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Context. The inner few au region of planet-forming disks is a complex environment. High angular resolution observations have a key role in understanding the disk structure and the dynamical processes at work. Aims. In this study we aim to characterize the mid-infrared brightness distribution of the inner disk of the young intermediate-mass star HD 163296, from VLTI/MATISSE observations. Methods. We use geometric models to fit the data. Our models include a smoothed ring, a flat disk with inner cavity, and a 2D Gaussian. The models can account for disk inclination and for azimuthal asymmetries as well. We also perform numerical hydro-dynamical simulations of the inner edge of the disk. Results. Our modeling reveals a significant brightness asymmetry in the L-band disk emission. The brightness maximum of the asymmetry is located at the NW part of the disk image, nearly at the position angle of the semimajor axis. The surface brightness ratio in the azimuthal variation is $3.5 \pm 0.2$. Comparing our result on the location of the asymmetry with other interferometric measurements, we confirm that the morphology of the $r, accepted for publication in A&A

We report velocity-delay maps for prominent broad emission lines, Ly_alpha, CIV, HeII and H_beta, in the spectrum of NGC5548. The emission-line responses inhabit the interior of a virial envelope. The velocity-delay maps reveal stratified ionization structure. The HeII response inside 5-10 light-days has a broad single-peaked velocity profile. The Ly_alpha, CIV, and H_beta responses peak inside 10 light-days, extend outside 20 light-days, and exhibit a velocity profile with two peaks separated by 5000 km/s in the 10 to 20 light-day delay range. The velocity-delay maps show that the M-shaped lag vs velocity structure found in previous cross-correlation analysis is the signature of a Keplerian disk with a well-defined outer edge at R=20 light-days. The outer wings of the M arise from the virial envelope, and the U-shaped interior of the M is the lower half of an ellipse in the velocity-delay plane. The far-side response is weaker than that from the near side, so that we see clearly the lower half, but only faintly the upper half, of the velocity--delay ellipse. The delay tau=(R/c)(1-sin(i))=5 light-days at line center is from the near edge of the inclined ring, giving the inclination i=45 deg. A black hole mass of M=7x10^7 Msun is consistent with the velocity-delay structure. A barber-pole pattern with stripes moving from red to blue across the CIV and possibly Ly_alpha line profiles suggests the presence of azimuthal structure rotating around the far side of the broad-line region and may be the signature of precession or orbital motion of structures in the inner disk. Further HST observations of NGC 5548 over a multi-year timespan but with a cadence of perhaps 10 days rather than 1 day could help to clarify the nature of this new AGN phenomenon., 19 pages, 9 figures, ApJ in press

The nature of circumstellar envelopes (CSE) around Cepheids is still a matter of debate. The physical origin of their infrared (IR) excess could be either a shell of ionized gas, or a dust envelope, or both. This study aims at constraining the geometry and the IR excess of the environment of the long-period Cepheid $\ell$ Car (P=35.5 days) at mid-IR wavelengths to understand its physical nature. We first use photometric observations in various bands and Spitzer Space Telescope spectroscopy to constrain the IR excess of $\ell$ Car. Then, we analyze the VLTI/MATISSE measurements at a specific phase of observation, in order to determine the flux contribution, the size and shape of the environment of the star in the L band. We finally test the hypothesis of a shell of ionized gas in order to model the IR excess. We report the first detection in the L band of a centro-symmetric extended emission around l Car, of about 1.7$R_\star$ in FWHM, producing an excess of about 7.0\% in this band. In the N band, there is no clear evidence for dust emission from VLTI/MATISSE correlated flux and Spitzer data. On the other side, the modeled shell of ionized gas implies a more compact CSE ($1.13\pm0.02\,R_\star$) and fainter (IR excess of 1\% in the L band). We provide new evidences for a compact CSE of $\ell$ Car and we demonstrate the capabilities of VLTI/MATISSE for determining common properties of CSEs. While the compact CSE of $\ell$ Car is probably of gaseous nature, the tested model of a shell of ionized gas is not able to simultaneously reproduce the IR excess and the interferometric observations. Further Galactic Cepheids observations with VLTI/MATISSE are necessary for determining the properties of CSEs, which may also depend on both the pulsation period and the evolutionary state of the stars., Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We present geometric and dynamical modeling of the broad line region for the multi-wavelength reverberation mapping campaign focused on NGC 5548 in 2014. The dataset includes photometric and spectroscopic monitoring in the optical and ultraviolet, covering the H$\beta$, C IV, and Ly$\alpha$ broad emission lines. We find an extended disk-like H$\beta$ BLR with a mixture of near-circular and outflowing gas trajectories, while the C IV and Ly$\alpha$ BLRs are much less extended and resemble shell-like structures. There is clear radial structure in the BLR, with C IV and Ly$\alpha$ emission arising at smaller radii than the H$\beta$ emission. Using the three lines, we make three independent black hole mass measurements, all of which are consistent. Combining these results gives a joint inference of $\log_{10}(M_{\rm BH}/M_\odot) = 7.64^{+0.21}_{-0.18}$. We examine the effect of using the $V$ band instead of the UV continuum light curve on the results and find a size difference that is consistent with the measured UV-optical time lag, but the other structural and kinematic parameters remain unchanged, suggesting that the $V$ band is a suitable proxy for the ionizing continuum when exploring the BLR structure and kinematics. Finally, we compare the H$\beta$ results to similar models of data obtained in 2008 when the AGN was at a lower luminosity state. We find that the size of the emitting region increased during this time period, but the geometry and black hole mass remain unchanged, which confirms that the BLR kinematics suitably gauge the gravitational field of the central black hole., Comment: 26 pages, 19 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in ApJ

We model the ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC~5548 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope during the 6-month reverberation-mapping campaign in 2014. Our model of the emission from NGC 5548 corrects for overlying absorption and deblends the individual emission lines. Using the modeled spectra, we measure the response to continuum variations for the deblended and absorption-corrected individual broad emission lines, the velocity-dependent profiles of Ly$\alpha$ and C IV, and the narrow and broad intrinsic absorption features. We find that the time lags for the corrected emission lines are comparable to those for the original data. The velocity-binned lag profiles of Ly$\alpha$ and C IV have a double-peaked structure indicative of a truncated Keplerian disk. The narrow absorption lines show delayed response to continuum variations corresponding to recombination in gas with a density of $\sim 10^5~\rm cm^{-3}$. The high-ionization narrow absorption lines decorrelate from continuum variations during the same period as the broad emission lines. Analyzing the response of these absorption lines during this period shows that the ionizing flux is diminished in strength relative to the far-ultraviolet continuum. The broad absorption lines associated with the X-ray obscurer decrease in strength during this same time interval. The appearance of X-ray obscuration in $\sim\,2012$ corresponds with an increase in the luminosity of NGC 5548 following an extended low state. We suggest that the obscurer is a disk wind triggered by the brightening of NGC 5548 following the decrease in size of the broad-line region during the preceding low-luminosity state., Comment: 50 pages, 30 figures, uses aastex62.cls. Accepted for publication in ApJ, 07/06/2019. High-level products page in MAST will go live after 7/15/2019. Replaced Figure 4 on 7/12/2019 to be more red/green color-blind friendly

