ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....1D
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
D'Odorico, S.
AA(ESO)

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....2T
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Tarenghi, M.
AA(ESO)

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....5S
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Sarazin, M.
AA(ESO)
Abstract:
A study of the impact of El Niño on the cloud cover above ESO Observatories in Chile.
References:
A. Ardeberg, H. Lindgren, I. Lundström; La Silla and Paranal: a comparison of photometric qualities, Astron. Astrophys., 230, 518, 1990.
VLT Site Selection Working Group; Final Report; November 14, 1990, VLT Report No. 62.
ESO Internal Workshop on Forecasting Observing Conditions, The Messenger 89, Sept. 1997, pp. 5–10.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....7M
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Mathys, G.
AA(ESO)

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....9G
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Guisard, S.; Weilenmann, U.; van Dijsseldonk, A.; Käufl, H. U.; Roucher, J.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO) AC(ESO) AD(ESO) AE(ESO)
References:
[1] A. Moorwood and Anton van Dijsseldonk, 1985, The Messenger, 39, p.1.
[2] H.U. Käufl et al., “TIMMI at the 3.6-m Telescope”, 1992, The Messenger 70, p. 67.
[3] H.U. Käufl et al., “TIMMI ESO’s new 10 mm Camera/Spectrometer”, 1994, Infrared Physics, 35, p. 203.
[4] S. Guisard, “Analysis and Improvement of the Optical Quality of the f/35 focus, Proposition for Further Improvements”, 3.6m + CAT Upgrade 3P6-TRE-ESO-019-003, 28th July 1997.
[5] H.U. Käufl et al., 1997, The Messenger 88, p. 8.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90....9L
Section:
The La Silla News Page
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Lidman, C.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...11G
Section:
Telescopes and Instrumentation
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Gredel, R.; Guisard, S.; Ihle, G.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...12S
Section:
VLT Data Flow Operations
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Silva, D.; Quinn, P.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO)
Abstract:
Welcome to the first article in a regular series about VLT Data Flow Operations (DFO). DFO encompasses a large range of VLT science operations related activities from proposal preparation support to service observing and archival research. Over the next several issues of The Messenger, the entire gamut of DFO activities will be discussed. Eventually, these articles will evolve into regular updates about DFO status during VLT science operations.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...15P
Section:
Science with the VLT/VLTI
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Paresce, F.; Renzini, A.
AA(ESO) AB(ESO)
Abstract:
Final report of the ESO Working Group on the detection of extrasolar planets.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...19M
Section:
Reports from Observers
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Minniti, D.; Bedding, T. R.; Courbin, F.; Sams, B.
AA(IGPP Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA) AB(School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia) AC(Institut d’Astrophysique, Université de Liège, Belgium & URA 173 CNRS-DAEC, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, France) AD(Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Germany & mediateam, Weidenweg 2c, 85375 Neufahrn, Germany)
Abstract:
The authors have made a first attempt to apply adaptive optics to the study of stellar populations in our Galaxy and beyond. In the cases of NGC 5128 and IC 5152, they failed to detect individual stars. For NGC 300 the authors resolved a small number of K supergiants in the disk. For the Sgr bulge window the colour-magnitude diagram and luminosity function are the deepest yet obtained, reaching the turnoff of the bulge population for the first time in the infrared. These results demonstrate the feasibility of the method.
References:
Bedding, T.R., Minniti, D., Courbin, F., Sams, B., 1997, A&A 326, 936.
Beuzit, J.-L., Brandl, B., Combes, M., et al., 1994, The Messenger 75, 33.
Freedman, W.L., Madore, B.F., Hawley, S.L., et al., 1992, ApJ 396, 80.
Magain, P., Courbin, F., Sohy, S., 1997, The Messenger 88,28.
Minniti, D., 1995, A&A 300, 109.
Minniti, D., Bedding, T.R., 1995. In: Walsh, J.,
Danziger, I.J. (eds.), Science with the VLT, Berlin: ESO Springer, p. 236.
Richer, H.B., Pritchet, C.J., Crabtree, D.R., 1985, ApJ 298, 240.
Rousset, G., Beuzit, J.-L., Hubin, N., et al., 1994. In: Ealey, M.A., Merkle, F. (eds.), Adaptive Optics in Astronomy, Proc. SPIE vol. 2201, p. 1088.
Soria, R., Mould, J.R., Watson, A.M., et al., 1996, ApJ 465, 79.
van den Bergh, S., 1994, AJ 107, 1328.
Walker, A.R., 1995, PASP 107, 683.
Zijlstra, A.A., Minniti, D., Brewer, J., 1996, The Messenger 85, 23.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...23M
Section:
Reports from Observers
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Molinari, E.; Chincarini, G.; Moretti, A.; de Grandi, S.
AA(Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Italy) AB(Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Italy & Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy) AC(Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Italy & Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy) AD(MPE, Garching, Germany)
Abstract:
The authors have established that in the cluster A 496 they can clearly distinguish between two populations of galaxies: the first which dominates the core of the cluster and is characterised by elliptical and lenticular galaxies and the second composed by fainter galaxies. This is the first robust result of a composite luminosity function.
References:
Bernstein, G.M., Nichol, R.C., Tyson, J.A., Ulmer, M.P., Wittman, D., 1995 A.J. 110, 1507.
Biviano, A., Durret, F., Gerbal, D., Le Fèvre, O., Lobo, C., Mazure, A., and Slezak, E., 1995, A&A 297, 610.
Molinari, E., Moretti, A., Chincarini, G., De Grandi, S., 1998, in preparation, Moretti, A., 1997, Laurea Thesis, 1997, Università degli Studi di Milano.
Moretti, A., Molinari, E., Chincarini, G., De Grandi, S., 1998, in preparation, Sandage, A., Binggeli, B., & Tammann, G.A., 1985, A.J. 90, 1759.
Zucca, E., Vettolani, G., Zamorani, G., Cappi, A., Merighi, R., Mignoli, M., Stirpe, G., MacGilliwray, H., Collins, C., Balkowski, C., Cayatte, V., Maurogordato, S., Proust, D., Chincarini, G., Guzzo, L., Maccagni, D., Scaramella, R., Blanchard, A. And Ramella, M., 1997, A& A 325, 954.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...25G
Section:
Reports from Observers
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Guibert, J.
AA(Image Analysis Centre, Observatoire de Paris)
Abstract:
This report illustrates the major role of large-field imaging in all the domains of astrophysics, and presents some recent results. Most of these are based on digitisation and analysis of Schmidt images taken in the course of either sky surveys or specific programmes. Special emphasis is put on the crucial importance of computer storage and processing capabilities, as well as efficient analysis and calibration software, for images up to 2 gigabytes. The resources of the Image Analysis Centre of the Observatoire de Paris, including the MAMA facility, used by a wide national and international community of astronomers, will be briefly presented.
References:
[1] Alard, C., Guibert, J., Bienaymé, O., Valls-Gabaud, D., Robin, A.C., Terzan, A., Bertin, E., 1995, The DUO programme: First Results of a Microlensing Investigation of the Galactic Disk and Bulge conducted with the ESO Schmidt Telescope, The Messenger, 80, 31.
[2] Alard, C., Mao, S., Guibert, J., 1995, Object DUO 2: A New Binary Lens Candidate? A&A 300, L17.
[3] Alard, C., 1996, Evidence for the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy at low Galactic Latitudes, Astrophys.J. 458, L17.
[4] Alard, C., Terzan, A., Guibert, J., 1996, Light Curves and Periods of Mira variables, A&A, Suppl. 120, 275.
[5] Alard, C., Guibert, J. 1997, The DUO Single Lens Candidates, A&A, in press.
[6] Alonso, O., Zamorano, J., Rego, M., Gallego, J., 1995, Automatic Selection of new Ha emission line Galaxies using MAMA, A&A, Suppl. 113, 339.
[7] Andreon, S. et al., 1995, Morphological classification and structural parameters for early-type galaxies in the Coma cluster, A&A. Suppl. 116, 429.
[8] Andreon, S., 1996, The Morphological Segregation of galaxies in Clusters. II The properties of galaxies in the Coma Cluster, A&A 314, 763.
[9] Ansari, R. et al., 1995, Variability of the EROS 2 microlensing candidate, A&A 299, L21–L24.
[10] Aubourg, E. et al., 1993, Evidence for Gravitational Microlensing by Dark Objects of the Galactic Halo, Nature, 365, 623-625.
[11] Bertin, E., Arnouts, S., 1996, SExtractor: Software for source extraction, A&A, Suppl., 117, 393.
[12] Bertin, E., Dennefeld, M., 1997, Galaxy evolution at low redshift? I. Optical counts, A&A 317, 43.
[13] Bonnarel, F. et al., 1994, Aladin: towards an Interactive Atlas of the Digitized Sky, in Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems III, proceedings of the conference held in Victoria, B.C., Canada.
[14] Chevalier, C., Ilovaisky, S.A., 1990, Optical Studies of Transient Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries III. Photometry of GS2000+25 during decay and quiescence, A&A, 238, 163.
[15] Durret, F. et al., 1996, Redshift and Photometric Survey of the X-Ray Cluster of galaxies Abell 85, The Messenger 84, 20.
[16] Feigelson, E.D., Casanova, S., Montmerle, T., Guibert, J. 1993, ROSAT X-ray Study of the Chameleon I Dark Cloud. I. The Stellar Population, Astrophys. J., 416, 623-646.
[17] Gosset, E. et al., 1997, Surveys of ultraviolet-excess quasar candidates in large fields: The area around NGC 450, A&A Suppl. 123, 529.
[18] Grison, P. et al., 1994, EROS catalogue of eclipsing binary stars in the bar of the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A Suppl., 109, 447.
[19] Haywood, M., 1994, The model of stellar evolution of the Galactic Disc: The IMP at low masses, A&A 282, 44.
[20] Haywood, M., Robin, A.C., Crézé, M., 1997, The evolution of the Milky Way Disc. II. Constraints from star counts at the Galactic poles, A&A 320, 428.
[21] Kharchenko, N. and Schilbach, E., 1996, Program MEGA: Stellar Counts and Galactic Models, Baltic Astronomy 5, 337.
[22] Kitamoto, S., Tsunemi, H., Pedersen, H., Ilovaisky, S.A., van der Klis, M., 1990, Outburst, Identification and X-Ray Light Curve of GS1354-64 (MX1353-64?, Cen X-22?), Astrophys. J., 361, 590.
[23] Kovalevsky, J. et al., 1997, The Hipparcos catalogue as a realisation of the extragalactic reference system, A&A 323, 620.
[24] Leisy, P., Dennefeld, M., Alard, C., Guibert,J., 1997, Accurate positions and finding charts of known planetary nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A Suppl. 121, 407.
[25] Le Sidaner, P. and Le Bertre, T. 1993, Optical and infrared observations of two oxygen-rich miras. Dust shell modelling as a function of phase, A&A, 278, 167.
[26] Meusinger, H., Schilbach, E., Souchay, J., 1996, The mass function of the Pleiades down to 0.3 solar mass, A&A, 312, 833.
[27] Moreau, O., Reboul, H., 1995, Systematic search for UV-excess quasar candidates in 40 square degrees at the North Galactic Pole, A&A Suppl. 111, 169.
