短周期激变变星周期分布的新统计

我们对周期小于周期分布空缺段的激变变星(CVs),重新进行了周期分布统计,使用了比Warner等人更多、更新的资料.统计中发现一个AM Her型CVs:GRU V1偏离了Warner等人的统计结果.我们给出了CVs 新的周期分布图和相应于此分布的随机概率.虽然结果与Warner等人的不同,但周期分布同磁场仍呈现一定的相关性,磁激变变星(MCVs)与非磁激变变星(NMCVS)同样显示出成团趋势.     

Disk and secondary irradiation in dwarf novae

After a brief review of the disk instability model for dwarf novae, I describe the effects of irradiation of the disc and the secondary (truncation of the inner disk and changes in the S-curve), and present numerical results showing that, as proposed by Brian Warner at the Wyoming conference (Warner, 1998) “The spectrum of post-superoutburst behaviour is generated by the interplay of reactions of the disk and secondary to irradiation”. Interestingly, we are also able to reproduce long lasting outbursts, which are similar to superoutbursts, without assuming the existence of a tidal instability.     

The role of FAST in pulsar timing arrays

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST) will become one of the world-leading telescopes for pulsar timing array(PTA) research. The primary goals for PTAs are to detect(and subsequently study) ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves, to develop a pulsar-based time standard and to improve solar system planetary ephemerides. FAST will have the sensitivity to observe known pulsars with significantly improved signal-to-noise ratios and will discover a large number of currently unknown pulsars. We describe how FAST will contribute to PTA research and show that jitter-and timing-noise will be the limiting noise processes for FAST data sets. Jitter noise will limit the timing precision achievable over data spans of a few years while timing noise will limit the precision achievable over many years.     

Massive lossless data compression and multiple parameter estimation from galaxy spectra

We present a method for radical linear compression of data sets where the data are dependent on some number M of parameters. We show that, if the noise in the data is independent of the parameters, we can form M linear combinations of the data which contain as much information about all the parameters as the entire data set, in the sense that the Fisher information matrices are identical; i.e. the method is lossless. We explore how these compressed numbers fare when the noise is dependent on the parameters, and show that the method, though not precisely lossless, increases errors by a very modest factor. The method is general, but we illustrate it with a problem for which it is well-suited: galaxy spectra, the data for which typically consist of ∼10³ fluxes, and the properties of which are set by a handful of parameters such as age, and a parametrized star formation history. The spectra are reduced to a small number of data, which are connected to the physical processes entering the problem. This data compression offers the possibility of a large increase in the speed of determining physical parameters. This is an important consideration as data sets of galaxy spectra reach 10⁶ in size, and the complexity of model spectra increases. In addition to this practical advantage, the compressed data may offer a classification scheme for galaxy spectra which is based rather directly on physical processes.     

A comparative study of barium peculiarity indices

From DDO photometry an indicator of barium stars have been elaborated. This indicator is closely related to the barium line intensities derived by means of narrow-band photometry and spectroscopic observations. A better discrimination appears when our indicator is used instead of the qualitative Warner index.     

On the accuracy of frequency determination by an autoregressive spectral estimator

The accuracy of frequency determination by a least squares technique for an autoregressive spectral estimator is studied and compared with the Fourier method. Using numerical tests the probability distribution function of the peak location is calculated. The autoregressive filter order is optimized in the sense of minimum variance of the peak location. Simple sinusoidal signals with additive Gaussian noise are considered and the effect of other components is only indicated. Generally, a filter order between 1/3 and 1/2 of the total data number and a not very dense data sampling, gives the most stable spectrum. The results are numerical.     

The analysis of indexed astronomical time series V. Fitting sinusoids to high-speed photometry

The estimation of the frequency, amplitude and phase of a sinusoid from observations contaminated by correlated noise is considered. It is assumed that the observations are regularly spaced, but may suffer missing values or long time stretches with no data. The typical astronomical source of such data is high-speed photoelectric photometry of pulsating stars. The study of the observational noise properties of nearly 200 real data sets is reported: noise can almost always be characterized as a random walk with superposed white noise. A scheme for obtaining weighted non-linear least-squares estimates of the parameters of interest, as well as standard errors of these estimates, is described. Simulation results are presented for both complete and incomplete data. It is shown that, in finite data sets, results are sensitive to the initial phase of the sinusoid.     

The flare-related depression of the noise storm on May 5, 1978

Though a number of flares is capable to trigger the emission of a noise storm, in some other rare cases flares may also lead to a depression of the radio flux of a pre-existing noise storm. Details of this phenomenon are demonstrated at the flare of May 5, 1978 which can be regarded as an instructive example. Using extensive observations during the solar cycle No. 20 a number of further noise storm depressions could be detected whereas chance coincidences with flares could be ruled out by a statistical treatment. Possible mechanisms related to the noise storm depression effect are briefly discussed.     

