Modulation patterns of astronomical imaging systems based on rotating grids

Various astronomical imaging systems use rotating grids as modulators and operate in the optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray regions. The position and strength of each measured source are encoded in a modulation pattern, produced by the imaging system. Here we present the mathematical expressions of the modulation patterns which permit efficient computer implementation and a simple approximate expression is also given which facilitates the understanding of the basic properties of the modulation patterns. Although various modulation devices strongly differ in appearance, their modulation patterns show a remarkable similarity. This suggests that a unified approach is possible by analysing the output signals of these devices.     

A new iterative technique for the deconvolution of real data

A fast new deconvolution technique has been developed which employs a complex iterative scheme in order to deconvolve severely broadened noisy data. A great many computer-simulated experiments have been made using the iterative scheme in order to test its reliability and stability in many different situations. It is found to be extremely reliable in the reclaiming of partially resolved multi-featured spectra and can be used with any type of instrumental profile. Deconvolution of single Gaussian features are achieved in 5% noise conditions, where the instrumental profile is 5 times broader than the spectral features to be reclaimed.     

A blind deconvolution method for ground based telescopes and Fizeau interferometers

In the case of ground-based telescopes equipped with adaptive optics systems, the point spread function (PSF) is only poorly known or completely unknown. Moreover, an accurate modeling of the PSF is in general not available. Therefore in several imaging situations the so-called blind deconvolution methods, aiming at estimating both the scientific target and the PSF from the detected image, can be useful. A blind deconvolution problem is severely ill-posed and, in order to reduce the extremely large number of possible solutions, it is necessary to introduce sensible constraints on both the scientific target and the PSF.In a previous paper we proposed a sound mathematical approach based on a suitable inexact alternating minimization strategy for minimizing the generalized Kullback–Leibler divergence, assuring global convergence. In the framework of this method we showed that an important constraint on the PSF is the upper bound which can be derived from the knowledge of its Strehl ratio. The efficacy of the approach was demonstrated by means of numerical simulations.In this paper, besides improving the previous approach by the use of a further constraint on the unknown scientific target, we extend it to the case of multiple images of the same target obtained with different PSFs. The main application we have in mind is to Fizeau interferometry. As it is known this is a special feature of the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Of the two expected interferometers for LBT, one, LINC-NIRVANA, is forthcoming while the other, LBTI, is already operating and has provided the first Fizeau images, demonstrating the possibility of reaching the resolution of a 22.8 m telescope. Therefore the extension of our blind method to this imaging modality seems to be timely.The method is applied to realistic simulations of imaging both by single mirrors and Fizeau interferometers. Successes and failures of the method in the imaging of stellar fields are demonstrated in simple cases. These preliminary results look promising at least in specific situations. The IDL code of the proposed method is available on request and will be included in the forthcoming version of the Software Package AIRY (v.6.1).     

Doppler imaging of BD+22°4409 (LO Peg) using least-squares deconvolution

We present maximum-entropy reconstructions of the rapidly rotating dwarf single star BD+22°4409 (LO Peg) from observations at the William Herschel Telescope in 1993 August. Since this star is too faint to use the conventional single- or three-line Doppler imaging methods, we make use of the novel method of least-squares deconvolution, which utilizes the large number of photospheric lines in an echelle spectrum to produce a single high signal-to-noise ratio profile.
The star-spot distributions from the image reconstructions show cool features at both high and low latitudes, in contradiction to recent theoretical predictions of the dynamo behaviour in rapidly rotating stars. Cross-correlation of the images from consecutive nights shows a good correlation from the small-scale structures, but no evidence of surface differential rotation. From the cross-correlation of the high-latitude spot we are able to reject the period of 9.22 h of Jeffries et al. in favour of their preferred period of 10.17 h, confirming the result of Robb & Cardinal.     

Point source detection performance of Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope imaging observation

The Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope(HXMT) will perform an all-sky survey in the hard X-ray band as well as deep imaging of a series of small sky regions.We expect various compact objects to be detected in these imaging observations. Point source detection performance of HXMT imaging observation depends not only on the instrument but also on the data analysis method that is applied since images are reconstructed from HXMT observed data with numerical methods. The denoising technique used plays an important part in the HXMT imaging data analysis pipeline along with demodulation and source detection. In this paper we have implemented several methods for denoising HXMT data and evaluated the point source detection performances in terms of sensitivities and location accuracies. The results show that direct demodulation with 1-fold cross-correlation should be the default reconstruction and regularization method, although both sensitivity and location accuracy could be further improved by selecting and tuning numerical methods in data analysis used for HXMT imaging observations.     

