Erik Brogt

Large‐scale H i in nearby radio galaxies – II. The nature of classical low‐power radio sources

An important aspect of solving the long-standing question as to what triggers various types of active galactic nuclei (AGN) involves a thorough understanding of the overall properties and formation history of their host galaxies. This is the second in a series of papers that systematically study the large-scale properties of cold neutral hydrogen (H 0 gas in nearby radio galaxies. The main goal is to investigate the importance of gas-rich galaxy mergers and interactions among radio-loud AGN. In this paper, we present results of a complete sample of classical low-power radio galaxies. We find that extended Fanaroff & Riley type-I radio sources are generally not associated with gas-rich galaxy mergers or ongoing violent interactions, but occur in early-type galaxies without large (greater than or similar to 10(8) M(circle dot)) amounts of extended neutral hydrogen gas. In contrast, enormous discs/rings of H I gas (with sizes up to 190 kpc and masses up to 2 x 10(10) M(circle dot)) are detected around the host galaxies of a significant fraction of the compact radio sources in our sample. This segregation in H I mass with radio-source size likely indicates that either these compact radio sources are confined by large amounts of gas in the central region or that their fuelling is inefficient and different from the fuelling process of classical FR I radio sources. To first order, the overall Hi properties of our complete sample (detection rate, mass and morphology) appear similar to those of radio-quiet early-type galaxies. If confirmed by better statistics, this would imply that low-power radio-AGN activity may be a short and recurrent phase that occurs at some point during the lifetime of many early-type galaxies.

Analysis of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test

Seventy undergraduate class sections were examined from the database of Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT) results of Deming and Hufnagel to determine if course format correlated with ADT normalized gain scores. Normalized gains were calculated for four different classroom scenarios: lecture, lecture with discussion, lecture with lab, and lecture with both lab and discussion. Statistical analysis shows that there are no significant differences in normalized gain among the self- reported classroom formats. Prerequisites related to mathematics courses did show differences in normalized gain. Of all reported course activities, only the lecture and the readings for the course correlate significantly with the normalized gain. This analysis suggests that the ADT may not have enough sensitivity to measure differences in the effectiveness of different course formats because of the wide range of topics that the ADT addresses with few questions. Different measures of gain and their biases are discussed. We argue that the use of the normalized gain is not always warranted because of its strong bias toward high pretest scores.

Automatic observation rendering (AMORE) - I. On a synthetic stellar population's colour-magnitude diagram

A new method, AMORE - based on a genetic algorithm optimizer, is presented for the automated study of colour-magnitude diagrams. The method combines several stellar population synthesis tools developed in the last decade by or in collaboration with the Padova group. Our method is able to recover, within the uncertainties, the parameters - distance, extinction, age, metallicity, index of a power-law initial mass function and the index of an exponential star formation rate - from a reference synthetic stellar population. No a priori information is inserted to recover the parameters, which is done simultaneously and not one at a time. Examples are given to demonstrate and to better understand biases in the results, if one of the input parameters is deliberately set fixed to a non-optimum value.

A theoretical background on a successful implementation of Lecture-Tutorials

The curricular and pedagogical properties of Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy are discussed. These properties are combined with aspects of the Eccles et al. concept of subjective task value to create an interpretive framework for a successful implementation of Lecture-Tutorials at the classroom level.

The disc–dominated host galaxy of FR–I radio source B2 0722+30

We present new observational results that conclude that the nearby radio galaxy B2 0722+30 is one of the very few known disc galaxies in the low-redshift Universe that host a classical double-lobed radio source. In this paper, we use H I observations, deep optical imaging, stellar population synthesis modelling and emission-line diagnostics to study the host galaxy, classify the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and investigate environmental properties under which a radio-loud AGN can occur in this system. Typical for spiral galaxies, B2 0722+30 has a regularly rotating gaseous disc throughout which star formation occurs. Dust heating by the ongoing star formation is likely responsible for the high infrared luminosity of the system. The optical emission-line properties of the central region identify a Low Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Region (LINER)-type nucleus with a relatively low [O III] luminosity, in particular when compared with the total power of the Fanaroff & Riley type-I radio source that is present in this system. This classifies B2 0722+30 as a classical radio galaxy rather than a typical Seyfert galaxy. The environment of B2 0722+30 is extremely H I-rich, with several nearby interacting galaxies. We argue that a gas-rich interaction involving B2 0722+30 is a likely cause for the triggering of the radio AGN and/or the fact that the radio source managed to escape the optical boundaries of the host galaxy.

Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Astronomy Education Research

In this article, we briefly outline and discuss the legal and ethical ramifications of doing astronomy education research, with an emphasis on the practical issues that researchers have to keep in mind when engaging in, and publishing about, research that involves human subjects.

Human behaviour during and immediately following earthquake shaking: developing a methodological approach for analysing video footage

To reduce earthquake casualties, it is important to understand how human behaviour, during and immediately following earthquake shaking, exposes the individual to increased risk of injury. Research on human behaviour during earthquake shaking has identified three main influences: the environment the individual is located in immediately before and during the earthquake, in terms of where the individual is and who the individual is with at the time of the earthquake; individual characteristics, such as age, gender, previous earthquake experience and earthquake attributes, including intensity and duration of earthquake shaking. However, little research has systematically analysed the immediate human responses to earthquake shaking, mostly due to data constraints and/or ethical considerations. Research on human behaviour during earthquakes has relied on simulations or post-event, reflective interviews and questionnaire studies. Such studies are subject to potential limitations such as the quality of the participant’s memory, recall bias or (perceived) realism of a simulation. Thus, to better understand the relationship between human behaviour and injury, researchers need a robust and repeatable methodology. This paper discusses the development of a systematic process and coding scheme to analyse earthquake video footage of human behaviour during strong earthquake shaking. The coding scheme was developed in a two-part process, combining a deductive and inductive approach. Previous research studies of human behavioural response during earthquake shaking provided the basis for the coding scheme. This was then iteratively refined by applying the coding scheme to a broad range of video footage of people exposed to strong shaking during the Canterbury 2010–2011 earthquake sequence.

Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Astronomy Education Research II: Resources and Worked Examples

This article discusses the legal and ethical requirements of human subjects research proposals in astronomy education research. We present an overview of the relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines that inform an Institutional Review Board evaluation of proposed research. We also present examples of potential research projects in astronomy education research and discuss their ethical issues.

Training in crisis communication and volcanic eruption forecasting: Design and evaluation of an authentic role-play simulation

We present an interactive, immersive, authentic role-play simulation designed to teach tertiary geoscience students in New Zealand to forecast and mitigate a volcanic crisis. Half of the participating group (i.e., the Geoscience Team) focuses on interpreting real volcano monitoring data (e.g., seismographs, gas output etc.) while the other half of the group (i.e., the Emergency Management Team) forecasts and manages likely impacts, and communicates emergency response decisions and advice to local communities. These authentic learning experiences were aimed at enhancing upper-year undergraduate students’ transferable and geologic reasoning skills. An important goal of the simulation was specifically to improve students’ science communication through interdisciplinary team discussions, jointly prepared, and delivered media releases, and real-time, high-pressure, press conferences.By playing roles, students experienced the specific responsibilities of a professional within authentic organisational structures. A qualitative, design-based educational research study was carried out to assess the overall student experience and self-reported learning of skills. A pilot and four subsequent iterations were investigated.Results from this study indicate that students found these role-plays to be a highly challenging and engaging learning experience and reported improved skills. Data from classroom observations and interviews indicate that the students valued the authenticity and challenging nature of the role-play although personal experiences and team dynamics (within, and between the teams) varied depending on the students’ background, preparedness, and personality.During early iterations, observation and interviews from students and instructors indicate that some of the goals of the simulation were not fully achieved due to: A) lack of preparedness, B) insufficient time to respond appropriately, C) appropriateness of roles and team structure, and D) poor communication skills. Small modifications to the design of Iterations 3 and 4 showed an overall improvement in the students’ skills and goals being reached.A communication skills instrument (SPCC) was used to measure self-reported pre- and post- communication competence in the last two iterations. Results showed that this instrument recorded positive shifts in all categories of self-perceived abilities, the largest shifts seen in students who participated in press conferences. Future research will be aimed at adapting this curricula to new volcanic and earthquake scenarios.

Regulations and Ethical Considerations for Astronomy Education Research III: A Suggested Code of Ethics.

We present an argument for, and suggested implementation of, a code of ethics for the astronomy education research community. This code of ethics is based on legal and ethical considerations set forth by U.S. federal regulations and the existing code of conduct of the American Educational Research Association. We also provide a fictitious research study as an example for working through the suggested code of ethics.