The achievement of microarcsecond relative astrometry in the near- infrared, with ground-based extremely large telescopes (ELTs) requires an extremely careful calibration strategy. In this paper we address the removal of optical distortions originating from the ELT’s first light instrument MICADO and its adaptive optics system MAORY by means of a Warm Astrometric calibration Mask (WAM). The results of the test campaign on small spatial scales (1.5 mm) of a prototype mask has confirmed the manufacturing precision down to ∼50 nm/1 mm scale, leading to a relative precision of δσ ∼ 5 · 10−5. The assessed manufacturing precision indicates that an astrometric relative precision of δ σ ∼ 5\cdot {10}-5=\tfrac{50 μ {as}}{1\prime\prime }, corresponding to the MICADO astrometric requirement, is in principle achievable, reaching microarcsecond near-infrared astrometry on an ELT. The impact of ∼20 nm, (peak to valley) error residuals on position of the pinholes of the mask is tolerable at a calibration level as confirmed by ray tracing simulations of realistic MICADO distortion patterns affected by mid spatial frequencies (MSFs) residuals. Here we demonstrate that the MICADO astrometric precision of 50 μas over 1″ field of view is also achievable in the presence of a MSFs pattern and manufacturing errors of the WAM, found by fitting the distorted WAM pattern seen through the instrument with a 10th order Legendre polynomial.

Hi-5 is a high-contrast (or high dynamic range) infrared imager project for the VLTI. Its main goal is to characterize young extra-solar planetary systems and exozodiacal dust around southern main-sequence stars. In this paper, we present an update of the project and key technology pathways to improve the contrast achieved by the VLTI. In particular, we discuss the possibility to use integrated optics, proven in the near-infrared, in the thermal near-infrared (L and M bands, 3-5~$\mu$m) and advanced fringe tracking strategies. We also address the strong exoplanet science case (young exoplanets, planet formation, and exozodiacal disks) offered by this wavelength regime as well as other possible science cases such as stellar physics (fundamental parameters and multiplicity) and extragalactic astrophysics (active galactic nuclei and fundamental constants). Synergies and scientific preparation for other potential future instruments such as the Planet Formation Imager are also briefly discussed., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, SPIE proceedings, based on arXiv:1801.04148

Context. η Car is one of the most intriguing luminous blue variables in the Galaxy. Observations and models of the X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and infrared emission suggest a central binary in a highly eccentric orbit with a 5.54 yr period residing in its core. 2D and 3D radiative transfer and hydrodynamic simulations predict a primary with a dense and slow stellar wind that interacts with the faster and lower density wind of the secondary. The wind-wind collision scenario suggests that the secondary’s wind penetrates the primary’s wind creating a low-density cavity in it, with dense walls where the two winds interact. However, the morphology of the cavity and its physical properties are not yet fully constrained. Aims. We aim to trace the inner ∼5–50 au structure of η Car’s wind-wind interaction, as seen through Brγ and, for the first time, through the He I 2s-2p line. Methods. We have used spectro-interferometric observations with the K-band beam-combiner GRAVITY at the VLTI. The analyses of the data include (i) parametrical model-fitting to the interferometric observables, (ii) a CMFGEN model of the source’s spectrum, and (iii) interferometric image reconstruction. Results. Our geometrical modeling of the continuum data allows us to estimate its FWHM angular size close to 2 mas and an elongation ratio ϵ = 1.06 ± 0.05 over a PA = 130° ± 20°. Our CMFGEN modeling of the spectrum helped us to confirm that the role of the secondary should be taken into account to properly reproduce the observed Brγ and He I lines. Chromatic images across the Brγ line reveal a southeast arc-like feature, possibly associated to the hot post-shocked winds flowing along the cavity wall. The images of the He I 2s-2p line served to constrain the 20 mas (∼50 au) structure of the line-emitting region. The observed morphology of He I suggests that the secondary is responsible for the ionized material that produces the line profile. Both the Brγ and the He I 2s-2p maps are consistent with previous hydrodynamical models of the colliding wind scenario. Future dedicated simulations together with an extensive interferometric campaign are necessary to refine our constraints on the wind and stellar parameters of the binary, which finally will help us predict the evolutionary path of η Car.

We present the results of an optical spectroscopic monitoring program targeting NGC 5548 as part of a larger multi-wavelength reverberation mapping campaign. The campaign spanned six months and achieved an almost daily cadence with observations from five ground-based telescopes. The H$\beta$ and He II $\lambda$4686 broad emission-line light curves lag that of the 5100 $\AA$ optical continuum by $4.17^{+0.36}_{-0.36}$ days and $0.79^{+0.35}_{-0.34}$ days, respectively. The H$\beta$ lag relative to the 1158 $\AA$ ultraviolet continuum light curve measured by the Hubble Space Telescope is roughly $\sim$50% longer than that measured against the optical continuum, and the lag difference is consistent with the observed lag between the optical and ultraviolet continua. This suggests that the characteristic radius of the broad-line region is $\sim$50% larger than the value inferred from optical data alone. We also measured velocity-resolved emission-line lags for H$\beta$ and found a complex velocity-lag structure with shorter lags in the line wings, indicative of a broad-line region dominated by Keplerian motion. The responses of both the H$\beta$ and He II $\lambda$4686 emission lines to the driving continuum changed significantly halfway through the campaign, a phenomenon also observed for C IV, Ly $\alpha$, He II(+O III]), and Si IV(+O IV]) during the same monitoring period. Finally, given the optical luminosity of NGC 5548 during our campaign, the measured H$\beta$ lag is a factor of five shorter than the expected value implied by the $R_\mathrm{BLR} - L_\mathrm{AGN}$ relation based on the past behavior of NGC 5548., Comment: 22 pages, 13 figures, accepted to ApJ

During the last decade, the first generation of beam combiners at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer has proved the importance of optical interferometry for high-angular resolution astrophysical studies in the nearand mid-infrared. With the advent of 4-beam combiners at the VLTI, the u - v coverage per pointing increases significantly, providing an opportunity to use reconstructed images as powerful scientific tools. Here, we present our ongoing studies to characterize the imaging capabilities of the Multi-AperTure mid-infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (MATISSE), a second-generation instrument for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). By providing simultaneous observations with 6 baselines and spectral resolutions up to R~5000. MATISSE will deliver, for the first time, thermal-IR interferometric data with enough u-v coverage and phase information for imaging. In this work, we report detailed image reconstruction studies carried out with the image reconstruction package SQUEEZE. For our studies, we use realistic simulated MATISSE data from radiative transfer simulations of a proto-planetary disk. In particular, we will discuss the role of the regularization function and of the initial brightness distribution. MATISSE will perform observations at three different mid-infrared bands: L, M and N. Hence, due to its large bandwidth, chromatic effects should be taken into account when image reconstruction is attempted. We also discuss the capabilities of SQUEEZE to perform multi-wavelength image reconstruction. Finally, we perform an analysis of the image quality and present our future line of research. The work here presented is being carried out within the Opticon FP7-2 joint research activity on interferometric imaging.