[28] Ojha, D.K., Mohan, V., Bienaymé, O., Robin, A.C., Crézé, M., 1996, Structure and Kinematical properties of the Galaxy at Intermediate Galactic Latitude, A&A 311, 456.
[29] Pakull, M.W. et al., 1993, Optical UV counterpart of the Supersoft Transient X-Ray Source RXJ0513.9- in the LMC, A&A, 278, L39-L42.
[30] Quintana, H., Ramirez, A., Melnick, J., Raychaudhury, S., Slezak, E. 1995, The Shapley Supercluster I. Spectroscopic observations in the central region, AJ 110, 463.
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[32] Robin, A.C., Haywood, M., Crézé, M., Ojha, D.K., Bienaymé, O., 1995, The Thick Disk of the Galaxy: Sequel of a Merging Event, A&A 305, 125.
[33] Schilbach, E., Robichon, N., Souchay, J., Guibert, J., 1995, Membership probabilities in the Pleiades Field, A&A 299, 696.
[34] Soubiran, C., 1992, Milliarcsec Proper Motions Measurements with MAMA, A&A, 259, 394-403.
[35] Surace, C., Comte, G., 1994, A search for Active Star forming Galaxies with the ESO 1 meter Schmidt Telescope, A&A, 281, 653.
[36] Terzan, A., Bernard, A., Guibert, J., 1997, A Photometric Study of the Bright Cloud B in Sagittarius. VIII. 1061 New variable Stars, A&A Suppl., in press.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...30L
Section:
Reports from Observers
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Lennon, D. J.; Mao, S.; Reetz, J.; Gehren, T.; Yan, L.; Renzini, A.
AA(Universitäts-Sternwarte München) AB(Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik) AC(Universitäts-Sternwarte München) AD(Universitäts-Sternwarte München) AE(ESO) AF(ESO)
Abstract:
Over several observing seasons, and with the help of gravitational microlensing surveys, the authors aim is to perform a systematic spectroscopic investigation of bulge sources. They expect that the results from this campaign will provide a fundamental insight into the formation and evolution of the bulge of the Galaxy. In the rest of this article the authors describe their first steps on this road, and summarise the current status of the project.
References:
[1] Paczynski, B. 1986, ApJ, 301, 503.
[2] Paczynski, B. 1996, ARA&A, 34, 419.
[3] Alcock, C. et al., 1993, Nature, 365, 621.
[4] Alcock, C. et al., 1997, ApJ, 479, 119.
[5] Udalski et al., 1993, AcA, 43, 289.
[6] Aubourg et al., 1993, Nature, 365, 623.
[7] Alard et al., 1995, The Messenger, 80, 31.
[8] Alcock, C. et al., 1997, ApJ, 463, L67.
[9] Albrow et al. 1997, in IAP Colloquium on Variable stars and the Astrophysical Returns of Microlensing Surveys, in press.
[10] Benetti, S., Pasquini, L., West, R.M. 1995, A&A, 294, L37.
[11] Lennon, D.J., Mao, S., Fuhrmann, K., Gehren, T., 1996, ApJ, 471, 23L.
[12] Mao, S., & Paczynski, B., 1991, ApJ, 374, 37.
[13] Alcock et al. 1996 (MACHO collaboration), IAU Circular 6361.
[14] Alcock, C. et al., 1997, ApJ, in press.
[15] Kurucz, ILL. et al., 1984, Solar Flux Atlas from 296 to 1300 nm, Kitt Peak National Obs., Tucson.
[16] Kurucz, R.L., 1992, Rev. Mexicana Astron. Astrof., 23, 45.
[17] Fuhrmann, K. et al., 1997 A&A, 323, 909.

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...34S
Section:
Reports from Observers
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
Stanghellini, S.
AA(ESO)

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...35.
Section:
Other Astronomical News
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
ESO
AA(ESO)

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...36.
Section:
Announcements
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
ESO
AA(ESO)
Abstract:
6th ESO/OHP Summer School in Astrophysical Observations, Personnel Movements, List of Scientific Preprints (October–November 1997), ESO Director General Receives Honoris Causa Degree, Vacancy Notice: 20 Positions for Scientists and Engineers

ADS BibCode:
1997Msngr..90...38.
Section:
Messenger Index
Author(s)/Affiliation(s):
ESO
AA(ESO)