高精度恒星孔径测光注释

详细介绍了利用孔径测光方法得到CCD图像中恒星仪器星等的全过程,以及使用自己设计的程序对云南天文台1m望远镜观测的CCD图像进行实际测量的实验。测量结果表明:对亮星(约10mag)的内部测量精度能达到0.003mag,而对暗星(约17mag)达到0.2mag。同时,对相关问题进行深入讨论,总结了一些实验所得的经验,并与测光软件IRAF进行了内部精度的比较。     

吉林280mm全天区可转动光电阵测光精度评估研究

位于吉林天文观测基地的280 mm全天区可转动光电阵是一台用于空间碎片巡天观测的设备。为了研究该设备的光度测量性能,评估其测光精度,选择M67疏散星团中的测光标准星进行观测。首先,在IRAF(Image Reduction and Analysis Facility)中对观测图像进行预处理,之后进行较差测光;接着,提取测光数据并将整晚观测数据进行最小二乘直线拟合,拟合结果给出了主消光系数及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;最后,利用计算得到的均方根误差对设备的测光精度进行大致评估。计算结果表明,在标准测光夜测量亮于13.8 mag时,280 mm全天区可转动光电阵的测光精度可达0.13 mag。同时将观测图像与UCAC2星表匹配识别,利用背景恒星中的UCAC2标准星做外符合精度的校验,结果与前者基本相同。本设备的测光精度基本满足空间碎片巡天观测的要求。     

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.     

IRAF软件中DAOPHOT包的应用

为了检验威海天文台1 m望远镜的测光精度,2009年10月7日晚用该望远镜观测了M39星团,并对观测数据进行测光归算。由于M39星团中个别星较密集,使用IRAF中的DAOPHOT包进行星像测光。详细介绍了IRAF软件中的DAOPHOT包及其使用。数据归算结果表明,在UCAC3星表中匹配到的星,稀疏区域亮星的星等内部精度达到0.003mag,较密集区域的暗星内部精度约为0.012 8 mag。     

空间碎片观测中拖长星像的测光

提出空间碎片观测中对拖长背景恒星的测光算法,介绍了该方法的基本原理.利用迭代法对目标图像进行局部阈值分割提取,得到的二值图像通常包含多个连通域.最后对各连通域块检测判断,计算出目标的星等,达到测光的目的.通过与天文图像和数据处理软件IRAF的测光结果对比,此算法的误差在0.02mag左右,可以达到测光的要求.     

CCD平场改正精度对CCD测光精度的影响

本文讨论了CCD平场改正精度对CCD测光精度的影响。结果表明,CCD平场改正精度对CCD测光精度有很大的影响。因此,在CCD的测光精度范围之内,为了提高观测的极限星等,必须认真做好平场。此外还表明:(1)在同样的平场改正精度下,平场改正精度对CCD测光精度的影响还与视星等有关。星等值越大(天体越暗),影响就越大;(2)在一般情况下,只要被观测对象的视星等亮于18等(包括18~m),平场改正精度对CCD测光精度的影响都小于0.12~m;(3)当被观测对象的视星等暗于19等时,必须提高平场的改正精度,使其平场改正精度高于本文的结果,否则测光精度将太差、结果不能用。     

CCD图像数字定心算法的比较

从CCD采集的数字图像中提取天体的位置和光度信息对于天文研究具有基础意义.其中,恒星星像中心像素位置的精确测量对于天体测量至关重要.针对国际上常用的三种位置测量算法:修正矩方法、Gauss拟合法和中值法,利用实测的CCD图像进行了试验研究.具体地,采用云南天文台1m望远镜观测的CCD图像同时使用这些算法进行了实际测量,根据每幅图像中测得的像素位置,对这三类定心算法进行了比较和精度分析.可视化方法被用于不同阈值的选取和设定比较.实验数据表明,无阈值的二维Gauss拟合方法是一种精度相对较高的定心算法.     