We present ground-based optical photometric monitoring data for NGC 5548, part of an extended multi-wavelength reverberation mapping campaign. The light curves have nearly daily cadence from 2014 January to July in nine filters (\emph{BVRI} and \emph{ugriz}). Combined with ultraviolet data from the \emph{Hubble Space Telescope} and \emph{Swift}, we confirm significant time delays between the continuum bands as a function of wavelength, extending the wavelength coverage from 1158\,\AA\ to the $z$ band ($\sim\!9160$\,\AA). We find that the lags at wavelengths longer than the {\it V} band are equal to or greater than the lags of high-ionization-state emission lines (such as He\,{\sc ii}\,$\lambda 1640$ and $\lambda 4686$), suggesting that the continuum-emitting source is of a physical size comparable to the inner broad-line region (BLR). The trend of lag with wavelength is broadly consistent with the prediction for continuum reprocessing by an accretion disk with $\tau \propto \lambda^{4/3}$. However, the lags also imply a disk radius that is 3 times larger than the prediction from standard thin-disk theory, assuming that the bolometric luminosity is 10\% of the Eddington luminosity ($L = 0.1L_{\rm Edd}$). Using optical spectra from the Large Binocular Telescope, we estimate the bias of the interband continuum lags due to BLR emission observed in the filters. We find that the bias for filters with high levels of BLR contamination ($\sim\! 20\%$) can be important for the shortest continuum lags, and likely has a significant impact on the {\it u} and {\it U} bands owing to Balmer continuum emission., Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, accepted to ApJ. For a brief video describing the main results of this paper, please see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaYtcDvIoP0&feature=youtu.be

We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 to 9157 angstroms) combine simultaneous HST , Swift , and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination, i, temperature T1 at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature-radius slope, alpha. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/LEdd = 0.1, Comment: V2: Oops wrong title! V1: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 20 Pages, 11 Figures

Context. We report on a successful, simultaneous observation and modeling of the sub-millimeter to near-infrared flare emission of the Sgr A* counterpart associated with the super-massive (4 x 10(6) M-circle dot) black hole at the Galactic center.Aims. We study and model the physical processes giving rise to the variable emission of Sgr A*.Methods. Our non-relativistic modeling is based on simultaneous observations that have been carried out on 03 June, 2008. We used the NACO adaptive optics (AO) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and the LABOCA bolometer at the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX). We emphasize the importance of a multi-wavelength simultaneous fitting as a tool for imposing adequate constraints on the flare modeling.Results. The observations reveal strong flare activity in the 0.87 mm (345 GHz) sub-mm domain and in the 3.8 mu/2.2 mu m NIR. Inspection and modeling of the light curves show that the sub-mm follows the NIR emission with a delay of 1.5 +/- 0.5 h. We explain the flare emission delay by an adiabatic expansion of the source components. The derived physical quantities that describe the flare emission give a source component expansion speed of nu(exp) similar to 0.005c, source sizes around one Schwarzschild radius with flux densities of a few Janskys, and spectral indices of alpha = 0.8 to 1.8, corresponding to particle spectral indices similar to 2.6 to 4.6. At the start of the flare the spectra of these components peak at frequencies of a few THz.Conclusions. These parameters suggest that the adiabatically expanding source components either have a bulk motion greater than nu(exp) or the expanding material contributes to a corona or disk, confined to the immediate surroundings of Sgr A*.

GCIRS3 is the most prominent MIR source in the central pc of the Galaxy. NIR spectroscopy failed to solve the enigma of its nature. The properties of extreme individual objects of the central stellar cluster contribute to our knowledge of star and dust formation close to a supermassive black hole. We initiated an interferometric experiment to understand IRS3 and investigate its properties as spectroscopic and interferometric reference star at 10um. VISIR imaging separates a compact source from diffuse, surrounding emission. The VLTI/MIDI instrument was used to measure visibilities at 10mas resolution of that compact 10um source, still unresolved by a single VLT. Photometry data were added to enable simple SED- and full radiative transfer-models of the data. The luminosity and size estimates show that IRS3 is probably a cool carbon star enshrouded by a complex dust distribution. Dust temperatures were derived. The coinciding interpretation of multiple datasets confirm dust emission at several spatial scales. The IF data resolve the innermost area of dust formation. Despite observed deep silicate absorption towards IRS3 we favor a carbon rich chemistry of the circumstellar dust shell. The silicate absorption most probably takes place in the outer diffuse dust, which is mostly ignored by MIDI measurements. This indicates physically and chemically distinct conditions of the local dust, changing with the distance to IRS3. We have demonstrated that optical long baseline interferometry at infrared wavelengths is an indispensable tool to investigate sources at the Galactic Center. Our findings suggest further studies of the composition of interstellar dust and the shape of the 10um silicate feature at this outstanding region., accepted by A&A, now in press; 19 pages, 22 figures, 5 tables

We present first results of near infrared J and H+K ESO-SINFONI integral field spectroscopy of the composite starburst/Seyfert 1.8 galaxy Mrk 609. The data were taken during the science verification period of SINFONI. We aim to investigate the morphology and excitation conditions within the central 2 kpc. Additional Nobeyama 45 m CO(1-0) data are presented, which we used to estimate the molecular gas mass. The source was selected from a sample of adaptive optics suitable, SDSS/ROSAT based, X-ray bright AGN with redshifts of 0.03 < z < 1. This sample allows for a detailed study of the NIR properties of the nuclear and host environments with high spectral and spatial resolution. Our NIR data reveal a complex emission-line morphology, possibly associated with a nuclear bar seen in the reconstructed continuum images. The detections of [SiVI] and a broad Pa alpha component are clear indicators for the presence of an accreting super-massive black hole at the center of Mrk 609. In agreement with previous observations we find that the circum-nuclear emission is not significantly extincted. The analysis of the high angular resolution rotational-vibrational molecular hydrogen and forbidden [FeII] emission reveals a LINER character of the nucleus. The large H_2 gas mass deduced from the CO(1-0) observation provides the fuel needed to feed the starburst and Seyfert activity in Mrk 609. High angular resolution imaging spectroscopy provides an ideal tool to resolve the nuclear and starburst contribution in active galaxies. We show that Mrk 609 exhibits LINER features, that appear to be hidden in larger aperture visible/NIR spectra., published by A&A, 19 pages, 16 figures, version with high resolution figures is available via http://www.ph1.uni-koeln.de/~zuther/mrk609.pdf

