Aims: Recent work has shown that major mergers of disc galaxies can only account for 20% of the growth of the galaxy red sequence between z = 1 and z = 0. Our goal here is to provide merger frequencies that encompass both major and minor mergers, derived from close pair statistics. We aim to show that reliable close pair statistics can be derived

We use the Spitzer Wide-area InfraRed Extragalactic Legacy Survey (SWIRE) to explore the specific star formation activity of galaxies and their evolution near the peak of the cosmic far-infrared (FIR) background at 70 and 160 μm. We use a stacking analysis to determine the mean FIR properties of well-defined subsets of galaxies at flux levels well

We present the results of long-slit spectroscopy in several slit positions that cover different morphological structures of the central parts of three bright Galactic HII regions: M8, M17 and NGC 7635. We study the spatial distributions of a large number of nebular parameters, such as the extinction coefficient, line fluxes, physical conditions and

Seeing measurements are crucial for the optimum design of (multi-conjugate) adaptive optics systems operating at solar telescopes. For the design study of the 4-meter European Solar Telescope, to be located in the Canary Islands, several instruments have been constructed and operated, at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (La Palma) and at

In the astrophysical context of the search for Earth-like extrasolar planets, an important research effort has been done for the realization of single-mode integrated optics devices for mid-infrared space-based interferometry. Preparatory projects like FKSI [3], where rejection of high order modes is required to a level better than 40dB, will need

The European Solar Telescope (EST) is a European collaborative project to build a 4m class solar telescope in the Canary Islands, which is now in its design study phase. The telescope will provide diffraction limited performance for several instruments observing simultaneously at the Coudé focus at different wavelengths. A multi-conjugated adaptive