Gapfilling interrupted helioseismic data with the EM algorithm

Helioseismic data are often interrupted by gaps, which diminish the quality of the data. In the frequency domain, these gaps lead to systematical effects with misleading interpretation of the power spectra. We propose a gap filling method that is based on modeling solar oscillation data with a statistical process, i.e., the stochastic nature of a single oscillation is taken into account by regarding it as realization of an autoregressive (AR) processes of second order. From the whole oscillation time series given as the superposition of the realization of many excited modes, the process parameters are estimated via the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. Then the estimated model is used to predict the further course of the oscillatory process during occurring gaps. We demonstrate the applicability of this procedure on the basis of both simulations and data obtained with the DIFOS satellite experiment suffering from gaps of 30 min duration occurring regularly every 90 min due to the orbit around the Earth.     

On helioseismic tests of basic physics

An important goal of helioseismology is to provide information about the basic physics and parameters that determine the structure of the solar interior. Here we discuss the procedures applied in such analyses, using as an example attempts to obtain significant constraints on the value of Newton's gravitational constant G from helioseismology. The analysis is based on complete direct and inverse helioseismic analysis of a set of accurate observed acoustic frequencies. We confirm, as found by previous investigations based on different approaches, that the actual level of precision of the helioseismic inferences does not allow us to constrain G with a precision better than that which can be reached with direct experimental measurements. The conclusion emphasizes the importance in helioseismic inferences of considering not only the accuracy with which solar oscillations are measured, but also the effect of uncertainties in other aspects of the model computation and helioseismic analysis.     

Anomalous variations in low-degree helioseismic mode frequencies

We compare changes in the frequencies of solar acoustic modes with degree between 0 and 2, as derived from Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG), Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON) and Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) spectra obtained between 1995 and 2003. We find that, after the solar-activity dependence has been removed from the frequencies, there remain variations that appear to be significant, and are often well correlated between the different data sets. We consider possible explanations for these fluctuations, and conclude that they are likely to be related to the stochastic excitation of the modes. The existence of such fluctuations has possible relevance to the analysis of other low-degree acoustic mode spectra such as those from solar-type stars.     

Effects of errors in the solar radius on helioseismic inferences

Frequencies of intermediate-degree f modes of the Sun seem to indicate that the solar radius is smaller than what is normally used in constructing solar models. We investigate the possible consequences of an error in radius on results for solar structure obtained using helioseismic inversions. It is shown that solar sound speed will be overestimated if oscillation frequencies are inverted using reference models with a larger radius. Using solar models with a radius of 695.78 Mm and new data sets, the base of the solar convection zone is estimated to be at a radial distance of 0.7135 ± 0.0005 of the solar radius. The helium abundance in the convection zone as determined using models with an OPAL equation of state is 0.248 ± 0.001, where the errors reflect the estimated systematic errors in the calculation, the statistical errors being much smaller. Assuming that the OPAL opacities used in the construction of the solar models are correct, the surface Z / X is estimated to be 0.0245 ± 0.0006.     

Solar shear flows deduced from helioseismic dense-pack samplings of ring diagrams

We report on large-scale horizontal flows in the solar convection zone and their variability in time and space using a local-helioseismology technique known as ring-diagram analysis. By performing this analysis on a dense mosaic of individual regions on the solar disk, i.e., a `Dense-Pack' sampling, and repeating the analysis periodically on several time scales, we are able to assess the variation of horizontal flows from day-to-day, week-to-week, and year-to-year. We find that although there are changes in the flows on all these time scales, there are also basic patterns that persist. On a daily time scale we observe that the flow is reduced in those areas which are occupied by large active regions. On somewhat longer time-scales we see bands of persistent fast and slow zonal flow that are identifiable as torsional oscillations. As we examine these bands during a series of years, we find that these bands migrate toward the equator as solar activity increases. Similarly, the latitudes at which the meridional flow reaches maximum follow these regions of fast zonal flow as they migrate equatorwards. These Dense-Pack samplings also reveal substantial differences in the zonal and meridional flow patterns in the northern and southern hemispheres.     

Inverting the angular correlation function

The two point angular correlation function is an excellent measure of structure in the Universe. To extract from it the three-dimensional power spectrum, one must invert Limber's equation. Here we perform this inversion using a Bayesian prior constraining the smoothness of the power spectrum. Among other virtues, this technique allows for the possibility that the estimates of the angular correlation function are correlated from bin to bin. The outputs of this technique are estimators for the binned power spectrum and a full covariance matrix. Angular correlations mix small and large scales but after the inversion, small-scale data can be trivially eliminated, thereby allowing for realistic constraints on theories of large-scale structure. We analyse the automated plate measurement (APM) catalogue as an example, comparing our results with previous results. As a by-product of these tests, we find – in rough agreement with previous work – that APM places stringent constraints on cold dark matter inspired models, with the shape parameter constrained to be 0.25±0.04 (using data with wavenumber k ≤0.1  h  Mpc⁻¹). This range of allowed values uses the full power spectrum covariance matrix, but assumes negligible covariance in the off-diagonal angular correlation error matrix, which is estimated with a large angular resolution of 0.5° (in the range 0.5° and 20°).     

