A new method of determining galaxy star-formation histories (SFHs) is presented. Using the method, the feasibility of recovering SFHs with multi-band photometry is investigated. The method divides a galaxy's history into discrete time intervals and reconstructs the average rate of star formation in each interval. This directly gives the total stellar mass. A simple linear inversion solves the problem of finding the most likely discretised SFH for a given set of galaxy parameters. It is shown how formulating the method within a Bayesian framework lets the data simultaneously select the optimal regularisation strength and the most appropriate number of discrete time intervals for the reconstructed SFH. The method is demonstrated by applying it to mono-metallic synthetic photometric catalogues created with different input SFHs, assessing how the accuracy of the recovered SFHs and stellar masses depend on the photometric passband set, signal-to-noise and redshift. The results show that reconstruction of SFHs using multi-band photometry is possible, being able to distinguish an early burst of star formation from a late one, provided an appropriate passband set is used. Although the resolution of the recovered SFHs is on average inferior compared to what can be achieved with spectroscopic data, the multi-band approach can process a significantly larger number of galaxies per unit exposure time.
We argue that tracing star formation histories with ESA's space mission GAIA using main sequence turn-off (MSTO) point dating will mainly be effective in cases of mild interstellar extinction (E(B-V)<0.5). For higher reddenings the MSTO approach will be severely limited both in terms of traceable ages (t<0.5 Gyr at 8 kpc; E(B-V)=1.0) and/or distances (d<2 kpc for t=15 Gyr; E(B-V)=1.0), since the MSTO will be located at magnitudes too faint for GAIA. AGB stars may alternatively provide precise population ages with GAIA for a wide range of ages and metallicities, with traceable distances of up t…
Over the past several years, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has acquired many broad-band images of various regions in the M31 disk. I have obtained 27 such fields from the HST data archive in order to produce color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the stellar populations contained within these areas of the disk. I have attempted to reproduce these CMDs using theoretical stellar evolution models in conjunction with statistical tools for determining the star formation history which best fits the observations. The wide range of extinction values within any given field makes the data difficult to ac…
The impact of HST photometry and European astronomy in studies concerning the star formation histories of resolved galaxies is described. Our current knowledge of the star formation history of systems within 10-20 Mpc, as derived from the colour-magnitude diagrams of their resolved stellar populations, is reviewed, as well as the impact of these results on our understanding of galaxy evolution.
We present multicolor photometry of bright star cluster candidates in the nearby starburst galaxies NGC 3077 and NGC 5253, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 in both broadband (F300W, F547M and F814W) and narrowband (F487N and F656N) filters. By comparing the photometry with theoretical population synthesis models, we estimate the age and mass of each star cluster, which provides constraints on the recent star formation histories of the host galaxies. We compare the star cluster populations in these dwarf starburst galaxies to those of the nuclear starbu…
In integrated-light, some color-color diagrams that use optical and near-infrared photometry show surprisingly orthogonal grids as age and metallicity are varied, and they are coming into common usage for estimating the average age and metallicity of spiral galaxies. In this paper we reconstruct these composite grids using simple stellar population models from several different groups convolved with some plausible functional forms of star formation histories at fixed metallicity. We find that the youngest populations present (t<2 Gyr) dominate the light, and because of their presence the age-m…
We discuss the tracing of star formation histories with ESA's space astrometry mission GAIA, emphasizing the advantages of AGB stars for this purpose. GAIA's microarcsecond-level astrometry, multi-band photometry and spectroscopy will provide individual distances, motions, effective temperatures, gravities and metallicities for vast numbers of AGB stars in the Galaxy and beyond. Reliable ages of AGB stars can be determined to distances of \~200 kpc in a wide range of ages and metallicities, allowing star formation histories to be studied in a diversity of astrophysical environments.
