Techniques for reducing fiber‐fed and integral‐field spectroscopy data: An implementation on R3D

This paper describes the general characteristics of raw data from fiber‐fed spectrographs in general and fiber‐fed IFUs in particular. The different steps of the data reduction are presented, and the techniques used to address the unusual characteristics of these data are described in detail. These techniques have been implemented in a specialized software package, R3D, developed to reduce fiber‐based integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data. The package comprises a set of command‐line routines adapted for each of these steps, suitable for creating pipelines. The routines have been tested against simulations, and against real data from various integral field spectrographs (PMAS, PPAK, GMOS, VIMOS and INTEGRAL). Particular attention is paid to the treatment of cross‐talk. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

E3D,the Euro3D visualization tool I: Description of the program and its capabilities

We present the first version of E3D, the Euro3D visualization tool for data from integral field spectroscopy. We describe its major characteristics, based on the proposed requirements, the current state of the project, and some planned future upgrades. We show examples of its use and capabilities. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

3D spectroscopy of z ∼ 1galaxies with gemini

Area spectroscopy has significant advantages over both traditional imaging and long-slit spectroscopy: it is more efficient in observing time, and yields substantially more information. Through Integral Field Units, area spectroscopy is becoming an essential part of new facility instruments on the latest large telescopes. We have been undertaking a programme on the Gemini 8-m telescopes to demonstrate the power of integral field spectroscopy, using the optical GMOS spectrograph, and the new CIRPASS instrument in the near-infrared. Here we present some preliminary results from 3D spectroscopy of z ∼ 1 objects, mapping the emission lines in a 3CR radio galaxy and in a gravitationally lensed arc. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Crowded field 3D spectroscopy

The quantitative spectroscopy of stellar objects in complex environments is mainly limited by the ability of separating the object from the background. Standard slit spectroscopy, restricting the field of view to one dimension, is obviously not the proper technique in general. The emerging Integral Field (3D) technique with spatially resolved spectra of a two‐dimensional field of view provides a great potential for applying advanced subtraction methods. In this paper an image reconstruction algorithm to separate point sources and a smooth background is applied to 3D data. Several performance tests demonstrate the photometric quality of the method. The algorithm is applied to real 3D observations of a sample Planetary Nebula in M31, whose spectrum is contaminated by the bright and complex galaxy background. The ability of separating sources is also studied in a crowded field in M33. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

一种针对MWISP项目分子云团块的3D CNN证认方法

分子云团块是恒星的诞生地. 分子团块的普查和其性质的全面研究将有助于了解恒星的形成乃至星系和宇宙的演化过程. 随着银河画卷计划(MWISP)项目的深入进行, 这类研究方案变得切实可行. 但是项目产生的分子云观测数据是海量的, 因此迫切需要一种能够自动识别和证认分子团块的方法. 目前应用广泛的3维分子云数据处理方法有很多, 典型的包括GaussClumps、ClumpFind、FellWalker、Reinhold等, 但都需要输入多个参数来控制它们的性能, 并且进行反复的参数优化和目测才能得到比较满意的结果. 对于大规模的观测数据, 利用现有方法进行分子团块的证认将是一项耗时耗力的任务. 为了克服传统分子云团块检测算法的局限性, 人工智能(AI)的方法将提供一个很好的解决方案. 提出了一种3D CNN (Convolutional Neural Network)方法, 它可以自动处理3D分子谱线数据, 整个过程分为检出和验证两个步骤. 首先, 通过设置较低阈值使用ClumpFind以检出候选对象, 然后通过训练好的3D CNN模型进行验证. 利用仿真数据所做的一系列的实验结果表明, 该方法的综合表现优于4种传统方法. 将该方法应用于实际的MWISP数据表明, 3D CNN方法的性能也令人满意.     

Scalable desktop visualisation of very large radio astronomy data cubes

Observation data from radio telescopes is typically stored in three (or higher) dimensional data cubes, the resolution, coverage and size of which continues to grow as ever larger radio telescopes come online. The Square Kilometre Array, tabled to be the largest radio telescope in the world, will generate multi-terabyte data cubes – several orders of magnitude larger than the current norm. Despite this imminent data deluge, scalable approaches to file access in Astronomical visualisation software are rare: most current software packages cannot read astronomical data cubes that do not fit into computer system memory, or else provide access only at a serious performance cost. In addition, there is little support for interactive exploration of 3D data.We describe a scalable, hierarchical approach to 3D visualisation of very large spectral data cubes to enable rapid visualisation of large data files on standard desktop hardware. Our hierarchical approach, embodied in the AstroVis prototype, aims to provide a means of viewing large datasets that do not fit into system memory. The focus is on rapid initial response: our system initially rapidly presents a reduced, coarse-grained 3D view of the data cube selected, which is gradually refined. The user may select sub-regions of the cube to be explored in more detail, or extracted for use in applications that do not support large files. We thus shift the focus from data analysis informed by narrow slices of detailed information, to analysis informed by overview information, with details on demand. Our hierarchical solution to the rendering of large data cubes reduces the overall time to complete file reading, provides user feedback during file processing and is memory efficient. This solution does not require high performance computing hardware and can be implemented on any platform supporting the OpenGL rendering library.     

