophotal radius.
The nebular abundances have been obtained from the
emission line fluxes available in the literature and
8.5 adopting the Pettini & Pagel (2004) calibration of the
R 23 abundance indicator.
8.3
Figure 8 (below): Over 60 blue supergiant candi-

8.1 dates have been observed spectroscopically in the
Sculptor Group galaxy NGC 247, as indicated here
on a mosaic derived from FORS images. The arrow
points to the emission line star whose spectrum
is shown in Figure 9. Candidates for the FORS/MXU
7.9 R/R0 spectroscopic follow-up were selected from colours
and magnitudes measured from 2.2-m telescope WFI
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 images.
great value for the immediate needs of the in V between –7 and –10), blue super- The Flux-weighted Gravity-Luminosity
project (abundances and luminosities), giants are among the brightest stellar Relationship (FGLR) determined from our
and for future research on normal B- and objects observed in galaxies, second only analysis of blue supergiants (spectral
A-type supergiants, as well as on more to supernovae. The investigation of their types from early-B to mid-A) in galaxies of
exotic, rare objects, like the extremely usefulness as extragalactic distance indi- the Local Group and in NGC 300 is shown
luminous emission-line star we discovered cators, therefore, is a natural component in Figure 10. The calibration we have ob-
in NGC 247 (Figure 9). A dedicated ana- of the Araucaria Project. A simple but tained can be used to measure distances
lysis technique is being developed by our powerful technique was developed by to galaxies where spectra and apparent
group in order to cope with the large Kudritzki et al. (2003), who found that the magnitudes of blue supergiants are avail-
amount of stars for which we are deriving flux-weighted gravity g/Teff4 (the gravity g able. This independent spectroscopic
the basic parameters (gravities, tempera- and the effective temperature Teff are both method, despite the complexities involved
tures and metallicities). determined from the spectra) is strongly in the data analysis, provides simulta-
correlated with the intrinsic luminosity neously the luminosities, as well as the
Thanks to their extreme luminosity in the of blue supergiants, and appears to be chemical abundances of the target
optical range (with absolute magnitudes quite insensitive to metallicity variations. stars. In this respect, the FGLR has an

Figure 9: The FORS 2 spectrum of an extremely lumi-

nous (MV ~ – 9.3) blue supergiant star in NGC 247.
A strong stellar wind is responsible for the emission
Hβ
lines visible throughout the spectrum (a nebular com-
3
Normalised FLux
ponent is also present for the Balmer lines), which is

reminiscent of the spectra of Luminous Blue Variables.
Most of these features are due to Fe II, as identified
by the vertical bars.
2
Hγ
Fe II
Ca II
Hδ
Hε
4000 4500 5000

Wavelength (Å)
Figure 10: The Flux-weighted Gravity-Luminosity re-

lationship is plotted here for blue supergiants analysed
–10 in the Local Group and in NGC 300. The legend
Milky Way
shows the meaning of the different symbols used. The
LMC
data are taken from Kudritzki et al. (2003), except
SMC
for the early B-type supergiants in NGC 300, which
M 31 are taken from Urbaneja et al. (2005).
M 33 – A Ia
–9 NGC 3621
NGC 6822
NGC 300 – early B
NGC 300 – B8–A4
Mbol
–8
–7
1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.0

Log (g/T4eff,4) (cgs)
advantage over the photometric meth- research. Last not least, we want to thank the differ- Gieren, W., Pietrzynski, G., Soszynski, I. et al. 2005b,
ent members of the OGLE Project for helping out with ApJ 628, 695
ods of distance determination (Cepheids,
the observations for this programme at the Polish Kudritzki, R. P., Bresolin, F., Przybilla, N. 2003,
TRGB, etc.), in that it allows us to ac- telescope on Las Campanas. ApJ 582, L83
count directly for the effects that metallici- Persson, S. E., Madore, B. F., Krzeminski, W. et al.
ty has on the distances derived. 2004, AJ 128, 2239
References Pettini, M., Pagel, B. E. J. 2004, MNRAS 348, L59
Pietrzynski, G., Gieren, W., Fouqué, P., Pont, F. 2002,
Bresolin, F., Gieren, W., Kudritzki, R. P. et al. 2002, AJ 123, 789
Acknowledgements ApJ 567, 277 Pietrzynski, G., Gieren, W., Udalski, A. et al. 2004,
Bresolin, F., Pietrzynski, G., Gieren, W., Kudritzki, R. P. AJ 128, 2815
We thank the ESO Observing Programmes Commit- 2005a, ApJ, in press Sandage, A., Tammann, G. A., Reindl, B. 2004,
tee for the generous allocation of observing time Bresolin, F., Schaerer, D., González-Delgado, R. M., A&A 424, 43
to our project. It is a pleasure to thank ESO staff on Stasinska, G. 2005b, A&A, in press Soszynski, I., Gieren, W., Pietrzynski, G. 2005,
Paranal and La Silla for their expert collaboration in Freedman, W. L. et al. 2001, ApJ 553, 47 PASP 117, 823
obtaining those observations which were scheduled in Gieren, W., Pietrzynski, G., Walker, A. et al. 2004, Udalski, A. 2000, AcA 50, 279
service mode. Wolfgang Gieren, Grzegorz Pietrzynski, AJ 128, 1167 Urbaneja, M. A., Herrero, A., Bresolin, F. et al. 2005,
and Dante Minniti acknowledge support from Gieren, W., Storm, J., Barnes III, T.G. et al. 2005a, ApJ 622, 862
the Chilean FONDAP Center for Astrophysics for this ApJ 627, 224

Early Galaxy Evolution: Report on UVES Studies

of a New Class of Quasar Absorbers
Céline Péroux1 Quasar

Miroslava Dessauges-Zavadsky 2
Sandro D’Odorico1 To earth
Tae Sun Kim 3
Richard G. McMahon 3
Intervening gas
H emission from quasar
1
ESO
2 H absorption
Observatoire de Genève, Switzerland
3 ‘Metal’ absorption lines
Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
University, United Kingdom
Distant galaxies can be studied using

the imprints that their gaseous struc-
tures leave in the spectrum of a back-
ground quasar. These “quasar ab- 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000
sorbers” provide a measure of both the Wavelength (Å)
neutral gas and metallicity content of
the Universe back to early cosmic times. Quasar absorbers are also an excellent Figure 1: Cartoon illustrating a quasar line of sight
along which various objects give rise to absorp-
A newly defined class of quasar ab- tool for measuring the abundances of
tion features seen in the spectrum of the background
sorbers, the sub-Damped Lyman-α Sys- a wide variety of elements over >90 % of quasar. The panel presents a typical quasar spectrum,
tems, have been studied for the first the age of the Universe. In addition to showing the quasar continuum, emission lines,
time using both the ESO archives providing information on individual ob- and the absorption lines produced by galaxies and
intergalactic material that lie between the quasar and
and new UVES/VLT data. This review jects, they can be used statistically to pro-
the observer. The strongest NH I absorption at
presents results from four years of vide measures of the cosmological evolu- λobs ~ 4600 Å is due to a Damped Lyman-α Absorber
research on these systems and empha- tion of metals in the neutral gas phase. at z ~ 2.79 (Figure courtesy of John Webb).
sises the scientific role played by the The so-called H I-column density weight-
ever-growing ESO science archive. ed metallicity shows surprising results:
contrary to virtually all chemical models,
the most recent observations indicate al. 2001), we have suggested that
Tracing the rate at which stars form over only mild evolution with redshift. Never- some fraction of the H I lies in systems
cosmological scales still remains a theless, it is wellknown that such analyses below the traditional DLA definition.
challenging observational task. An indirect are dominated by the main contributors We proposed to extend the definition to
way to measure the assembly of galaxies to the H I mass. Therefore, it is important NH I > 1019 atoms cm –2 and introduced
is to probe the rate at which they convert that all the quasar absorbers containing the terminology “ sub-Damped Lyman-α
their gas into stars. The neutral H I mass a significant fraction of H I gas are includ- systems” (sub-DLAs) in Péroux et al.
in particular can be estimated from obser- ed to get a global metallicity estimate. 2003a. Such high column density systems
vations of absorbers seen in the spec- are reportedly good tracers of galaxies:
trum of background quasars. The most looking out through the Milky Way, many
remarkable property of these systems A new class of quasar absorbers lines of sight have 1019 < NH I < 2 × 10 20
is that their detection threshold is essen- atoms cm –2, reminding us that we actually
tially redshift independent and only relies Quasar absorbers are sub-divided into live in a sub-DLA!
on the properties of random luminous classes according to their column den-
background sources (quasars or Gamma- sity, the number of hydrogen atoms per The study of sub-DLAs has been made
Ray Bursts) observed up to early cosmo- unit area along the line of sight between possible only thanks to the advance-
logical times (z > 6). Thus, unlike other the observer and the quasar (commonly ment of 8 –10-m-class telescope related
high-redshift galaxies (such as Ly-α emit- expressed in atoms cm –2 ). Therefore a technologies. Indeed high-resolution
ters or Lyman Break Galaxies), these low column density cloud could either be spectroscopy is required to study sub-
objects are selected regardless of their a small cloud with high density or a large DLAs. The Ultraviolet-Visual Echelle Spec-
morphologies or intrinsic luminosities but cloud with low density. They are thus trograph UVES (D’Odorico et al. 2000)
solely on their H I cross-sections (see believed to probe a variety of physical mounted on UT2 has played a key role in
Figure 1). Therefore, they provide unbi- conditions including halos and discs recent developments of our understand-
ased samples to measure the redshift of both dwarf and normal (proto)galaxies. ing of quasar absorbers, and sub-DLAs in
evolution of ΩH I, the total amount of neu- Damped Lyman-α systems (hereafter particular. In 2001, we initiated a pro-
tral gas expressed as a fraction of today’s DLAs) have NH I > 2 × 10 20 atoms cm –2 gramme aimed at building and studying a
critical density. and are the major contributors to the neu- homogeneous sample of sub-DLAs.
tral gas ΩH I. Nevertheless, based on a The overall goal of this ongoing project is
new sample of z > 4 quasars (Péroux et to identify what can be learned about

Reports from Observers Péroux C. et al., Early Galaxy Evolution
Figure 2: Example of a normalised UVES/VLT spec-

trum of a high-redshift quasar. This velocity scale plot
is centred at the sub-DLA position corresponding
to zabs = 3.078. The red line represents the Voigt pro-
file model used to determine the quasar absorber
column density: NH I = 1.62 × 10 20 atoms cm –2 (Figure
from Péroux et al. 2005).
the early stages of galaxy evolution from abundance ratios observed in DLAs. The
SDSSJ0124+0044
the study of the systems detected in ab- Sub z = 3.078 Ly1
first comprehensive sets of measure-
Normalised Flux
sorption. ments of O I and C II in high NH I column
density systems were given. Indeed,
another advantage is that these elements
Global metallicity evolution are well-defined in sub-DLAs while they
are almost always saturated in DLAs.
In a first step towards this aim, we took These species, unaffected by dust deple-
–2000 0 2000
advantage of the ESO VLT archive to build Relative Velocity (km/s) tion, provide direct indicators of the abun-
a sample of sub-DLAs by reducing and dances in quasar absorbers.
analysing UVES archival Echelle quasar
spectra available to us on July 2001. This
represented a sample of 35 quasars, log N(H I) > 20.3
Cosmological evolution of H I gas mass
22 of which were unbiased for our study. log N(H I) < 20.3
0
This work led to the discovery of 12 sub- In order to study the early stages of
DLAs (Dessauges-Zavadsky et al. 2003). galaxy evolution, we selected a sample of
Their chemical abundances were derived 17 z > 4 quasar lines of sight observed
using Voigt profile fitting (see Figure 2 with UVES/VLT (Péroux et al. 2005). The
〉]
–1
DLA
for an example) and photoionisation mod- statistical properties of the resulting sam-
〈Fe/H
els from the CLOUDY software package ple of 21 new sub-DLAs were analysed in
[
in order to determine the ionisation cor- combination with the sub-DLAs from the
rection. We find that the correction is neg- previous ESO archive study. This homo-
ligible in systems with NH I > 3.2 × 10 19 geneous sample allowed us to determine
–2
and lower than 0.3 dex for most elements the redshift evolution of the number den-
in systems with 10 19 < NH I < 3.2 × 10 19 sity of DLAs and sub-DLAs. All these sys-
atoms cm –2. The abundances observed in tems seem to be evolving in the redshift
this sample of sub-DLAs were further 0 2 4 range from z = 5 to z ~ 3. Assuming that
Redshift
used to determine the global metallicity of all the classes of absorbers arose from
H I gas in both DLAs and sub-DLAs. Figure 3: NH I column density-weighted mean metallic- the same parent population, estimates of
ities for DLAs (green) and sub-DLAs (black). The
We found that the metallicity redshift evo- the characteristic radii were provided. RT
dotted bins are for constant NH I intervals and the solid
lu-tion of absorbers as traced by [Fe/H] bins are for constant redshift intervals. The evolution increases with decreasing column density,
shows a slightly more pronounced slope of [〈Fe/HDLA〉] is possibly more pronounced for sub- and decreases with cosmological time
for sub-DLAs (α = – 0.40 ± 0.22) than for DLAs than for DLAs (Figure from Péroux et al. 2003b). for all systems. The sub-DLA downsizing
DLAs (α = – 0.18 ± 0.12). In addition, the runs from RT = 40 h100 –1
kpc at z = 4 to
–1
H I-weighted mean metallicity was com- RT = 30 h100 kpc at z = 2. The redshift
puted for DLAs and sub-DLAs. The evolu- evolution of the column density distribu-
tion of [〈Fe/HDLA〉] might be stronger for tion, f (N,z), down to NH I = 1019 cm –2
sub-DLAs than for DLAs, and absorbers was also presented for two different red-
0
with NH I > 10 21 atoms cm –2 appear to shift ranges (Figure 5). A departure

be the less evolved (Figure 3). Observa- from the usual power law is observed in
tional evidence supports the hypothe- the sub-DLA regime.
–1
sis that this different behaviour is not due

to the hidden effect of dust (Péroux et al. f (N,z) was further used to determine the
[Fe/H]
2003b). total H I gas mass in the Universe at z > 2

(Figure 6). The complete sample of sub-
–2
A study of the metallicity evolution with DLAs shows that they are important at all
metal line profile ionisation showed hints redshifts from z = 5 to z = 2 and that their
of a correlation, whereby higher [Fe/H] contribution to the total gas mass ΩH I is
z<2
–3
ratios are associated with systems with 2<Z<3 ~ 20 % (or more if compared with the lat-
larger widths (Figure 4). This correlation Z > 3
est Sloan results). It appears that ΩH I
could indicate either a recent activity 0 200 400 600 800
observed in both DLAs and sub-DLAs at
of star formation (and hence more enrich- Low Ionisation Width (km/s) high redshift (z > 2) is low compared
ment) or a higher mass (higher rotational Figure 4: [Fe/H] as a function of the velocity width
with the mass density observed in stars
velocity being proportional to the mass of of the low-ionisation transition. The colours of the today, ΩT. The possibility that large num-
the system). Abundance ratios for [Si/Fe], symbol depict different redshift ranges. The open bers of quasar absorbers are missing
[O/Fe], [C/Fe] and [Al/Fe] were determined sym-bols are for DLAs and the filled symbols are for in optically selected quasar surveys is still
sub-DLAs. The boxes represent the mean in a given
and compared with two different sets of velocity interval with rms errors and suggest an in-
hotly debated. While radio surveys looking
models of the chemical evolution of galax- crease of metallicity towards larger widths of the low for DLAs in quasar samples without
ies. Overall, these appear to resemble ionisation species. (Figure from Péroux et al. 2003b). optical limiting magnitudes (Ellison et al.

Figure 5: Column density distributions for two redshift
ranges down to the sub-DLA definition. The hori-
zontal error bars are the bin sizes and the vertical
error bars represent the uncertainties. The blue dotted
bins are predictions from Péroux et al. (2003a), while
the red bins at 10 19 < NH I < 2 × 10 20 atoms cm –2 cor-
respond to the direct observations from the sample
of sub-DLAs. The black bins represent DLAs (Figure
from Péroux et al. 2005).
Redshift
54 3 2 1 0.5 0
–18
–18
6 × 108
Stellar Mass Density
H I Mass Density
–20
–20
[Ho = 65]
4 × 108
Mass Density
Log f(N,z)
Log f(N,z)
–22
–22
2 × 108
–24
–24
1.78 < z < 3.5 3.5 < z < 5.0
0
18 20 22 18 20 22
0 5 10
Log NH I Log NH I
Time [Gyr]
Figure 6: Observable baryons in the Universe as a

function of time. The green curve represents the mass
density in stars integrated from the Star Formation
Rate (SFR). The error bars represent the mass density
in H I gas as derived from quasar absorbers de-
convolved from the local critical density (Figure from
Péroux et al. 2005).
2003) show that there are not a large DLAs being dustier than their sub-DLAs used to search for new sub-DLAs already
number of DLAs missing, our expecta- counterparts, hence preventing the selec- observed with ESO facilities but so
tions are that high-redshift galaxies should tion of their background quasar. If con- far unstudied. This type of research illus-
be dusty. It should be emphasised how- firmed, this can be explained by the fact trates the role that the ever-growing ESO
ever that there are two separate issues: that in sub-DLAs, the Zn column density archive plays for science.
i) what is the dust content of the quasar threshold does not combine with the
absorbers we know of today and ii) what NH I threshold NH I > 2 × 10 20 atoms cm –2
fraction of the quasar absorbers are that prevents their detection. We therefore References
missed because their background quasar propose that sub-DLAs might be asso- D’Odorico, S., Cristiani, S., Dekker, H., Hill, V., Kaufer,
is not selected in the first place. ciated with the external parts of galaxies A., Kim, T., and Primas, F. 2000, SPIE4005, 121
which better traces the overall chemical Ellison, S. L., Pettini, M., Churchill, C. W., Hook, I. M.,
evolution of the Universe. Lopez, S., Rix, S. A., Shaver, P., Wall, J. V., and
Yan, L. 2003, The Messenger 113, 64
On the nature of sub-DLAs Péroux, C., Storrie-Lombardi, L., McMahon, R., Irwin,
M., and Hook, I. 2001, AJ 121, 1799
By assuming that both DLAs and sub- Future prospects Péroux, C., McMahon, R., Storrie-Lombardi, L., and
DLAs trace the same underlying parent Irwin, M. 2003a, MNRAS 346, 1103
Dessauges-Zavadsky, M., Péroux, C., Kim, T. S.,
population, a natural explanation for the In order to investigate further this hypoth- D’Odorico, S., and McMahon, R. 2003,
nature of sub-DLAs could be that they esis, we are currently investigating MNRAS 345, 447
are the outermost parts of galaxies. This the metallicity of sub-DLAs at z > 3, using Péroux, C., Dessauges-Zavadsky, M., D'’Odorico, S.,
is illustrated by the absorber size calcu- 10 of the 17 high-resolution UVES z > 4 Kim,T. S., and McMahon, R. 2003b,
MNRAS 345, 480
lations where the characteristic radius of quasar spectra from our sample for which Péroux, C., Dessauges-Zavadsky, M., D’Odorico, S.,
–1
sub-DLAs is around 40 h100 kpc and the we have spectral coverage at wave- Kim,T .S., and McMahon, R., 2005, MNRAS,
–1
one from DLAs is 20 h100 kpc. lengths red-wards of the quasar emission in press, astro-ph/0507353
lines. These systems will also be modelled
The metallicity of sub-DLAs also seem to with CLOUDY in order to determine the
differ from the one of classical DLAs. ionisation fraction of the gas.
Smoothed particle Hydrodynamics simu-
lations indicate that DLAs have one third In parallel, one of us (CP) is working on
solar metallicity at z = 2.5 and should the UVES ESO VLT archive data with
be even more metal-rich towards lower the aim to provide the user community
redshifts. Indeed there are lines of evi- with a uniform data set of pipeline-re-
dence pointing towards lower column duced products. The results will be made
density quasar absorbers like sub-DLAs available to the public with the hope that
being more metal-rich at z < 2 (Figure 3). it will encourage and facilitate the ESO
This could be explained by classical archive usage. This new data set could be

A New Einstein Ring
Using the VLT, Rémi Cabanac and col- Figure 1: Composite image taken in
bands B and R with VLT/FORS, which
leagues1 have discovered a new and very
reaches to magnitude 26. A zoom-in
impressive Einstein ring. This cosmic mi- on the position of the newly found ring.
rage, dubbed FOR J0332-3557, is seen
towards the southern constellation Fornax
(the Furnace), and is remarkable on
at least two counts. First, it is a bright,
almost complete Einstein ring. Second, it
is the farthest of its type ever found.
“There are only a very few optical rings or

arcs known, and even fewer in which
the lens and the source are at large dis-
tance, i.e. more than about 7 000 million
light years away (or half the present age
of the Universe)”, says Rémi Cabanac,
former ESO Fellow and now working at Observed Image Best Fitting Image
the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope.