HD 142527A is one of the most studied Herbig Ae/Be stars with a transitional disk, as it has the largest imaged gap in any protoplanetary disk: the gas is cleared from 30 to 90 AU. The HD142527 system is also unique in that it has a stellar companion with a small mass compared to the mass of the primary star. This factor of ~20 in mass ratio between the two objects makes this binary system different from any other YSO. The HD142527 system could therefore provide a valuable test bed. This low-mass stellar object may be responsible for both the gap and dust trapping observed by ALMA at longer distances. We observed this system with the NACO and GPI instruments using the aperture masking technique. Aperture masking is ideal for providing high dynamic range even at very small angular separations. We present the spectral energy distribution for HD142527A and B. Brightness of the companion is now known from the R band up to the M' band. We also followed the orbital motion of HD 142527B over a period of more than two years. The SED of the companion is compatible with a T=3000+/-100K object in addition to a 1700K blackbody environment (likely a circus-secondary disk). From evolution models, we find that it is compatible with an object of mass 0.13+/-0.03Msun, radius 0.90+/-0.15Rsun, and age $1.0^{+1.0}_{-0.75}$Myr. This age is significantly younger than the age previously estimated for HD142527A. Computations to constrain the orbital parameters found a semi major axis of $140^{+120}_{-70}$mas, an eccentricity of 0.5+/-0.2, an inclination of 125+/-15 degrees, and a position angle of the right ascending node of -5+/-40 degrees. Inclination and position angle of the ascending node are in agreement with an orbit coplanar with the inner disk, not coplanar with the outer disk. Despite its high eccentricity, it is unlikely that HD142527B is responsible for truncating the inner edge of the outer disk., published in A&A; 8 pages

A hot, dusty torus located around the outer edge of the broad-line region of AGNs is a fundamental ingredient in unified AGN models. While the existence of circumnuclear dust around AGNs at pc-scale radii is now widely accepted, questions about the origin, evolution and long-term stability of these dust tori remain unsettled.\\ We used reverberation mapping of the hot circumnuclear dust in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151, to monitor its temperature and reverberation lag as a function of the varying accretion disk brightness. We carried out multiband, multiepoch photometric observations of the nucleus of NGC 4151 in the z,Y,J,H, and K bands for 29 epochs from 2010 January to 2014 June, supported by new near-infrared and optical spectroscopic observations, and archived WISE data.\\ We see no signatures of dust destruction due to sublimation in our data, since they show no increase in the hot dust reverberation delay directly correlated with substantial accretion disk flux increases in the observed period. Instead, we find that the hot dust in NGC 4151 appears to merely heat up, and the hot dust temperature closely tracks the accretion disk luminosity variations. We find indications of a decreased reverberation delay within the observed period from t = 42.5 +/- 4.0 days in 2010 to t = 29.6 +/- 1.7 days in 2013-2014. Such a varying reverberation radius on longer timescales would explain the intrinsic scatter observed in the radius-luminosity relation of dust around AGNs.\\ Our observations rule out that a second, larger dust component within a 100-light-day radius from the source contributes significantly to the observed near-infrared flux in this galaxy., Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 18 pages, 15 figures, 7 tables

Context. The HCN(1-0) rotational line transition traces the dense (n H2 > 10 4 cm -3 ) fraction of the molecular gas typically located in starforming (SF) regions. In addition, an abnormally high HCN/CO line ratio close to AGNs may indicate then conditions of an X-ray-dominated region. Observed correlations between the CO-, HCN-, and FIR luminosities in nearby non-active, starburst, and low-luminosity active galaxies represent the physical connection between star formation and molecular gas as its fuel. HCN(1-0) has hardly been investigated in nearby high-luminosity AGN within this context. Aims. The aim of this study is to compare the HCN luminosity with published CO and IR luminosities to investigate the role of SF in the observed QSO host galaxies. Methods. We used the IRAM 30 m for the first time to search for the HCN(1-0) transition in two standard QSO host galaxies at z ∼ 0.1. Results. Our upper limits on L HCN agree with the known correlations and do not show strong excess abundance or excitation of the HCN due to the luminous active quasar nucleus. The starburst origin of the far-infrared luminosity in the observed QSO hosts cannot be proven unambiguously by the upper limits. We found that the IR/FIR ratio indicates independently of L IR if a significant amount of AGN heated dust is present.

We present the first observations of the CO(1-0), CO(2-1) and HCN(1-0) rotational line emission of NGC 3718, conducted with the IRAM 30 m telescope. The results of the data analysis show a thin strongly warped molecular gas disk harboring the active galactic nucleus (AGN). The ratio of the total molecular gas mass (2 10 8 M) to the dynamical mass, enclosed within the same region, is found to be rather low (0:17%), but still typical for spiral galaxies. The found molecular gas disk is well associated with the dust lane, visible at optical wavelengths. We traced the warped CO structure down to the central 20 00 . In its outer region the molecular disk is well correlated with the HI distribution. The CO data is used to improve the kinematic modelling in the inner part of the galaxy (10 00 r 120 00 ) employing a tilted ring-model. Furthermore the properties of NGC 3718 are compared with those of its northern sky "twin" NGC 5128 (Centaurus A).

We present the first observations of molecular line emission in NGC 3718 with the IRAM 30m and the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. This galaxy is an impressive example for a strongly warped gas disk harboring an active galactic nucleus (AGN). An impressive dust lane is crossing the nucleus and a warp is developing into a polar ring. The molecular gas content is found to be typical of an elliptical galaxy with a relatively low molecular gas mass content (~4*10^8 Msun). The molecular gas distribution is found to warp from the inner disk together with the HI distribution. The CO data were also used to improve the kinematic modeling in the inner part of the galaxy, based on the so-called "tilted ring"-model. The nature of NGC 3718 is compared with its northern sky ``twin'' Centaurus A and the possible recent swallowing of a small-size gas-rich spiral is discussed.

Characterization of the dynamics of massive star systems and the astrophysical properties of the interacting components are a prerequisite for understanding their formation and evolution. Optical interferometry at milliarcsecond resolution is a key observing technique for resolving high-mass multiple compact systems. Here we report on VLTI/GRAVITY, Magellan/FIRE, and MPG2.2m/FEROS observations of the late-O/early-B type system HD 93206 A, which is a member of the massive cluster Collinder 228 in the Carina nebula complex. With a total mass of about 90 M_sun, it is one of the most compact massive-quadruple systems known. In addition to measuring the separation and position angle of the outer binary Aa - Ac, we observe BrG and HeI variability in phase with the orbital motion of the two inner binaries. From the differential phases analysis, we conclude that the BrG emission arises from the interaction regions within the components of the individual binaries, which is consistent with previous models for the X-ray emission of the system based on wind-wind interaction. With an average 3-sigma deviation of ~15 deg, we establish an upper limit of p ~ 0.157 mas (0.35 AU) for the size of the BrG line-emitting region. Future interferometric observations with GRAVITY using the 8m UTs will allow us to constrain the line-emitting regions down to angular sizes of 20 uas (0.05 AU at the distance of the Carina nebula)., 17pages, 12 figures Accepted for publication in ApJ

