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We present an analysis of the photometric and spectroscopic observations of the split comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS). Observations were carried out on the 14th and 16th of April 2020 when the heliocentric distances of the comet were 1.212 and 1.174 au, its geocentric distances 0.998 and 0.991 au, and the phase angle 52.9{\deg} and 54.5{\deg}, respectively. The comet was observed with the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia) with the SCORPIO-2 multi-mode focal reducer. The narrow-band BC and RC cometary filters in the continuum were used. We identified numerous emissions of the CN, C2, C3, and NH2 molecules within the range of 3750-7100 {\AA}. The C2/CN and C3/CN production rate ratios coincide with those of typical comets. Four fragments belonging to the coma were detected in both observational runs. We compared and analyzed temporal variations of the visual magnitudes, gas productivity, and dust colour. Based on our dynamical investigation of the orbits of comets C/1844 Y1 (Great comet) and C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), we can claim that, with high probability, two comets do not have a common progenitor., Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures

This contribution aims to study the nature (kinematic, nuclear activity, and stellar population) of a sample of 10 galaxies in the poor cluster Abell S0805. As no detailed optical spectroscopy for some members has been published yet, the selected sample makes this study ideal for investigating the properties of the following objects: ESO 104- G(002, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 013), Fairall 0187, and PGC (062384, 062391). Our main results were obtained after subtraction of the underlying stellar population with the spectral synthesis code starlight. The residual spectra reveal seven galaxies with only absorption lines [ESO 104- G(002, 007, 008, 009), Fairall 0187 and PGC (062384, 062391)], and three galaxies with emission lines [ESO 104- G(006, 010, 013)]. According to the boundaries in the diagnostic diagrams, the intensities of H α and the low-ionization lines ([N ii] λ6584 Å and [S ii] λλ6716,6731 Å) suggest the following results: (i) the brightest cluster galaxy (ESO 104- G006, an elliptical cD galaxy) shows low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER)-like excitation, quite common in ‘cool core clusters’; (ii) the ESO 104- G010 (‘X-Galaxy’ or ‘Crystal Frog’) shows an excess of the nitrogen emission-line [N ii] λ6584 Å not yet reported. We also suggest this object as a LINER; (iii) the spiral ESO 104- G013 is a star-forming galaxy with typical emission lines. No obvious signs of interaction were observed in this study. The heliocentric velocities agree within 1σ with the most recent values. The stellar population, rotation curves, and velocity dispersions are also discussed for the first time for some objects.

Observing a telluric standard star for correcting the telluric absorption lines of spectrum will take a significant amount of precious telescope time, especially in the long-term spectral monitoring project. Beyond that, it's difficult to select a suitable telluric standard star near in both time and airmass to the scientific object. In this paper, we present a method of correcting the telluric absorption lines by combining the advantages of long slit spectroscopy. By rotating the slit, we observed the scientific object and a nearby comparison star in one exposure, so that the spectra of both objects should have the same telluric transmission spectrum. The telluric transmission spectrum was constructed by dividing the observed spectrum of comparison star by its stellar template, and was used to correct the telluric absorption lines of the scientific object. Using the long slit spectrograph of Lijiang 2.4-meter telescope, we designed a long-term spectroscopic observation strategy, and finished a four-year spectroscopic monitoring for a pair of objects (an active galactic nuclei and an non-varying comparison star). We applied this method to correct the telluric absorption lines of the long-term monitored spectra by Lijiang 2.4-meter telescope, and investigated the variation of the telluric absorptions at Lijiang Observatory. We found that the telluric absorption transparency is mainly modulated by the seasonal variability of the relative humidity, airmass and seeing. Using the scatter of the [O~III] $\lambda$5007 fluxes emitted from the narrow-line region of active galactic nuclei as an indicator, we found that the correction accuracy of the telluric absorption lines is 1%., Comment: 15 pages, 10 figure, accepted for publication in RAA (Research in Astronomy and Astrophysics)

We present the preliminary design of Cerberus, a new scientific instrument for the alt-az, 80cm OARPAF telescope in the Ligurian mountains above Genoa, Italy. Cerberus will provide three focal stations at the Nasmyth focus, allowing: imaging and photometry with standard Johnson-Cousins UBVRI+Ha+Free filters, an on-axis guiding camera, and a tip-tilt lens for image stabilization up to 10Hz; long slit spectroscopy at R 5900 thanks to a LHIRES III spectrograph provided with a 1200l/mm grism; \'echelle spectroscopy at R 9300 using a FLECHAS spectrograph with optical fiber., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to Proceedings of SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2020

The determination of the fundamental properties (mass, separation, age, gravity and atmospheric properties) of brown dwarf companions allows us to infer crucial informations on their formation and evolution mechanisms. Spectroscopy of substellar companions is available to date only for a limited number of objects (and mostly at very low resolution, R, 14 pages, 14 Figures. Accepted for publication on MNRAS

The linear Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector has been operating at the SOuthern Astrophysical Research telescope since 2014. It was designed and built in collaboration between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. The device is installed in the elevation axis before the instruments mounted at the optical Nasmyth focus. It consists of two 300mm diameter sol-gel coated fused silica prisms, trombone mounted, which can be folded in or out of the beam. It is important for long slit spectroscopy, and essential for Multi-Object Slit spectroscopy. We present optical and mechanical designs, electronics and software control, and on-sky performance.

We investigate the Tully–Fisher relation (TFR) for a morphologically and kinematically diverse sample of galaxies from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey using two-dimensional spatially resolved H α velocity maps and find a well-defined relation across the stellar mass range of 8.0 < log (M*/M⊙) < 11.5. We use an adaptation of kinemetry to parametrize the kinematic H α asymmetry of all galaxies in the sample, and find a correlation between scatter (i.e. residuals off the TFR) and asymmetry. This effect is pronounced at low stellar mass, corresponding to the inverse relationship between stellar mass and kinematic asymmetry found in previous work. For galaxies with log (M*/M⊙) < 9.5, 25 ± 3 per cent are scattered below the root mean square (RMS) of the TFR, whereas for galaxies with log (M*/M⊙) > 9.5 the fraction is 10 ± 1 per cent. We use ‘simulated slits’ to directly compare our results with those from long slit spectroscopy and find that aligning slits with the photometric, rather than the kinematic, position angle, increases global scatter below the TFR. Further, kinematic asymmetry is correlated with misalignment between the photometric and kinematic position angles. This work demonstrates the value of 2D spatially resolved kinematics for accurate TFR studies; integral field spectroscopy reduces the underestimation of rotation velocity that can occur from slit positioning off the kinematic axis.

The Mid-infrared E-ELT Imager and Spectrograph (METIS) for the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) consists of diffraction-limited imagers that cover 3 to 14 microns with medium resolution (R ~ 5000) long slit spectroscopy, and an integral field spectrograph for high spectral resolution spectroscopy (R ~ 100,000) over the L and M bands. One of the science cases that METIS addresses is the characterization of faint circumstellar material and exoplanet companions through imaging and spectroscopy. We present our approach for high contrast imaging with METIS, covering diffraction suppression with coronagraphs, the removal of slowly changing optical aberrations with focal plane wavefront sensing, interferometric imaging with sparse aperture masks, and observing strategies for both the imagers and IFU image slicers.

