Recognition of Space Weather Impact on the Isophot Detectors

The effects of changes in the space environment on the ISOPHOT photoconductivedetectors over the whole ISO mission were studied using the complete setof responsivity check measurements taken after the curing of the detectors.We found that the responsivity of the Ge-based, low bias voltage far-infrared detectors (P3, C100, and C200) is sensitive to the conditions of the Space Weather.We present evidence that an increased responsivity level (20% – 50%) after curing of the detectors is linked to the onset of geomagnetic storms. TheSi-based, high bias voltage detectors P1, P2 and PHT–SS show only small changesin their responsivity. An exception is the PHT–SL array which shows a similar,but less pronounced behaviour as the FIR detectors. While these relationshave been demonstrated by our study, a detailed physical understanding is still outstanding. The Space Weather dependent scatter of the responsivity,being the photometric scaling factor (conversion from measured photo currentto inband power on the detector), justifies the observing mode design to include frequent monitoring of its actual level.     

The ISOCAM Detectors: an Overview

The two detectors of the ISOCAM camera on board the ISOspacecraft, have performed nominally for the entire duration ofthe emission. Their main properties (dark current, noise andresponsivity) stayed very stable from the first tests on groundto the end of the life of ISO, a 6 yr long period. The mainlimitation to the sensitivity of the observations came fromtransients in the signal delivered by the detectors, inducedeither by a change in the sources fluxes or by glitches.     

Science, Technology and Detectors for Extremely Large Telescopes

The second decade of the third millennium will hopefully see a new generation of extremely large telescopes. These will have diameters from 30 to 100 meters and use advanced adaptive optics to operate at the diffraction limit in order to detect astronomical objects that are impossible to observe today, such as earth-like planets around nearby stars and the earliest objects in the Universe. Even for small fields of view, the requirements for detectors are daunting, with sizes of several gigapixels, very fast readout times and extremely low readout noise. In this paper I briefly review the science case for ELTs and the requirements they set on telescopes and instruments, and report on the status of the OWL 100 m telescope project and the challenges it poses.     

空间VLBI的研究现状

评述了过去近三十年中空间VLBI的发展．其内容包括空间VLBI的简短发展历史,空间VLBI与地面VLBI的不同、空间VLBI的目前状况和空间VLBI的未来展望。着重介绍了作为首次空间VLBI的VSOP的各个方面情况,并给出了VSOP的连续谱、谱线普查样本,供参考。     

Life In Space: An Introduction To Space Life Sciences And The International Space Station

The impact of the space environment upon living organisms is profound. Its effects range from alterations in sub-cellular processes to changes in the structure and function of whole organ systems. As the number of astronaut and cosmonaut crews flown in space has grown, so to has our understanding of the effects of the space environment upon biological systems. There are many parallels between the physiology of space flight and terrestrial disease processes, and the response of astronaut crews themselves to long-duration space deployment is therefore of central interest. In the next 15 years the International Space Station (ISS) will serve as a permanently manned dedicated life and physical sciences platform for the further investigation of these phenomena. The European Space Agency's Columbus module will hold the bulk of the ISS life science capability and, in combination with NASA's Human Research Facility (HRF) will accommodate the rack mounted experimental apparatus. The programme of experimentation will include efforts in fundamental biology, human physiology, behavioural science and space biomedical research. In the four decades since Yuri Gagarin first orbited the Earth, space life science has emerged as a field of study in its own right. The ISS takes us into the next era of human space exploration, and it is hoped that its programme of research will yield new insights, novel therapeutic interventions, and improved biotechnology for terrestrial application. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Implications of the Sample Rate on Large Space Telescopes

The frequency at which a large space telescope's (e.g. JWST's) detector chips are read, or the sample rate, is tightly coupled to many hardware and operational aspects of the telescope's instrument and data handling elements. In this paper we discuss many of the drivers and important implications of the sample rate: the data rate to the ground; onboard computer storage, bandwidth, and speed; the number of A→D chips, and therefore the overall size and power requirements of the analog electronics; cryocabling requirements; and detector noise and power. We discuss and parametrize these and other elements related to sample rate. Finally, we discuss the implications of sample rate in the context of achieving the most important science goals under the constraint of limited cost. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Pixel-based correction for Charge Transfer Inefficiency in the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys

Charge Transfer Inefficiency (CTI) due to radiation damage above the Earth's atmosphere creates spurious trailing in Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) images. Radiation damage also creates unrelated warm pixels – but these happen to be perfect for measuring CTI. We model CTI in the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS)/Wide Field Channel and construct a physically motivated correction scheme. This operates on raw data, rather than secondary science products, by returning individual electrons to pixels from which they were unintentionally dragged during readout. We apply our correction to images from the HST Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), successfully reducing the CTI trails by a factor of ∼30 everywhere in the CCD and at all flux levels. We quantify changes in galaxy photometry, astrometry and shape. The remarkable 97 per cent level of correction is more than sufficient to enable a (forthcoming) reanalysis of downstream science products and the collection of larger surveys.     

