On the largest scale, the Universe resembles a cosmic spiderweb. Most galaxies coexist in small groups within the threads of this web. At the nodes of the threads are enormous groups of galaxies... Show moreOn the largest scale, the Universe resembles a cosmic spiderweb. Most galaxies coexist in small groups within the threads of this web. At the nodes of the threads are enormous groups of galaxies forming the largest structures in the universe still held together by gravity: clusters of galaxies.Clusters of galaxies consist of thousands of galaxies, although the galaxies constitute only a few per cent of the total cluster mass. The majority of the (non-dark) mass of a cluster is in a hot and dilute gas that resides in the space between galaxies and is permeated by magnetic fields. Clusters grow by collisions with other clusters, shocking and heating the gas causing amplification of magnetic fields and acceleration of particles to near the speed of light. This makes clusters a source of radio synchrotron radiation.This thesis investigates the particle acceleration process and the magnetic fields of merging clusters using the LOFAR and VLA radio telescopes. The thesis presents, among other things, one of the few radio maps of clusters at ultra-low frequencies and examines clusters of lower mass than usual. Additionally, the thesis includes observations of a sample of over a hundred clusters to statistically determine the properties of the magnetic field in clusters in a novel way. Show less
Rogers, L.K.; Debes, J.; Anslow, R.J.; Bonsor, A.; Casewell, S.L.; Dos Santos, L.a.; ... ; Toonen, S. 2023
Classic designs of hyperspectral instrumentation densely sample the spatial and spectral information of the scene of interest. Data may be compressed after the acquisition. In this paper we... Show moreClassic designs of hyperspectral instrumentation densely sample the spatial and spectral information of the scene of interest. Data may be compressed after the acquisition. In this paper we introduce a framework for the design of an optimized, micro-patterned snapshot hyperspectral imager that acquires an optimized subset of the spatial and spectral information in the scene. The data is thereby compressed already at the sensor level, but can be restored to the full hyperspectral data cube by the jointly optimized reconstructor. This framework is implemented with TensorFlow and makes use of its automatic differentiation for the joint optimization of the layout of the micro-patterned filter array as well as the reconstructor. We explore the achievable compression ratio for different numbers of filter passbands, number of scanning frames, and filter layouts using data collected by the Hyperscout instrument. We show resulting instrument designs that take snapshot measurements without losing significant information while reducing the data volume, acquisition time, or detector space by a factor of 40 as compared to classic, dense sampling. The joint optimization of a compressive hyperspectral imager design and the accompanying reconstructor provides an avenue to substantially reduce the data volume from hyperspectral imagers. Show less
Hosseinirad, M.; Tabatabaei, F.; Raouf Hajar Zarrin, M.; Roshan, M. 2023
With the rapidly growing number of extrasolar planets detected, we have firmly stepped into the era of detailed characterization. Diverse types of exoplanets such as gas giants on close-in orbits ... Show moreWith the rapidly growing number of extrasolar planets detected, we have firmly stepped into the era of detailed characterization. Diverse types of exoplanets such as gas giants on close-in orbits (hot Jupiters) and young massive giants on wide orbits (super Jupiters), with no analogs in the Solar System, pose challenges but also opportunities to our understanding of planet formation and evolution. Exoplanet atmospheres with imprints from their history open an important avenue to retrace the origin and evolution of planets. With high-dispersion spectroscopy, we can resolve atomic and molecular spectral features into unique forests of lines that serve as the fingerprints for identifying different species in planetary atmospheres. In this dissertation, I utilize this technique to explore atmospheric compositions, thermal structures, and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres. I have discovered minor isotopologues in emission spectra of an exoplanet and a brown dwarf for the first time, pioneering the use of carbon isotopic ratios as potential tracers of planet formation. I have investigated the trend of atomic absorption strengths in a sample of ultra-hot Jupiters, which enables disentangling different dynamic regimes of highly-irradiated exoplanets. These works form the foundation to link spectroscopic observations to planet formation and evolution processes. Show less
Over the last three decades, the discovery of exoplanets has revealed the boundless variety of worlds beyond our own Solar System. Majority of planetary systems contain short-period planets that... Show moreOver the last three decades, the discovery of exoplanets has revealed the boundless variety of worlds beyond our own Solar System. Majority of planetary systems contain short-period planets that are larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune. For rocky planets, the strong irradiation causes the surface to melt, forming dayside oceans of molten silicates. These are known as lava worlds. From a theoretical standpoint, lava worlds are expected to outgas silicate-rich atmospheres, which can be characterised using spectroscopy techniques. Spectroscopy allows astronomers to single out a multitude of chemical species in exoplanets, and with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), it is now possible to characterise even rocky planets.To reinforce our understanding of distant worlds it is critical that we can reproduce the observed results using computational models. A variety approaches exist, however due to their flexibility and adaptability, using averaged 1-D models is prefered. The work in this thesis heavily focuses on using 1-D chemistry and radiative-transfer codes to simulate atmospheres of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes, including volatile and silicate-rich compositions. The main goal is to guide observers to potentially detectable species that would help us gain insight into many of the drawn assumptions. The research done indicates a multitude of detectable species such as HCN, CN, CO, SiO, and SiO2. Models also show that silicate atmospheres are plagued with deep temperature inversions, strongly affecting observability. Most of the presented results are especially applicable to low-resolution infrared spectroscopy for observations with JWST. Show less
Braspenning, J.R.; Schaye, J.; Borrow, J.; Schaller, M. 2023