We present a methodological study to find out how far back and to what precision star formation histories of galaxies can be reconstructed from CMDs, from integrated spectra and Lick indices, and from integrated multi-band photometry. Our evolutionary synthesis models GALEV allow to describe the evolution of galaxies in terms of all three approaches and we have assumed typical observational uncertainties for each of them and then investigated to what extent and accuracy different star formation histories can be discriminated. For a field in the LMC bar region with both a deep CMD from HST obse…
We derive stellar masses, ages and star formation histories of massive early-type galaxies in the z=1.237 RDCS1252.9-2927 cluster and compare them with those measured in a similarly mass-selected sample of field contemporaries drawn from the GOODS South Field. Robust estimates of these parameters are obtained by comparing a large grid of composite stellar population models with 8-9 band photometry in the rest-frame NUV, optical and IR, thus sampling the entire relevant domain of emission of the different stellar populations. Additionally, we present new, deep $U$-band photometry of both fields…
This contribution describes photometry for two Galactic dSphs obtained with the Large Binocular Telescope to a magnitude of ~25.5. Using the Large Binocular Camera, a purpose-built wide-field imager for the LBT, we have examined the structure and star formation histories of two newly-discovered Local Group members, the Hercules dSph and the Leo T dSph/dIrr system. We have constructed a structural map for the Hercules system using three-filter photometry to V ~ 25.5. This is the first deep photometry for this system, and it indicates that Hercules is unusually elongated, possibly indicating dis…
Photometric measurements show that as a group nearby type Ia supernovae follow similar lightcurves and reach similar peak magnitudes Thus, these supernovae can serve as standard candles or calibrated candles at cosmological distances. Magnitudes of local and distant supernovae, both in the same filter band, are compared using a $K$ correction to account for the different spectral regions incident on that filter. A generalized approach compares magnitudes in different bands for the nearby and distant supernova, bands that are selected to give sensitivity in corresponding regions of the redshift…
$UBV$ photometry is used to re-identify the OB associations which power the two most luminous HII regions in M33, NGC 604 and NGC 595. There is a significant difference (2-3 Myr) in the ages of the most recent star formation episode in these two regions, while NGC 595 also has undergone a prior episode of star formation (10-15 Myr ago). These data, combined with the presence of molecular clouds in the heart of NGC 604, suggest that molecular clouds may survive at least one intense episode of massive star formation. The star formation efficiencies (mass of stars per mass of gas) of these two HI…
uvby(--$β$) photometry has been obtained for an additional 411 very metal-poor stars selected from the HK survey, and used to derive basic parameters such as interstellar reddenings, metallicities, photometric classifications, distances, and relative ages... These very metal-poor stars are compared to M92 in the c_0,(b-y)_0 diagram, and evidence is seen for field stars 1-3 Gyrs younger than this globular cluster. The significance of these younger very metal-poor stars is discussed in the context of Galactic evolution, mentioning such possibilities as hierarchical star-formation/mass-infall of …
Ground-based UBV photometry of two fields in the northern disk of the LMC are presented. A distance modulus of (m-M)_0 = 18.41 +/- 0.04 and an extinction of A_V = 0.30 +/- 0.05 has been calculated for these fields. The measurable star formation history of the LMC began no more than 12 Gyr ago with a strong star forming episode with [Fe/H] = -1.63 +/- 0.10 that accounted for approximately half (by mass) of the LMC's total star formation in the first 3 Gyr. The data does not give accurate star formation rates during intermediate ages, but there appears to have been a recent increase in the star …
We present Johnson B surface photometry for the UCM Survey galaxies. One-dimensional bulge-disk decomposition is attempted, discussing on fitting functions and computational procedures. The results from this decomposition, jointly with concentration indices and an asymmetry coefficient, are employed to study the morphological properties of these galaxies. We also compare our results with the previous morphological classification established using Gunn r imaging data and with other samples of galaxies. No major statistical differences in morphology are found between red and blue data, although …
A new survey of star clusters in the South-West field of the M31 disk based on the high resolution Subaru Suprime-Cam observations is presented. The UBVRI aperture CCD photometry catalog of 285 objects (V < 20.5; 169 of them identified for the first time) is provided. Each object is supplemented with multi-band color maps presented in the electronic edition of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement. Seventy seven star cluster candidates from the catalog are located in the Hubble Space Telescope archive frames.