“Moreover, very few are nearly complete”,
2
he adds.
The ring image extends to almost 3/4 of a

1
circle. The lensing galaxy is located at a

distance of about 8 000 million light years
arcsec
from us, while the source galaxy whose

0
light is distorted, is much farther away, at

12 000 million light years. Thus, we see
–1
this galaxy as it was when the universe

was only 12 % of its present age. The lens
magnifies the source almost 13 times.
–2
The observations reveal the lensing galaxy

2 1 0 –1 –2 2 1 0 –1 –2
to be a rather quiet galaxy, 40 000 light arcsec arcsec
years wide, with an old stellar popula-
tion. The much more distant lensed gal- Figure 2: The left image is magnified and centred on yielded a redshift close to 1 for the lens (we see the
the newly discovered Einstein ring. The image quality lens as it was when the Universe was half its present
axy, however, is extremely active, having
(“seeing”) of the R-band image is exceptional (0.5?) size), and a redshift z = 3.8 for the ring (a back-
recently experienced bursts of star and the image reveals the lensing system in stunning ground star-forming galaxy seen as it was when the
formation. It is a compact galaxy some details. The central feature is the lens, a quiescent Universe was only 12 % of its present age. The lens-
7 000 light years across. massive galaxy that distorts the light emitted by back- ing model indicates that the light of the source is
ground sources. The large arc surrounding the central magnified at least 13 times. The right panel shows the
lens is part of the Einstein ring created by a back- reconstructed image based on the model of the lens
“Because the gravitational pull of matter ground source finely aligned with the lens. The reddish and the source; the ring is found to extend over 3/4 of
bends the path of light rays, astronomical colour indicates that the redshift of the system is very a complete circle.
objects – stars, galaxies and galaxy clus- large. FORS2 spectroscopy of the lensing system
ters – can act like lenses, which magnify
and severely distort the images of galax-
ies behind them, producing weird pictures In the most extreme case, where the ure of the mass within the lensing body,
as in a hall of mirrors”, explains Chris foreground lensing galaxy and the back- and as a “magnifying glass”, it allows
Lidman (ESO), co-discoverer of the new ground galaxy are exactly aligned, us to see details in objects which would
cosmic mirage. the image of the background galaxy is otherwise be beyond the reach of current
stretched into a perfect ring. Such telescopes.
an image is known as an Einstein ring,
because the formula for the bending From the image, co-worker David Valls-
1
The paper describing this research has recently been
of light, first described in the early twenti- Gabaud (CFHT), using state-of-the-art
published as a Letter to the Editor in Astronomy eth century by Chwolson and Link, uses modelling algorithms, was able to de-
and Astrophysics, Volume 436, L21–L25, by Rémi A. Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. duce the mass of the galaxy acting as a
Cabanac (CFHT, Hawaii), David Valls-Gabaud lens – it is almost one million million solar
(Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées), Andreas Ortmann
Jaunsen (ESO Chile), Chris Lidman (ESO),
Gravitational lensing provides a very use- masses.
and Helmut Jerjen (Mount Stromlo Observatory, ful tool with which to study the Universe.
Australia). As a “weighing scale”, it provides a meas- (Based on ESO Press Photos 20 b+c/05)

Resolved Spectroscopy of a z = 5
Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy with the VIMOS IFU
Mark Swinbank 1 Galactic superwinds Starburst Figure 1: A cartoon of

Simple model for (Nebular emission lines) the dynamics of a galaxy
Richard Bower 1 with high-velocity super-
Galactic superwinds (SINFONI)
Ian Smail 1 (which currently lack UV ISM lines winds. By observing Ly α
Simon Morris1 spatial information) (VIMOS) emission and ISM lines
Graham Smith 2 with VIMOS and the [O II]
with SINFONI we will re-
solve all three compo-
Redshifted nents of the galaxy and
1
ICC, Department of Physics, University to Observer Lyα superwind.
of Durham [O II] (VIMOS)
2
Caltech Astronomy
– 400 km/s +400 km/s

We have used the VIMOS IFU to spa-
tially resolve and study the star-forming,
galactic superwinds and metal-enrich-
ment properties in a highly magnified distant Lyman-break galaxies suggest three-dimensional structure of the outflow
gravitationally lensed galaxy at z = 5 that, in these young systems, the collec- can be established. However, at these
(i.e., seen when the Universe was only tive effects of intense star-formation ac- great distances even a massive galaxy
~ 10 % of its current age). These results tivity (and resulting supernovae) sweep up only spans 1? on the sky and therefore ob-
are allowing us to study galaxy forma- and drive a shell of material through the taining spatially resolved information is ex-
tion and evolution in a level of detail galaxy disc, eventually bursting out of the tremely difficult.
never before possible and provide excit- galaxy and accelerating into the ambi-
ing possibilities for future studies of gal- ent intergalactic medium. In these ob-
axies at these early times. servations the wind ejecta manifests itself Gravitational telescopes
through the velocity offset between
Lyα emission which traces the outflowing Fortunately nature provides us with a
The problem with galaxy-formation mod- material and the rest-frame optical natural telescope with which we can
els is not to understand why galaxies form emission lines (such as Hα and [O II]) study very distant galaxies in great detail.
(this is due to the cooling and condens- which trace the star-forming (H II) regions Galaxy clusters magnify the images of
ing of gas in dark matter halos), but to (Shapley et al. 2003). Indeed, velocity distant galaxies that serendipitously lie
understand why such a small fraction of offsets of several hundred km/s have behind them (Smail et al. 1996, Ellis et al.
baryons cool to form stars. Galaxy-for- been observed. If the energy of this wind 2001, Swinbank et al. 2003). This natural
mation models which only include cooling is sufficient, the gas escapes the galax- magnification causes background galax-
predict that more than 50 % of baryons ies’ potential and is not recaptured and ies to be strongly amplified and stretched.
should form stars, yet a census of the plays no further role in galaxy formation. It provides us with the opportunity of
baryons in the local Universe show that But the evidence for this superwind is studying young and intrinsically faint gal-
less than 10 % are locked up in stars, rather indirect, and based on the assump- axies with a spatial resolution that cannot
the rest is in a hot diffuse state, similar to tion that the outflow takes the form of be attained via conventional observations.
that in the inter-cluster medium (Balogh an expanding spherical bubble surround-
et al. 2001). To account for this puzzling ing the galaxy as illustrated in Figure 1 One of the most striking cases of grav-
inefficiency requires some form of feed- (the current data are limited to traditional itational lensing is the (highly magnified)
back – a method of expelling gas from long-slit spectroscopy, and are therefore z = 4.88 galaxy behind the rich lens-
galaxies, preventing them from forming limited to one spatial dimension). Hence, ing cluster RCS0224-002 (Gladders et al.
stars, and hence regulating galaxy forma- if the large velocity flow were instead with- 2002). The natural amplification caused
tion (Bower et al. 2004, Swinbank et al. in the galaxy, the wind would be unlikely by the galaxy cluster has two effects
2005, Wilman et al. 2005). to escape the gravitational potential. Of (i) the image of the background galaxy is
course, other interpretations are also pos- magnified at a fixed surface brightness
sible: the outflow may be collimated and (i.e. the total brightness is increased) and,
Regulating galaxy formation: feedback may not inhibit the inflow of gas in other (ii) the galaxy is not simply amplified, it
directions; the wind might even stall and is also stretched, making it possible to
The local Universe is a largely inert place, fall back onto the galaxy (a more ener- spatially resolve components of the galaxy
with most activity long over. In order getic version of the Milky Way’s “galactic from the ground.
to understand the feedback phenomenon fountain”).
we must therefore look to the first galax-
ies that formed in the Universe (between The key to resolving this issue is to iden- This project
1 and 2 Gyr after the Big Bang, z = 3–5). tify these features in spatially resolved
However, since they are very distant these out-flows around distant protogalaxies. In this article we report on the first results
young galaxies are difficult to observe in By comparing the velocity field of the out- from a VLT VIMOS and SINFONI IFU study
great detail. Recent deep observations of flow with that of the host galaxy the of the star-forming and kinematical prop-

Reports from Observers Swinbank M. et al., Resolved Spectroscopy of a z = 5 Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy
Figure 2: Left: HST false colour VI-band image of Right: Wavelength collapsed (white light) image
the RCS0224-002 cluster core showing the central around the Lyα emission from the z = 4.88 arc made
cluster galaxies as well as the multiple arcs and by collapsing the datacube between 7138
arclets. The multiply imaged z = 4.88 arc is labelled A, and 7188 Å. The z = 4.88 arc can clearly be seen in
B and C, whilst the radial counter-image is labelled D the Lyα image. We also note that there appears to
(see text). be another strong Lyα emitter to the North-East which
is the counter image of the arc.
erties in a z = 4.88 arc in the core of the

lensing cluster RCS0224-002. In the 10
10
left-hand panel of Figure 2 we show the
HST image of the cluster core and mark 8
5
the components of the arc A, B and C. D 5
As can be seen from the HST image, the
arcsec
arcsec
lensed galaxy (or arc) is over 12? in length A
7
0 0 6
and therefore is an ideal candidate for
integral field spectroscopy. The arc is mul- 5
tiply imaged, with component A appear- B –5 4
–5 3
ing to comprise a dense knot surrounded 2
1
by a halo of diffuse material (a foreground
–10
object is also superposed). The morphol- –10
C
ogy of components B and C mirror those
of A. –10 –5 0 5 10 –10 –5 0 5 10
arcsec arcsec
The arc was observed with the VIMOS

IFU on the VLT in December 2004. tive evidence for structure in the red wing namics and star-formation properties of
Although the target was only observed for of the line, the blue cut-off occurs at con- primeval galaxies. The signal-to-noise
2 hours (the remaining 12 hours are due stant wavelength (the variations are that we expect from the final set of obser-
to be completed in the current semester), less than 30 km/s). This is particularly im- vations (the remaining 12 hours of ob-
the data already offer fascinating insight portant: the individual star-forming regions servations are expected to be completed
into the nature of the Lyα emission in in the underlying galaxy are expected to in August /September 2005) will allow
this galaxy. The VIMOS IFU provides a be moving at relative speeds in excess of us to tightly constrain the geometry of the
three-dimensional (x, y, λ) “datacube” from 100 km/s (SINFONI observations are outflowing material and so test the geom-
which we can investigate the spatial varia- scheduled to confirm and map this): if the etry of the superwind ejecta. We will
tions in the Lyα and C IV emission lines superwind was localised to these re- also be able to investigate the dynamics
and (eventually) UV interstellar absorption gions, the structure of the Lyα emission of the interstellar medium (spatially re-
features. In turn these allow us to infer would vary significantly. In contrast, solved) through the absorption lines and
the spatial distribution of star formation, the superwind model (Figure 1) predicits the metallicity of the gas through the
metal abundance and to map the dy- that the sharp blue edge of the Lyα C IV /Lyα emission line ratios (continuum
namics of the system’s components. emission line (which is formed by resonant and C IV emission are both detected in
absorption in the outflow) will be un- the first 2 hours of data, but the remaining
correlated with the velocity structure of 12 hours are required to boost the signal-
Early results the host galaxy. The lack of structure to-noise and draw strong conclusions).
suggests that the superwind “bubble” is Furthermore, by coupling this high-quality
In Figure 2 we have projected the data- located well outside of the galaxy and is data with SINFONI IFU observations (also
cube in the wavelength between 7138 escaping into inter-galactic space. expected to be taken in August /Septem-
and 7188 Å so as to map the spatial dis- ber 2005) we will probe the [O II] emission
tribution of the emission. It is clear that from this galaxy (which comes from the
the Lyα emission line morphology traces Other primeval galaxies star-forming regions and therefore reflects
that seen in the imaging, with the densest the underlying stellar populations which
knots in the HST image being the bright- We can also scan the datacube for emis- are responsible for driving the superwind
est in Lyα. sion lines from other galaxies within the in the galaxy; see Figure 1). These ground-
VIMOS IFU field of view. Although the cur- breaking and exciting results will pro-
By extracting a series of independent rent data are only partially complete, we vide valuable and important insights into
spectra from the IFU datacube (Figure 3) have already identified at least two other this important phase of galaxy evolution.
we can investigate the dynamics of the serendipitous sources in the field, includ-
galaxy and the nature of any outflowing ing Lyα for z = 3.66 and z = 5.09 and as References
material. Even the initial dataset, allows us well as [O II] from an arc at z = 1.0.
to search for spatial variations in the Lyα Balogh et al. 2001, MNRAS 326, 1228
emission line. As seen in other young Bower et al. 2004, MNRAS 351, 63
Ellis et al. 2001, ApJ 560, 119
galaxies, the Lyα emission has a charac- Summary Gladders et al. 2002, AJ 123, 1
teristic asymmetric (P-Cyni) profile. To Shapley et al. 2003, ApJ 588, 65
examine the structure of the emission line, Whilst these results are in their early Smail et al. 1996, ApJ 469, 508
we compare the emission from the re- stages, they are showing the power of Swinbank et al. 2003, ApJ 598, 162
Swinbank et al. 2005, MNRAS 359, 401
gions marked 1–8 in Figure 2. The struc- coupling integral field spectroscopy Wilman et al. 2005, Nature 436, 227
ture of the line is remarkably constant with gravitationally lensed galaxies to spa-
from region to region. While there is tenta- tially resolve and study the internal dy-

Figure 3: Spectra around the redshifted and intensity of the Lyα emission to
Lyα emission from the eight com- study the superwind outflow. By
ponents labelled in Figure 2. The red combining these measurements with
dashed line shows the composite SINFONI spectroscopy of nebular
spectra from the arc (scaled in flux). In emission lines we will investigate the
each independant pixel of the data- star formation and chemical enrich-
cube we use the position and shape ment of this young galaxy.
4 000 4 000 5 000 4 000
4 000
3 000 3 000 3 000
3 000
2 000 2 000 2 000
2 000
1000 1000 1000

1000
0 0 0 0
1 v = 48 +/– 15 km/s 2 v = 45 +/– 15 km/s 3 v = 27 +/– 15 km/s 4 v = 7 +/– 15 km/s

–1000 –1000 –1000 –1000
7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200
5 000 5 000 8 000 1000
4 000 4 000 800

6 000
3 000 3 000 600

4 000
400
2 000 2 000
2 000 200
1000 1000
0
0
0 0
5 v = 11 +/– 20 km/s 6 v = 32 +/– 15 km/s 7 v = 36 +/– 20 km/s –200 8 v = –1 +/– 30 km/s

–1000 –1000 –2 000
7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200 7100 7120 7140 7160 7180 7200
Wavelength (Å) Wavelength (Å) Wavelength (Å) Wavelength (Å)
Farthest Known Gamma-Ray Burst
An Italian team of astronomers1 has used the Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are short flashes (Based on ESO Press Release 22/05)
VLT to observe the afterglow of a Gamma-ray of energetic gamma rays lasting from less than
burst that is the farthest known to date with a second to several minutes. They release
a measured redshift of 6.3. “This also means a tremendous quantity of energy in this short
that it is among the intrinsically brightest time, making them the most powerful events
18
Gamma-ray bursts ever observed”, said Guido since the Big Bang. It is now widely accepted I Z J H K
Chincarini from INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico that the majority of the gamma-ray bursts
di Brera and University of Milano-Bicocca signal the explosion of very massive, highly
(Italy) and leader of a team that studied the ob- evolved stars that collapse into black holes.
20
ject with ESO’s Very Large Telescope. “Its
AB magnitude
luminosity is such that within a few minutes it The Gamma-ray burst GRB050904 was first
must have released 300 times more energy detected on September 4, 2005, by the
than the Sun will release during its entire life of NASA /ASI/PPARC Swift satellite, which is dedi-
22
10 000 million years.” cated to the discovery of these powerful explo-
sions. Immediately after this detection, as-
1
The MISTICI collaboration consists of astronomers tronomers in observatories worldwide tried to
from Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma (INAF), identify the source by searching for the after- 24
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (INAF), Osserva- glow in the visible and /or near-infrared. The
torio Astronomico di Arcetri (INAF), Università degli Italian group observed the object in the near-
Studi di Milano – Bicocca, International School for
Advanced Studies (SISSA) and Observatori Astro-
infrared with ISAAC and in the visible with 5000 10000 15000 20000 25000
nòmic of Universitat de València (Spain). In particular, FORS 2 on the VLT. By comparing the bright- Wavelength (Å)
Angelo Antonelli, Daniele Malesani, Vincenzo ness of the source in the various observing
Testa, Paolo D’Avanzo, Stefano Covino, Alberto bands (see Figure), the astronomers were able This figure shows the magnitude of the Gamma-ray
Fernandez-Soto, Gianpiero Tagliaferri, Guido to deduce its redshift, and hence its distance. burst GRB 050904 as observed with FORS 2 and
Chincarini, Sergio Campana, Massimo Della Valle, “The value we derived has since then been ISAAC in the various filters. The bandpasses of the
Felix Mirabel, and Luigi Stella were notably active ESO filters are overplotted as well as the best-fitting
with the data analysis and observations. Prof. Guido
confirmed by spectroscopic observations made template which allowed the astronomers to mea-
Chincarini is the Italian Principal Investigator of the by another team using the Subaru telescope”, sure the photometric redshift. The clear drop of the
Italian research on GRBs related to the Swift satellite, said Angelo Antonelli (Roma Observatory), an- flux of the object in the I-band compared to the
which is funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). other member of the team. others is the telltale signature of a high-redshift object.

Photo: G. Hüdepohl, ESO
Surveying the High-Redshift Universe

with the VIMOS IFU
Matt J. Jarvis1 object spectroscopy is usually the next The idea behind an IFU is to obtain con-
Caroline van Breukelen1, 2 step to confirm redshifts and to gain tinuous coverage of a field in three dimen-
Bram P. Venemans 2 a census of galaxies in the high-redshift sions, i.e. two spatial dimensions and a
Richard J. Wilman 3 Universe. third spectral dimension. This is analo-
gous to taking a number of long-slit spec-
A further technique which has come tra side-by-side all in one observation.
1 to fruition over the past decade, with the Integral-field observations are therefore
Astrophysics, Department of Physics,
Oxford, United Kingdom onset of 8- and 10-metre-class tele- able to provide an immediate 3-dimen-
2 scopes, is that of narrow-band imaging. sional view of structure in the Universe.
Sterrewacht Leiden, The Netherlands
3 This method selects galaxies with The range of scales these IFUs may probe
Department of Physics, University
of Durham, United Kingdom strong emission lines at distinct distances, is from stellar populations in nearby galax-
where the bright emission lines are ies to the furthest reaches of the observ-
redshifted into a filter which has a typical able Universe. In this article we highlight
We present results from a new method width of 5–10 nm. This essentially means the intriguing possibilities that large-area
of exploring the distant Universe. We that the imaging instrument acts as a IFUs offer with respect to volume-limited
use 3-D (integral-field) spectroscopy to very coarse spectrograph with 5–10 nm surveys of the high-redshift Universe.
sample a large cosmological volume resolution. There are now many fields
at a time when the Universe was less which have been targeted with this tech-
than 3 billion years old to investigate the nique, most notably the deep narrow- A deep VIMOS IFU field and the
evolution of star-formation activity in band survey to target Lyα emitting galax- star-formation history of the Universe
the Universe. Within this study we also ies at z = 3.1 (Steidel et al. 2000) which
discovered an obscured accreting black went on to find a new class of object – We initiated a pilot project with a deep,
hole at high redshift which would not that of giant Lyα nebulae which are not nine-hour, VIMOS observation centred on
have been identified with imaging stud- associated with powerful active galactic the high-redshift radio galaxy MRC0943-
ies alone. This highlights the crucial nuclei. Other important surveys using 242 at a redshift of z = 2.92 in April 2003.
role that integral-field spectroscopy may the narrow-band technique have been The aims of this project were to probe
play in surveying the distant Universe in those which target powerful radio sources the giant-Lyα emitting halo surrounding
the future. at high redshift. These have yielded the this source and the distribution of galaxies
detection of overdensities of Lyα emitting within the volume probed by the IFU.
galaxies at redshifts above 2. Blank-field Figure 1a shows the reconstructed
Hunting for high-redshift galaxies searches have also yielded the detec- “broad-band” (i.e. with the spectral direc-
tion of large numbers of Lyα emitters tion collapsed over all frequencies) image
The way in which galaxies form and at z = 5.7 (Ajiki et al. 2003) and one of the of the radio galaxy field. The central radio
evolve, along with the stars they contain, highest redshift galaxies known to date galaxy can easily be seen in the centre of
are crucial processes to investigate if at z = 6.6 (Hu et al. 2002). However, simi- the image. However, the only other
we are to understand how the structure lar to the multi-colour method highlight- sources visible in this broad-band repre-
we see in the Universe today builds up ed above, this technique also requires sentation are all relatively bright. Con-
over cosmic time. For many years this has follow-up spectroscopy to confirm the versely, as can be seen in Figure 1b, if
been the forte of deep multi-colour imag- Lyα emitting candidates. we now integrate over the spectral region
ing observations, which have been used where the Lyα line is seen in the radio
to find and investigate galaxies in the dis- It would obviously be extremely useful if galaxy spectrum [i.e. 121.6 nm × (1 + z)],
tant Universe. This technique utilises the one could combine the imaging and the radio galaxy becomes much brighter.
characteristic break in the continuum of a spectroscopy into a single observation, This highlights the benefit of the inte-
galaxy below the Hydrogen Lyα emission which would not only overcome the gral-field approach when hunting for
line at 121.6 nm and the Lyman-limit at various biases inherent to colour selected galaxies with bright emission lines at all
91.2 nm. Redward of these characteristic samples but would also expand on the redshifts. If we now split this data set
wavelengths, a galaxy will be observed narrow redshift ranges which one can up into finer bins in wavelength then we
to have a bright continuum, and observ- probe with narrow-band searches. We are are able to detect all the galaxies with
ing the same patch of sky with a shorter now entering an era in astronomy where bright emission lines over the whole vol-
wavelength filter, which lies below the this is achievable. In this article we de- ume. For Lyα emission this range is
continuum break wavelength, a galaxy will scribe the first results from a deep, large 2.3 < z < 4.6, and for [O II] emission at a
be much fainter and possibly not detect- volume search for emission-line galax- rest-frame wavelength of λ = 372.7 nm,
ed at all. Therefore large samples of ies with the Visible Multi-Object Spectro- we probe 0.08 < z < 0.83. Therefore
candidate high-redshift galaxies can be graph (VIMOS) on the ESO-VLT (http:// we can search for emission-line galaxies
constructed in this way over large areas. www.eso.org/instruments/vimos/ ). over a large fraction of cosmic volume
After catalogues of such objects have along the sightline of the IFU (e.g. for [O II]
been built up, follow-up long-slit or multi- As well as being a large multi-object and Lyα emitters we probe ~ 50 % of
spectrograph, VIMOS can also be used cosmic time since the Big Bang over the
as a “large-area” integral-field unit (IFU). 1.2 square arcminute field-of-view).

Figure 1: (a) The two-dimensional image of our IFU
field of view, integrated from 405–680 nm. (b) The
same image integrated from 470–500 nm. The noisier
regions in the corners of the images are due to a
dither pattern used in the observations to enable ac-
curate sky subtraction and bad pixel rejection, there-
fore the corners have had slightly less exposure time
than the central, least noisy, region.
13? 13?
28? 28?
43? 43?
Declination
Declination
28; 58? 28; 58?
13? 13?
–24° 29; 28? –24° 29; 28?

