Recent Talks

List of all the talks in the archive, sorted by date.


zWK5JOXgktk-thumbnail
Thursday May 13, 2010
Dr. Jorge Sánchez Almeida
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Abstract

We present a visual determination of the number of bright points (BPs) existing in the quiet Sun, which are structures though to trace intense kG magnetic concentrations. The measurement is based on a 0.1 arcsec angular resolution G-band movie obtained with the Swedish Solar Telescope at the solar disk center. We find 0.97 BPs/Mm2, which is a factor three larger than any previous estimate. It corresponds to 1.2 BPs per solar granule. Depending on the details of the segmentation, the BPs cover between 0.9% and 2.2% of the solar surface. Assuming their field strength to be 1.5 kG, the detected BPs contribute to the solar magnetic flux with an unsigned flux density between 13G and 33G. If network and inter-network regions are counted separately, they contain 2.2 BPs/Mm2 and 0.85 BPs/Mm2, respectively.

aGqW3YDUnuo-thumbnail
Tuesday May 11, 2010
Drs. Alexandre Vazdekis, Elena Ricciardelli, Jesús Falcón Barroso
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain
IAC

Abstract

We present the new stellar population synthesis models based on the empirical stellar spectral library MILES, which can be regarded nowadays as standard in the field of stellar population studies. The synthetic SEDs cover the whole optical range at resolution 2.3 Å (FWHM). The unprecedented stellar parameter coverage of MILES allowed us to extend our model predictions from intermediate- to very-old age regimes, and the metallicity coverage from super-solar to [M/H] = -2.3. Observed spectra can be studied by means of full spectrum fitting or line-strengths. For the latter we propose a new Line Index System (LIS) to avoid the intrinsic uncertainties associated with the popular Lick/IDS system and provide more appropriate, uniform, spectral resolution. We present a web-page with a suite of on-line tools to facilitate the handling and transformation of the spectra. Online examples with practical applications to work with stellar spectra for a variety of instrumental setups will be shown. Furthermore we will also show examples of how to compute spectra and colors with varying instrumental setup, redshift and velocity dispersion for a suite of Star Formation Histories.


hvS3ZaPZsXY-thumbnail
Tuesday May 4, 2010
Dr. Hans Deeg
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Abstract

Among the over 450 known exoplanets, the planets that transit their central star stand out, due to the wealth of information that can be gained about both planet and central star. The CoRoT mission has been designed to detect smaller and longer-periodic transiting exoplanets than can be found from ground observations. CoRoT-9b was detected by the satellite in summer 2008 and underwent follow-up observations from ground for another year. It stands out as having the largest periastron distance of all transiting planets, being expected to maintain permanently a moderate surface temperature, estimated between 250 and 430K. It is also the first exoplanet to which planet evolution models can be applied, without uncertain corrections that have been needed for 'hot' transiting planets. These models indicate it to be rather similar to Jupiter. Temperate gas-giant planets with low-to-moderate eccentric orbits constitute the largest group of currently known planets; they are probably similar to the gas giants of the solar system. With CoRoT-9b being this group’s first transiting planet, it may give rise to a much better understanding of these common planets. While CoRoT-9b itself is certainly not habitable, moons around it could be similar to Titan and provide some chance of habitability. Upcoming observations with the Spitzer space telescope are designed to improve on planet parameters and to perform a deeper search for the detection of its moons.


rdrNTj9j2Y8-thumbnail
Thursday April 29, 2010
Prof. Jack Harvey
National Solar Observatory, USA

Abstract

The Sun presents us with many unsolved mysteries. In this talk I discuss three of them that have intrigued me for the last 50 years. Solar flares are the most powerful explosions in space between here and the nearby stars. The only viable power source is stored magnetic energy. Yet definitive observations of changes in the magnetic field associated with flares have been lacking until recently. Measurements with the GONG network have helped to address this mystery and the results are surprising. Efforts to observe the weak magnetic fields in the solar photosphere date nearly to the discovery of magnetism on the Sun. Improvements in observational capabilities have made this area a 'hot' topic with many important contributions from people at the IAC. High resolution observations are clarifying many features. I will focus on the role played by lower resolution work in defining the uniformity of the still mysterious weak magnetic fields over large spatial and temporal scales. Physics changes from hydrodynamic to magnetic dominance as one moves upward from the photosphere to the chromosphere. This leads to significant and complicated changes in the magnetic field in both the active and quiet Sun. Observations of the chromospheric magnetic field show several unexpected and mysterious features. Solving these mysteries will be an exciting area as observational and spectral inversion capabilities develop.

