The Nordic Optical Telescope

An overview of the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) is presented. Emphasis is on current capabilities of direct interest to the scientific user community, including instruments. Educational services and prospects and strategies for the future are discussed briefly as well.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, Invited talk, To appear in the proceedings "Highlights of Spanish Astrophysics V " Proceedings of the VIII Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Astronomical Society (SEA) held in Santander, July 7-11, 200

Berkeley 94 and Berkeley 96: Two Young Clusters with Different Dynamical Evolution

We have performed multiband UBVRcIcJHKs photometry of two young clusters located at large Galactocentric distances in the direction of the Perseus spiral arm. The obtained distances and colour excesses amount to 3.9+-0.11 kpc, E(B-V)=0.62+-0.05 for Berkeley 94, and 4.3+-0.15 kpc, E(B-V)=0.58+-0.06 for Berkeley 96. The respective ages, as measured from the comparison of the upper colour-magnitude diagrams to model isochrones, amount to LogAge(yr)=7.5+-0.07, and 7.0+-0.07, respectively. A sequence of optical PMS members is proposed in both clusters. In addition, samples of objects showing (H-Ks) excess are found. Part of these are suggested to be PMS cluster members of lower mass than the optical candidates. The spatial distribution of these sources, the comparison to galactic models and to the expected number of contaminating distant red galaxies, and the spectral energy distribution in particular cases support this suggestion. According to the results from numerical simulations, the spatial distributions of members in different mass ranges are interpreted as suggesting different initial conditions and evolutionary dynamical paths for the clusters. Berkeley 94 would have formed under supervirial conditions, and followed the so-called warm collapse model in its evolution, whereas Berkeley 96 would have formed with a subvirial structure, and would have evolved following a cold collapse path. Both processes would be able to reproduce the suggested degree of mass segregation and their spatial distribution by mass range. Finally, the mass distributions of the clusters, from the most massive stars down to PMS stars around 1.3 Msun, are calculated. An acceptable general agreement with the Salpeter IMF slope is found.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS (15.7.2013

Not a galaxy: IRAS 04186+5143, a new young stellar cluster in the outer Galaxy

We report the discovery of a new young stellar cluster in the outer Galaxy located at the position of an IRAS PSC source that has been previously mis-identified as an external galaxy. The cluster is seen in our near-infrared imaging towards IRAS 04186+5143 and in archive Spitzer images confirming the young stellar nature of the sources detected. There is also evidence of sub-clustering seen in the spatial distributions of young stars and of gas and dust. Near- and mid-infrared photometry indicates that the stars exhibit colours compatible with reddening by interstellar and circumstellar dust and are likely to be low- and intermediate-mass YSOs with a large proportion of Class I YSOs. Ammonia and CO lines were detected, with the CO emission well centred near the position of the richest part of the cluster. The velocity of the CO and NH$_3$ lines indicates that the gas is Galactic and located at a distance of about 5.5 kpc, in the outer Galaxy. Herschel data of this region characterise the dust environment of this molecular cloud core where the young cluster is embedded. We derive masses, luminosities and temperatures of the molecular clumps where the young stars reside and discuss their evolutionary stages.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figure

Analysis of the stellar population in the central area of the HII region Sh 2-284

There is a lack of state-of-the-art information on very young open clusters, with implications for determining the structure of the Galaxy. Our main objective is to study the timing and location of the star formation processes which yielded the generation of the giant HII region Sh 2-284. The analysis is based on UBVRcIc CCD measurements and JHKs photometry in the central part of the HII region, where the cluster Dolidze 25 is located.The determination of cluster distance, reddening and age is carried out through comparison with ZAMS, post-MS and PMS isochrones. Reference lines for metallicity Z=0.004 are used, in agreement with spectroscopic metallicity determination published for several cluster members. The results are: E(B-V)=0.78+-0.02, M=12.8+-0.2, LogAge(yr)=6.51+-0.07. A PMS member sequence is proposed, coeval within the errors with the post-MS cluster age (LogAge(yr)=6.7+-0.2). The mass function for this PMS population in the mass range above 1.3-3.5 Msun is well fitted by a Salpeter mass function.The presence of a different star generation in the cluster with a distinctly older age, around 40 Myr, is suggested. The NIR results indicate a large number of sources with H-Ks excess, practically distinct from the optical PMS candidate members. The distance determined for the cluster is distinctly lower than previously published values. This result originates in the consistent use of low metallicity models for ZAMS fitting, applying published metallicity values for the cluster.Comment: gzipped tar file: 1 aa.cls, 1 tex file, 1 bbl file, 13 figures. Accepted in Astronomy & Astrophysics (9.11.2009

