We demonstrate a path to hitherto unachievable differential photometric precisions from the ground, both in the optical and near-infrared (NIR), using custom-fabricated beam-shaping diffusers produced using specialized nanofabrication techniques. Such diffusers mold the focal plane image of a star into a broad and stable top-hat shape, minimizing photometric errors due to non-uniform pixel response, atmospheric seeing effects, imperfect guiding, and telescope-induced variable aberrations seen in defocusing. This PSF reshaping significantly increases the achievable dynamic range of our observations, increasing our observing efficiency and thus better averages over scintillation. Diffusers work in both collimated and converging beams. We present diffuser-assisted optical observations demonstrating -+ 62 16 26 ppm precision in 30minute bins on a nearby bright star 16 Cygni A (V = 5.95) using the ARC 3.5 m telescope-within a factor of ∼2 of Keplerʼs photometric precision on the same star. We also show a transit of WASP-85-Ab (V = 11.2) and TRES-3b (V = 12.4), where the residuals bin down to -+ 180 41 66 ppm in 30minute bins for WASP-85-Ab-a factor of ∼4 of the precision achieved by the K2 mission on this targetand to 101 ppm for TRES-3b. In the NIR, where diffusers may provide even more significant improvements over the current state of the art, our preliminary tests demonstrated -+ 3664 ppm precision for a K S =10.8 star on the 200 inchHale Telescope. These photometric precisions match or surpass the expected photometric precisions of TESS for the same magnitude range. This technology is inexpensive, scalable, easily adaptable, and can have an important and immediate impact on the observations of transits and secondary eclipses of exoplanets.

We search for evidence of diffuse Lyα emission from extended neutral hydrogen surrounding Lyα emitting galaxies (LAEs) using deep narrow-band images of the Extended Chandra Deep Field South. By stacking the profiles of 187 LAEs at z = 2.06, 241 LAEs at z = 3.10, and 179 LAEs at z = 3.12, and carefully performing low-surface brightness photometry, we obtain mean surface brightness maps that reach 9.9, 8.7, and 6.2 × 10 −19 ergs cm −2 s −1 arcsec −2 in the emission line. We undertake a thorough investigation of systematic uncertainties in our surface brightness measurements, and find that our limits are 5-10 times larger than would be expected from Poisson background fluctuations; these uncertainties are often underestimated in the literature. At z ∼ 3.1, we find evidence for extended halos with small scale lengths of 5-8 kpc in some, but not all of our sub-samples. We demonstrate that sub-samples of LAEs with low equivalent widths and brighter continuum magnitudes are more likely to possess such halos. At z ∼ 2.1, we find no evidence of extended Lyα emission down to our detection limits. Through Monte-Carlo simulations, we also show that we would have detected large diffuse LAE halos if they were present in our data sets. We compare these findings to other measurements in the literature, and discuss possible instrumental and astrophysical reasons for the discrepancies.

We present panchromatic resolved stellar photometry for 22 million stars in the Local Group dwarf spiral Triangulum (M33), derived from Hubble Space Telescope observations with the Advanced Camera for Surveys in the optical (F475W, F814W), and the Wide Field Camera 3 in the near-ultraviolet (F275W, F336W) and near-infrared (F110W, F160W) bands. The large, contiguous survey area covers ∼14 square kpc and extends to 3.5 kpc (14′, or 1.5–2 scale lengths) from the center of M33. The PHATTER observing strategy and photometry technique closely mimics that of Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury, but with updated photometry techniques that take full advantage of all overlapping pointings (aligned to within <5–10 milliarcseconds) and improved treatment of spatially varying point-spread functions. The photometry reaches a completeness-limited depth of F475W∼28.5 in the lowest surface density regions observed in M33 and F475W∼26.5 in the most crowded regions found near the center of M33. We find the young populations trace several relatively tight arms, while the old populations show a clear, looser two-armed structure. We present extensive analysis of the data quality, including artificial star tests to quantify completeness, photometric uncertainties, and flux biases. This stellar catalog is the largest ever produced for M33, and is publicly available for download by the community.

A key component of the baryon cycle in galaxies is the depletion of metals from the gas to the dust phase in the neutral interstellar medium (ISM). The METAL (Metal Evolution, Transport, and Abundance in the Large Magellanic Cloud) program on the Hubble Space Telescope acquired UV spectra toward 32 sight lines in the half-solar metallicity LMC, from which we derive interstellar depletions (gas-phase fractions) of Mg, Si, Fe, Ni, S, Zn, Cr, and Cu. The depletions of different elements are tightly correlated, indicating a common origin. Hydrogen column density is the main driver for depletion variations. Correlations are weaker with volume density, probed by C i fine-structure lines, and distance to the LMC center. The latter correlation results from an east–west variation of the gas-phase metallicity. Gas in the east, compressed side of the LMC encompassing 30 Doradus and the southeast H i over-density is enriched by up to +0.3 dex, while gas in the west side is metal deficient by up to −0.5 dex. Within the parameter space probed by METAL, no correlation with molecular fraction or radiation-field intensity are found. We confirm the factor of three to four increase in dust-to-metal and dust-to-gas ratios between the diffuse (log N(H) ∼ 20 cm−2) and molecular (log N(H) ∼ 22 cm−2) ISM observed from far-infrared, 21 cm, and CO observations. The variations of dust-to-metal and dust-to-gas ratios with column density have important implications for the sub-grid physics of chemical evolution, gas and dust mass estimates throughout cosmic times, and for the chemical enrichment of the Universe measured via spectroscopy of damped Lyα systems.

We provide evidence that UGC 1382, long believed to be a passive elliptical galaxy, is actually a giant low surface brightness (GLSB) galaxy which rivals the archetypical GLSB Malin 1 in size. Like other GLSB galaxies, it has two components: a high surface brightness disk galaxy surrounded by an extended low surface brightness (LSB) disk. For UGC 1382, the central component is a lenticular system with an effective radius of 6 kpc. Beyond this, the LSB disk has an effective radius of ∼38 kpc and an extrapolated central surface brightness of ∼26 mag/arcsec 2 . Both components have a combined stellar mass of ∼8 × 10 10 M , and are embedded in a massive (10 10 M ) low density (< 3 M /pc 2 ) HI disk with a radius of 110 kpc, making this one of the largest isolated disk galaxies known. The system resides in a massive dark matter halo of at least 2× 10 12 M . Although possibly part of a small group, its low density environment likely plays a role in the formation and retention of the giant LSB and HI disks. We model the spectral energy distributions and find that the LSB disk is likely older than the lenticular component. UGC 1382 has UV-optical colors typical of galaxies transitioning through the green valley. Within the LSB disk are spiral arms forming stars at extremely low efficiencies. The gas depletion time scale of ∼10 11 year suggests that UGC 1382 may be a very long term resident of the green valley. We find that the formation and evolution of the LSB disk in UGC 1382 is best explained by the accretion of gas-rich LSB dwarf galaxies.