09h 45m 35.4s 34.4s 33.4s 32.4s 31.4s 30.5 s 09h 45m 35.4s 34.4s 33.4s 32.4s 31.4s 30.5 s
Right Ascension Right Ascension
In order to achieve this we construct a ume. Construction of the luminosity func- By integrating over the Lyα luminosity
sensitivity map across the whole field and tion is a non-trivial task for this type function we are therefore able to measure
search for peaks in the clean parts of of data because those galaxies with bright the star-formation rate at the redshifts
the optical spectrum, i.e. those regions emission lines can be seen to much covered by our data. This plot, along with
devoid of bright sky lines and also where greater distance in the volume covered in the star-formation rate density derived by
characteristic problems associated our data, thus the volume probed is other methods, is shown in Figure 3, for
with the optics within the IFU are at a min- a strong function of the luminosity of the 0 < z < 6. Due to the fact that Lyα can be
imum. This is carried out by fitting a poly- emission lines. Therefore, the luminosity- resonantly scattered and absorbed by
nomial to the spectra at all points over dependent volume is measured using the neutral hydrogen around the source, the
the field and detecting all of those peaks sensitivity function of the data cube. measured SFR from studies using Lyα
in the spectra which deviate significantly are hard lower limits. Also, the presence
from the noise estimates in each spectrum Figure 2 shows the Lyα luminosity func- of dust preferentially extinguishes the
and each region within that spectrum. tion derived from this study compared to UV continuum emission, therefore even
the luminosity function measured from multi-colour searches are prone to bi-
This process enabled us to detect narrow-band studies and multi-colour se- ases which work to reduce the estimated
17 emission-line objects over the volume lection. One can see that our luminosity SFR. Therefore, we also show the esti-
probed with the IFU. These are predom- function, which probes the redshift range mated star-formation rate corrected for
inantly single line objects, and for 14 all of 2.3 < z < 4.6 extends the work of the nar- obscuration. With this correction in place
the characteristics point to them being row-band searches to fainter luminosities it is apparent that our IFU search is in
hydrogen Lyα emission-line galaxies (two where the luminosity function keeps line with previous studies conducted in a
others are [O II] emitters and the third is the same Schechter function form over number of different ways. However, the
the type-II quasar discussed later in this redshifts up to z ~ 6. This implies that benefit of using the integral-field approach
article), we will now concentrate on these there is little evolution in the star-formation is that we select sources at all redshifts
Lyα emitters. Lyα emission is produced rate density over this redshift range, al- in our volume in precisely the same way,
by massive stars photoionsing hydrogen though small number statistics preclude thus reducing the biases involved in
gas. By using some simple assumptions strong statements regarding any evolution. comparing studies at different redshifts
it is possible to estimate the star-forma- from different surveys, which may utilise
tion rate in galaxies which exhibit Lyα As stated above, knowledge of the lu- different techniques.
emission by measuring the luminosity of minosity of the Lyα emission line in these
the emission line. Although undoubtedly galaxies gives information on the total Further it is also worth mentioning that the
crude, this does at least produce a lower star-formation rate. Using typical assump- choice of field, i.e. one containing a
limit for the star-formation activity in dis- tions of hydrogen recombination the star- powerful radio galaxy at z = 2.92, does
tant galaxies. If we now bin all of the Lyα formation rate is given by, not bias the results in any way. Our data
luminosities in the volume then we are contains only one Lyα emitter at the
able to construct the Lyα emitter luminos- SFR = 9.1 × 10 –36 (L (Lyα) / W) MAyear –1. redshift of the radio galaxy. This is princi-
ity function, i.e. the number density of pally due to the small area probed by
emitters at a given luminosity per unit vol- the IFU. However we can quantify how

Reports from Observers Javis M. J. et al., Surveying the High-Redshift Universe with the VIMOS IFU
many we would expect in our data at this to the nucleus is through the opening quasars. Using these line luminosities it is
redshift, given the typical overdensities in the torus, and we see the unresolved possible to estimate the lower mass limit
of emitters found in narrow-band search- nucleus and the high-velocity clouds of the accreting black hole in the centre of
es around powerful radio galaxies. In their (v > 2 000 km/s) of gas which surround it. this galaxy. We assume the typical line
study of Lyα emitters around the powerful Whereas for radio galaxies, the torus lies ratios of radio galaxies to convert the He II
radio galaxy TN J1338-1942 at z = 4.1, along our line of sight obscuring our view luminosity to a line luminosity in [O II],
Venemans et al. (2002) showed that the to the central engine, these are type-II which is correlated with the total bolomet-
overdensity of emitters was a factor AGN and we only see the low-velocity, ric luminosity of the AGN. Under the as-
of ~ 15 more than one would expect in a narrow forbidden (v < 2 000 km/s) emis- sumption that the quasar is accreting at
blank-field search. Using this fact we sion lines. Moreover, there is also a pop- its maximum rate, i.e. the Eddington lim-
would expect to find of order one object ulation of radio-quiet quasars which out- it, then this bolometric luminosity equates
within ∆ z = 0.004 of the radio galaxy. number their radio-loud counterparts by a to a black-hole mass of 3 × 108 MA.
In the IFU data cube we find one object at factor of ~ 10. These are relatively easy
a distance of ∆ z = 0.002. Thus although to find due to the fact they exhibit a char- In the local Universe there is now a well-
in agreement with the expected overden- acteristically very blue continuum and known correlation between the mass
sity for a protocluster, the poor number appear as unresolved point sources in im- of black holes and the luminosity of their
statistics arising from the relatively small aging surveys. By simple methodology host galaxy (see e.g. Magorrian et al.
field-of-view of the IFU, precludes any there should also be a large population of 1998). The near-infrared K-band (2.2 µm)
strong statement about the clustering of radio-quiet obscured AGN. This can magnitude of J0945-242 is very faint,
Lyα emitters around the radio source. also be inferred from models of the X-ray with K = 20.5. Radio galaxies at z = 1.65
However, we do find what seems to be background, where the universal hard typically have host galaxy luminosities
an excess of Lyα emitters at z ~ 2.5, X-ray emission cannot be accounted for of K ~ 18. Thus the host galaxy of J0945-
where there are three emitters within unless there is a large population of ob- 242 appears to be 2.5 mag (or a factor
∆ z = 0.04 of each other. This leads us to scured AGN at high redshift. of 10) fainter than that for a typical radio-
believe there may be a probable high- loud type-II AGN. If this faintness of the
redshift cluster at this redshift, although These type-II AGNs are relatively difficult host galaxy is caused by extinction from
there is no known powerful AGN in the to find compared to the type-I counter- dust then we would expect the blue
vicinity. However, deep, wider-field obser- parts. This is principally due to the fact end of the galaxy spectrum to be fainter,
vations are needed to confirm this. that type-II AGN look like normal galaxies, as dust attenuates the blue light more
and it is only by looking for other signa- readily than at red wavelengths. However,
tures of AGN activity, which do not suffer the host galaxy of J0945-242 is extremely
Discovery of a type-II quasar from extinction due to the torus, they can blue, indicative of ongoing star formation.
in the IFU deep field be found, e.g. X-rays from the central Therefore, the faintness in the K-band
engine which penetrate the torus, radio light indicates that the host galaxy has a
In this section we discuss the way in emission from powerful jets or repro- dearth of old, massive stars, which in
which our integral-field data has also led cessed dust emission in the mid-infrared turn implies that the galaxy is not yet fully
to the discovery of two Active Galactic from the torus itself. However, with the formed at z = 1.65. Whereas the black
Nuclei (AGN) in the volume probed, in ad- integral-field approach we are sensitive to hole has already grown, presumably by
dition to the radio galaxy which was tar- the bright narrow-emission lines that are accretion of matter, close to its final
geted. One of these is a “normal” unob- characteristic of an obscured AGN, as we mass due to the fact that the low-redshift
scured type-I quasar with broad emission obtain the spectrum of any object in the black-hole mass function shows that
lines and an unresolved morphology IFU field immediately. supermassive black holes appear to have
on optical images at a redshift of z = 1.79. a maximum mass of around 1010 MA.
However, the other AGN exhibits only nar- J094531-242831 (hereafter J0945-242)
row-emission lines (Figure 4) and has a exhibits these bright narrow-emission This relatively large black-hole mass as-
resolved morphology in the optical image. lines, in the C IV doublet (λλ = 154.8 nm, sociated with a host galaxy approximately
155.1 nm), He II (λ = 164.0 nm) and C III] a factor of 10 fainter than what would
From radio surveys we know that there (λ = 190.9 nm), all characteristic of a type-II be expected from the local relation implies
are at least two populations of power- AGN. The radio map shows that there that supermassive black holes at high
ful radio-loud AGN, radio-loud quasars is no radio emission down to a radio flux redshift may essentially be fully grown be-
(RLQs) and radio galaxies (RGs). Under limit of 0.15 mJy at 5 GHz. At a redshift fore the host galaxy has fully formed.
the model for the unification of AGN, of z = 1.65 this is significantly below the This is in qualitative agreement with what
this difference is dictated solely by the ori- typical luminosity of a radio galaxy, thus we already see in high-redshift radio gal-
entation of the AGN with respect to we confirm that this is a genuine radio- axies, where the small, young, radio
our line-of-sight, where the presence of a quiet type-II quasar. The line luminosity ra- sources appear to have extremely bright
dusty torus surrounding an accreting tios of the C IV, He II and C III] lines are also sub-millimetre luminosities. This extreme-
supermassive black hole may obscure our consistent with the ratios for radio galax- ly luminous sub-millimetre emission is due
view to the nucleus. RLQs are the unob- ies, and not the generally lower-luminosity to reprocessed UV light from young
scured type-I population where our view Seyfert-I galaxies and the unobscured stars which has been absorbed by the

Figure 2: The number density of Lyα emitters plotted Cowie and Hu 1998
against luminosity. The filled symbols mark surveys Kudritzki et al. 2000
with an average redshift similar to ours (triangles and Ajiki et al. 2003
circles) and the open symbols stand for surveys at Hu et al. 2004
redshift z = 5.7 (squares and inverted triangles). Over- This project
plotted are two Schechter luminosity functions:
the solid line is the fit to all our data points and the
dashed line is the fit to our two highest luminosity
data points and those of the surveys at similar redshift
with L > 5 × 1035 W (dashed horizontal line) to en-
sure completeness. The dotted horizontal lines mark
the detection limits of the surveys.
10 –1 1.0000
CH98 Aj03
Ku00 Hu04
L
K O
10 –2 0.1000
ρSFR (h0.7MAyr –1Mpc –3 )

H M
N Q
I
Φ(∆logL–1Mpc –3 )
W X
C J
P
B F
G
A V
10 –3 0.0100 D E
T
Y
R S CC
BB
Z
0.0010
10 –4 AA DD
U
0.0001
10 –5 0 2 4 6 8
34.5 35.0 35.5 36.0 36.5
Redshift
LogL Lyα(W)
3.0 Figure 3 (above): Star-formation-rate densities as Hα emitters

derived by various types of surveys. The result from O-lines
this work is denoted by the filled star derived from Multi-colour
J0945–2428 integrating over the luminosity function fit to our data Lyα emitters
2.5 z = 1.65 alone. The different types of surveys are marked with This paper
C IV He II different symbols: the open circles are Hα searches,
the open triangles are surveys aimed at oxygen
Flux density (10 –20 W m–2 Å–1)
2.0 emission lines, the filled triangles are multicolour sur-

veys, and the open squares are Lyα searches.
1.5 C III]
1.0
0.5
0.0
Figure 4 (left): The 1-D spectrum of the type-II quasar,
J0945-2428 at z = 1.65. The spectrum was extracted
–0.5 over the whole galaxy (seven IFU fibres). The shad-
4000 4500 5000 5500 6000 6500 ed regions show the wavelengths affected by sky-line
Wavelength (Å) emission.
large amounts of dust associated with currently the only instrument which has Full details of the work presented in this
star-forming regions, and re-radiated the capability of large spectral coverage article can be found in van Breukelen,
in the far-infrared. In order to produce coupled with a ~ 1 square arcminute Jarvis & Venemans (2005) and Jarvis, van
these sub-millimetre luminosities, star-for- field-of-view. However, future instruments, Breukelen & Wilman (2005).
mation rates of up to 1000 MAyr –1 are such as the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic
needed, typical of a galaxy undergoing its Explorer (MUSE; http://muse.univ-lyon1.fr),
first major bout of star-formation activity. will expand the initial work taking place in References
this field with VIMOS. Furthermore, vol- Ajiki M. et al. 2003, AJ 126, 2091
umetric surveys with IFUs may begin to Hu E. M., Cowie L. L., McMahon R. G., Capak P.,
Conclusions find types of objects we have yet to dis- Iwamuro F., Kneib, J.-P., Maihara T., Motohara K.
cover in traditional surveys, and thus offer 2002, ApJ 568, 75
Jarvis M. J., van Breukelen C., Wilman R. J. 2005,
The new method of detecting emission- a whole new view of the Universe. MNRAS 358, 11
line galaxies at high redshift along with the Magorrian J. et al. 1998, AJ 115, 2285
serendipitous discovery of an obscured Steidel C. C., Adelberger K. L., Shapley A. E., Pettini
quasar at z = 1.65, highlights the way M., Dickinson M., Giavalisco M. 2000, ApJ 532,
170
in which relatively wide-area integral-field van Breukelen C., Jarvis M. J., Venemans B. P. 2005,
units on large telescopes can open up a MNRAS 359, 895
unique window on the Universe. VIMOS is Venemans B. P. et al. 2002, ApJ 569, 11

The zCOSMOS Redshift Survey
Simon Lilly (ETH, Zürich, Switzerland) that have been developed, using almost are the product of the gravitational growth
and the zCOSMOS team* all of the most powerful observing facil- of initially tiny density fluctuations in the
ities in the world. This next step is called distribution of dark matter in the Universe
COSMOS and the ESO VLT will make a – fluctuations which likely arise from quan-
The last ten years have seen the open- major enabling contribution to this pro- tum processes in the earliest moments
ing up of dramatic new vistas of the fur- gramme through the zCOSMOS survey of the Big Bang, τ ~10 –35 s. These densi-
thest reaches of space and time – an being carried out with the VIMOS spec- ty fluctuations eventually collapse to make
exploration in which the VLT has played trograph. gravitationally-bound dark matter struc-
a major role. However, the work so far tures within which the baryonic material
has been exploratory, and sampled only cools, concentrating at the bottom of the
small and possibly unrepresentative vol- It is well known that the finite speed gravitational potential wells where it forms
umes of the distant Universe. The next of light enables us to observe very distant the visible components of galaxies.
step is to bring to bear on a single large objects as they were when the Universe
area of sky the full range of techniques as a whole was much younger, and there- In many respects, the Λ-CDM paradigm
by to directly observe the evolving prop- is strikingly successful, especially in de-
erties of the galaxy population over cos- scribing large-scale structure. On galactic
* Peter Capak 2, Marcella Carollo1, Andrea Cimatti 3,
mic epoch. The most distant objects scales, current implementations of it face
Thierry Contini 4, Emanuele Daddi 5, Luigi Guzzo 6, presently known lie at redshifts between some difficulties: for example, real galax-
Gunther Hasinger 7, Jean-Paul Kneib 8, Olivier six and seven (6 < z < 7) corresponding ies appear to have more angular momen-
Le Fevre 8, Steve Maddox 9 , Henry McCracken 10, to a “look-back” time of about 95 % of the tum than predicted in numerical Λ-CDM
Alvio Renzini 11, Marco Scodeggio 12, Gianni
Zamorani 13, Stephane Arnouts 8, Sandro Bardelli 13,
age of the Universe. Indeed, at the time simulations and the down-sizing trend
Micol Bolzonella 13, Dario Bottini 12, Angela that these objects emitted the light that we is in a sense opposite to that expected.
Bongiorno13, Alberto Cappi 13, Olga Cucciati 12, now detect, the Universe was less than There is also no clear understanding
Sebastien Foucaud 9, Olivier Ilbert 13, Angela Iovino12, one billion years old. of the links between galaxies and their
Pawel Kampczyk1, Fabrice Lamareille 4, Roser Pello 4,
Vincent Le Brun 8, Alexi Leauthaud 8, Christian
nuclear supermassive black holes. These
Maier 1, Vincenzo Mainieri 7, Christian Marinoni 12, These observations have revealed a rich various shortcomings almost certain-
Marco Mignoli 13, Elena Ricciarelli 13, Claudia phenomenology in the early Universe. ly reflect our poor understanding of how
Scarlata 1, John Silverman 7, Lidia Tasca 8, Laurence As we look back in time, we see that the dark matter and baryons interact, of
Tresse 8, Daniela Vergani 12, Elena Zucca 13, Herve
Aussel 10, Marcella Brusa 7, Alberto Franceschini 14,
global star-formation rate was about the feed-back loops operating within the
Paolo Franzetti 12, Bianca Garilli 12, Gianni Marconi 11, a factor of ten or more higher in the first baryonic material due to energy injection
Baptiste Meneux 8, Bahram Mobasher 15, John third of the history of the Universe (at from star formation and active galac-
Peacock16, David Sanders 17, Roberto Scaramella 18, z > 1) than it is now. It is clear that the tic nuclei and of the relative importance
Eva Schinnerer 19, David Schiminovich 20, Nicholas
Scoville 2, David Silva 11, Ian Smail 21, Dario
most violent star-bursting objects are en- in galaxies of internal dynamical evolu-
Maccagni 12, Yoshi Taniguchi 22, Paolo Vettolani 13, shrouded in dust and will make production and externally driven events such as
and Alessandra Zanichelli 13. tive targets of study in the future with mergers, in redistributing material within
1
ALMA. Alongside these very active galax- them. Many of these current uncertainties
ETH Zürich, Switzerland
2
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
ies, there are also examples of more are likely related to the environments
3
INAF – Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Flo- passive galaxies which must have com- that a forming and evolving galaxy finds
rence, Italy pleted their star formation quite early itself in. Except for the very richest en-
4
Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de l’Observatorie on. Consistent with our knowledge of the vironments (i.e. the rich clusters of galax-
Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse
5
National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tuc-
stellar content of galaxies today, we see ies), knowledge of the environments of
son, USA in the high redshift Universe that high lev- distant galaxies is rather poor. One of the
6
Osservatorio di Brera, Milan, Italy els of star formation, and other signatures aims of zCOSMOS is to characterise
7
Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, of youthfulness, appear in progressive- these environments over a wide range of
Garching, Germany
8
Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, France
ly more massive galaxies as we look back redshifts and thus to lead to a much bet-
9
Nottingham University, United Kingdom further in time, a phenomenon given the ter physical understanding of the forces
10
Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, France rather confusing name of “down-sizing”. controlling the formation and evolution of
11
ESO galaxies through cosmic time.
12
CNR Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e
Fisica Cosmica Milano, Italy
In parallel, developments in cosmology
13
INAF – Osservatorio di Bologna, Italy and in particular the emergence of the Much of the progress in this field has
14
Università di Padova, Italy “concordance cosmology” (from observa- been driven by “Legacy” style pro-
15
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, tions of the microwave background, large- grammes, such as the Hubble Deep Fields
Maryland
16
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
scale structure in the present-day Uni- (HDF), and the GOODS project, in which
17
University of Hawaii, Honololu, USA verse and the Hubble diagram of distant the data have been archived and released
18
INAF Roma, Italy Type 1a supernovae) have given us for to the research community in a scienti-
19
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Heidelberg, the first time a theoretical paradigm for fically usable form. This allows a much
Germany
20
Columbia University, New York, USA
the formation of galaxies and other, larger larger community of astronomers, extend-
21
Durham University, United Kingdom scale, structures in the Universe – the ing well beyond the original team who
22
Tohoku University, Tokyo, Japan Λ-CDM model: Structures in the Universe acquire and first analyse the data, to use

the data to carry out their own research
programmes. COSMOS and zCOSMOS 24.0 23.5 23.0 22.5 22.0 21.5 21.0 20.5 20.0
are both undertaken in this spirit, and
the purpose of this Messenger article is to
bring to the attention of potential users
across the ESO community the features
of the zCOSMOS programme, which has
just started on the VLT in P75. GOODS
The global COSMOS project
The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS)

was designed to bring to bear on a single
very large field all of the tools and ob-
servational techniques that have been de-
veloped for the study of the distant Uni-
verse. The COSMOS field (centred on HDFs
10 h 00 m 29s + 02° 12; 21?) was chosen to
be near the Celestial Equator so that it
can be accessed from observatories in
both hemispheres, e.g. the ESO VLT and
ALMA as well as the large optical/infrared
telescopes in Hawaii and Chile and the
VLA radio telescope in New Mexico, USA.
The COSMOS project is built around a

mosaic of 600 images taken with the Ad- 1.0 f 814–f 475 2.4
vanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) on
the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). The Figure 1: The 1.7 deg2 COSMOS field compared with
mosaic covers a contiguous area of large-scale structure in a ∆ z = 0.02 slice of the Uni-
verse at z ~ 1 (courtesy Andrew Benson). Dots repre-
1.7 deg2 and represents the largest single sent galaxies, colour-coded according to their ob-
programme undertaken with the HST to served colour (lower scale) and by size according to
date. The field spans a transverse dimen- apparent magnitude (upper scale). The distribution
sion of 80 comoving Mpc at z ~ 1 and of galaxies in the cosmic web of filaments and voids is
clearly seen. By comparison the much smaller fields
160 comoving Mpc at z ~ 3 and covers a of view of the HDFs and the GOODS surveys (on the
volume to z ~ 3 (about 50 million Mpc 3 ) right) do not well sample the range of structures
that is approaching that of the entire local and environments that are present in the Universe at
Sloan Digital Sky Survey at redshifts any epoch.
z < 0.1. The HST observations were com-
pleted in June 2005. Despite being only ages from the CFHT and NOAO 4-m and near-infrared (150 nm – 8 µm) wave-
single-orbit exposures, the broad F814W telescopes. The combined photometric bands.
filter reaches to within 0.3 magnitudes catalogue contains well over 1 million
of the well-known GOODS images even galaxies with photometrically estimated Deep imaging observations at other
though the survey covers an area twenty redshifts and approximate spectral types. wavelengths, e.g. the X-ray and radio, re-
times larger than the combined GOODS-N The field has also been observed with the veal the signatures of accretion onto
and GOODS-S fields (see Figure 1). GALEX ultraviolet satellite to a depth black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN)
of AB ~ 26 at 150 and 225 nm. Observing and of energetic bursts of star formation
Impressive as the HST images are, the time on the Spitzer observatory has been that are obscured by dust. A mosaic of
real power of COSMOS stems from awarded to extend this photometric cov- deep X-ray images obtained with the ESA
the addition of a wealth of other observa- erage into the mid-infrared 3–8 µm which XMM-Newton satellite have already yield-
tions that are being amassed on this will substantially improve the photometric ed more than 1000 active galactic nuclei
field by the truly global COSMOS consor- redshifts and the estimates of the stel- and about 100 X-ray selected groups
tium. Most notably, the SuprimeCam on lar masses of the galaxies. Ultimately, we and clusters of galaxies, while deep VLA
the Subaru 8-m has been used to ob- hope to have photometry and images images at 1.4 GHz reaching to about
tain very deep BGVRIZ images of the from a suite of almost 30 intermediate- 50 µJy (5σ) will detect 4 000 radio sources.
whole field with a limiting magnitude (5σ) and broad-band filters spanning the full Future observations planned at far-infra-
of about AB ~ 26–27. These have been range of starlight in the ultraviolet, optical red and sub-millimetre wavelengths will
supplemented by U-band and K-band im- complete the observational picture.

