It is necessary to determine fallout locations of regolith ejecta from descent engine plume-surface interactions due to the risks such particles present to lunar surface operations. Models of ejecta trajectories demonstrate that regolith fallout could reach anywhere on the lunar surface. However, these models have yet to consider the topography of the lunar surface that can modify trajectories to either extend or reduce the range of ejecta. Here we couple orbital-based trajectory modeling with the lunar digital elevation models from LRO/LOLA to determine fallout locations around potential landing sites in the region of the lunar south pole. Limited particle trajectories have been matched to the lunar topography at a spatial resolution of 5-m. We demonstrate lunar topography can both prevent ejecta leaving landing site locations and vary impact locations by over 100%. Thus, lunar topography must play a role in quantifying the risks of ejecta from a chosen landing site.

As human space exploration extends farther from Earth, the cost and risk of resupplying a mission increases substantially. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) is the prospecting, extraction, storage, and exploitation of existing resources at the crew location, reducing cost and risk. Crucial to the development of ISRU solutions is the accurate characterization and modeling of regolith for a variety of applications, including as a substrate for food production at lunar or Martian sites. Previous studies have established the capacity of specific regolith simulants to support the growth of a variety of plants in the short term. However, the mineralogical and physical accuracy of these simulants as proxies for the sites on Mars is debatable, and any conclusion drawn from studies with these simulants must be considered with some degree of caution. For the purpose of studying ISRU food production, we present a systematic effort to evaluate the utility of three different Martian Regolith Simulants (MRSs): JSC-Mars1A, Mars Mojave simulant (MMS), and Mars Global simulant (MGS-1). Our findings confirmed that none of these simulants are capable of supporting plant growth in the absence of nutrient supplementation. However, with the addition of a nutrient supplement, both JSC-Mars-1A and MMS were able to support the growth of both Arabidopsis thaliana and Lactuca saliva. However, the highly alkaline (pH > 9.0) MGS-1 simulant was unable to support growth even with additional nutrients. Acidification of MGS-1 nearly doubled the longevity of plants grown in this medium, suggesting this simulant may be further modified to eventually support plant growth as well. The addition of calcium perchlorate to each simulant, at concentrations intended to mimic those observed on the surface of Mars, rendered each simulant incapable of supporting plant growth, regardless of nutrient supplementation. These findings underscore that ISRU food solutions are likely at a lower technological readiness level than previously thought. We discuss these findings in the context of future efforts to develop off-world agricultural systems, approaches to developing future MRSs, and the immediate need to address perchlorate contamination as well as nitrogen deficiency for regolith-based food production.

Charge Injection Devices (CIDs) have demonstrated direct contrast ratios in excess of 1:20 million from sub-optimal ground-based astronomical observations. CIDs are therefore interesting prospects for obtaining direct images from a host of high contrast ratio celestial scenes. However, while CIDs are capable of much deeper contrast ratios, potentially exceeding 1:1 billion, they do not address the Inner Working Angle (IWA) problem. If the Point-Spread Function (PSF) of a bright target is not well understood and accounted for, then the IWA will be large and nearby faint objects, like exoplanets, will be challenging to observe regardless of the detector used. As Earth's atmosphere is a major contributor to the variability of a PSF, high contrast ratio imaging with small IWAs will be best achieved in space. Therefore, if CIDs are to be used on future space-telescopes, they must be flight qualified in the space environment and shown to be at the appropriate Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Here we report the results of an 8 months CID technology demonstration mission that used the Nano-Racks External Platform mounted to the Kibo Exposed Facility on-board the International Space Station. Over the course of the 236 days mission we find no significant on-orbit changes of CID performance in terms of dark current, linearity, read noise, and photon transfer efficiency. As a result, CIDs are now space-qualified to TRL-8 and can be considered for future space telescopes.

