Browsing by Type "Conference paper"

Ceres is the largest body of the Main Belt, which is characterized by a huge abundance of water ice in its interior. This feature is suggested by its relatively low bulk density (2162 kg m-3, Russell et al. 2016, Park et al. 2016) and by several geological and geochemical evidences (specific minerals or salts produced by acqueous alteration, icy patches on the surface, lobate morphologies interpretable as surface flows (De Sanctis et al. 2016, Carrozzo et al. 2018, Raponi et al. 2018, Zolotov 2017 and Schmidt et al., 2017).Ceres is partially differentiated as suggested by its normalized moment of inertia, 0.37 (Park et al. 2016). A typical internal structure proposed for Ceres is: a rocky core (300-350 km), an icy (or muddy) mantle (100-150 km) and a rocky crust some kilometers in depth (eg. Mc Cord & Sotin 2005, Neveu & Desch, 2015). The temperature gradient across the mantle, estimated through numerical modelling (e.g. McCord & Sotin 2005, Neveu & Desch 2015) would be large enough to initiate a thermal convection in the mantle. Since the mantle is not uniquely defined from a composition point of view, in this work we explore how the composition and, in particular the "degree" of muddiness of the mantle, can influence the characteristic of thermal convection. We also estimate the thickness of the top conductive boundary layer and the mechanical stress, which can cause its deformation. - De Sanctis, M., et al. (2015) doi:10.1038/nature16172.- Russell, C., et al. (2016), doi:10.1126/science.aaf4219.- Park, R., et al. (2016),Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, vol. 47, p. 1781.- Schmidt, B. E., et al. (2017), doi:doi:10.1038/ngeo2936- Zolotov, M. Y. (2017), doi:https://doi.org/10.1016 j.icarus.2017.06.018.- Carrozzo, F., et al. (2018), Nature, formation and distribution of carbonates on ceres, Science Advances.- Raponi, A., et al. (2018), Variations in the amount of water ice on ceres' surface suggest a seasonal water cycle, Science Advances.- McCord, T., and C. Sotin (2005), doi:10.1029/2004JE002244.- Neveu, M., and S. Desch (2015), Geochemistry, thermal evolution, and cryovolcanism on Ceres with a muddy ice mantle, Geophys. Res. Lett.

We describe the design, fabrication and test results of a multi-channel heterodyne receiver operating at room temperature across the 2.3-8.2 GHz Radio Frequency (RF) band. Such a “Warm Section” (WS) receiver is part of a Phased Array Feed (PAF) demonstrator that is being built for radio astronomy application. The WS receiver is cascaded to the PAF cryogenic section that incorporates an antenna array with low noise pre-amplification stages. The WS receiver consists of four rack-mountable modules, each of which can process eight RF inputs. Four modules are arranged in a standard 19” rack to allow handling a total of 32 RF signals. The modules perform filtering (through four-way switch filter bank) and down-conversion (to the 375-650 MHz IF band). The IF signals are converted to optical through analogue Wavelength Division Multiplexing IFoF (IF over fiber) transmitters incorporated into the WS receiver. The signals are sent through optical fibers to a backend, where they are converted back to IF before digitization by an Analog-to-Digital Unit.

The Arcetri/Bologna H₂O maser group has been monitoring the 1.3-cm water maser emission from a sample of 43 star-forming regions (SFRs) and 22 late-type stars for about 20 years at a sampling rate of 4-5 observations each year, using the 32-m Medicina Radio Telescope (HPBW 1.‧9 at 22 GHz). For the late-type stars we observe representative samples of OH/IR-stars, Mira's, semi-regular variables, and supergiants. The SFR-sample spans a large interval in FIR luminosity of the associated Young Stellar Object (YSO), from 20 L to 1.5 × 10⁶ L, and offers a unique data base for the study of the long-term (years) variability of the maser emission in regions of star formation.