Infrared spectra at 1.9-2.5 micron and narrowband photometry of three low-mass objects, DENIS-P J0205.4-1159, J1058.7-1547, and J1228.2-1547, are presented. As shown previously by Delfosse et al. (1997, AA, 327, L25), DENIS-P J0205.4-1159 shows an absorption feature at 2.2 microns. We attribute this absorption to H_2. A simple two-parameter analysis of the K-band spectrum of low-mass objects is presented in which the relative strength of the H_2O and H_2 absorption bands is found to be correlated with the effective temperature of the objects. The analysis confirms that DENIS-P J0205.4-1159 is …
We present R- and V-band photometry of the gravitational lens system QSO 0957+561 from five nights (one in 2000 January and four in 2001 March, corresponding to the approximate time-delay for the system) of uninterrupted monitoring at the Nordic Optical Telescope. In the photometry scheme we have stressed careful magnitude calibration as well as corrections for the lens galaxy contamination and the crosstalk between the twin (A and B) quasar images. The resulting, very densely sampled light curves are quite stable, in conflict with earlier claims derived from the same data material. We estimat…
We present optical light curves of five Type Ia supernovae (2002er, 2002fk, 2003cg, 2003du, 2003fk). The photometric observations were performed in a set of intermediate-band filters. SNe 2002er, 2003du appear to be normal SN Ia events with similar light curve shapes, while SN 2003kf shows the behavior of a brighter SN Ia with slower decline rate after maximum. The light curves of SN 2003cg is unusual; they show a fast rise and dramatic decline near maximum and do not display secondary peak at longer wavelengths during 15-30 days after maximum light. This suggests that SN 2003cg is likely to b…
R-band surface photometry is presented for 171 late-type dwarf and irregular galaxies. For a subsample of 46 galaxies B-band photometry is presented as well. We present surface brightness profiles as well as isophotal and photometric parameters including magnitudes, diameters and central surface brightnesses. Absolute photometry is accurate to 0.1 mag or better for 77% of the sample. For over 85% of the galaxies the radial surface brightness profiles are consistent with published data within the measured photometric uncertainty. For most of the galaxies in the sample HI data have been obtained…
Beijing-Arizona-Taiwan-Connecticut (BATC) multi-band photometric data in the field of open cluster M48 are used to determine its membership. By comparing observed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of stars with theoretical ones, membership probabilities of 750 stars with limiting magnitude of 15.0 in BATC $c$ band ($λ_{eff}=4194$ Å) are determined. 323 stars with membership probabilities higher than 30% are considered as candidate members of M48. Comparing membership probabilities of 229 common stars obtained by the present method and the proper-motion based methods, a 80% agreement among t…
We present V and I_c CCD photometry for 40 LMC Cepheids at 1 to 3 epochs. This represents a significant increase in the number of LMC Cepheids with $I$-band data, and, as we show, is a useful addition to the sample which can be used to calibrate the period--luminosity relations in these important bands.
We present K- and L-band photometry obtained with the Keck I telescope for a representative sample of L and T dwarfs. These observations were motivated in part by the dominant role water and methane play in shaping the flux near 2 and 3 microns and by the potential use of these bands as indicators of spectral class in the infrared. In addition, these observations aid the determination of the bolometric luminosity of L and T dwarfs. Here we report the K, L' and Ls magnitudes of our objects and the trends observed in the (K-L') and (K-Ls) colors as a function of L- and T-dwarf spectral class. We…
We present near-infrared H-band (1.65 micron) surface photometry of 558 galaxies in the Coma Supercluster and in the Virgo cluster. This data set, obtained with the Arcetri NICMOS3 camera ARNICA mounted on the Gornergrat Infrared Telescope, is aimed at complementing, with observations of mostly early-type objects, our NIR survey of spiral galaxies in these regions, presented in previous papers of this series. Magnitudes at the optical radius, total magnitudes, isophotal radii and light concentration indices are derived. We confirm the existence of a positive correlation between the near-infrar…
From near-infrared, narrow-band photometry of 256 oxygen-rich Mira variables we obtain evidence about the loops that these stars follow in colour-colour diagrams. We also find a phase lag between indices related to molecular band-strength of titanium oxide and vanadium oxide. We compute colours for normal M-giants and Miras using hydrostatic and hydrodynamic model atmospheres and very extensive up-to-date line lists. Normal M-giants colours are well reproduced, reaching a high quantitative agreement with observations for spectral types earlier than M7. The out-of-phase variations of the variou…
