FLAMES Science Verification

FLAMES Science Verification observations successfully took place on 24 Jan 24 - 3 Feb, 2003. More than 5200 spectra have been collected!

News

May 1, 2003: The few remaining frames (taken after the official FLAMES SV run) have now been released.

 


Programs selected for FLAMES Science Verification

 


Useful Links

Documents and Tools

Preparing FLAMES SV Observations

  • invalid link: /sci/activities/vltsv/flamessv/protect/FLAMES-OB-howto.txtInstructions for FLAMES SV Phase2
    Only accessible to SV Team members.
  • invalid link: /sci/activities/vltsv/flamessv/protect/forFLAMESsv.Jan03.tar.gzFLAMES Instrument Package and Software

Important Notice (Feb 2003): All FLAMES users (including members of the FLAMES SV Team) should carefully follow FLAMES-related instructions provided on the Phase2 Proposal Preparation web page. Both software tools and user-manuals have been revised for Period 71 observations.

Phase2 material submitted for FLAMES Observations

FLAMES SV Daily Updates from Kueyen

FLAMES SV Meetings and Teams

 


FLAMES Science Verification Summary - Programs are grouped by main target

LMC - RA=05:12:14.8 DEC=-71:13:44

The Chemical Signature of Different Stellar Populations in the LMC  [Summary]

Objective: To derive details of the chemical enrichment of the LMC by determining accurate abundances of different stellar populations: RGB, Clump and LPV stars.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/Medusa  HR14,HR13, HR10  combined with  UVES R580 and/or R860
  • Exposure Time:  19.5h total  (7.5h for HR14,  6h for HR13,  6h for HR10) + 1h for UVES
  • S/N to be Achieved: RGB stars: 40-50/pix; Clump stars: 20/px; LPVs with UVES: 20/res
  • Conditions: seeing 1.0"
  • Coordinators: V. Hill, F. Primas, M. Romaniello, M-R. Cioni

CENTAURUS A (NGC 5128) - RA=13:25:28 DEC=-43:01:06

Massive Kinematic Study of NGC 5128 using its planetary nebulae and globular clusters as test probes[ Summary]

Objective: To obtain the velocity of all catalogued PNe (785, cf Hui et al. 1993), at a wavelength accuracy <10km/s using the brightest line, [O III] 5007A. This will allow the systemic velocity of each PN to be determined and will become the final data-set for mass modelling of the only large elliptical galaxy for which this massive study can be attempted. Catalogued globular clusters will also be included in each field for comparison with their kinematics and for determination of metallicity.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/Medusa, LR03 + UVES R580
  • Exposure Time: 12h total (2 hrs per field, 6 fields)
  • S/N to be Achieved: > 8 in emission line for PN; 25-50 (depending on source brightness) for GCs
  • Conditions : seeing 1'' or less, CLEAR
  • Coordinator: J. R. Walsh, M. Rejkuba

 

Dynamical study of HST resolved Globular Clusters in NGC 5128

Objective: To determine the internal velocity dispersion in each of the HST resolved globular clusters, with some spatial kinematical information in the brightest ones, from high-resolution spectra at SNR ranging from 20 to 5 and low resolution with SNR 50 to 14. Using the existing surface brightness profiles, we derive the Mass/Luminosity ratios. One or two bundles could be devoted to fainter objects in order to check the possibility to extend such observation to closest clusters of galaxies.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/IFU HR12, LR5
  • Exposure Time: 6000s in both setups
  • S/N to be Achieved: 5-20 at HR, 14-50 at LR
  • Conditions :
  • Coordinator: A. Blecha

NGC 2808 - RA=09:12:02.6 DEC=-64:51:47

Mass Loss in Globular ClusterRed Giant Stars [Summary]

Objective: To test mass outflow, hence mass loss scenarios, by measuring shifts of the main diagnostic (CaII-K3, NaD and H-alpha core line profiles) in ~100 brightest red giant stars down from the RGB tip in NGC 2808.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/Medusa HR02, HR12, HR14 + UVES R580
  • Exposure Time: 4h
  • S/N to be Achieved: 30 on CaII (cont.); 50 on NaD and H-alpha lines
  • Conditions: seeing = 0.8" , CLEAR, grey
  • Coordinator: C. Cacciari, A. Bragaglia

 

Geometric Distances of the Galactic Globular Cluster NGC 2808 [Summary]