International audience; ESO operates since April 2015 the new planet finder instrument SPHERE1 with three arms supported by a common path coronograph with extreme AO. Observing modes include dual band imaging, long slit spectroscopy, IFS and high contrast polarimetry. We report on the implementation of the SPHERE data flow and quality control system and on operational highlights in the first year of operations: This includes some unconventional parts of the SPHERE calibration plan like special rules for the selection of filters and the measures for an optimized calibration of the two polarimetric channels of the ZIMPOL arm. Finally we report on the significance of the SPHERE quality control system, its relation to the data reduction pipeline and which previously undocumented instrumental features have been revealed so far.

International audience; The VLT/SPHERE instrument includes a unique long-slit spectroscopy (LSS) mode coupled with Lyot coronagraphy dedicated to the spectral characterization of directly imaged giant exoplanets. The performance of this mode is limited by its non-optimal coronagraph, but in a previous work we demonstrated that it could be significantly improved at small inner-working angles using the stop-less Lyot coronagraph (SLLC). A prototype of the SLLC was installed in VLT/SPHERE in 2014 during the reintegration of the instrument in Paranal, and it was extensively tested in 2015 to characterize its performance. The performance is tested in both imaging and spectroscopy using data acquired on the internal source of SPHERE. In imaging, we obtain a raw contrast gain of a factor 10 at 0.3" with the SLLC. We also demonstrate that no Lyot stop is required to reach the full performance, which validates the SLLC concept. Comparison with a realistic simulation model shows that we are currently limited by the internal phase aberrations of SPHERE. In spectroscopy, we obtain a gain of 1 mag in a limited range of angular separations. Simulations show that although the main limitation comes from phase errors, the performance in the non-SLLC case is very close to the ultimate limit of the LSS mode. We present the very first on-sky data with the SLLC, which appear extremely promising for the future scientific exploitation of an apodized LSS mode in SPHERE. Finally, we explore a new possibility for the speckle subtraction in the LSS mode that could significantly improve the data analysis with respect to methods based on spectral differences.

We present two transits of the hot-Jupiter exoplanet XO-2b using the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The time series observations were performed using long-slit spectroscopy of XO-2 and a nearby reference star with the OSIRIS instrument, enabling differential specrophotometric transit lightcurves capable of measuring the exoplanet's transmission spectrum. Two optical low-resolution grisms were used to cover the optical wavelength range from 3800 to 9300{\AA}. We find that sub-mmag level slit losses between the target and reference star prevent full optical transmission spectra from being constructed, limiting our analysis to differential absorption depths over ~1000{\AA} regions. Wider long slits or multi-object grism spectroscopy with wide masks will likely prove effective in minimising the observed slit-loss trends. During both transits, we detect significant absorption in the planetary atmosphere of XO-2b using a 50{\AA} bandpass centred on the Na I doublet, with absorption depths of Delta(R_pl/R_star)^2=0.049+/-0.017 % using the R500R grism and 0.047+/-0.011 % using the R500B grism (combined 5.2-sigma significance from both transits). The sodium feature is unresolved in our low-resolution spectra, with detailed modelling also likely ruling out significant line-wing absorption over an ~800{\AA} region surrounding the doublet. Combined with narrowband photometric measurements, XO-2b is the first hot Jupiter with evidence for both sodium and potassium present in the planet's atmosphere.

Extra-planar gas in spiral galaxies can originate from disk-halo cycling driven by star formation in the disk or from infalling gas clouds. Studying the kinematics of halo gas can provide evidence for which scenario is more plausible. Edge-on galaxies provide a direct view of the extra-planar gas. We measure gas velocities from Hα emission as a function of height above the galactic disk for NGC 4244, which has a low star formation rate, and NGC 891, which has a high star formation rate. Using a multi-slit setup on the ARC 3.5 m telescope, we are able to measure velocities along 16 slits simultaneously. We compare our preliminary results to studies of HI velocities in these galaxies.

Imaging spectropolarimetry is a powerful tool in solar physics. Multichannel Subtractive Double Pass (MSDP) spectrographs can produce simultaneous 2D images in a number of wavelengths covering several line profiles with the following advantages: - Contrary to long slit spectroscopy, the spatial resolution can reach the diffraction limit. - Contrary to narrow band filters, full line profiles are recorded at the same time without any image motion and differential seeing effect. MSDP spectrographs use an entrance window instead of the usual long slit. A new generation MSDP using slicers made of mirrors instead of prisms is proposed for the future 4 m class European Solar Telescope. We describe the beam slicer prototype S4I (Spectral Sampling with Slicer for Solar Instrumentation) that will be tested soon at the 14 m spectrograph of the Meudon Solar Tower.

Observations of Uranus were made in September 2009 with the Gemini-North telescope in Hawaii, using both the NIFS and NIRI instruments. Observations were acquired in Adaptive Optics mode and have a spatial resolution of approximately 0.1″. NIRI images were recorded with three spectral filters to constrain the overall appearance of the planet: J, H-continuum and CH 4 (long), and long slit spectroscopy measurements were also made (1.49–1.79 μm) with the entrance slit aligned on Uranus’ central meridian. To acquire spectra from other points on the planet, the NIFS instrument was used and its 3″ × 3″ field of view stepped across Uranus’ disc. These observations were combined to yield complete images of Uranus at 2040 wavelengths between 1.476 and 1.803 μm. The observed spectra along Uranus central meridian were analysed with the NEMESIS retrieval tool and used to infer the vertical/latitudinal variation in cloud optical depth. We find that the 2009 Gemini data perfectly complement our observations/conclusions from UKIRT/UIST observations made in 2006–2008 and show that the north polar zone at 45°N has continued to steadily brighten while that at 45°S has continued to fade. The improved spatial resolution of the Gemini observations compared with the non-AO UKIRT/UIST data removes some of the earlier ambiguities with our previous analyses and shows that the opacity of clouds deeper than the 2-bar level does indeed diminish towards the poles and also reveals a darkening of the deeper cloud deck near the equator, perhaps coinciding with a region of subduction. We find that the clouds at 45°N,S lie at slightly lower pressures than the clouds at more equatorial latitudes, which suggests that they might possibly be composed of a different condensate, presumably CH 4 ice, rather than H 2 S or NH 3 ice, which is assumed for the deeper cloud. In addition, analysis of the centre-to-limb curves of both the Gemini/NIFS and earlier UKIRT/UIST IFU observations shows that the main cloud deck has a well-defined top, and also allows us to better constrain the particle scattering properties. Overall, Uranus appeared to be less convectively active in 2009 than in the previous 3 years, which suggests that now the northern spring equinox (which occurred in 2007) is passed the atmosphere is settling back into the quiescent state seen by Voyager 2 in 1986. However, a number of discrete clouds were still observed, with one at 15°N found to lie near the 500 mb level, while another at 30°N, was seen to be much higher at near the 200 mb level. Such high clouds are assumed to be composed of CH 4 ice.

