Quentin A Parker
The University of Hong Kong, Physics, Faculty Member
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Quentin is currently Director for the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong (www.lsr.hku.hk).... moreQuentin is currently Director for the Laboratory for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong (www.lsr.hku.hk).Quentin Parker obtained a BSc(Hons) in 1982 and a PhD (1986) from the University of St.Andrews. He joined the department of Physics at Hong Kong University in March 2014. Prior to that he was the joint AAO/Macquarie lecturer in astronomy (2002-2015) and director of the research centre for Astronomy, Astrophysics and Astrophotonics (2010-2014). Quentin also worked at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh (1986-1992), Anglo-Australian observatory (1992-1999) and as a senior research fellow at the Institute for Astronomy in Edinburgh (1999-2002). Quentin was responsible for helping to develop the FLAIR-II and 6DF fibre-spectroscopy systems at the UKST and supported the 2dF and AAOmega multi-object fibre spectroscopy systems on the AAT.Quentin was also P.I. for the UKST H-alpha survey of the Southern Galactic Plane. Research activities are mainly but not exclusively associated with Wide Field Astronomy, including large-scale redshift surveys, low-surface brightness galaxies, supernova remnants and especially Planetary Nebulae. He has supervised and co-supervised a significant number of PhD, MSc and honours students to successful completion and is always keen to attract students. Quentin is currently on the IAU working group on planetary nebulae. He also heads both the H-alpha international survey consortium and the associated 'MASH' Planetary nebulae team. He also has a life-long interest in antiquities and a strong interest in Chinese Bronze artifacts. edit
We have found the central star of Abell 70 (PN G038.1–25.4, hereafter A 70) to be a binary consisting of a G8 IV-V secondary and a hot white dwarf. The secondary shows enhanced Ba II and Sr II features, firmly classifying it as a barium... more
We have found the central star of Abell 70 (PN G038.1–25.4, hereafter A 70) to be a binary consisting of a G8 IV-V secondary and a hot white dwarf. The secondary shows enhanced Ba II and Sr II features, firmly classifying it as a barium star. The nebula is found to have Type-I chemical abundances with helium and nitrogen enrichment, which combined with future abundance studies of the central star, will establish A 70 as a unique laboratory for studying s-process AGB nucleosynthesis.
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Radio maps, spectra and CCD images have been obtained for almost all the 158 objects in a complete sample of IRAS galaxies. The linear relation between radio and far-infrared luminosity is valid over the complete luminosity range (up to... more
Radio maps, spectra and CCD images have been obtained for almost all the 158 objects in a complete sample of IRAS galaxies. The linear relation between radio and far-infrared luminosity is valid over the complete luminosity range (up to LIR=1.8×1012 L⊙, H○=75 km s−1 Mpc−1). The majority of the 10 most luminous galaxies show evidence of tidal disruption and have
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Physics, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Galaxy, Quasar, and 4 moreLuminosity, Spectrum, Infrared, and Far Infrared
This review provides useful background and information on how we find, vet and compile Planetary Nebulae (PNe) candidates and verify them. It presents a summary of the known Galactic PNe population and their curation in the Hong... more
This review provides useful background and information on how we find, vet and compile Planetary Nebulae (PNe) candidates and verify them. It presents a summary of the known Galactic PNe population and their curation in the Hong Kong/AAO/Strasbourg/Hα PNe catalogue, “HASH”. It is a simple introduction for anyone interested in working with PNe, including postgraduate students entering the field and for more general interest too.
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We present some preliminary findings on the population of planetary nebula where central stars (CSPN) have been independently identified in the HASH catalogue. Many new discoveries and candidates have been found (416 at the time of this... more
We present some preliminary findings on the population of planetary nebula where central stars (CSPN) have been independently identified in the HASH catalogue. Many new discoveries and candidates have been found (416 at the time of this writing), adding significantly to the previously known sample of about 600. We also present results from a comparison between our own HASH measurements of CSPN and those provided in existing CSPN catalogues and those from Gaia. We show the value of a federated, multi-wavelength database of Galactic PNe like HASH in terms of not only uncovering faint, new CSPN but of assisting in correct identifications, removing PN mimics with apparent CSPN, correcting incorrect assignments and providing improved positions. HASH provides the community with a comprehensive and reliable resource for any study of the CSPN population of Galactic PNe.
