Abstract:

SCORPIO, the new Gen4\#3 facility instrument for the Gemini South telescope, will provide imaging and spectroscopy in eight wavelength bands simultaneously from 0.4 to 2.2 microns. SCORPIO will be extremely versatile in addressing fore$-$front science cases ranging from Solar System studies to extragalactic astrophysics and will play a leading role in Gemini follow$-$up of time$-$domain events triggered by large$-$scale surveys. The instrument is currently in its Assembly, Integration and Verification phase and is expected to be commissioned at Cerro Pachon during semester 2025A and offered to the Gemini user community starting in 2025B. In this talk, I$^\prime$ll be reviewing SCORPIO$^\prime$s history, motivation, and final design, describe the expected performance in the context of its driving science cases, and summarize how it will be integrated in the Gemini TDA projects and operations.

Abstract:

The LLAMA Observatory, in the Argentinian Andes at 4800m altitude, in the Salta province, is a project of Argentina and Brazil, which started in 2014 with an agreement between FAPESP ( research foundation of Sao Paulo State), University of São Paulo, and MinCyt ( Ministry of Science and technology of Argentina. The expenses will be equally shared. The 12m diameter antenna was constructed by VERTEX Antennentechnik GmbH (Duisburg, Germany). The surface precision of the dish will reach 15 microns r.m.s. deviations from an ideal parabola, after a period of fine adjustments. The antenna will perform observations at mm and sub-mm radio waves, like the international ALMA interferometer. The LLAMA antenna will be equipped with two lateral Nasmith cabins, similarly to the APEX antenna. Initially, we will work with receivers band 5, band 6 and band 9 (band names of the ALMA observatory), constructed at NOVA Labs (University of Groningen, Holland). Brazil contributed to the acquisition of receivers and construction of sub-systems , like the optomechanical system to be installed inside the Nasmith and Cassegrain cabins, the cryogenics, and cryostat,where the receivers will be installed. and a system for holography. The mounting of the antenna, which was slow in last years is going quite rapidly now, after Mincyt attributed to INVAP, a strong engineering and technological company, the task of mounting. It is predicted that the mounting will be concluded in March 2024, and the first light will happen 2 years later. The main scientific uses will be in the following areas: Galaxy Formation in the Early Universe; Astrochemistry: molecular evolution of interstellar clouds; Identification of unknown lines; Extra-solar planets and proto-planetary disks; polarimetry of radio sources and of the Interstellar Medium; Solar Physics (few antennas at this frequency can be pointed towards the Sun, like LLAMA).

Abstract:

Inspired by similar efforts in Asia, Australia and Africa, we have undertaken an effort in Mexico to convert a retired telecommunications antenna into a radio telescope. The Tulancingo-1 antenna is a 32-meter parabolic dish, located at the Tulancingo Earth Station in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. When fully operational, we anticipate an operational frequency range of 1 to 15 GHz, and possibly as high as 23 GHz. Here, we describe the current state of the conversion project, mention several of the many potential science applications of the telescope, and extrapolate our experience to what might be achieved by a Latin American network of radio telescopes, based on similarly converted antennas.

Abstract:

The VVVX survey (VVV extended) have been monitoring the Galactic bulge and southern disk in the near-IR using the VISTA telescope at ESO Paranal Observatory for a dozen years. We have carried out massive searches for variable stars, resulting in the discovery of many many thousands of variable sources of all kinds (eclipsing binaries, RR Lyrae, Miras/LPVs, delta Scuti stars, classical Cepheids, type 2 Cepheids, novae, microlensing events, etc). Interestingly, some objects that defy classification have also been found within our database. These are called WIT objects (short for What Is This?). Upon closer inspection, in the end some of these WITs turn out to be observational glitches, or to fit into the previously known kinds of objects, but that are observed through extreme conditions like very high extinction. However, a few of them appear to be new astrophysical phenomena. I will discuss some specific cases of previously unclassified variable sources that have been discovered by the VVV near-IR survey. They a wide variety of extreme or rare astrophysical phenomena, including light echoes, eruptive YSOs, protostellar colissions, dusty novae, Tabby stars, eclipses by a dark disk, violently variable AGNs, etc. I will describe our searches and also the different follow-up observations that are needed to properly properly characterize these sources, and how to take into account serendipity in future surveys.