上海天文台佘山工作站夜天亮度的变化

使用1994—2007年在1．56m反射望远镜CCD照相机拍摄的资料，测定了上海天文台余山工作站夜天亮度的变化。由于上海城市的发展，佘山工作站的夜天亮度在V波段从每平方角秒约19mag变到15．8mag，也就是说，夜天亮度自1994年以来变亮了约20倍。国际上优良台站的夜天亮度在V波段等于或暗于21．5mag。上述夜天亮度是优良台站的200多倍。现在在佘山工作站使用1．56m反射望远镜对暗于V=14mag的星做精确测光已经很困难了。     

基于Python的自动测光程序设计与实现

本文基于Python设计和实现自动测光程序。首先扫描文件名实现文件分类;然后进行数据检查、预处理与孔径测光,并保存测光数据;最终由观测者指定目标星与比较星,程序从测光结果中提取相应星等与观测时间等数据,获得基于较差测光法的光变曲线。为解决数据提取中星图匹配问题,提出自动追踪移动目标的基于向量特征星图匹配算法,能自动匹配偏移较大的星图,并跟踪不断移动的小行星。使用本程序分别处理双星和小行星观测数据,并与IRAF(Image Reducation and Analysis Facility)测光结果比较,测光结果最大偏差分别为0.04 mag和0.043 mag,标准偏差分别为±0.005 mag和±0.007 mag。     

关于云南天文台2.4米望远镜YFOSC的CCD的平场

与国家天文台兴隆站2.16 m安装的北京天文台暗天体分光成像仪(BAO FaintObject Spectrograph and Camera,BFOSC)系统相似,云南天文台2.4 m望远镜安装了云南暗弱天体光谱及成像仪(Yunnan Faint-Object Spectrograph and Camera,YFOSC),对它在直接照相时的CCD平场性能做了测定。使用不同旋转角度拍摄平均而得的平场,可以使不同位置拍摄的像场,所受最大误差≤0.015 mag。但与卡焦的VersArray CCD照相机不同,即使在视场中间直径6.’5的圆内,误差约在0.010～0.013 mag之间,达不到≤0.005 mag的精度。     

ePSF拟合法与Gaussian拟合法的比较

为了解决哈勃空间望远镜的图像欠采样问题,美国学者Anderson和King提出了精确测量星像位置和通量的有效点扩散函数(ePSF—effective point-spread function)拟合法。然而,他们却不加比较地将其应用于地面CCD图像中星像的位置高精度测量。因此,我们试图将ePSF拟合法与经典的高斯函数(Gaussian)拟合法作比较研究。调用CFITSIO库生成模拟的背景图像,并应用不同参数条件下的星像轮廓模型产生非欠采样的星像。最后,分别采用ePSF拟合法与Gaussian拟合法对这些星像进行拟合,并对它们的拟合精度进行比较。实验结果表明,在非欠采样的图像中这两种算法对星像位置的测量几乎是等精度的。     

Photometry of young starlike objects in the dwarf galaxy NGC 2976— age and metallicity

We present BVI_c photometry of the brightest stars andcompact star clusters in NGC 2976, a dwarf galaxy in the interacting M81/M82 group. Deep CCD images of the galaxy were obtained with the 6m‐Telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory (Russia) at arcsec resolution. About 290 young stars and concentrated young clusters were measured. Supplementary data in the ultraviolet are taken from the literature. The extinction to the measured objects is comparatively low, E(B — V) ∼ 0.15 .. 0.20 mag. We estimate the ages of youngest resolved stars and concentrated star clusters to be ∼5 · 10⁶ years. This population is concentrated in a broad stripe facing M81. In the central disk the population is a bit older, about 8 · 10⁶ years, this may be a hint to an outward spreading star formation process. The metallicity of the disk population is estimatedas solar (z ∼ 0.02) from a fitting to Padova theoretical stellar isochrones.     