A high-contrast imaging polarimeter with a stepped-transmission filter based coronagraph

The light reflected from planets is polarized mainly due to Rayleigh scattering, but starlight is normally unpolarized. Thus it provides an approach to enhance the imaging contrast by inducing the imaging polarimetry technique. In this paper, we propose a high-contrast imaging polarimeter that is optimized for the direct imaging of exoplanets, combined with our recently developed stepped-transmission filter based coronagraph. Here we present the design and calibration method of the polarimetry system and the associated test of its high-contrast performance. In this polarimetry system, two liquid crystal variable retarders(LCVRs) act as a polarization modulator, which can extract the polarized signal. We show that our polarimeter can achieve a measurement accuracy of about 0.2% at a visible wavelength(632.8 nm)with linearly polarized light. Finally, the whole system demonstrates that a contrast of 10~(-9) at 5λ/D is achievable, which can be used for direct imaging of Jupiter-like planets with a space telescope.     

A fast Stokes inversion technique based on quadratic regression

Stokes inversion calculation is a key process in resolving polarization information on radiation from the Sun and obtaining the associated vector magnetic fields. Even in the cases of simple local thermodynamic equilibrium(LTE) and where the Milne-Eddington approximation is valid, the inversion problem may not be easy to solve. The initial values for the iterations are important in handling the case with multiple minima. In this paper, we develop a fast inversion technique without iterations. The time taken for computation is only 1/100 the time that the iterative algorithm takes. In addition, it can provide available initial values even in cases with lower spectral resolutions. This strategy is useful for a filter-type Stokes spectrograph, such as SDO/HMI and the developed two-dimensional real-time spectrograph(2DS).     

Rain and dewdrops on titan based on in situ imaging

The Descent Imager/Spectral Radiometer (DISR) of the Huygens probe was in an excellent position to view aspects of rain as it descended through Titan's atmosphere. Rain may play an important part of the methane cycle on Titan, similar to the water cycle on Earth, but rain has only been indirectly inferred in previous studies. DISR detected two dark atmospheric layers at 11 and 21 km altitude, which can be explained by a local increase in aerosol size by about 5-10%. These size variations are far smaller than those in rain clouds, where droplets grow some 1000-fold. No image revealed a rainbow, which implies that the optical depth of raindrops was less than ∼0.0002/km. This upper limit excludes rain and constrains drizzle to extremely small rates of less than 0.0001 mm/h. However, a constant drizzle of that rate over several years would clear the troposphere of aerosols faster than it can be replenished by stratospheric aerosols. Hence, either the average yearly drizzle rate near the equator was even less (<0.1 mm/yr), or the observed aerosols came from somewhere else. The implied dry environment is consistent with ground-based imaging showing a lack of low-latitude clouds during the years before the Huygens descent. Features imaged on Titan's surface after landing, which might be interpreted as raindrop splashes, were not real, except for one case. This feature was a dewdrop falling from the outermost baffle of the DISR instrument. It can be explained by warm, methane-moist air rising along the bottom of the probe and condensing onto the cold baffle.     

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.     

Zeeman-Doppler imaging of solar-type stars: Multi line technique

In this work, a multi-line spectropolarimetric detection using an Echelle spectrograph is described. The polarization of Zeeman effect is detected by the use of more than 200 lines observed in the solar type star, HR1099. Using the statistics analysis in a sample of 200 lines, we found on the average a polarization signal of about 3 × 10^–4.     

Optimization of the direct imaging properties of an optical-fibred long baseline interferometer

Long baseline interferometry is now a mature technique in the optical domain. Current interferometers are, highly limited in, number of subapertures and concepts are being developed for future generations of very large optical arrays and especially with the goal of direct imaging. In this paper, we study the effects of introducing single-mode fibres in direct imaging optical interferometers. We show how the flexibility of optical fibres is well adapted to the pupil densification scheme. We study the effects of the truncation of the Gaussian beams in the imaging process, either in the Fizeau mode or in the densified pupil mode or in the densified image mode. Finally, in the pupil densification configuration, we identify an optimum of the diaphragm width. This optimum maximizes the on-axis irradiance and corresponds to a trade-off between the loss of transmission and the efficiency of the densification.     

A high-contrast coronagraph for direct imaging of Earth-like exoplanets: design and test

A high-contrast coronagraph for direct imaging of an Earth-like exoplanet at the visible band needs a contrast of 10-10 at a small angular separation of 4λ/D or less. Here we report our recent laboratory experiment that approaches these limits. Our test of a high-contrast imaging coronagraph is based on our step-transmission apodized filter. To achieve this goal, we use a liquid crystal array as a phase corrector to create a dark hole based on our dedicated algorithm. We have suppressed the diffraction and speckle noise near the point image of a star to a level of 1.68 × 10-9at4λ/D, which can be used for direct imaging of Jupiter-like exoplanets. This demonstrates that a telescope incorporating a high-contrast coronagraph in space has the potential to detect and characterize Earth-like planets.     

