We present predictions for the spatial distribution of 21 cm brightness temperature fluctuations from high-dynamic-range simulations for AGN-dominated reionization histories that have been tested against available Lyα and CMB data. We model AGN by extrapolating the observed Mbh–σ relation to high redshifts and assign them ionizing emissivities consistent with recent UV luminosity function measurements. AGN-dominated reionization histories increase the variance of the 21 cm emission by a factor of up to ten compared to similar reionization histories dominated by faint galaxies, to values close to 100 mK2 at scales accessible to experiments (k ≲ 1 cMpc−1h). This is lower than the sensitivity reached by ongoing experiments by only a factor of about two or less. AGN dominated reionization should be easily detectable by LOFAR (and later HERA and SKA1) at their design sensitivity.

We report a significant hardening of the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray spectrum from the core of Cen A at E > 2.4 GeV, suggesting there is a source of high energy particles in the core of Cen A which is in addition to the jet component. We show that the observed gamma-ray spectrum is compatible with either a spike in the dark matter halo profile or a population of millisecond pulsars. This work gives a strong indication of new gamma-ray production mechanisms in active galactic nuclei and could even provide evidence for the clustering of heavy dark matter particles around black holes.

We discuss the mechanism of cluster formation in hierarchically collapsing molecular clouds. Recent evidence, both observational and numerical, suggests that molecular clouds (MCs) may be undergoing global, hierarchical gravitational collapse. The “hierarchical” regime consists of small-scale collapses within larger-scale ones. The latter implies that the star formation rate increases systematically during the early stages of evolution, and occurs via filamentary flows onto “hubs” of higher density, mass, and velocity dispersion, and culminates a few Myr after than the small-scale collapses have started to form stars. In turn, the small-scale collapses occur in clumps embedded in the filaments, and are themselves falling into the larger potential well of the still-ongoing large-scale collapse. The stars formed in the early, small-scale collapses share the infall motion of their parent clumps towards the larger potential trough, so that the filaments feed both gaseous and stellar material to the hubs. This leads to the presence of older stars in a region where new protostars are still forming, to a scale-free or fractal structure of the clusters, in which each unit is composed of smaller-scale ones, and to the eventual merging of the subunits, explaining the observed structural features of open clusters.

Upcoming HI surveys will deliver such large datasets that automated processing using the full 3-D information to find and characterize HI objects is unavoidable. Full 3-D visualization is an essential tool for enabling qualitative and quantitative inspection and analysis of the 3-D data, which is often complex in nature. Here we present SlicerAstro, an open-source extension of 3DSlicer, a multi-platform open source software package for visualization and medical image processing, which we developed for the inspection and analysis of HI spectral line data. We describe its initial capabilities, including 3-D filtering, 3-D selection and comparative modelling.

There is now evidence that some aspects of compact star cluster formation and destruction are quasi-universal in nature, and some aspects depend on environment. But what do we mean by these terms, environmental and universal? Is one the dominant influence? How can things be both universal and environmentally dependent? In this contribution we first provide a brief historical overview, then examine evidence for both universality and environmental dependences, and finish by examining a new approach that both demonstrates the degree to which cluster mass functions are universal (i.e., to a level of roughly 0.2 in the Log over three orders of magnitude when normalizing by the star formation rate), and enables a method for quantifying 2nd-order environmental effects.

Radio survey datasets comprise an increasing number of individual observations stored as sets of multidimensional data. In large survey projects, astronomers commonly face limitations regarding: 1) interactive visual analytics of sufficiently large subsets of data; 2) synchronous and asynchronous collaboration; and 3) documentation of the discovery workflow. To support collaborative data inquiry, we present encube, a large-scale comparative visual analytics framework. encube can utilise advanced visualization environments such as the CAVE2 (a hybrid 2D and 3D virtual reality environment powered with a 100 Tflop/s GPU-based supercomputer and 84 million pixels) for collaborative analysis of large subsets of data from radio surveys. It can also run on standard desktops, providing a capable visual analytics experience across the display ecology. encube is composed of four primary units enabling compute-intensive processing, advanced visualisation, dynamic interaction, parallel data query, along with data management. Its modularity will make it simple to incorporate astronomical analysis packages and Virtual Observatory capabilities developed within our community. We discuss how encube builds a bridge between high-end display systems (such as CAVE2) and the classical desktop, preserving all traces of the work completed on either platform – allowing the research process to continue wherever you are.

