2011

2011 Press releases

Details: Published on 16 December 2011

A&A Press Release - Ultra-compact dwarf galaxies are bright star clusters

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Based on the article “The specific frequencies of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies”, by S. Mieske, M. Hilker, and I. Misgeld
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2012, vol. 537, A3

Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing a new statistical study of the so-called 'ultra-compact dwarf galaxies' (UCDs), which are still mysterious objects. A team of astronomers has investigated how many of these UCDs exist in nearby galaxy clusters and groups. They show that the properties of UCDs match those of bright star clusters.

Details: Published on 08 December 2011

Vampire Star Reveals its Secrets

ESO press release

Based on the article "An incisive look at the symbiotic star SS Leporis", by N. Blind et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 536, A55

Details: Published on 29 September 2011

Space telescopes reveal secrets of turbulent black hole

SRON press release

Based on the articles:

Multiwavelength campaign on Mrk 509

Paper I: "Variability and spectral energy distribution", by J. S. Kaastra et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A36
Paper II: "Analysis of high-quality Reflection Grating Spectrometer spectra ", by J. S. Kaastra et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A37
Paper III: "The 600 ks RGS spectrum: unravelling the inner region of an AGN", by R. G. Detmers et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A38
Paper IV: "Optical-UV-X-ray variability and the nature of the soft X-ray excess", by M. Mehdipour et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A39
Paper V: "Chandra-LETGS observation of the ionized absorber", by J. Ebrero et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A40
Paper VI: "HST/COS observations of the far-ultraviolet spectrum", by G. A. Kriss et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A41
Paper VII: "Relative abundances of the warm absorber", by K. C. Steenbrugge et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A42

Details: Published on 26 September 2011

Herschel reveals how most stars formed in the Universe

ESA Science & Technology press release ESA press release

Based on the article "GOODS-Herschel: an infrared main sequence for star-forming galaxies", by D. Elbaz et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 533, A119

Details: Published on 20 September 2011

ESA press release: Herschel probes the dusty history of a giant star

ESA press release

Based on the article "Discovery of multiple dust shells beyond 1 arcmin in the circumstellar envelope of IRC+10216 using Herschel/PACS", by L. Decin et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 534, A1

Details: Published on 26 July 2011

Enceladus rains water onto Saturn

ESA - Herschel press release ESA - Herschel (Science et Technology) press release

Based on the article "Direct detection of the Enceladus water torus with Herschel", by P. Hartogh, E. Lellouch et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 532, L2

Details: Published on 26 July 2011

INTEGRAL observations suggest unified model for Active Galactic Nuclei requires a rethink

ESA press release

Based on the article "Reflection in Seyfert Galaxies and the Unified Model of AGN", by C. Ricci et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 532, A102

Details: Published on 12 July 2011

A&A Press Release - When minor planets Ceres and Vesta rock the Earth into chaos

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Based on the article “Strong chaos induced by close encounters with Ceres and Vesta”,
by J. Laskar, M. Gastineau, J.-B. Delisle, A. Farrès, and A. Fienga
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 532, L4

Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing a new study of the orbital evolution of minor planets Ceres and Vesta, a few days before the Dawn spacecraft enters Vesta's orbit. A team of astronomers found that close encounters among these bodies lead to strong chaotic behavior of their orbits, as well as of the Earth's eccentricity. This means, in particular, that the Earth's past orbit cannot be reconstructed beyond 60 million years.

Details: Published on 07 July 2011

Hydrogen peroxide found in space

ESO press release

Based on the article "Detection of interstellar hydrogen peroxide", by P. Bergman et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 531, L8

Details: Published on 30 June 2011

Neutron star caught feasting on clump of stellar matter

ESA press release

Based on the article "XMM-Newton observations of IGR J18410-0535: the ingestion of a clump by a supergiant fast X-ray transient", by E. Bozzo et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 531, A130

Details: Published on 23 June 2011

The Flames of Betelgeuse

ESO press release

Based on the article "The close circumstellar environment of Betelgeuse - II. Diffraction-limited spectro-imaging from 7.76 to 19.50 µm with VLT/VISIR", by P. Kervella et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 531, A117

Details: Published on 25 May 2011

A&A Press Release - Discovery of a very massive, isolated star in a nearby galaxy

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Based on the article “The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey. III. A very massive star in apparent isolation from the massive cluster R136”,
by J. M. Bestenlehner et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 530, L14

Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing the discovery of a very massive, isolated star in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The star VFTS 682 is 150 times more massive than our Sun and seems to be isolated and not a member of any rich star cluster, which is surprising since very massive stars are thought to form in the dense core of clusters.

Details: Published on 13 April 2011

Herschel links star formation to sonic booms

ESA - Herschel press release ESA - Herschel (Science et Technology) press release

Based on the article "Characterizing interstellar filaments with Herschel in IC5146", by D. Arzoumanian et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 529, L6

Details: Published on 02 March 2011

Astronomers simulate real-time telescope as big as the world to study peculiar active galaxy

JIVE press release

Based on the article "Global e-VLBI observations of the gamma-ray narrow line Seyfert 1 PMN J0948+0022", by M. Giroletti et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 528, L11

Details: Published on 01 March 2011

A&A Press Release - New observations of the giant planet orbiting β Pictoris

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Based on “High angular resolution detection of β Pictoris b at 2.18μm”, by M. Bonnefoy et al.
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 528, L15

Astronomy & Astrophysics is publishing new observations of the giant planet around β Pictoris. Discovered in 2009, this planet, called β Pictoris b, has now been detected again with the NaCo instrument on the VLT. Astronomers find that the planet is moving around the star. They have also measured the mass and the effective temperature of β Pic b.

Details: Published on 25 January 2011

First "3D View" from the VLT Interferometer

MPIfR press release ESO announcement

Based on the article "Imaging the spinning gas and dust in the disc around the supergiant A[e] star HD 62623", by F. Millour et al.

Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2011, vol. 526, A107