This presentation concerns only the masers in SFRs. The information obtained from single-dish monitoring is complementary to what is extracted from higher-resolution (VLA and VLBI) observations, and can better explore the velocity domain and the long-term variability therein.

We characterize the variability of the sources in various ways and we study how it depends on the luminosity and other properties of the associated YSO and its environment.

In the last years we have operated two very similar ultrafast photon counting photometers (Iqueye and Aqueye+) on different telescopes. The absolute time accuracy in time tagging the detected photon with these instruments is of the order of 500 ps for hours of observation, allowing us to obtain, for example, the most accurate ever light curve in visible light of the optical pulsars. Recently we adapted the two photometers for working together on two telescopes at Asiago (Italy), for realizing an Hanbury-Brown and Twiss Intensity Interferometry like experiment with two 3.9 km distant telescopes. In this paper we report about the status of the activity and on the very preliminary results of our first attempt to measure the photon intensity correlation.

The proximity of SN 1987A and the wealth of observations collected at all wavelength bands since its outburst allow us to study in detail the transition of a supernova (SN) in a supernova remnant(SNR) and the link between the morphological properties of a SNRand the complex phases in the SN explosion. Here we investigate theinteraction between the remnant of SN 1987A and the surroundingcircumstellar medium (CSM) through three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling. The aim is to identify the imprint of SN 1987A on the X-ray emission of its remnant and to determine the contribution of shocked ejecta and shocked CSM to the detected X-ray flux, thusproviding clues on both the ejecta and the density structure of theinhomogeneous CSM. Our model describes the evolution of the blast wave from the breakout of the shock wave at the stellar surface till its transition from SN to SNR, making predictions on the future observations of SN 1987A with the instruments on board Athena. Our model is able to reproduce alltogether the main observables of both the progenitor supernova (e.g. the bolometric lightcurve during the first 250 days) and of its remnant (X-ray lightcurves and spectra during the following 26 years of evolution), providing for the first time an accurate description of the structure of ejecta and of the CSM around the progenitor.

We report multi-epoch VLBI observations of molecular masers towards the high-mass star forming region AFGL 5142, leading to the determination of the 3D velocity field of circumstellar molecular gas at radii <0.''23 (or 400 AU) from the protostar MM-1. Our observations of CH₃OH maser emission enabled, for the first time, a direct measurement of infall of a molecular envelope on to an intermediate-mass protostar (radius of 300 AU, velocity of 5 km s^-1, and infall rate of 6 × 10^-4 n ₈ M _⊙ yr^-1, where n ₈ is the ambient volume density in units of 10⁸ cm^-3). In addition, our measurements of H₂O maser (and radio continuum) emission revealed a collimated bipolar molecular outflow (and ionized jet) from MM-1. The evidence of simultaneous accretion and outflow at small spatial scales, makes AFGL 5142 an extremely compelling target for high-angular resolution studies of high-mass star formation.

In this paper we report the first results of the optical components development and the overall optical design for a wideband receiver to simultaneously cover ALMA bands 2 and 3. Two types of feed horns and OMTs have been designed to couple to the ALMA telescope beam using a modified Fresnel lens. Both types of hardware have been manufactured and tested in a near field beam scanner. The measured beam patterns and optical efficiencies are in good agreement with simulations.

Existing radio receivers have a very low noise temperature. To further increase the observation speed, the new generation of radio receivers use a multi-beam focal plane array (FPA) together with wide bandwidth. In this article, we present the front-end and cryogenic design of the 7-beam FPA double linear polarization receiver for the 64-m primary focus of the Sardinia Radio Telescope. At the end of this article, we show the simulated performances of the front-end receiver and the measurements of the down-conversion section.