Reports from Observers Lilly S. et al., The zCOSMOS Redshift Survey
What distinguishes COSMOS from pre- Table1: Numbers of representative objects in the COSMOS survey.
vious programmes such as the Hubble
Deep Fields, GOODS and COMBO- COSMOS Inventory
Category Selection Number
17/GEMS, is its enormous area. This
Faint galaxies IAB < 27 1 million
gives us:
X-ray selected AGN IAB < 27 3 400
– unprecedentedly large samples of
X-ray selected clusters S X > 5 × 10 –16 c.g.s. 100
objects in the distant Universe, thereby
Radio sources S 1.4 > 50 µJy 4 000
ensuring statistical weight even for rare
Bright quasars B < 21 100
classes of objects (see Table 1);
High z quarsars ( z > 4) IAB < 25 50
– confidence that we are sampling truly
ULIRGS … 3 000
representative volumes of the Universe
Lyman break galaxies IAB < 25.5 10 000
at high redshift (mitigating the so-
Passive galaxies ( z ~ 3) KAB < 24 10 000
called cosmic variance problem asso-
zCOSMOS 0.3 < z < 1.2 IAB < 22.5 25 000
ciated with smaller surveys that effec-
galaxies with redshift
tively probe a one-dimensional beam
zCOSMOS 1.3 < z < 2.5 BAB < 25 12 500
through the Universe); galaxies with redshift
– the ability to place all objects in their
environment, from small scale groups
of galaxies up to the largest structures
in the Universe.
Such a unique data set of course opens tra themselves yield important diagnostics requirements efficiently, the zCOSMOS
other equally unique possibilities. For in- of the evolutionary state of individual programme is split into two components,
stance, the HST images will allow the galaxies, including measures of the star- each requiring different VIMOS configura-
distribution of dark matter to be mapped formation rate, dust extinction, the gas tions and exposure times.
down to structures of order 3 × 1013 MA, and stellar metallicities, and stellar popu-
which may be compared with the distribu- lation parameters such as ages. The The “bright” sample of 25 000 COSMOS
tion of luminous galaxies. In addition, the spectra can confirm the identifications of galaxies is selected to have IAB < 22.5.
large number of quasars bright enough radio and X-ray sources through the The straight I-band selection yields
for absorption line spectroscopy (Table 1) characteristic signatures of AGN or star- a sample of galaxies at 0.2 < z < 1.2,
will enable us to map the distribution burst activity. Precise spectroscopic red- reaching 1.5 mag below L* at z ~ 0.7
of neutral gas in the intergalactic medium shifts can of course also be used to where it corresponds to selection in the
and again, compare that with the large- improve and characterise the photometric rest-frame V-band. With a sampling
scale structure defined by the galaxies. redshift schemes which can then be ap- rate of at least 70 % and a velocity accu-
plied to every galaxy in the field. racy of at least 100 kms –1, enabling the
isolation of groups down to 3 × 1012.5 MA,
The zCOSMOS redshift survey The VIMOS instrument on the VLT pro- the “bright” sample is designed to be
vides ESO with a unique capability directly comparable to the very large zero-
The COSMOS data sets mentioned above for undertaking such a survey and in P75 redshift samples (SDSS and 2dfGRS)
consist of exquisite two-dimensional a Large Programme was awarded but at a look-back time of half the age of
images of the sky at almost every imagi- 540 hours of observation time to carry out the Universe. The input target list is gene-
nable wavelength. The crucial third the zCOSMOS redshift survey. This rated from the HST/ACS images. The
dimension is added by knowledge of the programme is complementary to the other observations are made with the VIMOS
redshifts of the sources. Some informa- large VIMOS programme, the VVDS MR grism in 1 hr exposures between
tion on the redshifts may be derived from Survey carried out by the VIMOS Instru- 550 < λ < 960 nm at resolution R ~ 600.
the broad-band colours of the objects, ment Team. About 160 galaxies can be observed
so-called “photometric redshifts”, but the simultaneously. Successive VIMOS point-
more secure and precise “spectroscopic The design of the zCOSMOS programme ings are stepped in Right Ascension
redshifts” are required for many purposes: has been driven primarily by the desire to and Declination so that every galaxy in the
The increased precision relative to the quantify the environments of galaxies and target sample has eight opportunities to
best attainable photometric redshifts ena- AGN over a broad range of epochs. This be selected into a spectroscopic mask,
bles the delineation of the cosmic web requires: A high sampling completeness ensuring a uniform statistical sampling a-
of large-scale structure in the Universe, (~ 70 % of objects observed from a given cross the field without significant biases
from small groups of galaxies up to the target sample); uniform sampling cover- against near neighbours, etc.
largest filaments and voids. The measure- age across the whole field; a broadly con-
ment of individual velocities of galaxies tiguous redshift coverage from very The extension to higher redshifts requires
enables dynamical studies of these struc- low redshifts to redshifts z > 2.5 spanning a different strategy. We know from the
tures, yielding masses, dynamical states 80 % of cosmic time; relatively high veloc- VVDS survey that simply selecting fainter
and cosmological information. The spec- ity accuracy (100 kms –1). To achieve these galaxies results in a sample that is still

dominated by relatively low redshift galax- and the LR-Blue grism (370 < λ < 670 nm zCOSMOS schedule and
ies, with only a small “tail” at higher red- at R ~ 200) should yield redshifts in data release plans
shifts 1.5 < z < 4 emerging faintwards of 4.5 hr exposures for 12 500 such galax-
AB ~ 23.5. In order to isolate this tail, the ies, with a similar sampling rate as for Execution of a programme of the size of
zCOSMOS “faint” sample of 12 500 gal- the bright sample, and a velocity accuracy zCOSMOS on a single field places unique
axies is selected using a combination of 300 kms –1. demands on ESO in the scheduling of the
of proven colour-colour selection criteria, VLT: to be completed in a timely manner,
specifically the (B-Z)/(Z-K) selection In both parts of the survey, radio source the UT3 must be used for this programme
proven by the VLT K20 survey and a de- and X-ray source candidate identifications for essentially all the time that the field is
velopment of the (U-G)/(G-R) selection are added to the masks either as random observable. Periodic data releases will be
used by Charles Steidel and collaborators targets (which will be observed with made with a final comprehensive data set
to isolate star-forming galaxies. These a roughly 70 % sampling rate) or, for high placed in the ESO Archive shortly follow-
two selection criteria yield a sample of priority and urgently needed sources, as ing completion of the programme, thereby
galaxies at 1.2 < z < 2.4 and BAB < 25.0. compulsory targets which are observed providing the general research community
In order to keep the total programme size with close to 100 % efficiency early in the with a detailed census and sample of the
manageable, the higher redshift part of programme. distant Universe.
zCOSMOS is limited to the central 1 deg2
area, which nevertheless still yields a URL references
comparable comoving transverse dimen-
sion to that of the lower redshift com- http://www.astro.caltech.edu /~cosmos
ponent. A four-pass strategy with VIMOS http://www.exp-astro.phys.ethz.ch/zCOSMOS
Figure 2: Simulation of the final zCOSMOS redshift

survey showing the spatial distribution (in comoving
space) of objects in the survey over the redshift in-
terval 0 < z < 2.4, in which every dot represents a
zCOSMOS galaxy with spectroscopically determined
redshift. The red bars mark increments of 0.1 in red-
shift z. The figure has been generated from the
COSMOS mock catalogues produced from the Mil-
lennium Run cosmological simulation (courtesy
of Manfred Kitzbichler).

Observing with the New High-Speed Camera

ULTRACAM on Melipal
British astronomers1 have opened a new

window on the Universe with the re-
cent commissioning of the Visitor Instru-
ment ULTRACAM on the VLT).
ULTRACAM is an ultrafast camera ca-

pable of capturing some of the most rapid
astronomical events. It can take up to
500 pictures a second in three differ-
ent colours simultaneously. It has been
designed and built by scientists from
the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick
(United Kingdom), in collaboration with
the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in
Edinburgh.
ULTRACAM employs the latest in charged

coupled device (CCD) detector technolo-
gy in order to take, store and analyse data
at the required sensitivities and speeds.
CCD detectors can be found in digital
cameras and camcorders, but the devices
used in ULTRACAM are special because
they are larger, faster and most important-
ly, much more sensitive to light than the Figure 1: The ULTRA-
CAM instrument mount-
detectors used in today’s consumer elec- ed on the visitor focus of
tronics products. Melipal (UT3).
In May 2002, the instrument saw “first

light” on the 4.2-m William Herschel Tele- (UK) and the ULTRACAM project scien- One of the faint objects studied with
scope (WHT) on La Palma. Since then tist. “Using ULTRACAM in conjunction ULTRACAM on the VLT is GU Muscae.
the instrument has been awarded a total with the current generation of large tele- This object consists of a black hole in
of 75 nights of time on the WHT to study scopes makes it now possible to study a 10-hour orbit with a normal, solar-like
any object in the Universe which eclipses, high-speed celestial phenomena such as star. The black hole is surrounded by a
transits, occults, flickers, flares, pulsates, eclipses, oscillations and occultations in disc of material transferred from the nor-
oscillates, outbursts or explodes. These stars which are millions of times too faint mal star. As this material falls onto the
observations have produced a bonanza of to see with the unaided eye.” black hole, energy is released, producing
new and exciting results, leading to eleven large-amplitude flares visible in the light
scientific publications already published or The instrument saw first light on the VLT curve. This object has magnitude 21.4,
in press. on May 4, 2005, and was then used for that is, it is one million times fainter than
17 consecutive nights on the telescope to what can be seen with the unaided eye.
To study the very faintest stars at the very study extrasolar planets, black-hole bi- Yet, to study it in detail and detect the
highest speeds, however, it is necessary nary systems, pulsars, white dwarfs, as- shortest possible pulses, it is necessary
to use the largest telescopes. Thus, work teroseismology, cataclysmic variables, to use exposure times as short as 5 sec-
began two years ago preparing ULTRA- brown dwarfs, gamma-ray bursts, active onds. This is possible with the large aper-
CAM for use on the VLT. galactic nuclei and Kuiper-belt objects. ture and great efficiency of the VLT.
“Astronomers using the VLT now have an These unique observations have revealed
instrument specifically designed for the a series of sharp spikes, separated by
study of high-speed phenomena”, said approximately seven minutes. Such a sta-
Vik Dhillon, from the University of Sheffield ble signal must be tied to a relatively
stable structure in the disc of matter sur-
1
The ULTRACAM team is composed of Vik Dhillon,
rounding the black hole. The astrono-
Stuart Littlefair, and Paul Kerry (Sheffield, UK), Tom mers are now in the process of analysing
Marsh (Warwick, UK), Andy Vick and Dave Atkinson these results in great details in order
(UKATC, Edinburgh, UK). For the installation on to understand the origin of this structure.
the VLT, they received support from Kieran O’Brien
and Pascal Robert (ESO, Chile). The ULTRACAM
project page can be found at http://www.shef.ac.uk/
~phys/people/vdhillon/ultracam

Another series of observations were dedi- Figure 2: First light with ULTRACAM on
600
the VLT: The field of the transiting extra-
cated to the study of extrasolar planets,
solar planet OGLE-TR-56b. The image
more particularly those that transit in front shows only a portion of one of the three
of their host star. ULTRACAM observations ULTRACAM CCD chips. Thousands
have allowed the astronomers to ob- of such one-second images were ob-
400
tained in order to derive an accurate
tain simultaneous light curves, in several
Y pixels
light curve of the transit at three differ-
colour-bands, of four known transiting ent wavelengths, thereby enabling
exoplanets discovered by the OGLE sur- 200 an accurate determination of the radius
vey, and this with a precision of a tenth of the planet.
of a per cent and with a one-second time
resolution. This is a factor ten better
than previous measurements and will pro-
vide very accurate masses and radii for 200 400
X pixels
600 800 1000
these so-called “hot-Jupiters”. Because

ULTRACAM makes observations in
three different wavebands, such observa-
tions will also allow astronomers to es-
tablish whether the radius of the exoplan-
et is different at different wavelengths.
This could provide crucial information on
the possible exoplanets’ atmosphere.
The camera is the first instrument to make GU Mus, 09 May 2005 Figure 3: Light curves of the black hole
2.5
GU Muscae. This figure shows an early

use of the Visitor Focus on Melipal (UT3),
scientific highlight from the first few
and the first UK-built instrument to be nights of the ULTRACAM observing
mounted at the VLT. The Visitor Focus al- campaign on the VLT: light curves in the
lows innovative technologies and instru- I- (red) and G-band (green) of the
2
quiescent black hole X-ray transient

mentation to be added to the telescope
GU Muscae. This object consists of a
for short periods of time, permitting black hole in a 10-hour orbit with a
Flux
studies to take place that are not available

1.5
normal solar-like star. The black hole is

with the current suite of instruments. surrounded by an accretion disc of
material transferred from the solar-like
star. As this material accretes onto
“These few nights with ULTRACAM on the the black hole, energy is released, and
1
VLT have demonstrated the unique dis- this is evident from the large-amplitude
coveries that can be made by combin- flares visible in the light curves.
What was not expected, however, is
ing an innovative technology with one of
the series of sharp spikes that can be
0.5
the best astronomical facilities in the seen, and which are separated by ap-
10 10.1 10.2
world”, said Tom Marsh of the University MJD – 53490 (day) proximately seven minutes. Such a
of Warwick and member of the team. stable signal must be tied to a relatively
stable structure in the accretion disc.
“We hope that ULTRACAM will now be-
come a regular visitor at the VLT, giving
European astronomers access to a
unique new tool with which to study the
Universe.”
The next run with ULTRACAM on the VLT

is currently scheduled for November
2005, and plans are under way for a third Figure 4: The ULTRACAM commission-
ing team in the VLT control room
run sometime during 2006. Anyone inter-
at first light. From left to right: Pascal
ested in applying for time on the instru- Robert (ESO), Ariel Lopez (ESO), Kieran
ment should contact one of the authors in O’Brien (ESO), Andy Vick (UKATC),
the first instance. (Any such observations David Atkinson (UKATC), Paul Kerry
(Sheffield), Vik Dhillon (Sheffield), Stuart
also require the approval of the OPC.)
Littlefair (Sheffield), Andreas Kaufer
(ESO), Tom Marsh (Warwick).
(Based on ESO Press Release 17/05)

Telescopes and Instrumentation
ALMA News
Tom Wilson (ESO) calorimeter systems and the precision On July 6 and 7, 2005 the FE IPT sucess-
muon spectrometer. Since 1989 he has fully completed its delta Preliminary
held a position as Scientific Associate Design Review (PDR). The review meeting
Antenna procurement at the Laboratory for High Energy Physics was held at ESO Headquarters in
of the Eidgenössische Technische Hoch- Garching, Germany. The review panel,
The antennas are the largest single item schule (ETH) in Zürich. He was intensively chaired by the European ALMA System
in the ALMA budget. Thus the status involved in many scientific and managerial Engineering & Integration IPT Lead,
of antenna procurement is of the highest issues concerning the L* Experiment at Christoph Haupt, consisted of experts
importance for the project. Associated the Superconducting Super Collider, SSC, both internal to the project as well as
Universities Inc/NRAO have been given and the proposed Lepton-Photon-Pre- noted receiver experts from Australia and
ALMA Board approval and permission by cision-Physics (L3P) Experiment for the the USA. Based on documentation made
the US National Science Foundation to Large Hadron Collider, LHC, at CERN. available in preparation of the meeting
procure their antennas. On July 11, they Since the beginning of 1994, he took over and the presentations at the meeting the
signed a contract with VertexRSI for up important scientific, organisational and review panel came to a unanimous de-
to 32 antennas for ALMA. ESO is moving financial responsibilities for the Compact cision that the Front End design was well
ahead with its antenna procurement Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment. He beyond the PDR status. The reviewers
as quickly as possible. The Joint ALMA was engaged in many areas of the con- also provided valuable constructive criti-
Office is leading the rebaselining (a re- struction of the lead tungstate crystal cism that will be taken into account in
assessment of project costs). This is pro- detector and was deeply involved in the finalising the ALMA receiver design. The
ceeding at full speed. There will be dis- organisation of the construction of the success of this design review was very
cussions of both the rebaselining and CMS Magnet. much due to the joint efforts made by the
antenna procurement issues at the next FE IPT sub-system engineers, Hans
meetings of the ESO Council to be held Hans Rykaczewski joined ESO in July Rudolf (ESO) and Kamaljeet Saini (NRAO),
in September. 2005 and is very much looking forward to and the support they received from others
helping in making ALMA a success, in within the FE IPT.
fruitful collaboration with the international
partners in this project. That the ALMA FE IPT makes progress is
also shown in a more tangible manner in
that important assemblies are nearing the
Progress for the ALMA Front Ends completion of their construction. At IRAM
in Grenoble, France, the first pre-produc-
The most important factors that deter- tion unit of the Band 7 Cartridge, covering
mine ALMA sensitivity are the transmission the frequency range from 275 GHz to
of the astronomical signals through the 373 GHz, is currently undergoing exten-
earth’s atmosphere, the effective collect- sive testing to both verify the design and
ing area, and the quality of the first stage this first unit itself. Noise measurements
of the receivers, that is, the Front Ends. on the completed unit, using the first local
The quality of Front Ends depends on oscillator delivered by NRAO, show ex-
their stability and noise temperature. That ceptionally good performance. The results
is, they should not introduce any system- are much better than the requirements
atic errors, and should add the smallest (see graph).
possible amount of noise. The ALMA
Front Ends show noise temperatures that The first Band 9 pre-production cartridge,
New European Project Manager are 3 to 5 times the limit determined covering the frequency range from
by quantum mechanics. In recent months 610 GHz to 720 GHz, has also been
Hans Rykaczewski is the new European the ALMA Front End Integrated Project copleted (see picture) and is undergoing
ALMA Project Manager and Head of the Team (IPT) has shown several important extensive testing at NOVA /SRON in
ESO ALMA Division. He studied physics signs of concrete progress towards Groningen, The Netherlands. Following
in Aachen. He completed a doctoral the- the construction of receivers for the ALMA the Front Ends, one must have Intermedi-
sis on searches for new quark flavours project. ate Frequency amplifiers to increase the
at the Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron power to the desired value. These IF am-
DESY in Hamburg. In 1984, he moved plifiers must also have low noise and high
to M.I.T. and was delegated to CERN for stability. The present tests are being done
working on the design and construction with IF amplifiers having a bandwidth of
of the L3 detector which was installed 4 to 8 GHz. The final IF amplifiers will cov-
and taking data at CERN’s Large Electron er the required band from 4 to 12 GHz.
Positron Collider, LEP. There he was re- These were recently delivered by Yebes
sponsible for the timely fabrication of sev- Observatory in Spain and will be mounted
eral subdetector elements, like magnet, in the Band 9 cartridge shortly.

ALMA receiver cartridges.
Cartridge 1 Trec Measurements
Trec (K)
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
In summary it can be stated that the re- 60

ceiver noise temperatures achieved on
40
the Band 7 and 9 cartridges are likely the
best in the world over these wide fre- 20
quency bands in the sub-millimetre range.
0
Until recently the standard practice was 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370
to use mechanical tuners in the receivers Frequency (GHz)
to obtain the optimum noise perform- USB 454/HDL 10
ance. The quality of the ALMA Band 7 LSB 454/HDL 10
USB 454/Cartrige 1
and 9 receivers become even more re- LSB 454/Cartrige 1
markable when one takes into account ALMA Limit
LSB – 454-less LO Power
that both Band 7 and 9 receivers use no USB – Less LO Power
mechanical tuning. The combination of
modern, state-of-the-art design techno-
logy, well-equipped laboratories and last,
but definitely not least, very skilled
and dedicated staff at both IRAM and
NOVA /SRON have been crucial for
this success. (Contributed by Gie Han Tan,
see also Tan et al. 2004, The Messenger
118, 18.)
Construction progress
The excavations for the Operations Sup-

port Facility (OSF) buildings are now pro-
gressing very well. The two levels of the
future building are now clearly discernible.
In addition, construction of the road be-
tween the OSF and the Array Operations
Site at 5 000 m has moved up to the
higher and more difficult part of the road
at an altitude of 4 000 m. (Photo credits:
Jörg Eschwey, see also his article next
page.)