The stellar population in the central parsec of the Galaxy is dominated by an old (several Gyr) population, but young, massive stars dominate the luminosity function. We have studied the most luminous of these stars, GCIRS 7, in order to constrain the age of the recent star formation event in the Galactic Centre and to characterise it as an interferometric reference for observations of the Galactic Centre with the instrument GRAVITY, which will equip the Very Large Telescope Interferometer in the near future. We present the first H-band interferometric observations of GCIRS 7, obtained using the PIONIER visitor instrument on the VLTI using the four 8.2-m unit telescopes. In addition, we present unpublished K-band VLTI/AMBER data, build JHKL light-curves based on data spanning 4 decades, and measured the star's effective temperature using SINFONI spectroscopy. GCIRS 7 is marginally resolved at H-band (in 2013: uniform-disk diameter=1.076+/-0.093mas, R=960+/-92Rsun at 8.33+/-0.35kpc). We detect a significant circumstellar contribution at K-band. The star and its environment are variable in brightness and in size. The photospheric H-band variations are well modelled with two periods: P0~470+/-10 days (amplitude ~0.64mag) and long secondary period LSP~2700-2850 days (~1.1mag). As measured from CO equivalent width, =3600+/-195K. The size, periods, luminosity (=-8.44+/-0.22) and effective temperature are consistent with an M1 supergiant with an initial mass of 22.5+/-2.5Msun and an age of 6.5-10Myr (depending on rotation). This age is in remarkable agreement with most estimates for the recent star formation event in the central parsec. Caution should be taken when using this star as an interferometric reference as it is variable in size, is surrounded by a variable circumstellar environment and large convection cells may form on its photosphere., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. 10 pages, 12 figures

MATISSE is the mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. This second generation interferometry instrument will open new avenues in the exploration of our Universe. Mid-infrared interferometry with MATISSE will allow significant advances in various fundamental research fields: studies of disks around young stellar objects where planets form and evolve, surface structures and mass loss of stars in late evolutionary stages, and the environments of black holes in active galactic nuclei. MATISSE is a unique instrument. As a first breakthrough it will enlarge the spectral domain used by optical interferometry by offering the L & M bands in addition to the N band, opening a wide wavelength domain, ranging from 2.8 to 13 μm on angular scales of 3 mas (L/M band) / 10 mas (N band). As a second breakthrough, it will allow mid-infrared imaging – closure-phase aperture-synthesis imaging – with up to four Unit Telescopes (UT) or Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) of the VLTI. MATISSE will offer various ranges of spectral resolution between R~30 to ~5000. In this article, we present some of the main science objectives that have driven the instrument design. We introduce the physical concept of MATISSE including a description of the signal on the detectors and an evaluation of the expected performance and discuss the project status. The operations concept will be detailed in a more specific future article, illustrating the observing templates operating the instrument, the data reduction and analysis, and the image reconstruction software.

Ground-based long baseline interferometers have long been limited in sensitivity in part by the short integration periods imposed by atmospheric turbulence. The first observation fainter than this limit was performed on 2011 January 22 when the Keck Interferometer observed a K = 11.5 target, about 1 mag fainter than its K = 10.3 atmospherically imposed limit; the currently demonstrated limit is K = 12.5. These observations were made possible by the Dual-Field Phase-Referencing (DFPR) instrument, part of the NSF-funded ASTrometry and phase-Referenced Astronomy project; integration times longer than the turbulence time scale are made possible by its ability to simultaneously measure the real-time effects of the atmosphere on a nearby bright guide star and correct for it on the faint target. We present the implementation of DFPR on the Keck Interferometer. Then, we detail its on-sky performance focusing on the accuracy of the turbulence correction and the resulting fringe contrast stability.

Context: A turbulent atmosphere causes atmospheric piston variations leading to rapid changes in the optical path difference of an interferometer, which causes correlated flux losses. This leads to decreased sensitivity and accuracy in the correlated flux measurement. Aims: To stabilize the N band interferometric signal in MIDI (MID-infrared Interferometric instrument), we use an external fringe tracker working in K band, the so-called FSU-A (fringe sensor unit) of the PRIMA (Phase-Referenced Imaging and Micro-arcsecond Astrometry) facility at VLTI. We present measurements obtained using the newly commissioned and publicly offered MIDI+FSU-A mode. A first characterization of the fringe-tracking performance and resulting gains in the N band are presented. In addition, we demonstrate the possibility of using the FSU-A to measure visibilities in the K band. Methods: We analyzed FSU-A fringe track data of 43 individual observations covering different baselines and object K band magnitudes with respect to the fringe-tracking performance. The N band group delay and phase delay values could be predicted by computing the relative change in the differential water vapor column density from FSU-A data. Visibility measurements in the K band were carried out using a scanning mode of the FSU-A. Results: Using the FSU-A K band group delay and phase delay measurements, we were able to predict the corresponding N band values with high accuracy with residuals of less than 1 micrometer. This allows the coherent integration of the MIDI fringes of faint or resolved N band targets, respectively. With that method we could decrease the detection limit of correlated fluxes of MIDI down to 0.5 Jy (vs. 5 Jy without FSU-A) and 0.05 Jy (vs. 0.2 Jy without FSU-A) using the ATs and UTs, respectively. The K band visibilities could be measured with a precision down to ~2%., Comment: 11 pages, 13 figures, Accepted for publication in A&A

We present the results of a recently conducted mm-experiment at the IRAM 30m telescope. We searched in two QSO hosts for the HCN(J=1-0) line emission tracing the dense regions of gas. Our goal is to probe the HCN-CO line ratio in QSO hosts for the first time and to compare the results with recent findings of quiescent galaxies. These findings indicate a strong correlation between the star formation efficiency and the HCN-CO line ratio over several orders of magnitudes in infrared luminosities., 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to "QSO Hosts: Evolution and Environment", P.D. Barthel, D.B. Sanders, eds., August 2005, Leiden University (The Netherlands), New Astr. Rev

Context. Massive stars are of fundamental importance for almost all aspects of astrophysics, but there still exist large gaps in our understanding of their properties and formation because they are rare and therefore distant. It has been found that most O-stars are multiples. It may well be that almost all massive stars are born as triples or higher multiples, but their large distances require milliarcsecond angular resolution for a direct detection of the companions. Aims. HD 150136 is the nearest system to Earth with >100 M and provides a unique opportunity to study an extremely massive system. Recently, evidence for the existence of a third component in HD 150136, in addition to the tight spectroscopic binary that forms the main component, was found in spectroscopic observations. Our aim was to image and obtain astrometric and photometric measurements of this component using long-baseline optical interferometry to further constrain the nature of this component. Methods. We observed HD 150136 with the near-infrared instrument AMBER attached to the ESO VLT Interferometer, which provides an angular resolution of 2 mas. The recovered closure phases are robust to systematic errors and provide unique information on the source asymmetry. Therefore, they are of crucial relevance for both image reconstruction and model fitting of the source structure. Results. The third component in HD 150136 is clearly detected in the high-quality data from AMBER. It is located at a projected angular distance of 7.3 mas, or about 13 AU at the line-of-sight distance of HD 150136, at a position angle of 209 degrees east of north, and has a flux ratio of 0:25 with respect to the inner binary. Our findings agree with previous results and have permitted us to improve the orbital solutions of the tertiary around the inner system. Conclusions. We resolved the third component of HD 150136 in J, H and K filters. The luminosity and color of the tertiary agrees with the predictions and shows that it is also an O main-sequence star. The small measured angular separation indicates that the tertiary may be approaching the periastron of its orbit. These results, only achievable with long-baseline near-infrared interferometry, constitute the first step toward understanding the massive star formation mechanisms.

