Person:
Castillo Morales, María África

First Name

María África

Last Name

Castillo Morales

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/75082

Affiliation

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Faculty / Institute

Ciencias Físicas

Department

Física de la Tierra y Astrofísica

Area

Astronomía y Astrofísica

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 29

MEGARA: the future IFU and MOS of the 10.4 M GTC
(Revista Mexicana de astronomía y astrofísica, 2013) Gil De Paz, Armando; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Castillo Morales, María África; Eliche Moral, María del Carmen; Marino, Raffaella Anna; Pascual Ramírez, Sergio; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Pérez González, Pablo Guillermo; ... otros
In these proceedings we summarize the characteristics and current status of MEGARA, the future optical IFU and MOS for the 10.4 m GTC. MEGARA is being built by a Consortium led by the UCM (Spain) that also includes the INAOE (Mexico), the IAA-CSIC (Spain) and the UPM (Spain). The MEGARA IFU offers two different bundles, one called LCB with a field-of-view of 14 x 12 arcsec^2 and a spaxel size of 0.685 arcsec yielding spectral resolutions between R=6000-19000 and another one called SCB covering 10 x 8 arcsec^2 with 0.48 arcsec spaxels and resolutions R=8000-25000. The MOS component allows observing up to 100 targets in 3.5x3.5 arcmin^2. In September 2010 MEGARA was selected as the next optical spectrograph for GTC. Its PDR is scheduled for March 2012 with First Light on 2015.
Project number: 244
Prácticas de observaciones astronómicas remotas con telescopios profesionales a través de internet
(2017) Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime; Cardiel López, Nicolás; Castillo Morales, María África; Cacho Martínez, Raúl; Tapia Ayuga, Carlos Eugenio; Pascual Ramírez, Sergio; Pedraz Marcos, Santos
Este proyecto se resume como un intento de implementar unas prácticas de laboratorio que permitan llevar a cabo observaciones astronómicas de calidad científica mediante el uso remoto a través de Internet de telescopios profesionales situados en un gran observatorio astronómico.
The ELT-MOS (MOSAIC): towards the construction phase
(Ground-based and airbone instrumentation for astronomy VII, 2018) Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Castillo Morales, María África
When combined with the huge collecting area of the ELT, MOSAIC will be the most effective and flexible Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) facility in the world, having both a high multiplex and a multi-Integral Field Unit (Multi-IFU) capability. It will be the fastest way to spectroscopically follow-up the faintest sources, probing the reionisation epoch, as well as evaluating the evolution of the dwarf mass function over most of the age of the Universe. MOSAIC will be world-leading in generating an inventory of both the dark matter (from realistic rotation curves with MOAO fed NIR IFUs) and the cool to warm-hot gas phases in z=3.5 galactic haloes (with visible wavelenth IFUs). Galactic archaeology and the first massive black holes are additional targets for which MOSAIC will also be revolutionary. MOAO and accurate sky subtraction with fibres have now been demonstrated on sky, removing all low Technical Readiness Level (TRL) items from the instrument. A prompt implementation of MOSAIC is feasible, and indeed could increase the robustness and reduce risk on the ELT, since it does not require diffraction limited adaptive optics performance. Science programmes and survey strategies are currently being investigated by the Consortium, which is also hoping to welcome a few new partners in the next two years.
Three-dimensional spectroscopy of local luminous compact blue galaxies: kinematic maps of a sample of 22 objects
(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2011) Pérez Gallego, J.; Guzmán, R.; Castillo Morales, María África; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Castander, F. J.; Garland, C. A.; Gruel, N.; Pisano, D. J.; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime
We use three-dimensional optical spectroscopy observations of a sample of 22 local luminous compact blue galaxies (LCBGs) to create kinematic maps. By means of these, we classify the kinematics of these galaxies into three different classes: rotating disc (RD), perturbed rotation (PR) and complex kinematics (CK). We find 48 per cent are RDs, 28 per cent are PRs and 24 per cent are CKs. RDs show rotational velocities that range between similar to 50 and similar to 200 km s(-1), and dynamical masses that range between similar to 1 x 10(9) and similar to 3 x 10(10) M(circle dot). We also address the following two fundamental questions through the study of the kinematic maps: (i) What processes are triggering the current starburst in LCBGs? We search our maps of the galaxy velocity fields for signatures of recent interactions and close companions that may be responsible for the enhanced star formation in our sample. We find that 5 per cent of objects show evidence of a recent major merger, 10 per cent of a minor merger and 45 per cent of a companion. This argues in favour of ongoing interactions with close companions as a mechanism for the enhanced star formation activity in these galaxies. (ii) What processes may eventually quench the current starbust in LCBGs? Velocity and velocity width maps, together with emission line ratio maps, can reveal signatures of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) activity or supernova (SN)-driven galactic winds that could halt the current burst. We find only 5 per cent of objects with clear evidence of AGN activity and 27 per cent with kinematics consistent with SN-driven galactic winds. Therefore, a different mechanism may be responsible for quenching the star formation in LCBGs. Finally, from our analysis, we find that the velocity widths of RDs, rather than accounting exclusively for the rotational nature of these objects, may account as well for other kinematic components and may not be good tracers of their dynamical masses.
