We obtain constraints on cosmological parameters from the spherically averaged redshift-space correlation function of the CMASS Data Release 9 (DR9) sample of the Baryonic Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). We combine this information with additional data from recent cosmic microwave background (CMB), supernova and baryon acoustic oscillation

We present an analysis of a high-resolution (R ˜ 50 000) optical spectrum of the central region of the protoplanetary nebula CRL 2688. This object is thought to have recently moved off the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and displays abundance patterns of CNO and heavy elements that can provide us with important clues to help us understand the

The Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope for Polarimetry (BLASTPol) is a suborbital mapping experiment designed to study the role played by magnetic fields in the star formation process. BLASTPol uses a total power instrument and an achromatic half-wave plate to modulate the polarization signal. During its first flight from

We report on the performances measured at room temperature, before and after a cryogenic cooling cycle, of a set of NIR Volume Phase Holographic Gratings (VPHGs) manufactured at the Miguel Hernández University (UMH, Elche, Spain) aimed at their use in astronomical instrumentations. VPHGs are novel optical components which can replace standard ruled

The Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre (OAJ) is a new astronomical facility located at the Sierra de Javalambre (Teruel, Spain) whose primary role will be to conduct all-sky astronomical surveys. The OAJ facility will have two wide-field telescopes: the JST/T250; a 2.55-m telescope with a 3° diameter field of view (FoV), and the JAST/T80; an 0

The radial profiles of the age, metallicity and α/Fe enhancement of the stellar populations in the bulge-dominated region for a sample of eight spiral galaxies with low surface-brightness stellar discs and bulges are presented. Almost all the sample bulges are characterised by young stellar populations, solar α/Fe enhancements and metallicities