Objective: to determine the geometric distance of the cluster via the comparison of proper motions and radial velocities to be measured for ~1000 stars (such distance is expected to be derived to the 2-3% level of accuracy, i.e. it will allow deriving an age with an error less than 1Gyr) and to investigate whether the peculiar morphology of its HB is due to the age (NGC2808 is a classical second parameter cluster)

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE /Medusa, HR09, HR05 + UVES R520
  • Exposure Time: 6h
  • S/N to be Achieved: 10
  • Conditions: seeing 0.8", CLEAR, grey (seeing up to 1.3" still acceptable)
  • Coordinator: M. Zoccali, G. Piotto

NGC 2243 - RA=06:29:48.0 DEC=-31:17:00

 

Elemental Abundance in NGC 2243 [Summary]

Objective: to derive Fe and other elemental abundances for subgiant stars and membership information for turnoff stars (this cluster has the same metallicity of 47 Tuc, but formed 10-12 Gyr later)

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE Medusa, HR14, HR15
  • Exposure time: 4h (2h per setting)
  • S/N to be Achieved: 30
  • Conditions: 0.8" seeing
  • Coordinator: L. Pasquini

MS 1054-03 - RA=10:57:00.2 DEC=-03:37:27

 

Kinematics of Distant Galaxies from FLAMES-GIRAFFE IFU Mode [Summary]

Objective: to derive, from spatially resolved-spectroscopy and HST images, velocity fields and rotation curves for galaxies with emission lines between redshift of 0.4 and 0.9; to kinematically map merging systems in order to quantify the number of perturbed galaxies and the merging rate; to complement the study of the mass and M/L functions by studying the evolution of the Tully-Fisher relation

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/IFU, LR06 + UVES R860
  • Exposure Time: 12h total (12 x 1h)
  • S/N to be Achieved: 3 on the continuum in one fibre with maximum signal for a galaxy at R=21.5
  • Conditions: seeing<=0.6", CLEAR, dark (0.8", THIN, dark still acceptable)
  • Coordinator: V. Cayatte

NGC 1310 (ESO 357-G19) - RA=03:21:03.5 DEC=-37:06:07

 

Dark and Stellar Mass in Late-Type Dwarfs [Summary]

Objective: to make a direct measure of the product between the stellar mass-to-light ratio and of the thickness of the disk from the stellar vertical velocity dispersion (i.e. the line-of-sight dispersion of a face-on late-type dwarf). 5 IFUs to be allocated at a radius of 1 scale length and 10 at a radius of 2 scale lengths. Selection of target is based on: late type, close to face-on, and not barred. It is less massive than the Milky Way, so a velocity resolution of the order of 10-20 km/s is needed.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/IFU (0.52"/microlens), LR4
  • Exposure time: 5h total
  • S/N to be Achieved: 10 - 20
  • Conditions: seeing irrelevant, CLEAR, dark
  • Coordinator: N. Cretton

Orion - RA=05:35:17.0 DEC=-05:23:28

 

Probing Activity and Angular Momentum Evolution of low-mass members of Orion Nebular Cluster [Summary]

Objective: To determine the Vsini distribution for a large number (120) of low-mass stars in the ONC in order to properly study the early angular momentum evolution of low-mass stars. The Vsini, combined with already available rotational periods, will also yield the minimum radius and possibly the radii distribution, hence an independent measure of this population age.

  • Observing Mode: GIRAFFE/Medusa, HR14, HR15
  • Exposure Time: 10h total
  • S/N to be Achieved: ~15-40 (HR14) and 20-60 (HR15) depending on magnitude of target
  • Conditions: seeing<=1.2", airmass<=1.4
  • Coordinator: C. Melo

NGC 3585 - RA=11:13:17.0 DEC=-26:45:20

 

Dynamical Study of Elliptical Galaxies

Objective: To accurately determine the velocity dispersion and infer some constraint on the Ellipsoid of velocity dispersions in the central part of the galaxy. The set of high resolution IFUobservations will also permit to evaluate the accuracy of low S/N observations (single spectrum) compared to che co-added spectra results.

  • Observing Mode : GIRAFFE/IFU, HR12, L5
  • Exposure time: 18000s (9000s per setup)
  • S/N to be Achieved:
  • Conditions: dark time, seeing irrelevant
  • Coordinator: D. Pfenniger, A. Blecha