Recently, mid-infrared Spitzer observations have been presented that show the light decrement due to the passage of a planet behind its host star. These measurements of HD209458b and TrES-1 are the first detections of direct light from an extra-solar planet. Interpretation of these results in terms of planet equipartition temperature and bond albedo is however strongly model dependent and require additional observations at shorter wavelengths. Here we report on two attempts to detect the secondary eclipse of HD209458b from the ground in K-band, using the UK InfraRed Telescope (UKIRT). A photom…
We present $\rm BVR_{c}I_{c}$ broad band CCD photometry of the Type Ia supernova SN 2004S, which appeared in the galaxy MCG-05-16-021, obtained during 2004 February 12 to March 22. Multiband and bolometric light curves constructed using our data as well as other available data are presented. The time of B band maximum and the peak magnitudes in different bands are obtained using the fits of light curve and colour templates. We clearly see a strong shoulder in $\rm R_{c}$ band and a second maximum in $\rm I_{c}$ band. SN 2004S closely resembles SN 1992al after maximum. From the peak bolometric …
We present time-series spectroscopy and multi-band photometry of the sdBV PG 1605+072 carried out simultaneously at the Calar Alto 2.2m and 3.5m telescopes. The periodogram analysis of the radial velocity curves reveals three frequencies at 2.078, 2.756, and 1.985 mHz for Hbeta and at 2.076, 2.753, and 1.978 mHz for Hgamma. The corresponding radial velocity amplitudes are 12.7, 8.0, and 7.9 km/s for Hbeta and 14.3, 6.5, and 7.2 km/s for Hgamma. Furthermore, we found five frequencies that are present in all wavelength bands of the BUSCA photometer. The frequencies detected in the radial velocit…
We present near-infrared (H band) surface photometry of 170 galaxies, obtained in 1997 using the Calar Alto 2.2m telescope equipped with the NICMOS3 camera MAGIC. The majority of our targets are selected among bright members of the Virgo cluster, however galaxies in the A262 and Cancer clusters and in the Coma/A1367 supercluster are also included. This data set is aimed at complementing the NIR survey in the Virgo cluster discussed in Boselli et al. (1997) and in the Coma Supercluster, presented in Papers I, II and III of this series. Magnitudes at the optical radius, total magnitudes, isophot…
We present V(RI)sub data for thirteen Cepheids in the Large Magellanic Cloud ans fifty-five in each wavelength band. The median uncertainty in the photometry iy Moffett, Gieren & Barnes (1998) which contained 1000 measures ($\pm 0.01$ mag) in each wavelength band on 22 variables with periods in the range 8--133 days.
Single epoch K-band photometry of 32 RR Lyrae stars in the young galactic globular cluster IC4499 is presented. The mean magnitudes have been estimated using the K-band template light-curves of Jones, Carney and Fulbright (1996). We derive an independent estimate of the distance and reddening for the cluster based on the new <Mk>-logP-[Fe/H] relation from Bono et al.(2003) which has a zero-point in agreement with the canonical LMC distance of (m-M)0 = 18.5. For an assumed metallicity of [Fe/H]=-1.65+-0.1 we find (m-M)0 = 16.47+-0.04+-0.06 (random and systematic errors respectively) and E(B-V)=…
We present high precision K-band photometry of the transit and secondary eclipse of extrasolar planet OGLE-TR-113, using the SOFI near-infrared instrument on ESO's NTT. Data were taken in 5 second exposures over two periods of 3-4 hours, using random jitter position offsets. In this way, a relative photometric precision of ~1% per frame was achieved, avoiding systematic effects that seem to become dominant at precisions exceeding this level, and resulting in an overall accuracy of 0.1% per ~10 minutes. The observations of the transit show a flat bottom light-curve indicative of a significantly…
We explore the prospects of predicting emission line features present in galaxy spectra given broad-band photometry alone. There is a general consent that colours, and spectral features, most notably the 4000 A break, can predict many properties of galaxies, including star formation rates and hence they could infer some of the line properties. We argue that these techniques have great prospects in helping us understand line emission in extragalactic objects and might speed up future galaxy redshift surveys if they are to target emission line objects only. We use two independent methods, Artifi…
We present on-line, interactive interface to the whole I-band photometry data set obtained in the second phase of the OGLE project (OGLE-II). The raw photometric database is accessed through an additional database using MySQL engine, allowing to select objects fulfilling any set of criteria including RA/Dec coordinates, mean brightness, error etc. The results of the queries can be browsed on-line, the light curves can be plotted interactively, the photometric data can be downloaded for the total of over 10^10 measurements of more than 40 million objects in the Galactic bulge and the Magellanic…
Objective determination of a star formation history from a colour-magnitude diagram, independently of assumed parametric descriptions, is necessary to determine the evolutionary history of a galaxy. We introduce a new method for solving maximum likelihood problems through variational calculus, and apply it to the case of recovering an unknown star formation history, SFR(t), from a colour-magnitude diagram. This method provides a non-parametric solution with the advantage of requiring no initial assumptions on the SFR(t). As a full maximum likelihood statistical model is used, one may exploit a…
