天文光子学研究现状及其应用展望

天文学是一门观测学科, 其发展受观测技术及仪器进步所推动, 而天文科学发展同样不断对观测仪器提出新的要求. 天文学发展至今, 对观测仪器的要求逐渐走向极致和极端, 这在实现成本及难度两方面均带来极大挑战. 为应对上述挑战, 基于新原理、新技术的下一代天文光学技术及观测仪器已成为天文学发展的内在需要. 近年来, 集成光子学的发展为天文光学技术带来了新的变革性机遇, 在此基础上产生的新兴交叉学科天文光子学(Astrophotonics)可为天文观测提供低成本、高度集成化(芯片化)的新一代高性能光学终端仪器, 这类仪器将在空间天文观测、大规模光谱巡天、高分辨高精度光谱成像等应用中起到关键作用. 主要从仪器/器件功能出发介绍天文光子学主要研究内容及现状, 并简要讨论其发展所面临的主要问题, 最后对其发展趋势做出展望.     

Research Status and Application Prospects of Astrophotonics

Astronomy is an observational discipline, and its improvement is driven by the progress of observation technology and instruments. The advancement of astronomy also constantly puts forward new requirements for observation instruments. Since the development of astronomy, the requirements for observing instruments have gradually become extreme, which brings great challenges in both cost and difficulty. In order to tackle the challenges, a future generation of astronomical optical technology and observation instruments based on new principles and technologies has become an inherent need to promote the advancement of astronomy. In recent years, the growth of integrated photonics has presented revolutionary opportunities for that of astronomical optical technology. On the basis, astrophotonics, an emerging interdisciplinary subject, can provide a new generation of high-performance optical terminal instruments with low cost and high integration (chip-based) for astronomical observation. Such instruments will play a vital role in space astronomical observation, large-scale spectral survey, high-resolution and high-precision spectral imaging, and other applications. This paper mainly introduces the main research contents and status quo of astronomical photonics starting from the instruments/device functions, briefly discusses the major problems in its development, and eventually forecasts its development prospect.     

Radio astronomy and very large telescopes

The current achievements of the observational abilities of radio astronomy is briefly reviewed putting emphasis on the imaging capability. The new projects in radio astronomy are discussed in connection with the new generation of optical/IR telescope projects.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 1988.     

Instruments, Detectors and the Future of Astronomy with Large Ground Based Telescopes

Results of a survey of instrumentation and detector systems, either currently deployed or planned for use at telescopes larger than 3.5 m, in ground based observatories world-wide, are presented. This survey revealed a number of instrumentation design trends at optical, near, and mid-infrared wavelengths. Some of the most prominent trends include the development of vastly larger optical detector systems (> 10⁹ pixels) than anything built to date, and the frequent use of mosaics of near-infrared detectors – something that was quite rare only a decade ago in astronomy. Some future science applications for detectors are then explored, in an attempt to build a bridge between current detectors and what will be needed to support the research ambitions of astronomers in the future.     

Astronomy from Dome A in Antarctica

Dome A in Antarctica has been demonstrated to be the best site on earth for optical, infrared, and terahertz astronomical observations by more and more evidence, such as excellent free-atmosphere seeing,extremely low perceptible water vapor, low sky background, and continuous dark time, etc. In this paper,we present a complete picture of the development of astronomy at Dome A from the very beginning, review recent progress in time-domain astronomy, demonstrate exciting results of the site testing, and address the challenges in instrumentation. Currently proposed projects are briefly discussed.     

Telescopes in the mirror of scientometrics

Counting papers and citations is one way to estimate the significance of particular astronomical telescopes and other facilities in the long time gap between the verdict of history and the referee’s report on your most recent proposal. This has been done for 2,184 observational astronomy papers published between 1960 and 1964 (with 14,237 citations in 1965–1969) and the numbers looked at in various ways. The extreme dominance of California in optical astronomy and of the UK and Australia in radio astronomy provides the background against which ESO, NOAO, NRAO, and A&A were founded, with equality of access to facilities having increased enormously in the intervening 40 years, but inequality of results having increased slightly. A number of other factoids about astronomical publications, the community, and their environments surfaced during the counting process, and a subset reported here, including a few pertaining to the more distant past.     

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT): An International Observatory

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will be the first truly global ground-based optical/infrared observatory. It will initiate the era of extremely large (30-meter class) telescopes with diffraction limited performance from its vantage point in the northern hemisphere on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. The astronomy communities of India, Canada, China, Japan and the USA are shaping its science goals, suite of instrumentation and the system design of the TMT observatory. With large and open Nasmyth-focus platforms for generations of science instruments, TMT will have the versatility and flexibility for its envisioned 50 years of forefront astronomy. The TMT design employs the filled-aperture finely-segmented primary mirror technology pioneered with the W.M. Keck 10-meter telescopes. With TMT’s 492 segments optically phased, and by employing laser guide star assisted multi-conjugate adaptive optics, TMT will achieve the full diffraction limited performance of its 30-meter aperture, enabling unprecedented wide field imaging and multi-object spectroscopy. The TMT project is a global effort of its partners with all partners contributing to the design, technology development, construction and scientific use of the observatory. TMT will extend astronomy with extremely large telescopes to all of its global communities.     