ALMA Site Development
Jörg Eschwey (ESO) under a blanket of the most magnificent state-of-the-art treatment facilities. Each
starry display only the Atacama can offer. day the cleaning staff removes the dust
In the middle of this splendid scenery, of the ever-encroaching desert from inside
In the remote Atacama Desert, some the development of the site for the ALMA and outside the habitat of the staff.
30 km South of the budding tourist hub of project has been carried out since its Visitors are impressed by the community
San Pedro de Atacama, the next giant beginnings in respectful concordance with spirit as passers by greet them with
leap for the world’s astronomical commu- the Chilean environmental law and with warmth and friendliness. When all come
nity is under way. Nestled at approxi- the firm priority of maintaining friendly re- together in the dining room at meal times,
mately 2 900 metres above sea level amid lations with the local communities of there is the true sense of everyone work-
the rolling foothills of the Andean Plateau San Pedro and Toconao, our neighbours. ing as an enthusiastic team.
the facility for the OSF (Operation Support
Facility) base camp is complete, and we This true commitment to environmental To find an international group of Euro-
are overseeing the initial earthwork for the and cultural preservation is clear as one pean, North American, Japanese and
Technical Area Buildings. explores the access road branching Chilean professionals and workers collab-
from the Chilean Highway 23 that climbs orating on the project, is truly inspiring.
Overlooking the vast expanse of the Salar toward the camp. The road meanders
de Atacama salt flats, the ALMA offices, its way past fields of cacti, some over Although much of the ALMA Camp con-
dormitories and dining hall are an ap- 300 years old and reaching over 5 metres struction is finished, 15 new dormitories
propriate reflection of the efficiency and in height, historical sites of primitive will soon be added. The office building will
resilience of the surrounding desert life. hunter-gatherers, vicuñas, llamas and be fitted with a number of cubicle-style
Fully equipped with all the amenities such other wild life. The surrounding mountains office spaces, a recreational facility will be
as modern communication systems, (reaching as high as 6 000 metres) include constructed, and the dining room will be
high-speed internet and e-mail, satellite active, dormant and extinct volcanoes. extended to welcome and accommodate
TV, ecological waste water treatment, incoming European, North American,
heating and air conditioning systems and Equipped with supplemental oxygen and Japanese and Chilean staff.
excellent catering services, the camp is two-way radio contact staff and visitors
a self-contained kernel of the 21st century negotiate their way along some 28 km of The construction of the permanent Tech-
amid the harsh desert terrain. gravel road below rounded peaks pep- nical Facilities and the completion of the
pered with abandoned sulfur mines to the Contractors Camp at the OSF are cur-
A cheerful and fastidious staff maintain the foot of Cerro Chajnantor. Here we find the rently being tendered. Construction start
more than comfortable dormitories, pre- site of the APEX and the Japan ASTE is scheduled for January 2006 and Sep-
pare three meals daily with surprising vari- radio telescopes and within the location of tember 2005 respectively.
ety, and enjoy an occasional barbecue the ALMA project, a marked field where
at the camp’s very own outdoor barbecue 64 radio telescopes will come together to Construction of the foundation and super-
hut. form the world’s largest radio telescope structure of the Technical Building at
array. the Chajnantor site at an elevation of ap-
Throughout the day, there are the sounds proximately 5 000 metres above sea
of crews hard at work excavating, crush- Back at the OSF, there are no overhead level is scheduled to start in September–
ing and filling and leveling the desert’s soil lines disturbing the views to earth and sky October 2005 and the rough finish of the
to create the foundation base of the as all technical installations are kept un- access road will be completed by the end
OSF Technical buildings. As the sun sets, derground. Waste water and effluents are of this year.
impenetrable silence shrouds the camp treated biologically and with the use of
Photos: H. H. Heyer, ESO (4)
Above: Work at
the Operational Support
Facility (OSF). Right: The APEX tele-
scope at Chajnantor.

Technology Transfer at ESO
Martin Cullum (ESO) was generated by SMEs, and this figure is Although ESO has no official mandate
even larger now. This compares to only or funds to invest in Technology Transfer
45 % in the USA, for example. In general, activities, it is a clear goal in the charter
Technology Transfer has become an larger enterprises have their own research of EIROforum1 of which ESO is a member.
important theme for the European departments and development laborato- Through the very nature of its activities,
Commission as a means of promoting ries, and the research carried out is large- ESO makes a significant contribution to
innovation and competitiveness within ly, although by no means entirely, oriented Technology Transfer within the Member
European industry. It is also an area towards specific products and fields that States. To help quantify this contribution
where organisations like ESO, that are the company exploits commercially. This and to highlight the process at ESO,
engaged in developing highly advanced is often referred to as the “closed” model a survey of ESO Technology was carried
research facilities, can and do make for technological innovation. out in 2004 and the results presented to
significant contributions. This article dis- the ESO Council in December 2004. The
cussed some of the processes involved But even in the USA, SMEs invest three results are accessible from the main ESO
in Technology Transfer and provides to six times more in R&D than their Euro- web page under Projects & Developments
several examples of technological inno- pean counterparts who have traditionally and provide a compendium of technolo-
vations developed by ESO in-house and relied more on “open” collaborations with gies that have been developed or promot-
through its procurement activities. external academic and research organi- ed by ESO over the last 15 years or so.
sations. This can have certain advantages Most of the examples are associated with
in that the accessible areas of research the VLT development period.
Broadly defined, Technology Transfer con- are very broad but experience has shown
cerns the transfer of knowledge and in- that the transfer of innovations from
novations from laboratories and research academia to industry is not a very efficient Processes of transferring technology
institutes to industry, or the use of ideas process. Not infrequently, promising open at ESO
and developments from one field in others collaborations fail due to problems relat-
that were not originally intended. ing to the protection of Intellectual Proper- The transfer of ESO developed or pro-
ty Rights that do not exist with in-house moted technologies to industry can take
At its meeting in Lisbon in 2000, the Euro- developments. several forms.
pean Council set the objective of trans- 1. Novel technologies that have been de-
forming the EU into the “most competitive Apart from targeted research collabora- veloped by ESO or pushed beyond
and dynamic knowledge-based economy tions, there are other processes that can customary limits, or novel combinations
in the world” by 2010. To achieve this lead to Technology Transfer and ones of technologies that have been devel-
very challenging goal, a number of meas- in which scientific research organisations oped by ESO and made available for
ures were planned, including revision of like ESO make significant contributions. industrial exploitation.
the framework for state aid for R&D, stim- Many European organisations, including 2. Technologies that have been devel-
ulating mobility of researchers between ESA, EMBL, CERN, ESRF as well as oped or extended in collaboration with
academia and industry, encouraging Pub- national organisations such as the Max- industry through ESO development
lic-Private Partnerships (PPPs), support Planck-Gesellschaft have adopted Tech- contracts.
for R&D innovations with Small and Medi- nology Transfer as a core activity, and 3. Technologies that have been devel-
um-sized Enterprises (SMEs) as well proactively search for market applications oped or extended by industry through
as optimising the mechanisms for Tech- for their technological developments. In the execution of an ESO procurement
nology Transfer within Europe. some cases this even extends to promot- contract.
ing start-up companies through venture 4. ESO developments that have been
Technology Transfer is also being actively capital funds. used for other similar projects else-
promoted by the European Competitive- where.
ness Council that comprises ministers of 5. ESO patents.
research, education and industry or econ- Why is Technology Transfer important
omy, as an essential element of improving for ESO?
European competitiveness. Examples of Technology Transfer at ESO
More than ever before, the governments
Although Europe has traditionally been of ESO’s Member States are looking not The following paragraphs give a few
rather good at technological innovation, it only at the scientific return but also at the examples of such technologies to illus-
has often lagged behind its main indus- industrial return they get from their con- trate the processes just described.
trial competitors in exploiting innovations tributions to ESO and the indirect benefits
commercially. There are many reasons to their economies and to society as a
for this, but one important aspect is the whole. In these days of strained national
1
relatively large contribution made to the budgets, the pursuit of scientific knowl- EIROforum is a collaboration between seven Euro-
pean intergovernmental scientific research orga-
overall economy in Europe by SMEs. edge alone is not always sufficient to justi- nisations that are responsible for infrastructures and
Even before the recent enlargement of the fy the investment into ever more ambitious laboratories (CERN, EFDA, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF
European Union, 65 % of the EU GDP and expensive projects. and ILL).

Figure 1: Diagram showing the principle of Active Figure 2: Example of a Volume Phase Holographic
Optics. The Wavefront Sensor detects telescope aber- Grating sandwiched between two prisms to allow
rations and misalignments and corrects the shape linear transmission.
of the main mirror and position of the secondary mir-
ror to provide real-time correction.
In-house developed technologies
Active Optics
The ESO New Technology Telescope

(NTT) was the first optical telescope with
actively controlled optics. The main driv-
er behind this development was to break
the classical cost-diameter law for large
telescopes but, even at first light, the NTT
demonstrated image quality almost nev-
er seen previously on ground-based tele-
scopes. Since the NTT, essentially all
large optical telescopes worldwide use
active optical control.
at the time required a complex mecha-
A crucial step towards realising a practi- nical system to ensure that the tension in
cal active optics telescope was the devel- the tape was always constant and uni-
opment of the so-called Shack-Hartmann form. ESO placed a development contract
wavefront sensor at ESO. It combines a with Heidenhain to produce an internally
compact optical device following an idea mounted tape encoder and provided them
originally proposed by Roland Shack at The light passing through a VPHG, in- with a full-sized bearing for tests. The re-
the University of Arizona in 1970 with CCD stead of being diffracted by a surface results of this development were so conclu-
detectors that started to be used for as- lief pattern as in a classical diffraction sive – in terms of both improved accu-
tronomy in the early 1980’s. This device grating, undergoes Bragg refraction as it racy and simplified mechanics – that this
allows the optical alignment and shape of passes through a thin transparent layer subsequently became the standard way
the main optics of the telescope to be in which the refractive index is modulated. of mounting high-precision strip encoders.
measured and corrected in real-time. A This provides a very high optical efficiency
key component of the wavefront sen- together with low sensitivity to polarisation
sor is the lenslet array which contains and reduced scattering. Technology developed through
400 lenslets, each 0.5 or 1.0 mm across procurement contracts
depending on the application. ESO The original VPHGs were produced for
worked together with the Paul-Scherrer- Raman Spectroscopy and these were 8-m mirrors – blanks and polishing
Institut in Switzerland to develop the small and not ideally suited for astronomy.
master and Jobin-Yvon France to manu- A facility to manufacture large Volume One of the main technological hurdles to
facture the final copies of these arrays. Phase Holographic Gratings was set up at be overcome for the VLT project was
the Centre Spatial de Liège. ESO led a the manufacture of the 8-m blanks for the
A number of commercial products based consortium of 5 astronomical institutions primary mirrors. Mirrors of this size had
on Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors that allowed 10 prototype gratings to be never been manufactured before and sev-
have since been commercialised, for ex- manufactured up to 30 cm in size. The eral approaches were investigated by
ample devices for optical testing by Im- Centre Spatial de Liège has since created ESO. A contract was eventually placed
agine Optic in France, for eye surgery by a spin-off company that is the leading with Schott in Germany for the supply
Zeiss in Germany and for optical align- European supplier of VPH gratings of the blanks. This necessitated the cre-
ment and testing by Spot Optics in Italy. and currently the world’s largest facility for ation of new manufacturing facilities and
Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensors are the manufacture of these products. the development of the production pro-
widely used in adaptive optics systems cesses for glass-ceramics to completely
which correct aberrations caused by new dimensions. The successful com-
atmospheric turbulence – a technology Strip tape encoders pletion of the VLT contract put Schott in a
that was also pioneered by ESO. leading position to bid for future projects
Important components of any large tele- requiring large optics.
scope are the high accuracy angular
ESO technology development contracts position encoders needed for axis control. The size of the VLT primary mirrors also
When ESO originally approached the required a major jump in the state of the
Volume Phase Holographic Gratings world’s leading manufacturer of high-pre- art in optical polishing. Indeed, the French
cision strip tape encoders, Heidenhain firm REOSC (now part of the SAGEM
Since Volume Phase Holographic Grat- in Germany, they could not guarantee that group), who received the ESO contract to
ings (VPHGs) were first proposed for the stringent technical requirements polish the four 8-m mirrors, had to build
astronomy in 1998, they have had major for the VLT encoders could be met. More- a completely new factory outside Paris for
impact on astronomical spectroscopy. over, the tape mounting technique used their manufacture.

Telescopes and Instrumentation Cullum M., Technology Transfer at ESO
Figure 2: Section through a photonic crystal optical

fibre showing the hexagonal pattern of holes that run
axially through the fibre.
Not only was the size of these mirrors un- eter azimuth drives. Since the VLT, both
precedented, but also the required image these firms have expanded into this mar-
quality set new benchmarks. Indeed, ket and are now among the world market
testing the mirrors proved almost as chal- leaders in this field. PHASE, for example,
lenging as polishing them. ESO engineers has recently manufactured the drives
worked closely with the manufacturer for the 10-m Gran Telescopio Canarias on
to produce a method of specification that La Palma.
not only fulfilled the high technical de-
mands of the VLT project and could be
verified at the factory, but also made opti- ESO technologies used in other projects
mum use of the VLT’s Active Optics sys-
tem for correcting large spatial frequency Optical design
errors.
ESO has a unique experience in the field
The manufacturing and testing facilities of optical design, covering the wavelength
developed by REOSC for the VLT were range from UV to far infrared. Although
subsequently used to polish the two to demonstrate the feasibility of this tech- an optical design made for one instrument
8-m mirrors for the US/UK Gemini tele- nology with high laser powers. Since is not readily useable for another, some
scope, as well as for smaller optics then, production fibres have been manu- ESO designs have been copied manyfold
for other advanced projects. factured by Crystal Fibres and also Mit- for use at other observatories.
subishi which meet ESO’s requirements.
The ESO Faint Object Spectrograph and
Photonic crystal fibres ESO’s developments have been followed Camera – EFOSC – was originally de-
with great interest by other laser guide veloped at ESO for the 3.6-m telescope
Another technology promoted by ESO is star projects as well as industry because on La Silla. It pioneered the use of new
the use of mono-mode optical fibres of the wider commercial implications, for optical glasses for astronomical in-
to transmit high power (≈ 10 Watt) visible example in the telecommunications indus- strumentation to produce a very efficient
laser beams. These are a key element try and the medical field. As a next step, transmissive optical train. Since that time,
of ESO’s Laser Guide Star Facility and are ESO is currently working on the applica- some 15 copies of this design have
used to transmit the light from the laser tion of hollow-core photonic crystal fibres been manufactured and put into service
laboratory to the launch telescope located to the LGSF, which are now becoming at other observatories around the world.
at the very top of the VLT. Compared available. Similarly, the design of UVES – the UV
to previous mirror transmission systems, and Visual Echelle Spectrograph devel-
fibre-optic transmission allows a signifi- oped by ESO for the VLT has been re-
cant reduction in the cost, complexity and Direct drive systems for telescopes produced at least 10 times for application
maintenance. elsewhere.
Brushless torque motors offer a number
However, a fundamental limitation in us- of advantages over conventional tele- Apart from these specific examples, ESO
ing classical mono-mode fibres is due scope drive systems, including the elimi- has had a significant impact, through
to Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS), a nation of the classical gear train (and optical design proposals and design
non-linearity which severely limits the laser hence mechanical simplicity) together with reviews, on the optical design of a very
power that can be transmitted through exceptionally good performance. Never- large number of instrumental develop-
the fibre. Photonic Crystal fibres – “holey theless, they had never before been used ments in the ESO Member States and
fibres” – were first demonstrated in the in large telescopes and nothing of the beyond over the last 25 years.
laboratory by researchers at Bath Univer- sizes required for the VLT existed in stan-
sity in 1996. These offer an ingenious dard catalogues.
way of overcoming the problem of SBS Computer systems and software
by allowing an increase in the effective ESO commissioned a study to be carried
core diameter of the fibre but without los- out by the Swiss firm ETEL, and the re- Ever since the first “mini-computers” were
ing the single mode transmission charac- sults of this confirmed the suitability of introduced at La Silla in the early 1970’s,
teristics. This significantly reduces the the concept. In the VLT, direct drives from ESO has been pioneering the use of com-
power density inside the fibre and hence ETEL were used in the twelve Adapt- puters for real-time control of telescopes
the effects of SBS. er/Rotators, and another specialist firm, and interactive data-reduction methods.
PHASE in Italy, was contracted to design This led initially to the development of the
Working initially with Crystal Fibre A /S in and manufacture the drives for the four IHAP data-reduction package for spec-
Denmark, ESO promoted the develop- Unit Telescopes, including the 10-m-diam- troscopic observations and, in the 1980’s,
ment of fibres with characteristics suitable the more versatile MIDAS system which
for the LGSF wavelength of 598 nm has been used by several hundred institu-
and with good optical transmission tions worldwide.

More recently, ESO has developed a soft- Knock-on benefits due to ESO’s industrial number of young scientists and engineers
ware bundle known as SCISOFT which is procurements over the years. After spending some time
a unified collection of the major software at ESO engaged in forefront research or
packages for astronomical data analysis There are also secondary industrial ben- developing highly advanced astronomical
currently in use today (including IRAF/ efits to firms that receive ESO procure- facilities, these people leave the Organisa-
STSDAS, MIDAS and IDL) as well as many ment contracts. A study carried out tion, taking with them their accumulated
other utilities. The SCISOFT CD-ROM is by CERN in 20032 amongst firms receiv- professional experience. This benefits not
distributed to over 400 institutions world- ing CERN contracts for technology inten- only their future careers, but also stimu-
wide per year. sive projects (accounting for about half lates the research in their home institutions
of all CERN procurement contracts) con- and helps to improve the competitiveness
A fundamental part of the VLT concept cluded that: 38 % of all respondents of Europe’s industries. In 2004, for exam-
are the Telescope Control Software developed new products as a direct result ple, ESO employed over 100 Students,
and Data Flow Systems that allowed, for of the original contract; 13 % started new Fellows and Associates under these pro-
the first time in a ground-based obser- R&D teams; 14 % started a new business grammes.
vatory, the complete end-to-end observ- unit; 17 % opened a new market; 42 %
ing cycle to be condensed into a single increased their international exposure; Similarly, many ESO engineering staff
homogeneous automated process. This 44 % indicated technological learning; and members eventually leave the Organisa-
process starts with the preparation of 36 % indicated market learning. tion to return to industry to work on other
the observing programme, and continues high-tech projects, taking with them
through programme selection, observa- Without the CERN contract, 52 % of all their professional expertise acquired in the
tion simulation, automatic or semi-auto- respondents would have had poorer course of their work at ESO.
matic execution of the observations at the sales; 21% would have had lower
telescope (with or without the presence employment growth; 41% would have Additionally, ESO has organised, either a-
of the astronomer at the telescope), quali- had poorer technological performance; lone or with other institutions, many sem-
ty control, data archiving and finally and 26 % would have had poorer per- inars, workshops and summer schools on
the return of the calibrated data to the ob- formance in valuation growth. diverse scientific topics as well as on
server. Although at the outset it was technical aspects such as adaptive optics
not easy for many traditional astronomers These data collected by CERN are im- and optics. These events also help to
to accept this revolutionary concept, pressive and present additional argu- develop the scientific and technical com-
it has become a standard that has since ments for maintaining government sup- petencies within industry and scien-
been emulated by most of the world’s port for the Organisation. Although no tific institutions in the Member States.
major observatories. In recognition of this similar study has been carried out at ESO,
work, ESO was recently presented with the similarities between the two Organisa- Less easy to quantify but also valuable
the prestigious 21st Century Achievement tions would lead one to expect that are the personal links established during
Award from the Computerworld Honours comparable benefits would also accrue to a period of employment at ESO. Even
Program for the Data Flow System as re- ESO suppliers as well. many years later, these personal links can
ported in the June 2005 issue of the ESO provide a useful channel for information
Messenger. on ESO technologies and programmes
Socio-economic benefits of and professional advice. The European
ESO Technology Programmes Commission has long since recognised
ESO patents the importance of mobility amongst young
The fact that ESO actively pursues proj- researchers and engineers for enhanc-
In the past ESO has generally preferred ects at the cutting edge of technology ing European competitiveness, and has
to openly publish ideas rather than to and maintains a pool of engineering ex- established several programmes to facili-
seek patent protection, but in areas where pertise that is probably unique in the tate this.
there could exist worldwide commercial world in the field of ground-based astron-
application, for example in the commu- omy, also brings socio-economic benefits As can be appreciated from this article,
nications industry, patent protection has to the ESO Member States which can the process of Technology Transfer
been obtained to allow better regula- also help enhance the economic competi- is many-faceted. It is a process in which,
tion of eventual usage through licensing tiveness of European industry as a whole. over the years, ESO has made significant
and partnership agreements with indus- contributions, both in encouraging in-
try or other institutes. For example, an Through its Student, Fellowship and As- novation in industries within the Member
ESO patent has been granted for devel- sociate Programmes, ESO has contrib- States as well as improving commercial
opments related to narrow-band high- uted to the training of a considerable competitiveness.
power fibre lasers, and a second patent
has recently been filed for a high-power 2
“Technology Transfer and Technological Learning
fibre laser and amplifier. through CERN’s procurement activity”,
CERN2003-005, 11 Sept 2003, Education and Tech-
nology Transfer Division