We present precise V and Ks-band transit photometry for the planetary host star OGLE-TR-113. Using the Ks-band photometry, we confirm the dwarf nature of OGLE-TR-113, and obtain new estimates for its effective temperature, distance and reddening. We employ the V-band photometry to obtain planetary and orbit parameters from the transit fit, a= (0.0232 \pm 0.0038) AU, orbital period P= (1.4324752 \pm 0.0000015) days, i= 86.7 - 90, R_p= (1.09 \pm 0.09) R_J. These values are in excellent agreement with previous works. Assuming a mass M_p= (1.32 \pm 0.19) M_J for the planet we obtain its mean densi…
The standard light curve of a microlensing event provides only two constraints on the six unknown parameters of the lens. We show that narrow-band photometry during a microlensing event of a giant star can in addition determine the angular radius of the Einstein ring and the proper motion of the lens. This possibility results from the fact that the extended atmospheres of giants emit the cores of resonant lines primarily from a narrow ring (limb brightening). The radius of the emission ring can be determined to a precision of 20% by detailed spectroscopic observations of the source after the l…
Globular Cluster Systems (GCSs) of most early-type galaxies feature two peaks in their optical colour distributions. Blue-peak GCs are believed to be old and metal-poor, whereas the ages, metallicities, and the origin of the red-peak GCs are still being debated. We obtained deep K-band photometry and combined it with HST observations in g and z to yield a full SED from optical to near-infrared. This now allows us to break the age-metallicity degeneracy. We used our evolutionary synthesis models GALEV for star clusters to compute a large grid of models with different metallicities and a wide ra…
We present extensive and accurate photometry in the near-infrared H band of a complete sample of objects in an area of about 400 arcmin2 toward the Coma cluster of galaxies. The sample, including about 300 objects, is complete down to H~17 mag, the exact value depending on the type of magnitude (isophotal, aperture, Kron) and the particular region studied. This is six magnitudes below the characteristic magnitude of galaxies, well into the dwarfs' regime at the distance of the Coma cluster. For each object (star or galaxy) we provide aperture magnitudes computed within five different apertures…
We report the discovery of a population of young brown dwarf candidates in the open star cluster IC348 and the development of a new spectroscopic classification technique using narrow band photometry. Observations were made using FLITECAM, the First Light Camera for SOFIA, at the 3-m Shane Telescope at Lick Observatory. FLITECAM is a new 1-5 micron camera with an 8 arcmin field of view. Custom narrow band filters were developed to detect absorption features of water vapor (at 1.495 microns) and methane (at 1.66 microns) characteristic of brown dwarfs. These filters enable spectral classificati…
We present near-infrared, H-band (1.65 um), surface photometry of 174 spiral galaxies in the area of the Pisces-Perseus supercluster. The images, acquired with the ARNICA camera mounted on various telescopes, are used to derive radial profiles of surface brightness, ellipticities, and position angles, together with global parameters such as H-band magnitudes and diameters. The mean relation between H-band isophotal diameter D_{21.5} and the B-band D_{25} implies a B-H color of the outer disk bluer than 3.5; moreover, D_{21.5}/D_{25} depends on (global) color and absolute luminosity. The correl…
We present CCD photometry in the Johnson-Kron-Cousins UBR bands for a sample of 320 galaxies selected from the Stromlo-APM Redshift Survey. We use this CCD data to estimate the galaxy luminosity function in the U, B, R and b_J bands, finding consistent results with earlier work. Fainter galaxies serendipitously observed on our CCD frames allow a check of the photometric calibration of the APM Galaxy Survey. We find no evidence of any significant scale error in the APM magnitudes.
Hierarchical galaxy formation models make specific predictions concerning the relative assembly rates and star formation histories of spiral bulges and field ellipticals. Independently of the cosmological model and initial power spectrum of fluctuations, at all epochs the stellar populations in spiral bulges should be older and redder than those in typical ellipticals selected at the same redshift. To test this simple prediction, we analyze the internal optical colors of a complete sample of I<24 mag early-type and spiral galaxies from the Northern and Southern Hubble Deep Fields (HDF). The su…
We present optical and near-infrared photometry of 45 clusters of galaxies at 0.1 < z < 1.3. Galaxy catalogs in each cluster were defined at the longest wavelenth available, generally the K-band, down to approximately two magnitudes below M*. We include finding chart images of the band used for catalog definition. The photometry has been used in previously published papers to examine the origin and evolution of galaxies in distant clusters.