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Recently, we (Filipovic et al. 2009) reported the first confirmed extragalactic radio-continuum detection of 15 PNe in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). These new positive radio detections of MCs PNe open a door to the exciting possibility of... more
Recently, we (Filipovic et al. 2009) reported the first confirmed extragalactic radio-continuum detection of 15 PNe in the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). These new positive radio detections of MCs PNe open a door to the exciting possibility of construction of the radio Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF) which would be of extreme help in understanding of properties of PNe in our
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Planetary Nebulae (PNe) that are physical members of Galactic open clusters are powerful probes that allow precise determination of their distance and crucially their initial mass on the main sequence. Here, we revisit the physical... more
Planetary Nebulae (PNe) that are physical members of Galactic open clusters are powerful probes that allow precise determination of their distance and crucially their initial mass on the main sequence. Here, we revisit the physical association of the PN BMP J1613–5406 with the open cluster NGC 6067 and present our preliminary results based on our new ESO/VLT FORS2 data. Our PN spectral data permit the calculation of a precise radial velocity and reddening to the PN that shows a tight consistency with the literature corresponding cluster parameters including importantly the radial velocity. Our measurements, combined with the agreement between the distances of the two objects and the fact that the PN is located well within the cluster boundaries, confirm that the PN is physically associated with the cluster. The cluster has a turn-off mass of around 5 solar masses that indicates a PN initial mass of around 5.6 solar masses. This is closer to the theoretical lower limit of core-collap...
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We present new results of our wide-field redshift survey of galaxies in a 182 square degree region of the Shapley Supercluster (SSC) based on observations with the FLAIR-II spectrograph on the UK Schmidt Telescope. We present new... more
We present new results of our wide-field redshift survey of galaxies in a 182 square degree region of the Shapley Supercluster (SSC) based on observations with the FLAIR-II spectrograph on the UK Schmidt Telescope. We present new measurements to give a total sample of redshifts for 710 bright (R<16.6) galaxies, of which 464 are members of the SSC (8000<v<18000 kms). Our data reveal that the main plane of the SSC extends further than previously realised, filling the whole extent of our survey region of 10 degrees by 20 degrees on the sky (35 Mpc by 70 Mpc). There is also a significant structure associated with the slightly nearer Abell 3571 cluster complex with a caustic structure evident out to a radius of 6 Mpc. These galaxies seem to link two previously identified sheets of galaxies and establish a connection with a third one at v=15000 kms. They also tend to fill the gap of galaxies between the foreground Hydra-Centaurus region and the more distant SSC. We calculate gala...
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The Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric H-alpha Survey (IPHAS) is currently mapping the Northern Galactic plane reaching to r'=20 mag with typically 1" resolution. Hundreds of Planetary Nebulae (PNe), both point-like and resolved,... more
The Isaac Newton Telescope Photometric H-alpha Survey (IPHAS) is currently mapping the Northern Galactic plane reaching to r'=20 mag with typically 1" resolution. Hundreds of Planetary Nebulae (PNe), both point-like and resolved, are expected to be discovered. We report on the discovery of the first new PN from this survey: it is an unusual object located at a large galactocentric distance and has a very low oxygen abundance. The nebula shows an intricate morphology: there is an inner ring surrounding the central star, bright inner lobes with an enhanced waist, and very faint lobular extensions reaching up to more than 100". We classify it as a quadrupolar PN, a rather unusual class of planetary showing two pairs of misaligned lobes. From long-slit spectroscopy we derive Te[NII] =12800+-1000K, Ne = 390+-40 cm-3, and chemical abundances typical of Peimbert's Type I nebulae (He/H =0.13, N/O =1.8) with an oxygen abundance of 12 + log(O/H)=8.17+-0.15. A kinematic dista...
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This paper presents (H-alpha + [NII]) imaging and spectroscopy of a previously unknown, highly evolved planetary nebula of low excitation. It was discovered serendipitously from AAO/UKST H-alpha Survey images as part of a project to... more
This paper presents (H-alpha + [NII]) imaging and spectroscopy of a previously unknown, highly evolved planetary nebula of low excitation. It was discovered serendipitously from AAO/UKST H-alpha Survey images as part of a project to exploit the survey data and has evaded detection by previous surveys due to very low surface brightness. It is a remarkably annular planetary nebula, some 19' across, making it one of the largest examples of its type. We estimate a radius of 1.5 pc and a distance of 550pc as derived from a new H-alpha surface brightness - radius relation. PFP 1 has near perfect circular symmetry, broken only at the NW edge which is coupled with significantly increased (H-alpha + [NII]) intensity. This indicates an early stage of an interaction with the interstellar medium. A blue central star candidate has been identified from the SuperCOSMOS Sky Survey data.
