Readout Techniques for Drift and Low Frequency Noise Rejection in Infrared Arrays

Three different methods are presented to subtract thermal drifts and low-frequency noise from the signal of infrared array. The first is dead pixels with open Indium bumps, the second is reference output as implemented on the Hawaii2 multiplexer, and the third is dark pixels to emulate reference cells having a capacity connected to the gate of the unit cell field-effect transistor (FET). The third method is the most effective and yields a reduction in readout noise from15.4–9.4 erms. A novel method will be described to extend this readout technique to the Aladdin 1 K × 1 K InSb array. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

边缘耀斑中HeI 10830的加宽计算

讨论了 ＨｅＩ １０８３０Ａ的 Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ和 Ｓｔａｒｋ加宽机制以及各种加宽参数的计算，并 得到以下一些结论：辐射阻尼对 ＨｅＩ １０８３０ Ａ的加宽作用与 Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ效应相比可以忽略； 在公认的耀斑电子密度（Ｎｅ＝３．２ ×１０１３ｃｍ－３）的情况下，所有阻尼项均不可能产生可以 觉察的加宽；直到 Ｎｅ＝１０１５ｃｍ－３，各种阻尼对线心半宽的增加都不起作用，其值最多 在１０－３的量级，因此；线心都可以看作是Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ加宽；当 Ｎｅ＞１０１４ ｃｍ－３时，Ｓｔａｒｋ 加宽，特别是电子碰撞的 Ｓｔａｒｋ加宽将在 ＨｅＩ １０８３０ Ａ的加宽中起主要作用；如要 Ｓｔａｒｋ 加宽谱线的线翼比纯Ｄｏｐｐｌｅｒ加宽大１－２倍，则阻尼加宽半宽与。可以相比拟；如果 用 Ｓｔａｒｋ加宽来解释 １９８９年边缘耀斑的观测轮廓，则电子密度将达１０～（１７）ｃｍ－３，与氦 原子的碰撞阻尼（γ３）造成的加宽对Ｉ１２和Ｉ３两分量明显不同，它们对Ｉ１２的影响比对Ｉ３ 的影响大近一个量级，我们的观测显示Ｉ１２和Ｉ３线翼的延伸基本一样，因而我们的观测 轮廓不可能是γ３造成的     

How the X-ray spectrum of a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy may be reflection-dominated

A model for the inner regions of accretion flows is presented where, owing to disc instabilities, cold and dense material is clumped into deep sheets or rings. Surrounding these density enhancements is hot, tenuous gas where coronal dissipation processes occur. We expect this situation to be most relevant when the accretion rate is close to Eddington and the disc is radiation-pressure-dominated, and so may apply to narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies. In this scenario, the hard X-ray source is obscured for most observers, and so the detected X-ray emission would be dominated by reflection off the walls of the sheets. A simple Comptonization calculation shows that the large photon-indices characteristic of NLS1s would be a natural outcome of two reprocessors closely surrounding the hard X-ray source. We test this model by fitting the XMM-Newton spectrum of the NLS1 1H  0707–495  between 0.5 and 11 keV with reflection-dominated ionized disc models. A very good fit is found with three different reflectors each subject to the same  Γ=2.35  power law. An iron overabundance is still required to fit the sharp drop in the spectrum at around 7 keV. We note that even a small corrugation of the accretion disc may result in  Γ>2  and a strong reflection component in the observed spectrum. Therefore, this model may also explain the strength and the variability characteristics of the MCG–6-30-15 Fe K α line. The idea needs to be tested with further broad-band XMM-Newton observations of NLS1s.     

Excitation of Sr ii lines in Eta Carinae

We study the nature of the peculiar [Sr  ii ] and Sr  ii emission filament found in the ejecta of Eta Carinae. To this purpose we carry out ab initio calculations of radiative transition probabilities and electron impact excitation rate coefficients for Sr  ii . Then we build a multilevel model for the system which is used to investigate the physical condition of the filament and the nature of the observed allowed and forbidden Sr  ii optical emission. It is found that the observed spectrum is consistent with the lines being pumped by the continuum radiation field in a mostly neutral region with electron density near 10⁷ cm⁻³. Under these conditions, the observed emission can be explained without the need for a large Sr overabundance.     