Applying photometric catalogs to the study of the population of the Galaxy is obscured by the impossibility to map directly photometric colors into astrophysical parameters. Most of all-sky catalogs like ASCC or 2MASS are based upon broad-band photometric systems, and the use of broad photometric bands complicates the determination of the astrophysical parameters for individual stars. This paper presents an algorithm for determining stellar astrophysical parameters (effective temperature, gravity and metallicity) from broad-band photometry even in the presence of interstellar reddening. This m…
We analyse the structural and dynamical properties of a sample of 324 nearby elliptical and dwarf elliptical galaxies observed during an extensive NIR survey in H-band (1.65 micron). The Fundamental Plane (FP) is determined and a significant tilt is assessed. The origins of such a tilt are investigated by means of a spherically symmetric, isotropic pressure supported dynamical model relying on the observed surface brightness profiles. The systematic variation of the shape coefficient converting the measured central velocity dispersion $ sigma_0$ into the virial rms velocity $ sigma_{rms}$ is f…
J, H, K, and L photometry for the stars in the central 2' (5 pc) of the Galaxy are presented. Using the observed J-H, H-K, and K-L colors and assumed intrinsic colors, we determine the interstellar extinction at 2.2 mic (A_K) for approximately 1100 individual stars. The mean A_K (= 3.3 mag) is similar to previous results, but we find that the reddening is highly variable and some stars are likely to be seen through A_K > 6 mag. The de-reddened K-band luminosity function points to a significantly brighter component to the stellar population (> 1.5 mag at K) than found in the stellar population …
We present new Near-Infrared (NIR) observations, in the J, H and Kn bands, for a sample of Polar Ring Galaxies (PRGs), selected from the Polar Ring Catalogue (Whitmore et al. 1990). Data were acquired with the CASPIR near-IR camera at the 2.3 m telescope of Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatory. We report here on the detail morphological study for the central host galaxy and the polar structure in all PRGs of our sample. Total magnitudes, bulge-to-disk decomposition and structural parameters are computed for all objects. These data are crucial for an accurate modeling of the stellar popu…
The Gamma-Ray burst detector on Ginga consisted of a proportional counter to observe the x-rays and a scintillation counter to observe the gamma-rays. It was ideally suited to study the x-rays associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Ginga detected 120 GRBs and 22 of them had sufficient statistics to determine spectra from 2 to 400 keV. Although the Ginga and BATSE trigger criteria were very similar, the distribution of spectral parameters was different. Ginga observed bend energies in the spectra down to 2 keV and had a larger fraction of bursts with low energy power law indexes greater than …
We have derived the uncertainties to be expected in the derivation of galaxy physical properties (star formation history, age, metallicity, reddening) when comparing broad-band photometry to the predictions of evolutionary synthesis models. We have obtained synthetic colors for a large sample (9000) of artificial galaxies assuming different star formation histories, ages, metallicities, reddening values, and redshifts. The colors derived have been perturbed by adopting different observing errors, and compared back to the evolutionary synthesis models grouped in different sets. The comparison h…
The `Virgo Photometry Catalogue' (VPC) is the first independently calibrated general catalogue of galaxies to cover the Virgo cluster since the `Catalog of Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies' of Zwicky et al. (1961,1963). It contains 1180 galaxies (including background objects) within a 23 square-degree region centred on the cluster's core. Photographic surface photometry is presented for 1067 galaxies in the U band, for 1020 galaxies in the B_J band and for 1020 galaxies in the R_C band. All total magnitudes and total colours are extrapolated according to a new system; denoted `t' to distingui…
We present zBootes, a new z-band photometric imaging campaign of 7.62 square degrees in the NOAO Deep Wide-Field Survey (NDWFS) Bootes field. In this paper, all of the images for this survey are released as well as the associated catalogs. The final zBootes catalogs are complete (at the 50% level) to 22.7 mag over 50% of the field. With these depths, the zBootes images should be sensitive to L* galaxies to z~1 over much of the survey area. These data have several possible applications including searching for and characterizing high-redshift quasars and brown dwarfs and providing added constrai…
