The microscope imager CAM-M was developed for the Emirates Lunar Mission (ELM) program. This camera is part of the Rashid-1 lunar rover scientific instrument package. It is equipped with a three color RGB CMOS detector, delivering a spatial sampling varying between 20 and 27 μ m per pixel across its field of view. The viewing geometry of this camera was chosen such that its field of view on the ground is slightly ahead of the rover, thereby showing the undisturbed lunar surface. Its multi-purpose illumination system allows to acquire images in shadowed areas but as well to support the rover drive operations. Since CAM-M does not contain any moving parts, its imaging performance depends on suitable positioning of the rover with respect to the field of view. Hence, CAM-M should be seen as a scouting instrument which acquires images at every possible stop along its traverse. This paper provides a summarizing description of the instruments design, its operation concepts, and to illustrate this camera’s scientific capabilities by means of data collected during on-ground testing. Due to the unsuccessful landing attempt of the lunar lander which was carrying the Rashid-1 rover to the Moon, CAM-M was unable to collect any data on the lunar surface.

ABSTRACT We present new measurements of the spatial distribution and kinematics of neutral hydrogen in the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium surrounding star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2. Using the spectra of ≃3000 galaxies with redshifts 〈z〉 = 2.3 ± 0.4 from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey, we assemble a sample of more than 200 000 distinct foreground-background pairs with projected angular separations of 3–500 arcsec and spectroscopic redshifts, with 〈zfg〉 = 2.23 and 〈zbg〉 = 2.57 (foreground, background redshifts, respectively.) The ensemble of sightlines and foreground galaxies is used to construct a 2D map of the mean excess $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$$\rm Ly\,\alpha$ optical depth relative to the intergalactic mean as a function of projected galactocentric distance (20 ≲ Dtran/pkpc ≲ 4000) and line-of-sight velocity. We obtain accurate galaxy systemic redshifts, providing significant information on the line-of-sight kinematics of $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$ gas as a function of projected distance Dtran. We compare the map with cosmological zoom-in simulation, finding qualitative agreement between them. A simple two-component (accretion, outflow) analytical model generally reproduces the observed line-of-sight kinematics and projected spatial distribution of $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$. The best-fitting model suggests that galaxy-scale outflows with initial velocity vout ≃ 600 km s$^{-1}\,$ dominate the kinematics of circumgalactic $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$ out to Dtran ≃ 50 kpc, while $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$ at Dtran ≳ 100 kpc is dominated by infall with characteristic vin ≲ circular velocity. Over the impact parameter range 80 ≲ Dtran/pkpc ≲ 200, the $\rm{H\,{\small I}}$ line-of-sight velocity range reaches a minimum, with a corresponding flattening in the rest-frame $\rm Ly\,\alpha$ equivalent width. These observations can be naturally explained as the transition between outflow-dominated and accretion-dominated flows. Beyond Dtran ≃ 300 pkpc (∼1 cMpc), the line-of-sight kinematics are dominated by Hubble expansion.

We present results of a deep spectroscopic survey quantifying the statistics of the escape of ionizing radiation from star -forming galaxies at z similar to 3. We measure the ratio of ionizing to non-ionizing UV flux density f(900)/f(1500)obs, where f(900) is the mean flux density evaluated over the range [880, 910] angstrom. We quantify the emergent ratio of ionizing to non-ionizing UV flux density by analyzing high signal-to-noise ratio composite spectra formed from subsamples with common observed properties and numbers sufficient to reduce the statistical uncertainty in the modeled IGM+CGM correction to obtain precise values of < f(900)/f(1500)>(out), including a full-sample average < f(900)/f(1500)>(out) 0.057 +/- 0.006. We show that < f(900)/f(1500)>(out) increases., monotonically with W lambda(Ly alpha), inducing an inverse correlation with UV luminosity as a by-product. We fit the composite spectra using stellar spectral synthesis together with models of the ISM in which a fraction f(c) of the stellar continuum is covered by gas with column density NH (I). We show that the composite spectra simultaneously constrain the intrinsic properties of the stars (L90041500)int along with f(c), N-H (I), E (B - V), and f(esc,abs), the absolute escape fraction of ionizing photons. We find a sample-averaged f(esc,abs) 0.09 +/- 0.01, with subsamples falling along a linear relation < f(esc),(abs)> similar or equal to 0.75[W-lambda(Ly alpha)/110 angstrom]. Using the far-UV luminosity function, the distribution function n(W(Lya)), and the relationship between WA(Ly alpha) and < f(900)/f(1500)>(out), we estimate the total ionizing emissivity of z similar to 3 star forming galaxies with M-uv <= -19.5, which exceeds the contribution of quasi-stellar objects by a factor of similar to 3, and accounts for similar to 50% of the total is an element of(Lyc) at z similar to 3 estimated using indirect methods.

