Optical validation and characterisation of Planck PSZ1 sources at the Canary Islands observatories

We report new galaxy clusters previously unknown included in the first Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) sources catalogue, the PSZ1. The results presented here were achieved during the second year of a two-year observational programme, the ITP13, developed at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain). Using the 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescope, the 3.5 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, the 4.2 m William Herschel telescope and the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias we characterised 75 SZ sources with low SZ significance, SZ S/N < 5.32. We performed deep optical imaging and spectroscopy in order to associate actual galaxy clusters with the SZ Planck source. We adopted robust criteria, based on the 2D spatial distribution, richness, and velocity dispersions to confirm actual optical counterparts up to z < 0.85. The selected systems are confirmed only if they are well aligned with respect to the PSZ1 coordinate and show high richness and high velocity dispersion. In addition, we also inspected the Compton y-maps and SZ significance in order to identify unrealistic detections. Following this procedure, we identify 26 cluster counterparts associated with the SZ emission, which means that only about 35% of the clusters considered in this low S/N PSZ1 subsample are validated. Forty-nine SZ sources (∼65% of this PSZ1 subset) remain unconfirmed. At the end of the ITP13 observational programme, we have studied 256 SZ sources with Dec ≥ −15° (212 of them completely unknown), finding optical counterparts for 152 SZ sources. The ITP13 validation programme has allowed us to update the PSZ1 purity, which is now more refined, increasing from 72% to 83% in the low SZ S/N regime. Our results are consistent with the predicted purity curve for the full PSZ1 catalogue and with the expected fraction of false detections caused by the non-Gaussian noise of foreground signals. We find a strong correlation between the number of unconfirmed sources and the thermal emission of diffuse galactic dust at 857 GHz, thus increasing the fraction of false Planck SZ detections at low galactic latitudes.

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Optical validation and characterization of Planck PSZ1 sources at the Canary Islands observatories

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201732315 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 616 ◽

pp. A42 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

R. Barrena ◽

A. Streblyanska ◽

A. Ferragamo ◽

J. A. Rubiño-Martín ◽

A. Aguado-Barahona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Velocity Dispersion ◽

Galactic Plane ◽

Isaac Newton ◽

Galaxy Distribution ◽

Optical Images ◽

Imaging And Spectroscopy ◽

One Year ◽

William Herschel

We have identified new clusters and characterized previously unknown Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) sources from the first Planck catalogue of SZ sources (PSZ1). The results presented here correspond to an optical follow-up observational programme developed during approximately one year (2014) at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, using the 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescope, the 3.5 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo, the 4.2 m William Herschel telescope and the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We have characterized 115 new PSZ1 sources using deep optical imaging and spectroscopy. We adopted robust criteria in order to consolidate the SZ counterparts by analysing the optical richness, the 2D galaxy distribution, and velocity dispersions of clusters. Confirmed counterparts are considered to be validated if they are rich structures, well aligned with the Planck PSZ1 coordinate and show relatively high velocity dispersion. Following this classification, we confirm 53 clusters, which means that 46% of this PSZ1 subsample has been validated and characterized with this technique. Sixty-two SZ sources (54% of this PSZ1 subset) remain unconfirmed. In addition, we find that the fraction of unconfirmed clusters close to the galactic plane (at |b| < 25°) is greater than that at higher galactic latitudes (|b| > 25°), which indicates contamination produced by radio emission of galactic dust and gas clouds on these SZ detections. In fact, in the majority of the cases, we detect important galactic cirrus in the optical images, mainly in the SZ target located at low galactic latitudes, which supports this hypothesis.

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The La Palma Data Archive

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100003213 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 110 ◽

pp. 139-140

Author(s):

Chris Benn

Keyword(s):

Data Archive ◽

Isaac Newton ◽

La Palma ◽

Data Archives ◽

International Ultraviolet Explorer ◽

Isaac Newton Telescope ◽

The Republic ◽

Volcanic Caldera ◽

The Uk ◽

William Herschel

The Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos is perched atop a volcanic caldera on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, 400 km off the coast of North Africa. Three of the telescopes at the observatory are products of a collaboration between the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and the Republic of Ireland. They are the 1.0-m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope, the 2.5-m Isaac Newton Telescope and the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope (which saw first light in July 1987)1. The telescopes are computer controlled (running under ADAM software), and the observations are recorded primarily in electronic form. Recognising the success of astronomical-satellite data archives, such as that generated by the International Ultraviolet Explorer, a La Palma Data Archive has been established at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. The archive will be used by astronomers wishing to exploit data obtained by other observers, by engineers interested in the performance of telescope and instruments under varying conditions, and for monitoring the way in which the telescope is used.

