The Einstein polarization interferometer for cosmology (EPIC) and the millimeter-wave bolometric interferometer (MBI)

We provide an overview of a mission concept study underway for the Einstein Inflation Probe (EIP). Our study investigates the advantages and tradeoffs of using an interferometer (EPIC) for the mission. We also report on the status of the millimeter-wave bolometric interferometer (MBI), a ground-based pathfinder optimized for degree-scale CMB polarization measurements at 90 GHz.     

Cameras and filters for nebular photography

The parameters of filter-cameras for nebular photography are outlined and a method of using confocal paraboloids to give the basic camera a higher resolution is investigated. Some astronomical problems requiring filter-cameras with large fields of view are mentioned. Two systems are described which increase the small field of the basic camera to 30⁰ and then 90⁰. Comments are then made on the design and construction of interference filters for this, type of photography.     

Temporal filters for isolating steady photospheric flows

A variety of temporal filters are tested on artificial data with 60 and 75 s sampling intervals to determine their accuracy in separating the nearly-steady photospheric flows from the p-mode oscillations in Doppler velocity data. Longer temporal averages are better at reducing the residual signal due to p-modes but they introduce additional errors from the rotation of the supergranule pattern across the solar disk. Unweighted filters (boxcar averages) leave residual r.m.s. errors of about 6 m s^–1 from the p-modes after 60 min of averaging. Weighted filters, with nearly Gaussian shapes, leave similar residual errors after only 20 min of averaging and introduce smaller errors from the rotation of the supergranule pattern. The best filters found are weighted filters that use data separated by 150 or 120 s so that the p-modes are sampled at opposite phases. These filters achieve an optimum error level after about 20 min, with the r.m.s. errors due to the p-mode oscillations and the rotation of the supergranules both at a level of only 1.5 m s^–1.     

CCD的近红外敏化技术

理论上硅ＣＣＤ在０ ．１ｎｍ 到１．１μｍ 之间都有响应, 但通常此种器件在８００ｎｍ 以后量子效率下降明显, 一般会小于５０ ％ 。其中最主要的原因是近红外光子的吸收深度大于ＣＣＤ 的外延层厚度, 使大量光子穿透整个器件。显然增加外延层的厚度是解决这一问题的良好途径。但随着外延层的增加, 必须使用高阻抗的材料, 否则会明显的减低分辨率。另外增透膜的使用也会使量子效率大幅度提高, 而且有效的减弱了干涉条纹的影响。新型Ｐ沟道Ｎ 衬底全耗尽高阻ＣＣＤ的出现, 使得量子效率在１μｍ 仍然接近６０％ 。     

EPIC simulations of the merger of Jupiter's White Ovals BE and FA: altitude-dependent behavior

Observations of the merger of Jupiter's White Ovals BE and FA show altitude-dependent behavior that we seek to capture in numerical simulations. In particular, it was observed that the upper portions of the vortices orbited each other before merging, but the lower portions translated into each other without orbiting, a phenomenon we term the pair-orbit vertical dichotomy. To reproduce this dichotomy in the EPIC model, it is sufficient to have (i) a decrease with altitude of the background zonal winds above the cloud level with a scale height of ∼2.4, (ii) a height scale of the winds inside the vortices that is the same or larger, and (iii) a maximum tangential velocity in each vortex of ∼100 m s⁻¹ or larger. Condition (i) is expected from thermal-wind analyses, (ii) is consistent with thermal-wind and Shoemaker-Levy 9 debris-trajectory analyses, and (iii) is consistent with cloud-top wind tracking. The model generally does not reproduce the dichotomy for vortices with smaller vertical extent or weaker circulations. Our simulated mergers correctly reproduce the observed ∼9° separation at which vortices start to orbit in the upper layers before they merge and the ∼70% area ratio of the final vortex BA to the sum of BE and FA.     