We present the first spectroscopic measurements of the shape of the far-ultraviolet (far-UV; lambda = 950-1500 angstrom) dust attenuation curve at high redshift (z similar to 3). Our analysis employs rest-frame UV spectra of 933 galaxies at z similar to 3, 121 of which have very deep spectroscopic observations (greater than or similar to 7 hr) at lambda = 850-1300 angstrom, with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on the Keck Telescope. By using an iterative approach in which we calculate the ratios of composite spectra in different bins of continuum color excess, E(B - V), we derive a dust curve that implies a lower attenuation in the far-UV for a given E(B - V) than those obtained with standard attenuation curves. We demonstrate that the UV composite spectra of z similar to 3 galaxies can be modeled well by assuming our new attenuation curve, a high covering fraction of H I, and absorption from the Lyman-Werner bands of H-2 with a small (less than or similar to 20%) covering fraction. The low covering fraction of H-2 relative to that of the H I and dust suggests that most of the dust in the ISM of typical galaxies at z similar to 3 is unrelated to the catalysis of H-2, and is associated with other phases of the ISM (i.e., the ionized and neutral gas). The far-UV dust curve implies a factor of approximate to 2 lower dust attenuation of Lyman continuum (ionizing) photons relative to those inferred from the most commonly assumed attenuation curves for L* galaxies at z similar to 3. Our results may be utilized to assess the degree to which ionizing photons are attenuated in H II regions or, more generally, in the ionized or low column density (N(HI) less than or similar to 10(17.2) cm(-2)) neutral ISM of high-redshift galaxies.

We present a new automated photometric pipeline optimized for time-series photometry that includes a real-time data streaming service. An observer using this resource can automatically stream photometric data over the Internet. Other observers can then monitor the data stream in real time and make an informed decision whether to perform complementary observations of a transient event in progress. Our pipeline uses a modular design so that it can be easily implemented or customized as a real-time robotic telescope pipeline on any observatory. The pipeline is controlled through the user friendly SAOImage DS9 package.

Using a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed galaxies, we establish an empirical relationship between reddening ( ), neutral gas covering fraction ( ), and the escape of ionizing (Lyman continuum, LyC) photons. Our sample includes 933 galaxies at of which have deep spectroscopic observations ( hr) at Å with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph on Keck. The high covering fraction of outflowing optically thick indicated by the composite spectra of these galaxies implies that photoelectric absorption, rather than dust attenuation, dominates the depletion of LyC photons. By modeling the composite spectra as the combination of an unattenuated stellar spectrum including nebular continuum emission with one that is absorbed by and reddened by a line-of-sight extinction, we derive an empirical relationship between and . Galaxies with redder UV continua have larger covering fractions of characterized by higher line-of-sight extinctions. We develop a model which connects the ionizing escape fraction with , and which may be used to estimate the ionizing escape fraction for an ensemble of galaxies. Alternatively, direct measurements of the escape fraction for our sample allow us to constrain the intrinsic LyC-to-UV flux density ratio to be , a value that favors stellar population models that include weaker stellar winds, a flatter initial mass function, and/or binary evolution. Last, we demonstrate how the framework discussed here may be used to assess the pathways by which ionizing radiation escapes from high-redshift galaxies.