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We present a detailed study of a bipolar, possible Type I planetary nebula (PN), PHR1315-6555 (PN G305.3-03.1), that was discovered as part of the Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg H-alpha planetary nebula project (MASH) and that we considered at... more
We present a detailed study of a bipolar, possible Type I planetary nebula (PN), PHR1315-6555 (PN G305.3-03.1), that was discovered as part of the Macquarie/AAO/Strasbourg H-alpha planetary nebula project (MASH) and that we considered at the time was an excellent candidate for membership of the distant, compact, intermediate-age open cluster, ESO 96-SC04. The strong evidence for this association is presented here making this the only known example of a PN physically associated with a Galactic open cluster. Cluster membership is extremely important as it allows for very precise estimates of the fundamental properties of the PN as the cluster is at a known distance. The PN was discovered by one of us (QAP) during systematic MASH searches for new Galactic PNe of the AAO/UKST H-alpha survey and had been missed in earlier broadband surveys, including specific CCD studies of the host cluster. We present original discovery images and CTIO 4m MOSAIC-II camera follow-up narrow-band images th...
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Physics, Observational Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics, Planetary Nebulae, Astrophysics, and 11 moreUnited Kingdom, Astronomy, Distance Estimation, Stellar Populations and Star Clusters, Radial Velocity, Open Clusters, Oxford university, AGB and Post-AGB, Low Resolution, Abundance estimate, and narrow band imaging
Our previous identification and spectroscopic confirmation of 431 faint, new planetary nebulae in the central 25 deg^2 region of the LMC permits us to now examine the shape of the LMC Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF) through an... more
Our previous identification and spectroscopic confirmation of 431 faint, new planetary nebulae in the central 25 deg^2 region of the LMC permits us to now examine the shape of the LMC Planetary Nebula Luminosity Function (PNLF) through an unprecedented 10 magnitude range. The majority of our newly discovered and previously known PNe were observed using the 2dF, multi-object fibre spectroscopy system on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope and the FLAMES multi-object spectrograph on the 8-m VLT. We present reliable [OIII]5007 and H-beta flux estimates based on calibrations to well established PN fluxes from previous surveys and spectroscopic standard stars. The bright cutoff (M*) of the PNLF is found by fitting a truncated exponential curve to the bright end of the PNLF over a 3.4 magnitude range. This cutoff is used to estimate a new distance modulus of 18.46 to the LMC, in close agreement with previous PNLF studies and the best estimates by other indicators. The bright end cutoff i...
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By incorporating our major recent discoveries with re-measured and verified contents of existing catalogues we provide, for the first time, an accessible, reliable, on-line SQL database for essential, up-to date information for all known... more
By incorporating our major recent discoveries with re-measured and verified contents of existing catalogues we provide, for the first time, an accessible, reliable, on-line SQL database for essential, up-to date information for all known Galactic PNe. We have attempted to: i) reliably remove PN mimics/false ID's that have biased previous studies and ii) provide accurate positions, sizes, morphologies, multi-wavelength imagery and spectroscopy. We also provide a link to CDS/Vizier for the archival history of each object and other valuable links to external data. With the HASH interface, users can sift, select, browse, collate, investigate, download and visualise the entire currently known Galactic PNe diversity. HASH provides the community with the most complete and reliable data with which to undertake new science.
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The AAO/UKST Hα Survey has been used to discover a number of new, large, nearby planetary nebulae (PNe) These discoveries, combined with a critical re-analysis of all previously known large PNe, have allowed the compilation of a... more
The AAO/UKST Hα Survey has been used to discover a number of new, large, nearby planetary nebulae (PNe) These discoveries, combined with a critical re-analysis of all previously known large PNe, have allowed the compilation of a relatively complete census of PNe in the solar neighbourhood within 1.0 kpc. Distances are based in part on a new Hα surface brightness — radius relation. The census is relatively bias-free, and will provide more accurate estimates of the PN formation rate, average PN lifetime, and the total number of PNe in the Galaxy, as well as a first look at the faint end of the PN luminosity function (PNLF).
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and another 100 new examples 3' – 5' across havingbeen found so far in the southern sky. One of the goalsof our study is to derive an accurate census of thenearest (<1 kpc) PNe, which then allows a moreaccurate calculation of... more
and another 100 new examples 3' – 5' across havingbeen found so far in the southern sky. One of the goalsof our study is to derive an accurate census of thenearest (<1 kpc) PNe, which then allows a moreaccurate calculation of the total number, space density,scale height, and birth rate of planetary nebulae in theGalaxy.Several of our discoveries are evolved bipolar objects.Generally speaking such bipolar morphology is not ascommon in the MASH sample as in previouscompilations. Bipolar PNe often show strongly enhancedHe and N abundances, suggesting an origin from higher-mass progenitor stars. Peimbert (1978) first drewattention to the correlation between morphology andchemistry, defining type I PNe, though none of his originalexamples included any highly-evolved objects. Wepresent here a preliminary account of two highly-evolved(and nearby) bipolar nebulosities which we believe tobe PNe (Frew, Parker & Acker, in preparation).