Evaluation of LEO based GPS slant TEC using a simulation technique

With the increased number of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the LEO based GPS slant total electron content (STEC) data play a more important role in ionospheric research due to better global coverage. The accuracy of LEO TEC is hardly evaluated by comparison with the independent TEC measurement simultaneously. We propose an approach based on the simulated data to verify the accuracy of TEC determination. The simulated data (i.e., the pseudorange and carrier phase observations) was generated based on the consideration of the effect of the ionosphere, the so-called differential code bias (DCB) and observational noise. The errors of carrier phase to code leveling process and DCB estimation are analyzed quantitatively. Also, the effect of observational noise, solar activity and LEO orbit altitude on the accuracy of TEC determination will be discussed in detail. The accuracy of TEC determination is relative to solar activity and LEO orbit altitude, the higher LEO orbit and lower F10.7 index, the higher accuracy of TEC determination. It is found by the first time that, with the amplification of the pseudorange noise, the accuracy of leveling process and TEC determination declines almost linearly. With the LEO missions in the near future, it is hoped that the GPS satellite DCBs estimated based on LEO observations would be better than those based on ground-based observations.     

On measuring the gravitational-wave background using Pulsar Timing Arrays

The long-term precise timing of Galactic millisecond pulsars holds great promise for measuring the long-period (months to years) astrophysical gravitational waves. Several gravitational-wave observational programs, called Pulsar Timing Arrays (PTA), are being pursued around the world.
Here, we develop a Bayesian algorithm for measuring the stochastic gravitational-wave background (GWB) from the PTA data. Our algorithm has several strengths: (i) it analyses the data without any loss of information; (ii) it trivially removes systematic errors of known functional form, including quadratic pulsar spin-down, annual modulations and jumps due to a change of equipment; (iii) it measures simultaneously both the amplitude and the slope of the GWB spectrum and (iv) it can deal with unevenly sampled data and coloured pulsar noise spectra. We sample the likelihood function using Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations. We extensively test our approach on mock PTA data sets and find that the algorithm has significant benefits over currently proposed counterparts. We show the importance of characterizing all red noise components in pulsar timing noise by demonstrating that the presence of a red component would significantly hinder the detection of the GWB.
Lastly, we explore the dependence of the signal-to-noise ratio on the duration of the experiment, number of monitored pulsars and the magnitude of the pulsar timing noise. These parameter studies will help formulate observing strategies for the PTA experiments.     

The asteroid lightcurve database

The compilation of a central database for asteroid lightcurve data, i.e., rotation rate and amplitude along with ancillary information such as diameter and albedo (known or estimated), taxonomic class, etc., has been important to statistical studies for several decades. Having such a compilation saves the researcher hours of effort combing through any number of journals, some obvious and some not, to check on prior research. Harris has been compiling such data in the Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) for more than 25 years with Warner and Pravec assisting the past several years. The main data included in the LCDB are lightcurve rotation periods and amplitudes, color indices, H-G parameters, diameters (actual or derived), basic binary asteroid parameters, and spin axis and shape models. As time permits we are reviewing existing entries to enter data not previously recorded (e.g., phase angle data). As of 2008 December, data for 3741 asteroids based on more than 10650 separate detail records derived from entries in various journals were included in the LCDB. Of those 3741 asteroids, approximately 3100 have data of sufficient quality for statistical analysis, including 7 that have “dual citizenship” - meaning that they have (or had) asteroid designations as well comet designations. Here we present a discussion of the nature of LCDB data, i.e., which values are actually measured and which are derived. For derived data, we give our justification for specific values. We also present some analysis based on the LCDB data, including new default albedo (pV) and phase slope parameter (G) values for the primary taxonomic classes and a review of the frequency-diameter distribution of all asteroids as well as some selected subsets. The most recent version of data used in this analysis is available for download from the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) site at http://www.MinorPlanetObserver.com/astlc/default.htm. Other data sets, some only subsets of the full LCDB, are available in the Ephemeris of Minor Planets, The Planetary Data System, and the Minor Planet Center web site.     