We present the first near-IR scattered light detection of the transitional disk associated with the Herbig Ae star MWC 758 using data obtained as part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru, and 1.1 micron HST/NICMOS data. While sub-millimeter studies suggested there is a dust-depleted cavity with r=0.35, we find scattered light as close as 0.1 (20-28 AU) from the star, with no visible cavity at H, K', or Ks. We find two small-scaled spiral structures which asymmetrically shadow the outer disk. We model one of the spirals using spiral density wave theory, and derive a disk aspect ratio of h ~ 0.18, indicating a dynamically warm disk. If the spiral pattern is excited by a perturber, we estimate its mass to be 5+3,-4 Mj, in the range where planet filtration models predict accretion continuing onto the star. Using a combination of non-redundant aperture masking data at L' and angular differential imaging with Locally Optimized Combination of Images at K' and Ks, we exclude stellar or massive brown dwarf companions within 300 mas of the Herbig Ae star, and all but planetary mass companions exterior to 0.5. We reach 5-sigma contrasts limiting companions to planetary masses, 3-4 MJ at 1.0 and 2 MJ at 1.55 using the COND models. Collectively, these data strengthen the case for MWC 758 already being a young planetary system., 45 pages, 9 figures; ApJ in press

We report recent success to stabilize the VLTI/MIDI-10um beam-combiner with K-band fringe tracking, provided by PRIMA (FSU). After encouraging commissioning results, presented during the last SPIE, we accomplished in November 2011 a successful run of science demonstration. A broad range of targets were observed, from planet-hosting stars over YSO disks to AGN. We will present first results, focussing on the improvements on sensitivity and precision with respect to classical MIDI stand-alone observations. MIDI broad-band dispersion and group-delay can be reliably predicted by the fringe tracker to enable coherent integration beyond coherence time at the lambda/10 precision level.

MATISSE is a mid-infrared spectro-interferometer combining the beams of up to four Unit Telescopes or Auxiliary Telescopes of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) of the European Southern Observatory. MATISSE will constitute an evolution of the two-beam interferometric instrument MIDI. New characteristics present in MATISSE will give access to the mapping and the distribution of the material, the gas and essentially the dust, in the circumstellar environments by using the mid-infrared band coverage extended to L, M and N spectral bands. The four beam combination of MATISSE provides an efficient uv-coverage: 6 visibility points are measured in one set and 4 closure phase relations which can provide aperture synthesis images in the mid-infrared spectral regime. We give an overview of the instrument including the expected performances and a view of the Science Case. We present how the instrument would be operated. The project involves the collaborations of several agencies and institutes: the Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur of Nice and the INSU-CNRS in Paris, the Max Planck Institut fur Astronomie of Heidelberg; the University of Leiden and the NOVA-ASTRON Institute of Dwingeloo, the Max Planck Institut fur Radioastronomie of Bonn, the Institut fur Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik of Kiel, the Vienna University and the Konkoly Observatory.

Sparse aperture masking (SAM) interferometry combined with Adaptive Optics (AO) is a technique that is uniquely suited to investigate structures near the diffraction limit of large telescopes. The strengths of the technique are a robust calibration of the Point Spread Function (PSF) while maintaining a relatively high dynamic range. We used SAM+AO observations to investigate the circumstellar environment of several bright sources with infrared excess in the central parsec of the Galaxy. For our observations, unstable atmospheric conditions as well as significant residuals after the background subtraction presented serious problems for the standard approach of calibrating SAM data via interspersed observations of reference stars. We circumvented these difficulties by constructing a synthesized calibrator directly from sources within the field-of-view. When observing crowded fields, this novel method can boost the efficiency of SAM observations because it renders interspersed calibrator observations unnecessary. Here, we presented the first NaCo/SAM images reconstructed using this method., 8 pages, 10 figures, proceedings of the conference "Astrophysics at High Angular Resolution" (AHAR-2011)

As part of the astrometric and phase-referenced astronomy (ASTRA) project, three new science modes are being developed for the Keck Interferometer that extend the science capabilities of this instrument to include higher spectral resolution, fainter magnitudes, and astrometry. We report on the successful implementation of the first of these science modes, the self-phase-referencing mode, which provides a K-band (λ = 2.2 μm) spectral resolution of R ∼ 1000 on targets as faint as 7.8 mag with spatial resolution as fine as λ/B = 5 mas in the K band, with the 85 m interferometer baseline. This level of spectral resolution would not have been possible without a phase-referencing implementation extending the integration time limit imposed by atmospheric turbulence. For narrow spectral features, we demonstrate a precision of ± 0.01 on the differential V^2(λ), and ± 1.7 mrad on the differential phase Φ(λ), equivalent to a differential astrometry precision of ± 1.45 μas. This new Keck Interferometer instrument is typically used to study the geometry and location of narrow spectral features at high angular resolution, referenced to a continuum. By simultaneously providing spectral and spatial information, the geometry of velocity fields (e.g., rotating disks, inflows, outflows, etc.) larger than 150 km s^(-1) can also be explored.

We present a review of the interplay between the evolution of circumstellar disks and the formation of planets, both from the perspective of theoretical models and dedicated observations. Based on this, we identify and discuss fundamental questions concerning the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks and planets which can be addressed in the near future with optical and infrared long-baseline interferometers. Furthermore, the importance of complementary observations with long-baseline (sub)millimeter interferometers and high-sensitivity infrared observatories is outlined., 83 pages; Accepted for publication in "Astronomy and Astrophysics Review"; The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com

We present near-infrared observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars with a spatial resolution of a few milli-arcseconds and a spectral resolution of ~2000. Our observations spatially resolve gas and dust in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks, and spectrally resolve broad-linewidth emission from the Brackett gamma transition of hydrogen gas. We use the technique of spectro-astrometry to determine centroids of different velocity components of this gaseous emission at a precision orders of magnitude better than the angular resolution. In all sources, we find the gaseous emission to be more compact than or distributed on similar spatial scales to the dust emission. We attempt to fit the data with models including both dust and Brackett gamma-emitting gas, and we consider both disk and infall/outflow morphologies for the gaseous matter. In most cases where we can distinguish between these two models, the data show a preference for infall/outflow models. In all cases, our data appear consistent with the presence of some gas at stellocentric radii of ~0.01 AU. Our findings support the hypothesis that Brackett gamma emission generally traces magnetospherically driven accretion and/or outflows in young star/disk systems., Comment: 48 pages, including 17 figures. Accepted for publication by ApJ

The ASTrometric and phase-Referenced Astronomy (ASTRA) project will provide phase referencing and astrometric observations at the Keck Interferometer, leading to enhanced sensitivity and the ability to monitor orbits at an accuracy level of 30-100 microarcseconds. Here we discuss recent scientific results from ASTRA, and describe new scientific programs that will begin in 2010-2011. We begin with results from the "self phase referencing" (SPR) mode of ASTRA, which uses continuum light to correct atmospheric phase variations and produce a phase-stabilized channel for spectroscopy. We have observed a number of protoplanetary disks using SPR and a grism providing a spectral dispersion of ~2000. In our data we spatially resolve emission from dust as well as gas. Hydrogen line emission is spectrally resolved, allowing differential phase measurements across the emission line that constrain the relative centroids of different velocity components at the 10 microarcsecond level. In the upcoming year, we will begin dual-field phase referencing (DFPR) measurements of the Galactic Center and a number of exoplanet systems. These observations will, in part, serve as precursors to astrometric monitoring of stellar orbits in the Galactic Center and stellar wobbles of exoplanet host stars. We describe the design of several scientific investigations capitalizing on the upcoming phase-referencing and astrometric capabilities of ASTRA., Published in the proceedings of the SPIE 2010 conference on "Optical and Infrared Interferometry II"