We present the results of U-band and multi-color photometry during the 2001 superoutburst of WZ Sagittae. Our 10 nights of U-band photometry span the time interval from HJD 2452118 to 2452197 while our multi-color observations range from HJD 2452115 to 2452197. The U-band light curves are generally in agreement with other datasets obtained during the superoutburst showing highly modulated light early on, rebrightenings, and superhumps of similar shape and period (except during the rebrightening peak). One of our multi-color datasets fortuitously covers the first rebrightening and allows determ…
We searched the literature to obtain a complete list of known Class0 sources. A list of 95 confirmed or candidate objects was compiled. To the best of our knowledge, all published broad-band observations from 1mu to 3.5mm have been collected and are assembled in a catalogue. These data were used to determine physical properties (T_bol, L_bol, L_smm/L_bol, M_env) and for a uniform classification. 50 sources possess sufficient observational data and are classified as Class0 or Class0/1 objects. The source properties are compared with different evolutionary models to infer ages and masses, and th…
Conventionally, CMD analyses of nearby star clusters are based on observations in 2 passbands. They are plagued by considerable degeneracies between age, metallicity, distance (and extinction) that can largely be resolved by including additional passbands with U being most appropriate for young SCs and I or a NIR band for old globular clusters. For star clusters that cannot be resolved, integrated photometry in suitably selected passbands was shown to be as accurate as spectroscopy in independently revealing ages, metallicities, internal extinction, and photometric masses and their respective …
Large numbers of supernovae (SNe) have been discovered in recent years, and many more will be found in the near future. Once discovered, further study of a SN and its possible use as an astronomical tool (e.g., as a distance estimator) require knowledge of the SN type. Current classification methods rely almost solely on the analysis of SN spectra to determine their type. However, spectroscopy may not be possible or practical. We present a classification method for SNe based on the comparison of their observed colors with synthetic ones, calculated from a large database of multi-epoch optical …
We report the design, operation, and performance of a next generation high-speed data acquisition system for multi-channel infrared and optical photometry based on the modern technologies of Field Programmable Gate Arrays, the Peripheral Component Interconnect bus, and the Global Positioning System. This system allows either direct recording of photon arrival times or binned photon counting with time resolution up to 1-$μ$s precision in Universal Time, as well as real-time data monitoring and analysis. The system also allows simultaneous recording of multi-channel observations with very flexib…
We have measured near-infrared magnitudes in the J and K bands for 56 Cepheid variables in the Local Group galaxy NGC 6822 with well-determined periods and optical light curves in the V and I bands. Using the template light curve approach of Soszynski, Gieren and Pietrzynski, accurate mean magnitudes were obtained from these data which allowed us to determine with unprecedented accuracy the distance to NGC 6822 from a multi-wavelength period-luminosity solution in the VIJK bands. From our data, we obtain a distance to NGC 6822 of (m-M)_{0} = 23.312 +- 0.021 (random error) mag, with an addition…
(Abridged) We present near-IR photometry of a selected sample of southern hemisphere E+A galaxies. The sample includes 50 galaxies from nearby and distant clusters as well as E+A galaxies from the field. The photometry includes J, H and Ks apparent magnitudes and colors. Observed colors are obtained from the apparent total magnitudes and compared to spectrophotometric models of galaxy evolution GISSEL96. There is an overall agreement between integrated colors of models and observed ones, for both the E+A located in clusters and in the field, at z~0.1. However, large differences are found betwe…
We report the detection of a thick disk in the edge-on, low surface brightness (LSB), late-type spiral ESO 342-G017, based on ultra-deep images in the V and R bands obtained with the VLT Test Camera during Science Verification on UT1. All steps in the reduction procedure are fully described, which, together with an extensive analysis of systematic and statistic uncertainties, has resulted in surface brightness photometry that is reliable for the detection of faint extended structure to a level of V = 27.5 and R = 28.5 mag/square arcsec. The faint light apparent in these deep images is well-mod…
We have obtained deep imaging in the near-infrared J and K bands for 2 nearby fields in the bar of the LMC with the ESO NTT telescope, under exquisite seeing conditions. The K, J-K color-magnitude diagrams constructed from these data are of outstanding photometric quality and reveal the presence of several hundreds of red clump stars. Using the calibration of Alves for the K-band absolute magnitude of Hipparcos-observed red clump stars in the solar neigbourhood we derive a distance modulus to our observed LMC fields of 18.487 mag. Applying a correction for the tilt of the LMC bar with respect …