Few projections astrotomography: radio astronomical approach to 3D reconstruction

We develop a radio astronomical approach to 3D‐reconstruction in few projections tomography. It is based on the 2‐CLEAN DSA method which consists of two clean algorithms by using a synthesized beam. In complex cases two extreme solutions are used for the analysis of the image structure. These solutions determine the limits of permissible energy redistribution on the image among the components of small and large scales. Two variants of 3D‐reconstruction proceeding from a set of two‐dimensional projections (3D_2D) and from a set of one‐dimensional ones (3D_1D) are considered. It is shown that the quality of 3D_2D‐reconstruction should be similar to the quality of 2D_1D‐reconstruction if the same number of equally spaced scans is used. But a doubled number of projections is required for 3D_1D‐reconstruction. We have simulated 3D‐reconstruction of an optically thin emitting object. The present technique is a component of astrotomography and it has good prospects for a wide range of remote sensing. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Calculations and physical properties of the D3 emission lines of a prominence

The D3 emission lines observed on a prominence over the solar east limb on 1984 May 5, which were found to consist of two components, i.e. the main and the broadened components, have been successfully calculated using the two-cloud model method with the multiplet of helium (3 ³D_3,2,1–2 ³P_2,1,0) taken into account. The results obtained show that the ejecta in front of the prominence are formed by the intermittent ejections of the matter from the plage region around the prominence, because there exist at least three distinguishable phases of the line-of-sight velocity, increasing during the observations. The turbulent velocity of the ejecta is rather large, about 29 km s⁻¹. The Doppler width of the ejecta is mainly the result of the non-thermal effect, and the thermal effect can be neglected compared with the non-thermal effect. The prominence is quiet and characterized by typical properties .     

High spatial resolution Galactic 3D extinction mapping with IPHAS

We present an algorithm (MEAD, for 'Mapping Extinction Against Distance') which will determine intrinsic  ( r '− i ')  colour, extinction, and distance for early-A to K4 stars extracted from the IPHAS   r '/ i '/Hα  photometric data base. These data can be binned up to map extinction in three dimensions across the northern Galactic plane. The large size of the IPHAS data base (∼200 million unique objects), the accuracy of the digital photometry it contains and its faint limiting magnitude  ( r '∼ 20)  allow extinction to be mapped with fine angular (∼10 arcmin) and distance (∼ 0.1 kpc) resolution to distances of up to 10 kpc, outside the solar circle. High reddening within the solar circle on occasion brings this range down to ∼2 kpc. The resolution achieved, both in angle and depth, greatly exceeds that of previous empirical 3D extinction maps, enabling the structure of the Galactic Plane to be studied in increased detail. MEAD accounts for the effect of the survey magnitude limits, photometric errors, unresolved interstellar medium (ISM) substructure and binarity. The impact of metallicity variations, within the range typical of the Galactic disc is small. The accuracy and reliability of MEAD are tested through the use of simulated photometry created with Monte Carlo sampling techniques. The success of this algorithm is demonstrated on a selection of fields and the results are compared to the literature.     

Integral Field Spectroscopy with Gemini: Support for IFU data in the Gemini IRAF package

We present a brief overview of facilities for Integral Field Spectroscopy at the Gemini Observatory. These include four optical and near-infrared IFUs suitable for high spatial resolution work and a suite of tasks for handling IFU data in the Gemini IRAF package. We describe the tools for data reduction that are available now or planned in the near future, helping investigators make productive use of these ground-breaking instruments. Further details on the individual IFUs, specific science applications and reduction examples are given in associated presentations by Beck et al., Carrasco et al., Trancho et al. and Winge et al.     

