The mid-infrared range contains many spectral features associated with large molecules and dust grains such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and silicates. These are usually very strong compared to fine-structure gas lines, and thus valuable in studying the spectral properties of faint distant galaxies. In this paper, we evaluate the capability

Aims: We analyze a set of full Stokes profile observations of the flaring active region NOAA 10808. The region was recorded with the Vector-Spectromagnetograph of the Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun facility. The active region produced several successive X-class flares between 19:00 UT and 24:00 UT on September 13, 2005 and we

Context. Asymmetries in atomic hydrogen (HI) in galaxies are often caused by the interaction with close companions, making isolated galaxies an ideal framework to study secular evolution. The AMIGA project has demonstrated that isolated galaxies show the lowest level of asymmetry in their HI integrated profiles compared to even field galaxies, yet

The peculiar low-mass X-ray binary XSS J12270-4859, associated with the Fermi/LAT source 2FGL J1227.7-4853, was in an X-ray, gamma-ray and optical low-luminosity persistent state for about a decade until the end of 2012, when it entered into the dimmest state ever observed. The nature of the compact object has been controversial until the detection

Aims: The fine-structure of the magnetic field in a sunspot penumbra in the upper chromosphere is to be explored and compared to that in the photosphere. Methods: Spectropolarimetric observations with high spatial resolution were recorded with the 1.5-m GREGOR telescope using the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS). The observed spectral domain

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory has performed a third science run with much improved sensitivities of all three interferometers. We present an analysis of approximately 200 hours of data acquired during this run, used to search for a stochastic background of gravitational radiation. We place upper bounds on the energy