大天区望远镜中sCMOS相机的测光精度分析

与传统CCD (Charge Coupled Device)相机相比, s COMS (scientific Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)相机被广泛装备于超大天区巡天设备,与传统CCD相机不同的是sCMOS相机采用卷帘式快门,因此对其进行测光精度的分析工作是很有意义的.首先,将s CMOS相机拍摄的图像与UCAC2 (The Second U.S. Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog)星表进行匹对,识别图像中的UCAC2标准星.接着对图中的标准星进行测光并提取测光数据进行最小二乘直线拟合,获得了相应的系统转换系数并得到仪器星等至标准星等的转换公式.然后,将转化后的仪器星等和标准星等做差并计算相应的均方根误差.最后,利用计算得到的均方根误差评估sCMOS相机的测光精度,并将标准星按星等划分后,分析了相应的测光误差.计算结果表明在标准测光夜测量亮度亮于14等的星时,测光精度优于0.15 mag.通过实测精度分析可知卷帘快门sCOMS相机具有较高的测光精度,基本满足空间碎片巡天观测的要求.     

A 20 cm2 CCD mosaic camera for a dark matter search part I : Mechanics,optics and cryogeny

A 20cm ² CCD mosaic camera has been especially built to search for dark galactic halo objects by the gravitational microlensing effect. The sensitive area is made of 16 edge-buttable CCDs developped by Thomson-CTS, with 23×23 µm ² pixels. The 35 kg camera housing and mechanical equipment is presented. The associated electronics and data acquisition system are described in a separate paper. The camera resides at the focal plane of a 40 cm, f/10, Ferson reflector. The instrument has been in operation since December 1991 at the La Silla Observatory (ESO).     

The NASA-ARC 10/20 micron camera

A new infrared camera (AIR Camera) has been developed at NASA-Ames Research Center for observations from ground-based telescopes. The heart of the camera is a Hughes 58 × 62 pixel Arsenic-doped Silicon detector array that has the spectral sensitivity range to allow observations in both the 10 and 20 micron atmospheric windows.The U.S. Government right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

The Smart Panoramic Optical Sensor Head (SPOSH)—A camera for observations of transient luminous events on planetary night sides

We have developed a camera dedicated to imaging faint transient noctilucent phenomena, such as aurorae, electric discharges, meteors or impact flashes, on dark planetary hemispheres. The Smart Panoramic Optical Sensor Head (SPOSH) is equipped with a back-illuminated 1024×1024 CCD chip E2V 47-20 with up to 90% quantum efficiency and has a custom-made optical system of high light-gathering power with a wide field of view of 120°×120°. Images can be obtained over extended periods at high rate to make monitoring for transient events possible. To reduce the data transmission rate, only those images (or relevant portions thereof) that contain events are returned to the user. The camera has a sophisticated processing unit prepared to interface with a spacecraft system, for image processing and event detection at rates of up to 3 images per second at full resolution. While software optimized for detection of any noctilucent phenomenon can be implemented, the software is currently optimized for the detection of meteors. Over the past years, we have routinely carried out outdoor tests with 4 camera breadboard units that demonstrate that the camera has excellent radiometric performance and geometric resolution at low light levels over its large field of view. The camera has been demonstrated to capture meteors of magnitudes as faint as +6^m moving at angular speeds of 5°/s. The camera opens up new science opportunities for planetary missions.     

An upper limit of visible emission from the plume generated by the impact of the K fragment of SL9

We monitored Jupiter with a video movie camera attached to a 1.3 m reflector during the impact event of the K fragment of D/Shoemaker-Levy 9. The camera was sensitive to visible radiation. A plume, which was generated by the impact and prominent in infrared wavelength, was not detected. Jovian images with hypothetical plumes were synthesized to examine how luminous the plume should have been to be recognized. It has been revealed that the plume was no more than twice as bright as Io in visible wavelength.     

LAMOST CCD camera-control system based on RTS2

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope(LAMOST) is the largest existing spectroscopic survey telescope, having 32 scientific charge-coupled-device(CCD) cameras for acquiring spectra. Stability and automation of the camera-control software are essential, but cannot be provided by the existing system. The Remote Telescope System 2 nd Version(RTS2) is an open-source and automatic observatory-control system. However, all previous RTS2 applications were developed for small telescopes. This paper focuses on implementation of an RTS2-based camera-control system for the 32 CCDs of LAMOST. A virtual camera module inherited from the RTS2 camera module is built as a device component working on the RTS2 framework. To improve the controllability and robustness, a virtualized layer is designed using the master-slave software paradigm, and the virtual camera module is mapped to the 32 real cameras of LAMOST. The new system is deployed in the actual environment and experimentally tested. Finally, multiple observations are conducted using this new RTS2-frameworkbased control system. The new camera-control system is found to satisfy the requirements for automatic camera control in LAMOST. This is the first time that RTS2 has been applied to a large telescope, and provides a referential solution for full RTS2 introduction to the LAMOST observatory control system.     

