Facilities at ARIES for the Nainital-Cape Survey

A collaborative programme searching for mmag pulsations in chemically peculiar stars in the northern hemisphere was initiated in 1997 between Nainital, India, and Cape Town, South Africa. It was therefore named as theNainital-Cape Survey programme. The detection limits imposed by the observing conditions (including atmospheric noise and telescope size) at both Manora Peak and Devasthal sites are described. The scintillation noise on the best photometric nights is≈ 0.1 to 0.2 mmag for these sites. Both places allow one to detect few mmag variation in bright stars(B ≤ 12 mag), and are therefore particularly well-suited for carrying out the proposed survey work. The main characteristics of the three-channel photometer developed at ARIES for carrying out the observations are also presented. This excellent instrument has been used extensively since 1999 at the f/13 Cassegrain focus of ARIES’ 104 cm telescope. In particular, it allowed the survey to result in the discovery of δ Scuti like pulsations in four Am stars, in one rapidly oscillating Ap star, and in a number of probable variables so far. The future prospects are then presented, which regard the acquisition of a high speed time series CCD photometer, a project to build a 3-metre class telescope at Devasthal, and collaborative observations with Indian and foreign astronomical sites.     

图像移位堆叠方法用于暗天然卫星的天体测量

暗弱天然卫星与主带小行星相比,具有亮度低、速度变化快的特点.在观测这类天体时,不能简单地延长曝光时间来提高其信噪比.尝试观测多幅短曝光的CCD (chargecoupled device)图像,采用移位堆叠(shift-and-add)方法,希望提高目标成像的信噪比,获得暗弱天然卫星的精确测量结果.使用2018年4月9—12日夜间,中国科学院云南天文台1 m望远镜(1 m望远镜)拍摄的木星5颗暗卫星的229幅CCD图像,实施了移位堆叠试验.为了验证结果的正确性,与相近日期中国科学院云南天文台2.4 m望远镜(2.4 m望远镜)观测的相同木卫图像的测量结果进行了比较和分析.位置归算采用了JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)历表.结果表明,对CCD图像使用移位堆叠方法,通过叠加约10幅曝光时间100 s的图像, 1 m望远镜能观测暗至19等星的不规则天然卫星,而且测量的准确度与2.4 m望远镜的测量结果有良好的一致性.     

Wide-Field Camera for Gravitational Microlensing Survey: MOA-cam2

We have constructed a large, mosaic CCD camera called MOA-cam2 which has 4096 × 6144-pixelsto search for gravitational microlensing events. MOA-cam2 has three4096 × 2048-pixel SITe CCD chips, which have a very high quantum efficiency (nearly 80% in the wave region 500 to 800 nm),and three buttable sides. We have placed the threechips side by side with 100 m dead space. MOA-cam2 has been installed on the 61 cm Boller and Chivens telescope of the MOA collaboration at the Mt. John University Observatory (MJUO) in NewZealand since July 1998. The field coverage is 0.92° × 1.38° per exposure. The technical details of MOA-cam2 and the first images obtained with the Boller and Chivens telescope are presented. MOA-cam2 introduces a second phase of research on gravitational microlensing by the MOA collaboration.     

OPTIMA: A Photon Counting High-Speed Photometer

OPTIMA is a small, versatile high-speed photometer which is primarily intended for time resolved observations of young high energy pulsars at optical wavelengths. The detector system consists of eight fiber fed photon counters based on avalanche photodiodes, a GPS timing receiver, an integrating CCD camera to ensure the correct pointing of the telescope and a computerized control unit. Since January 1999 OPTIMA proves its scientific potential by measuring a very detailed light-curve of the Crab Pulsar as well as by observing cataclysmic variable stars on very short timescales. In this article we describe the design of the detector system focussing on the photon counting units and the software control which correlates the detected photons with the GPS timing signal.     

An array photometer for air-borne far infrared astronomy

We describe here a far-infrared photometer capable of detecting simultaneously in three bands in the region 20–120 microns, each band having an array of 3 or 4 photoconductive detectors. We present and discuss its laboratory performance and the results obtained on the planet Venus during an air-borne observational programme using a 32.5 cm telescope. We also present the atmospheric spectra obtained by a Michelson interferometer aboard the aircraft.     

