川西无名山天文址点GIS分析研究

随着西部天文选址工作在川西无名山地区的逐步深入,利用地理信息科学(Geographic Information System,GIS)手段收集了大量长期数据,对无名山及周边地区的地理、地质、气候、气象、社会与人口发展趋势等方面开展了详细的调查研究.资料分析结果显示:无名山地处青藏高原向东延伸的褶皱地带—典型的横断山脉地区,形成地势整体落差大、山脊走势平缓、地质结构稳定的特色.无名山区域最高点海拔高度超过5000 m,但附近存在海拔仅2000–3000 m的人口定居点多处,可实现低成本后勤保障;鲜有地震泥石流等不良地质灾害记录;大气干燥、植被稀少、地表半干旱状态;常年盛行西南风,冬季气候寒冷、降雨量稀少,夏季受南部印度洋暖湿气流影响存在明显的雨季;属大香格里拉核心地带,大气洁净度高,无沙尘暴等恶劣天气记录;年均云量少于5成,风向稳定、风速小,可利用晴日/夜数多;人口稀少、经济发展缓慢、社会和谐稳定、远离川滇藏经济相对发达地区;近年来随着本地区旅游资源开发,交通条件得到明显改善,具备高质量公路维护与日常航空运输能力,鲜有其他高原地区常见的大雪封山、航空停运等运输不畅情形发生.因此,GIS综合分析结果表明:无名山地区满足建设高海拔天文观测站的一系列基本保障条件,是我国西部难得的光学/红外天文址点资源.     

高美古观测站大气消光系数测定的初步结果

大气消光系数的测定是天文观测台站一项很重要和基础的工作.介绍了利用新建的2.4 m望远镜在高美古观测站开展的消光系数测定等定标工作的初步结果.利用2009年4～5月对Landolt标准星场的2次测光观测,分别给出了UBVRI 5个波段的消光系数.此外,对该站点大气消光的成分情况进行了探讨.给出的结果与数年前高美古观测站选址时得到的大气消光系数基本一致,并与其它一些知名天文观测台站的消光数据进行了比较.     

不同测站近地小行星地基观测效能评估研究

目标的完备性搜索是开展近地小行星预警和防御的前提. 为量化评价近地小行星观测效能, 提高监测设备使用效率, 提出一种综合望远镜参数和测站天文条件的观测效能评估方法. 以观测目标信噪比作为检测指标, 设定检测条件形成目标检测方法, 定义评价指标用于评估近地小行星观测效能. 再基于近地小行星轨道数据和尺度分布模型, 建立近地小行星轨道数据模拟样本库. 最后选取中国科学院紫金山天文台盱眙观测站和中国科学院国家天文台冷湖观测台址, 仿真分析近地天体望远镜对直径0.01--30km近地小行星的观测效能, 结果表明: 不考虑两观测站年有效观测时间差异, 近地天体望远镜在冷湖观测全尺寸模拟样本的效能比在盱眙提高了5.21倍, 其中对1km以上直径目标的观测效能相当, 对1km以下直径目标的观测效能差异开始显现, 对0.1km以下直径目标冷湖优势更显著.     

先进多孔径视宁度廓线仪数值模拟研究

先进多孔径视宁度廓线仪(A-MASP)由两台小望远镜组成,通过望远镜观测太阳表面的米粒结构进行日间湍流廓线测量.两台望远镜之间的相对指向误差可以通过改进的湍流廓线测量公式消除.数值仿真研究表明,使用消除抖动的湍流廓线计算公式后,发现A-MASP对地表附近的湍流不敏感.当两台望远镜距离为0.4 m时,无法测量400 m以下的湍流.在A-MASP中,采样高度的不均匀分布会造成测量结果的失真,可通过等效采样高度的计算方法,对该失真进行修正.通过100层相位屏对大气湍流的仿真,结果表明当望远镜距离不同时,湍流廓线测量的结果各有侧重.当距离较近时(0.4 m),A-MASP对0.4–5 km的湍流廓线测量精度较高.当距离为1.2 m和2.0 m时,对5 km以上的湍流廓线测量较准确.     