Considerable uncertainties remain about the nature of warm, AGN-driven outflows and their impact on the evolution of galaxies. This is because the outflows are often unresolved in ground-based observations. As part of a project to study the AGN outflows in some of the most rapidly evolving galaxies in the local Universe, here we present HST/STIS observations of F14394+5332E that resolve the sub-kpc warm outflow for the first time in a ULIRG. The observations reveal a compact, high-ionization outflow region (r_max 0.9 kpc) set in a more extensive (r_max 1.4 kpc) halo that is kinematically quiescent and has a lower ionization state. A large line width (600 < FWHM < 1500 km/s) is measured throughout the outflow region, and the outflowing gas shows a steep velocity gradient with radius, with the magnitude of the blueshifted velocities increasing from 500 to 1800 km/s from the inner to the outer part of the outflow. We interpret the observations in terms of the local acceleration, and hydrodynamic destruction, of dense clouds as they are swept up in a hot, low density wind driven by the AGN. We discuss the implications for measuring the mass outflow rates and kinetic powers for the AGN-driven outflows in such objects.

We report the analysis of near-infrared (near-IR) imaging, polarimetric and spectroscopic observations of the powerful radio galaxy 3C 433 (z = 0.1016), obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. The high spatial resolution of HST allows us to study the near-nuclear regions of the galaxy (<1 kpc). In line with previous observations, we find that 3C 433 has an unresolved core source that is detected in all near-IR bands, but dominates over the host galaxy emission at 2.05 μm. Our analysis reveals (1) the presence of a dust lane aligned close to the perpendicular [position angle (PA) = 70◦ ± 5◦] to the inner radio jet axis (PA = −12◦ ± 2◦), (2) a steep slope to the near-IR spectral energy distribution (SED; α = 5.8 ± 0.1; Fν ∝ ν−α), (3) an apparent lack of broad permitted emission lines at near-IR wavelengths, in particular the absence of a broad Paα emission line and (4) high intrinsic polarization for the unresolved core nuclear source (8.6 ± 1 per cent), with an E-vector perpendicular (PA = 83. ◦0 ± 2. ◦3) to the inner radio jet. Using five independent techniques, we determine an extinction to the compact core source in the range 3 < AV < 67 mag. An analysis of the long wavelength SED rules out a synchrotron origin for the high near-IR polarization of the compact core source. Therefore, scattering and dichroic extinction are plausible polarizing mechanisms, although in both of these cases the broad permitted lines from the active galactic nuclei are required to have a width >104 km s−1 (full width at halfmaximum) to escape detection in our near-IR spectrum. Dichroic extinction is the most likely polarization mechanism because it is consistent with the various available extinction estimates. In this case, a highly ordered, coherent toroidal magnetic field must be present in the obscuring structure close to the nucleus.

The true importance of the warm, AGN-driven outflows for the evolution of galaxies remains uncertain. Measurements of the radial extents of the outflows are key for quantifying their masses and kinetic powers, and also establishing whether the AGN outflows are galaxy-wide. Therefore, as part of a larger project to investigate the significance of warm, AGN-driven outflows in the most rapidly evolving galaxies in the local universe, here we present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) narrow-band [O III] lambda 5007 observations of a complete sample of eight nearby ULIRGs with optical AGN nuclei. Combined with the complementary information provided by our ground-based spectroscopy, the HST images show that the warm gas outflows are relatively compact for most of the objects in the sample: in three objects, the outflow regions are barely resolved at the resolution of HST (0.065 < R-[O III] < 0.12 kpc); in a further four cases, the outflows are spatially resolved but with flux-weighted mean radii in the range 0.65 < R-[O III] < 1.2 kpc; and in only one object (Mrk273) is there clear evidence for a more extended outflow, with a maximum extent of R-[O III] similar to 5 kpc. Overall, our observations show little evidence for the galaxy-wide outflows predicted by some models of AGN feedback.

