The university of New South Wales automated patrol telescope

The Automated Patrol Telescope is a wide-field CCD imaging telescope of novel design. The telescope is a converted Baker-Nunn satellite tracking camera that has undergone extensive modification to its optical, mechanical and electronic systems. Telescope operation is entirely under computer control, and the instrument is to be used for a variety of astronomical survey and monitoring projects.     

Site testing campaign for the Large Optical/infrared Telescope of China:overview

The Large Optical/infrared Telescope(LOT) is a ground-based 12 m diameter optical/infrared telescope which is proposed to be built in the western part of China in the next decade.Based on satellite remote sensing data,along with geographical,logistical and political considerations,three candidate sites were chosen for ground-based astronomical performance monitoring.These sites include:Ali in Tibet,Daocheng in Sichuan and Muztagh-ata in Xinjiang.Up until now,all three sites have continuously collected data for two years.In this paper,we will introduce this site testing campaign,and present its monitoring results obtained during the period between March 2017 and March 2019.     

基于SLR精密轨道的天文定位精度分析

利用全球卫星激光测距服务系统(ILRS,International Laser Ranging Service)标准点资料对Ajisai卫星进行精密定轨,残差均方根(RMS)优于3 cm,得到该星的精密轨道.进而对长春站40 cm空间碎片光电望远镜获得的Ajisai卫星的天文定位资料进行精度分析,外符合精度约3″左右.单独利用天文定位数据进行轨道改进,内符合精度优于3″.改进轨道的x、y、z坐标3分量在观测数据覆盖范围内的精度在100 m之内.同样地对Jason-1卫星作数据分析,结果和Ajisai卫星精度相当.分析各个弧段的精度变化,发现定标星个数减少,会导致天文定位精度下降.据此提出可以把最少定标星比例作为评定数据质量的参考指标之一.     

Prospects for astronomical development in South Africa

Because of its geographical location and (astronomically) excellent climate South Africa can make an unique contribution to international astronomical research. An assessment of recent developments in telescope technology has shown that an advanced technology telescope of 4m-class can be constructed which will out-perform most existing 4m-class telescopes. Detailed consideration is given to the construction of such a telescope for optical/infrared astronomy, the new science that this will enable and the selection of a site of sufficiently good quality to justify the erection of such a telescope. If a telescope of this nature is sited in southern Africa it would provide the premier astronomical facility in Africa for decades to come.     

X-ray spectrophotometer SphinX and particle spectrometer STEP-F of the satellite experiment CORONAS-PHOTON. Preliminary results of the joint data analysis

A joint analysis is carried out of data obtained with the help of the solar X-ray SphinX spectrophotometer and the electron and proton satellite telescope STEP-F in May 2009 in the course of the scientific space experiment CORONAS-PHOTON. In order to determine the energies and particle types, in the analysis of spectrophotometer records data are used on the intensities of electrons, protons, and secondary γ-radiation, obtained by the STEP-F telescope, which was located in close proximity to the SphinX spectrophotometer. The identical reaction of both instruments is noted at the intersection of regions of the Brazilian magnetic anomaly and the Earth’s radiation belts. It is shown that large area photodiodes, serving as sensors of the X-ray spectrometer, reliably record electron fluxes of low and intermediate energies, as well as fluxes of the secondary gamma radiation from construction materials of detector modules, the TESIS instrument complex, and the spacecraft itself. The dynamics of electron fluxes, recorded by the SphinX spectrophotometer in the vicinity of a weak geomagnetic storm, supplements the information about the processes of radial diffusion of electrons, which was studied using the STEP-F telescope.     

The observation of extensive air showers from an Earth-orbiting satellite

We review the main issues that are relevant for the observation of extensive air showers from an Earth-orbiting satellite. Extensive air showers are produced by the interaction of ultra-high energy cosmic particles with the atmosphere and can be observed by an orbiting telescope detecting the air scintillation light.We provide the main analytical formulas and semi-analytical results needed to optimize the design of a suitable telescope and estimate the best-expected performance and the minimal necessary requirements for the observation.While we have in mind an EUSO-like general-purpose experiment, the results presented in this paper are useful for any kind of space-based experiment.     

Testing dark energy with the Advanced Liquid-mirror Probe of Asteroids, Cosmology and Astrophysics

The Advanced Liquid-mirror Probe of Asteroids, Cosmology and Astrophysics (ALPACA) is a proposed 8-m liquid-mirror telescope surveying  ∼1000 deg²  of the Southern hemisphere sky. It will be a remarkably simple and inexpensive telescope that none the less will deliver a powerful sample of optical data for studying dark energy. The bulk of the cosmological data consist of nightly, high signal-to-noise ratio, multiband light curves of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). At the end of the 3-yr run, ALPACA is expected to collect  ≳100 000  SNe Ia up to   z ∼ 1  . This will allow us to reduce present systematic uncertainties affecting the standard-candle relation. The survey will also provide several other data sets such as the detection of baryon acoustic oscillations in the matter power spectrum and shear weak-lensing measurements. In this preliminary analysis, we forecast constraints on dark energy parameters from SNe Ia and baryon acoustic oscillations. The combination of these two data sets will provide competitive constraints on the dark energy parameters under minimal prior assumptions. Further studies are needed to address the accuracy of weak-lensing measurements.     