吉林天文观测基地光学观测环境及相关研究进展

地基光学天文望远镜是人类探索与研究宇宙的重要手段, 对已有地基光学台址的光学观测环境进行监测分析, 可以为后期设备针对性改造以及观测者调整观测策略提供参考依据, 对提升地基光学设备的观测效能具有重要的意义. 吉林天文观测基地(简称``基地'')隶属于中国科学院国家天文台长春人造卫星观测站, 位于吉林省吉林市大绥河镇小绥河村南沟约5 km处(东经126.3^\circ, 北纬43.8^\circ, 海拔高度313m). 基地大气视宁度均值范围约为1.3$''$--1.4$''$、天顶附近V波段的天光背景亮度为20.64magcdotarcsec^-2、年晴夜数最高可达270余天, 具有良好的天文观测条件. 吉林天文观测基地于2016年投入运行, 现有1.2m光电望远镜、迷你光电阵列望远镜、大视场光电望远镜阵列、新型多功能阵列结构光电探测平台等多台(套)光电望远镜设备. 利用上述设备, 主要围绕空间目标探测与识别、精密轨道确定、光电探测新方法以及变源天体的多色测光等开展相关研究工作, 与多家国内高校及科研院所保持着良好的合作关系.     

月球交会对接VLBI差分时延研究

中国探月3期任务中,月球交会对接技术是任务成功的重要保障.利用嫦娥3号(CE03)绕月飞行的VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry)时延数据,模拟仿真绕月交会对接过程中,同波束VLBI观测模式下,差分群时延的变化情况.仿真结果显示,在远程导引段,轨道器和上升组合体轨道距离保持100 km,持续半小时,差分群时延很好地反映了两者的轨道信息,可以用于定轨定位;自主控制段,上升组合体靠近轨道器,在轨道距离从5 km减小到20 m过程中,上升组合体加速追赶轨道器时,差分群时延快速趋近于0,上升组合体减速远离轨道器时,差分群时延绝对值快速变大.最后,利用嫦娥3号奔月段同时发射两个DOR (Differential One-Ranging)信号的VLBI时延数据,计算差分相时延,初步展示了月球交会对接过程中同波束VLBI差分相时延的误差情况.     

国内首架日冕仪落户云南丽江

日冕仪的重要功能是通过人造日食的巧妙方式来直接观测太阳最外层大气——日冕层。借助日冕仪,人们在常规太阳观测条件下就可以欣赏美丽的日冕以及壮丽的日冕爆发过程。我们的前辈自上世纪50年代末就开始了针对日冕观测址点的不断考察,但遗憾的是一直未能寻找到理想的候选点。随着近几年我国西部太阳选址工作的不断深入,我们选址科考队得到了一批颇有价值的潜在理想址点,大香格里拉地区便是其中得到证认的区域之一。滇西北的丽江高美古天文基地就位于大香格里拉地区南部,海拔较高,空气十分洁净,每年旱季日照充沛。高美古目前拥有东亚最大的地面天文望远镜集群,为我们日冕仪观测站的建立提供了极其便利的基本条件。     