8s stands for Optical Test TOwer Simulator (with 8 read as in italian 'otto'): it is a simulation tool for the optical calibration of the E-ELT deformable mirror M4 on its test facility. It has been developed to identify possible criticalities in the procedure, evaluate the solutions and estimate the sensitivity to environmental noise. The simulation system is composed by the finite elements model of the tower, the analytic influence functions of the actuators, the ray tracing propagation of the laser beam through the optical surfaces. The tool delivers simulated phasemaps of M4, associated with the current system status: actuator commands, optics alignment and position, beam vignetting, bench temperature and vibrations. It is possible to simulate a single step of the optical test of M4 by changing the system parameters according to a calibration procedure and collect the associated phasemap for performance evaluation. In this paper we will describe the simulation package and outline the proposed calibration procedure of M4.

ASTRI is the end-to-end prototype for the CTA small-size class of telescopes in a dual-mirror configuration (SST-2M) proposed by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array. ASTRI SST-2M has been installed at the Serra La Nave Astrophysical Observatory on Mount Etna (Sicily) and its Performance Verification Phase will start in autumn 2016. For the relative pixel calibration and gain monitoring, the ASTRI SST-2M camera is equipped with an internal illumination device, while an external, portable, illumination system, placed at a few km distance from the telescope, will be used for the absolute end-to-end calibration of the telescope spectral response. Moreover analysis of signals induced in the camera pixels by the night sky background (diffuse emission and reference stars) will be used to monitor the long term evolution of the telescope calibration. We present an overview of the ASTRI SST-2M absolute calibration strategy and the external illuminating device that will be used for its spectral calibration

The gamma-ray observations of molecular clouds associated with supernova remnants are considered one of the most promising ways to search for a solution of the problem of cosmic ray origin. Here we briefly review the status of the field, with particular emphasis on the theoretical and phenomenological aspects of the problem.

High-resolution X-ray spectra are a unique tool to investigate the accretion process in young stars. In fact X-rays allow to investigate the accretion-shock region, where the infalling material is heated by strong shocks due to the impact with the denser stellar atmosphere. Here we show for the first time that it is possible to constrain the velocity of the accretion stream by measuring the Doppler shift of the emitted X-rays. To this aim we analyzed the deep Chandra/HETGS observation of the accreting young star TW Hya. We selected a sample of emission lines free from significant blends, fitted them with gaussian profiles, computed the radial velocity corresponding to each line, and averaged these velocities to obtain an accurate estimate of the global velocity of the X-ray emitting plasma. After correcting for Earth's motion, we compared this observed velocity with the photospheric radial velocity. In order to check this procedure we applied the same technique to other Chandra/HETGS spectra of single stars, whose X-rays are due only to coronal plasma. While spectra of pure coronal sources provide Doppler shifts in agreement with the known stellar radial velocity, we found that the X-ray spectrum of TW Hya is red-shifted by ~30-40 km/s with respect to the stellar photosphere. This proves that the X-ray emitting plasma on TW Hya is moving with respect to the stellar surface, definitively confirming that it originates in the accretion-shock region. The observed velocity suggests that the base of the accretion region is located at low latitudes of the stellar surface.

We present two pilot studies for the search and characterization of accretion events in star-forming dwarf galaxies. Our strategy consists of two complementary approaches: i) the direct search for stellar substructures around dwarf galaxies through deep wide-field imaging, and ii) the characterization of the chemical properties in these systems up to large galacto-centric distances. We show our results for two star-forming dwarf galaxies, the starburst irregular NGC 4449, and the extremely metal-poor dwarf DDO 68.

We present new photometric and spectroscopic data for the M-type members of the TW Hya association with the aim of a comprehensive study of accretion, disks and magnetic activity at the critical age of ~ 10 Myr where circumstellar matter disappears.

This paper describes ACNP and NILDE, the two main Italian cooperative systems for access to scientific information. Used by the Italian Astronomical Libraries (IAL), they are two essential channels to access information resources that are otherwise unreachable. At the same time, they allow IAL (Italian Astronomical Libraries) to share their very rich and unique holdings with other research and university libraries.