We present the first optical long-slit spectroscopy for the galaxy HRG 10103, an Sa(r)-type peculiar galaxy seen face-on with an asymmetrical elliptical structure. The main goal of this work is to provide the spectral classification of the current object using 'standard' diagnostic diagrams. We also include empirical boundaries and a recent analysis involving the known emission-line ratio R 23 , usually used to estimate the O/H abundance ratio. The idea is to make a better distinction between the narrow-line AGNs [i.e. the Seyfert 2 galaxies and the low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions (LINERs)] and the H II galaxies (i.e. the Starburst galaxies). The spectra were obtained in two observatories (OPD-LNA/MCT and Gemini-South) and includes some of the most important emission lines for ionization diagnostic. Based on the observed spectra, HRG 10103 is a Seyfert 2 galaxy with typical line-ratio values in the optical range. We have estimated nuclear redshift of ~z = 0.040, corresponding to a heliocentric velocity of ~11 800 km s -1 . The resulting reddening-corrected fluxes as a function of distance from the nucleus are presented too. The errors in the fluxes were mostly caused by uncertainties in the placement of the continuum level. To map the gas kinematics, we averaged the central wavelengths of Gaussians which we had fitted to the most prominent emission lines observed in each spectrum. For each position angle on the sky, it was observed that the velocity fields of the ionized gas are smooth and similar at an orientation not far from the major axis [position angle (PA) = 0° and 9° (OPD-LNA/MCT), and PA = 6° (Gemini-South)]. Some other physical and geometrical parameters were derived whenever possible. The spectroscopic data reduction was carried out using the GEMINI.GMOS package as well as the standard IRAF procedures.

We present the first spectroscopic observations for the galaxies ESO 089-G018 (hereafter G18, an Sb(?)-type galaxy seen nearly edge-on) and ES0089-G019 (hereafter G19, an SA(s): a peculiar galaxy), extracted from the sample of ring-shaped galaxies compiled in Faundez-Abans & de Oliveira-Abans. The main goal of this work is to investigate the spectral classification using the three line-ratio diagrams, called diagnostic diagrams, of Veilleux & Osterbrock. However, in order to separate the different types of galaxies [H II galaxies, Seyfert 2 galaxies and low-ionization nuclear emission-line region galaxies (LINERs)] we have to used empirical boundaries between them. Based on the observed spectra, we suggest G18 is a 'weak-[O I] LINER' or even a 'transition object' or LINER/H II. In the case of G19, we see Hβ in absorption and no [O III] lines, impeding the [O III]/Hβ ratio to be estimated. However, other lines ratios have been evaluated for the discussion. We classify the nature of G19 as ambiguous, because of the difficulty in determining its ionizing source (narrow-line active galactic nuclei or H II galaxies) in different diagnostic diagrams. The errors in the fluxes were mostly caused by uncertainties in the placement of the continuum level. We have estimated nuclear redshift of z = 0.034 (G18) and z = 0.039 (G19), corresponding to a heliocentric velocity of 10 246 and 11 734 km s -1 , respectively. Some other physical parameters have been derived whenever possible. All spectra were reduced and analysed in a homogeneous way with the standard IRAF procedures.

Extrasolar planets observation and characterization by high contrast imaging instruments is set to be a very important subject in observational astronomy. Dedicated instruments are being developed to achieve this goal with very high efficiency. In particular, full spectroscopic characterization of low temperature planetary companions is an extremely important milestone. We present a new data analysis method for long slit spectroscopy (LSS) with coronagraphy, which allows characterization of planetary companions of low effective temperature. In a speckle-limited regime, this method allows an accurate estimation and subtraction of the scattered starlight, to extract a clean spectrum of the planetary companion. We performed intensive LSS simulations with IDL/CAOS to obtain realistic spectra of low (R=35) and medium (R=400) resolution in the J, H, and K bands. The simulated spectra were used to test our method and estimate its performance in terms of contrast reduction and extracted spectra quality. Our simulations are based on a software package dedicated to the development of SPHERE, a second generation instrument for the ESO-VLT. Our method allows a contrast reduction of 0.5 to 2.0 magnitudes compared to the coronagraphic observations. For M0 and G0 stars located at 10 pc, we show that it would lead to the characterization of companions with Teff of 600 K and 900 K respectively, at angular separations of 1.0 as. We also show that errors in the wavelength calibration can produce significant errors in the characterization, and must therefore be minimized as much as possible., 10 pages, 12 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in A&A

* Aims. Identify optical counterparts, address uncertain identifications and measure previously unknown redshifts of the host galaxies of candidate GPS radio sources, and study their stellar populations. * Methods. Long slit spectroscopy and deep optical imaging in the B, V and R bands, obtained with the Very Large Telescope. * Results. We obtain new redshifts for B0316+161, B0407-658, B0904+039, B1433-040, and identify the optical counterparts of B0008-421 and B0742+103. We confirm the previous identification for B0316+161, B0407-658, B0554-026, and B0904+039, and find that the previous identification for B0914+114 is incorrect. Using updated published radio spectral information we classify as non GPS the following sources: B0407-658, B0437-454, B1648+015. The optical colors of typical GPS sources are consistent with single instantaneous burst stellar population models but do not yield useful information on age or metallicity. A new master list of GPS sources is presented., Comment: 10 pages + GPS master list. Accepeted for publication by A&A

We present observational results from optical long-slit spectroscopy of parsec-scale jets of DG Tau. From HH 158 and HH 702, the optical emission lines of H_alpha, [O I] 6300, 6363, [N II] 6548, 6584, and [S II] 6716, 6731 are obtained. The kinematics and physical properties (i.e., electron density, electron temperature, ionization fraction, and mass-loss rate) are investigated along the blueshifted jet up to 650 arcseconds distance from the source. For HH 158, the radial velocity ranges from -50 to -250 km/s. The proper motion of the knots is 0.196 - 0.272 /yr. The electron density is ~ 10^{4}/cm^{3} close to the star, and decreases to ~ 10^{2} /cm^{3} at 14 arcseconds away from the star. Ionization fraction indicates that the gas is almost neutral in the vicinity of the source. It increases up to over 0.4 along the distance. HH 702 is located at ~ 650 arcseconds from the source. It shows ~ -80 km/s in the radial velocity. Its line ratios are similar to those at knot C of HH 158. The mass-loss rate is estimated to be about ~ 10^{-7} M_{sun}/yr, which is similar to values obtained from previous studies.