Space VLBI Geodesy: background of an experiment proposal

Space VLBI is a new observing technique which will be available in the second half of this decade by radio telescopes as interferometer elements in orbit. Besides the main astronomical interests, this new development has some very interesting potential applications in satellite dynamics, geodesy and geodynamical research which qualify space VLBI a potential new technique in space geodesy. A geodesy demostration experiment (GEDEX) is being proposed for the Japanese space VLBI satellite-VSOP, with the main objectives of reference frame interconnections and orbit accuracy improvement of the space radio telescope. The paper gives a review of the special characteristics of space VLBI and a general background of the GEDEX proposal.     

Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope project

A Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) is proposed to be built in the unique karst area of southwest China, and will act, in a sense, as a prototype for the Square Kilometer Array (SKA). It will be over twice as large as the Arecibo telescope coupled with much wider sky coverage. Some results from site surveys for such a SKA concept are briefly reported. Technically, FAST is not simply a copy of the existing Arecibo telescope but has rather a number of innovations. Firstly, the proposed main spherical reflector, by conforming to a paraboloid of revolution in real time through actuated active control, enables the realization of both wide bandwidth and full polarization capability while using standard feed design. Secondly, a feed support system which integrates optical, mechanical and electronic technologies will effectively reduce the cost of the support structure and control system. Pre-research on FAST has become a key project in the CAS. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Automatic generation of optical initial configuration based on Delano diagram

This paper presents a method to automatically initialize an optical system based on the Delano diagram. The process to generate the optical initial configuration is constrained by the control points, which are deduced from parameters related to basic design requirements. We present the theory and method to generate the optical initial configuration automatically when the basic design requirements are known. Two optical systems are taken as examples to demonstrate the proposed method.     

Study on the possible detection of Gamma Ray Bursts with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

The ANTARES telescope, currently in construction, is aiming to detect high energy neutrinos. Data from the first line of the detector, which became operational recently, demonstrates that the nominal time and space resolutions are achieved. Various models predict the emission of high energy neutrinos from astrophysical sources such as Supernova Remnants, Microquasars, Active Galactic Nuclei and Gamma Ray Bursts. With the custom designed data acquisition system of this detector, in combination with the existing satellite alert systems, the ANTARES telescope has an increased sensitivity for neutrinos from Gamma Ray Bursts compared to conventional time independent sources. Gabrielle Lelaizant on behalf of the ANTARES Collaboration.     

采用光学指向系统建立天马13m望远镜指向模型

描述了采用光学望远镜辅助天马13m射电望远镜进行指向测量以及建立指向误差修正模型的方法. 对于小口径望远镜, 指向校准目标源比较少, 用射电法建立指向模型难以覆盖全天区. 利用上海天文台天马13m射 电望远镜进行光学望远镜辅助射电望远镜指向测量研究, 在13m天线背架上安装一套光学指向系统, 获得了优 于3''的重复测量误差. 此外, 通过对影响天线指向因素的分析, 建立了包含8个误差项的指向误差修正模型以及 光轴和电轴偏差模型. 将指向模型代入天线伺服控制系统, 对校准目标射电源进行十字扫描, 得到指向样本残差约 为5''. 该研究可以为实现高精度指向建模提供一种参考方法.     

一种液晶显示系统的单片机接口设计

液晶显示器（LCD）工作电压低、功耗小、能与CMOS电路匹配；且显示柔和、字迹清晰、重量轻、可靠性高、寿命长，自问世以来其发展速度之快，用途之广远远超过了其它发光器件。在自动化仪表及自动控制系统中，越来越多的设计者采用液晶显示与仪器对接，尽管其接口电路较传统的LED显示器复杂，由于其独特的优点，正得到广泛地应用。现介绍一种单片机LCD显示器接口的设计。在使用步进电机进行精密自动控制的系统中，利用8031单片机作为控制器，加之使用8255并行接口，可实现移位显示，也可适时显示转角信息和检测信息。该设计自动化程度高、可控性强，可用于天文仪器的精密定位、扫描以及其它自控监示系统。     

Impact of aerosols and adverse atmospheric conditions on the data quality for spectral analysis of the H.E.S.S. telescopes

The Earth’s atmosphere is an integral part of the detector in ground-based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT) experiments and has to be taken into account in the calibration. Atmospheric and hardware-related deviations from simulated conditions can result in the mis-reconstruction of primary particle energies and therefore of source spectra. During the eight years of observations with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in Namibia, the overall yield in Cherenkov photons has varied strongly with time due to gradual hardware aging, together with adjustments of the hardware components, and natural, as well as anthropogenic, variations of the atmospheric transparency. Here we present robust data selection criteria that minimize these effects over the full data set of the H.E.S.S. experiment and introduce the Cherenkov transparency coefficient as a new atmospheric monitoring quantity. The influence of atmospheric transparency, as quantified by this coefficient, on energy reconstruction and spectral parameters is examined and its correlation with the aerosol optical depth (AOD) of independent MISR satellite measurements and local measurements of atmospheric clarity is investigated.     