Recently, the Keck interferometer was upgraded to do self-phase-referencing (SPR) assisted K-band spectroscopy at R 2000. This means, combining a spectral resolution of 150 km /s with an angular resolution of 2.7 mas, while maintaininghigh sensitiviy. This SPR mode operates two fringe trackers in parallel, and explores several infrastructural requirementsfor o -axis phase-referencing, as currently being implemented as the KI-ASTRA project. The technology of self-phase-referencing opens the way to reach very high spectral resolution in near-infrared interferometry. We present the scienti ccapabilities oftheKI-SPRmode indetail, attheexample ofobservations ofthe Be-star48 Lib. Several spectrallinesofthecirumstellar disk are resolved. We describe the rst detection of Pfund-lines in an interferometric spectrum of a Be star, inaddition to Br . The di erential phase signal can be used to (i) distinguish circum-stellar line emission from the star, (ii)to directly measure line asymmetries tracing an asymetric gas density distribution, (iii) to reach a di erential, astrometricprecision beyond single-telescope limits su cient for studying the radial disk structure. Our data support the existence ofa radius-dependent disk density perturbation, typically used to explain slow variations of Be-disk hydrogen line pro les.Keywords: stars: emission-line, Be circumstellar matter stars: individual (48 Lib) techniques: interferometric tech-niques: spectroscopic infrared: stars

ASTRA (ASTrometric and phase-Referencing Astronomy) is an upgrade to the existing Keck Interferometer which aims at providing new self-phase referencing (high spectral resolution observation of YSOs), dual-field phase referencing (sensitive AGN observations), and astrometric (known exoplanetary systems characterization and galactic center general relativity in strong field regime) capabilities. With the first high spectral resolution mode now offered to the community, this contribution focuses on the progress of the dual field and astrometric modes., 10 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, SPIE 2010

We report first results obtained from observations using a PRIMA FSU (Fringe Sensor Unit) as a fringe tracker for MIDI on the VLTI when operating with the 1.8-m ATs. Interferometric observations require the correction of the disturbance in the optical path induced by atmospheric turbulence ("piston"). The PRIMA FSU is able to compensate for such disturbances in real-time which makes it a suitable facility to stabilize the fringe signal for other VLTI instruments, like AMBER, MIDI or later MATISSE. Currently, the atmospheric coherence time in the N band (8 to 13 μm) observed by MIDI, as well as the thermal background in this band, require a minimum target flux of 20 Jy and a correlated flux of 10 Jy (in PRISM/HIGH-SENSE mode and using the ATs under standard conditions) to allow self-fringe-tracking and data reduction. However, we show that if the fringes are stabilized by the FSU, coherent integration allows a reliable data reduction even for the observation of faint targets (F corr < 10 Jy) with MIDI at standard detector exposure times. We were able to measure the correlated flux of a 0.5 Jy source, which pushes the current limits of MIDI down to regions where numerous new targets become accessible on ATs. For faint object observations we will discuss the usage of VISIR photometry for calibration purposes. The observational tests done so far and the obtained results represent a first step towards Phase Referenced Imaging with the VLTI in the mid-infrared.

Characterisation, mitigation and correction of telescope vibrations have proven to be crucial for the performance of astronomical infrared interferometers. The project teams of the interferometers for the LBT, LINC-NIRVANA and LBTI, and LBT Observatory (LBTO) have embarked on a joint effort to implement an accelerometer-based vibration measurement system distributed over the optical elements of the LBT. OVMS, the Optical Path Difference and Vibration Monitoring System will serve to (i) ensure conditions suitable for adaptive optics (AO) and interferometric (IF) observations and (ii) utilize vibration information, converted into tip-tilt and optical path difference data, in the control strategies of the LBT adaptive secondary mirrors and the beam combining interferometers. The system hardware is mainly developed by Steward Observatory's LBTI team and its installation at the LBT is underway. The OVMS software development and associated computer infrastructure is the responsibility of the LINC-NIRVANA team at MPIA Heidelberg. Initially, the OVMS will fill a data archive provided by LBTO that will be used to study vibration data and correlate them with telescope movements and environmental parameters thereby identifiying sources of vibrations and to eliminate or mitigate them. Data display tools will help LBTO staff to keep vibrations within predefined thresholds for quiet conditions for AO and IF observations. Later-on real-time data from the OVMS will be fed into the control loops of the AO systems and IF instruments in order to permit the correction of vibration signals with frequencies up to 450 Hz.

We report on the successful science verification phase of a new observing mode at the Keck interferometer, which provides a line-spread function width and sampling of 150km/s at K'-band, at a current limiting magnitude of K'~7mag with spatial resolution of lam/2B ~2.7mas and a measured differential phase stability of unprecedented precision (3mrad at K=5mag, which represents 3uas on sky or a centroiding precision of 10^-3). The scientific potential of this mode is demonstrated by the presented observations of the circumstellar disk of the evolved Be-star 48Lib. In addition to indirect methods such as multi-wavelength spectroscopy and polaritmetry, the here described spectro-interferometric astrometry provides a new tool to directly constrain the radial density structure in the disk. We resolve for the first time several Pfund emission lines, in addition to BrGam, in a single interferometric spectrum, and with adequate spatial and spectral resolution and precision to analyze the radial disk structure in 48Lib. The data suggest that the continuum and Pf-emission originates in significantly more compact regions, inside of the BrGam emission zone. Thus, spectro-interferometric astrometry opens the opportunity to directly connect the different observed line profiles of BrGam and Pfund in the total and correlated flux to different disk radii. The gravitational potential of a rotationally flattened Be star is expected to induce a one-armed density perturbation in the circumstellar disk. Such a slowly rotating disk oscillation has been used to explain the well known periodic V/R spectral profile variability in these stars, as well as the observed V/R cycle phase shifts between different disk emission lines. The differential line properties and linear constraints set by our data lend support to the existence of a radius-dependent disk density perturbation., Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication by ApJ

The current results of our ongoing Galactic Center (GC) observations with optical long baseline interferometry (OLB-IF) are presented. We achieved first IR-IF fringes in both available IR science regimes of the VLTI (MIDI: 10 μm) and (AMBER: 2 μm), demonstrating the new capabilities provided by large aperture telescope arrays to the Galactic center research. We show that the highest angular resolution only available through interferometric techniques is necessary to observe the GC ISM production in the making and distinguish individual sources from its dusty surroundings. An overview over the currently available IF-technology is given, biased towards the GC science case. The feasibility of phase-referencing to the supergiant GCIRS 7, located only 5" away from SgrA*, to increase the sensitivity and spectral resolution of the observations, is discussed, and supported by the first real data. The presentation will conclude with an outlook to the near future about how the upcoming astrometric and off-axis phase-referencing capabilities of the Keck and VLT Interferometers, nicknamed ASTRA and PRIMA, will greatly extend the currently existing capabilities to observe astrophysical phenomena in the Galactic center at the borderline to General relativity in a yet uninvestigated regime.