The identification of galaxies with "overly massive" black holes requires two measurements: a black hole mass (M-bh) and a host spheroid mass (M-sph,M-*). Here we provide our measurements for NGC. 1277. Our structural decomposition reveals that NGC. 1277 is dominated by a "classical" spheroid with a Srsic index n. =. 5.3, a half-light radius R-e,R-major = 2.1 kpc, and a stellar mass of 2.7 x 10(11) M-circle dot (using M-*/L-V = 11.65, Martin-Navarro et. al.). Thismass is an order of magnitude greater than originally reported. Using the latest M-bh-n, M-bh-M-sph,M-,M- and M-bh-sigma relations, the expected black hole mass is, respectively, (0.57(-0.40)(+1.29)) x 10(9) M-circle dot, (1.58(-1.13)(+4.04)) x 10(9) M-circle dot, (2.27(-1.44)(+4.04)) x 10(9) M-circle dot (using sigma = 300 km s(-1)) for which the "sphere-of-influence" is 0.'' 31. Our new kinematical maps obtained from laser guide star assisted, adaptive optics on the Keck I Telescope dramatically reaffirm the presence of the inner, nearly edge-on, disk seen in the galaxy image. We also report that this produces a large velocity shear (similar to 400 km s(-1)) across the inner 0.'' 2 (70 pc) plus elevated values of root sigma(2)+ V-2 across the inner (+/- 3.'' 8) x (+/- 0.'' 6) region of the galaxy. Our new multi-Gaussian expansion (MGE) models and Jeans Anisotropic MGE analysis struggled to match this extended component. Our optimal black hole mass, albeit a probable upper limit because of the disk is 1.2 x 10(9) M-circle dot (M/L-V = 12.3). This is an order of magnitude smaller than originally reported and 4 times smaller than recently reported. It gives an M-bh/M-sph,M-* ratio of 0.45% in agreement with the median (approximate to 0.5%) and range (0.1%-5.0%) observed in non-dwarf, early-type galaxies. This result highlights the need for caution with inner disks.

The next fundamental steps forward in understanding our place in the universe could be a result of advances in extreme contrast ratio (ECR) imaging and point spread function (PSF) suppression. For example, blinded by quasar light we have yet to fully understand the processes of galaxy formation and evolution, and there is an ongoing race to obtain a direct image of an exoearth lost in the glare of its host star. To fully explore the features of these systems we must perform observations in which contrast ratios of at least one billion can be regularly achieved with sub 0.1" inner working angles. Here we present the details of a latest generation 32-bit charge injection device (CID) that could conceivably achieve contrast ratios on the order of one billion. We also demonstrate some of its ECR imaging abilities for astronomical imaging. At a separation of two arc minutes, we report a direct contrast ratio of Delta(m_v)=18.3, log(CR)=7.3, or 1 part in 20 million, from observations of the Sirius field. The atmospheric conditions present during the collection of this data prevented less modest results, and we expect to be able to achieve higher contrast ratios, with improved inner working angles, simply by operating a CID at a world-class observing site. However, CIDs do not directly provide any PSF suppression. Therefore, combining CID imaging with a simple PSF suppression technique like angular differential imaging, could provide a cheap and easy alternative to the complex ECR techniques currently being employed.

We present results from a 15 month campaign of high-cadence (similar to 3 days) mid-infrared Spitzer and optical (B and V) monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 6418, with the objective of determining the characteristic size of the dusty torus in this active galactic nucleus (AGN). We find that the 3.6 and 4.5 pm flux variations lag behind those of the optical continuum by 37.2(-2.2)(+2.4) days and 47.1(-3.1)(+3.1) days, respectively. We report a cross-correlation time lag between the 4.5 and 3.6 mu m flux of 13.9(-0.1)(+0.5) days. The lags indicate that the dust emitting at 3.6 and 4.5 mu m is located at a distance approximate to 1 light-month approximate to(0.03 pc) from the source of the AGN UV optical continuum. The reverberation radii are consistent with the inferred lower limit to the sublimation radius for pure graphite grains at 1800 K, but smaller by a factor of similar to 2 than the corresponding lower limit for silicate grains; this is similar to what has been found for near-infrared (K-band) lags in other AGNs. The 3.6 and 4.5 mu m reverberation radii fall above the K-band T proportional to L-0.5 size luminosity relationship by factors less than or similar to 2.7 and less than or similar to 3.4, respectively, while the 4.5 mu m reverberation radius is only 27% larger than the 3.6 mu m radius. This is broadly consistent with clumpy torus models, in which individual optically thick clouds emit strongly over a broad wavelength range.