Orbit classification in arbitrary 2D and 3D potentials

A method of classifying generic orbits in arbitrary 2D and 3D potentials is presented. It is based on the concept of spectral dynamics introduced by Binney &38; Spergel that uses the Fourier transform of the time series of each coordinate. The method is tested using a number of potentials previously studied in the literature and is shown to distinguish correctly between regular and irregular orbits, to identify the various families of regular orbits (boxes, loops, tubes, boxlets, etc.), and to recognize the second-rank resonances that bifurcate from them. The method returns the position of the potential centre and, for 2D potentials, the orientation of the principal axes as well, should this be unknown. A further advantage of the method is that it has been encoded in a FORTRAN program that does not require user intervention, except for 'fine tuning' of search parameters that define the numerical limits of the code. The automatic character makes the program suitable for classifying large numbers of orbits.     

A 3D dynamical model of the colliding winds in binary systems

We present a three-dimensional (3D) dynamical model of the orbital-induced curvature of the wind–wind collision region in binary star systems. Momentum balance equations are used to determine the position and shape of the contact discontinuity between the stars, while further downstream the gas is assumed to behave ballistically. An Archimedean spiral structure is formed by the motion of the stars, with clear resemblance to high-resolution images of the so-called 'pinwheel nebulae'. A key advantage of this approach over grid or smoothed particle hydrodynamic models is its significantly reduced computational cost, while it also allows the study of the structure obtained in an eccentric orbit. The model is relevant to symbiotic systems and γ-ray binaries, as well as systems with O-type and Wolf–Rayet stars.
As an example application, we simulate the X-ray emission from hypothetical O+O and WR+O star binaries, and describe a method of ray tracing through the 3D spiral structure to account for absorption by the circumstellar material in the system. Such calculations may be easily adapted to study observations at wavelengths ranging from the radio to γ-ray.     

The 3D skeleton: tracing the filamentary structure of the Universe

The skeleton formalism, which aims at extracting and quantifying the filamentary structure of our Universe, is generalized to 3D density fields. A numerical method for computing a local approximation of the skeleton is presented and validated here on Gaussian random fields. It involves solving equation     , where  ∇ρ  and     are the gradient and Hessian matrix of the field. This method traces well the filamentary structure in 3D fields such as those produced by numerical simulations of the dark matter distribution on large scales, and is insensitive to monotonic biasing.
Two of its characteristics, namely its length and differential length, are analysed for Gaussian random fields. Its differential length per unit normalized density contrast scales like the probability distribution function of the underlying density contrast times the total length times a quadratic Edgeworth correction involving the square of the spectral parameter. The total length-scales like the inverse square smoothing length, with a scaling factor given by  0.21 (5.28 + n )  where n is the power index of the underlying field. This dependency implies that the total length can be used to constrain the shape of the underlying power spectrum, hence the cosmology.
Possible applications of the skeleton to galaxy formation and cosmology are discussed. As an illustration, the orientation of the spin of dark haloes and the orientation of the flow near the skeleton is computed for cosmological dark matter simulations. The flow is laminar along the filaments, while spins of dark haloes within 500 kpc of the skeleton are preferentially orthogonal to the direction of the flow at a level of 25 per cent.     

From 2D to 3D chondrule size data: Some empirical ground truths

In order to characterize the relation between apparent chondrule sizes (2D) and true chondrule sizes (3D), three ordinary chondrites of the H, L, and LL group have been analyzed. The diameters of a large number of chondrule cut faces in thin sections (2D; n = 2037) and of separated chondrules from the same meteorites (3D: n = 2061) have been measured. The obtained 2D/3D mean chondrule sizes (μm) for the H, L, and LL chondrite are 450/490, 500/610, and 690/830; the corresponding median values (μm) are 370/420, 450/530, and 580/730. The data show that there is a cutoff for small chondrule sizes in each sample. Possibly characteristic minimum sizes exist for the various groups, increasing in the (3D) sequence H (~90 μm) <L (~180 μm) <LL (~240 μm). No systematics were found for the maximum chondrule sizes. The investigated samples show very similar chondrule volume (mass) distributions relative to the mode (peak) of their size-frequency distributions. About 2.6–2.9% and 97.1–97.4% of the total chondrule volume (mass) is present in chondrule sizes smaller and larger than the mode, respectively. It was found that 2D sectioning consistently results in a shift of the true 3D size-frequency distributions toward smaller sizes. This effect leads to the underestimation of the values for (1) the true mean chondrule size by 8–18%, (2) the true chondrule median value by 12–21%, and (3) the true mode value of the size-frequency distributions by 12–17% (50 μm binning). This is the opposite of what popular 2D/3D correction models predict (e.g., Eisenhour 1996 ).     