Investigating the environment of the massive black hole SgrA* at the center of the Galaxy requires the highest angular resolution available to avoid source confusion and to study the physical properties of the individual objects. GCIRS7 has been used as wavefront and astrometric reference. Our studies investigate, for the first time, its properties at 2&10um using VLTI/AMBER and MIDI. We aim at analyzing the suitability of IRS7 as an IF-phase-reference for the upcoming generation of dual-field facilities at optical interferometers. We observed with (R~30) and 50m (proj.) baseline, resulting in 9 and 45mas resolution for NIR and MIR, resp. The first K-band fringe detection of a GC star suggests that IRS7 could be marginally resolved at 2um, which would imply that the photosphere of the supergiant is enshrouded by a molecular and dusty envelope. At 10um, IRS7 is strongly resolved with a visibility of approximately 0.2. The MIR is dominated by moderately warm (200 K), extended dust, mostly distributed outside of a radius of about 120 AU (15 mas) around the star. A deep 9.8-silicate absorption in excess of the usual extinction law with respect to the NIR extinction has been found. This confirms recent findings of a relatively enhanced, interstellar 9.8-silicate absorption with respect to the NIR extinction towards another star in the central arcsec, suggesting an unusual dust composition in that region. Our VLTI observations show that interferometric NIR phase-referencing experiments with mas resolution using IRS7 as phase-reference appear to be feasible, but more such studies are required to definitely characterize the close environment around this star. We demonstrate that interferometry is required to resolve the innermost environment of stars at the Galactic center., 6 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Within the frame of the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project, we have determined the distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas within the central kpc with high spatial resolution (100-150pc), for a sample of active galaxies. The goal is to study the gas-fueling mechanisms in AGN. We present interferometric observations of 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(2-1) line emission from the Seyfert2 galaxy NGC6574, obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI). These data have been combined with 30m mapping data in these lines to correct for the flux resolved by the interferometer. At an angular resolution of 0.7'' (about 110pc), the 12CO(2-1) emission is resolved into an inner disk with a radius of 300pc., 13 pages, 15 figures. accepted by A&A

We investigated with MIDI the extension of dusty mid-infrared excess sources (IRS 1W, IRS 10W, IRS 2, IRS 8) in immediate vicinity to the black hole (BH) at the GC. We derive 3$\sigma$ upper limits of the correlated fluxes of our target sources which give direct constraints on the size of the emitting regions. Most probably the emission originates from bow shocks generated by windy stars ploughing through the dense matter of the Northern MiniSpiral.

High-resolution near-infrared observations of the central parsec of the Milky Way are currently revolutionizing our understanding of this nearest galactic nucleus. In this contribution we review some recent results of this research. Via the observation of stellar dynamics it has by now delivered ironclad evidence that the central radio source, Sagittarius A*, is associated with a supermassive black hole. NIR monitoring of the flux from Sagittarius A* allows to study the accretion and emission mechanisms in this extremely sub-Eddington system. Coordinated observations of the near-infrared and X-ray quasi-quiescent and flaring emission from Sagittarius A* show that the emission is most likely produced via synchrotron or synchrotron-self Compton processes. There are numerous young, massive stars present in the central stellar cluster. In fact, star formation may be even a still ongoing process: A group of deeply embedded sources north of the IRS 13 complex of bright stars may represent young stars. Compact MIR sources close to the northern arm of the mini-spiral are further potential candidates for young stars, or may be, alternatively, witnesses of the close interaction of stellar winds with the ISM. Very recently. the first successful interferometric observations of a stellar source in the galactic center have been carried out at mid-infrared wavelengths.

We present mid-infrared N- and Q-band photometry of the Galactic Center from images obtained with the mid-infrared camera VISIR at the ESO VLT in May 2004. The high resolution and sensitivity possible with VISIR enables us to investigate a total of over 60 point-like sources, an unprecedented number for the Galactic Center at these wavelengths. Combining these data with previous results at shorter wavelengths (Viehmann et al. 2005) enables us to construct SEDs covering the H- to Q-band regions of the spectrum, i.e. 1.6 to 19.5 $\mu$m. We find that the SEDs of certain types of Galactic Center sources show characteristic features. We can clearly distinguish between luminous Northern Arm bow-shock sources, lower luminosity bow-shock sources, hot stars, and cool stars. This characterization may help clarify the status of presently unclassified sources., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

The dark mass located at the center of the Milky Way is currently the very best candidate for a super massive black hole in our immediate vicinity. The strongest evidence for this is provided by measurements of stellar orbits and strongly variable NIR and X-ray emission from Sagittarius A* at the center of the cental stellar cluster. As proven by the Keplerian orbits of several of the high velocity stars within the central arcsecond the Galactic Center harbors a ∼ 3.5 × 106M⊙ massive black hole at the position of the compact radio source SgrA*. Simultaneous NIR/Xray observations of SgrA* in 2003/2004 have revealed first insights into the emission mechanisms of both the powerful near-infrared flares and the “quiescent” emission from within a few ten to one hundred Schwarzschild radii of the super-massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. The central source shows synchronous NIR/X-ray flare variation and indications of quasi-periodicity within the NIR flares.

We present high angular resolution radio snap-shot observations of seven nearby low-luminosity active galaxies (LLAGN) from the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) survey. The observations were conducted with MERLIN and EVN/VLBI at 18cm and 6cm. At all observed angular resolutions and frequencies, we find indications for extended emission in about ~40% of the sources, consistent with the decrease of flux with increasing angular resolution. The extended components resemble jet emission in a majority of cases, consistent with the optically thin synchrotron emission implied by their steep spectra. We consider the compact 6cm EVN/VLBI radio emission of our sources in the context of the ``fundamental plane'' that previous LLAGN studies identified within the three-dimensional parameter space of radio luminosity, X-ray luminosity, and black hole mass. We demonstrate, using NGC7217 and NGC1068 as particular examples, that high-resolution, multi-epoch radio observations offer useful information about the origin of offsets from the fundamental plane., Comment: Accepted for publication by A&A; 13 pages and 6 figures; Fig.5 & 6 have been revised

We will present first results of ESO-VLT AO-assisted integral-field spectroscopy of a sample of X-ray bright AGN with redshifts of 0.04 < z < 1. We constructed this sample by cross-correlating the SDSS and ROSAT surveys and utilizing typical AO constraints. This sample allows for a detailed study of the NIR properties of the nuclear and host environments with high spectral resolution on the 100 pc scale. These objects can then be compared directly to the local (z, 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to "Adaptive Optics-Assisted Integral-Field Spectroscopy", Rutten R.G.M., Benn C.R., Mendez J., eds., May 2005, La Palma (Spain), New Astr. Rev