Another deep dimming of the classical T Tauri star RW Aur A

Context. RW Aur A is a classical T Tauri star (CTTS) with an unusually rich emission line spectrum. In 2014 the star faded by ~ 3 magnitudes in the V band and went into a long-lasting minimum. In 2010 the star suffered from a similar fading, although less deep. These events in RW Aur A are very unusual among the CTTS, and have been attributed to occultations by passing dust clouds. Aims. We want to find out if any spectral changes took place after the last fading of RW Aur A with the intention to gather more information on the occulting body and the cause of the phenomenon. Methods. We collected spectra of the two components of RW Aur. Photometry was made before and during the minimum. Results. The overall spectral signatures reflecting emission from accretion flows from disk to star did not change after the fading. However, blue-shifted absorption components related to the stellar wind had increased in strength in certain resonance lines, and the profiles and strengths, but not fluxes, of forbidden lines had become drastically different. Conclusions. The extinction through the obscuring cloud is grey indicating the presence of large dust grains. At the same time, there are no traces of related absorbing gas. The cloud occults the star and the interior part of the stellar wind, but not the wind/jet further out. The dimming in 2014 was not accompanied by changes in the accretion flows at the stellar surface. There is evidence that the structure and velocity pattern of the stellar wind did change significantly. The dimmings could be related to passing condensations in a tidally disrupted disk, as proposed earlier, but we also speculate that large dust grains have been stirred up from the inclined disk into the line-of-sight through the interaction with an enhanced wind.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in A&

Multiple protostellar systems. II. A high resolution near-infrared imaging survey in nearby star-forming regions

(abridged) Our project endeavors to obtain a robust view of multiplicity among embedded Class I and Flat Spectrum protostars in a wide array of nearby molecular clouds to disentangle ``universal'' from cloud-dependent processes. We have used near-infrared adaptive optics observations at the VLT through the H, Ks and L' filters to search for tight companions to 45 Class I and Flat Spectrum protostars located in 4 different molecular clouds (Taurus-Auriga, Ophiuchus, Serpens and L1641 in Orion). We complemented these observations with published high-resolution surveys of 13 additional objects in Taurus and Ophiuchus. We found multiplicity rates of 32+/-6% and 47+/-8% over the 45-1400 AU and 14-1400 AU separation ranges, respectively. These rates are in excellent agreement with those previously found among T Tauri stars in Taurus and Ophiuchus, and represent an excess of a factor ~1.7 over the multiplicity rate of solar-type field stars. We found no non-hierarchical triple systems, nor any quadruple or higher-order systems. No significant cloud-to-cloud difference has been found, except for the fact that all companions to low-mass Orion protostars are found within 100 AU of their primaries whereas companions found in other clouds span the whole range probed here. Based on this survey, we conclude that core fragmentation always yields a high initial multiplicity rate, even in giant molecular clouds such as the Orion cloud or in clustered stellar populations as in Serpens, in contrast with predictions of numerical simulations. The lower multiplicity rate observed in clustered Class II and Class III populations can be accounted for by a universal set of properties for young systems and subsequent ejections through close encounters with unrelated cluster members.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

First Light of Engineered Diffusers at the Nordic Optical Telescope Reveal Time Variability in the Optical Eclipse Depth of WASP-12b

We present the characterization of two engineered diffusers mounted on the 2.5 meter Nordic Optical Telescope, located at Roque de Los Muchachos, Spain. To assess the reliability and the efficiency of the diffusers, we carried out several test observations of two photometric standard stars, along with observations of one primary transit observation of TrES-3b in the red (R-band), one of CoRoT-1b in the blue (B-band), and three secondary eclipses of WASP-12b in V-band. The achieved photometric precision is in all cases within the sub-millimagnitude level for exposures between 25 and 180 seconds. Along a detailed analysis of the functionality of the diffusers, we add a new transit depth measurement in the blue (B-band) to the already observed transmission spectrum of CoRoT-1b, disfavouring a Rayleigh slope. We also report variability of the eclipse depth of WASP-12b in the V-band. For the WASP-12b secondary eclipses, we observe a secondary-depth deviation of about 5-sigma, and a difference of 6-sigma and 2.5-sigma when compared to the values reported by other authors in similar wavelength range determined from Hubble Space Telescope data. We further speculate about the potential physical processes or causes responsible for this observed variabilityComment: 11 pages, 9 figure

