Galaxy properties from J-PAS narrow-band photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejía-Narváez, A.; Bruzual, G.; Magris, C. G.; Alcaniz, J. S.; Benítez, N.; Carneiro, S.; Cenarro, A. J.; Cristóbal-Hornillos, D.; Dupke, R.; Ederoclite, A.; Marín-Franch, A.; de Oliveira, C. Mendes; Moles, M.; Sodre, L.; Taylor, K.; Varela, J.; Ramió, H. Vázquez

2017-11-01

We study the consistency of the physical properties of galaxies retrieved from spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting as a function of spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Using a selection of physically motivated star formation histories, we set up a control sample of mock galaxy spectra representing observations of the local Universe in high-resolution spectroscopy, and in 56 narrow-band and 5 broad-band photometry. We fit the SEDs at these spectral resolutions and compute their corresponding stellar mass, the mass- and luminosity-weighted age and metallicity, and the dust extinction. We study the biases, correlations and degeneracies affecting the retrieved parameters and explore the role of the spectral resolution and the SNR in regulating these degeneracies. We find that narrow-band photometry and spectroscopy yield similar trends in the physical properties derived, the former being considerably more precise. Using a galaxy sample from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), we compare more realistically the results obtained from high-resolution and narrow-band SEDs (synthesized from the same SDSS spectra) following the same spectral fitting procedures. We use results from the literature as a benchmark to our spectroscopic estimates and show that the prior probability distribution functions, commonly adopted in parametric methods, may introduce biases not accounted for in a Bayesian framework. We conclude that narrow-band photometry yields the same trend in the age-metallicity relation in the literature, provided it is affected by the same biases as spectroscopy, albeit the precision achieved with the latter is generally twice as large as with the narrow-band, at SNR values typical of the different kinds of data.

All-sky search for gravitational-wave bursts in the second joint LIGO-Virgo run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Agatsuma, K.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Arain, M. A.; Araya, M. C.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Atkinson, D.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S.; Barayoga, J. C. B.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Bastarrika, M.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Bebronne, M.; Beck, D.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Belletoile, A.; Belopolski, I.; Benacquista, M.; Berliner, J. M.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beveridge, N.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biswas, R.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bland, B.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Bogan, C.; Bondarescu, R.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bouhou, B.; Braccini, S.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burguet–Castell, J.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannizzo, J.; Cannon, K.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chaibi, O.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chelkowski, S.; Chen, W.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, C. T. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J.; Clayton, J. H.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colacino, C. N.; Colas, J.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M.; Coulon, J.-P.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Cruise, A. M.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Cutler, R. M.; Dahl, K.; Danilishin, S. L.; Dannenberg, R.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; De Rosa, R.; DeBra, D.; Debreczeni, G.; Del Pozzo, W.; del Prete, M.; Dent, T.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Paolo Emilio, M.; Di Virgilio, A.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edgar, M.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Endrőczi, G.; Engel, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fan, Y.; Farr, B. F.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Flanigan, M.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Forte, L. A.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franc, J.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Friedrich, D.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P. J.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Galimberti, M.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gáspár, M. E.; Gemme, G.; Geng, R.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L. Á.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil-Casanova, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goggin, L. M.; González, G.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Gray, N.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Greverie, C.; Grosso, R.; Grote, H.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gupta, R.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Ha, T.; Hallam, J. M.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Hardt, A.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Hayau, J.-F.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M. C.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hendry, M. A.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Herrera, V.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Holtrop, M.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jesse, E.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, G.; Jones, R.; Ju, L.; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kelley, D.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Keresztes, Z.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B. K.; Kim, C.; Kim, H.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, Y. M.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kranz, O.; Kringel, V.; Krishnamurthy, S.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, R.; Kwee, P.; Lam, P. K.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Lastzka, N.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Leaci, P.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Leong, J. R.; Leonor, I.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Li, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Liguori, N.; Lindquist, P. E.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lodhia, D.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marandi, A.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McKechan, D. J. A.; McWilliams, S.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Melissinos, A. C.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Miyakawa, O.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohanty, S. D.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morgia, A.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mosca, S.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow–Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Müller-Ebhardt, H.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Necula, V.; Nelson, J.; Neri, I.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ott, C. D.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Page, A.; Pagliaroli, G.; Palladino, L.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Papa, M. A.; Parisi, M.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patel, P.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Pekowsky, L.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Persichetti, G.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Pletsch, H. J.; Plissi, M. V.; Poggiani, R.; Pöld, J.; Postiglione, F.; Prato, M.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Rakhmanov, M.; Rankins, B.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Redwine, K.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Robinson, C.; Robinson, E. L.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, J. D.; Romano, R.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Röver, C.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Sainathan, P.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sannibale, V.; Santamaría, L.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Santostasi, G.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Sato, S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R. L.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sentenac, D.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sibley, A.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Somiya, K.; Sorazu, B.; Soto, J.; Speirits, F. C.; Sperandio, L.; Stefszky, M.; Stein, A. J.; Stein, L. C.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Strigin, S. E.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sung, M.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Taffarello, L.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, J. R.; Taylor, R.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Thüring, A.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C.; Torrie, C. I.; Tournefier, E.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tseng, K.; Tucker, E.; Ugolini, D.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasuth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vavoulidis, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Veltkamp, C.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Villar, A. E.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wang, Z.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wilkinson, C.; Willems, P. A.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Willke, B.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Wooley, R.; Worden, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yamamoto, K.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yu, P.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, W.; Zhao, C.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2012-06-01