Other Astronomical News
The ESA-ESO Topical Science Working Groups
Robert A. E. Fosbury (ST-ECF) At the first meeting, it was decided to set During the second meeting in February
up a small number of working groups 2005, a new working group was pro-
that would examine scientific topics or posed with the intention of reviewing cos-
Starting in September 2003, ESO and specific instrumental synergies that would mology with particular emphasis on the
ESA have now held two science planning be important over the next decade or investigations of the nature of dark energy
coordination meetings in order to en- so. The first of these was on the topic of and dark matter from an astrophysical
sure that there remains a joint awareness the search for and the subsequent char- perspective. This new working group on
of potential future synergies or missed op- acterisation of extra-solar planets – Fundamental Cosmology was established
portunities on the ground or in space. the report of this group, chaired by in June 2005, with John Peacock (Edin-
The meetings were attended by the chairs Michael Perryman (ESA/ESTEC) and co- burgh) as Chairman and Peter Schneider
(or representatives) of the scientific advi- chaired by Olivier Hainaut (ESO, Chile) (Bonn) as Co-Chairman. It will consider
sory committees and by the executives is summarised in the accompanying arti- projects in the areas of dark matter, dark
of both organisations. The initiative was cle by Kerber and Hainaut. The second energy, and other aspects of the early
taken with the realisation that the two or- was to look at the joint opportunities universe, with the aim of reporting in Feb-
ganisations are serving essentially the offered by Herschel and ALMA in the ruary 2006.
same scientific communities and share infrared and sub-mm wavebands. Chaired
common scientific goals. by Tom Wilson (ESO Garching) and co- The full membership of these groups and
chaired by David Elbaz (CEA /Saclay), it is access to their reports as they be-
nearing completion and will become avail- come available can be obtained from:
able towards the end of 2005. http://stecf.org /eso-esa /
ESA-ESO Working Group on Extra-Solar Planets
Florian Kerber (ST-ECF), the support scientists. A group of ex- The terms of reference provided by ESA
Olivier Hainaut (ESO) perts contributed on specific subjects1: and ESO called on the working group to
François Bouchy (COROT), Fabio Favata the following:
(Eddington), Malcom Fridlund (Darwin), 1. Survey of the Field: this will comprise:
The ESA-ESO working group on extra- Anne-Marie Lagrange (Planetfinder), (a) review of the methods used or
solar planets was the first of a number of Tsevi Mazeh (Transits), Daniel Rouan envisaged for extra-solar planet detec-
such groups to make a careful analysis of (Genie), Stéphane Udry (Radial velocity), tion and study; (b) survey of the asso-
scientific fields that are of interest to both and Joachim Wambsganss (Microlensing). ciated instrumentation worldwide
ESA and ESO. The groups also make The group operated between June and (operational, planned, or proposed, on
recommendations for the development of December 2004 and documented their ground and in space); (c) for each, a
the fields facilitating coordinated plan- findings and recommendations to both summary of the potential targets, accu-
ning between the two leading European agencies in a report which is available racy and sensitivity limits, and scientific
organisations advancing astronomy from in printed form from the ST-ECF and on capabilities and limitations.
the ground and from space. both ESO and ESA websites (http:// 2. Role of ESO and ESA Facilities: this
www.eso.org /gen-fac /pubs /esaesowg / will: (a) identify areas in which current
The extra-solar planet working group, and http://sci.esa.int /science-e /www/ and planned ESA and ESO facilities will
chaired by Michael Perryman (ESA), object/index.cfm?fobjectid=36935). This contribute; (b) analyse the expected
consisted of: Olivier Hainaut (Co-chair article gives a very brief summary of the scientific returns and risks of each; (c)
ESO), Dainis Dravins (Lund), Alain Léger report and encourages feedback from the identify areas of potential scientific
(IAS), Andreas Quirrenbach (Leiden) community. overlap, and thus assess the extent to
and Heike Rauer (DLR). Florian Kerber which the facilities complement or
and Robert Fosbury from the ECF were 1
The working group membership was established compete; (d) identify open areas which
by the chair and co-chair: the report is not a result of merit attention by one or both orga-
consultation with the community as a whole. The
experts contributed considerable information to the
nisations (for example, follow-up obser-
report, but the conclusions and recommendations vations by ESO to maximise the return
are the responsibility of the members. from other major facilities); (e) con-

clude on the scientific case for the very 1000 Figure 1: Detection domains for meth-
1m 0.2 yr 12 yr ods exploiting planet orbital motion, as
large facilities planned or proposed. as
(10
0 a function of planet mass and orbital
1m pc
as ) radius, assuming M& = MA. Lines from
100
As a final step the members of the work- (10
pc
top left to bottom right show the locus
10 )
ing group came up with a number of µ as
of astrometric signatures of 1 milli-arc-
(10 sec and 10 micro-arcsec at distances
recommendations that will help the further 0 pc
10 ) of 10 and 100 pc; Vertical lines show
development of the field. These are di-
Planet Mass (MP /MJ)
10
µ
limits corresponding to orbital periods
rected at both agencies separately but a as
(10 of 0.2 and 12 years. Lines from top
pc
subset specifically calls for joint or coor- 1
) right to bottom left show radial veloci-
ties corresponding to K = 10 and
dinated efforts of the two agencies. Note 1%
K = 1 m s–1. Horizontal lines indicate
that the recommendations of a similar S
photometric detection thresholds for
ESO working group in 1997 (appendix C 0.1 planetary transits, of 1% and 0.01%,
/s U
in the present report) directly led to the 10 m corresponding roughly to Jupiter and
Earth radius planets respectively (ne-
development of HARPS, the leading spec-
glecting the effects of orbital inclina-
trograph for radial-velocity work today. 0.01 /s
30
na tion). The positions of Earth (E), Jupiter
1m s(
10 (J), Saturn (S) and Uranus (U) are
0 pc
0.01% E ) shown, as are the lower limits on the
masses of known planetary systems
Survey of the field 0.001
0.01 0.1 1 10 100 as of December 2004 (triangles).
Orbital radius, a (AU)
A mere 10 years after the first detection
of exoplanets around normal stars, this
field has become one of the most active ther, seemingly reliable, planet candidate senger 120, 2005, page 25). HARPS
and exciting branches of astrophysics. has been detected through its micro- has demonstrated its capability to explore
Detection methods for extra-solar planets lensing signature. A much more detailed the very-low mass end of the exoplanet
can be broadly classified into those bas- assessment of the current status, which mass distribution (Pepe et al. 2005, The
ed on: is illustrated in Figure 1, can be found in Messenger 120, 22). The VLT Planet Find-
(i) dynamical effects (radial velocity, as- the working group’s report. er is expected to make an important con-
trometry, or timing in the case of the tribution to the study of bright, well sepa-
pulsar planets); The working group surveyed the experi- rated planets for which it is built (there-
(ii) microlensing (astrometric or photo- ments that are planned or in prospect, fore belonging to the “population study”
metric); and estimated their output qualitatively projects), but its new capabilities will also
(iii) photometric signals (transits and re- and quantitatively. Table 1 (see next page), put it in the pathfinder category, and
flected light); expanded from a similar table in the one can expect new discoveries in regions
(iv) direct imaging from ground or space in report, summarises the situation for the that cannot be explored today.
the optical or infrared; and next 15 years.
(v) miscellaneous effects (such as magnet- Large, dedicated projects or missions
ic superflares, or radio emission). The projects can roughly be classified in are ideal to characterise a whole popula-
“pathfinders”, which find new populations, tion: for instance, Kepler is expected
Each method has its strengths, and ad- projects characterising populations as to find tens of thousands of planets of a
vances in each field will bring specific a whole, and finally projects aiming at de- given type (transiting giants), therefore
and often complementary discovery and tailed physical studies. It is crucial to have permitting a detailed study of the global
diagnostic capabilities. Detections are a good balance between these three properties of this population. A major
a prerequisite for the subsequent steps categories of projects in order to ensure programme using FLAMES for follow-up
of detailed physical-chemical charac- at the same time a consolidation of the studies of transit candidates from OGLE
terisation demanded by the emerging dis- current knowledge and a long-term devel- has provided physical properties for seven
cipline of exoplanetology. opment of the field. planets and has demonstrated that small
stellar companions are about as frequent
As of December 2004, 135 extra-solar The pathfinders typically expand the ex- as hot Jupiters, emphasising the need
planets had been discovered from plored region of parameter space, and will for spectroscopic confirmation and study
their radial velocity signature, comprising lead to the discovery of a small number of candidates (Pont et al. 2005, The Mes-
119 systems of which 12 are double of objects, but these define new classes senger 120, 19).
and 2 are triple. One of these planets has of planets. NACO on the VLT is a typical
also been observed to transit the par- example: the instrument was originally Finally, some experiments are best at per-
ent star. Four additional confirmed planets not designed for planet search, but by forming detailed analysis of specific
have been discovered through transit de- opening a new window to high-resolution objects. For instance, while the number of
tections using data from OGLE (and con- and high-contrast imaging, it led to the planets that it will be able to reach is
firmed through radial-velocity measure- discovery of 2M1207b, the first planet de- modest, the VLTI is expected to produce
ments), and one, TrES-1, using a small tected by direct imaging, and the first spectra of planets, which will be of
10-cm ground-based telescope. One fur- planet around a brown dwarf. (The Mes- extraordinary value for exoplanetology.

Other Astronomical News Kerber F. and Hainaut O., ESA-ESO Working Group on Extra-Solar Planets
Method Ground/Space Time Project Pathfinder Population Spectroscopic

> 0.1 MJup / < 0.1 MJup studies
Radial Velocity Ground < 2004 First detection
Radial Velocity Ground 2004 Harps and others 120/0
Adaptive Optics Ground 2005 NACO First direct detection Few Few
Interferometry Ground 2005 VLTI AlI nearby stars Few Some
Adaptive Optics Ground 2010 VLT Planet finder New parameter space 20/0 Some
Radial Velocity Ground 2010 many 450/20
Transit Space 2008 COROT 200/50
Transit Ground 2010 many 1000/0
Transit Space 2010 Kepler 30 000/1500
Astrometry Space 2015 SIM 250/25
Astrometry Space 2016 GAIA 20 000/0
Transit Space 2016 GAIA 4 000/0
Photometry Space 2016 GAIA Protoplanetary collisions 3 000/0
Interferometry Ground 2015 OWL partially filled 125 000/60
Photo-/Spectrometry Ground 2018 OWL complete 60 “Jupiter”
5 “Earths”
Table 1: Prospects for the coming years. The first col- ESA-ESO facilities establish an offensive policy to optimise
umn lists the method used, the second identifies
the scientific return of instruments already
whether it is a ground-based or space-borne method.
The third column gives an approximate time scale. The working group then carefully analysed built or foreseen in the near future. The
Project identifies the name or class of the project. The the future needs of research and what second goal is to prepare new initiatives.
next three columns summarise the main emphasis role current and planned facilities of ESA Suggested directions are detailed in the
of the project, either as pathfinder (few, but significant
and ESO can be expected to play. Spe- report.
discoveries), or in terms of the number of planets dis-
covered for the projects aiming at defining the popula- cifically they tried to give some answers to
tions (detailed for planets more massive and less the following questions: What follow-up
massive than 0.1 MJupiter ), or finally in terms of detailed observations and facilities are required to First steps towards implementation
physical studies of the objects. This table is an ex-
characterise these systems more com-
panded version of Table 5 in the report.
pletely? What does the resulting (statisti- ESO has established a high-level working
cal) knowledge of exoplanet distribu- group supervising the implementation
Beyond 2015 the current plans call for a tions imply for the targeted observations of the report’s recommendations. A num-
detailed characterisation of individual of Darwin and OWL? What information ber of steps have already been initiated.
planets and systems. In that framework, will be available, or should be anticipated, For example ESO will study the feasibility
OWL could play an important role by for a deeper astrophysical characteri- of a high-resolution spectrograph on
searching for targets during its assembly sation of the host stars of planetary sys- the VLT for radial-velocity work and for
phase (while the mirror is still partially tems? The working group also looked high-cadence transit spectroscopy. Coor-
filled), and then studying them in detail into the potential overlap amongst the dinators have been appointed by both
once the mirror is completed. Other major facilities currently planned or stud- ESA and ESO to develop a plan for sup-
projects, possibly by interferometry from ied by ESO and ESA. They tried to iden- porting observations from the ground
Antarctica and by interferometers and tify specific long-lead time space or for the COROT satellite mission. We are
coronographs in space, are also starting ground facilities which should be consid- also carefully looking into the options
to be conceived. ered to fill observational gaps anticipated for an amateur involvement in extra-planet
over the next 10–20 years? And, finally, research. Finally, ESO is undertaking
they looked at other considerations a number of concept studies for OWL in-
that ESO/ESA should investigate for strumentation at this point that will also
proper interpretation of the data which will address issues related to e.g. the search
be generated by these two European for earth-mass planets and the study
organisations, or others, and which might of exoplanet atmospheres. ESO and ESA
limit the development of the field un- are committed to making sure that
less suitably coordinated. From the above the findings and recommendations of the
facts and considerations the working ESA-ESO working group are fully appreci-
group then came up with recommenda- ated, and are studying how to best imple-
tions to the agencies. The first goal is to ment them.

Report on
The ESO-ESA-IAU Conference

Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2005
Ian Robson 1
Photo: L. H. Nielsen, ESA/Hubble

Lars Lindberg Christensen 2
1
UK Astronomy Technology Centre, UK
2
Hubble European Space Agency
Information Centre, Germany
Over one hundred astronomers, public

information officers, planetarium special-
ists and image-processing gurus de-
scended on ESO Garching in June for
CAP 2005 – Communicating Astronomy
with the Public 2005. This was the
third international conference addressing
astronomy outreach; the previous venues
being La Palma and Washington DC.
The main aim was to bring together the
specialists from the various strands
of astronomy undertaking outreach in the
broadest sense. The four-day conference
was a resounding success, much was The “Credibility discus-
sion” at the conference.
achieved and the work of ESO was better
appreciated (especially from the non-
European perspective) through a tour of
the facility. Some of the highlights of the high level of both content and presenta- to invitations for information. Web casts
local environs were much enjoyed through tional style by all the speakers. The ses- on the other hand promote a somewhat
the conference dinner at the Deutsche sions were: 1. Setting the Scene, 2. The less intimate form of talk, as the audience
Museum’s aviation museum “Flugwerft TV Broadcast Media, 3. What Makes in principle goes far beyond those in
Schleißheim” – (including cockpit tours of a Good News Story?, 4. The Role of the the auditorium. When some of the speak-
an F4 Phantom) and a splendid (and well Observatories, 5. Innovations, 6. The Role ers occasionally clearly forgot this, it
liquid refreshed) evening at the Augus- of Planetaria, 7. Challenges and New promoted some hasty interjections of the
tinerkeller, one of the largest Munich Bier- Ideas, 8. Keeping our Credibility – Release words “Web cast, Web cast” from the
gartens. of News, 9. The Education Arena, 10. front row to much amusement from the
Astronomical Images – Beauty Is in the audience. The Web casts were also post-
The previous meeting in Washington was Eye of the Beholder, 11. Cutting-edge ed online daily during the conference
run along a workshop format focussed Audiovisuals, 12. Virtual Repositories and have helped participants afterwards
on specific outcomes out of which arose: with the preparation of their proceedings
the setting up of a Commission-wide A most successful discussion on credi- papers.
Working Group of the IAU; the production bility and the general theme of com-
of the Washington Charter (see http:// munication ethics took place in the ses- The “Hands-on” workshop sessions run-
www.communicatingastronomy.org / sion “Keeping our Credibility”, where ning in parallel in the afternoons were
washington_charter ); and the formulation we were delighted to field a star-studded a huge success and a number were over-
of the first principles of an image repo- panel, including the ESO Director General, subscribed. This had been anticipated
sitory (in the widest sense). The format of Catherine Cesarsky. in the planning and so the more popular
that meeting included breakout session ones were repeated on subsequent days.
to debate these issues. CAP 2005 sought Technology and the power of the web The workshops were woven around the
to build on these foundations and was much to the fore throughout the con- themes of: image processing; interactions
move all issues forward, and as such had ference. The PowerPoint presentations with the media; a communicating toolkit.
a number of plenary sessions followed were all posted online on the conference
each day by three workshops devoted to website on the same day as the talk Zolt Levay (STScI) and Lars Lindberg
four specific topics. took place. Christensen (ESA/Hubble) presented two
workshops on basic image process-
There were a number of key themes for The live Web casts that were transmitted ing, from image acquisition through
the meeting covered in the plenary ses- from the conference were clearly a suc- import with the FITS Liberator to the task
sions. Each session was led-off by invit- cess as a number of speakers received of handling multiple layers within Photo-
ed speakers and one of the main high- e-mails while at the conference comment- shop. Hubble images were used as
lights of the meeting was the extremely ing on aspects of their talk or responding the testbed, so that the participants could

One of the “Hands-on

Workshops” at the con-
ference.
experiment and see the changes to the So all those interested in outreach should
final image product through different tech- go to the IAU Working Group web-page:
niques within Photoshop. http://www.communicatingastronomy.org
and enrol on the “Supporters” sign-up
Lisa Frattare and Robert Hurt extended sheet so that we can keep you informed
this theme with two workshops on more of progress and future events. The pro-
advanced image processing ‘tips & tricks’ ceedings of this conference are currently
for how to clean and correct the colour being edited and are planned for publica-
images as well as make a better com- tion in September.
position. Greg Bacon (NASA/STScI) pre-
sented a session on how to undertake The organisers wish to acknowledge
simple animation studies. Finally in this financial and infrastructure support from
theme, Martin Kornmesser and Lars ESO, as well as support from ESA and
Lindberg Christensen hosted a session the IAU.
devoted to producing your own DVD.
Govert Schilling gave two sessions devot-
ed to how to write for the media and
an interactive discussion on the rights and
Photos: L. H. Nielsen, ESA/Hubble (2)

wrongs of producing a good press re-
lease. Terry Mahoney gave an overview of
the basic contents of a toolkit for astron-
omers involved in outreach and the do’s ly suggested a possible theme for the
and don’ts of a successful programme. next conference, which will be in 2007.
There is no doubt that this focused skills-
based workshop-style was extremely The meeting was organised by Ian
beneficial and well appreciated by the at- Robson and Lars Lindberg Christensen
tendees. supported by Scientific and Local Organ-
ising Committees. The work of the
The conference summing-up was under- ‘FITS Liberator’ team was enormous in
taken by Professor Paul Murdin (Cam- making the conference both success- Social event: Visit to
bridge) who brought together the various ful and right up to the minute in terms of one of Munich’s many
themes, tensions and links and additional- technology. Biergartens.
Report on the ESO Workshop on
Virtual Observatory Standards and Systems

for Data Centres and Large Projects
Paolo Padovani, Markus Dolensky (ESO) tion of common standards between data
providers, tool users, and developers.
These are being defined using new inter-
The Virtual Observatory (VO) is an innova- national standards for data access ger 117, 58) and the logical next step
tive, evolving system, which will allow and mining protocols under the auspices from AVO as a deployment of an opera-
users to interrogate multiple data centres of the International Virtual Observatory tional VO in Europe (more on EURO-VO
in a seamless and transparent way, to Alliance (IVOA: http://ivoa.net ), a global in a future issue of The Messenger).
best utilise astronomical data. New sci- collaboration of the world’s astronomical
ence will be enabled, moving astrono- communities. At the European level, in Data centres lie at the foundation of the
my beyond “classical” identification by addition to seven national VO projects, VO, as obviously access to astronomical
allowing the characterisation of the prop- the European Community funded collabo- data at all wavelengths is a key require-
erties of very faint sources by using all rative EURO-VO is the successor of the ment. The VO cannot (and does not) dic-
the available information. The VO requires Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (AVO: tate how a data centre handles its own
good communication, that is the adop- e.g., Padovani et al. 2004, The Messen- archive. All that is needed is a VO-layer

Group photo of the ESO workshop on
Virtual Observatory Standards and
Systems for Data Centres and Large
Projects held from June 27 to July 1
at ESO Headquarters.
to “translate” any locally defined parame-
Photo: H. H. Heyer, ESO

ter to the standard (i.e., IVOA compliant)
ones. For example, right ascension
can be identified in different ways but the
VO user needs to know which of the
many parameters accessible through an
archive interface is the right ascension.
The longer-term vision of the VO is also to
hide away any observatory/telescope/
instrument specific detail and work in as-
tronomical units, for example, “wave-
length range” and not grism or filter name.
Data providers are then advised to sys-
tematically collect metadata (“data about
data”) about the curation process, assign
unique identifiers, describe the general
content (e. g., physical coverage) of a col-
lection, and provide interface and capabil-
ity parameters of public services. Finally,
the VO will work at its best with high-level
or “science-ready” data, and data centres
should make an effort to provide such
data.
More specific lectures prepared the par- Finally, the data centre infrastructure tu-
To get data providers started in most ticipants for two full days of hands-on tutorial brought all of the above together
of the above, the EURO-VO held a work- torials. Several software demonstrations and demonstrated a prototype framework
shop at ESO Headquarters in Garching by various VO projects illustrated the cur- supporting the various formats, protocols
from June 27 to July 1, 2005. The work- rent capabilities. and concepts.
shop was explicitly designed for data cen-
tres and large projects to acquire the The seven tutorials took place in parallel Judging from the participants’ feedback,
knowledge and experience necessary to sessions and exercises were conduct- which was collected through a question-
allow them to become “publishers” in ed on the participant’s own laptops. Up to naire, the workshop was considered “use-
the VO. In tutorials and lectures, partici- 100 laptops were on-line through the ful” or “extremely useful” by 95 % of
pants were instructed in the use of wireless Local Area Network (LAN), chal- the respondents. The tutorial material (see
VO analysis tools, libraries, and the exist- lenging ESO’s excellent internal network below) is a collection of software which,
ing web service infrastructure to build VO infrastructure without actually reaching its although still not in a final state, represents
compliant services. The workshop was limits. The tutorials dealt with the follow- a unique and up-to-date snapshot of
aimed at software engineers and designing topics: Data access layer, that is tools “state-of-the-art” VO technology.
ers building archive interfaces, writing and protocols for sharing images and
applications accessing remote data, or spectroscopic data; Astronomical Data The workshop agenda and contributions
designing archive facilities and data flows Query Language (ADQL)/Skynode, which are available on http://www.euro-vo.org/
for future instruments and missions. is about accessing databases and pub- workshop2005. The tutorial software
lishing catalogues; VOTable, the Extensi- was packaged and can also be accessed
More than 120 participants, coming from ble Markup Language (XML) VO standard through FTP from the workshop page.
47 different institutions and 16 countries, format for the interchange of data, and It is mostly in Java and works on the most
attended the workshop, with representa- the rich variety of tools and libraries to common platforms such as Linux, XP, and
tives from 11 out of 15 IVOA members. support it; Metadata, that is how to tag Mac OS.
concepts in Astronomy in a machine
The workshop started with an overview of readable form using a defined vocabulary
the EURO-VO project structure. An intro- called Unified Content Descriptors (UCD);
duction on the current status of standard- Grid and web services, namely Informa-
isation efforts and international IVOA tion Technology basics and how to set up
working groups was then followed by a a service in order to share it on the lo-
conceptual approach to the software cal network; Registries, which are places
architectures available to publish data to where available resources such as as-
the VO. tronomical data collections and software
services are described. Participants
learned how to set up such a registry as
well as how to populate and search it.