Modeling helioseismic modes in the magnetic atmosphere of the Sun

The pulsation of the solar surface is caused by acoustic waves traveling in the solar interior. Thorough analyses of observational data indicate that these f and p helioseismic oscillation modes are not bounced back completely at the surface but they partially penetrate into the atmosphere. Atmospheric effects and their possible observational application are investigated in one‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic models. It is found that f and p mode frequencies are shifted of the order of μHz due to the presence of an atmospheric magnetic field. This shift varies with the direction of the wave propagation.Resonant coupling of global helioseismic modes to local Alfvén and slow waves reduce the life time of the global modes. The resulting line width of the frequency line is of the order of nHz, and it also varies with propagation angle. These features enable us to use helioseismic observations in magnetic diagnostics of the lower atmosphere. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Erratum: Linear sensitivity of helioseismic travel times to local flows

We fix three typographical errors in “Linear Sensitivity of Helioseismic Travel Times to Local Flows” (Astronomische Nachrichten, Vol. 328, Issue 3, p. 228) (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Noise characteristics of full-disc helioseismic observations made by resonant scattering spectrometers

We report monitoring observations of 20 high-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN), 12 of which are radio-quiet quasars (RQQs). Intranight optical variability (INOV) was detected for 13 of the 20 objects, including 5 RQQs. The variations are distinctly stronger and more frequent for blazars than for the other AGN classes. By combining these data with results obtained earlier in our programme, we have formed an enlarged sample consisting of 9 BL Lacs, 19 RQQs and 11 lobe-dominated radio-loud quasars (RLQs). The moderate level of rapid optical variability found for both RQQs and radio lobe-dominated quasars (LDQs) argues against a direct link between INOV and radio loudness. We supplemented the present observations of 3 BL Lacs with additional data from the literature. In this extended sample of 12 well observed BL Lacs, stronger INOV is found for the EGRET detected subset.     

Inverting the zodiacal light brightness integral

Considerations of the geometry appropriate to observations of the zodiacal light made from out of the ecliptic plane yield the general inversion of the brightness integral. The brightness per unit volume of interplanetary space can thus be determined in the immediate neighborhood of the spacecraft in directions confined to a unique viewing plane which depends upon the spacecraft's trajectory. The implementation of this technique guarantees the maximum information content of optical observations made from future deep-space probes including the “Out-of-Ecliptic” mission scheduled for launch in 1983.     

Variations of helioseismic parameters due to magnetic field generated by a flux transport model

The change of sound speed has been found at the base of the convection during the solar cycles,which can be used to constrain the solar internal magnetic field.We aim to check whether the magnetic field generated by the solar dynamo can lead to the cyclic variation of the sound speed detected through helioseismology.The basic configuration of magnetic field in the solar interior was obtained by using a Babcock-Leighton(BL) type flux transport dynamo.We reconstructed one-dimensional solar models by assimilating magnetic field generated by an established dynamo and examined their influences on the structural variables.The results show that magnetic field generated by the dynamo is able to cause noticeable change of the sound speed profile at the base of the convective zone during a solar cycle.Detailed features of this theoretical prediction are also similar to those of the helioseismic results in solar cycle 23 by adjusting the free parameters of the dynamo model.     

Photospheric, chromospheric and helioseismic signatures of a large flare in super-active region NOAA 10486

NOAA 10486 produced several powerful flares, including the 4B/X17.2 superflare of October 28, 2003/11:10 UT. This flare was extensively covered by theH _α and GONG instruments operated at the Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO). The central location of the active region on October 28,2003 was well-suited for the ring diagram analysis to obtain the 3-D power spectra and search for helioseismic response of this large flare on the amplitude, frequency and width of the p-modes. Further, using USO observations, we have identified the sites of new flux emergences, large proper motions and line-of-sight velocity flows in the active region and their relationship with the flare.     

Observation data pre-processing and scientific data products generation of POLAR

POLAR is a compact space-borne detector initially designed to measure the polarization of hard X-rays emitted from Gamma-Ray Bursts in the energy range 50–500 ke V. This instrument was launched successfully onboard the Chinese space laboratory Tiangong-2(TG-2) on 2016 September 15. After being switched on a few days later, tens of gigabytes of raw detection data were produced in-orbit by POLAR and transferred to the ground every day. Before the launch date, a full pipeline and related software were designed and developed for the purpose of quickly pre-processing all the raw data from POLAR, which include both science data and engineering data, then to generate the high level scientific data products that are suitable for later science analysis. This pipeline has been successfully applied for use by the POLAR Science Data Center in the Institute of High Energy Physics(IHEP) after POLAR was launched and switched on. A detailed introduction to the pipeline and some of the core relevant algorithms are presented in this paper.     