We present results from a search for gravitational-wave bursts in the data collected by the LIGO and Virgo detectors between July 7, 2009 and October 20, 2010: data are analyzed when at least two of the three LIGO-Virgo detectors are in coincident operation, with a total observation time of 207 days. The analysis searches for transients of duration ≲1s over the frequency band 64-5000 Hz, without other assumptions on the signal waveform, polarization, direction or occurrence time. All identified events are consistent with the expected accidental background. We set frequentist upper limits on the rate of gravitational-wave bursts by combining this search with the previous LIGO-Virgo search on the data collected between November 2005 and October 2007. The upper limit on the rate of strong gravitational-wave bursts at the Earth is 1.3 events per year at 90% confidence. We also present upper limits on source rate density per year and Mpc3 for sample populations of standard-candle sources. As in the previous joint run, typical sensitivities of the search in terms of the root-sum-squared strain amplitude for these waveforms lie in the range ˜5×10-22Hz-1/2 to ˜1×10-20Hz-1/2. The combination of the two joint runs entails the most sensitive all-sky search for generic gravitational-wave bursts and synthesizes the results achieved by the initial generation of interferometric detectors.

All Sky Search for Gravitational-Wave Bursts in the Second Joint LIGO-Virgo Run

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T. D.; Abernathy, M.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adhikari, R.; Affeldt, C.;

The All Sky Automated Survey. The Catalog of Bright Variable Stars in the I-band, South of Declination +28o

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sitek, M.; Pojmański, G.

2014-06-01

This paper presents the results of our extensive search for the bright variable stars in approximately 30 000 square degrees of the south sky in the I-band data collected by 9o×9o camera of the All Sky Automated Survey between 2002 and 2009. Lists of over 27 000 variable stars brighter than 9 mag at maximum light, with amplitudes ranging from 0.02 mag to 7 mag and variability time-scales from hours to years, as well as corresponding light curves are provided. Automated classification algorithm based on stellar properties (period, Fourier coefficients, 2MASS J, H, K, colors, ASAS V-band data) was used to roughly classify objects. Despite low spatial resolution of the ASAS data (≍15'') we cross-identified all objects with other available data sources. Coordinates of the most probable 2MASS counterparts are provided. 27 705 stars brighter than I=9 mag were found to be variable, of which 7842 objects were detected to be variable for the first time. Brief statistics and discussion of the presented data is provided. All the photometric data is available over the Internet at http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/ gp/asas/AsasBrightI.html

An All-Sky Search for Wide Binaries in the SUPERBLINK Proper Motion Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Zachary; Lepine, Sebastien

2017-01-01

We present initial results from an all-sky search for Common Proper Motion (CPM) binaries in the SUPERBLINK all-sky proper motion catalog of 2.8 million stars with proper motions greater than 40 mas/yr, which has been recently enhanced with data from the GAIA mission. We initially search the SUPERBLINK catalog for pairs of stars with angular separations up to 1 degree and proper motion difference less than 40 mas/yr. In order to determine which of these pairs are real binaries, we develop a Bayesian analysis to calculate probabilities of true companionship based on a combination of proper motion magnitude, angular separation, and proper motion differences. The analysis reveals that the SUPERBLINK catalog most likely contains ~40,000 genuine common proper motion binaries. We provide initial estimates of the distances and projected physical separations of these wide binaries.