On the Red Rectangle optical emission bands

We have observed the Red Rectangle nebula with the Multi-Object Spectrograph on the WIYN telescope. Moderate-resolution spectra (Δ λ =0.4 Å) in the region of 5800 Å were obtained in 3-arcsec apertures at over 50 positions in the nebula. Accurate and precise wavelength calibrations were obtained against a thorium–argon lamp and the sodium lines in the sky and nebula. The peak position and full width at half-maximum of the 5800-Å Red Rectangle band (RRB) were measured to beyond 15 arcsec from the star. The shortest wavelength of the band is found to be 5799.10±0.15 Å in the rest frame of the nebula. None of the emission bands has intensity coincident with the wavelength of the diffuse interstellar band (DIB) at 5797.11±0.05 Å. The 2-Å offset cannot be explained by an instrumental, spectroscopic or photophysical effect. The hypothesis that the same molecule may be the carrier of the RRB and the DIB is contradicted by these observations. As a further test of the hypothesis, absorption has been sought that would be due to a potential DIB carrier in the nebula. Tentative evidence for absorption is found in the RRB spectra taken within 9 arcsec of the star; but any absorption has a peak position essentially coincident in wavelength with the band maximum of the emission band.     

O i line emission in cool stars: calculations using partial redistribution

Radiative transfer calculations have been performed for five cool stars: α Tau, β Gem, Procyon, ε Eri and the Sun, for the purpose of investigating the behaviour of the O  i emission over a wide range of stellar types, and its dependence on coherent photon scattering. These stars span a range of spectral types from F5 iv – v to K5 iii and surface gravities  1.25 < log  g * < 4.75  . Particular attention has been paid to the calculation of the flux in the resonance triplet around 1305 Å which is pumped by H Lyβ, including the effects of partial redistribution (PRD) and cross-redistribution of photons. These are the first calculations for the resonance triplet in giant stars using a full PRD treatment. Calculations of the predominantly collisionally excited intersystem doublet at 1355, 1358 Å are included, and it is found that the ratio of these fluxes shows the effects of opacity. The flux in the forbidden line at 1641 Å is calculated for the giant stars and the effects of coherent scattering on this line are investigated. The discrepancy between the calculated and observed fluxes in the O  i lines is used to infer the inadequacy of single-component chromospheric models.     

CCD‐Δa and BV R photometry of NGC 7296

The first CCD photometric investigation of the open cluster NGC 7296 up to now was performed within the narrow band Δa photometric system, which enables us to detect peculiar objects. A deeper investigation of that cluster followed, using the standard BV R ‐Bessel filter set. The age and E (B – V ) was determined independently to log t = 8.0 ± 0.1 and 0.15 ± 0.02, respectively by using Δa and broadband photometry. In total five Be/Ae objects and two metal‐weak stars showing significant negative Δa ‐values as well as one classical chemically peculiar star could be identified within that intermediate age open cluster. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

色球耀斑Hα谱线轮廓不对称性研究

Hα谱线轮廓的不对称性是色球耀斑光谱观测中的重要特征,也是耀斑动力学过程的重要观测事实之一．以紫金山天文台太阳光谱仪的观测资料为依据,给出Hα谱线不对称性的典型轮廓．在考虑氢原子非热激发、电离的作用下,经验性地计算了不同大气模型下谱线的不对称性特征,并在此基础上,对观测谱线进行半经验的研究．结果表明, 色球区的向下运动能够产生Hα谱线的红、蓝不对称性,并可以再生具体耀斑的谱线不对称性特征．此外,不仅非热粒子的能流、谱指数大小以及速度场所处的高度对谱线轮廓有影响,耀斑大气的背景模型对谱线的轮廓也有一定的影响．     

Stochastic data in astronomy: Fourier analysis of highly nonuniform time series

The features of the CLEAN algorithm for Fourier analysis of time series with data separated by long pauses are analyzed in detail. Estimates are obtained for the limits of variability of the parameters of harmonic components that can be determined on a specified time grid. This analysis are used to search for harmonic components in the spectral line profile variations of the star Ori A (O8III) obtained in 2001 with the 1 m telescope at the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences.Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 87–100 (February 2005).