We present 0.95-1.80 $\mu$m spectroscopy of the $\sim$12-27 $M_{\rm Jup}$ companion orbiting the faint ($R$$\sim$13.6), young ($\sim$120 Myr) M-dwarf 2MASS J01225093--2439505 ("2M0122--2439 B") at 1.5 arcsecond separation (50 AU). Our coronagraphic long-slit spectroscopy was obtained with the new high contrast imaging platform VLT-SPHERE during Science Verification. The unique long-slit capability of SPHERE enables spectral resolution an order of magnitude higher than other extreme AO exoplanet imaging instruments. With a low mass, cool temperature, and very red colors, 2M0122-2439 B occupies a particularly important region of the substellar color-magnitude diagram by bridging the warm directly imaged hot planets with late-M/early-L spectral types (e.g. $\beta$ Pic b and ROXs 42Bb) and the cooler, dusty objects near the L/T transition (e.g. HR 8799bcde and 2MASS 1207b). We fit BT-Settl atmospheric models to our $R$$\approx$350 spectrum and find $T_{\rm eff}$=1600$\pm$100 K and $\log(g)$=4.5$\pm$0.5 dex. Visual analysis of our 2M0122-2439 B spectrum suggests a spectral type L3-L4, and we resolve shallow $J$-band alkali lines, confirming its low gravity and youth. Specifically, we use the Allers & Liu (2013) spectral indices to quantitatively measure the strength of the FeH, VO, KI, spectral features, as well as the overall $H$-band shape. Using these indices, along with the visual spectral type analysis, we classify 2M0122-2439 B as an intermediate gravity (INT-G) object with spectral type L3.7$\pm$1.0., Comment: Accepted to ApJ Letters, 8 pages, 4 figures, some minor typographical issues were fixed

In this paper we test the idea that the low-metallicity hot gas in the centre of NGC 1291 is heated via a dynamical process. In this scenario, the gas from the outer gas-rich ring loses energy through bar-driven shocks and falls to the centre. Heating of the gas to X-ray temperatures comes from the high velocity that it reaches ($\approx$ 700 \kms) as it falls to the bottom of the potential well. This would explain why the stellar metallicity in the bulge region is around solar while the hot gas metallicity is around 0.1 solar. We carried out an observational test to check this hypothesis by measuring the metallicity of HII regions in the outer ring to check whether they matched the hot gas metallicity. For this purpose we obtained medium resolution long slit spectroscopy with FORS1 on the ESO VLT at Paranal and obtained the metallicities using emission line ratio diagnostics. The obtained metallicities are compatible with the bulge stellar metallicities but very different from the hot-gas metallicity. However, when comparing the different time-scales, the gas in the ring had time enough to get enriched through stellar processes, therefore we cannot rule out the dynamical mechanism as the heating process of the gas. However, the blue colours of the outer ring and the dust structures in the bar region could suggest that the origin of the X-ray hot gas is due to the infall of material from further out., 6 pages, 6 figures. A&A accepted

This paper examines the variations, because of atmospheric extinction, of broad-band visible spectra, obtained from long-slit spectroscopy, in the vicinity of some stars, nebulae, and one faint galaxy., 12 figures

We have investigated the dust and gas coma of the comet C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) during Dec. 2−4, 2001, its closest approach to Earth. The gaseous coma is slightly asymmetric in CN and C2, indicating the presence of some structures which are detected either by applying enhancement techniques or studying the azimuthal distribution of material. This asymmetry is due to the existence of a double jet in a direction almost perpendicular to the Sun-comet direction. These structures are not clearly detected in C3. The morphological analysis of the dust coma shows a faint, short and narrow sunward structure, besides the dust tail in a position angle of ∼60 ◦ . CN is produced at a rate of 2.43 × 10 26 s −1 with lifetimes that can be considered as representative of HCN being the parent species. In the case of C2, the use of usual lifetimes (τp ,τ d) requires a modified two-steps photolytic model to account for the pronounced flatness of the column density profile in the inner coma. Usual steady-state model gives rise to a QC2 = 3.11 × 10 26 s −1 . Other gas species as C3 and NH2 have been also detected from the spectrum, although with a lower S/N. The computed production rates are 3.6 × 10 24 s −1 and 2.15 × 10 26 s −1 , respectively. Determination of the CN and C2 production rates by means of the Haser modeling (Haser 1957) with customary scalelengths indicates that C/2000 WM1 is a C2-enriched comet at 1.178 AU heliocentric distance. The dust production rate, parameterised by A(θ)f ρ ,i s∼300−400 cm when measured in two continuum regions, centered at 4845 and 6840 A, whilst this value is slightly lower in Bessel R and Gunn i (∼230 cm). Thus, the gas-to-dust mass ratio is in the order of 6.3, a relatively gassy comet. The surface brightness profiles of the continuum, either azimuthally averaged profiles from the broadband images or in east−west direction from the long-slit spectrum, can be well fitted with m ≈ 1i n logB − log ρ representation. On the other hand, the study of the dust coma as imaged with the broadband and narrowband filters reveals that variations in the size and/or composition of the grains might be occurring while traveling outward. This fact is manifested as a sharp decrease of Afvs. ρ at 700 ≤ ρ ≤ 15 000 km. The fit of these Afprofiles vs. ρ points to the existence of two different grain populations with their own scattering properties and scalelengths (i.e. lifetimes). These pronounced variations of Afvs. ρ are accompanied by clear dust color gradients in the 2D maps, unlike the dust color vs. ρ as derived from the spectrum. Since spectroscopic measurements are only obtained in east−west direction and with a very long exposure time, the effect of color variations inside the coma due to disintegrating grains is difficult to detect.

We present observations of the bipolar nebula OH 231.8+4.2, made with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) NICMOS camera, in three wide filter bands (F205W, F160W, and F110W). The images have excellent dynamic range after removal of low-level instrumental artifacts. In the F205W filter (lambda approximate to 2.04 mum), we achieve a peak/rms of greater than 8000 with an angular resolution of 0."20 (FWHM). The combination of high dynamic range and angular resolution confirms previous observations but also reveals new features in the near-IR morphology of the nebula, which at these wavelengths is dominated by scattered light. The northern (approaching) lobe shows well-defined, limb-brightened edges. The central jet splits into two laments and exhibits some curvature between the center of the nebula and the end of the northern lobe. The southern (receding) lobe has a diffuse, occulent appearance without a sharply defined central jet, in contrast to the northern lobe. A sharpened version of the F205W image shows indications of turbulent structures both in the northern lobe and jet and in the southern lobe. A faint cylindrical halo of scattered light shows a sharp increase in surface brightness inside a radius of similar to4" from the center, possibly resulting from a transition from a spherical wind to a disk- or torus-like mass ejection, on the same timescale as the formation of the collimated fast wind seen in CO and HCO(+) images. We calculate the extinction through the nebula from the measured near-IR colors and a silicate grain model. For a simple geometric model of a dense central disk, we estimate a disk mass (gas and dust) in the range 0.03-0.06 M., relatively insensitive to grain size. The circumstance of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star with a massive, highly collimated, high-velocity bipolar flow may be understood in terms of the model of Soker & Rappaport if the central star underwent a change in mass-loss properties from a (roughly) spherical AGB wind to equatorially enhanced mass loss beginning similar to(1-3) X 10(3) yr ago. Supposing the presence of a dwarf companion in a suitable orbit, the bipolar nebula then is a consequence of a strong increase in mass loss as the central star evolves close to the tip of the AGB and will soon evolve to higher T(eff) and appear as a more typical proto planetary nebula.