Estimation of lunar FeO abundance based on imaging by LRO Diviner

Understanding the abundance and distribution characteristics of Fe O on the surface of the Moon is important for investigating its evolution. The current high resolution maps of the global Fe O abundance are mostly produced with visible and near infrared reflectance spectra. The Christiansen Feature(CF) in mid-infrared has strong sensitivity to lunar minerals and correlates to major elements composing minerals.This paper investigates the possibility of mapping global Fe O abundance using the CF values from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter(LRO) mission. A high correlation between the CF values and Fe O abundances from the Apollo samples was found. Based on this high correlation, a new global map(±60?) of Fe O was produced using the CF map. The results show that the global Fe O average is 8.2 wt.%, the highland average is 4.7 wt.%, the global modal abundance is 5.4 wt.% and the lunar mare mode is 15.7 wt.%. These results are close to those derived from data provided by Clementine, the Lunar Prospector Gamma Ray Spectrometer(LP-GRS) and the Chang'e-1Interference Imaging Spectrometer(IIM), demonstrating the feasibility of estimating Fe O abundance based on the Diviner CF data. The near global Fe O abundance map shows an enrichment of lunar major elements.     

An empirical model for transient crater growth in granular targets based on direct observations

The present paper describes observations of crater growth up to the time of transient crater formation and presents a new empirical model for transient crater growth as a function of time. Polycarbonate projectiles were impacted vertically into soda-lime glass sphere targets using a single-stage light-gas gun. Using a new technique with a laser sheet illuminating the target [Barnouin-Jha, O.S., Yamamoto, S., Toriumi, T., Sugita, S., Matsui, T., 2007. Non-intrusive measurements of the crater growth. Icarus, 188, 506-521], we measured the temporal change in diameter of crater cavities (diameter growth). The rate of increase in diameter at early times follows a power law relation, but the data at later times (before the end of transient crater formation) deviates from the power law relation. In addition, the power law exponent at early times and the degree of deviation from a power law at later times depend on the target. In order to interpret these features, we proposed to modify Maxwell’s Z-model under the assumption that the strength of the excavation flow field decreases exponentially with time. We also derived a diameter growth model as: d(t)∝[1-exp(-βt)]^γ, where d(t) is the apparent diameter of the crater cavity at time t after impact, and β and γ are constants. We demonstrated that the diameter growth model could represent well the experimental data for various targets with different target material properties, such as porosity or angle of repose. We also investigated the diameter growth for a dry sand target, which has been used to formulate previous scaling relations. The obtained results showed that the dry sand target has larger degree of deviation from a power law, indicating that the target material properties of the dry sand target have a significant effect on diameter growth, especially at later times. This may suggest that the previously reported scaling relations should be reexamined in order to account for the late-stage behavior with the effect of target material properties.     

Enhanced remote astronomical archive system based on the file-level Unlimited Sliding-Window technique

Data archiving is one of the most critical issues for modern astronomical observations. With the development of a new generation of radio telescopes, the transfer and archiving of massive remote data have become urgent problems to be solved. Herein, we present a practical and robust file-level flow-control approach, called the Unlimited Sliding-Window(USW), by referring to the classic flow-control method in the TCP protocol. Based on the USW and the Next Generation Archive System(NGAS) developed for the Murchison Widefield Array telescope, we further implemented an enhanced archive system(ENGAS)using ZeroMQ middleware. The ENGAS substantially improves the transfer performance and ensures the integrity of transferred files. In the tests, the ENGAS is approximately three to twelve times faster than the NGAS and can fully utilize the bandwidth of network links. Thus, for archiving radio observation data, the ENGAS reduces the communication time, improves the bandwidth utilization, and solves the remote synchronous archiving of data from observatories such as Mingantu spectral radioheliograph. It also provides a better reference for the future construction of the Square Kilometer Array(SKA) Science Regional Center.     

Stochastic parallel gradient descent based adaptive optics used for a high contrast imaging coronagraph

An adaptive optics(AO) system based on a stochastic parallel gradient descent(SPGD) algorithm is proposed to reduce the speckle noises in the optical system of a stellar coronagraph in order to further improve the contrast. The principle of the SPGD algorithm is described briey and a metric suitable for point source imaging optimization is given. The feasibility and good performance of the SPGD algorithm is demonstrated by an experimental system featured with a 140-actuator deformable mirror and a Hartmann-...     

Automated classification technique for edge-on galaxies based on mathematical treatment of brightness data

Classification of edge-on galaxies is important to astronomical studies due to our Milky Way galaxy being an edge-on galaxy.Edge-on galaxies pose a problem to c...