A fiber bundle structure with uniform transmission characteristics for high-density astronomical optical cables

Transmission efficiency(TE) and focal ratio degradation(FRD) are two important parameters for evaluating the quality of an optical fiber system used for astronomy. Compared to TE, the focal ratio is more easily influenced by external factors, such as bending or stress. Optical cables are widely implemented for multi-object telescopes and integral field units(IFUs). The design and fabrication process of traditional optical cables seldom considers the requirements of astronomical applications. In this paper, we describe a fiber bundle structure as the basic unit for miniaturized high-density FASOT-IFU optical cables,instead of the micro-tube structure in stranded cables. Seven fibers with hexagonal arrangement were accurately positioned by ultraviolet(UV)-curing acrylate to form the bundle. The coating diameter of a fiber is0.125 mm, and the outer diameter of the bundle is 0.58 mm. Compared with the 0.8 mm micro-tube structure of a traditional stranded cable, the outer diameter of the fiber bundle was reduced by 27.5%. Fiber paste was filled into the bundle to reduce stress between the fibers. We tested the output focal ratio(OFR) in95% of the encircled energy(EE95) of the fibers in the bundle under different conditions. With the incident focal ratio F/8, the maximum difference of OFR is 0.6. In particular, when the incident focal ratio is F/5,the maximum difference of OFR is only 0.1. The jacket formed by the UV-curing acrylate can withstand a certain stress of less than 1.38 N mm~(-1). The fiber bundle can maintain uniform emitting characteristics with a bending radius of 7.5 cm and with tension less than 6 N. The test results show that the structure of the fiber bundle can be used as a basic unit for miniaturized high-density astronomical optical cables.     

Doing Research on Eclipsing Binary Stars with Small Telescopes and PC computers

Astronomical research with a small telescope (20 cm – 40 cm) has always been a challenging problem. The invention of CCD cameras and personal computers has now put this question to past as small telescopes can do good and practicle science. This paper describes the use of small telescope in the study of eclipsing binary stars. Binary stars play an important role as astrophysical laboratories in our quest to understand the evolution and structure of stars. The most useful aspects of research with a small telescope in binary star research is; 1) as a viable teaching laboratory for begining students 2) to teach and learn the fundamental observational techniques that are common to many types of astronomical research areas 3) as a starting point to initiate research programs in observational astronomy, optics, instrumentation, computational astrophysics and 4) as a foundation to develop an infrastructure and technical know how for larger telescope facility. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

低纬子午环配备CCD的误差理论分析

本文对ＬＬＭＣ＋ＣＣＤ仪器系统的误差理论进行了综合性的探讨。文中所涉及的误差主要来自两方面：其一是来自仪器系统本身的误差，其二是来自仪器系统以外的误差。论文的第一章对ＣＣＤ器件的特性及其在天文学上的应用作了扼要介绍；第二章阐述了低纬子午环配备ＣＣＤ的观测方法，还简述了低纬子午环的结构及观测原理；第三章对十七种不同类型误差的测定或消除方法作了详尽的探讨和分析；第四章推导了星径曲率改正；第五章对小角度天体测量技术和大角度天体测量技术进行了评估。     

毫米波太阳射电的观测研究

综述了毫米波太阳射电的观测研究概况，着重介绍一些中，大型的毫米波太阳射电观测设备最新的观测结果。     

Achieving sub electron noise in CCD systems by means of digital filtering techniques that lower 1/f pixel correlated noise

Scientific CCDs designed in thick high resistivity silicon (Si) are excellent detectors for astronomy, high energy and nuclear physics, and instrumentation. Many applications can benefit from CCDs ultra low noise readout systems. The present work shows how sub electron noise CCD images can be achieved using digital signal processing techniques. These techniques allow 0.4 electrons of noise at readout bandwidths of up to 10?Kpixels per second while keeping the full CCD spatial resolution and signal dynamic range.     

Optical transient search strategy via wide-field monitoring

We discuss the search strategy of fast optical transients accompanying gamma-ray bursts in wide-field monitoring. We describe the instrumentation and methods of observational data reduction, allowing to detect optical flashes brighter than 10–11 stellar magnitudes with temporal resolution of 0.13 s. The prospects of both instrument engineering, as well as development of techniques to search and investigate optical transients of various nature in wide fields are also discussed.     