We present observations of Q1549-C25, an similar to L* star-forming galaxy at z = 3.15 for which Lyman-continuum (LyC) radiation is significantly detected in deep Keck/LRIS spectroscopy. We find no evidence of contamination from a lower-redshift interloper close to the line of sight in the high signal-to-noise spectrum of Q1549-C25. Furthermore, the morphology of Q1549-C25 in V-606, J(125), and H-160 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging reveals that the object consists of a single, isolated component within 1 ''. In combination, these data indicate Q1549-C25 as a clean spectroscopic detection of LyC radiation, only the second such object discovered to date at z similar to 3. We model the spectral energy distribution of Q1549-C25, finding evidence of negligible dust extinction, an age (assuming continuous star formation) of similar to 1 Gyr, and a stellar mass of M* = 7.9 x 10(9) M-circle dot. Although it is not possible to derive strong constraints on the absolute escape fraction of LyC emission, f(esc)(LyC), from a single object, we use simulations of intergalactic and circumgalactic absorption to infer f(esc)(LyC) >= 0.51 at 95% confidence. The combination of deep Keck/LRIS spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope imaging is required to assemble a larger sample of objects like Q1549-C25, and obtain robust constraints on the average f(esc)(LyC) at z similar to 3 and beyond.

We study the Lyα profiles of 36 spectroscopically detected Lyα-emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 2–3, using Keck MOSFIRE to measure systemic redshifts and velocity dispersions from rest-frame optical nebular emission lines. The sample has a median optical magnitude , and ranges from to , corresponding to rest-frame UV absolute magnitudes MUV ≃ −22 to MUV > −18.2. Dynamical masses range from Mdyn < 1.3 × 108 M☉ to Mdyn = 6.8 × 109 M☉, with a median value of Mdyn = 6.3 × 108 M☉. Thirty of the 36 Lyα emission lines are redshifted with respect to the systemic velocity with at least 1σ significance, and the velocity offset with respect to systemic ΔvLyα is correlated with the -band magnitude, MUV, and the velocity dispersion measured from nebular emission lines with >3σ significance: brighter galaxies with larger velocity dispersions tend to have larger values of ΔvLyα. We also make use of a comparison sample of 122 UV-color-selected galaxies at z ∼ 2, all with Lyα emission and systemic redshifts measured from nebular emission lines. Using the combined LAE and comparison samples for a total of 158 individual galaxies, we find that ΔvLyα is anti-correlated with the Lyα equivalent width with 7σ significance. Our results are consistent with a scenario in which the Lyα profile is determined primarily by the properties of the gas near the systemic redshift; in such a scenario, the opacity to Lyα photons in lower mass galaxies may be reduced if large gaseous disks have not yet developed and if the gas is ionized by the harder spectrum of young, low metallicity stars.

We report on observations of the nova-like cataclysmic variable AE Aqr performed by MAGIC. The observations were part of a quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign carried out between 2012 May and June covering the optical, UV, X-ray and gamma-ray ranges. MAGIC conducted the campaign and observed the source during 12 hours. The other instruments involved were KVA, Skinakas, and Vidojevica in the optic and Swift in the X-ray. We also used optical data from the AAVSO. The goals were to: monitor the variability of the source at different wavelengths, perform gamma-ray studies coincident with the highest states of the source at the other wavelengths, and confirm or rule out previous claims of detection of very-high-energy emission from this object. We report on a search for steady TeV emission during the whole observation, for variable TeV emission coincident with the highest optical and X-ray states and periodic TeV emission at the 33.08 s rotation period (30.23 mHz rotation frequency) of the white dwarf and its first harmonic (60.46 mHz rotation frequency). These are the first observations under good weather conditions performed by the present generation of IACTs for this object.