Solar-Blind Diamond Detectors for Lyra, the Solar VUV Radiometer on Board Proba II

Fabrication, packaging and experimental results on the calibration of metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetectors made on diamond are reported. LYRA (Lyman- RAdiometer onboard PROBA-2) will use diamond detectors for the first time in space for a solar physics instrument. A set of measurement campaigns was designed to obtain the XUV-to-VIS responsivity of the devices and other characterizations. The measurements of responsivity in EUV and VUV spectral ranges (40–240 nm) have been carried out by the Physkalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany at the electron storage ring BESSY II. The longer wavelength range from 210 to 1127 nm was measured with monochromatic light by using a Xe-lamp at IMO-IMOMEC. The diamond detectors exhibit a photoresponse which lie in the 35–65 mA/W range at 200 nm (corresponding to an external quantum efficiency of 20–40%) and indicate a visible rejection ratio (200–500 nm) higher than four orders of magnitude.     

世界引力波探测网的现状

引力波是广义相对论的重要推论之一,迄今为止尚未被直接探测到。上世纪末共振棒引力波探测网曾联合运行.历经十余年的努力,世界激光干涉引力波探测网已经初步形成。今后一、两年将会同步运行。最新的关于中子双星的天文观测和分析给引力波探测带来了希望。     

Space Operation and Performance of Doped Germanium Photo-Conducting Detectors in the Far Infrared: Experience from the ISO LWS

The performance of the ten doped germaniumphotoconducting detectors on the Infrared SpaceObservatory Long Wavelength Spectrometer is discussed. This instrument was designed to make spectroscopicmeasurements of astronomical sources in the wavelengthrange from 43 to 198 m. It employed^* a combination of stressed and unstressed Ge:Ga detectorsand one Ge:Be detector coupled to Infrared Labs JF-4integrating amplifiers. The performance of thedetectors was affected by the ionising radiation inthe space environment. The Noise Equivalent Power ofthe detectors increased by a factor of 4 compared tothat measured during ground testing. We show thatthis was the result of reducing the operating bias,and therefore the responsivity, of the detectors andusing shorter integration ramps to alleviate theeffects of the ionising radiation impacts. ^ast ISO exhausted its helium supply on 8 April 1998.     

关于空间探测器定位在太阳系中特殊点上的有关问题

WSO／UV(世界空间紫外天文台)以及监测太阳活动的特殊探测器(Solar Sentinel)都需要在日-地(月)系的平动点附近运行，且相对日-地(月)系要求其几何位置几乎保持不变，因此有必要阐明平动点的动力学特征及其附近的运动状况。基于这一点，对限制性三体模型下，日-地(月)系中平动点附近扰动运动的稳定性作了详尽的分析，尤其讨论了共线平动点具有不稳定动力学特征时，如何使WSO／UV这类空间探测器保持在其附近的情况；同时阐明了轨道保持不变的条件和相应的轨控措施。     

The Case For Renewed Human Exploration Of The Moon

The European Space Agency, ESA, is currently studying 3 high-energy astronomy missions that use the International Space Station (ISS). These are Lobster-ISS, an all-sky imaging X-ray monitor, the Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) which will study the highest energy cosmic rays by using the Earth's atmosphere as a giant detector and XEUS — the X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy Mission, a potential successor to ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray observatory. These first 2 missions will he attached to the external platforms on the Columbus module, while XEUS will visit the ISS to attach additional X-ray mirrors to enlarge the original 4.5 m diameter mirrors to the 10 m diameter required to observed redshifted iron lines from massive black holes in the early Universe. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

空间科学虚拟观测台体系结构研究

科学观测数据的海量增长,使得旨在实现资源互操作的虚拟观测台(VO)应运而生,并迅速受到相关学科的支持和重视。国际虚拟天文台联盟(IVOA)、行星科学数据系统(PDS)和空间物理归档检索抽取标准(SPASE)等数据组织,正加快制定数据管理模型,推动VO的发展和跨学科应用。结合空间科学应用研究的特点,在借鉴国内外天文和空间科学VO研究成果的基础上,提出了一种针对空间科学数据的Hybrid型VO体系结构,并基于此体系结构发展了一个支持同步收割、格式化管道和事件关联发现的空间科学VO原型。实践和应用结果表明,基于这种体系结构建立的VO在解决全局资源的实时同步、异构应用的高度集成和面向科学问题的数据发现等问题上,有一定的普适性。     