人卫观测中拖长星像的中心定位

提出应用于人造卫星观测中确定拖长星像中心的平均几何中心法 ,介绍了该方法的基本原理与实现步骤。将中值滤波应用于CCD数据的预处理并收到较好的效果。利用实际观测资料初步验证了平均几何中心法 ,结果表明 ,与通常采用的重心法相比 ,此方法对人卫观测中的拖长星像进行中心定位的精度较高。     

A new flare star member candidate in the Pleiades cluster

We present a new flare star, which was discovered during our survey on a selected field at the edge of the Pleiades cluster. The field was observed in the period 2007–2010 with three different CCD‐cameras at the University Observatory Jena with telescopes from 25 to 90 cm. The flare duration is almost one hour with an amplitude in the R‐band of about 1.08 mag. The location of the flare star in a color‐magnitude diagram is consistent with age and distance of the Pleiades. In the optical PSF of the flare star there are two 2MASS objects (unresolved in most images in the optical Jena PSF), so it is not yet known which one of them is responsible for this flare. The BVRIJHK colors yield spectral types of M1 and M2 with extinction being A_v = 0.231 ± 0.024 mag and A_v = 0.266 ± 0.020 for those two stars, consistent with the Pleiades cluster (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

New Variable Stars Discovered as By-product of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory Supernova Survey

The Beijing Astronomical Observatory (BAO) 0.6 m telescope has been used for nearby supernova survey in more than 3000 fields, covering a total area of 235 deg2. More than 260000 CCD images have been collected since April 1996, with 45 supernovae discovered. We searched for variables in about 90000 images taken during 1996-1998. For the fields in which long period variables (LPVs) were discovered, we reduced further images taken from 1999 to 2000, for the period estimation. Among the 280000 stars selected from the survey fields, i.e., brighter than 18 mag, we discovered seven new LPVs and reconfirmed three known LPVs. Additionally, we found 146 variable star candidates, and reconfirmed about 20 previously known or suspected objects.     

Variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126

We report the results of a time-series CCD photometric survey of variable stars in the field of open cluster NGC 2126. In about a one square degree field covering the cluster, a total of 21 variable candidates are detected during this survey, of which 16 are newly found. The periods, classifications and spectral types of 14 newly discovered variables are discussed, which consist of six eclipsing binary systems, three pulsating variable stars, three long period variables, one RS CVn star, and one W UMa or δ Scuti star. In addition, there are two variable candidates, the properties of which cannot be determined. By a method based on fitting observed spectral energy distributions of stars with theoretical ones, the membership probabilities and the fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined. As a result, five variables are probably members of NGC 2126. The fundamental parameters of this cluster are determined as: metallicity to be 0.008 Z , age log(t)=8.95, distance modulus (m - M)0 = 10.34 and reddening value E(B -V) = 0.55 mag.     

A two-color CCD survey of the North Celestial Cap: I. The method

We describe technical aspects of an astrometric and photometric survey of the North Celestial Cap (NCC), from the Pole (δ=90°) to δ=80°, in support of the TAUVEX mission. This region, at galactic latitudes from ∼17° to ∼37°, has poor coverage in modern CCD-based surveys. The observations are performed with the Wise Observatory one-meter reflector and with a new mosaic CCD camera (LAIWO) that images in the Johnson–Cousins R and I bands a one-square-degree field with sub-arcsec pixels. The images are treated using IRAF and SExtractor to produce a final catalogue of sources. The astrometry, based on the USNO-A2.0 catalogue, is good to ∼1 arcsec and the photometry is good to ∼0.1 mag for point sources brighter than R=20.0 or I=19.1 mag. The limiting magnitudes of the survey, defined at photometric errors smaller than 0.15 mag, are 20.6 mag (R) and 19.6 (I). We separate stars from non-stellar objects based on the object shapes in the R and I bands, attempting to reproduce the SDSS star/galaxy dichotomy. The completeness test indicates that the catalogue is complete to the limiting magnitudes.     

Correcting CCD photometry of stars for seeing effects

Systematic variability in stellar magnitudes, as derived from profile fitting to CCD images, may in some instances be due to variable seeing. It is suggested that this happens in cases where the stars are unresolved pairs, typically with sub-arcsecond separation between the components. It is shown that the fitting of suitable Generalised Additive Models to time series photometry can disentangle intrinsic stellar variability and seeing-induced brightness changes. It is possible that there will be a fixed seeing response associated with a given star which exhibits the effect: estimation of this response from several long photometric runs is demonstrated.