Antenna-coupled arrays of NbSi micro-bolometers

Microbolometers are at present the most sensitive detectors for mm and sub-mm Astronomy. They are in use in most of the present instruments in that bandwidth. We have developed filled arrays of NbSi-based planar antenna coupled microbolometers. The fabrication details are given, together with characterization of the NbSi thermometers and optical results. The optical performances are potentially good for ground-based mm-wave astronomy applications, while the overall detectors performances are limited by low-frequency excess noise in the thermometric NbSi high-impedance sensors (Anderson insulator).     

多波段巡天和LAMOST观测目标

综述了国际上多波段巡天工作的进展。其中，x射线波段列举了至今主要的x射线卫星，特别介绍了ROSAT、ASCA、Chandra和XMM—Newton的情况；光学波段主要介绍了SDSS、DEEP以及2df的星系和类星体巡天；红外波段主要介绍了2MASS和SWIRE巡天；射电波段主要介绍了NVSS和FIRST巡天。根据光谱能力和观测模式，提出了LAMOST的选题目标，分析讨论了LAMOST可以开展的交叉证认工作。     

Study of Radio Frequency Interference Mitigation Method Based on Wavelet Transform

In radio astronomy observations, radio frequency interference (RFI) is mixed into the telescope receiving system in various forms. The existence of RFI brings misjudgment to the observation or reduces the observational signal-to-noise ratio. In recent years, the domestic and overseas radio astronomy has developed rapidly. Large-scale radio telescopes and telescope arrays at home and abroad have been constructed successively. Observation sensitivity is greatly improved, and the influence of RFI is particularly prominent. With the development of science and technology and the intensification of human activities, the RFI has become increasingly serious and irreversible. We propose to use the two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform method to analyze the data of radio astronomy observations, and to perform wavelet transform on the time-frequency sequence output by the telescope system. According to the wavelet coefficients, the every component in the original signal is separated, and the corresponding threshold value is obtained by the statistics on each component. Each component is compared with the threshold to identify the interference component, and to mark it for removal. This method is used to process the actual observation data. The results show that this method can well mark and eliminate the interference signal, and improve the observational signal-to-noise ratio.     

Charge coupled devices (CCDs) in X-ray astronomy

The application of CCDs to X-ray imaging and spectroscopy for astronomy is described. The requirements which differ markedly from those of traditional optical applications are highlighted. Results of recent research programs to optimize CCD X-ray response are presented. It is shown that very high quantum efficiencies and Fano noise limited energy resolutions can be obtained. A number of issues related to the practical implementation of future instruments are reviewed.     

UV astronomy throughout the ages: a historical perspective

Astronomers have long recognized the critical need for ultraviolet imaging, photometry and spectroscopy of stars, planets, and galaxies, but this need could not be satisfied without access to space and the development of efficient instrumentation. When UV measurements became feasible, first with rockets and then with satellites, major discoveries came rapidly. It is true in the UV spectral region as in all others, that significant increases in sensitivity, spectral resolution, and time domain coverage have led to significant new understanding of astrophysical phenomena. I will describe a selection of these discoveries made in each of three eras: (1) the early history of rocket instrumentation and Copernicus, the first UV satellite, (2) the discovery phase pioneered by the IUE, FUSE and EUVE satellites, and (3) the full flowering of UV astronomy with the successful operation of HST and its many instruments. I will also mention a few areas where future UV instrumentation could lead to new discoveries. This review concentrates on developments in stellar and interstellar UV spectroscopy; the major discoveries in galactic, extragalactic, and solar system research are beyond the scope of this review. The important topic of UV technologies and detectors, which enable the remarkable advances in UV astronomy are also not included in this review.     

SONG-China Project: A Global Automated Observation Networktwo

Driven by the technological advancements and scientific objectives, the data acquisition in observational astronomy has been changed greatly in recent years. Fully automated or even autonomous ground-based network of telescopes has now become a tendency for time-domain observational projects. The Stellar Observations Network Group (SONG) is an international collaboration with the participation and contribution of the Chinese astronomy community. The scientific goal of SONG is time-domain astrophysics, such as the astroseismology and the research of variable stars in open clusters. The SONG project aims to build a global network of one-meter telescopes equipped with high-precision and high-resolution spectrographs, and two-channel lucky-imaging cameras. It is the Chinese initiative to install a 50 cm binocular photometry telescope at each SONG node to share the network platform and infrastructure. This work is focused on the design and implementation of SONG/50BiN in technology and methodology, for the ground-based network composed of multiple sites and a variety of instruments.     

WSO-UV progress and expectations

The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) is the space mission that will grant access to the ultraviolet (UV) range in the post Hubble epoch. WSO-UV is equipped with instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy and it is fully devoted to UV astronomy. In this article, we outline the WSO-UV mission model and present the current status of the project.