A new window on the cosmos: The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

Gehrz, R. D.; Becklin, E. E.; Pater, Imke de; Lester, D. F.; Roellig, Thomas L.; Woodward, C. E.

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2009.04.011

Cited by 52 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Pluto is crossing interestellar clouds, so relatively faint R objects may turn out to be bright infrared stars, perfect targets for the SOFIA observatory (Gehrz et al 2009) and for ground-based instruments well equipped with H, J or K band detectors (H, J and K magnitudes are promptly available in the catalog if the star belongs to the 2MASS). Besides, events may be also favored by slow shadow speeds of less than 20 km s −1 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Precise predictions of stellar occultations by Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra for 2008–2015

Assafin¹,

Camargo

Martins

et al. 2010

A&A

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Context. We investigate transneptunian objects, including Pluto and its satellites, by stellar occultations. Aims. Our aim is to derive precise, astrometric predictions for stellar occultations by Pluto and its satellites Charon, Hydra and Nix for 2008−2015. We construct an astrometric star catalog in the UCAC2 system covering Pluto s sky path. Conclusions. Recurrent issues in stellar occultation predictions were addressed and properly overcome: body ephemeris offsets, catalog zero-point position errors and field-of-view size, long-term predictions and stellar proper motions, faint-visual versus brightinfrared stars and star/body astrometric follow-up. In particular, we highlight the usefulness of the obtained astrometric catalog as a reference frame for star/body astrometric follow-up before and after future events involving the Pluto system. Besides, it also furnishes useful photometric information for field stars in the flux calibration of observed light curves. Updates on the ephemeris offsets and candidate star positions (geometric conditions of predictions and finding charts) are made available by the group at www.lesia. obspm.fr/perso/bruno-sicardy/. Also based on observations made at

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Precise predictions of stellar occultations by Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra for 2008–2015

Assafin¹,

Camargo

Martins

et al. 2010

A&A

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“…No threshold in R magnitude was established in the search for occultations, as faint R objects may turn out to be bright IR stars, suitable for observation at adequately equipped IR ground-based facilities or by the SOFIA observatory (Gehrz et al 2009); H, J, and K magnitudes are readily available in the catalog if the star belongs to the 2MASS. In addition, events that occur at slow shadow speeds of less than 20 km s −1 may become observable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Candidate stellar occultations by large trans-Neptunian objects up to 2015

Assafin¹,

Camargo²,

Martins³

et al. 2012

A&A

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Context. We study large trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) using stellar occultations. Aims. We derive precise astrometric predictions for stellar occultations by Eris, Haumea, Ixion, Makemake, Orcus, Quaoar, Sedna, Varuna, 2002 TX 300 , and 2003 AZ 84 for 2011-2015. We construct local astrometric catalogs of stars complete to magnitudes as faint as R = 18−19 in the UCAC2 (Second US Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog) frame covering the sky path of these objects. We performed the astrometry of 316 GB images using the Platform for Reduction of Astronomical Images Automatically (PRAIA). With the help of field distortion patterns derived for the WFI mosaic of CCDs, we reduced the overlapping mosaics of CCDs. Results. We derive positions in the UCAC2 frame with 40 mas precision for stars up to the catalog magnitude completeness limit (about R = 19). New stellar proper motions are also determined with 2MASS (Two Micron All Sky Survey) and the USNO B1.0 (United States Naval Observatory B 1.0) catalog positions as a first epoch. Astrometric catalogs with proper motions were produced for each TNO, containing more than 5.35 million stars covering the sky paths with 30 width in declination. The magnitude completeness is about R = 19 with a limit of about R = 21. We predicted 2717 stellar occultation candidates for all targets. Ephemeris offsets with about from 50 mas to 100 mas precision were applied to each TNO orbit to improve the predictions. They were obtained during 2007-2010 from a parallel observational campaign carried out with telescopes from 0.6 m to 2.2 m in size. Conclusions. This extends our previous work for the Pluto system to large TNOs, using the same observational and astrometric procedures. The obtained astrometric catalogs are useful for follow-up programs at small to large telescopes used to improve the candidate star positions and TNO ephemeris. They also furnish valuable photometric information for the field stars. For each TNO, updates on the ephemeris offsets and candidate star positions (geometric conditions of predictions and finding charts) are made available by the group at http://www.lesia.obspm.fr/perso/bruno-sicardy/.

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“…Descriptions of the SOFIA Observatory and its science instrument (SI) suite have been given by Becklin et al (2007), Gehrz et al (2009), andYoung et al (2012).…”

Section: Observations and Data Reductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work we present 5 -40 µm mid-IR observations with the Faint Object infraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST; Herter et al 2012) instrument on board the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA; Becklin et al 2007;Gehrz et al 2009;Young et al 2012) of the two compact nebulae, MN 90 and HD 168625. By imaging these nebulae at a range of wavelengths, we can study their structure, estimate the dust composition, and quantify the dust temperature and total mass.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SOFIA/FORCAST Observations of the Luminous Blue Variable Candidates MN 90 and HD 168625

Arneson¹,

Shenoy²,

Smith³

et al. 2018

ApJ

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We present SOFIA/FORCAST imaging of the circumstellar dust shells surrounding the luminous blue variable (LBV) candidates MN 90 and HD 168625 to quantify the mineral abundances of the dust and to constrain the evolutionary state of these objects. Our image at 37.1 µm of MN 90 shows a limb-brightened, spherical dust shell. A least-squares fit to the spectral energy distribution of MN 90 yields a dust temperature of 59 ± 10 K, with the peak of the emission at 42.7 µm. Using 2-Dust radiative transfer code, we estimate for MN 90 that mass-loss occurred at a rate of (7.3 ± 0.4) × 10 −7 M yr −1 × (v exp /50 km s −1 ) to create a dust shell with a dust mass of (3.2 ± 0.1) × 10 −2 M . Our images between 7.7 -37.1 µm of HD 168625 complement previously obtained mid-IR imaging of its bipolar nebulae. The SOFIA/FORCAST imaging of HD 168625 shows evidence for the limb-brightened peaks of an equatorial torus. We estimate a dust temperature of 170 ± 40 K for the equatorial dust surrounding HD 168625, with the peak of the emission at 18.3 µm. Our 2-Dust model for HD 168625 estimates that mass-loss occurred at a rate of (3.2 ± 0.2) × 10 −7 M yr −1 to create a dust torus/shell with a dust mass of (2.5 ± 0.1) × 10 −3 M .

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A new window on the cosmos: The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

Cited by 52 publications

References 45 publications

Precise predictions of stellar occultations by Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra for 2008–2015

Precise predictions of stellar occultations by Pluto, Charon, Nix, and Hydra for 2008–2015

Candidate stellar occultations by large trans-Neptunian objects up to 2015

SOFIA/FORCAST Observations of the Luminous Blue Variable Candidates MN 90 and HD 168625

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