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Optical validation and characterization of Planck PSZ2 sources at the Canary Islands observatories

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201935674 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 628 ◽

pp. A13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Streblyanska ◽

A. Aguado-Barahona ◽

A. Ferragamo ◽

R. Barrena ◽

J. A. Rubiño-Martín ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Galaxy Clusters ◽

Velocity Dispersion ◽

First Year ◽

Optical Information ◽

Optical Counterpart ◽

Optical Images ◽

Spectroscopic Information ◽

Imaging And Spectroscopy ◽

Most Probable Explanation

Aims. The second catalogue of Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) sources, hereafter PSZ2, is the largest sample of galaxy clusters selected through their SZ signature in the full sky. At the time of publication, 21% of these objects had no known counterpart at other wavelengths. Using telescopes at the Canary Island observatories, we conducted the long-term observational programme 128-MULTIPLE-16/15B (hereafter LP15), a large and complete optical follow-up campaign of all the unidentified PSZ2 sources in the northern sky, with declinations above −15° and no correspondence in the first Planck catalogue PSZ1. The main aim of LP15 is to validate all those SZ cluster candidates, and to contribute to the characterization of the actual purity and completeness of full Planck SZ sample. In this paper, we describe the full programme and present the results of the first year of observations. Methods. The LP15 programme was awarded 44 observing nights, spread over two years in three telescopes at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. The full LP15 sample comprises 190 previously unidentified PSZ2 sources. For each target, we performed deep optical imaging and spectroscopy. Our validation procedure combined this optical information with SZ emission as traced by the publicly available Planck Compton y-maps. The final classification of the new galaxy clusters as optical counterparts of the SZ signal is established according to several quantitative criteria based on the redshift, velocity dispersion, and richness of the clusters. Results. This paper presents the detailed study of 106 objects out of the LP15 sample, corresponding to all the observations carried out during the first year of the programme. We confirmed the optical counterpart for 41 new PSZ2 sources, 31 of them being validated using also velocity dispersion based on our spectroscopic information. This is the largest dataset of newly confirmed PSZ2 sources without any previous optical information. All the confirmed counterparts are rich structures (i.e. they show high velocity dispersion), and are well aligned with the nominal Planck coordinates (i.e. ∼70% of them are located at less than 3′ distance). In total, 65 SZ sources are classified as unconfirmed, 57 of them being due to the absence of an optical over-density, and eight of them due to a weak association with the observed SZ decrement. Most of the sources with no optical counterpart are located at low galactic latitudes and present strong galactic cirrus in the optical images, the dust contamination being the most probable explanation for their inclusion in the PSZ2 catalogue.

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Optical validation and characterization of Planck PSZ2 sources at the Canary Islands observatories

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201936034 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 631 ◽

pp. A148

Author(s):

A. Aguado-Barahona ◽

R. Barrena ◽

A. Streblyanska ◽

A. Ferragamo ◽

J. A. Rubiño-Martín ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dust Emission ◽

Galaxy Cluster ◽

Clear Correlation ◽

First Year ◽

Isaac Newton ◽

La Palma ◽

Sky Survey ◽

Spectroscopic Information ◽

Second Year

Context. The second legacy catalog of Planck Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) sources, hereafter PSZ2, provides the largest galaxy cluster sample selected by means of the SZ signature of the clusters in a full sky survey. In order to fully characterize this PSZ2 sample for cosmological studies, all the members should be validated and the physical properties of the clusters, including mass and redshift, should be derived. However, at the time of its publication, roughly 21% of the 1653 PSZ2 members had no known counterpart at other wavelengths. Aims. Here, we present the second and last year of observations of our optical follow-up program 128-MULTIPLE-16/15B (hereafter LP15), which has been developed with the aim of validating all the unidentified PSZ2 sources in the northern sky with declinations higher than −15° that have no correspondence in the first Planck catalog PSZ1. The description of the program and the first year of observations have been presented previously. Methods. The LP15 program was awarded 44 observing nights that were spread over two years with the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), all at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma). Following the same method as described previously, we performed deep optical imaging for more than 200 sources with the INT and spectroscopy for almost 100 sources with the TNG and GTC at the end of the LP15 program. We adopted robust confirmation criteria based on velocity dispersion and richness estimates for the final classification of the new galaxy clusters as the optical counterparts of the PSZ2 detections. Results. Here, we present the observations of the second year of LP15, as well as the final results of the program. The full LP15 sample comprises 190 previously unidentified PSZ2 sources. Of these, 106 objects were studied before, while the remaining sample (except for 6 candidates) has been completed in the second year and is discussed here. In addition to the LP15 sample, we here study 42 additional PSZ2 objects that were originally validated as real clusters because they matched a WISE or PSZ1 counterpart, but they had no measured spectroscopic redshift. In total, we confirm the optical counterparts for 81 PSZ2 sources after the full LP15 program, 55 of them with new spectroscopic information. Forty of these 81 clusters are presented in this paper. After the LP15 observational program the purity of the PSZ2 catalog has increased from 76.7% originally to 86.2%. In addition, we study the possible reasons for false detection, and we report a clear correlation between the number of unconfirmed sources and galactic thermal dust emission.