We present observations of the bipolar nebula OH 231.8+4.2, made with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) NICMOS camera, in three wide filter bands (F205W, F160W, and F110W). The images have excellent dynamic range after removal of low-level instrumental artifacts. In the F205W filter (lambda approximate to 2.04 mum), we achieve a peak/rms of greater than 8000 with an angular resolution of 0."20 (FWHM). The combination of high dynamic range and angular resolution confirms previous observations but also reveals new features in the near-IR morphology of the nebula, which at these wavelengths is dominated by scattered light. The northern (approaching) lobe shows well-defined, limb-brightened edges. The central jet splits into two laments and exhibits some curvature between the center of the nebula and the end of the northern lobe. The southern (receding) lobe has a diffuse, occulent appearance without a sharply defined central jet, in contrast to the northern lobe. A sharpened version of the F205W image shows indications of turbulent structures both in the northern lobe and jet and in the southern lobe. A faint cylindrical halo of scattered light shows a sharp increase in surface brightness inside a radius of similar to4" from the center, possibly resulting from a transition from a spherical wind to a disk- or torus-like mass ejection, on the same timescale as the formation of the collimated fast wind seen in CO and HCO(+) images. We calculate the extinction through the nebula from the measured near-IR colors and a silicate grain model. For a simple geometric model of a dense central disk, we estimate a disk mass (gas and dust) in the range 0.03-0.06 M., relatively insensitive to grain size. The circumstance of an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star with a massive, highly collimated, high-velocity bipolar flow may be understood in terms of the model of Soker & Rappaport if the central star underwent a change in mass-loss properties from a (roughly) spherical AGB wind to equatorially enhanced mass loss beginning similar to(1-3) X 10(3) yr ago. Supposing the presence of a dwarf companion in a suitable orbit, the bipolar nebula then is a consequence of a strong increase in mass loss as the central star evolves close to the tip of the AGB and will soon evolve to higher T(eff) and appear as a more typical proto planetary nebula.

Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) was observed inbound at an heliocentric distance of 8.6 AU. Broadband filter images in the visible and long slit spectroscopy in the 3500-7000 A range was recorded. No sign of CN emission was detected and an upper limit for CN production rate of 1.4 x 10 2 5 molecules s - 1 is estimated. The color of the dust in the inner coma is very red with a spectral index of 29%/1000 A. The radial profile of the dust coma displays steep gradients of 1.7 (inner part) to 2.4 (outer part). The afp value, a proxy for the dust production, is measured to be 1500 cm. The coma shows a weak and short conic structure in the northern hemisphere that is interpreted as dust fan produced by an active region on the nuclear surface.

Context. Transit events of extrasolar planets offer the opportunity to study the composition of their atmospheres. Previous work on transmission spectroscopy of the close-in gas giant TrES-3 b revealed an increase in absorption towards blue wavelengths of very large amplitude in terms of atmospheric pressure scale heights, too large to be explained by Rayleigh-scattering in the planetary atmosphere. Aims. We present a follow-up study of the optical transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter TrES-3 b to investigate the strong increase in opacity towards short wavelengths found by a previous study. Furthermore, we aim to estimate the effect of stellar spots on the transmission spectrum. Methods. This work uses previously published long slit spectroscopy transit data of the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and published broad band observations as well as new observations in different bands from the near-UV to the near-IR, for a homogeneous transit light curve analysis. Additionally, a long-term photometric monitoring of the TrES-3 host star was performed. Results. Our newly analysed GTC spectroscopic transit observations show a slope of much lower amplitude than previous studies. We conclude from our results the previously reported increasing signal towards short wavelengths is not intrinsic to the TrES-3 system. Furthermore, the broad band spectrum favours a flat spectrum. Long-term photometric monitoring rules out a significant modification of the transmission spectrum by unocculted star spots., 12 pages, 9 Figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics

We present long-slit optical spectra of 12 edge-on low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) positioned along their major axes. After performing reddening corrections for the emission-line fluxes measured from the extracted integrated spectra, we measured the gas-phase metallicities of our LSBG sample using both the [NII]/Ha and the R_23 diagnostics. Both sets of oxygen abundances show good agreement with each other, giving a median value of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.26 dex. In the luminosity-metallicity plot, our LSBG sample is consistent with the behavior of normal galaxies. In the mass-metallicity diagram, our LSBG sample has lower metallicities for lower stellar mass, similar to normal galaxies. The stellar masses estimated from z-band luminosities are comparable to those of prominent spirals. In a plot of the gas mass fraction versus metallicity, our LSBG sample generally agrees with other samples in the high gas mass fraction space. Additionally, we have studied stellar populations of 3 LSBGs which have relatively reliable spectral continua and high signal-to-noise ratios, and qualitatively conclude that they have a potential dearth of stars with ages 1Gyr. Regarding the chemical evolution of our sample, the LSBG data appear to allow for up to 30 % metal loss, but we cannot completely rule out the closed-box model. Additionally, we find evidence that our galaxies retain up to about 3 times as much of their metals compared with dwarfs, consistent with metal retention being related to galaxy mass. In conclusion, our data support the view that LSBGs are probably just normal disk galaxies continuously extending to the low end of surface brightness., 48 pages in AAS format, 7 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in the ApJ

The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) currently has three instruments: the imaging SALTICAM, the new High Resolution Spectrograph (HRS) which is in the process of being commissioned and the Robert Stobie Spectrograph (RSS). RSS has multiple science modes, of which long slit spectroscopy was originally commissioned; We have commissioned two new science modes: Multi Object Spectroscopy (MOS) and Fabry-Perot (FP). Due to the short track times available on SALT it is vital that acquisition is as efficient as possible. This paper will discuss how we implemented these modes in software and some of the challenges we had to overcome. MOS requires a slit-mask to be aligned with a number of stars. This is done in two phases: in MOS calibration the positions of the slits are detected using a through-slit image and RA/DEC database information, and in MOS acquisition the detector sends commands to the telescope control system (TCS) in an iterative and interactive fashion for fine mask/detector alignment to get the desired targets on the slits. There were several challenges involved with this system, and the user interface evolved to make the process as efficient as possible. We also had to overcome problems with the manufacturing process of the slit-masks. FP requires the precise alignment each of the two etalons installed on RSS. The software makes use of calibration tables to get the etalons into roughly aligned starting positions. An exposure is then done using a calibration arc lamp, producing a ring pattern. Measurement of the rings allows the determination of the adjustments needed to properly align the etalons. The software has been developed to optimize this process, along with software tools that allow us to fine tune the calibration tables. The software architecture allows the complexity of automating the FP calibration and procedures to be easily managed.