We present results from the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey (KBSS), a unique spectroscopic survey of the distant universe designed to explore the details of the connection between galaxies and intergalactic baryons within the same survey volumes, focusing particularly on scales from similar to 50 kpc to a few Mpc. The KBSS is optimized for the redshift range z similar to 2-3, combining S/N similar to 100 Keck/HIRES spectra of 15 of the brightest QSOs in the sky at z similar or equal to 2.5-2.9 with very densely sampled galaxy redshift surveys within a few arcmin of each QSO sightline. In this paper, we present quantitative results on the distribution, column density, kinematics, and absorber line widths of neutral hydrogen (H I) surrounding a subset of 886 KBSS star-forming galaxies with 2.0 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 2.8 and with projected distances <= 3 physical Mpc from a QSO sightline. Using Voigt profile decompositions of the full Ly alpha forest region of all 15 QSO spectra, we compiled a catalog of similar to 6000 individual absorbers in the redshift range of interest, with 12 <= log(N-H I) <= 21. These are used to measure H I absorption statistics near the redshifts of foreground galaxies as a function of projected galactocentric distance from the QSO sightline and for randomly chosen locations in the intergalactic medium (IGM) within the survey volume. We find that N-H I and the multiplicity of velocity-associated H I components increase rapidly with decreasing galactocentric impact parameter and as the systemic redshift of the galaxy is approached. The strongest H I absorbers within similar or equal to 100 physical kpc of galaxies have N-H I similar to 3 orders of magnitude higher than those near random locations in the IGM. The circumgalactic zone of most significantly enhanced H I absorption is found within transverse distances of less than or similar to 300 kpc and within +/- 300 km s(-1) of galaxy systemic redshifts. Taking this region as the defining bounds of the circumgalactic medium (CGM), nearly half of absorbers with log(N-H I) > 15.5 are found within the CGM of galaxies meeting our photometric selection criteria, while their CGM occupy only 1.5% of the cosmic volume. The spatial covering fraction, multiplicity of absorption components, and characteristic N-H I remain significantly elevated to transverse distances of similar to 2 physical Mpc from galaxies in our sample. Absorbers with N-H I > 10(14.5) cm(-2) are tightly correlated with the positions of galaxies, while absorbers with lower N-H I are correlated with galaxy positions only on greater than or similar to Mpc scales. Redshift anisotropies on these larger scales indicate coherent infall toward galaxy locations, while on scales of similar to 100 physical kpc peculiar velocities of Delta v similar or equal to +/- 260 km s(-1) with respect to the galaxies are indicated. The median Doppler widths of individual absorbers within 1-3 r(vir) of galaxies are larger by similar or equal to 50% than randomly chosen absorbers of the same N-H I, suggesting higher gas temperatures and/or increased turbulence likely caused by some combination of accretion shocks and galactic winds around galaxies with M-halo similar or equal to 10(12) M-circle dot at z similar to 2-3.

The timing and duration of the reionization epoch is crucial to the emergence and evolution of structure in the universe. The relative roles that star-forming galaxies, active galactic nuclei and quasars play in contributing to the metagalactic ionizing background across cosmic time remains uncertain. Deep quasar counts provide insights into their role, but the potentially crucial contribution from star-formation is highly uncertain due to our poor understanding of the processes that allow ionizing radiation to escape into the intergalactic medium (IGM). The fraction of ionizing photons that escape from star-forming galaxies is a fundamental free parameter used in models to "fine-tune" the timing and duration of the reionization epoch that occurred somewhere between 13.4 and 12.7 Gyrs ago (redshifts between 12 > z > 6). However, direct observation of Lyman continuum (LyC) photons emitted below the rest frame \ion{H}{1} ionization edge at 912 \AA\ is increasingly improbable at redshifts z > 3, due to the steady increase of intervening Lyman limit systems towards high z. Thus UV and U-band optical bandpasses provide the only hope for direct, up close and in depth, observations of the types of environment that favor LyC escape. By quantifying the evolution over the past 11 billion years (z < 3) of the relationships between LyC escape and local and global parameters ..., we can provide definitive information on the LyC escape fraction that is so crucial to answering the question of, how did the universe come to be ionized? Here we provide estimates of the ionizing continuum flux emitted by "characteristic" (L_{uv}^*) star-forming galaxies as a function of look back time and escape fraction, finding that at z = 1 (7.6 Gyrs ago) L_{uv}^* galaxies with an escape fraction of 1% have a flux of 10^{-19} ergs cm^{-2} s^{-1} \AA^{-1}.