The selection of filters for reduction of optical contamination in astronomical CCD X-ray images

The European Photon Imaging Camera(EPIC), is the X-ray imaging and medium spectroscopy instrument for theESA X-ray Multi Mirror telescope(XMM) mission. TheCCD detectors to be used in the three focal plane cameras will provide images in the energy band from 0.1 to 10 keV. However, spectral studies may be compromised by low energy, optical photon contamination. In order to reduce this effect, a number of filters will be incorporated onto a rotating mechanism in the camera head. The filters will be chosen to provide a significant reduction in the optical contamination from a source whilst minimising the attenuation of the X-ray flux. Four commercial filters are described here and their effects on calculated typical source fluxes evaluated. In addition, two alternative filter designs are described and their effects on a simulated source spectra are debated. In both cases, particular attention is given to the problem of maintaining high sensitivity at soft X-ray energies (less than 2 keV).     

Rugate filters for OH-suppressed imaging at near-infrared wavelengths

Ground-based observations at near-infrared wavelengths are severely affected by atmospheric OH bands. Many authors have recognized the potential gains in sensitivity from suppressing these features. Dispersive instruments show some promise but are both expensive and complicated to build. OH suppression filters using single or periodic notches have the advantage of simplicity but significant gains have not yet been realized.   Rugate filters (with graded index inhomogeneous coatings) offer key advantages for astronomical imaging. It is possible to produce a transmission profile comprising a series of irregular and sharply defined bandpasses. We demonstrate through numerical simulation of rugate filters that it should be possible to achieve 95 per cent suppression of the OH features in the J photometric band, while retaining roughly half of the spectral coverage. This would lead to extraordinary gains in sensitivity even for observations of continuum sources. In addition, these filters allow longer exposures before the detector saturates on the sky background. I - and z -band filters can also be envisaged.   In 1-arcsec seeing, a J -band rugate filter used in conjunction with a 4-m telescope would detect a J  = 23 continuum source at 5.0σ in a single 10-min exposure. In comparison, a conventional J filter requires multiple exposures for a 10-min integration time and achieves only a 2.5σ detection. For emission-line sources, the rugate filter has an even bigger advantage over conventional filters, with a fourfold increase in signal-to-noise ratio possible in certain instances.   Astrophysical studies that could benefit from rugate filters are searches for very low-mass stars and galaxy evolution out to z  = 3.     

The prime-focus spectrometer: A new design concept

In a reflector, the light loss is at a minimum at the prime focus, but it is too awkward to mount a spectrometer of any size there. In this paper, I propose to place the slit at the prime focus to be followed immediately by a collimating mirror as shown in Fig. 1. The collimated beam diameter can be as large as one-ninth of the telescope aperture, and a maximum spectral resolving power of 10⁵ can be achieved. This new design can replace with advantage the conventional Cassegrain spectrometer in all types of work. It is eminently suited for use in the next generation of telescopes such as the MMT and the single telescope array.     

Optimal filters for the construction of the ensemble pulsar time

An algorithm of the ensemble pulsar time based on the optimal Wiener filtration method has been constructed. This algorithm allows the separation of the contributions to the post-fit pulsar timing residuals of the atomic clock and the pulsar itself. Filters were designed using the cross- and auto-covariance functions of the timing residuals. The method has been applied to the timing data of millisecond pulsars PSR B1855+09 and B1937+21 and allowed the filtering out of the atomic-scale component from the pulsar data. Direct comparison of the terrestrial time TT(BIPM06) and the ensemble pulsar time PT_ens revealed that the fractional instability of TT(BIPM06)−PT_ens is equal to  σ _z = (0.8 ± 1.9) × 10⁻¹⁵  . Based on the  σ _z   statistics of TT(BIPM06)−PT_ens, a new limit of the energy density of the gravitational wave background was calculated to be equal to  Ω_g h ²∼ 3 × 10⁻⁹  .     

Prospective spacecraft for venus research: Venera-D design

A new phase of Venus research has started in Russia; the Federal Space Program includes the Venera-D design with the launch of the spacecraft scheduled for 2016. The mission comprises an orbiter, a descent vehicle, and balloon probes. The balloon probes will be placed at different altitudes in the cloud layer and under the clouds, where they are intended to last for a long time in the atmosphere of Venus. The successful implementation of the design will allow solving of quite a number of scientific tasks for comparative planetology.     