METIS will be among the first generation of scientific instruments on the E-ELT. Focusing on highest angular resolution and high spectral resolution, METIS will provide diffraction limited imaging and coronagraphy from 3-14μm over an 20x20° field of view, as well as integral field spectroscopy at R ~ 100,000 from 2.9-5.3μm. In addition, METIS provides medium-resolution (R ~ 5000) long slit spectroscopy, and polarimetric measurements at N band. While the baseline concept has already been discussed at previous conferences, this paper focuses on the significant developments over the past two years in several areas: The science case has been updated to account for recent progress in the main science areas circum-stellar disks and the formation of planets, exoplanet detection and characterization, Solar system formation, massive stars and clusters, and star formation in external galaxies. We discuss the developments in the adaptive optics (AO) concept for METIS, the telescope interface, and the instrument modelling. Last but not least we provide an overview of our technology development programs, which ranges from coronagraphic masks, immersed gratings, and cryogenic beam chopper to novel approaches to mirror polishing, background calibration and cryo-cooling. These developments have further enhanced the design and technology readiness of METIS to reliably serve as an early discovery machine on the E-ELT.

International audience; SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research) is a second-generation instrument for the VLT, optimized for very high-contrast imaging around bright stars. Its primary goal is the detection and characterization of new giant planets around nearby stars, together with the observation of early planetary systems and disks. The Infrared Dual Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS), one of the three SPHERE subsystems, will provide dual-band imaging in the near-infrared, among with other observing modes such as long slit spectroscopy, classical imaging and infrared polarimetry. IRDIS is able to achieve very high contrast with the help of extreme-AO turbulence compensation, coronography, exceptional image quality, very accurate calibration strategies and advanced data processing. IRDIS underwent extensively laboratory testing during the integration and optimization of SPHERE at IPAG and it is now integrated to the VLT/ESO. We will present the results of performances and operations validations performed with SPHERE. In particular we present the achievable level of contrast and compare it with on-sky results obtained at the VLT/ESO.

International audience; Upcoming high-contrast imagers will all provide spectroscopic capabilities for the characterization of directly detected giant planets in wide orbits. While integral field spectroscopy (IFS) can provide both spatial and spectral information, it is usually limited in terms of field of view and resolution. The alternative is to use long slit spectroscopy coupled with coronagraphy (LSC), which can easily provide higher resolution and larger field of view. The SPHERE instrument for the VLT provides a LSC mode in its near-infrared imager and spectrograph, IRDIS. However, the fact that the occulting coronagraphic mask is merged in the focal plane with the slit reduces significantly its capacity to attenuate the diffraction, limiting the high-contrast capabilities of the instrument at close angular separations (0.3"-0.4"). To improve the diffraction suppression of the LSC in IRDIS, we recently proposed to use the stop-less Lyot coronagraph (SLLC) to build an apodized long slit coronagraph (ALSC), and we demonstrated that it improves notably the performance at small angular separation, allowing the spectral analysis of colder planets. The design of the SLLC apodizer has been optimized for an implementation in SPHERE/IRDIS, and it has recently been manufactured before being inserted into the instrument during reintegration of SPHERE in Paranal. In the current work, we present the final design of the SLLC apodizer, its specifications for the manufacturing step, and the first results obtained on SPHERE. We compare the results between the simple LSC and the new ALSC, and we draw the conclusions on the advantages and drawbacks of our design.

International audience; The near-infrared imager and spectrograph IRDIS is one of the three science sub-systems of VLT/SPHERE dedicated to the detection and characterization of giant exoplanets at large orbital radii. It offers a wide range of observational modes including dual-band imaging (DBI) with very low differential aberrations, and long slit spectroscopy (LSS) coupled with a classical Lyot coronagraph at low (R = ~50) and medium (R = ~330) resolution. Over the course of 2012 and 2013, IRDIS has been extensively tested in laboratory during the integration and optimization of the SPHERE system. At the beginning of 2014, the instrument has been shipped to Chile and has been reintegrated at the Paranal observatory. We present here a detailed summary of the performance of the DBI and LSS modes obtained in laboratory. We provide a wide range of results covering different observing conditions and setups for the DBI mode, and we show that the instrument reaches the technical specifications in terms of contrast. We also identify some of the limitations that prevent going down much further in contrast while testing in the laboratory. For the LSS mode, we present results obtained both at low and medium resolution in the main setups that will be offered to future users. We demonstrate that the LSS mode will provide a useful characterization tool for the planets detected in DBI mode. Finally, we present the first results obtained on-sky during the first commissioning run of SPHERE at the VLT.

Several facts regarding the structure of NGC 604 are examined here. The three main cavities, produced by the mechanical energy from massive stars which in NGC 604 are spread over a volume of 10$^6$ pc$^3$, are shown here to be undergoing blowout into the halo of M33. High resolution long slit spectroscopy is used to track the impact from massive stars while HST archive data is used to display the asymmetry of the nebula. NGC 604 is found to be a collection of photoionized filaments and sections of shells in direct contact with the thermalized matter ejected by massive stars. The multiple blowout events presently drain the energy injected by massive stars and thus the densest photoionized gas is found almost at rest and is expected to suffer a slow evolution., 15 pages (11 text), 4 figures. To be published in ApJ

Long-slit spectra of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151 from the UV to the near-infrared have been obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) to study the kinematics and physical conditions in the narrow-line region (NLR). The kinematics shows evidence for three components, a low-velocity system in normal disk rotation, a high-velocity system in radial outflow at a few hundred kilometers per second relative to the systemic velocity, and an additional high-velocity system also in outflow with velocities up to 1400 km s-1, in agreement with results from STIS slitless spectroscopy. We have explored two simple kinematic models and suggest that radial outflow in the form of a wind is the most likely explanation. We also present evidence indicating that the wind may be decelerating with distance from the nucleus. We find that the emission-line ratios along our slits are all entirely consistent with photoionization from the nuclear continuum source. A decrease in the ratios [O III] λ5007/Hβ and [O III] λ5007/[O II] λ3727 suggests that the density decreases with distance from the nucleus. This trend is borne out by the [S II] ratios as well. We find no strong evidence for interaction between the radio jet and the NLR gas in either the kinematics or the emission-line ratios, in agreement with the recent results of Kaiser et al., who found no spatial coincidence of NLR clouds and knots in the radio jet. These results are in contrast to other recent studies of nearby active galactic nuclei that find evidence for significant interaction between the radio source and the NLR gas.

Comets Liller (C/1988 A1) and Tabur (C/1996 Q1) have similar orbits and are thought to have been a single comet until they split at a previous perihelion passage. Long-slit spectra of comet Tabur were obtained on consecutive nights around 45 days before perihelion. Nuclear production rate ratios for NH/CN, C3/CN, and C2/CN, determined from Haser model fits to the emission-line profiles, are consistent with a gas composition for comet Tabur identical with that measured by A'Hearn et al. for comet Liller. In a region between the photocenter and a projected position 5300 km sunward, the continuum light scattered from dust in the coma of comet Tabur was bluer than the light of solar-analog stars. Continuum flux in this region declined more steeply with projected distance from photocenter than is consistent with a uniform expansion. Farther sunward, the continuum was reddish with respect to solar analogs, while from the photocenter antisunward, it was neutral. The color profiles are similar in spectra obtained 24 hr apart, while the flux profiles differ. These data are difficult to explain by the action of solar radiation pressure on a population of long-lived grains of a single composition.