Processing of AMBER data

This practice work session introduces the participants to the ESO tools available for the reduction of VLTI/AMBER data. They include Gasgano and Reflex. These tools are provided by ESO, and are based on amdlib, provided by the AMBER consortium.     

Problems in data compilation

Concepts involved in the estimation of target quantities and other adjustment parameters are critically discussd. We point out that one can find more accurate precepts for the reduction of data by utilizing all available constraints on all available data in the derivation of the reduction precepts. We introduce a measure for theefficiency of a set of adjustment parameters such that adjustments carried out using different precepts can be objectively compared. Finally, having applied our suggestions to a specific problem, we show that we have obtained estimates of a set of target quantities (in our case, star positions and proper motions) which have smaller formal errors than estimates of the same target quantities derived from the same input material but following traditional procedures.     

Scientific data products and the data pre-processing subsystem of the Chang'e-3 mission

The Chang'e-3(CE-3) mission is China's first exploration mission on the surface of the Moon that uses a lander and a rover. Eight instruments that form the scientific payloads have the following objectives:(1) investigate the morphological features and geological structures at the landing site;(2) integrated in-situ analysis of minerals and chemical compositions;(3) integrated exploration of the structure of the lunar interior;(4) exploration of the lunar-terrestrial space environment, lunar surface environment and acquire Moon-based ultraviolet astronomical observations. The Ground Research and Application System(GRAS) is in charge of data acquisition and pre-processing, management of the payload in orbit, and managing the data products and their applications. The Data Pre-processing Subsystem(DPS) is a part of GRAS.The task of DPS is the pre-processing of raw data from the eight instruments that are part of CE-3, including channel processing, unpacking, package sorting, calibration and correction, identification of geographical location, calculation of probe azimuth angle, probe zenith angle, solar azimuth angle, and solar zenith angle and so on, and conducting quality checks. These processes produce Level 0, Level 1 and Level 2data. The computing platform of this subsystem is comprised of a high-performance computing cluster, including a real-time subsystem used for processing Level 0 data and a post-time subsystem for generating Level 1 and Level 2 data. This paper describes the CE-3 data pre-processing method, the data pre-processing subsystem, data classification, data validity and data products that are used for scientific studies.     

Sub-image data processing in Astro-WISE

Most often, astronomers are interested in a source (e.g., moving, variable, or extreme in some colour index) that lies on a few pixels of an image. However, the classical approach in astronomical data processing is the processing of the entire image or set of images even when the sole source of interest may exist on only a few pixels of one or a few images. This is because pipelines have been written and designed for instruments with fixed detector properties (e.g., image size, calibration frames, overscan regions, etc.). Furthermore, all metadata and processing parameters are based on an instrument or a detector. Accordingly, out of many thousands of images for a survey, this can lead to unnecessary processing of data that is both time-consuming and wasteful. We describe the architecture and an implementation of sub-image processing in Astro-WISE. The architecture enables a user to select, retrieve and process only the relevant pixels in an image where the source exists. We show that lineage data collected during the processing and analysis of datasets can be reused to perform selective reprocessing (at sub-image level) on datasets while the remainder of the dataset is untouched, a difficult process to automate without lineage.     

CoRoT data reduction by example

Data reduction techniques published so far for the CoRoT N2 data product were targeted primarily on the detection of extrasolar planets. Since the whole dataset has been released, specific algorithms are required to process the lightcurves from CoRoT correctly. Though only unflagged datapoints must be chosen for scientific processing, some flags might be reconsidered. The reduction of data along with improving the signal‐to‐noise ratio can be achieved by applying a one dimensional drizzle algorithm. Gaps can be filled by linear interpolated data without harming the frequency spectrum. Magnitudes derived from the CoRoT color channels might be used to derive additional information about the targets. Depending on the needs, various filters in the frequency domain remove either the red noise background or high frequency noise. The autocorrelation function or the least squares periodogram are appropriate methods to identify periodic signals. The methods described here are not strictly limited to CoRoT data but may also be applied on Kepler data or the upcoming PLATO mission. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Theory of interferometric data processing

In this article I discuss methods and issues of interferometric data processing, i.e. how to compute visibilities from interferograms, correct for systematic errors, and calibrate the data. I conclude with some remarks on interferometric imaging, as it can be considered part of data processing, one step before the analysis using physical models of the target observed.