Using a sample of 92 UV continuum-selected, spectroscopically identified galaxies with (z) = 2.65, all of which have been imaged in the Ly alpha line with extremely deep narrow-band imaging, we examine galaxy Ly alpha emission profiles to very faint surface brightness limits. The galaxy sample is representative of spectroscopic samples of Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at similar redshifts in terms of apparent magnitude, UV luminosity, inferred extinction, and star formation rate and was assembled without regard to Ly alpha emission properties. Approximately 45% (55%) of the galaxy spectra have Ly alpha appearing in net absorption (emission), with similar or equal to 20% satisfying commonly used criteria for the identification of "Ly alpha emitters" (LAEs; W-0(Ly alpha) >= 20 angstrom). We use extremely deep stacks of rest-UV continuum and continuum-subtracted Ly alpha images to show that all sub-samples exhibit diffuse Ly alpha emission to radii of at least 10''' (similar to 80 physical kpc). The characteristic exponential scale lengths for Ly alpha line emission exceed that of the lambda(0) = 1220 angstrom UV continuum light by factors of similar to 5-10. The surface brightness profiles of Ly alpha emission are strongly suppressed relative to the UV continuum light in the inner few kpc, by amounts that are tightly correlated with the galaxies' observed spectral morphology; however, all galaxy sub-subsamples, including that of galaxies for which Ly alpha appears in net absorption in the spectra, exhibit qualitatively similar diffuse Ly alpha emission halos. Accounting for the extended Ly alpha emission halos, which generally would not be detected in the slit spectra of individual objects or with typical narrow-band Ly alpha imaging, increases the total Lya flux (and rest equivalent width W-0(Ly alpha)) by an average factor of similar to 5, and by a much larger factor for the 80% of LBGs not classified as LAEs. We argue that most, if not all, of the observed Ly alpha emission in the diffuse halos originates in the galaxy HII regions but is scattered in our direction by HI gas in the galaxy's circum-galactic medium. The overall intensity of Ly alpha halos, but not the surface brightness distribution, is strongly correlated with the emission observed in the central similar to 1 ''-more luminous halos are observed for galaxies with stronger central Ly alpha emission. We show that whether or not a galaxy is classified as a giant "Ly alpha blob" (LAB) depends sensitively on the Ly alpha surface brightness threshold reached by an observation. Accounting for diffuse Ly alpha halos, all LBGs would be LABs if surveys were sensitive to 10 times lower Ly alpha surface brightness thresholds; similarly, essentially all LBGs would qualify as LAEs.

Extended nebulae of Ly-alpha emission ("Ly-alpha blobs") are known to be associated with overdense regions at high redshift. Here we present six large Ly-alpha blobs in a previously known protocluster with galaxy overdensity delta ~ 7 at z = 2.3; this is the richest field of giant Ly-alpha blobs detected to date. The blobs have linear sizes >~100 kpc and Ly-alpha luminosities of ~10^43 erg/s. The positions of the blobs define two linear filaments with an extent of at least 12 comoving Mpc; these filaments intersect at the center of one of the blobs. Measurement of the position angles of the blobs indicates that five of the six are aligned with these filaments to within ~10 degrees, suggesting a connection between the physical processes powering extended Ly-alpha emission and those driving structure on larger scales.