G326.3-1.8 (also known as MSH 15-56) has been detected in radio as a middle-aged composite supernova remnant (SNR) consisting of a SNR shell and a pulsar wind nebula (PWN) which has been crushed by the reverse shock. With the recent Fermi-LAT data release Pass 8 providing increased acceptance and angular resolution, we investigate the morphology of this SNR to disentangle the PWN from the SNR contributions and understand the nature of the γ-ray emission. We thus perform a morphological and spectral analysis from 300 MeV to 300 GeV which highlights the contributions from these two components. The simplest interpretation is hadronic emission from the SNR and harder leptonic emission from the PWN.

Characterizing the properties and the evolution of the first stars and galaxies is a challenging task for traditional galaxy surveys since they are sensitivity limited and can only detect the brightest light sources. Three-dimensional intensity mapping (IM) of transition lines can be a valuable alternative to study the high redshift Universe given that this technique avoids sensitivity limitation problems by measuring the overall emission of a line, with a low resolution, without resolving its sources. While 21cm line IM surveys probe neutral hydrogen gas and can, therefore, be used to probe the state of the IGM and the evolution of the ionization field during the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). IM surveys of other lines, such as CO, CII, Ly-alpha or H-alpha, can be used to probe the galaxies which emitted most of the ionizing radiation responsible for the EoR. These lines will trace the different ISM gas phases, the excitation state of this gas, its metallicity, etc. This study addresses IM of multiple transition lines and how it can be used to probe the EoR and to constrain the redshift evolution of galaxy properties.

This paper starts with a brief historical review about the PNLF and its use as a distance indicator. Then the PNLF distances are compared with Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) distances and Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances. A Monte Carlo method to generate simulated PNLFs is described, leading to the last subject: recent progress in reproducing the expected maximum final mass in old stellar populations, a stellar astrophysics enigma that has been challenging us for quite some time.

Observations of star-forming galaxies in the distant Universe (z > 2) are starting to confirm the importance of massive stars in shaping galaxy emission and evolution. Inevitably, these distant stellar populations are unresolved, and the limited data available must be interpreted in the context of stellar population synthesis models. With the imminent launch of JWST and the prospect of spectral observations of galaxies within a gigayear of the Big Bang, the uncertainties in modelling of massive stars are becoming increasingly important to our interpretation of the high redshift Universe. In turn, these observations of distant stellar populations will provide ever stronger tests against which to gauge the success of, and flaws in, current massive star models.

Soon after the discovery of hot Jupiters, it was suspected that interaction of these massive bodies with their host stars could give rise to observable signals. We discuss the observational evidence for star-planet interactions (SPI) of tidal and magnetic origin observed in X-rays. Hot Jupiters can significantly impact the activity of their host stars through tidal and magnetic interaction, leading to either increased or decreased stellar activity – depending on the internal structure of the host star and the properties of the hosted planet. We provide several examples of these interactions. In HD 189733, the strongest X-ray flares are preferentially seen in a very restricted range of planetary phases. Hot Jupiters, can also obscure the X-ray signal during planetary transits. Observations of this phenomena have led to the discovery of a thin upper atmospheres in HD 189733A. On the other hand, WASP-18 – an F6 star with a massive hot Jupiter, shows no signs of activity in X-rays or UV. Several age indicators (isochrone fitting, Li abundance) point to a young age (~0.5 – −1.0 Gyr) and thus significant activity was expected. In this system, tidal SPI between the star and the very close-in and massive planet appears to disrupt the surface shear layer and thus nullify the stellar activity.

We use the TGAS proper motions and parallaxes as well as published and new radial velocities to study the dynamics of nearby moving groups. In particular we try to determine their age using backtracing of the individual members to a common origin. We find that the current data, probably the radial velocities, do not allow to reach a successful conclusion.

In 2014, a 179-orbit allocation of Hubble Space Telescope time anchored a massive reverberation-mapping program on the well-studied Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. Supporting imaging and spectrophotometric observations were provided by Swift, Chandra, Spitzer, and a world-wide network of ground-based telescopes. Understanding the data remains a significant challenge, partly because the level of detail is far beyond what has been seen before and partly because the behavior of the AGN was not typical of its past behavior. Based on analysis to date, the following conclusions can be reached: (1) the AGN accretion disk has a temperature profile that is consistent with that predicted by the Shakura–Sunyaev model, but is about three times larger than expected; (2) at least part of the broad-line region appears to be a Keplerian disk seen at intermediate inclination, and (3) the broad-line emission response from the far side of the disk is weaker than expected.