We present an I-band Tully-Fisher relation (TFR) for 18 nearby S0 galaxies using kinematics derived from long slit spectroscopy of stellar absorption lines. Our estimates of the circular velocity, V_c, at 2-3 exponential disk scale lengths account for line-of-sight projection and for the stellar random motions through an asymmetric drift correction. Uniform and accurate distance calibration for all objects is available from surface brightness fluctuation measurements of Tonry et al. (1998). Despite the care taken in estimating both V_c and M_I, the TFR shows an intrinsic scatter, $\sim 0.7$ mag in M_I, or 0.15 in log_10(V_c). This result is surprising, as S0 galaxies appear to have both the simple kinematics of disk galaxies, and the simple stellar populations of early-type galaxies. Remarkably, in this sample of overall rotation-dominated galaxies, the central stellar velocity dispersion is a better predictor of the total I-band luminosity (through the Fundamental Plane relations) than the circular speed at several exponential scale lengths. Furthermore, the TFR zeropoint, or the mean stellar I-band luminosity at a given V_c, differs by only $\sim 0.5$ mag between our sample of S0s and Mathewson et al.'s (1992) sample of late-type spirals, once both data sets are brought onto a consistent distance scale. This offset is less than expected if S0s are former spiral galaxies with prematurely truncated star-formation ($\gtorder 4$ Gyrs ago)., Comment: To appear in AJ, June 1999 issue. AAS LaTex, 17 pages + table and figures

We present Hα, [N II] λ6583, [O III] λ5007 ground-based images, Hubble Space Telescope (HST) (V band) archival images, VLA-A 3.6 cm continuum data, and high-resolution long-slit spectra of the planetary nebula NGC 6884. The VLA and HST images show an extremely knotty and filamentary nebula with an elliptical central structure also recognizable in Hα and [O III]. The [N II] image is different and is dominated by two bright arclike structures. The image ratio maps indicate a complex ionization structure within the nebula with low-excitation filaments surrounded by high-excitation regions. The spectra make it possible to distinguish three basic structural components in NGC 6884: (1) a compact (38 × 28, P.A. 32°), high-excitation ([N II] λ6583/Hα ≤ 0.15) ellipsoidal shell seen almost pole-on with polar and equatorial expansion velocities in the Hα line of 25 and 19 km s-1, respectively; (2) two point-symmetric, low-excitation ([N II]/Hα 0.6–1) spirals in which the distance to the central star and the radial velocity exhibit systematic variations; (3) two compact, apparently isolated, low-excitation bipolar knots. All data agree that the spirals represent precessing bipolar jetlike outflows. The observational properties of these precessing outflows can satisfactorily be explained with an approximately constant ejection velocity (55 km s-1) and a large precession angle (2 120°). The deduced precession period (500 × [D(kpc)/2] yr) is the shortest one measured so far in this kind of structure in planetary nebulae. The image ratio maps and the [N II]/Hα intensity ratio suggest shock excitation in the precessing jets. A general discussion of NGC 6884 is presented within the context of planetary nebulae with jetlike components.

Using long slit spectroscopy, we investigate the stellar population and reddening gradients inside the central regions of the nearby spiral galaxy M81. Observational data are analyzed using a new mathematical method. The basic elements to construct the synthetic spectra are taken from a database of star spectra. We show the ability of this method to define detailed stellar populations and to differentiate between age and metallicity effects.

The Mg II line is of extreme importance in intermediate redshift quasars since it allows us to measure the black hole mass in these sources and to use these sources as probes of the distribution of dark energy in the Universe, as a complementary tool to SN Ia. Reliable use of Mg II requires a good understanding of all the systematic effects involved in the measurement of the line properties, including the contamination by Fe II UV emission. We performed three spectroscopic observations of a quasar LBQS 2113-4538 (z = 0.956) with the SALT telescope separated in time by several months and we analyze in detail the mean spectrum and the variability in the spectral shape. We show that even in our good-quality spectra the Mg II doublet is well fit by a single Lorentzian shape. We tested several models of the Fe II pseudo-continuum and showed that one of them well represents all the data. The amplitudes of both components vary in time, but the shapes do not change significantly. The measured line width of LBQS 2113-4538 identifies this object as a class A quasar. The upper limit of $3\%$ for the contribution of the Narrow Line Region (NLR) to Mg II may suggest that the separation of the Broad Line Region (BLR) and NLR disappears in this class of objects., 10 pages, 8 figures, accepted to A&A

We present spatially resolved long-slit spectroscopy from the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) to examine the spatial extent of the narrow-line regions (NLRs) of a sample of 8 luminous obscured quasars at 0.10 < z < 0.43. Our results are consistent with an observed shallow slope in the relationship between NLR size and L_[OIII], which has been interpreted to indicate that NLR size is limited by the density and ionization state of the NLR gas rather than the availability of ionizing photons. We also explore how the NLR size scales with a more direct measure of instantaneous AGN power using mid-IR photometry from WISE, which probes warm to hot dust near the central black hole and so, unlike [OIII], does not depend on the properties of the NLR. Using our results as well as samples from the literature, we obtain a power-law relationship between NLR size and L_8micron that is significantly steeper than that observed for NLR size and L_[OIII]. We find that the size of the NLR goes approximately as L^(1/2)_8micron, as expected from the simple scenario of constant-density clouds illuminated by a central ionizing source. We further see tentative evidence for a flattening of the relationship between NLR size and L_8micron at the high luminosity end, and propose that we are seeing a limiting NLR size of 10 - 20 kpc, beyond which the availability of gas to ionize becomes too low. We find that L_[OIII] ~ L_8micron^(1.4), consistent with a picture in which the L_[OIII] is dependent on the volume of the NLR. These results indicate that high-luminosity quasars have a strong effect in ionizing the available gas in a galaxy., 9 Pages, 5 figures, accepted to ApJ

Spectroscopic observations for the full sample of Her emission-line galaxy candidates (ELGs) from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid objective-prism survey Lists 1 and 2 have been obtained in order to investigate fully the properties of the survey constituents as well as the selection characteristics and completeness limits of the survey itself. The spectroscopic data include redshifts, line fluxes, equivalent widths, emission-line ratios, optical reddening estimates and synthesized color indexes. We find that 74% of the objects in this sample do exhibit emission Lines. We compare our observational data, with parameters given in the published survey lists in order to assess the usefulness of the latter. The different emission-line galaxies have been classified according to their spectra in several groups. Gray-scale images of the CCD spectra near the main emission lines, spatial profiles at the continuum and the Line for [OIII] λ5007 and Hα lines, as well as plots of the coadded spectra of selected galaxies are presented, and a number of peculiar objects are described.