3D spectroscopy of local luminous compact blue galaxies: kinematics of NGC 7673
(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2010) Pérez Gallego, J.; Guzmán, R.; Castillo Morales, María África; Castander, F. J.; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Garland, C. A.; Gruel, N.; Pisano, D. J.; Sánchez, S. F.; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime
The kinematic properties of the ionized gas of local luminous compact blue galaxy NGC 7673 are presented using three-dimensional data taken with the PPAK integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman. Our data reveal an asymmetric rotating velocity field with a peak-to-peak difference of 60 km s(-1). The kinematic centre is found to be at the position of a central velocity width maximum (sigma = 54 +/- 1 kms(-1)), which is consistent with the position of the luminosity-weighted centroid of the entire galaxy. The position angle of the minor rotation axis is 168 degrees as measured from the orientation of the velocity field contours. At least two decoupled kinematic components are found. The first one is compact and coincides with the position of the second most active star formation region (clump B). The second one is extended and does not have a clear optical counterpart. No evidence of active galactic nuclei activity or supernovae galactic winds powering any of these two components has been found. Our data, however, show evidence in support of a previously proposed minor merger scenario in which a dwarf galaxy, tentatively identified with clump B, is falling into NGC 7673 and triggers the starburst. Finally, it is shown that the dynamical mass of this galaxy may be severely underestimated when using the derived rotation curve or the integrated velocity width, under the assumption of virialization.
Integral field spectroscopy of local LCBGs: NGC 7673, a case study. Physical properties of star-forming regions
(Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2011) Castillo Morales, María África; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Pérez Gallego, J.; Guzmán, R.; Muñoz Mateos, J. C.; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime; Sánchez, S. F.
Physical properties of the star-forming regions in the local Luminous Compact Blue Galaxy (LCBG) NGC 7673 are studied in detail using 3D spectroscopic data taken with the PMAS fibre pack (PPAK) integral field unit at the 3.5-m telescope in the Centro Astronomico Hispano Aleman (CAHA). We derive integrated and spatially resolved properties such as extinction, star formation rate (SFR) and metallicity for this galaxy. Our data show an extinction map with maximum values located at the position of the main clumps of star formation showing small spatial variations [E(B - V)(t) = 0.12-0.21 mag]. We derive an H alpha-based SFR for this galaxy of 6.2 +/- 0.8M(circle dot) yr(-1) in agreement with the SFR derived from infrared and radio continuum fluxes. The star formation is located mainly in clumps A, B, C and F. Different properties measured in clump B make this region peculiar. We find the highest H alpha luminosity with an SFR surface density of 0.5 M-circle dot yr(-1) kpc(-2) in this clump. In our previous work, the kinematic analysis for this galaxy shows an asymmetrical ionized gas velocity field with a kinematic decoupled component located at the position of clump B. This region shows the absence of strong absorption features and the presence of a Wolf-Rayet stellar population indicating that this is a young burst of massive stars. Furthermore, we estimate a gas metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = 8.20 +/- 0.15 (0.32 solar) for the integrated galaxy using the R23 index. The values derived for the different clumps with this method show small metallicity variations in this galaxy, with values in the range 8.12 (for clump A) to 8.23 (for clump B) for 12 + log(O/H). The analysis of the emission-line ratios discards the presence of any active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity or shocks as the ionization source in this galaxy. Between the possible mechanisms to explain the starburst activity in this galaxy, our 3D spectroscopic data support the scenario of an on-going interaction with the possibility for clump B to be the dwarf satellite galaxy.
Integral field spectroscopy and multi-wavelength imaging of the nearby spiral galaxy ngc 5668*: an unusual flattening in metallicity gradient
(Astrophysical journal, 2012) Marino, Raffaella Anna; Castillo Morales, María África; Gil De Paz, Armando; Muñoz Mateos, J. C.; Sánchez, S. F.; Pérez González, Pablo Guillermo; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime; Alonso Herrero, A.; Boissier, S.