Report on
The EPS-ESA-ESO-CERN Conference on

Relativity, Matter and Cosmology
Peter Shaver, Bruno Leibundgut, Gravity, including both theory and obser- early universe physics and the achieve-
Jochen Liske (ESO) vations, was obviously a major topic at ments of WMAP so far. While he also
this conference. As H. Nicolai comment- highlighted the remarkable concordance
ed, reconciling general relativity and of present observational results, he went
This year the joint ESA-ESO-CERN sym- quantum theory into a consistent and pre- on to emphasise the challenges: “Be-
posium was held in conjunction with the dictive theory of quantum gravity is pro- yond Einstein: the physics we don’t know
European Physical Society, on the occa- bably the greatest challenge facing theo- and the physics we don’t know how to
sion of the Centennial of Einstein’s annus retical physics in the 21st century. He calculate”. He described the potential for
mirabilis and the World Year of Physics. described the successes and challenges rapid development in this field, with a
It took place on July 11–14 in Bern, where of the two main approaches, superstring whole host of new observational facilities
Einstein wrote his famous papers in 1905, theory and canonical quantum gravity. becoming available over the next years.
and was part of a wide range of events to C. Everitt described the dedicated space
celebrate the centennial. mission Gravity Probe B, designed to ac- Recent breakthroughs in neutrino phys-
curately test two aspects of Einstein’s ics, using neutrinos both from the sun and
A highlight of these events was the General Relativity: the effect of space cur- the laboratory, were summarised by
13th triennial General Conference of the vature on a free gyroscope and the effect G. Drexlin, including the now conclusive
European Physical Society (EPS13), of relativistic frame dragging. It is currently evidence for neutrino oscillations and
with the title “Beyond Einstein – Physics collecting data and the first release will be hence for nonzero neutrino masses. He
for the 21st Century”. It consisted of in mid-2006. The direct detection of mentioned several open questions,
three parallel conferences, one of which gravitational waves has been a dream for and the new round of experiments pro-
was the EPS-ESA-ESO-CERN conference decades that may be realised in the near posed to answer them. E. Fiorini sum-
on “Relativity, Matter and Cosmology”. future. B. Schutz summarised the physics marised ongoing work on neutrinoless
and possible astrophysical and cosmolog- double beta decay, and prospects for the
As is usual in these joint conferences, the ical sources of gravitational waves and the detection of weakly interacting massive
objective was to provide a broad over- fundamental physics that we may learn particles, a possible candidate for dark
view of current and future developments from their detection, and K. Danzmann matter, based on seasonal variations due
in the fields of fundamental physics, par- described current and future experiments to the earth’s motion around the sun.
ticle physics and cosmology. The fact and their prospects, in particular the J. Bluemer gave a review of the study of
that altogether some 600 participants at- planned LISA mission. Pulsars provide cosmic rays since their discovery over
tended the three conferences attests to excellent natural astrophysical laborato- 90 years ago, and the current and
the interest generated by the wide range ries for tests of General Relativity, and planned experiments to understand the
of topics, as well as the wonderful setting D. Lorimer described results over the last astrophysical sources and the extra-
in Einstein’s Bern. years and the wonderful prospects with ordinary energies involved.
these remarkable systems, like the re-
Some 80 talks were given at the confer- cently discovered double pulsar, that are The fundamental problem of the origin of
ence on Relativity, Matter and Cosmology, increasingly being found. mass was addressed by G. Ross. He
and a substantial number of posters described how explorations of this prob-
were presented. In a conference of this Three speakers discussed the current lem have led to extensions of the Stan-
size and scope it is difficult to give a state of observational and theoretical cos- dard Model which unify all the fundamen-
comprehensive summary, but an idea of mology, and looked to the future chal- tal interactions including gravity; a new
the range of the science covered can lenges and horizons. J. Silk discussed the energy frontier may exist which can affect
be gleaned from this brief overview based challenges of the cosmic microwave early universe physics and will be probed
largely on the invited plenary reviews. background, and stressed the potentially by CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
great importance of any hints of non- A new state of matter, the Quark-Gluon
A stimulating introductory talk entitled gaussianities, unexpected topologies or Plasma, was the subject of J. Stachel’s
“100 Years of Relativity” was given by global anisotropies that may be found presentation. She summarised the recent
T. Damour. He summarised the remark- (either in the microwave background or experimental support for the existence
able success of the theory in a variety of the large-scale distribution of galaxies). of this state, which may have existed in
stringent tests, provocatively going on G. Efstathiou gave a talk with the provoc- the early universe until 10 microseconds
to ask whether we should now just con- ative title “Is There Cosmological Con- after the Big Bang, and the potential of
clude that Einstein was 100 % right and cordance?”. He expressed confidence in the LHC in studying it. F. Iachello gave an
stop testing! Of course he then went the concordance of an impressive array overview of symmetries and supersym-
on to describe ever more sophisticated of cosmological observations, including metries in nuclei, and placed them in the
planned tests, and concluded that new the microwave background, galaxy sur- broader context of complex systems in
and exciting frontiers lay before us, veys and supernovae. He made the case general. They, too, will be major targets
including the great mysteries of dark mat- for the existence of dark energy, suggest- for the LHC. The huge scientific potential
ter and dark energy. ing that it may argue for anthropic rea- of the LHC was described by J. Engelen,
sons that we can observe it right now. in particular the possibility of detecting the
Finally, D. Spergel gave an overview of Higgs boson; he summarised the status

of the project, which should become in trying to detect a change in the pro- Finally, J. Liske outlined plans to use OWL,
available for experiments in 2007. ton-to-electron mass ratio, also using the VLT’s successor, for the Cosmic
W. Gelletley spoke on the broad perspec- VLT data. Dynamics Experiment (CODEX). The aim
tives, challenges and opportunities in nu- is to supplement our knowledge of the
clear physics, including the upcoming The importance of dark energy to modern universe’s geometry (derived from the
new experimental facilities. A different kind physics was emphasised by several microwave background and supernovae)
of huge project, the first experimental fu- speakers. Its existence was first estab- with an unprecedented measurement
sion reactor (ITER), was described as part lished through observations of distant of its dynamics and hence to provide us
of F. Wagner’s comprehensive overview type I a supernovae and the talks by with a fundamental consistency check of
of the current state of plasma physics. R. Pain and J. Sollerman demonstrated General Relativity.
that searching for these transient events
Possible variations in the fundamental remains a vigorous industry. They out- The sampling above gives some idea of
“constants” of physics also generated a lined the two main projects in this field: the wide range of physics and cosmology
lot of interest. Recent VLT data have SNLS and ESSENCE. Understanding that was covered at the conference. The
contradicted earlier claims of the fine the nature of dark energy was the subject full proceedings of the conference will
structure constant having been smaller in of several theoretical talks, involving become available; they will be published
the early universe than today. M. Murphy D-branes (P. Gusin), Casimir Energy by the ESA Publications Division as ESA
summarised this controversy and de- (R. Garattini), quantum gravity (A. Ernest Special Publication SP-605.
scribed ongoing efforts to resolve it. and C. Bryja) and Modified Chaplygin
E. Reinhold reported on recent progress Gas (U. Debnath).
ESO Public Activities in July 2005
Prof. Jean Surdej, one of the local organisers,

being interviewed by RTL television at the JENAM
conference.
Ed Janssen (ESO) also enjoyed a good media attendance,
Photo: E. Janssen, ESO

probably also due to the Deep Impact
Mission. As at previous JENAM meetings,
The month of July is, in many parts of ESO maintained an information stand
Europe, considered to be a relatively in the lobby area and participated in the
“quiet time” of the year with many millions press conference.
of people away on summer vacation.
Not so for ESO’s Public Affairs Depart- Several ESO staff members gave talks,
ment. The month began with a series including the ESO DG, Françoise
of press activities around the Deep Impact Delplancke, Henri Boffin, Maximilian Kraus
event and included several press con- and Marc Sarazin. Furthermore, a
ferences at the ESO Headquarters (mostly Round Table was held to discuss financ-
Photo: JIVE
at odd hours!), video press confer- ing, organisation and industrial aspects of
ences with Paranal, La Silla and ESTEC large European astronomical projects.
in the Netherlands, live TV transmissions It was chaired by Lodewijk Woltjer, former
from ESO Garching as well as from ESO director general. From ESO Roberto
Paranal, etc. Gilmozzi participated as a speaker.
In parallel, from July 4–8 the Joint Euro- On July 7, ESO participated in a major
pean and National Astronomy Meeting Press Event on the Future of Astronomy
(JENAM) took place at the Amphithéâtres Research Infrastructures, organised
de l’Europe in Liège, Belgium. The meet- by the European Commission and hosted
ing, organised this year by the Astronomy by JIVE, in Dwingeloo, the Netherlands.
EU Commissioner Dr. Janez Potocnik and Mrs. Maria
Department of the Liège University, had The event was attended by EC Research van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister for Education, Culture
the theme “Distant Worlds”. It was attend- Commissioner Janez Potocnik and and Science answer questions from the media repre-
ed by over 200 astronomers. The meeting Maria van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister for sentatives at the press meeting in Dwingeloo.

ESO staff astronomer Thomas Szeifert

answers questions at the EPS 13
Open House videoconference at the
University of Berne.
Education, Culture and Science. About A few days later, from July 11–14 ESO
Photos: E. Janssen, ESO (2)

60 science journalists from across the EU had an exhibition at the University of
attended, together with coordinators Berne, in connection with “EPS 13”. (see
of the various astronomical projects sup- page 60). At the end of the conference,
ported by the EC, including RadioNet, on July 15, an Open Day on Physics and
OPTICON, EUROPLANET, ILIAS, the ELT Society was co-organised with the Swiss
Design Study, the SKA Design Study, Academy of Sciences and the Swiss
the ALMA Enhancement Programme and Physical Society. In the context of a joint
VO-TECH. ESO displayed an informa- EIROforum presentation, ESO partici-
tion stand, which was well visited and ap- pated by means of a live video conference
preciated by both the participants and the with ESO Paranal, moderated by Barbara
media. Vonarburg, well-known Swiss science
journalist and Rolf Landua from CERN.
Prof. Jean-Philippe Ansernet, President

of the Swiss Physical Society,
Prof. Martin Huber, outgoing President
of the European Physical Society,
Dr. C. Rossel, Conference coordinator,
and Dr. Ingrid Kissling-Näf, Director
of the Swiss Academy of Sciences at
the EPS 13 Conference venue.
Public Information and Education in Chile
Gonzalo Argandoña, Felix Mirabel (ESO) ESO science activities, as described in profundo.cl ) was released in advance to
Figure 1, which shows the evolution in the emphasise the contribution of the La Silla
number of media publications in Chile on Paranal Observatory to the long-term
One of the initiatives of ESO in Chile is the recent achievements at ESO. monitoring campaign of Comet 9P/
strengthening of the links with Chilean Tempel 1. This website, that included gen-
and Latin American media, to provide the Certainly, the active involvement of the eral information about comets, became
information needed to educate the pub- La Silla Paranal Observatory in the global an important reference in the Spanish lan-
lic in Latin America on the latest advance- observation campaign of Comet 9P/ guage for the public and journalists who
ments in astronomy and astrophysics. Tempel 1 was an excellent opportunity to covered the event.
further promote this strategy in a multi-
This initiative has produced a consider- approach way. A dedicated website in ESO also joined the Chilean Ministry of
able increase in the media coverage of Spanish language (http://www.impacto- Education to organise a national educa-

tional videoconference (see Figure 2) that ESO Media Coverage in Chile 2004–2005 Figure 1: This graph shows the evolu-
tion of media coverage in Chile of ESO
linked Paranal with young students in
activities, including TV, radio, written
18 different cities along the country, from No. of Media Publications
and electronic media, based on inde-
Arica (in the Northern extreme of the 250 pendent reports provided by the exter-
country) to Punta Arenas (in the Chilean nal company Litoral Press. The peak
on July 2005 is due to the media cov-
Patagonia, at the very end of the South 200
erage of ESO observations of Comet
American continent). Thanks to this joint 9P/ Tempel 1 and Deep Impact.
initiative with Chilean authorities, enthusi- 150
astic secondary students could learn
about VLT capabilities. 100
In parallel to this educational activity, a 50

series of press events at ESO Vitacura 2004
were offered, with the valuable support of 0 2005
Comet 9P/ Tempel 1 observers. The out- March April May June July Month
come was a large number of reports and
news stories, where observers at Paranal
and La Silla played an important role as
primary sources of information for editors Figure 2: National videoconference on
Comets and Deep Impact, jointly
and journalists. Not all the reports were
organised by ESO and the Chilean Min-
of extreme quality, and precisely one of istry of Education. After a motivating
the challenges for the future is to promote introduction given by astronomers lo-
in the region best practices in science cated in Santiago and Paranal, stu-
dents in 18 different Chilean cities had
journalism and communication of astrono-
the opportunity to ask their questions
my for the general public. about Comets and the Solar System, a
few days before impact.
A week after the most intensive part of
the observing programme of Comet 9P/
Tempel 1 had ended, the main national
TV network in the country, in conjunction
with ESO, presented a 50-minute docu-
mentary. This special chapter showed the
excitement behind Comet 9P/ Tempel 1 Figure 3: Representing ESO/ALMA,
Jörg Eschwey, Manager of Site De-
observations, along with some basic prin-
velopment at Chajnantor, and Roberto
ciples of modern observation of the sky. Tamai, Head of Engineering of the
In its first projection by TV, about half a La Silla Paranal Observatory, receive
million people watched the documentary the award to the best exhibition during
Exponor 2005 (the main industrial
(Source: Time-Ibope).
convention in Antofagasta, capital of
Region II, where Paranal and Chajnan-
A complementary approach to this media tor are located). Scale models of the
strategy has been the presence of ESO in VLT and ALMA, documentaries in
Spanish version and informative panels
public events and exhibitions, as the Pub-
were part of the ESO-ALMA exhibition.
lic Affairs Department of ESO in Garching
has done for many years in Europe.
Last June, ESO was present at EXPONOR,

the most relevant industrial convention
in northern Chile, held every two years
(see Figure 3). Based in Antofagasta, it is
attended by thousands of visitors, who For the future, more exhibitions in public
are the natural neighbours of Paranal and events are expected, most of them in
ALMA. collaboration with the Chilean Ministry of
Education. In the long run, this will mean
an increase on the public awareness
of ESO’s commitment with Chile and its
people, sharing a cultural identity with the
community and contributing to the pro-
motion of a science culture and a better
understanding of the Universe.

Universe Awareness for Young Children
George Miley 1 verse in later years. Secondly, the educa- introduce the concept of the Sun, the
Claus Madsen 2 tional disparities between advantaged Solar System, stars and galaxies. Through
Cecilia Scorza de Appl 3 and disadvantaged children are smallest excitement, adventure and wonder,
for the youngest children. children will be stimulated to appreciate
1 the beauty and enormity of the Universe.
Leiden University
2
ESO
3 ESO workshop Young disadvantaged children live in
University of Heidelberg
diverse environments. For example, the
Following the setting up of an ad-hoc educational infrastructure for disadvan-
Universe Awareness (UNA) is an inter- UNA steering committee in 2004, a work- taged children in the inner cities of Euro-
national programme that will expose shop was held at ESO Headquarters on pean countries is qualitatively different
economically-disadvantaged young chil- May 27 and 28, 2005 to discuss the from the situation for disadvantaged chil-
dren, between ages 4 and 10 years, in feasibility of the Universe Awareness idea. dren in an agricultural African village.
developed and developing countries to The 16 participants from 14 countries in UNA will therefore initially develop, imple-
the inspirational aspects of modern as- 5 continents included professional astron- ment and evaluate a pilot project in a
tronomy. omers, educators, scientific outreach pro- small number of countries representative
fessionals and a social anthropologist. of the following three different educational
The participants were unanimously enthu- environments:
Introduction siastic about Universe Awareness as (i) Environment 1:
an idea and about the feasibility of devel- – School starting at age 7– 8 or non-exis-
From the dawn of history, the beauty of oping it into a useful programme. At tent;
the sky and its intimate connection with the workshop two sub-committees were – Television scarce.
the development of human civilisation formed to follow up on detailed aspects (ii) Environment 2:
have inspired countless generations with of the project. The first is studying educa- – School starting at age 6–7;
a sense of wonder. Modern astronomy tional aspects of Universe Awareness, – Sporadic access to Internet;
continues to play a unique role in convey- including the content of the programme – Television at home and at school;
ing the excitement of science to the and the optimum didactic methods for – Poorly trained teachers.
general public. In recent years consider- delivering it. The second sub-committee is (iii) Environment 3:
able resources have been devoted to focusing on questions of organisation and – School starting at age 4–5;
astronomical outreach in developed coun- funding. – Access to Internet at school and often
tries, aided by the spectacular images at home;
produced by modern astronomical facili- – Well-trained teachers;
ties and the continuing list of major as- The project – UNA accepted as in-school curriculum.
tronomical discoveries that have changed
our views of the Universe. Universe UNA is intended to be a programme that For each environment a phased, coordi-
Awareness is a new programme intended is inspirational and entertaining rather nated modular programme will be pre-
to reach a target group that has so far than to impart facts or develop specific pared and training courses will be devel-
been neglected by such outreach pro- cognitive skills. The minimum goal will oped, all specifically tailored to fit the
grammes, namely children between four be to make young children aware of the culture and language of the target group.
and ten years of age. beauty and scale of the Universe. It also
carries the implicit message that Nature
The programme is motivated by the can be interrogated by rational means. Tools and methods
premise that access to simple knowledge The tools and methods of UNA will be
about the Universe is a basic birthright developed with the aim of eventually Where very young children do not attend
of everybody. The formative ages of four reaching as large a number of children as school (Environment 1), creative appeal-
to ten years are crucial in the develop- possible. The development and imple- ing materials will be developed for distri-
ment of a human value system. This is mentation of UNA will be driven by the bution by any available delivery method
also the age range in which children can needs and wishes of active educators in (e.g. national television or travelling UNA
readily appreciate and enjoy the beauty the target countries, combining the in- buses). For Environments 2 and 3, the
of astronomical objects and can learn to novative use of professionally developed programme will provide teachers with ma-
develop a “feeling” for the vastness of tools, including songs, games, toys and terials that involve children more actively.
the Universe. Exposing young children to animation films in a coordinated modular
such material is likely to broaden their programme. Several short films will be developed to
minds and stimulate their world-view. illustrate the two aspects of Universe
The UNA programme will begin with Awareness, beauty and scale and gradu-
The programme concentrates on disad- “Earth Awareness”, emphasising that the ally make children aware of the Earth,
vantaged young children for two reasons. child is a member of a diverse human the Solar System and the Universe. The
Firstly, most other children will be ex- family of children living on a particu- films will be designed to appeal to young
posed to some knowledge about the Uni- lar planet. Universe Awareness will then children by entertaining them. They will

From the UNA workshop
at ESO Headquarters.
Photo: H. H. Heyer, ESO
Present Organisation of Universe Awareness
Universe Awareness International

Steering Committee
Co-Chairpersons:
Mr. Claus Madsen, Head of the Public Affairs
Department, ESO, Garching, Germany
Prof. George K. Miley, Royal Netherlands Academy
Professor, Leiden University, the Netherlands
Dr. Cecilia Scorza de Appl, Landessternwarte

Heidelberg, Germany
Prof. Alec Boksenberg, Chairman, UK National
Commission for UNESCO, Institute of Astronomy,
Cambridge, United Kingdom
Ms. Alexa Joyce, International Programme Coor-
dinator, European Schoolnet, Brussels Belgium
UNA Project Manager Coordinator