We observed two stellar occultations on UT 4 May 2013 and UT 9 September 2012, with the aim of measuring Pluto's atmospheric parameters. Both of these events were observed by world-wide collaborations of many observers, and both occurred within I month of Pluto's stationary points. The PC20120909 event was observed at the McDonald Observatory (MONET 1.2-m), and Olin Observatory (the Ortega 0.8-m); the P20130504 event was observed at the Las Campanas Observatory (du Pont 2.5-m), the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (SMARTS 1-m), and the Cerro Calan National Astronomical Observatory (Goto 0.45m). Analysis of the data indicates an atmospheric state similar to that in June 2011. The shadow radius for the event is unchanged from recent events, indicating an atmosphere that is holding stable and not in the midst of global collapse. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of comparing various atmospheric parameters across events (the shadow radius vs. the pressure at a particular radius). These analyses suggest that Pluto will still have an atmosphere when the New Horizons spacecraft arrives in July 2015. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The coalescence of a binary black hole can be accompanied by a large gravitational recoil due to anisotropic emission of gravitational waves. A recoiling supermassive black hole (SBH) can subsequently undergo long-lived oscillations in the potential well of its host galaxy, suggesting that offset SBHs may be common in the cores of massive ellipticals. We have analyzed Hubble Space Telescope archival images of 14 nearby core ellipticals, finding evidence for small (less than or similar to 10 pc) displacements between the active galactic nucleus (AGN; the location of the SBH) and the center of the galaxy (the mean photocenter) in 10 of them. Excluding objects that may be affected by large-scale isophotal asymmetries, we consider six galaxies to have detected displacements, including M87, where a displacement was previously reported by Batcheldor et al. In individual objects, these displacements can be attributed to residual gravitational recoil oscillations following a major or minor merger within the last few gigayears. For plausible merger rates, however, there is a high probability of larger displacements than those observed, if SBH coalescence took place in these galaxies. Remarkably, the AGN-photocenter displacements are approximately aligned with the radio source axis in four of the six galaxies with displacements, including three of the four having relatively powerful kiloparsec-scale jets. This suggests intrinsic asymmetries in radio jet power as a possible displacement mechanism, although approximate alignments are also expected for gravitational recoil. Orbital motion in SBH binaries and interactions with massive perturbers can produce the observed displacement amplitudes but do not offer a ready explanation for the alignments.

We present new HST/ACS medium- and narrow-band images and optical Isaac Newton Telescope long-slit spectra of the merging system Mrk273. The HST observations sample the [OIII] 4959,5007 emission from the galaxy and the nearby continuum. These data were taken as a part of a larger study of ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) with the aim of investigating the importance of the warm, AGN induced outflows in such objects. The HST images show that the morphologies of the extended continuum and the ionised gas emission from the galaxy are decoupled, extending almost perpendicular to each other. In particular, we detect for the first time a spectacular structure of ionised gas in the form of filaments and clumps that extend 23 kpc to the east of the nuclear region. The quiescent ionised gas kinematics at these locations suggests that these filaments are tidal debris left over from a secondary merger event that are illuminated by an AGN in the nuclear regions. The images also reveal a complex morphology in the nuclear region of the galaxy for both the continuum and the [OIII] emission. Consistent with this complexity, we find a wide diversity of emission line profiles in these regions. Kinematic disturbance in the form of broad (FWHM > 500 km s 1 ) and/or strongly shifted (j Vj > 150 km s 1 ) emission line components is found at almost all locations in the nuclear regions, but confined to a radius of 4 kpc to the east and west of the northern nucleus. In most cases, we are able to fit the profiles of all the emission lines of di erent ionisation with a kinematic model using two or three Gaussian components. From these fits, we derive diagnostic line ratios that are used to investigate the ionisation mechanisms at the di erent locations in the galaxy. We show that these line ratios are generally consistent with photoionisation by an AGN as the main ionisation mechanism. Finally, the highest surface brightness [OIII] emission is found in a compact region that is coincident with the so-called SE nuclear component. The compactness, kinematics, and emission line ratios of this component suggest that it is a separate nucleus with its own AGN. At this stage, further observations are required to confirm the dual (or multiple?) AGN nature of Mrk273.