We present new results on the kinematics and spatial distribution of metal-enriched gas within 125 kpc (physical) of Lyman Break galaxies at redshifts z 2-3. In particular, we demonstrate how rest-UV galaxy spectra can be used to obtain key spatial and spectral information more efficiently than possible with QSO sightlines. After recalibrating the measurement of galaxy systemic redshifts from their UV spectra, we investigate the kinematics of galaxy-scale outflows via the strong interstellar (IS) absorption and Lya emission lines (when present), as well as their dependence on other physical properties of the galaxies. We construct a sample of 512 close (1-15 arcsec) angular pairs of z 2-3 LBGs in which the spectra background galaxies probe the circumgalactic gas surrrounding those in the foreground. The close pairs, together with spectra of the foreground galaxies themselves, sample galactocentric impact parameters b=0-125 kpc (physical) at =2.2. The ensemble provides a spatial map of cool gas as a function of galactocentric distance for a well-characterized population of galaxies. We propose a simple model that simultaneously matches the kinematics, depth, and profile shape of IS absorption and Lya emission lines, as well as the observed variation of absorption line strength (of HI, CII, CIV, SiII, SiIV) versus galactocentric impact parameter. We discuss the results of the observations in the context of "cold accretion", in which cool gas accretes via filamentary streams directly onto the central regions of galaxies. At present, we find little observational support for cool infalling material, whereas evidence supporting the large-scale effects of outflows is strong. Reconciling theory and observation on the subject of gas flows into and out of forming galaxies seems necessary.

We present the results of spectroscopic, narrow-band and X-ray observations of a z= 2.30 protocluster in the field of the QSO HS 1700+643. Using a sample of BX/MD galaxies, which are selected to be at z ~ 2.2–2.7 by their rest-frame ultraviolet colours, we find that there are five protocluster AGN which have been identified by characteristic emission-lines in their optical/near-IR spectra; this represents an enhancement over the field significant at >98.5 per cent confidence. Using a ~200-ks Chandra/ACIS-I observation of this field we detect a total of 161 X-ray point sources to a Poissonian false-probability limit of 4 × 10^(−6) and identify eight of these with BX/MD galaxies. Two of these are spectroscopically confirmed protocluster members and are also classified as emission-line AGN. When compared to a similarly selected field sample, the analysis indicates this is also evidence for an enhancement of X-ray selected BX/MD AGN over the field, significant at >99 per cent confidence. Deep Lyα narrow-band imaging reveals that a total of 4/123 Lyα emitters (LAEs) are found to be associated with X-ray sources, with two of these confirmed protocluster members and one highly likely member. We do not find a significant enhancement of AGN activity in this LAE sample over that of the field (result is significant at only 87 per cent confidence). The X-ray emitting AGN fractions for the BX/MD and LAE samples are found to be 6.9^(+9.2)_(−4.4) and 2.9^(+2.9)_(−1.6) per cent, respectively, for protocluster AGN with L_(2-10 keV)≥ 4.6 × 10^(43) erg s^(−1) at z= 2.30. These findings are similar to results from the z= 3.09 protocluster in the SSA 22 field found by Lehmer et al. (2009), in that both suggest AGN activity is favoured in dense environments at z > 2.

We present the results of a photometric and spectroscopic survey of 321 Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) at z similar to 3 to investigate systematically the relationship between Ly alpha emission and stellar populations. Lya equivalent widths (W(Ly alpha)) were calculated from rest-frame UV spectroscopy and optical/near-infrared/Spitzer photometry was used in population synthesis modeling to derive the key properties of age, dust extinction, star formation rate (SFR), and stellar mass. We directly compare the stellar populations of LBGs with and without strong Lya emission, where we designate the former group (W(Ly alpha) >= 20 angstrom) as Ly alpha emitters (LAEs) and the latter group (W(Ly alpha) < 20 angstrom) as non-LAEs. This controlled method of comparing objects from the same UV luminosity distribution represents an improvement over previous studies in which the stellar populations of LBGs and narrowband-selected LAEs were contrasted, where the latter were often intrinsically fainter in broadband filters by an order of magnitude simply due to different selection criteria. Using a variety of statistical tests, we find that Ly alpha equivalent width and age, SFR, and dust extinction, respectively, are significantly correlated in the sense that objects with strong Ly alpha emission also tend to be older, lower in SFR, and less dusty than objects with weak Ly alpha emission, or the line in absorption. We accordingly conclude that, within the LBG sample, objects with strong Ly alpha emission represent a later stage of galaxy evolution in which supernovae-induced outflows have reduced the dust covering fraction. We also examined the hypothesis that the attenuation of Ly alpha photons is lower than that of the continuum, as proposed by some, but found no evidence to support this picture.