OPTIMA: A Photon Counting High-Speed Photometer

OPTIMA is a small, versatile high-speed photometer which is primarily intended for time resolved observations of young high energy pulsars at optical wavelengths. The detector system consists of eight fiber fed photon counters based on avalanche photodiodes, a GPS timing receiver, an integrating CCD camera to ensure the correct pointing of the telescope and a computerized control unit. Since January 1999 OPTIMA proves its scientific potential by measuring a very detailed light-curve of the Crab Pulsar as well as by observing cataclysmic variable stars on very short timescales. In this article we describe the design of the detector system focussing on the photon counting units and the software control which correlates the detected photons with the GPS timing signal. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

On the change of the inner boundary of an optically thick accretion disk around white dwarfs using the dwarf nova SS Cyg as an example

We present the results of our studies of the aperiodic optical flux variability for SS Cyg, an accreting binary systemwith a white dwarf. The main set of observational data presented here was obtained with the ANDOR/iXon DU-888 photometer mounted on the RTT-150 telescope, which allowed a record (for CCD photometers) time resolution up to 8 ms to be achieved. The power spectra of the source’s flux variability have revealed that the aperiodic variability contains information about the inner boundary of the optically thick flow in the binary system. We show that the inner boundary of the optically thick accretion disk comes close to the white dwarf surface at the maximum of the source’s bolometric light curve, i.e., at the peak of the instantaneous accretion rate onto the white dwarf, while the optically thick accretion disk is truncated at distances 8.5 × 10⁹ cm ∼10R _WD in the low state. We suggest that the location of the inner boundary of the accretion disk in the binary can be traced by studying the parameters of the power spectra for accreting white dwarfs. In particular, this allows the mass of the accreting object to be estimated.     

Stellar photometry in the region 1300 Å–2000 Å. Part I

A stellar photometer utilizing a Cassegrain telescope optical system was flown in a Skylark rocket. The photometer scanned the night sky using the precessional and roll motions of the rocket and obtained observations of some ninety-two stars at a wavelength of 1450 Å.     

MiCPhot： A prime-focus multicolor CCD photometer on the 85-cm Telescope

We describe a new BVRI multicolor CCD photometric system situated at the prime focus of the 85-cm telescope at the Xinglong Station of NAOC. Atmospheric extinction effects, photometric accuracy and color calibration dependence of the system are investigated. Additional attention was paid to giving observers guidance in estimating throughput, detection limit, signal-to-noise ratio and exposure time.     

Charge accumulation and cyclic image transfer on CCD: Search for rapid variations of magnetic field in γ Equ

We search for the variable component of themagnetic field in γ Equ by studying four Nd III lines with the Main Stellar Spectrograph of the 6-m BTA telescope of the Special Astrophysical Observatory via accumulation and cyclic transfer of the electronic image of the Zeeman spectrum on the CCD. The single exposure time was set equal to 1/8 of the spectral variability period. We detected no variable component in the magnetic field of γ Equ with a period of 12.1 min in the November 5/6, 2003 observations.     

Construction of a 1–3 micron infrared photometer and its test observations

We report on the design and construction of a l–3μ infrared photometer. We use a pre-focus rotating chopper to effect modulation and, unlike some previous designs, we use the chopper to feed in the sky background only, and use a fixed mirror to feed in the star signal. In this way, excess demand on the precision setting of the rotating chopper Is avoided. Test observations on a 1-m telescope show that our photometer is capable of observing all the IRC sources with an accuracy better than O.lmag at a time constant of 2 minutes.     

关于地平式反射望远镜的CCD平场(英文)

现有标准设计的反光望远镜在拍摄CCD平场时,绝大多数都受残留散射光的影响.但是赤道式与地平式反光镜所受影响是不同的.在赤道式上做时间序列较差测光时,只要待测星永远位于CCD的固定像元上,不太准确的CCD平场也能得到高精度的测光结果.当需要0.1%～0.3%精度的平场时,则可以采用夜天平场.地平式的特点是,它的CCD相机必须置于旋转器上,在跟踪天体时不停地旋转,以抵消地球自转的影响.上述用于赤道式的方法失效,因此,在CCD平场时,消除散射光的影响比赤道式更为重要.一个典型的地平式反光镜的例子是NAOC兴隆天文台的EOS 1米镜.虽然该台已附加了防散射光的装置,但是对所有B、V、R、I滤光片,在不同旋转器位置拍摄的CCD平场,仍然有2%～3%的差别(主要是梯度).该文给出了改进的建议,必须满足下面两个条件:Cij=C(r);旋转器的中心与反光镜的光学中心重合.此问题的解决对所有地平式反光望远镜都有普遍意义.     