Image compression by means of wavelet transform - application to solar observations

Images and spectra contain a large amount of data. Therefore the question arises, how this data can be decreased or compressed without losing important detail. The discrete wavelet transform is a tool which can be used to compress data because of its good approximation properties. It is very easy to implement and requires approximately the same amount of calculation as the fast Fourier transform. It has the advantage of giving information both in time and frequency. Since most of the coefficients in the transformed data are very small compared to the maximum values, which means that they do not contribute much to the transform, a large number of them can be neglected. Although some data get lost, the physical results deduced from the data remain the same, as is demonstrated by various examples. By this method it is even possible to compress data containing much noise to high-compression ratios.     

Using a Chandra Source-Finding Algorithm to Automatically Identify Solar X-ray Bright Points

We describe adapting a method that is used to find point sources in Chandra X-ray telescope data for use in finding solar X-ray bright points. The algorithm allows selected pixels to be excluded from the source-finding, thus excluding saturated pixels (from flares and/or active regions). For Chandra data the noise is determined by photon-counting statistics, whereas solar telescopes typically integrate a flux. Thus, the calculated signal-to-noise ratio is incorrect, but we find that we can scale the number to get reasonable results. We compare our source-finding to previous Yohkoh results and find a similar number of bright points. Finally, we analyze three sets of data from Hinode, representing different parts of the decline to minimum of the solar cycle. Although these preliminary results are based on a small sample, we see no dependence on the solar cycle.     

Timing models for the long orbital period binary pulsar PSR B1259–63

The pulsar PSR B1259–63 is in a highly eccentric 3.4-yr orbit with the Be star SS 2883. Timing observations of this pulsar, made over a 7-yr period using the Parkes 64-m radio telescope, cover two periastron passages, in 1990 August and 1994 January. The timing data cannot be fitted by the normal pulsar and Keplerian binary parameters. A timing solution including a (non-precessing) Keplerian orbit and timing noise (represented as a polynomial of fifth order in time) provides a satisfactory fit to the data. However, because the Be star probably has a significant quadrupole moment, we prefer to interpret the data by a combination of timing noise, dominated by a cubic phase term, and ω^. and x ^. terms. We show that the ω^. and x ^. terms are likely to be a result of a precessing orbit caused by the quadrupole moment of the tilted companion star. We further rule out a number of possible physical effects which could contribute to the timing data of PSR B1259–63 on a measurable level.     

A realistic model for point-sources imaged on array detectors: The model and initial results

We have constructed a computer model for simulation of point-sources imaged on two-dimensional detectors. An attempt has been made to ensure that the model produces data that mimic real data taken with 2-D detectors. To be realistic, such simulations must include randomly generated noise of the appropriate type from all sources (e.g. source, background, and detector). The model is generic and accepts input values for parameters such as pixel size, read noise, source magnitude, and sky brightness. Point-source profiles are then generated with noise and detector characteristics added via our model. The synthetic data are output as simple integrations (onedimensional), as radial slices (two-dimensional), and as intensity-contour plots (three-dimensional). Each noise source can be turned on or off so that they can be studied separately as well as in combination to yield a realistic view of an image. This paper presents the basic properties of the model and some examples of how it can be used to simulate the effects of changing image position, image scale, signal strength, noise characteristics, and data reduction procedures.Use of the model has allowed us to confirm and quantify three points: 1) The use of traditionalsize apertures for photometry of faint point-sources adds substantial noise to the measurement which can significantly degrade the quality of the observation; 2) The number of pixels used to estimate the background is important and must be considered when estimating errors; and 3) The CCD equation normally used by the astronomical community consistently overestimates the signal-to-noise obtainable by a measurement while a revised equation, discussed here, provides a better estimator.     

Active solar radio regions at metric frequencies and the interplanetary sector structures

The possible relation between type I noise active regions and the polarity distribution of the interplanetary magnetic field is examined for the period from 13 March to 21 August, 1968 (Solar Rotation Numbers 1842–1847) by using data from ground-based and satellite observations. In general four type I radio regions appeared during each solar rotation period except for Rotation No. 1842. The number of type I regions is the same as the number of sector boundaries. This result suggests that the configuration of the photospheric magnetic field extending into the interplanetary space may be related to the origin of the type I radio regions. Statistically the passage of the sector boundaries is delayed by approximately 5 days after the central meridian passage of the type I noise regions on the solar disk.The position of the source of the sector boundaries and its relation to the type I radio regions are investigated by taking into account the mean bulk velocity of solar winds as observed by space probes. A model of the large-scale structure of type I radio regions and their relation to the sector structure of the magnetic field as observed in the interplanetary space is briefly discussed.NASA Research Associate at the University of Maryland.     

