Transcript A Decade of Discoveries with the Gemini Telescopes

…by Canadian Astronomers !
Stéphanie Côté
(Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, NRC)
Overview
• Brief Introduction of the Gemini Telescopes
• My role with Gemini in Canada
•Major discoveries with Gemini:
1.
Planets around other stars
2.
Center of our Galaxy
3.
Supernovae
4.
Formation of the first galaxies in the early Universe
5.
The first Quasars
6.
Gamma-ray Bursts
• Discoveries at Gemini by non-professional
astronomers
The Gemini Observatory
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United States, United
Kingdom, Canada, Chile,
Argentina, Brazil and
Australia.
Canada: 15% partner in
the two 8m telescopes
TWO 8m optical/infrared
telescopes infrared
optimized
Located on Mauna Kea,
Hawaii, and Cerro Pachón,
Chile
The biggest questions in Astronomy:
• How common are Earth-like planets,
is there life somewhere else?
• How do stars form?
How do galaxies form?
• What is the Universe made of?
10 years since Gemini First Observations:
The Center of Our Galaxy, October
2000 with Gemini: first image of such
a large area of the Milky Way core
with such clarity
My role with Gemini in Canada
I am a Canadian Gemini Support Astronomer since 1999:
•I help other astronomers (especially students) all over Canada to
use Gemini
• by answering their questions and helping them write
successful proposals for Gemini time
•by explaining them how the instruments work
•by helping them prepare their observations, and after helping
them work on their data
•I also regularly go observing at Gemini-North (Hawaii) or GeminiSouth (Chile) to help getting the data
•Since 2007 I am the Group Leader of the Canadian Gemini Office
JohnBlakeslee Tim Davidge Eric Steinbring
Major Discoveries with Gemini:
1. Planets around other stars
Almost 500 planets around other stars have now
been discovered, but not by direct imaging.
Indirect detection by ‘wobbling’ of parent star
(technique pioneered by a canadian team)
Gordon Walker
1. Planets around other stars
•To image directly
an orbiting
planet, one needs
extremely good
image quality:
“Adaptive
Optics” to correct
for the effect of
the atmosphere
Adaptive Optics to beat the
atmosphere : ALTAIR on Gemini
1. Planets around other stars
FIRST direct image of an exoplanet!
David Lafrenière & Ray Jayawaradhana
First published in 2008,
confirmed in 2010 with
proper motions
1RXSJ160929.1 -210524
1. Planets around other stars
And FIRST direct image of a planetary system!
Christian Marois
HR8799: 130 light-years away,
3 planets of 7 to 10 Jupiter masses, at 25 to 70 AU from the star
2. Center of our Galaxy
Tim Davidge
First time the Galactic region has
been observed on such a large area
and with such precision.
Gemini discovered that IRS-8 is a high
velocity star, flung around by the
Milky Way’s central supermassive
black hole. It plows through and heats
up the gas in its way, causing it to
glow.
3. Supernovae
Supernova are exploding stars:
-either a small white dwarf star accreting matter from larger companion
-or a massive star (more than 8 times the Sun) imploding when fuel runs out
Gemini has been
excellent at studying
Supernovae, because
of it is capable of rapidresponse observations,
thanks to its queueobservations approach.
3. Supernovae
Rev. Rob Evans
Doug Welch
Supernova SN2003gd, in M74:
First time a red supergiant star is
identified “on its deathbed” before
going supernova
Follow-up observations also showed
that large quantities of dust is
produced quickly after that explosion
4. Formation of the first Galaxies in the Early Universe
Phoenix
NGC625
Leo A
Spiral galaxy NGC3370
• There are different types of galaxies: small dwarf galaxies, spiral
galaxies, and elliptical galaxies.
We think that many dwarfs merged to build a spiral galaxy; and that
elliptical galaxies are formed by the mergers of spiral galaxies.
4. Formation of the first Galaxies in the Early Universe
Elliptical galaxy: M104 “The Sombrero”
4. Formation of the first Galaxies in the Early Universe
Structure formation in the Universe: N-body simulations
See movie at: http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/galform/virgo/millennium/
4. Formation of the first Galaxies in the Early Universe
Bob Abraham Stephanie Juneau
Over 300 galaxies from
when the Universe was
3 Billion years old:
Many more fully-formed
massive galaxies are
seen at this epoch than
expected.
