The Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) is one of three instruments flying aboard the Swift Gamma-ray Observatory. It is designed to capture the early (∼1 min) UV and optical photons from the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts in the 170–600 nm band as well as long term observations of these afterglows. This is accomplished through the use of UV and optical broadband filters and grisms. The UVOT has a modified Ritchey–Chretien design with micro-channel plate intensified charged-coupled device detectors that record the arrival time of individual photons and provide sub-arcsecond positioning of sources. We discuss some of the science to be pursued by the UVOT and the overall design of the instrument.

https://swift.gsfc.nasa.gov/results/publist/Roming_SSR_120_95_2005.pdf

The Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope

We present and discuss new determinations of metallicity, rotation, age, kinematics, and Galactic orbits for a com- plete, magnitude-limited, and kinematically unbiased sample of 16 682 nearby F and G dwarf stars. Our ∼63 000 new, accurate radial-velocity observations for nearly 13 500 stars allow identification of most of the binary stars in the sample and, together with published uvbyβ photometry, Hipparcos parallaxes, Tycho-2 proper motions, and a few earlier radial velocities, complete the kinematic information for 14 139 stars. These high-quality velocity data are supplemented by effective temperatures and metallicities newly derived from recent and/or revised calibrations. The remaining stars either lack Hipparcos data or have fast rotation. Am ajor effort has been devoted to the determination of new isochrone ages for all stars for which this is possible. Particular attention has been given to a realistic treatment of statistical biases and error estimates, as standard techniques tend to under- estimate these effects and introduce spurious features in the age distributions. Our ages agree well with those by Edvardsson et al. (1993), despite several astrophysical and computational improvements since then. We demonstrate, however, how strong observational and theoretical biases cause the distribution of the observed ages to be very different from that of the true age distribution of the sample. Among the many basic relations of the Galactic disk that can be reinvestigated from the data presented here, we revisit the metallicity distribution of the G dwarfs and the age-metallicity, age-velocity, and metallicity-velocity relations of the Solar neighbourhood. Our first results confirm the lack of metal-poor G dwarfs relative to closed-box model predictions (the "G dwarf problem"), the existence of radial metallicity gradients in the disk, the small change in mean metallicity of the thin disk since its formation and the substantial scatter in metallicity at all ages, and the continuing kinematic heating of the thin disk with an efficiency consistent with that expected for a combination of spiral arms and giant molecular clouds. Distinct features in the distribution of the V component of the space motion are extended in age and metallicity, corresponding to the effects of stochas- tic spiral waves rather than classical moving groups, and may complicate the identification of thick-disk stars from kinematic criteria. More advanced analyses of this rich material will require careful simulations of the selection criteria for the sample and the distribution of observational errors.

/pdf/the-geneva-copenhagen-survey-of-the-solar-neighbourhood-ages-xdt2chbt8c.pdf

The Geneva-Copenhagen survey of the Solar neighbourhood - Ages, metallicities, and kinematic properties of ~14 000 F and G dwarfs

Part I. Astronomical Background: 1. High energy astrophysics - an introduction 2. The stars and stellar evolution 3. The galaxies 4. Clusters of galaxies Part II. Physical Processes: 5. Ionisation losses 6. Radiation of accelerated charged particles and bremsstrahlung of electrons 7. The dynamics of charged particles in magnetic fields 8. Synchrotron radiation 9. Interactions of high energy photons 10. Nuclear interactions 11. Aspects of plasma physics and magnetohydrodynamics Part III. High Energy Astrophysics in our Galaxy: 12. Interstellar gas and magnetic fields 13. Dead stars 14. Accretion power in astrophysics 15. Cosmic rays 16. The origin of cosmic rays in our galaxy 17. The acceleration of high energy particles Part IV. Extragalactic High Energy Astrophysics: 18. Active galaxies 19. Black holes in the nuclei of galaxies 20. The vicinity of the black hole 21. Extragalactic radio sources 22. Compact extragalactic sources and superluminal motions 23. Cosmological aspects of high energy astrophysics Appendix References Index.

High Energy Astrophysics

The Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS), maintained by the US Naval Observatory, is the world's principal database of astrometric double and multiple star information. The WDS contains positions (J2000), discoverer designations, epochs, position angles, separations, magnitudes, spectral types, proper motions, and, when available, Durchmusterung numbers and notes for the components of 84,486 systems based on 563,326 means. The current version, available on-line, is updated nightly. This catalog is one of four USNO double star catalogs to be included on a new CD-ROM. A brief summary and statistical analysis of the contents of the catalog are presented.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/323920/pdf

The 2001 US Naval Observatory Double Star CD-ROM. I. The Washington Double Star Catalog

This review discusses the current status of supermassive black hole research, as seen from a purely observational standpoint Since the early ‘90s, rapid technological advances, most notably the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the commissioning of the VLBA and improvements in near-infrared speckle imaging techniques, have not only given us incontrovertible proof of the existence of supermassive black holes, but have unveiled fundamental connections between the mass of the central singularity and the global properties of the host galaxy It is thanks to these observations that we are now, for the first time, in a position to understand the origin, evolution and cosmic relevance of these fascinating objects

Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei: Past, Present and Future Research

The Bright Star Catalogue

Catalogue of Bright Stars

Light Variations in the Superluminous Radio Galaxy 3C273

Light Variability and Nature of 3C273.

The life of Dr. Dorrit Hoffleit—world-renowned astronomer, expert on variable stars, astrometry, and the history of astronomy—is a story of hardships endured, difficulties surmounted, lessons learned, goals met, and successes attained. She has spent a lifetime at work with some of the greatest astronomers of the 20th century, and has inspired new generations of young astronomers. (2002, hardcover, 179 pages, illustrated)

Dorrit Hoffleit

Papers

The Bright Star Catalogue

Catalogue of Bright Stars

Light Variations in the Superluminous Radio Galaxy 3C273

Light Variability and Nature of 3C273.

Misfortunes as blessings in disguise: The story of my life