A method and results of color calibration for the Chang'e-3 terrain camera and panoramic camera

The terrain camera(TCAM) and panoramic camera(PCAM) are two of the major scientific payloads installed on the lander and rover of the Chang'e 3 mission respectively. They both use a Bayer color filter array covering CMOS sensor to capture color images of the Moon's surface. RGB values of the original images are related to these two kinds of cameras. There is an obvious color difference compared with human visual perception. This paper follows standards published by the International Commission on Illumination to establish a color correction model, designs the ground calibration experiment and obtains the color correction coefficient. The image quality has been significantly improved and there is no obvious color difference in the corrected images. Ground experimental results show that:(1) Compared with uncorrected images, the average color difference of TCAM is 4.30, which has been reduced by 62.1%.(2) The average color differences of the left and right cameras in PCAM are 4.14 and 4.16, which have been reduced by 68.3% and 67.6% respectively.     

A new method of meteor trajectory determination applied to multiple unsynchronized video cameras

Abstract– A new approach has been formulated to solve for the straight line trajectory of a meteor through the atmosphere when given multiple camera views of the meteor’s luminous track. Using a motion propagation model in 3‐D space plus time, and iteratively solving for all free model parameters simultaneously, one can obtain a fully coupled solution to the apparent radiant direction, 3‐D begin position, atmospheric entry speed, deceleration terms, and timing offsets when using data from unsynchronized video cameras. A Monte Carlo component adds empirical error estimation for each of the key model parameters computed. This multiparameter fitting method extends the allowable collection geometries for meteor trajectory estimation to lower convergence angles between camera‐meteor‐camera lines of sight and smaller site separation distances.     

1997年3月9日漠河日全食外日冕结构及相对强度分布

利用简单的视频图像采集系统 ,对 1 997年 3月 9日用PanasonicNV -S880EN型摄像机拍摄的黑龙江漠河日全食黄光 (加GG1 1滤光片 )和白光日冕观测资料进行计算处理 ,得到大于 1 .5R⊙ 的太阳活动低年外日冕结构及其相对强度分布。     

The frequency of meteorite falls: Comments on two conflicting solutions to the problem

Abstract— Recent estimates of the current rate of meteorite falls have been derived from camera network observations and from the statistics of the recovery of small fragments in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. The results are discordant. The integrated sky coverage for the camera data is an order of magnitude greater than the long exposure over small areas in New Mexico, yet the number of inferred events is comparable. We examine potential problems and find no effects other than random ones to bias the camera data. New data on the total number of suitable fireballs indicate that the flux from the camera network is already close to the upper limit imposed by the count of over 700 fireballs. By contrast, the calibration of the decay time for small fragments in New Mexico appears insecure and could account for a factor-of-three discrepancy. The large area of a typical strewn field relative to the small search areas is also a serious problem that remains uncalibrated. There are problems with the application of either the camera results or the New Mexico data to the statistics of recoveries in Antarctica since the Antarctic search areas are not free from the strewn-field problem. Since there is no evidence for a substantial change in the infall rate in intervals less than the ages of the collecting surfaces, we believe the camera network flux data remain the best estimate for the arrival rate of small meteorites on Earth.     

Lyman-α imagery of Comet Kohoutek

Electrographic imagery of Comet Kohoutek in the 1100–1500 Å wavelength range was obtained from a sounding rocket on January 8, 1974, and from the Skylab space station on 13 occasions between November 26, 1973 and February 2, 1974. These images are predominantly due to Lyman-α (1216 Å) emission from the hydrogen coma of the comet.The rocket pictures have been calibrated for absolute sensitivity and a hydrogen production rate has been determined. However, the Skylab camera suffered degradation of its sensitivity during the mission, and its absolute sensiti vity fbservation ofn only be estimated by comparison of the comet images with those taken by the rocket camera, with imagery of the geocoronal Lyman-α glow, of the moon in reflected Lyman-α, and of ultraviolet-bright stars. The rocket and geocoronal comparisons are used to derive a preliminary, qualitative history of the development of the cometary hydrogen coma and the associated hydrogen production rate.     

Speckle interferometry observations of asteroids at tng

The Speckle camera of the 3.5 m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) has been used to measure apparent sizes and shapes of a number of main belt asteroids. The average size measurements are in a generally good agreement with the results of indirect IRAS-based radiometric techniques. The measured shapes are compared with predictions based on previously derived spin axis directions and lightcurve photometry of some of the observed objects. Also in this case the agreement is reasonable and the speckle observations allow us to discriminate in some cases between the two pole solutions usually found for each object. No clear evidence of binaries was found. The results show that the TNG speckle camera can be a powerful tool to resolve relatively large main belt asteroids and to calibrate the results of the IRAS survey.     