南极冰穹A首台自动视宁度检测仪的研制

南极冰穹C (Dome C)的选址结果显示:Dome C具有寒冷干燥、红外背景辐射低、可连续3～4个月观测、空气明净、透过率高、风速低等特征,是比地面上任何中纬度台址都好的天文观测台址.而由我国最先登陆的内陆最高点冰穹A (Dome A)被国际天文界广泛认为可能是比Dome C更好的天文台址.近3 yr来,中国科学院南极天文中心领导开展Dome A的台址测量工作,初步结果表明Dome A作为天文台址具有巨大优势.但是到目前还没有获得直接用于衡量天文台址在光学观测方面的主要参数—视宁度数据.介绍了中国科学院南京天文光学技术研究所自行研制的我国首个用于Dome A的自动视宁度测量仪,基于一台口径35 cm的商用望远镜进行硬件改造和软件开发,使其能在Dome A低温低压环境下进行自动观测和数据处理.目前该仪器已随“雪龙号,科考船起运南极,于2011年初安装到Dome A并开始测量.起运前,在兴隆观测站与中国科学院国家天文台(国台)选址组的一台视宁度监测仪进行了对比测量,对软件、硬件和装调方法进行了检验验证.     

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.     

基于分布式执行框架的低频射电干涉阵列成像管线优化

平方公里阵列(Square Kilometre Array,SKA)项目是建设全球最大射电望远镜的国际合作项目,其灵敏度和测量速度将比当前所有的射电望远镜都要高出一个数量级.连续谱巡天是SKA的主要观测模式之一,基于连续谱成像建立巡天区域的标准星图,将能为后续天文科学研究奠定重要基础.银河系与河外星系全天默奇森宽场阵列拓展巡天(GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array survey eXtended,GLEAM-X)是2018—2020年利用SKA先导望远镜默奇森宽场阵列(Murchison Wide-field Array,MWA)二期拓展阵列开展的新的射电连续谱巡天项目,观测期间积累了大量的低频巡天观测数据.海量观测数据的自动化、大批量处理是SKA望远镜项目所面临的的最大挑战和难题之一,基于分布式执行框架的成像管线优化经验将有助于解决海量数据处理问题.详细介绍了GLEAM-X成像管线并对其进行整合和改进,在中国SKA区域中心原型机(China SKA Regional Centre Prototype,...     

修正的极大似然法拟合幂律频数分布

针对包含饱和样本数据的频数幂律分布拟合,提出一个新的幂律分布指数的极大似然估计方法的修正公式.对比研究显示,修正公式适用于剔除异常饱和值的幂律频数拟合.如果不剔除饱和值,幂律指数的估计只能使用修正前的公式,其误差随幂律指数变化,指数较小时误差较大.由此建议,对于包含饱和样本的频数分布拟合,首先剔除异常的饱和值,然后对剩余不含饱和值的子集使用修正公式进行参数估计.     

Cosmological systematics beyond nuisance parameters: form-filling functions

In the absence of any compelling physical model, cosmological systematics are often misrepresented as statistical effects and the approach of marginalizing over extra nuisance systematic parameters is used to gauge the effect of the systematic. In this article, we argue that such an approach is risky at best since the key choice of function can have a large effect on the resultant cosmological errors.
As an alternative we present a functional form-filling technique in which an unknown, residual, systematic is treated as such. Since the underlying function is unknown, we evaluate the effect of every functional form allowed by the information available (either a hard boundary or some data). Using a simple toy model, we introduce the formalism of functional form filling. We show that parameter errors can be dramatically affected by the choice of function in the case of marginalizing over a systematic, but that in contrast the functional form-filling approach is independent of the choice of basis set.
We then apply the technique to cosmic shear shape measurement systematics and show that a shear calibration bias of  | m ( z )| ≲ 10⁻³ (1 + z )^0.7  is required for a future all-sky photometric survey to yield unbiased cosmological parameter constraints to per cent accuracy.
A module associated with the work in this paper is available through the open source icosmo code available at http://www.icosmo.org .     