Spada: An Array of Spad Detectors For Astrophysical Applications

Astrophysical studies require accurate, sensitive and fast detectors to detect faint sources with high variability. Recently an array of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD), SPADA, has been developed. This array is suitable for competitive adaptive optics operations and fast transient image acquisition at a fraction of the current cost of imaging arrays. The fabricated solid-state photon counters are rugged, easily integrated with the optics, free from readout noise, and have very fast frame rates (> 10 kHz, for visible corrections) with nanosecond electronic gating. In this paper, the following are described: the development of silicon monolithic arrays of 60 photon-counters, the detection electronics (based on integrated active quenching circuits for each pixel of the array), the real-time data-processing board implemented into FPGA and some aspects of the mechanical housing.     

The James Webb Space Telescope and its Infrared Detectors

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was conceived as the scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Spitzer Space Telescope. The instrument suite provides broad wavelength coverage and capabilities aimed at four key science themes: 1) The end of the dark ages: first light and reionization, 2) The assembly of galaxies, 3) The birth of stars and protoplanetary systems, and 4) Planetary systems and the origins of life. To accomplish these ambitious goals, JWST's detectors provide state-of-the-art performance spanning the λ = 0.6–28 μm wavelength range. In this paper, we describe JWST with an emphasis on its infrared detectors.     

The ISO-SWS detectors: Performance trends and space radiation effects

We present a trend analysis of the ISO-SWS detector performance and a study of the space radiation effects on the SWS detectors. In particular, dark currents, dark current noise and detector responses have been checked as a function of time through the mission and as a function of time in arevolution. The results show that these parameters were stable during the mission in all bandsbut for band 3 (Si:As). Dark currents and responses were found to be higherin the first hours following the start of the science window,especially in band 2 (Si:Ga). We have studied the impacts of cosmic rays and radiation belt particles on the SWS detectors, as well as of the only large solar proton event on November 6, 1997,that occurred during the ISO mission (operated during solar minimum).The observed glitch rates in all SWS bands are found to be between 2 and4 times higher than the value predicted by the CREME96 model for the cosmic ray flux in the period considered. The bands that registered the highest glitch rates showed also a correlation with the electron fluxes measured on theGOES 9 spacecraft. From the distribution of glitchheights (voltage jumps in the detector signal), we have derived the deposited energy distributions of the particles hits. Our results lead to the conclusion that secondaryparticles produced in the shield and the detectors contributed at least as much as cosmic rays to the observed glitch rate. The effects on the detectors of the November 6, 1997 event, which caused that all observationsin a revolution were declared failed, are described in detail.     

射频干扰检测的SumThreshold算法

射频干扰(Radio Frequency Interference, RFI)是射电目标搜寻和精确分析研究的关键影响因素,因此RFI检测是相关数据处理中的一个重要环节.已有RFI检测方法可分为成分分解法、阈值分析法、机器学习类方法.从应用广泛性和可解释性方面考虑,阈值分析法最具代表性,特别是SumThreshold是近年备受关注的一个RFI检测方法.从SumThreshold方法的原理、算法设计、优化要点、适用性等方面进行介绍和探讨,以供同行参考.     

The Scientific Case For A Human Spaceflight Infrastructure

I argue that science stands to benefit from the infrastructure developed to support a human space programme. By infrastructure I mean all those facilities and capabilities which purely scientific budgets could never afford to develop, but which nevertheless act to facilitate scientific research which would not otherwise take place. For example, the human presence on the Moon during the Apollo Project resulted in the acquisition of scientific data which would not have been obtained otherwise, and the same is likely to hold true for future human missions to both the Moon and Mars (and indeed elsewhere). In the more distant future, an important scientific application of a well-developed human spaceflight infrastructure may be the construction of interstellar space probes for the exploration of planets around other nearby stars. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Observing and Calibration Strategies for FIR Imaging with SIRTF

We present data from a 16×32 array of unstressed Ge:Gadetectors, showing the long time constant responses and hook effectcharacteristic of these devices. This array is half the size of the70 m imaging array planned for MIPS, the Multiband ImagingPhotometer for SIRTF. We present simulations of the FIR (farinfrared) sky as viewed by a MIPS array, including realistic noiseeffects and extraction of point sources with a standard photometrypackage, showing that the photometric goals of MIPS are attainablewith the current array performance and using standard analysistechniques. Previous calculations by Heim et al. (1998) haddetermined that MIPS would achieve 5- detections of 1 mJy at 70 m in 2000 s; the simulations presented hereobtain results consistent with those calculations.