(this study is the most
cited one of all Gemini
discoveries)
5. The first Quasars
A quasi-stellar radio source ("quasar")
is a very energetic and distant active
galactic nucleus. They are the most
luminous objects in the universe.
A quasar is a compact region in the
center of a massive galaxy
surrounding its central supermassive
black hole. It can emit up to a
thousand times the energy output of
the Milky Way.
Quasars were much more common in
the early universe.
5. The first Quasars
Chris Willott
Gemini confirmed the distances of the
most distant quasars in the Universe.
These bright objects can also be used
as beacons to probe the composition
of the gas surrounding them a few
hundreds of millions of years after the
Big Bang.
6. Gamma-Ray Bursts
Gamma-ray bursts are cosmic sources that emit an intense, short burst of
gamma rays and X-rays.
Gamma-ray bursts are the most violent and powerful event in the Universe.
They may last from about one hundredth of a second to about ten
seconds. GRBs are typically registered once or twice a day from random
directions in space by orbiting spacecrafts.
Gamma-ray bursts can be divided into two classes:
-short bursts, which last between milliseconds and about two seconds, and
produce very high-energy radiation
-long bursts, which last between two and tens of seconds, and create less
energetic gamma rays.
Gemini queue-observations system has been optimised to catch these
transient events “in the act”.
6. Gamma-Ray Bursts
Bob Rutledge
Gemini observed the after-glow of
XRF060218, and revealed a supernova
associated with the burst: this proved the link
between gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
(to explain long gamma-ray bursts).
Long-duration bursts are now generally
reckoned to involve energy released along
narrow jets during a specific kind of
hypernova (a violent supernova) involving the
final demise of stars that started their lives
with masses of 40 to 100 times that of the
Sun. In such cases, the remnant stellar core
collapses immediately to form a black hole.
6. Gamma-Ray Bursts
Bob Rutledge
Gemini can observe gamma-ray bursts just a
few minutes after the burst.
The after-glows are really faint because these
objects are so far away, and they fade quickly.
Gemini observed the after-glow of the recordbreaking GRB090423.
This is the most distant object ever detected in
the Universe!
The Universe was only 630 millions of years old.
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
The Canadian Gemini Office
initiated as a public outreach
activity a “Gemini GMOS
Imaging Contest”
In 2002, open to schools in BC
The image revealed Herbig-Haro
jets with great clarity.
Trifid Nebula, imaged by Ingrid Braul, 13years-old, from
Southlands Elementary
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
In 2004, we ran a contest
open to amateur astronomy
clubs across Canada.
This was to thank amateur
astronomers for all the
great work they do to
inspire the public about
astronomy.
G.St-Onge from the Dorval
Astronomy Club imaged
Ry Tauri.
Discovery of a jet
associated with the young
star in formation.
Ry Tauri, imaged by Gilbert St-Onge, Dorval Astronomy Club
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
The story was published in
many Astronomy
magazines and newsletters
and e-zines all over the
world.
This is the second-most
popular Gemini press
releases of all!
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
For IYA we ran a contest for highschool students across Canada.
Emily Storer,
Ecole Charlemagne
Owl Nebula
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
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The Owl Nebula is one of the most extended
in the North Hemisphere, but despite this only
two research papers have been devoted it
since the invention of the CCD.
The Gemini data taken by Émilie Storer are
the best data ever obtained on this object!
Dr Sun Kwok, dean of the University of HongKong, world expert on planetary nebulae, was
consulted:
“It was always believed that this nebula was a
simple ball of gas, but these observations
show that the external structure is in the
shape of a cylinder. The pair of “eyes” are two
cavities that were formed by the rapid gas
outflow. This outflow was not along the
cylinder axis, but along an angle of
36degrees.”
An Astrophysical Journal paper is in the works!
Discoveries with Gemini by non-professional Astronomers
The Canadian Gemini Office has
helped the Australian and UK Gemini
Office to launch their own Gemini
Imaging contests last year.
There are many more discoveries to
come!
Glowing Eye Nebula