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It has been demonstrated that the new AAO/UKST survey of the southern Galactic Plane and Magellanic Clouds is an exceptional tool for locating new emission-line features. The authors present new results from a single 3-hour exposure of... more
It has been demonstrated that the new AAO/UKST survey of the southern Galactic Plane and Magellanic Clouds is an exceptional tool for locating new emission-line features. The authors present new results from a single 3-hour exposure of the Orion region in a search for Herbig-Haro objects.
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We have identified a bipolar Type-I planetary nebula (PN), PHR1315-6555, in the distant, compact, intermediate-age open cluster, ESO 96-SC04. This is currently the only known example of a PN physically associated with a Galactic open... more
We have identified a bipolar Type-I planetary nebula (PN), PHR1315-6555, in the distant, compact, intermediate-age open cluster, ESO 96-SC04. This is currently the only known example of a PN physically associated with a Galactic open cluster. Cluster membership is extremely important as it allows for very precise estimates of the fundamental properties of the PN as the cluster is at
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We present the results of the search for candidate Planetary Nebulae interacting with the interstellar medium (PN–ISM) in the framework of the INT Photometric Hα Survey (IPHAS) and located in the right ascension range 18–20 h. The... more
We present the results of the search for candidate Planetary Nebulae interacting with the interstellar medium (PN–ISM) in the framework of the INT Photometric Hα Survey (IPHAS) and located in the right ascension range 18–20 h. The detection capability of this new Northern survey, in terms of depth and imaging resolution, has allowed us to overcome the detection problem generally associated to the low surface brightness inherent to PNe-ISM. We discuss the detection of 21 IPHAS PN–ISM candidates. Thus, different stages of interaction were observed, implying various morphologies i.e. from the unaffected to totally disrupted shapes. The majority of the sources belong to the so-called WZO2 stage which main characteristic is a brightening of the nebula's shell in the direction of motion. The new findings are encouraging as they would be a first step into the reduction of the scarcity of observational data and they would provide new insights into the physical processes occurring in the...
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We present new imaging data and archival multiwavelength observations of the little-studied emission nebula K 1-6 and its central star. Narrow-band images inHα (+[N II]) and [O III] taken with the Faulkes Telescope North reveal a... more
We present new imaging data and archival multiwavelength observations of the little-studied emission nebula K 1-6 and its central star. Narrow-band images inHα (+[N II]) and [O III] taken with the Faulkes Telescope North reveal a stratified, asymmetric, elliptical nebula surrounding a central star which has the colours of a late G or early K-type subgiant or giant.GALEXultraviolet images reveal a very hot subdwarf or white dwarf coincident in position with this star. The cooler, optically dominant star is strongly variable with a period of 21.312± 0.008 days, and is possibly a high-amplitude member of the RS CVn class, although an FK Com classification is also possible. ArchivalROSATdata provide good evidence that the cool star has an active corona. We conclude that K 1-6 is most likely an old bona fide planetary nebula at a distance of ∼1.0 kpc, interacting with the interstellar medium, and containing a binary or ternary central star. The observations and data analyses reported in ...
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Physics, Stellar Evolution, Interstellar Medium, Science Education, Planetary Nebulae, and 12 moreAstrophysics, STEM Education, Binary Stars, Education Research, Astronomy, High School, Ultraviolet, High School Student, Physics and Astronomy, AGB and Post-AGB, narrow band imaging, and Australian Research Council
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Physics, Stellar Astrophysics, Survey Sampling, Astrophysics, Astronomy, and 4 moreGeneral, An, Key words, and Stars
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Physics, Observational Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics, Planetary Nebulae, Astrophysics, and 11 moreUnited Kingdom, Astronomy, Distance Estimation, Stellar Populations and Star Clusters, Radial Velocity, Open Clusters, Oxford university, AGB and Post-AGB, Low Resolution, Abundance estimate, and narrow band imaging
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... Will; Parker, Quentin; Watson, Fred; Frost, Gabriella; Farrell, Tony; Gillingham, Peter; Hingley, Brian; Muller, Rolf; Klauser, Urs; Douglas, Dale; Dawson, John; Haynes, Roger; Frampton, Niki; Miziarski, Stan; Horiuchi, Dwight;... more
... Will; Parker, Quentin; Watson, Fred; Frost, Gabriella; Farrell, Tony; Gillingham, Peter; Hingley, Brian; Muller, Rolf; Klauser, Urs; Douglas, Dale; Dawson, John; Haynes, Roger; Frampton, Niki; Miziarski, Stan; Horiuchi, Dwight; Schirmer, Neal; Bailey, Jeremy; Fiegert, Kristin ...