It is hypothesized that some young supernovae might have the correct properties to accelerate cosmic rays, which in turn might generate gamma-ray emission by-products. We search for gamma-ray excesses towards supernovae in nearby galaxies which were serendipitously within the field of view of the HESS telescopes within a year of the supernova event. HESS cherenkov air-shower data collected between December 2003 and March 2015 were considered and compared to recent catalogs. Nine candidate supernovae were identified and analysed. No significant emission from these supernovae has been found, and upper limits for their very high energy emission are reported.

This paper presents the VESPA (Virtual European Solar and Planetary Access) activity, developed in the context of the Europlanet 2020 Horizon project, aimed at providing tools for analysis and visualization of planetary data provided by space missions. In particular, the activity is focused on minor bodies of the Solar System.The structure of the computation node, the algorithms developed for analysis of planetary surfaces and cometary comae and the tools for data visualization are presented.

The double distance and metallicity frontier marked by the SMC has been finally broken with the aid of powerful multi-object spectrographs installed at 8-10m class telescopes. VLT, GTC and Keck have enabled studies of massive stars in dwarf irregular galaxies of the Local Group with poorer metal-content than the SMC. The community is working to test the predictions of evolutionary models in the low-metallicity regime, set the new standard for the metal-poor high-redshift Universe, and test the extrapolation of the physics of massive stars to environments of decreasing metallicity. In this paper, we review current knowledge on this topic.

RCW 38 is the youngest super star cluster in the Galaxy and is located at a distance of 1.7 kpc. Molecular observations revealed that the cluster is associated with two molecular clouds having velocity difference of 12 km s−1. We interpret that the two clouds are colliding with each other and the collision triggered the cluster formation. The natal molecular gas still survives within ~ 0.5 pc of the central O stars which have an age of 0.1 Myrs as inferred from the collision morphology. We suggest that the high column density of one of the clouds 1023 cm−2 enabled formation of ~ 20 O stars in the cluster center and discuss the implications on massive cluster formation.

About three years after Gaia was set into orbit, the first release of Gaia data, DR1, has been published by ESA and DPAC. Gaia’s first archive contains the results from the analysis of the initial 14 months of mission data. Outstandingly, it includes TGAS, Gaia-Tycho2 astrometric solution for about 2 million stars up to visible magnitude around 11.5.

In addition to the five parameter astrometric solution for the sky (positions, parallaxes and proper motions), future Gaia data releases will provide the spectral energy distributions from 330-1050 nm, together with radial velocities, for sources brighter than visible magnitude 16. Within this context, the relevance of Gaia data for the study of PN is be briefly presented.

About 100 AGNs have their black hole mass measured directly using the reverberation mapping technique over the past few decades. By now we have high enough numbers to explore unique subsamples within these objects and to study phenomena across variety of AGNs. I will review recent reverberation mapping studies which focus on high-redshift high-luminosity AGNs and on AGNs with super-Eddington accreting massive black holes. These studies enable to investigate the BLR size, mass, and luminosity relations in different subsamples of AGNs and to check whether there are differences in these relations in different types of AGNs. In particular I will discuss the following questions: Is the BLR size - luminosity relation the same over the whole AGNs luminosity range? Are there different relations for different types of AGNs? What are these studies teaching us about theory of accretion into black holes in AGNs?

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will observe the rest-frame ultraviolet/optical spectra of galaxies from the epoch of reionization (EoR) in unprecedented detail. While escaping into the intergalactic medium, hydrogen-ionizing (Lyman continuum; LyC) photons from the galaxies will contribute to the bluer end of the UV slope and make nebular emission lines less prominent. We present a method to constrain leakage of the LyC photons using the spectra of high redshift (z ≳ 6) galaxies. We simulate JWST/NIRSpec observations of galaxies at z =6–9 by matching the fluxes of galaxies observed in the Frontier Fields observations of galaxy cluster MACS-J0416. Our method predicts the escape fraction fesc with a mean absolute error Δfesc ≈ 0.14. The method also predicts the redshifts of the galaxies with an error $\left\langle \frac{\Delta z}{(1+z)}\right\rangle \approx 0.0003$.