Substructure recovery by three-dimensional discrete wavelet transforms

We present and discuss a method to identify substructures in combined angular-redshift samples of galaxies within clusters. The method relies on the use of the discrete wavelet transform (hereafter DWT) and has already been applied to the analysis of the Coma cluster. The main new ingredient of our method with respect to previous studies lies in the fact that we make use of a 3D data set rather than a 2D one. We test the method on mock cluster catalogues with spatially localized substructures and on a N -body simulation. Our main conclusion is that our method is able to identify the existing substructures provided that: (a) the subclumps are detached in part or all of the phase space, (b) one has a statistically significant number of redshifts, increasing as the distance decreases due to redshift distortions; (c) one knows a priori the scale on which substructures are to be expected. We have found that to allow an accurate recovery we must have both a significant number of galaxies (≈200 for clusters at z ≥0.4 or about 800 at z ≤0.4) and a limiting magnitude for completeness m _B =16.
The only true limitation to our method seems to be the necessity of knowing a priori the scale on which the substructure is to be found. This is an intrinsic drawback of the method and no improvement in numerical codes based on this technique could make up for it.     

Accurate estimators of power spectra in N-body simulations

A method to rapidly estimate the Fourier power spectrum of a point distribution is presented. This method relies on a Taylor expansion of the trigonometric functions. It yields the Fourier modes from a number of fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), which is controlled by the order N of the expansion and by the dimension D of the system. In three dimensions, for the practical value   N = 3  , the number of FFTs required is 20.
We apply the method to the measurement of the power spectrum of a periodic point distribution that is a local Poisson realization of an underlying stationary field. We derive an explicit analytic expression for the spectrum, which allows us to quantify – and correct for – the biases induced by discreteness and by the truncation of the Taylor expansion, and to bound the unknown effects of aliasing of the power spectrum. We show that these aliasing effects decrease rapidly with the order N . For   N = 3  , they are expected to be, respectively, smaller than  ∼10⁻⁴  and 0.02 at half the Nyquist frequency and at the Nyquist frequency of the grid used to perform the FFTs. The only remaining significant source of errors is reduced to the unavoidable cosmic/sample variance due to the finite size of the sample.
The analytical calculations are successfully checked against a cosmological N -body experiment. We also consider the initial conditions of this simulation, which correspond to a perturbed grid. This allows us to test a case where the local Poisson assumption is incorrect. Even in that extreme situation, the third-order Fourier–Taylor estimator behaves well, with aliasing effects restrained to at most the per cent level at half the Nyquist frequency.
We also show how to reach arbitrarily large dynamic range in Fourier space (i.e. high wavenumber), while keeping statistical errors in control, by appropriately 'folding' the particle distribution.     

Detrending time series for astronomical variability surveys

We present a detrending algorithm for the removal of trends in time series. Trends in time series could be caused by various systematic and random noise sources such as cloud passages, changes of airmass, telescope vibration, CCD noise or defects of photometry. Those trends undermine the intrinsic signals of stars and should be removed. We determine the trends from subsets of stars that are highly correlated among themselves. These subsets are selected based on a hierarchical tree clustering algorithm. A bottom-up merging algorithm based on the departure from normal distribution in the correlation is developed to identify subsets, which we call clusters. After identification of clusters, we determine a trend per cluster by weighted sum of normalized light curves. We then use quadratic programming to detrend all individual light curves based on these determined trends. Experimental results with synthetic light curves containing artificial trends and events are presented. Results from other detrending methods are also compared. The developed algorithm can be applied to time series for trend removal in both narrow and wide field astronomy.     

The analysis of irregularly observed stochastic astronomical time-series – I. Basics of linear stochastic differential equations

The theory of low-order linear stochastic differential equations is reviewed. Solutions to these equations give the continuous time analogues of discrete time autoregressive time-series. Explicit forms for the power spectra and covariance functions of first- and second-order forms are given. A conceptually simple method is described for fitting continuous time autoregressive models to data. Formulae giving the standard errors of the parameter estimates are derived. Simulated data are used to verify the performance of the methods. Irregularly spaced observations of the two hydrogen-deficient stars FQ Aqr and NO Ser are analysed. In the case of FQ Aqr the best-fitting model is of second order, and describes a quasi-periodicity of about 20 d with an e-folding time of 3.7 d. The NO Ser data are best fitted by a first-order model with an e-folding time of 7.2 d.