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We demonstrate that by combining two robust theoretical quantum chemistry calculation techniques, stepwise ionization of C60 fullerene by UV and extreme UV photons can in principle occur up to a limit as high as C60 26+ before coulomb... more
We demonstrate that by combining two robust theoretical quantum chemistry calculation techniques, stepwise ionization of C60 fullerene by UV and extreme UV photons can in principle occur up to a limit as high as C60 26+ before coulomb explosion of the cage. Furthermore, these highly ionized forms exhibit a comparable structural and bonding stability as for the neutral fullerene. Certain astrophysical sources like the central stars of planetary nebulae and the hottest white dwarf stars have sufficiently hard UV radiation fields that can result in a series of highly charged C60 q+ species from q = 1 up to q = 16. Harsher environments, like hot X-ray bubbles in planetary nebulae, X-ray binaries and other sources, may further push the ionization right up to the q = 26 limit. These remarkable theoretical findings add new avenues to complex ion/molecule reactions, the chemistry of fragmentation products and additional pathways for spreading carbon throughout the universe. The implications...
The ability to identify and distinguish between the wide variety of celestial objects benefits from application of a systematic and logical nomenclature. This often includes value-added information within the naming convention which can... more
The ability to identify and distinguish between the wide variety of celestial objects benefits from application of a systematic and logical nomenclature. This often includes value-added information within the naming convention which can aid in placing the object positionally either via an RA/DEC or l,b concatenation. All new nomenclatures should be created following IAU guidelines. However as the number density of specific object types on the sky increases, as in the case of PN in external galaxies, a useful positional identifier becomes problematic. This brief but timely paper attempts to progress the debate on this vexing issue for the case of extragalactic planetary nebulae (PNe). There is a clear need to rationalise the current ad-hoc system now that many thousands of Extragalactic PN are being discovered.
This article presents a generic, objective and evidence based forensic study of 4 very different Chinese bronze mirrors. The work was done within the Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ACLab), the Department of Physics, the Faculty of... more
This article presents a generic, objective and evidence based forensic study of 4 very different Chinese bronze mirrors. The work was done within the Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ACLab), the Department of Physics, the Faculty of Medicine and also the Planetary Spectroscopy and Mineralogy Laboratory (PSML) all at the University of Hong Kong. The mirrors nominally cover the period of the Warring States (475–221 BC), Han (206 BC to 220 AD) and later Song (960–1279AD) dynasties. Comprehensive, mostly non-invasive, analytical methods and techniques were used. These included surface microscopy of tool marks, patina, corrosion and any residual archaeological evidence. Ultraviolet radiation examination, chemical spot testing and polarised light microscopy of ground-up patina samples was also done. More sophisticated “pXRF” X-ray fluorescence, “MARS” tomographic X-ray scanning and infrared spectroscopic analysis of the bronze alloys, corrosions and any earthen encrustations were al...
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Course Description: This course combines an innovative, multidisciplinary exploration of the cultural significance of Chinese art and artifacts. This is through a combined aesthetic and scientific approach to the preservation and... more
Course Description: This course combines an innovative, multidisciplinary exploration of the cultural significance of Chinese art and artifacts. This is through a combined aesthetic and scientific approach to the preservation and appreciation of Chinese materials culture and heritage including teaching its impact in the development of civilization. Ancient copying by artisans to emulate and honour more ancient objects is, for example, set against modern techniques of reproduction, economic practices, and the intentions of collectors, artists, vendors, copyists, forgers, and scientists.
The course represents an exciting opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge of the cultural heritage and collections world. The focus is on China and its materials culture, artworks and artefacts but will innovatively incorporate the scientific method and its application to object testing, analysis and appraisal. Direct hands-on experience, laboratory exercises and reference to University of Hong Kong collections as well as visits to local museums comprises part of the learning. The content and theme for each course component will be reflective of relevant student observations and knowledge across science and the arts disciplines.
The course represents an exciting opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge of the cultural heritage and collections world. The focus is on China and its materials culture, artworks and artefacts but will innovatively incorporate the scientific method and its application to object testing, analysis and appraisal. Direct hands-on experience, laboratory exercises and reference to University of Hong Kong collections as well as visits to local museums comprises part of the learning. The content and theme for each course component will be reflective of relevant student observations and knowledge across science and the arts disciplines.