The design of China Reconfigurable ANalog-digital backEnd for FAST

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST)was launched on 2016 September 25.From early 2017,we began to use the FAST wideband receiver,which was designed,constructed and installed on the FAST in Guizhou,China.The front end of the receiver is composed an uncooled Quad Ridge Flared Horn feed(QRFH)with the frequency range of 270 to 1620 MHz,and a cryostat operating at 10 K.We have cooperated with the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop the China Reconfigurable ANalog-digital backEnd(CRANE).The system covers the 3 GHz operating band of FAST.The hardware part of the backend includes an Analog Front-end Board,a wideband high precision Analog Digital Converter,and a FAST Digital Back-end.Analog circuit boards,field programmable gate arrays,and control computers form a set of hardware,software,and firmware platforms to achieve flexible bandwidth requirements through parameter changes.It is also suitable for the versatility of different astronomical observations,and can meet specific requirements.This paper briefly introduces the hardware and software of CRANE,as well as some observations of the system.     

The lunar gravity mission MAGIA: preliminary design and performances

The importance of an accurate model of the Moon gravity field has been assessed for future navigation missions orbiting and/or landing on the Moon, in order to use our natural satellite as an intermediate base for next solar system observations and exploration as well as for lunar resources mapping and exploitation. One of the main scientific goals of MAGIA mission, whose Phase A study has been recently funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), is the mapping of lunar gravitational anomalies, and in particular those on the hidden side of the Moon, with an accuracy of 1 mGal RMS at lunar surface in the global solution of the gravitational field up to degree and order 80. MAGIA gravimetric experiment is performed into two phases: the first one, along which the main satellite shall perform remote sensing of the Moon surface, foresees the use of Precise Orbit Determination (POD) data available from ground tracking of the main satellite for the determination of the long wavelength components of gravitational field. Improvement in the accuracy of POD results are expected by the use of ISA, the Italian accelerometer on board the main satellite. Additional gravitational data from recent missions, like Kaguya/Selene, could be used in order to enhance the accuracy of such results. In the second phase the medium/short wavelength components of gravitational field shall be obtained through a low-to-low (GRACE-like) Satellite-to-Satellite Tracking (SST) experiment. POD data shall be acquired during the whole mission duration, while the SST data shall be available after the remote sensing phase, when the sub-satellite shall be released from the main one and both satellites shall be left in a free-fall dynamics in the gravity field of the Moon. SST range-rate data between the two satellites shall be measured through an inter-satellite link with accuracy compliant with current state of art space qualified technology. SST processing and gravitational anomalies retrieval shall benefit from a second ISA accelerometer on the sub-satellite in order to decouple lunar gravitational signal from other accelerations. Experiment performance analysis shows that the stated scientific requirements can be achieved with a low mass and low cost sub-satellite, with a SST gravimetric mission of just few months.     

Numerical simulations of pinhole and single-mode fibre spatial filters for optical interferometers

We use a numerical simulation to investigate the effectiveness of pinhole spatial filters for optical/IR interferometers and to compare them with single-mode optical fibre spatial filters and interferometers without spatial filters. We show that fringe visibility measurements in interferometers containing spatial filters are much less affected by changing seeing conditions than equivalent measurements without spatial filters. This reduces visibility calibration uncertainties, and hence can reduce the need for frequent observations of separate astronomical sources for calibration of visibility measurements. We also show that spatial filters can increase the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of visibility measurements and that pinhole filters give SNRs within 17 per cent of the values obtained with single-mode fibres for aperture diameters up to 3 r ₀. Given the simplicity of the use of pinhole filters we suggest that it represents a competitive, if not optimal, technique for spatial filtering in many current and next generation interferometers.     

A new family of non-linear filters for background subtraction of wide-field surveys

In this paper the definitions and properties of a newly dedicated set of high-frequency filters based on smoothing-and-clipping are briefly described. New applications for the reduction of wide-field 2048x2048 CCD spectral and direct images of a new deep survey KISS are also presented.     

Planning magneto-optical filters for the study of magnetic oscillations of the Sun

VAMOS is a Magneto-Optical Filter (MOF) that can acquire nearly simultaneous Dopplergrams and magnetograms with high cadence in the K I 7699 Å line. We performed an accurate set-up of this instrument in view of its use for studying oscillations in solar magnetic regions. The optimal set-up for VAMOS was achieved and an extra result of the spectral transmission measurements was found. The MOF and Wing Selector (WS) bandpasses depend not only on the cell temperature and magnetic field but also on the radiation intensity entering the cell, when this radiation exceeds a suitable level. We call this effect The Intensity Effect.