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The visible and near-infrared spectra of asteroids in cometary orbits

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201832853 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 618 ◽

pp. A170 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

J. Licandro ◽

M. Popescu ◽

J. de León ◽

D. Morate ◽

O. Vaduvescu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Near Infrared ◽

Spectral Slope ◽

Isaac Newton ◽

Infrared Telescope ◽

La Palma ◽

Spectral Class ◽

Telescope Facility ◽

Hydrated Minerals ◽

Taxonomical Classification ◽

William Herschel

Context. Dynamical and albedo properties suggest that asteroids in cometary orbits (ACOs) are dormant or extinct comets. Their study provides new insights for understanding the end-states of comets and the size of the comet population. Aims. We intend to study the visible and near-infrared (NIR) spectral properties of different ACO populations and compare them to the independently determined properties of comets. Methods. We select our ACOs sample based on published dynamical criteria and present our own observational results obtained using the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT), the 3.56 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), and the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT), all located at the El Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma, Spain), and the 3.0 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), located at the Mauna Kea Observatory, in Hawaii. We include in the analysis the spectra of ACOs obtained from the literature. We derive the spectral class and the visible and NIR spectral slopes. We also study the presence of hydrated minerals by studying the 0.7 μm band and the UV-drop below 0.5 μm associated with phyllosilicates. Results. We present new observations of 17 ACOs, 11 of them observed in the visible, 2 in the NIR and 4 in the visible and NIR. We also discuss the spectra of 12 ACOs obtained from the literature. All but two ACOs have a primitive-like class spectrum (X or D-type). Almost 100% of the ACOs in long-period cometary orbits (Damocloids) are D-types. Those in Jupiter family comet orbits (JFC-ACOs) are ∼60% D-types and ∼40% X-types. The mean spectral slope S′ of JFC-ACOs is 9.7 ± 4.6%/1000 Å and for the Damocloids this is 12.2 ± 2.0%/1000 Å. No evidence of hydration on the surface of ACOs is found from their visible spectra. The spectral slope and spectral class distribution of ACOs is similar to that of comets. Conclusions. The spectral taxonomical classification and the spectral slope distribution of ACOs, and the lack of spectral features indicative of the presence of hydrated minerals on their surface, strongly suggest that ACOs are likely dormant or extinct comets.

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Gravity Binding and Pressure Bounding of Hii regions and Molecular Clouds in Interacting Galaxies

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921316008474 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (S315) ◽

Author(s):

J. Zaragoza-Cardiel ◽

J. Beckman ◽

J. Font ◽

A. Camps-Fariña ◽

B. Garcìa-Lorenzo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Molecular Clouds ◽

Velocity Dispersion ◽

Hii Regions ◽

Interacting Galaxies ◽

Star Forming ◽

Star Forming Regions ◽

La Palma ◽

Fabry Perot ◽

William Herschel

AbstractWe have observed 3 pairs of interacting galaxies (the Antennae, Arp 236, and NGC 1614) using the Fabry-Perot interferometer GHαFaS (Galaxy Hα Fabry-Perot system) on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma. We have extracted the physical properties (sizes, Hα luminosity and velocity dispersion) of Hii regions. We have combined also these observations with ALMA archival observations of these interacting galaxies, finding that there is a set of brighter and denser star forming regions. We have been able to compare these properties with those of two SMGs at redshift ~ 2.

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Galaxy Number-Counts to B = 28M

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900048270 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 161 ◽

pp. 645-648

Author(s):

N. Metcalfe ◽

T. Shanks ◽

N. Roche ◽

R. Fong

Keyword(s):

Power Law Distribution ◽

Isaac Newton ◽

La Palma ◽

The Galaxy ◽

History Of ◽

Isaac Newton Telescope ◽

William Herschel ◽

Ccd Detectors ◽

Number Counts ◽

Evolving Models

Counting the number of galaxies as a function of their apparent brightness is one of the fundamental cosmological tests, providing an important probe of both the geometry and evolutionary history of the Universe. CCD detectors have in recent years enabled astronomers to explore magnitude limits undreamed of a decade or so ago, and where important constraints can be placed on the allowable combinations of q 0 and evolution. Recent work has shown that the B-band counts keep rising with a power-law distribution, with a fivefold excess in the number of galaxies at B = 26.5 over that expected from simple non-evolving models. Indeed, it has been suggested that the total numbers of galaxies already seen may be too high for a q 0 = 0.5 universe, assuming there is a redshift cut-off in the galaxy distribution caused either by galaxies having strong Lyman limit systems or a low redshift of formation. As q 0 = 0.5 is favoured by theoretical arguments, it is important to see if the behaviour of the counts at even fainter magnitudes can be reconciled with a high density universe. Most published counts are unreliable faintward of B ≈ 26, as the incompleteness corrections required become comparable in size to the data. We have now extended the counts to B ∼ 28, using a ∼ 24 hour CCD exposure taken on the 2.5 m Isaac Newton telescope (INT) on La Palma, together with a ∼ 10 hour exposure on a small part of this field taken using the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT).

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