The Temporal Phenomena of Black Hole Transient XTE J1650-500 in Its 2001-2002 Outburst

Using the data observed by Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, a systematic study of temporal phenomena of the black-hole transient XTE J1650-500 in its 2001–2002 outburst is presented. By using the time lag in the Fourier frequency domain, three characteristic frequency ranges are analysed, namely the band limited noise, red noise, and QPOs (Quasi-Periodic Oscillations). The properties and evolution behaviours in these frequency ranges may be dominated by different accretion regions. It is commonly believed that the smaller timescale corresponds to the more inner region. The low-hard state and hard intermediate state are especially highlighted. The results of data analysis are discussed in the framework of Lense-Thirring precession. Results are in favor of the disturbance propagation model for explaining the observed time lags. Although the timing analysis in the frequency ranges of band-limited noise and red noise is carried out, and a possibly existed inflection point is found, the model to explain them is still not well established. More work is needed to understand the innermost accretion region.     

Electrostatic dust transport on Eros: 3-D simulations of pond formation

NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft images of the surface of the near-Earth Asteroid 433 Eros reveal that more than 200 craters on Eros are partially filled with smooth deposits, termed ponds [Veverka, J., and 32 colleagues, 2001a. Science 292, 484-488]. These ponds appear smooth even at a high resolution of 1.2 cm/pixel and spectral analysis suggests that they may be made up of particles ?50 μm in size [Robinson, M.S., Thomas, P.C., Veverka, J., Murchie, S., Carcish, B., 2001. Nature 413, 396-400; Riner, M.A., Eckart, J.M., Gigilio, J.G., Robinson, M.S., 2006. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXVII. Abstract 2291]. Coupled with the concentration of ponds at low latitudes, the possible small particle size suggests that these deposits might be related to electrostatic transport of dust near the local terminator [Robinson, M.S., Thomas, P.C., Veverka, J., Murchie, S., Carcish, B., 2001. Nature 413, 396-400]. The work presented here incorporates the precise lighting geometry within a crater at a specified latitude into two models for electrostatic transport of dust grains in order to explore dust deposition and pond formation via this mechanism, particularly as a function of latitude. We find that micrometer-sized dust particles are preferentially transported into craters at latitudes where solar illumination angles are often low. In addition we find that if particles are electrostatically lifted off the surface they are preferentially transported into topographic depressions independent of whether the particles undergo stable levitation. The primary limiting factor for our model is uncertainty concerning the dust launching mechanism. Despite that, and though it does not match the observed north-south asymmetry in pond distribution, our model demonstrates potential for good general agreement between future predictions of pond formation via electrostatic transport of dust and observations of pond locations on the surface of Eros.     

The visibility of low‐frequency solar acoustic modes

We make predictions of the detectability of low‐frequency p modes. Estimates of the powers and damping times of these low‐frequency modes are found by extrapolating the observed powers and widths of higher‐frequency modes with large observed signal‐to‐noise ratios. The extrapolations predict that the low‐frequency modes will have small signal‐to‐noise ratios and narrow widths in a frequency‐power spectrum. Monte Carlo simulations were then performed where timeseries containing mode signals and normally distributed Gaussian noise were produced. The mode signals were simulated to have the powers and damping times predicted by the extrapolations. Various statistical tests were then performed on the frequency‐amplitude spectra formed from these timeseries to investigate the fraction of spectra in which the modes could be detected. The results of these simulations were then compared to the number of p‐modes candidates observed in real Sun‐as‐a‐star data at low frequencies. The fraction of simulated spectra in which modes were detected decreases rapidly as the frequency of modes decreases and so the fraction of simulations in which the low‐frequency modes were detected was very small. However, increasing the signal‐to‐noise (S/N) ratio of the low‐frequency modes by a factor of 2 above the extrapolated values led to significantly more detections. Therefore efforts should continue to further improve the quality of solar data that is currently available. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An investigation of lucky imaging techniques

We present an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of frame selection (also known as lucky imaging) techniques for high-resolution imaging. A high-speed image recording system has been used to observe a number of bright stars. The observations were made over a wide range of values of   D / r ₀  and exposure time. The improvement in Strehl ratio of the stellar images due to aligning frames and selecting the best frames was evaluated as a function of these parameters. We find that improvement in Strehl ratio by factors of 4–6 can be achieved over a range of   D / r ₀  from 3 to 12, with a slight peak at   D / r ₀∼ 7  . The best Strehl improvement is achieved with exposure times of 10 ms or less, but significant improvement is still obtained at exposure times as long as 640 ms. Our results are consistent with previous investigations but cover a much wider range of parameter space. We show that Strehl ratios of >0.7 can be achieved in appropriate conditions whereas previous studies have generally shown maximum Strehl ratios of ∼0.3. The results are in reasonable agreement with the simulations of Baldwin, Warner & Mackay.