同幅双速跟踪成像CCD相机数字控制器的设计

在介绍了同幅双速跟踪成像CCD相机的工作原理及其对相机数字控制器的要求之后,阐述了该数字控制器的设计思想,基本结构,并给出了仿真及测试结果。针对仿真及测试过程中出现的问题作了较为详细的分析,并提出了解决的方法。通过软件仿真及硬件测试,表明其设计是基本正确的。     

Auroral surges in southern hemisphere

All-sky camera photographs from Mawson have been used to determine the speeds of westward travelling auroral surges over Antarctica. The results indicate surge speeds comparable to the largest recorded for northern hemisphere surges.     

Upgraded photometric system on the 85-cm telescope at Xinglong station

The 85-cm telescope at Xinglong station is a prime focus system that operates well with high science outputs. The telescope has been upgraded since 2014 with a new corrector, and new filters and camera, which are provided by Beijing Normal University. The filter set is the Johnson-Cousins U BV RI system. We report the test results of the new system including bias, dark current, linearity, gain and readout noise of the CCD camera. Then we derive accurate instrumental calibration coefficients in U BV RI bands with Landolt standard stars during photometric nights. Finally, we give the limiting magnitudes with various exposure times and signal-to-noise ratios for observers as references.     

An intensified C.C.D. camera for telescope guidance

This paper deals with the study and the fabrication of an intensified C.C.D. camera for guiding telescopes or for searching fields containing faint stars. It describes the sensor of the camera (by connecting the Thomson C.C.D. and the RTC image intensifier) and its three working modes. The first is the direct exploitation of the video signal sent to the TV monitor, in conformity with the C.C.I.R. standard (the N.T.S.C. standard is also available). However, the study of stability and sensitivity of the intensifier lead us to create a second working mode necessary for the correct detection of faint objects (by an averaging filter improving the signal to noise ratio). The last mode is the integration by the C.C.D. itself: it allows a maximum of three-seconds integration time (therefore the detection of fainter objects), with the help of a thermoelectric cooling system. Moreover, the tests made on the 1.52 meter telescope of the O.A.N. (Calar-Alto, Spain) have been successful and confirm the capabilities of this camera to replace the intensified TV tube cameras, like the super-isocon camera.     

An Active Flexure Compensation Method for LAMOST spectrograph based on BP-Neural Network

The Large sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope(LAMOST) is a Chinese national scientific research facility operated by National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences(NAOC). The LAMOST survey for the Milky Way Galaxy and extra-galactic objects has been carried out for several years. The accuracies in measuring radial velocity are expected to be 5 km s-1 for the low resolution spectroscopic survey(R = 1800), and 1 km s-1 for the medium resolution mode. The stability of spectrograph is the main factor affecting the accuracies in measuring radial velocity, so an Active Flexure Compensation Method(AFCM) based on Back Propagation Neural Network(BPNN) is proposed in this paper. It utilizes a deep BP(4-layer, 5-layer etc.) model of thermal-induced flexure to periodically predict and apply flexure corrections by commanding the corresponding tilt and tip motions to the camera. The spectrograph camera system is adjusted so that the positions of these spots match those in a reference image. The simulated calibration of this compensation method analytically illustrates its performance on LAMOST spectrograph.     

The Armagh Observatory Meteor Camera Cluster: Overview and Status

Armagh Observatory installed a sky monitoring system consisting of two wide angle (90° × 52°) and one medium angle (52° × 35°) cameras in July 2005. The medium angle camera is part of a double station setup with a similar camera in Bangor, ∼73 km ENE of Armagh. All cameras use UFOCapture to record meteors automatically; software for off-line photometry, astrometry and double station calculations is currently being developed. The specifications of the cameras and cluster configuration are described in detail. 2425 single station meteors (1167, 861 and 806 by the medium-angle and the wide-angle cameras respectively) and 547 double station meteors were recorded during the months July 2005 to Dec 2006. About 212 double station meteors were recorded by more than one camera in the cluster. The effects of weather conditions on camera productivity are discussed. The distribution of single and double station meteor counts observed for the years 2005 and 2006 and calibrated for weather conditions are presented.     

CFH12K: Optimizing 12 MIT/LL CCID20 CCDs for a Direct Imaging Application

CFH12K is a 12 k by 8 k wide field imaging camera for the CFHT prime focus. The mosaic consists of twelve MIT Lincoln laboratories 2 k by 4 k thinned backside illuminated CCID20 devices. The devices’ operating parameters have been optimized to ensure the best data quality for use in broad and narrow band filter imaging mode. Adaptation to the CFHT prime focus environment included modifications to reduce the scattered light seen by the CFH12K. Science data taken by the camera has proven the success of CFHT’s new capability for 42 by 28 arcmin² imaging with high resolution subarcsecond seeing.     

An image converter-intensifier detector for high-resolution astronomical spectroscopy in the balloon ultraviolet

A rugged and compact image converter-intensifier camera has been developed for a balloon-borne spectrograph used in a programme of UV astronomical interference spectroscopy. Details are given of the construction of this new detector and of relevant performance characteristics in comparison with direct photography.