In this paper, we present a unique data set of more than one year's worth of regular observations of comet C/2013 A1(Siding Spring) with TRAPPIST in Chile, along with low-resolution spectra obtained with the ESO/VLT FORS 2 instrument. The comet made a close approach to Mars on October 19, 2014 and was then observed by many space and ground-based telescopes. We followed the evolution of the OH, NH, CN, $\mathrm{C_3}$, and $\mathrm{C_2}$ production rates as well as the $Af\rho$ parameter as a proxy for the dust production. We detected an outburst two weeks after perihelion, with gas and dust production rates being multiplied by a factor five within a few days. By modelling the shape of the CN and $\mathrm{C_2}$ radial profiles, we determined that the outburst happened around on November 10 around 15:30 UT ($\pm$ 5h) and measured a gas ejection velocity of $1.1\pm0.2$ km/s. We used a thermal evolution model to reproduce the activity pattern and outburst. Our results are consistent with the progressive formation of a dust mantle explaining the shallow dependence of gas production rates, which may be partially blown off during the outburst. We studied the evolution of gas composition, using various ratios such as CN/OH, $\mathrm{C_2}$/OH, or $\mathrm{C_3}$/OH, which showed little or no variation with heliocentric distance including at the time of the outburst. This indicates a relative level of homogeneity of the nucleus composition., Comment: Submitted to Astronomy and Astrophysics

Spectral characterization of young, giant exoplanets detected by direct imaging is one of the tasks of the new generation of high-contrast imagers. For this purpose, the VLT/SPHERE instrument includes a unique long-slit spectroscopy (LSS) mode coupled with Lyot coronagraphy in its infrared dual-band imager and spectrograph (IRDIS). The performance of this mode is intrinsically limited by the use of a non-optimal coronagraph, but in a previous work we demonstrated that it could be significantly improved at small inner-working angles using the stop-less Lyot coronagraph (SLLC). We now present the development, testing, and validation of the first SLLC prototype for VLT/SPHERE. Based on the transmission profile previously proposed, the prototype was manufactured using microdots technology and was installed inside the instrument in 2014. The transmission measurements agree well with the specifications, except in the very low transmissions (, 13 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

The amplitudes and scales of spatial variations of the sky continuum background can be a potential limit of the telescope performance, because the study of the extremely faint objects requires the subtraction accuracy below 1%. Thus, studying its statistical properties is essential for the design of next generation instruments, especially the fiber-fed instruments, as well as their observation strategies. Using ESO archive data of VLT/FORS2 long-slit observations, we analyzed the auto-correlation function of the sky continuum. As preliminary results, we find that the sky continuum background has multi-scale spatial variations at scales from 2" to 150" with total amplitude of ~0.5%, for an given exposure time of 900s. This can be considered as the upper limit of sky continuum background variation over a field-of-view of few arcmins. The origin of these variations need further studies.

The ‘Mid-infrared ELT Imager and Spectrograph’ (METIS) will be the third instrument on the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). METIS will provide diffraction limited imaging in the atmospheric L/M and N-band from 3 to 14 μm over an 18˝×18˝ field of view, as well as high contrast coronagraphy, medium-resolution (R ≤ 5000) long slit spectroscopy, and polarimetry. In addition, an integral field spectrograph will provide a spectral resolution of R ~ 100,000 at L/M band. Focusing on highest angular resolution and high spectral resolution, METIS will deliver unique science, in particular in the areas of exo-planets, proto-planetary-disks and high-redshift galaxies, which are illustrated in this paper. The reduction of the E-ELT aperture size had little impact on the METIS science case. With the recent positive developments in the area of detectors, the METIS instrument concept has reached a high level of technology readiness. For some key components (cryogenic chopping mirror, immersed grating, sorption cooler and cryogenic derotator) a development and test program has been launched successfully.

The most significant aspect of the general circulation of the atmosphere of Venus is its retrograde super-rotation. A complete characterization of this dynamical phenomenon is crucial for understanding its driving mechanisms. Here we report on ground-based Doppler velocimetry measurements of the zonal winds, based on high resolution spectra from the UV–Visual Echelle Spectrograph (UVES) instrument at ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Under the assumption of predominantly zonal flow, this method allows the simultaneous direct measurement of the zonal velocity across a range of latitudes and local times in the day side. The technique, based on long slit spectroscopy combined with the high spatial resolution provided by the VLT, has provided the first ground-based characterization of the latitudinal profile of zonal wind in the atmosphere of Venus, the first zonal wind field map in the visible, as well as new constraints on wind variations with local time. We measured mean zonal wind amplitudes between 106 ± 21 and 127 ± 14 m/s at latitudes between 18°N and 34°S, with the zonal wind being approximately uniform in 2.6°-wide latitude bands (0.3 arcsec at disk center). The zonal wind profile retrieved is consistent with previous spacecraft measurements based on cloud tracking, but with non-negligible variability in local time (longitude) and in latitude. Near 50° the presence of moderate jets is apparent in both hemispheres, with the southern jet being stronger by ∼10 m/s. Small scale wind variations with local time are also present at low and mid-latitudes.

Interactions between galaxies are very common. There are special kinds of interactions that produce systems called Polar Ring Galaxies (PRGs), composed by a lenticular, elliptical, or spiral host galaxy, surrounded by a ring of stars and gas, orbiting in an approximately polar plane. The present work aims to study AM2020-504, a PRG with an elliptical host galaxy, and a narrow and well defined ring, probably formed by accretion of material from a donor galaxy, collected by the host galaxy. Our observational study was based on BVRI broad band imagery as well as longslit spectroscopy in the wavelenght range 4100--8600\AA, performed at the 1.6m telescope at the Observat\'orio do Pico dos Dias (OPD), Brazil. We estimated a redshift of z= 0.01683, corresponding a heliocentric radial velocity of 5045 +/-23 km/s. The (B-R) color map shows that the ring is bluer than the host galaxy, indicating that the ring is a younger structure. Standard diagnostic diagrams were used to classify the main ionizing source of selected emission-line regions (nucleus, host galaxy and ring). It turns out that the ring regions are mainly ionized by massive stars while the nucleus presents AGN characteristics. Using two empirical methods, we found oxygen abundances for the HII regions located in the ring in the range 12+log(O/H)=8.3-8.8 dex, the presence of an oxygen gradient across the ring, and that AM2020-504 follows the metallicity-luminosity relation of spiral galaxies. These results support the accretion scenario for this object and rules out cold accretion as source for the HI gas in the polar ring.

International audience; The characterization of directly-imaged exoplanets at very small angular separations requires high-contrast spec-troscopic capabilities. For this purpose, the new generation of instruments dedicated to direct imaging of massive exoplanets at large orbital radii, such as VLT/SPHERE and Gemini/GPI, includes integral field spectroscopy (IFS) and/or long slit spectroscopy (LSS) coupled with coronography. LSS is particularly challenging since observations will be stronly limited by quasi-static speckles and diffraction residuals that need to be removed with a posteriori data analysis methods. It is therefore necessary to limit as much as possible the influence of diffraction in the data. In this work we compare the use of the classical Lyot coronagraph (CLC) and the stop- less Lyot coronagraph (SLLC) with LSS for the characterization of exoplanets. SLLC uses a grey apodization to suppress the diffraction above 4.53 λ/D and does not require the use of any Lyot stop, offering a convenient implementation. We show that this apodized long slit spectroscopy (ALSS) improves notably the performance at small angular separations (0.3"-0.4"), allowing the spectral analysis of colder planets.