Mechanical design of the solar telescope GREGOR

The mechanical structure of the GREGOR telescope was installed at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, in 2004. New concepts for mounting and cooling of the 1.5‐meter primary mirror were introduced. GREGOR is an open telescope, therefore the dome is completely open during observations to allow for air flushing through the open, but stiff telescope structure. Backside cooling system of the primary mirror keeps the mirror surface close to ambient temperature to prevent mirror seeing. The large collecting area of the primary mirror results in high energy density at the field stop at the prime focus of the primary which needs to be removed. The optical elements are supported by precision alignment systems and should provide a stable solar image at the optical lab. The coudé train can be evacuated and serves as a natural barrier between the outer environmental conditions and the air‐conditioned optical laboratory with its sensitive scientific instrumentation. The telescope was successfully commissioned and will start its nominal operation during 2013 (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Precise Determination of the Orientation of the Solar Image

Accurate heliographic coordinates of objects on the Sun have to be known in several fields of solar physics. One of the factors that affect the accuracy of the measurements of the heliographic coordinates is the accuracy of the orientation of a solar image. In this paper the well-known drift method for determining the orientation of the solar image is applied to data taken with a solar telescope equipped with a CCD camera. The factors that influence the accuracy of the method are systematically discussed, and the necessary corrections are determined. These factors are as follows: the trajectory of the center of the solar disk on the CCD with the telescope drive turned off, the astronomical refraction, the change of the declination of the Sun, and the optical distortion of the telescope. The method can be used on any solar telescope that is equipped with a CCD camera and is capable of taking solar full-disk images. As an example to illustrate the method and its application, the orientation of solar images taken with the Gyula heliograph is determined. As a byproduct, a new method to determine the optical distortion of a solar telescope is proposed.     

Upgrading and automating the AZT-8 70-cm telescope

The AZT-8 70-cm telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory was upgraded in the early 2000s. Obsolete pieces of equipment of the telescope were replaced and new ones were developed. The creation of a special control program has enabled the telescope to be pointed at objects automatically. As a result, it has become much easier to control the telescope and the efficiency of using the observing time has increased significantly.     

Acceleration feedback control(AFC) enhanced by disturbance observation and compensation(DOC) for high precision tracking in telescope systems

In this paper, a cascade acceleration feedback control(AFC) enhanced by a disturbance observation and compensation(DOC) method is proposed to improve the tracking precision of telescope systems.Telescope systems usually suffer some uncertain disturbances, such as wind load, nonlinear friction and other unknown disturbances. To ensure tracking precision, an acceleration feedback loop which can increase the stiffness of such a system is introduced. Moreover, to further improve the tracking precision, we introduce the DOC method which can accurately estimate the disturbance and compensate it. Furthermore,the analysis of tracking accuracy used by this method is proposed. Finally, a few comparative experimental results show that the proposed control method has excellent performance for reducing the tracking error of a telescope system.     

Measuring fiber position errors from spectral data

Precise fiber positioning is crucial to a wide field,multi-fiber spectroscopic survey such as the Guoshoujing Telescope(the Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope,LAMOST).Nowadays,most position error measurements are based on CCD photographic and image processing techniques.These methods only work for measuring errors orthogonal to the telescope optical axis,but there are also errors that lie parallel to the optical axis of the telescope,such as defocusing,and errors caused by the existing deviation angle between the optical axes of a fiber and the telescope.Directly measuring the two latter types of position errors is difficult for an individual fiber,especially during observations.Possible sources of fiber position errors are discussed in brief for LAMOST.By constructing a model of magnitude loss due to the fiber position error for a point source,we propose an indirect method to calculate both the total and systematic position errors for each individual fiber from spectral data.Restrictions and applications of this method are also discussed.     

Simulation Research on the Solar Hard X-Ray Imaging Telescope

The hard X-ray imaging telescope of the modulation collimator type is widely used in current solar observations. The spatial modulation telescope is the telescope which keeps its central axis not rotate, suitable for the satellite of 3-axis attitude stabilization. For the possible Chinese solar mission in the near future, we make a design of hard X-ray imaging telescope, and simulate the photon counting using the common simulation software GEANT4. Then we implement the image reconstruction with MATLAB, and compare the reconstructed image of the photons simulated by GEANT4 with that of the photons calculated by the geometric algorithm. The results show that the simulated one by GEANT4 is more closer to the reality than that obtained by the geometric algorithm. An executable design is also proposed at last.