Kyiv meridian axial circle with a new CCD camera

Specifications of a new Apogee Alta U47 CCD camera mounted at the Kyiv meridian axial circle (MAC) are presented. The camera is based on the 1024 × 1024 pxl e2v CCD47-10 with pixel sizes of 13 × 13 μm. Observations are carried out in the scan-drift mode with an effective exposure time of 77 s for equatorial stars. The MAC photometric system answers the standard Johnson V band, the MAC limiting magnitude V is 17 ^m . The test MAC observations of 2009 give positional accuracy and V magnitude errors equal to approximately 0.1″ and 0.09 ^m , respectively, for Tycho-2 stars. The telescope is used for observations of equatorial stars with the purpose of detecting their positions, proper motion, and brightness.     

Fast optical variability of SS 433

We study the variability of the optical flux from the peculiar Galactic source SS 433 based on observations with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-m telescope. We describe in detail the technique of highquality photometric measurements with a time resolution of 0.3–1 s using an ordinary CCD. Through test observations of nonvariable stars, we show that atmospheric turbulence introduces no significant distortions into the light curves. Therefore, such data are well suited for studying the aperiodic variability of various objects.     

Observations of X-Per in optical domain

We have monitored the X-ray source X-Per (4U 0352+30) on 31 August, 1979 through aU filter for about 1.5 hr using 102-cm telescope of Kavalur observatory. During this period intensity of X-Per fluctuated for some time, on time scales of few minutes but recovered in the end. It was again monitored from 27 December, 1979 to January 1980 through a standardU, B, V photometer attached to a 34-cm telescope. In this paper we present the data on the fast flickerings observed on 31 August, 1979 and on the long term monitoring from December 1979 to January 1980.     

基于CCD提高射电望远镜极轴校准精度及修正

射电望远镜极轴的安装定位是否准确直接影响其指向精度和成像质量,通过运用光学CCD原理精确测量射电望远镜极轴偏差角度,用以安装校准极轴,达到提高射电望远镜指向精度和成像质量的效果,并且结合计算机可实现多极轴同时校准,提高工作效率。同时,基于CCD技术可以及时发现天线极轴出现的偏差并进行修正,提高了数据的质量。     

MOA-cam3: a wide-field mosaic CCD camera for a gravitational microlensing survey in New Zealand

We have developed a wide-field mosaic CCD camera, MOA-cam3, mounted at the prime focus of the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) 1.8-m telescope. The camera consists of ten E2V CCD4482 chips, each having 2k×4k pixels, and covers a 2.2 deg² field of view with a single exposure. The optical system is well optimized to realize uniform image quality over this wide field. The chips are constantly cooled by a cryocooler at ??80° C, at which temperature dark current noise is negligible for a typical 1–3 min exposure. The CCD output charge is converted to a 16-bit digital signal by the GenIII system (Astronomical Research Cameras Inc.) and readout is within 25 s. Readout noise of 2–3 ADU (rms) is also negligible. We prepared a wide-band red filter for an effective microlensing survey and also Bessell V, I filters for standard astronomical studies. Microlensing studies have entered into a new era, which requires more statistics, and more rapid alerts to catch exotic light curves. Our new system is a powerful tool to realize both these requirements.     

On Cross-talk Correction of Images from Multiple-port CCDs

Multi-channel CCD read-out, which is an option offered at most optical observatories, can significantly reduce the time spent on reading the detector. The penalty of using this option is the so-called amplifier cross-talk, which causes contamination across the output amplifiers, typically at the level of 1:10 000.This can be a serious problem for applications where high precision and/or high contrast is of importance. We represent an analysis of amplifier cross-talk for two instruments – FORS1 at the ESO VLT telescope Antu (Paranal) and DFOSC at the Danish 1.54 m telescope (La Silla) – and present a post-processing method for removing the imprint of cross-talk. It is found that cross-talk may significantly contaminate high-precision photometry in crowded fields, but it can be effectively eliminated during data reduction. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Development of a three channel photometer for UPSO, Naini Tal

The design and performance of a portable three channel photometer installed at the Uttar Pradesh State Observatory (UPSO), Naini Tal is described. The photometer is modular and the whole unit can be disassembled as individual channels such that the system can also be used as a single channel or two channel photometer. The system also has provision to monitor a guide star. The instrument was put into operation since November 1999 on the 1m Sampurnanand telescope at UPSO, Naini Tal. Since then, it is used extensively for the ‘Survey of rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars in the northern sky’ from UPSO. Observational results using this new photometer in its initial phase of operation are discussed. The advantage of having continuous sky measurement is demonstrated.     

云南天文台DIMM的视宁度测量和评估

为对三孔ＤＩＭＭ数据的可靠性有进一步认识，作者对所用ＣＣＤ的曝光时间、不同大小的子瞳以及风向对观测结果的影响等方面做了试验，还进行了ＤＩＭＭ结果与一米望远镜的星像轮廓结果的比对。