We present an analysis of 2.05 mu m Hubble Space Telescope polarimetric data for a sample of 13 nearby Fanaroff-Riley type II (FRII) 3CR radio sources (0.03 < z < 0.11) that are classified as narrow-line radio galaxies (NLRG) at optical wavelengths. We find that the compact cores of the NLRG in our sample are intrinsically highly polarized in the near-infrared (near-IR) (6 < P-2.05 mu m < 60 per cent), with the electric vector (E-vector) perpendicular to the radio axis in 54 per cent of the sources. The levels of extinction required to produce near-IR polarization by the dichroic extinction mechanism are consistent with the measured values recently reported in Ramirez et al., provided that this mechanism has its maximum efficiency. This consistency suggests that the nuclear polarization could be due to dichroic extinction. In this case, toroidal magnetic fields that are highly coherent would be required in the circumnuclear tori to align the elongated dust grains responsible for the dichroic extinction. However, it is not entirely possible to rule out other polarization mechanisms (e.g. scattering, synchrotron emission) with our observations at only one near-IR wavelength. Therefore, further polarimetry observations at mid-IR and radio wavelengths will be required to test whether all the near-IR polarization is due to dichroic extinction.

The relations observed between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies suggest a fundamental link in the processes that cause these two objects to evolve. A more comprehensive understanding of these relations could be gained by increasing the number of supermassive black hole mass (M) measurements. This can be achieved, in part, by continuing to model the stellar dynamics at the centers of galactic bulges using data of the highest possible spatial resolution. Consequently, we present here an atlas of galaxies in the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) data archive that may have spectra suitable for new M estimates. Archived STIS G750M data for all non-barred galactic bulges are co-aligned and combined, where appropriate, and the radial signal-to-noise ratios calculated. The line-of-sight velocity distributions from the CaII triplet are then determined using a maximum penalized likelihood method. We find 19 out of 42 galaxies may provide useful new M estimates since they are found to have data that is comparable in quality with data that has been used in the past to estimate M. However, we find no relation between the signal-to-noise ratio in the previously analyzed spectra and the uncertainties of the black hole masses derived from the spectra. We also find that there is a very limited number of appropriately observed stellar templates in the archive from which to estimate the effects of template mismatching.

The ability of NICMOS to perform high accuracy polarimetry is currently hampered by an uncalibrated residual instrumental polarization at a level of 1.2−1.5%. To better quantify and characterize this residual we obtained observations of three polarimetric standard stars at three separate space-craft roll angles. Combined with archival data, these observations were used to characterize the residual instrumental polarization to enable NICMOS to reach its full polarimetric potential. Using these data, we calculate values of the parallel transmission coefficients that reproduce the ground-based results for the polarimetric standards. The uncertainties associated with the parallel transmission coefficients, a result of the photometric repeatability of the observations, dominate the accuracy of p and θ. However, the new coefficients now enable imaging polarimetry of targets with p ≈ 1.0% at an accuracy of ±0.6% and ±15◦.