(from September 15, 2005):
make use of cartoon characters, anima- example, children would learn from each
Dr. Carolina Ödman, Leiden University,
tion and exciting adventure stories. These other that developing countries are often the Netherlands
films will be made by experienced makers “richer” in sources of UNA wonderment
of children’s entertainment films and than developed ones. For example, skies
Universe Awareness Education Sub-Committee
creative educators, with advice provided in agricultural regions are generally darker
by astronomers. The adventures, featur- and less polluted by light, so that children Chairperson:
ing some of the most beautiful images can count much larger numbers of stars. Dr. Cecilia Scorza de Appl, Astronomer/Education-
made by modern telescopes, will be set in alist, Landessternwarte Heidelberg, Germany
a variety of exotic environments known Special attention will be devoted to opti-
Mr. Gonzalo Argandona, Astronomical Outreach,
to exist in the Universe. They will attempt mum methods for delivering the pro- ESO, Santiago, Chile
to cultivate the sense of imagination that gramme in less developed environments. Ms. Chandra Fernando, Primary School Teacher /
is widespread in young children. Tailoring films to local needs so that they Teacher training, Northeast Montessori Institute,
Baltimore, USA
can be transmitted on national or local
Ms. Birthe Kirknæs, Primary School Headmaster (rtd.),
Additional coordinated material tailored television is one option. Another option is Copenhagen,Denmark
for each country will be developed with to equip travelling UNA buses with inter- Mr. Jesper Kirknæs, Social Anthropologist, Copen-
the aid of talented educators, scientists active games and exciting exhibits. Such hagen, Denmark
Dr. Naoufel Ben Maaouia, Educator/Astronomer/Plan-
and artists from these countries. These buses are already frequently used for
etarium Director, Tunis, Tunisia
will include games and songs. They educational purposes in Tunisia, travelling Mr. Bernat Martinez, CEFIRE (In-service Teacher Train-
will often focus on the cartoon characters, between widely dispersed villages, stop- ing Centre), Benidorm, Spain
feature UNA images and emphasise rele- ping as appropriate. Dr. Premana W. Premadi, Astronomer, Institut
Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia
vant aspects of Universe Awareness.
Dr. Rosa M. Ros, Educator/Teacher training, Technical
Where appropriate, involvement of ancient To coordinate the programme and main- University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
local cultures with astronomy will be tain links with the schools, teachers, par- Dr. Karl Sarnow, Educator, European Schoolnet,
woven into the material. A goal will be to ents and children in the target countries, Brussels, Belgium
Dr. Henri Boffin, Astronomical Outreach, ESO,
stimulate active group participation by several Universe Awareness Coordinators
Garching, Germany
the children, where possible, but will also will be trained for each target country. Dr. R. West, Outreach Astronomer (rtd.), ESO,
include simple board games that chil- Garching, Germany
dren can play on a one-to-one basis. By
including a uniform set of characters, Pilot project
Universe Awareness Organisation Sub-Committee
images and environments over a range
of material, the UNA message will be re- We propose to commence Universe Chairperson:
inforced. Awareness with a pilot project that will Prof. Alec Boksenberg, Astronomer, Chairman,
UK National Commission for UNESCO, Institute of
target a limited number of developing
Astronomy, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Internet will be used to creatively enhance countries and disadvantaged groups in up
the programme for disadvantaged to four European countries. There are Ms. Marina Joubert, Scientific Outreach,
children in advanced educational environ- two reasons for combining these two tar- South African Agency for Science and Technology
Advancement, Pretoria, South Africa
ments (Environment 3). Special material get groups. First, the concept of “earth
Mr. Claus Madsen, Head of the Public Affairs Depart-
will be developed to enable UNA “twin- awareness” provides a good reason for ment, ESO, Garching, Germany
ning” activities, for class collaborations linking these two geographically sepa- Prof. George K. Miley, Astronomer, Royal Netherlands
between young children in deprived rated target groups. Secondly, a well-de- Academy Professor, Leiden University, the Nether-
lands
regions of advanced countries and young fined European involvement in such a
children in developing countries. For one-world educational programme fits

well with the aspirations of the European University and the Royal Netherlands Aca- Preliminary Timeline
Union and several individual European demy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
Three stages in the pilot project are envisaged:
countries. During the next year we will seek further
endorsements. September 2005–December 2006
An “announcement of opportunity” will Preparation
– Contacting suitable funding organisations
be disseminated at the end of 2005, re- The development of the UNA project is
– Refinement of educational goals and needed
questing expressions of interest by na- presently being overseen by a 5-member material
tional groups that are interested in partici- Universe Awareness International Steering – Preparation of funding proposals
pating in UNA. Although the pilot proj- Committee (UNAISC) and two sub-com-
2007– 2008
ect will concentrate on the selected target mittees devoted to education and organi-
Development
countries, UNA material will be made sation/funding respectively. Dr. Carolina – Production of actual animation films, games, toys,
available generally. Ödman has been appointed as UNA inter- and internet tools
national project manager/coordinator at – Development and organisation of coordinator
training courses
Leiden from September 15, 2005.
Organisations 2009
It is planned to hold a second larger inter- Implementation
At present the following organisations disciplinary workshop to discuss pro- – Start of pilot project with evaluation
support the Universe Awareness Pro- gress in the project in the late summer of
Note that the expected implementation date for the
gramme: ESO, the European Schoolnet 2006. All those who are interested in UNA pilot project coincides with the International Year of
(ESN), the European Association for and wish to be kept informed of devel- Astronomy planned for 2009.
Astronomy Education, (EAAE), the Inter- opments should contact Carolina Ödman
national Astronomical Union, Leiden ([email protected]).
Catherine Cesarsky Elected Member of Academies of Sciences
On April 20, 2004, the US National Academy of On April 30, 2005, at the Annual Meeting of the
Photo: L. Bulatis /The Royal Society

Sciences selected 72 new members and US National Academy of Sciences, Catherine
18 foreign associates from 13 countries, includ- Cesarsky, was officially inducted into this highly
ing Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, ESO’s Director prestigious society.
General. This brought the total number of ac-
tive members to 1949, including 351 foreign At about the same time, Catherine Cesarsky
associates. became a Foreign Member of the Royal
Swedish Academy of Sciences. Founded in
Among its distinguished members, the National 1739, this Academy was modelled on the
Academy includes 83 astronomers. Catherine pattern of the Royal Society of London and of
Cesarsky was elected in recognition of her role l’Académie Royale des Sciences in Paris. It
as a pioneer of space infrared astronomy and is an independent organisation whose overall
a leader of European physics and astronomy, objective is to foster the sciences, particularly
and more particularly, for her seminal contribu- mathematics and the natural sciences. And,
tions to the study of star formation in near of course, every year the Academy awards the
and distant galaxies, the cosmic infrared back- Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, the
ground, and the confinement and acceleration Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in
of cosmic rays. Memory of Alfred Nobel, the Crafoord Prize
and a number of other large prizes. It might be Catherine Cesarsky is
The US National Academy of Sciences is a pri- worth mentioning that this year’s laureates inducted into the
vate, non-profit, self-perpetuating society of the Crafoord Prize are three astronomers: British Royal Society.
of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific James Gunn and James Peebles from
and engineering research, dedicated to the Princeton University, USA, and Sir Martin Rees
furtherance of science and technology and to from the University of Cambridge, UK.
their use for the general welfare. Upon the
authority of the charter granted to it by the On May 27, 2005, Dr. Cesarsky was also elect- has, throughout its history, promoted ex-
Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate ed Foreign Member of the British Royal So- cellence in science through its Fellowship and
that requires it to advise the federal govern- ciety, thereby joining the 1292 Fellows and Foreign Membership, which has included
ment on scientific and technical matters. 132 Foreign Members of the world’s oldest sci- Newton, Montesquieu, Darwin, Rutherford,
entific academy in continuous existence. Einstein, Hodgkin, Crick, Watson and Hawking.
The Royal Society was founded in 1660 and

Fellows at ESO
Research is the other part of the fellow- My astronomy career started at the Uni-
ship, and actually the most important for versity of Oslo where I did my master de-
me. Greatly enhanced by a unique ex- gree. During this period, I went on fre-
perience of the “backstage” of telescope quent observing trips to the 2.5-m Nordic
operations, I can conduct my research Optical Telescope on La Palma, and
freely at Vitacura. Even in the context hence got observing experience fairly
where none of my colleagues is directly early. To pursue my PhD, I moved to the
working in my field. Of course, not every- University of Stockholm. My PhD con-
body is aware of the great interest centrated on clustering of galaxies around
Wolf-Rayet stars might represent ... But I quasars, but I also worked with weak
am slowly making more and more people gravitational lensing by clusters of galax-
aware of it! And I realise after these years ies. I still find weak gravitational lensing
the advantages of being an ESO fellow: in a very fascinating technique to measure
Vitacura there are simply all the “instru- the masses of the largest bound struc-
ments scientists” of all ESO instruments! tures in the Universe.
And the fellowship is three years in Chile.
It gives precious time to start serious During my post doc at the Spitzer Science
Cédric Foellmi collaborations, and develop a coherent re- Center I started a programme to study the
search. Friends, coherence and sense. centres of nearby radio galaxies, in par-
After my studies in Geneva and my PhD Isn’t it what we all are looking for? Some ticular to measure their black hole masses.
in Montréal, I moved to ESO and La Silla. lucky ones looking at the beautiful south- For this, I used the historic 5-m Hale tele-
Like many others, I was fulfilling a dream. ern sky. scope on Mt. Palomar. During my time
I was not only visiting La Silla, but actually here at ESO, I have continued this project
working in it! Long turnos provide this using both the NTT and the 3.6-m tele-
very peculiar feeling of a little community scope. Being interested in what is going
of specialised workers whose goal is to on in the centres of galaxies, I am now
observe the sky every night. And the peo- using the new mid-infrared VLT instru-
ple in La Silla are really great. As much as ment, VISIR, to study gas in the centres
the sky. of active galaxies.
I have been right away attached to the Never did I dream that my interest for
NTT. These were hard and great times. astronomy as a kid would take me to so
I was still finishing my PhD, and having many different places in this world, and
duties at the NTT in the “old” control room: would allow me to meet so many interest-
cold, very dry, moving all night. Tough. ing people. This is still an adventure for
However, I was not only learning how ESO me!
operates, but also how to become an
efficient observer on large telescopes. “Ef-
ficient” here means having a strong vi-
sion of the variety of astronomical objects
and phenomena, and a detailed knowl- Margrethe Wold
edge of instruments and techniques. This
proves to be of the greatest importance I arrived at ESO in the winter of 2003.
for my research. I had been working as a post doc at the
Spitzer Science Center at Caltech in
Pasadena, so arriving in cold Garching
was quite a dramatic change from warm
and sunny California. From early on, I
had a deep interest in science, not just as-
tronomy, but several different topics
like archaeology, ornithology and particle
physics. In the end, I decided to study
astronomy, even though I first started an
engineering education at a technical uni-
versity.

Announcements
International Conference on
Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology – Einstein’s Legacy
November 7–11, 2005, Munich, Germany
100 years ago Albert Einstein published Scientific themes are: Invited speakers:
three seminal papers on the theories of – Gamma-Ray Bursts – the Creation of Roger Blandford, Jürgen Ehlers,
special relativity, of the photoelectric effect Black Holes? Neil Gehrels, Reinhard Genzel, Riccardo
and of Brownian motion, which made – Neutron Stars, Black Holes, Micro- Giacconi, Piero Madau, Felix Mirabel,
the world call the year 1905 the miracu- quasars Lyman Page, Sterl Phinney, Edward L.
lous year. Together with Einstein’s theory – The Galactic Centre and Supermassive Wright.
of general relativity fundamental building Black Holes in Galaxies
blocks were provided for modern astro- – Active Galactic Nuclei, Feeding and Scientific Advisory Committee:
physics and cosmology and can thus be Feedback Roger Blandford, Jürgen Ehlers, Reinhard
considered as a true legacy to mankind. – Gravitational Wave Astrophysics Genzel, Günther Hasinger (Chair),
– Clusters of Galaxies and Large-Scale Bruno Leibundgut, Gernot Neugebauer,
The conference “Relativistic Astrophysics Structure Martin Rees, Hans-Walter Rix, Peter
and Cosmology – Einstein’s Legacy” will – Dark Matter and Dark Energy – Schneider, Bernard F. Schutz, Rashid A.
give an overview on recent progress in Einstein’s greatest triumph? Sunyaev, Joachim Trümper.
relativistic astrophysics and cosmology.
It will be one of the final highlights of the Further information and registration:
“International Year of Physics” and the www.mpe.mpg.de /~e05/
German “Einstein Year”.
Latin American Astronomy Summer School
December 8–10, 2005, Santiago, Chile
ESO – the European Organisation for As- The lecturers are: Local and Scientific Organising
tronomical Research in the Southern Malcolm Longair (Cambridge University, Committee members are:
Hemisphere – and the Sociedad Chilena UK), Bob Williams (STScI, USA), Gloria Felix Mirabel (ESO – Chair), Monica Rubio
de Astronomía (SOCHIAS) are organising Dubner (IAFE /CONICET, Argentina), (Universidad de Chile), Dante Minniti
a Latin American Astronomy Summer Pat Osmer (Ohio State University, USA), (Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile),
School. It will take place from December Luis Felipe Rodriguez (UNAM, Mexico), Maria Eugenia Gomez (ESO), and Andrea
8–10, 2005, the week before the Regional Dante Minniti (Pontificia Universidad Lagarini (ContactChile Comunicaciones).
Meeting of the International Astronomical Católica, Chile), Felix Mirabel (ESO, Chile).
Union to be held on December 12–16, The School e-mail is [email protected].
2005 in Pucon, Chile (~ 800 km South of The lectures will cover the following Interested participants should fill in the
Santiago). themes: preregistration form at the webpage link:
– Extrasolar planets www.sc.eso.org/santiago/science/LASS2
The aim of this multi-thematic Latin Amer- – Star Formation and the Interstellar 005/
ican School is to provide students and Medium
young researchers exposure to different – Supernovae There is no registration fee, and limited
front-line areas of research presented by – Black Holes funds may be available to cover local ex-
major players in promoting and/or execut- – Evolution of Galaxies. penses in Santiago. The School an-
ing those areas. The lectures will have a – Distant Quasars nouncements will be posted; check for
pedagogical character. – The Deep Universe updates at: www.sc.eso.org/santiago/
science/LASS2005/
This School is sponsored by:
ESO, SOCHIAS, and the I. Municipalidad
de Vitacura.

Personnel Movements
July 1, 2005 –September 30, 2005
Arrivals Departures
Europe Europe
Alves de Oliveira, Catarina (P) Student Blondin, Stephane (F) Student

Fedele, Davide (I) Student Credland, John D. (GB) Head of the ALMA Division
Feng, Yan (CN) Paid Associate Da Costa, Luiz Alberto (I) Astronomer
Hötzl, Stefan (D) Electronics Technician Döllinger, Michaela (D) Student
Igl, Georg (D) Quality Engineer Fechner, Matthias (D) Student
Kolb, Johann (F) Paid Associate Gerken, Bettina (D) Student
Kornmesser, Martin (D) Graphics Designer Guzman, Ronald (BOL) Student
Landsmann, Michael (D) Student Hastie, Morag Ann (GB) Student
Lapeyre, Pascal (F) Engineering Work Järvinen, Arto (FIN) Student
Lopez, Gil Ignacio (E) Accountant Kalaglarsky, Damyan (BG) Student
Lyubenova, Mariya (BG) Student Karl, Simon (D) Student
Manescau, Hernandez Antonio Ramon (E) Instrumentation Engineer Kniazev, Alexei (RU) Paid Associate
Mieske, Steffen (D) Fellow Koenig, Emilie (F) Student
Rivas, Rodrigo (RCH) Student Landsmann, Michael (D) Student
Rykaczewski, Hans (D) Head of the ALMA Division Renzini, Alvio (I) VLT Programme Scientist
Vernet, Elise (F) Paid Associate Rivas, Rodrigo (RCH) Student
Wesse, Yves (F) Contract Officer Rolland, Lucie (F) Student
Sartoretti, Paola (I) Operations Scientist
Valat, Bruno (F) Student
Verdoes Kleijn, Gijsbert (NL) Fellow
Zhuang, Tao (CN) Student
Chile Chile
Aguilera, Hugo Freddy (RCH) Accounting Officer Aguilar, Raul (RCH) Safety Engineer
Amico, Paola (I) Operations Astronomer Baes, Maarten (B) Fellow
Badel, Arnaud (F) Student Billeres, Malvina (F) Fellow
Dierksmeier, Claus (D) Civil Engineer Couronne, Cristophe (F) Student
Groothuis, Charlotte (NL) Opto-Mechanical Engineer de Brito Leal, Luis Filipe (P) Student
Guniat, Serge (CH) Mechanical Engineer Ederoclite, Alessandro (I) Student
Lassalle, Jacques (F) Safety Engineer Fossati, Luca (I) Student
Luhrs, Javier (RCH) Software Engineer Haubois, Xavier (F) Student
Mella, Juan Alberto (RCH) Safety Engineer Hurtado, Norma (RCH) Telescope Instruments Operator
Schmidtobreick, Linda (D) Operations Astronomer Jaunsen, Andreas (N) Operations Astronomer
Leproux, Anais (F) Student
Martinez, Mauricio (RCH) Telescope Instruments Operator
Roa, Mauricio (RCH) Software Engineer
Scatarzi, Alberto (I) Student
ESO – European Organisation for Astronomical Research

in the Southern Hemisphere
invites applications for the position of a Qualification and Experience: Advanced university
degree in Science, preferably astronomy/astro-
European Affairs Officer physics. Knowledge of contemporary science poli-
cy isues as well as of the EC Framework Pro-
Assignment: The successful candidate will
gramme and other European funding schemes is
– Identify relevant funding possibilities within the
required. Experience in interaction with science
EC Framework Programme and other activities,
administrators and policy makers at all levels is
advise applicants and monitor the progress
necessary. Experience in public science communi-
of applications and contracts;
cation and interest in societal aspects of science
– Follow developments in European Science Policy
are an advantage. Fluency in English is essential
and provide advice to the ESO management;
as well as a good knowledge in French.
– Assist with ESO’s interaction in the EIROforum
partnership;
Duty station: Garching near Munich, Germany
– Organise policy-related debates and events in
Starting date: As soon as possible
member states as well as in the institutions
Further information under: http://www.eso.org/
of the EU, attracting key decision-makers and
gen-fac/adm/pers/vacant/europeanaffairs.html
media;
– Organise special visits and events for opinion
formers and target groups in member states.
ESO. Astronomy made in Europe

ESO is the European Organisation for Contents
Astronomical Research in the Southern
Hemisphere. Whilst the Headquarters I. Hook et al. – Science with Extremely Large Telescopes 2
(comprising the scientific, technical and
administrative centre of the organisa- Reports from Observers
tion) are located in Garching near H.-U. Käufl et al. – Deep Impact at ESO Telescopes 11
Munich, Germany, ESO operates three A Triple Asteroid System 17
observational sites in the Chilean Ata- S. Randich et al. – FLAMES Observations of Old Open Clusters 18
cama desert. The Very Large Telescope W. Gieren et al. – Measuring Improved Distances to Nearby Galaxies:
(VLT), is located on Paranal, a 2 600 m The Araucaria Project 23
high mountain south of Antofagasta. At C. Péroux et al. – Early Galaxy Evolution: Report on UVES Studies
La Silla, 600 km north of Santiago de of a New Class of Quasar Absorbers 29
Chile at 2 400 m altitude, ESO operates A New Einstein Ring 32
several medium-sized optical tele- M. Swinbank et al. – Resolved Spectroscopy of a z = 5
scopes. The third site is the 5 000 m Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy with the VIMOS IFU 33
high Llano de Chajnantor, near San Farthest Known Gamma-Ray Burst 35
Pedro de Atacama. Here a new submil- M. J. Jarvis et al. – Surveying the High-Redshift Universe with the VIMOS IFU 38
limetre telescope (APEX) is in opera- S. Lilly et al. – The zCOSMOS Redshift Survey 42
tion, and a giant array of 12-m submil- Observing with the New High-Speed Camera ULTRACAM on Melipal 46
limetre antennas (ALMA) is under
development. Over 1 600 proposals are Telescopes and Instrumentation
made each year for the use of the ESO T. Wilson – ALMA News 48
telescopes. J. Eschwey – ALMA Site Development 50
M. Cullum – Technology Transfer at ESO 52
The ESO MESSENGER is published four
times a year: normally in March, June, Other Astronomical News
September and December. ESO also R. A. E. Fosbury – The ESA-ESO Topical Science Working Groups 56
publishes Conference Proceedings and F. Kerber, O. Hainaut – ESA-ESO Working Group on Extra-Solar Planets 56
other material connected to its activities. I. Robson, L. L. Christensen – Report on the ESO-ESA-IAU Conference
Press Releases inform the media about Communicating Astronomy with the Public 2005 59
particular events. For further infor- P. Padovani, M. Dolensky – Report on the ESO Workshop on Virtual
mation, contact the ESO Public Affairs Observatory Standards and Systems for Data Centres and Large Projects 60
Department at the following address: P. Shaver et al. – Report on the EPS-ESA-ESO-CERN Conference on
Relativity, Matter and Cosmology 62
ESO Headquarters E. Janssen – ESO Public Activities in July 2005 63
Karl-Schwarzschild-Straße 2 G. Argandoña, F. Mirabel – Public Information and Education in Chile 64
85748 Garching bei München G. Miley et al. – Universe Awareness for Young Children 66
Germany Catherine Cesarsky Elected Member of Academies of Sciences 68
Phone +49 89 320 06-0 Fellows at ESO – C. Foellmi, M. Wold 69
Fax +49 89 320 23 62
[email protected] Announcements
www.eso.org International Conference on Relativistic Astrophysics and Cosmology –
Einstein’s Legacy 70
The ESO Messenger: Latin American Astronomy Summer School 70
Editor: Peter Shaver Personnel Movements 71
Technical editor: Jutta Boxheimer Vacancy notice 71
www.eso.org/messenger/
Printed by
Peschke Druck
Schatzbogen 35
81805 München
Germany
© ESO 2005 Front Cover Picture: The Radio Galaxy Centaurus A

ISSN 0722-6691 This image (NGC 5128) was obtained by João Alves and colleagues using the
WFI instrument mounted on the 2.2-m ESO telescope of La Silla. This composite
colour image is a combination of five filters (U, B, V, R and Hα). The observations
were reduced and combined by Benoît Vandame (ESO).

The Messenger: No. 121 - September 2005

Uploaded by

Document Informationclick to expand document information

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Messenger: No. 121 - September 2005

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Messenger: No. 121 - September 2005

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

The Messenger

No. 121 – September 2005

Figure 1: Concepts for 50 –100-m ELTs. Left: the

2 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

Extremely Large Telescopes offer spec-

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 3

Figure 3: A simulated time-series image of a solar-

tions of observations of extra-solar plan-

4 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

When and where did the stars form? Ωm = 0 ΩΛ = 0

When did the stars form? This basic

ies, but at a very low rate. Most stars

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 5

Figure 7: A predicted distribution of stars as a func-

near-infrared imaging in the J-, H- and -8 t ≤ 0.1

-2 AGB BL – Blue Loop

6 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

For reasons which are not understood,

All these questions require for progress

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 7

Figure 10: Spectra of quasars of increasing redshift

These models, together with other more

8 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

much earlier. Very high-redshift star-form-

Furthermore, a sub-millimetre capability

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 9

Figure 12: Our current understanding of the mass-

Why an ELT now?

The relatively large apertures which are

For example, routine images from the

10 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

Deep Impact at ESO Telescopes

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 11

of a solar-system body, density and thus

The Deep Impact mission

On 4 July 2005, NASA’s discovery mis-

12 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

Table 1: Usage of different observing modes during impact period.

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 13

–R6 –R5 –R4 –R3 –R2

14 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

– the nucleus albedo is 4 %

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 15

measured in the very inner coma (3–5?),

Thanks to daytime observing, the com- Outlook and future work

16 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

A Triple Asteroid System

Artist’s impression of the

One of the thousands of minor planets

“Since double asteroids seem to be com-

The discovery was made with NACO on

One of these asteroids was 87 Sylvia,

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 17

FLAMES Observations of Old Open Clusters:

18 The Messenger 121 – September 2005

The Messenger 121 – September 2005 19

pipeline. Examples of extracted UVES

Results: first examples