We present an analysis of the full bidimensional optical spectral cube of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5668, observed with the Pmas fiber PAcK Integral Field Unit (IFU) at the Calar Alto observatory 3.5 m telescope. We make use of broadband imaging to provide further constraints on the evolutionary history of the galaxy. This data set will allow us to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that drive the evolution of disks. We investigated the properties of 62 H II regions and concentric rings in NGC 5668 and derived maps in ionized-gas attenuation and chemical (oxygen) abundances. We find that while inward of r similar to 36 '' similar to 4.4 kpc similar to 0.36 (D-25/2) the derived O/H ratio follows the radial gradient typical of spiral galaxies, the abundance gradient beyond r similar to 36 '' flattens out. The analysis of the multi-wavelength surface brightness profiles of NGC 5668 is performed by fitting these profiles with those predicted by chemo-spectrophotometric evolutionary models of galaxy disks. From this, we infer a spin and circular velocity of lambda = 0.053 and nu(c) = 167 km s(-1), respectively. The metallicity gradient and rotation curve predicted by this best-fitting galaxy model nicely match the values derived from the IFU observations, especially within r similar to 36 ''. The same is true for the colors despite some small offsets and a reddening in the bluest colors beyond that radius. On the other hand, deviations of some of these properties in the outer disk indicate that a secondary mechanism, possibly gas transfer induced by the presence of a young bar, must have played a role in shaping the recent chemical and star formation histories of NGC 5668.
Integral field spectroscopy and multi-wavelength imaging of nearby spiral galaxies: NGC 5668 as a pilot case for MEGARA
(Fourth Science meeting with the GTC, 2013) Marino, Raffaella Anna; Castillo Morales, María África; Muñoz Mateos, J. C.; Sánchez, S. F.; Gil De Paz, Armando; Pérez González, Pablo Guillermo; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; Alonso Herrera, A.; Kannappan, S.; Boissier, S.; Eliche Moral, María del Carmen; García Vargas, M. L.; Carrasco, E.; Vílchez, J. M.; Sánchez Moreno, F. M.
MEGARA (Multi-Espectrógrafo en GTC de Alta Resolución para Astronomía) is an optical Integral-Field Unit (IFU) and Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) designed for the GTC 10.4 m telescope in La Palma. MEGARA will be a 3rd generation instrument for GTC. It is led by the University Complutense of Madrid with the collaboration of INAOE, IAA, UPM and comprises more than 50 researchers from a large number of institutions worldwide.
Making observations with GTC/MEGARA easier: the MEGARA observing preparation software suite
(Revista Mexicana de astronomía y astrofísica, 2013) Eliche Moral, María del Carmen; Pascual Ramírez, Sergio; Gruel, N.; Castillo Morales, María África; Carrasco, E.; Gallego Maestro, Jesús; García Vargas, M. L.; Gil De Paz, Armando; Marino, Raffaella Anna; Morales, I.; Pérez Calpena, A.; Sánchez, F. M.; Vílchez, J. M.; Villar, V.; Zamorano Calvo, Jaime
MEGARA (Multi-Espectrografo en GTC de Alta Resolucion para Astronomia) is an optical Integral-Field Unit (IFU) and Multi-Object Spectrograph (MOS) designed for the GTC 10.4 m telescope in La Palma. Its relatively complex layout makes necessary a set of tools to facilitate the observation preparation to the user. The MEGARA Observing Preparation Software Suite (MOPSS) consists on three software components designed to assist observers to optimally plan their observations with GTC/MEGARA: the Exposure Time Calculator, the Image Simulator, and the Fiber MOS Positioning tool. We describe these software tools and the status of their prototypes up to the date.
Delivery and integration of MEGARA at GTC: the process of going from laboratory to the telescope
(Proceedings of SPIE, 2018) Gil De Paz, Armando; Castillo Morales, María África; Sánchez Penim, Ainhoa; Verdet Paredes, Antonio; Pascual Ramírez, Sergio; Curto, Andrés; García, Oscar; Gallego Maestro, Jesús
MEGARA is an IFU & MOS medium-resolution spectrograph that finished its commissioning at the GTC 10m telescope on August 2017. MEGARA is a fiber-fed high-resolution spectrograph with two major units, Fiber-MOS & Spectrograph, that are now located at the Folded-Cass F and Nasmyth-A foci of GTC respectively. These are linked by more than 1200 fibers 44.5m-length split between two observing modes, the LCB (Integral Field Unit, IFU) and a Multi-Object (MOS) capability with 92 robotic positioners each one provided with a mini-bundle of 7 fibers. The spectrograph can accommodate 18 VPHs (11 of them can be simultaneously mounted) covering the visible wavelength range at Resolving Powers between R=6000-20000. This paper presents the sequence of tasks carried out after Laboratory Acceptance at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid to move the whole instrument to the GTC. A detailed day-to-day plan was followed to disassemble, pack, transport, reintegrate the full instrument at the GTC and to verify performance to ensure the instrument was ready for commissioning. The lessons learnt are relevant to other double-focus instruments being developed such as WEAVE@WHT or PFS@Subaru.