Optics for future X-ray telescopes will be characterized by very large aperture and focal length, and will be made of lightweight materials like glass or plastic in order to keep the total mass within acceptable limits. Optics based on thin slumped glass foils are currently in use in the NuSTAR telescope and are being developed at various institutes like INAF/OAB, aiming at improving the angular resolution to a few arcsec HEW. Another possibility would be the use of thin plastic foils, being developed at SAO and the Palermo University. Even if relevant progresses in the achieved angular resolution were recently made, a viable possibility to further improve the mirror figure would be the application of piezoelectric actuators onto the non-optical side of the mirrors. In fact, thin mirrors are prone to deform, so they require a careful integration to avoid deformations and even correct forming errors. This however offers the possibility to actively correct the residual deformation. Even if other groups are already at work on this idea, we are pursuing the concept of active integration of thin glass or plastic foils with piezoelectric patches, fed by voltages driven by the feedback provided by X-rays, in intra-focal setup at the XACT facility at INAF/OAPA. In this work, we show the preliminary simulations and the first steps taken in this project.

Wavefront sensing in the infrared is highly desirable for the study of M-type stars and cool red objects, as they are sufficiently bright in the infrared to be used as the adaptive optics guide star. This aids in high contrast imaging, particularly for low mass stars where the star-to-planet brightness ratio is reduced. Here we discuss the combination of infrared detector technology with the highly sensitive Pyramid wavefront sensor (WFS) for a new generation of systems. Such sensors can extend the capabilities of current telescopes and meet the requirements for future instruments, such as those proposed for the giant segmented mirror telescopes. Here we introduce the infrared Pyramid WFS and discuss the advantages and challenges of this sensor. We present a new infrared Pyramid WFS for Keck, a key sub-system of the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC). The design, integration and testing is reported on, with a focus on the characterization of the SAPHIRA detector used to provide the H-band wavefront sensing. Initial results demonstrate a required effective read noise <1e^- at high gain.

The VST telescope is equipped with an Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector to counterbalance the spectral dispersion introduced by the atmosphere. The well known effect of atmospheric refraction is the bending of incoming light due to variable atmospheric density along the light path. This effect depends on the tangent of the zenith angle and also varies with altitude, humidity and wavelength. Since the magnitude of refraction depends on the wavelength, the resulting effect is not only a deviation of the light beam from its original direction but also a spectral dispersion of the beam. This effect can be corrected by introducing a dispersing element in the instrument. In the VST case the device that compensates for this effect is based on a set of four prisms in two cemented doublet pairs. The system provides an adjustable counter dispersion by counter-rotating the two pairs of prisms. The counter-rotating angle depends on the atmospheric dispersion, which is computed with an atmospheric model using both environmental data (temperature, pressure, humidity) and the telescope position. Two different approaches have been compared for the computations to cross-check the results. The electromechanical system has been assembled, tested and debugged prior to the shipping to Chile. This paper describes the atmospheric models used in the VST case and the most recent phases of work.

The cold shaping of thin substrates is a worthwhile process for the realization of x-ray optics. The technique is based on the usage of integration molds to keep the substrate in the theoretical shape while it is fixed to a structure, which will limit at the desired level the residual spring back of the plate after the release of the constrain. Since some years, this process is in use at INAF/OAB to realize Slumped Glass Optics mirror modules by means of interfacing ribs. In principle, the optical design at a given focal length of each mirror shell is different for each radius and therefore several integration molds are necessary for an assembly of plates. Depending on the optical design of the mirror module to be realized and on the desired optical performances of the system, some simplifications can be introduced in order to reduce the number of integration molds to be realized. Nevertheless the most cost-efficient solution to the problem is to realize an adjustable integration mold pair that can be shaped to the different theoretical configurations needed for the plates. This is advantageous not only in terms of number of molds and parts to be realized but also for the reduction of integration time thanks to the simplification of the process procedure. In this paper we describe the conceptual design of the system, describing its optical design, analysing its requirements and we report on the achieved results.