XhehyCbxB0w-thumbnail
Tuesday April 27, 2010
Dr. María Jesús Martínez González
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Abstract

The quiet Sun (the 99%, or more, of the solar surface not covered by sunspots or active regions) is receiving increased attention in recent years; its role on the global magnetism and its complexity are being increasingly recognised. A picture of a rather stochastic quiet Sun magnetism is emerging. From these recent works, the quiet Sun magnetism is presented as a myriad of magnetic field vectors having an isotropical distribution with a cascade of scales down to the mean free path of the photon. But this chaotic representation also shows clear signs of intermittency: at a low frequency rate (0.022 events h-1 arcsec-2) the magnetic field appear in the quiet Sun forming well-organised loop structures at granular scales. More interesting, these loops rise to higher layers and their energy input into the chromosphere can be important for the heating of this layer. In the talk, I will present a pedagogic view of the quiet Sun magnetism. I will focus on the ascent of the smallest ever observed magnetic flux emergence through the solar atmosphere. More specifically, I will show how to infer from high resolution, spectro-polarimetric observations (taken with the SOT instrument onboard Hinode) the magnetic topology of the fields, how they rise through the photosphere to the chromosphere, and the implications of this phenomena for chromospheric (and coronal) heating.


98EUxv2ddSA-thumbnail
Friday April 16, 2010
Dr. Alessandro Ederoclite
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain

Abstract

I present the online and the offline data reduction system for OSIRIS, the optical multi-mode instrument for GranTeCan. The software is written in Python and invokes PyRAF tasks which have been optimized for the instrument. I review the characteristics of the instrument and of the software. I will also present the improvements which are foreseen for the software.

j6DwSiQYuKE-thumbnail
Thursday April 15, 2010
Dr. André Milone
Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil

Abstract

The current databases of empirical star spectra for modelling single-aged stellar populations (SSPs) generally do not chemically characterize their stars completely. Spectral properties of stars and their populations may change considerably if the elemental abundance ratios E/Fe differ from the solar-scaled values. We intend to build up robust integrated spectral energy distribution of SSPs older than 1 Gyr by adopting the MILES database (Medium-resolution Isaac Newton Telescope Library of Empirical Spectra) and taking into account the Mg/Fe ratio of its stars. Magnesium is a proxy of the alpha-capture elements and the alpha/Fe ratio has been widely used as an indicator of the star formation time scale. In this talk, I present how accurate and extensive our compilation and determination of [Mg/Fe] were obtained around MILES to compute state-of-the-art SSP models. Published high resolution measurements were adopted to define a uniform scale of [Mg/Fe] and calibrate our results at medium resolution that were based on the spectral synthesis of two strong Mg features.

KO6kMXx9sz0-thumbnail
Thursday April 8, 2010
Dr. Martin Aubé
Université de Sherbrooke, Canada

Abstract

Measuring the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is of particular importance in monitoring aerosol contributions to global radiative forcing and air quality. Most measuring methods are based on direct or indirect observation of sunlight and thus are only available for use during daylight hours. Attempts have been made to measure AOD behavior at night from star photometry, and more recently moon photometry. Star photometry method uses spectrally calibrated stars as reference targets this provides somewhat more flexibility than a sun photometer but there are low-signal and calibration issues which can make these measurements problematic. Moon photometry is only possible when the moon is present in the sky. We suggest a complementary method, based on the observation of artificial sky glow generated by light pollution. The methodology requires (1) the implementation of an heterogeneous 3D light pollution model and (2) the design of an automated light pollution spectrometer which will be presented here. The instrument designated as the Spectrometer for Aerosol Night Detection (SAND) is now in its third version. Basically, SAND-3 is an automated CCD based, long-slit spectrometer protected from inclement weather by an acrylic dome. SAND have been used successfully in many astronomical sites along with some urban sites. Our first day/night (continuity) AOD measurements comparisons with AERONET/AEROCAN sunphotometer data will be shown for Sherbrooke university (Quebec, Canada) atmospheric optical observatory.

jysK-XSqQbM-thumbnail
Tuesday April 6, 2010
Dr. Antonio Eff-Darwich
Universidad de La Laguna, Spain

Abstract

An analysis of the impact of seismic and volcanic activity was carried out at selected astronomical sites, namely the observatories of El Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands), Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma, Canary Islands), Mauna Kea (Hawaii) and Paranal (Chile) and the candidate site of Cerro Ventarrones/Armazones (Chile). In this sense, we studied the impact of seismicity, volcanic ash clouds, lava flows and ground deformation. Hazard associated with volcanic activity is low or negligible at all sites, whereas seismic hazard is very high in Chile and Hawaii. The lowest geological hazard in both seismic and volcanic activity was found at Roque de los Muchachos observatory, in the island of La Palma.


081EWenvReI-thumbnail
Tuesday March 30, 2010
Dr. Iván Ramírez
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany

Abstract

It has been recently shown that the chemical composition of the Sun is anomalous when compared to most nearby stars of very similar fundamental parameters, so-called solar twins. Compared to these stars, the Sun is deficient in refractory elements relative to volatiles, a finding that we speculate is a signature of the terrestrial planet formation that occurred around the Sun but not in the majority of solar twins. I will discuss these and newer related results, the strengths and weaknesses of our planet formation interpretation, as well as our plans for future observations that can help us better understand the nature of the abundance trends found.



Upcoming talks


More upcoming talks

Recent Colloquia


Recent Talks