A New Solar Radio Spectrometer at 1.10-2.06 GHz and First Observational Results

An improved Solar Radio Spectrometer working at 1.10-2.06 GHz with much improved spectral and temporal resolution, has been accomplished by the National Astronomical Observatories and Hebei Semiconductor Research Institute, based on an old spectrometer at 1-2 GHz. The new spectrometer has a spectral resolution of 4 MHz and a temporal resolution of 5ms, with an instantaneous detectable range from 0.02 to 10 times of the quiet Sun flux. It can measure both left and right circular polarization with an accuracy of 10% in degree of polarization. Some results of preliminary observations that could not be recorded by the old spectrometer at 1-2 GHz are presented.     

Future goals for γ-ray spectroscopy

Gamma-ray lines are the fingerprints of nuclear transitions, carrying the memory of high energy processes in the universe. Setting out from what is presently known about line emission in gamma-ray astronomy, requirements for future telescopes are outlined. The inventory of observed line features shows that sources with a wide range of angular and spectral extent have to be handled: the scientific objectives for gamma-ray spectroscopy are spanning from compact objects as broad class annihilators, over longlived galactic radioisotopes with hotspots in the degree-range to the extremely extended galactic disk and bulge emission of the narrow e^– e⁺ line.The instrumental categories which can be identified in the energy range of nuclear astrophysics have their origins in the different concepts of light itself: geometrical optics is the base of modulating aperture systems-these methods will continue to yield adequate performances in the near future. Beyond this, focusing telescopes and Compton telescopes, based on wave- and quantum- optics respectively, may be capable to further push the limits of resolution and sensitivity.     

Research on the Application of Fast-steering Mirror in Stellar Interferometers

In stellar interferometers, the fast-steering mirror (FSM) is widely utilized to correct the wavefront tilt caused by the atmospheric turbulence and internal instrumental vibration, because of its high resolution and fast response frequency. In this study, the non-coplanar error between the FSM and the actuator deflection axis introduced by the manufacturing, assembly, and adjustment is analyzed systematically. Via a numerical method, the additional optical path difference (OPD) caused by the above factors is studied, and its effect on the fringe tracking accuracy of a stellar interferometer is also discussed. On the other hand, the starlight parallelism between the beams of two arms is one of the main factors for the loss of fringe visibility. By analyzing the influence of wavefront tilt caused by the atmospheric turbulence on fringe visibility, a simple and efficient real-time correction scheme of starlight parallelism is proposed based on a single array detector. The feasibility of this scheme is demonstrated by a laboratory experiment. The results show that after the correction of fast-steering mirror, the starlight parallelism meets preliminarily the requirement of a stellar interferometer on the wavefront tilt.     

Model of optical turbulence profile at Cerro Pachón

New measurements of optical turbulence profile at the Cerro Pachón observatory in Chile are analysed jointly with previously published data to model the variations of the intensity and thickness of the ground layer and free atmosphere under a variety of observing conditions. This work is motivated by the need to predict statistically the performance of ground-layer adaptice optics. We find that the ground-layer profile can be represented by a decaying exponent with a scale height of 20–40 m, increasing to 100 m under bad conditions. The zone from 6 to 500 m contributes typically about 61 per cent to the total integral, the latter causing a median seeing of 0.77 arcsec. Turbulence integrals in the ground layer and in free atmosphere vary independently of each other, in 50 per cent of cases they deviate by less than 1.8 times from their respective median values. The existence of periods with low turbulence in the free atmosphere and their importance for adaptive optics is stressed.     

High-contrast coronagraph for ground-based imaging of Jupiter-like planets

We propose a high-contrast coronagraph for direct imaging of young Jupiter-like planets orbiting nearby bright stars. The coronagraph employs a steptransmission filter in which the intensity is apodized with a finite number of steps with identical transmission in each step. It should be installed on a large ground-based telescope equipped with a state-of-the-art adaptive optics system. In this case, contrast ratios around 10-6 should be accessible within 0.1 arcsec of the central star. In recent progress, a...     

Low‐frequency heliographic observations of the quiet Sun corona

We present new results of heliographic observations of quiet‐Sun radio emission fulfilled by the UTR‐2 radio telescope. The solar corona investigations have been made close to the last solar minimum (Cycle 23) in the late August and early September of 2010 by means of the two‐dimensional heliograph within 16.5–33 MHz. Moreover, the UTR‐2 radio telescope was used also as an 1‐D heliograph for one‐dimensional scanning of the Sun at the beginning of September 2010 as well as in short‐time observational campaigns in April and August of 2012. The average values of integral flux density of the undisturbed Sun continuum emission at different frequencies have been found. Using the data, we have determined the spectral index of quiet‐Sun radio emission in the range 16.5–200 MHz. It is equal to –2.1±0.1. The brightness distribution maps of outer solar corona at frequencies 20.0 MHz and 26.0 MHz have been obtained. The angular sizes of radio Sun were estimated. It is found that the solar corona at these frequencies is stretched‐out along equatorial direction. The coefficient of corona ellipticity varies slightly during above period. Its mean magnitudes are equal to ≈ 0.75 and ≈ 0.73 at 20.0 MHz and 26.0 MHz, respectively. The presented results for continuum emission of solar corona conform with being ones at higher frequencies. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A Preliminary Research on the Development of the Hard X-ray Imaging Telescope

The hard X-ray imaging telescope based on the Fourier transform imaging technique is introduced. The double-layer parallel gratings are used to make the modulation and coding on the light emerging from a celestial X-ray source, the modulated light is acquired, to make the optoelectronic conversion by scintillation crystal detectors, and ?nally read out by the electronic system. The modulation collimator X-ray telescopes can be divided into two types: the spatial modulation and temporal modulation. The temporal modulation system requires the scanning motion of the detector system, but the spatial modulation system requires no motion. The technology of grating fabrication is investigated, and the basic structure design of the collimators is given. The principal compo- nents of the prototype hard X-ray imaging telescope of spatial modulation type are successfully developed, including the 8 CsI crystal detector modules (contain- ing photomultipliers or PMTs), 8-channel shaping ampli?ers (two of them are prepared for experiments), and the data acquisition system. And the preliminary test results of the electronic system are also given.