The Crab pulsar and its pulsar-wind nebula in the optical and infrared

We investigate the emission mechanism and evolution of pulsars that are associated with supernova remnants. We used imaging techniques in both the optical and near infrared, using images with very good seeing (<0.6) to study the immediate surroundings of the Crab pulsar. In the case of the infrared, we took two data sets with a time window of 75 days, to check for variability in the inner part of the Crab nebula. We also measure the spectral indices of all these wisps, the nearby knot, and the interwisp medium, using our optical and infrared data. We then compared the observational results with the existing theoretical models. We report variability in the three nearby wisps located to the northwest of the pulsar and also in a nearby anvil wisp in terms of their structure, position, and emissivity within the time window of 75 days. All the wisps and the inner knot display red spectra with similar spectral indices. Similarly, the interwisp medium regions also show red spectra similar to those of the wisps. Also, based on archival HST data and our IR data, we find that the inner knot remains stationary for a time period of 13.5 years. The projected average velocity relative to the pulsar for this period is < 8 km/s. By comparing the spectral indices of the structures in the inner Crab with the current theoretical models, we find that the Del Zanna et al. (2006) model for the synchrotron emission fits our observations, although the spectral index is at the flatter end of their modelled spectra.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Probabilistic Damage Stability - Maximizing the Attained Index by Analyzing the Effects of Changes in the Arrangement for Offshore Vessels

Probabilistic damage stability calculations are time demanding and are conducted at a late stage of the design process. A detailed arrangement is required to calculate whether a ship fulfills the requirements. To minimize the amount of iterations in the design process Naval Architects have to know how the attained index is affected by the watertight arrangement. The longitudinal wing tank bulkhead in the mid-ship section of a vessel, is a bulkhead that applies for all offshore vessels. The placement of this bulkhead, in regards to maximizing the attained index, has been a subject of discussion in Wärtsilä Ship Design. The objective of this dissertation has been to analyze how the attained index is affected by the transverse position of the longitudinal wing tank bulkhead. This information can be used to maximize the attained index for offshore vessels. To find out if the attained index changes proportionally for different ship sizes, the study determines if there is a correlation between the placement of the bulkhead and the attained index for four different vessel sizes. To reveal how the attained index develops for different arrangement configurations, the four vessels had two different arrangements. One arrangement had U-tanks, arrangement B, and the other arrangement had two longitudinal bulkheads in the double bottom without U-tanks, arrangement C. Since it is common practice to include U-tanks to maximize the attained index, the report also studies how much the attained index increases when U-tanks are introduced. The results of the attained index for the four vessels with different placements of the longitudinal wing tank bulkhead, can be seen in the graph below. There is not a correlation of the attained index and the placement of the longitudinal bulkhead, for all vessels with different arrangement configurations. It was therefore not possible to develop a formula for the optimal placement of the bulkhead that applies for all vessel types and sizes. By analyzing the development of the attained index, as the longitudinal bulkhead was relocated, we found out which parameters that affected the attained index. As seen from the results, the attained index increases as the longitudinal bulkhead is moved towards the centerline for all vessels with U-tank arrangement. The development of the total attained index levels out when U-tank damages are critical for the survivability of the vessel. For vessels without U-tanks the development of the total attained index did not correspond for all vessels. The attained indexes increases for Vessel II, III and IV until damages to the wing tanks are critical for the survivability of these vessels. The common denominator for all vessels with U-tanks are that the total attained index decreases when damages to the wing tanks are critical for the survivability of the vessels. The total attained index for the two arrangement with and without U-tanks were compared. It was found that the effect of introducing wing tanks is approximately 7%, when the longitudinal wing tank bulkhead is placed at B/20. The effect of introducing U-tanks increases as the distance between the hull and the longitudinal wing tank bulkhead increases. Is it possible to maximize the attained index by evaluating the placement of the longitudinal bulkhead? The effect of changing the position of the bulkhead changes according to the arrangement configuration. As different vessel types have different arrangement configurations it is difficult to predict the effect of relocating the longitudinal bulkhead. The flowchart below can be used by designers as a tool to help them maximize the attained index when placing the longitudinal wing tank bulkhead

Stigma, Small Communities & Local Welfare Bureaucracies. Paper presented at The International Research Conference on Marginalisation and Social Exclusion Ålesund May 21-23, 2003

In this paper I would like to discuss some problems facing the clients of welfare bureaucracies in rather small communities. The discussion is based upon data from a research project on this topic, as well as assumptions based on theory. In the mentioned research project two coastal communities in western and northern part of Norway have been studied. These communities have relatively few inhabitants. In one of the communities the population is just above 2000 inhabitants, and in the other community we are talking about a population around 6000 inhabitants. This means that the communities probably are of a transparent kind, and therefore the possibilities for conducting widespread social control is fairly high. The communities are dominated by jobs connected to fish industry and shipbuilding. Both communities have what might be called a traditionally rooted work ethic connected to physical work in the industries. In the research project we have studied youth that gets into contact with the Social Welfare Office1, the Local Employment Office2 as well as the Social Security Office3. We have interviewed lone welfare mothers and youth, which have problems getting a job. We have also interviewed young workers, older workers, and parents with middleclass background as well as the representatives of the local welfare bureaucracies. We have conducted about 100 interviews