3D Simulations of Rayleigh–Taylor Instability Using “VULCAN/3D”

The growth rate of the turbulent mixing zone, which develops from random perturbations under Rayleigh–Taylor instability, has been studied using the 3D version of the hydrodynamical code VULCAN. Previous studies show large differences between the α parameter of different codes. In its Eulerian mode VULCAN/3D employs Van–Leer scheme for the advection of all variables, and can also use interface tracking for multi-phase flows. Simulations using parallel version of VULCAN/3D give α of about 0.06, a value which agrees very well with experiments and some other simulations.     

Probing the 2D kinematic structure of early-type galaxies out to three effective radii

We detail an innovative new technique for measuring the two-dimensional (2D) velocity moments (rotation velocity, velocity dispersion and Gauss–Hermite coefficients h ₃ and h ₄) of the stellar populations of galaxy haloes using spectra from Keck DEIMOS (Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) multi-object spectroscopic observations. The data are used to reconstruct 2D rotation velocity maps.
Here we present data for five nearby early-type galaxies to ∼three effective radii. We provide significant insights into the global kinematic structure of these galaxies, and challenge the accepted morphological classification in several cases. We show that between one and three effective radii the velocity dispersion declines very slowly, if at all, in all five galaxies. For the two galaxies with velocity dispersion profiles available from planetary nebulae data we find very good agreement with our stellar profiles. We find a variety of rotation profiles beyond one effective radius, i.e. rotation speed remaining constant, decreasing and increasing with radius. These results are of particular importance to studies which attempt to classify galaxies by their kinematic structure within one effective radius, such as the recent definition of fast- and slow-rotator classes by the Spectrographic Areal Unit for Research on Optical Nebulae project. Our data suggest that the rotator class may change when larger galactocentric radii are probed. This has important implications for dynamical modelling of early-type galaxies. The data from this study are available on-line.     

Lenslet Array and Fabry–Pérot-Based Hyperspectral Imaging

Snapshot spectroscopic imagers/instruments (SSI) are a class of spectroscopic instruments that are capable of acquiring spectral information of a given field of view in a single frame. Standard spectroscopic instruments like a grating-based spectrograph or a Fabry–Pérot-based spectrograph obtain two dimensional data of 2D space or 1D space and 1D wavelength. But SSIs have three dimensional data of 2D space and wavelength embedded in two dimensional detector/image plane. So standard data reduction techniques are not applicable. Lenslet array spectroscope is a novel SSI which images the object on to a hybrid spatio-spectral image plane. A procedure to extract the spatial and spectral information of the field of view from this hyperplane is presented. We demonstrate the snapshot capabilities of this instrument to study dynamic activities of the Sun as inferred from two measurements: (i) Evershed flow in a sunspot in NOAA 12526 at Fe?i 6301.5 Å and (ii) oscillations in a quiescent prominence at H\(\upalpha \) 6562.8 Å. This instrument can be used for large or small scale structures, making it efficient for studying a wide range of dynamic activities like helioseismology, Moreton waves, prominence oscillation etc.     

In situ imaging of μm and sub-μm-sized grains in a cometary environment by atomic force microscopy

The micro-imaging dust analysis system (MIDAS) is an essential element among the scientific payload on the international Rosetta mission to comet 46P/Wirtanen. The MIDAS instrument based on an atomic force microscope (AFM) collects small particles drifting outwards from the nucleus surface. AFM is able to image small structures in 3D at nanometer-scale resolution. These images provide morphological and statistical information like grain size distribution on the dust population. In order to support the development of the flight hardware, optimisation of the control functions and consolidation of a proper scheme of data interpretation, laboratory studies with similar instruments were carried out. The obtained data demonstrate the capabilities of this technique. For the first time an instrument is able to observe the smallest (nm-sized) grains which are predicted by models and were to a certain extent deduced from previous measurements on the Giotto and Vega missions to comet 1P/Halley. On larger (μm-sized) particles the complex morphology will be visualised with high precision in 3D, and if present, within these aggregates crystalline materials with defined crystal faces can be identified.     

A New Method of Identifying 3D Null Points in Solar Vector Magnetic Fields

Employing the Poincare index of isolated null-points in a vector field, we worked out a mathematical method of searching for 3D null-points in coronal magnetic fields. After introducing the relevant differential topology, we test the method by using the analytical model of Brown & Priest. The location of null-point identified by our method coincides precisely with the analytical solution. Finally we apply the method to the 3D coronal magnetic fields reconstructed from an observed MDI magnetogram of a super-active region (NOAA 10488). We find that the 3D null-point seems to be a key element in the magnetic topology associated with flare occurrence.