Context: The quiet Sun magnetic field probability density function (PDF) remains poorly known. Modeling this field also introduces a magnetic filling factor that is also poorly known. With these two quantities, PDF and filling factor, the statistical description of the quiet Sun magnetic field is complex and needs to be clarified. Aims: In the

We present new mid-infrared imaging data for three Type-1 Seyfert galaxies obtained with T-ReCS on the Gemini-South Telescope at subarcsecond resolution. Our aim is to enlarge the sample studied in a previous work to compare the properties of Type-1 and Type-2 Seyfert tori using clumpy torus models and a Bayesian approach to fit the infrared (IR)

We present near-to-mid-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for 21 Seyfert galaxies, using subarcsecond resolution imaging data. Our aim is to compare the properties Seyfert 1 (Sy1) and Seyfert 2 (Sy2) tori using clumpy torus models and a Bayesian approach to fit the infrared (IR) nuclear SEDs. These dusty tori have physical sizes smaller

The behavior of the observed polarization amplitudes with spatial resolution is a strong constraint on the nature and organization of solar magnetic fields below the resolution limit. We study the polarization of the very quiet Sun at different spatial resolutions using ground- and space-based observations. It is shown that 80% of the observed

We explore whether medium-resolution stellar spectra can be reconstructed from photometric observations, taking advantage of the highly compressible nature of the spectra. We formulate the spectral reconstruction as a least-squares problem with a sparsity constraint. In our test case using data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, only three

Sunspots are the most spectacular manifestation of solar magnetism, yet 99% of the solar surface remains "quiet" at any time of the solar cycle. The quiet sun is not void of magnetic fields, though; they are organized at smaller spatial scales and evolve relatively fast, which makes them difficult to detect. Thus, although extensive quiet Sun

Magnetic field topology, thermal structure, and plasma motions are the three main factors affecting the polarization signals used to understand our star. In this theoretical investigation, we focus on the effect that gradients in the macroscopic vertical velocity field have on the non-magnetic scattering polarization signals, establishing the basis

Double-peaked line profiles are commonly considered a hallmark of rotating discs, with the distance between the peaks a measure of the rotation velocity. However, double-peaks can arise also from radiative transfer effects in optically thick non-rotating sources. Utilizing exact solutions of the line transfer problem we present a detailed study of

Aims: We propose and explore a new diagnostic technique based upon the linear polarization emitted in Hanle-sensitive lines in disk-integrated stars where a dipolar magnetic field breaks the rotational symmetry of the resonance scattering polarization Methods: A star with a simple dipolar field and a 1-0 spectral line were used to compute

Determining the magnetic field related to solar spicules is vital for developing adequate models of these plasma jets, which are thought to play a key role in the thermal, dynamic, and magnetic structure of the chromosphere. Here we report on the magnetic properties of off-limb spicules in a very quiet region of the solar atmosphere, as inferred

Obtaining the magnetic properties of non-resolved structures in the solar photosphere is always challenging and problems arise because the inversion is carried out through the numerical minimization of a merit function that depends on the proposed model. We investigate the reliability of inversions in which the stray-light contamination is obtained

Inferring magnetic and thermodynamic information from spectropolarimetric observations relies on the assumption of a parameterized model atmosphere whose parameters are tuned by comparison with observations. Often, the choice of the underlying atmospheric model is based on subjective reasons. In other cases, complex models are chosen based on

Context. Full Stokes filter-polarimeters are key instruments for investigating the rapid evolution of magnetic structures on the solar surface. To this end, the image quality is routinely improved using a-posteriori image reconstruction methods. Aims: We analyze the robustness of circular polarization asymmetries to phase-diversity image

Context. The image degradation produced by atmospheric turbulence and optical aberrations is usually alleviated using post-facto image reconstruction techniques, even when observing with adaptive optics systems. Aims: These techniques rely on the development of the wavefront using Zernike functions and the non-linear optimization of a certain

We present TUNIS, a double-pass spectro-imager built in THEMIS as a proof-of-concept for EST. Basic concepts and selected first results are shown. We introduce the concept of a Hadamard spectral mask as a proposition to move forward from the present implementation of a single-wavelength per image pixel to a more general one of multiplexed spectral

Context. The orbital angular momentum (OAM) of the photon is a property of light from astronomical objects that has not yet been measured. We propose a method of measuring the OAM spectrum of light from an extended natural source, the Sun. Relating the OAM spectrum of different solar areas to its structures could lead to a novel remote sensing

We analyze two regions of the quiet Sun (35.6 × 35.6 Mm2) observed at high spatial resolution (lsim100 km) in polarized light by the IMaX spectropolarimeter on board the SUNRISE balloon. We identify 497 small-scale (~400 km) magnetic loops, appearing at an effective rate of 0.25 loop h -1 arcsec-2 further, we argue that this number and rate are

We demonstrate, through numerical simulations with real data, the feasibility of using compressive sensing techniques for the acquisition of spectro-polarimetric data. This allows us to combine the measurement and the compression process into one consistent framework. Signals are recovered using a sparse reconstruction scheme from projections of

This document discusses the possibility of using compressed sensing techniques for measuring 2D spectro-polarimetric information using only one etalon and a broad prefilter. Instead of using an etalon and an extremely narrow prefilter (with all the subsequent problems of alignment), the idea is to use multiplexing techniques to include in the

We report the clearest detection to date of dusty torus signatures in a weak-line radio galaxy (WLRG). The deep Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS) rest-frame mid-infrared (MIR) spectrum of the WLRG PKS 0043-42 (z= 0.116) shows a clear spectral turnover at λ≳ 20 μs suggestive of warm dust, as well as a 9.7-μm silicate absorption feature. In