On-sky characterisation of the VISTA NB118 narrow-band filters at 1.19 μm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milvang-Jensen, Bo; Freudling, Wolfram; Zabl, Johannes; Fynbo, Johan P. U.; Møller, Palle; Nilsson, Kim K.; McCracken, Henry Joy; Hjorth, Jens; Le Fèvre, Olivier; Tasca, Lidia; Dunlop, James S.; Sobral, David

2013-12-01

Observations of the high redshift Universe through narrow-band filters have proven very successful in the last decade. The 4-m VISTA telescope, equipped with the wide-field camera VIRCAM, offers a major step forward in wide-field near-infrared imaging, and in order to utilise VISTA's large field-of-view and sensitivity, the Dark Cosmology Centre provided a set of 16 narrow-band filters for VIRCAM. These NB118 filters are centered at a wavelength near 1.19 μm in a region with few airglow emission lines. The filters allow the detection of Hα emitters at z = 0.8, Hβ and [O iii] emitters at z ≈ 1.4, [O ii] emitters at z = 2.2, and Lyα emitters at z = 8.8. Based on guaranteed time observations of the COSMOS field we here present a detailed description and characterization of the filters and their performance. In particular we provide sky-brightness levels and depths for each of the 16 detector/filter sets and find that some of the filters show signs of some red-leak. We identify a sample of 2 × 103 candidate emission-line objects in the data. Cross-correlating this sample with a large set of galaxies with known spectroscopic redshifts we determine the "in situ" passbands of the filters and find that they are shifted by about 3.5 - 4 nm (corresponding to 30% of the filter width) to the red compared to the expectation based on the laboratory measurements. Finally, we present an algorithm to mask out persistence in VIRCAM data. Scientific results extracted from the data will be presented separately. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Chile, as part of programme 284.A-5026 (VISTA NB118 GTO, PI Fynbo) and 179.A-2005 (UltraVISTA, PIs Dunlop, Franx, Fynbo, & Le Fèvre).

Sky distribution of artificial sources in the galactic belt of advanced cosmic life.

PubMed

Heidmann, J

1994-12-01

In line with the concept of the galactic belt of advanced life, we evaluate the sky distribution of detectable artificial sources, using a simple astrophysical model. The best region to search is the median band of the Milky Way in the Vulpecula-Cygnus region, together with a narrower one in Carina. Although this work was done in view of a proposal to send a SETI probe at a gravitational focus of the Sun, we recommend these sky regions particularly for the searches of the sky survey type.

All-Sky Search for Gravitational-Wave Bursts in the First Joint LIGO-GEO-Virgo Run

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Camp, J. B.; Camizzo, J.

2012-01-01

We present results from an aU-sky search for unmodeled gravitational-wave bursts in the data collected by the LIGO, GEO 600 and Virgo detectors between November 2006 and October 2007. The search is performed. by three different analysis algorithms over the frequency band 50 - 6000 Hz. Data are analyzed for times with at least two of the four LIGO-Virgo detectors in coincident operation, with a total live time of 266 days, No events produced by the search algorithms survive the selection cuts. We set a frequentist upper limit on the rate of gravitational-wave bursts impinging on our network of detectors. When combined with the previous LIGO search of the data collected between November 2005 and November 2006, the upper limit on the rate of detectable gra.vitational. wave bursts in the 64-2048 Hz band is 2,0 events per year at 90% confidence. We also present event rate versus strength exclusion plots for several types of plausible burst waveforms. The sensitivity of the combined search is expressed in terms of the root-sum-squared strain amplitude for a variety of simulated waveforms and lies in the range 6 X 10(exp -22) Hz(exp - 1/2) to 2 X 10(exp -20) Hz(exp -l/2). This is the first untriggered burst search to use data from the LIGO and Virgo detectors together, and the most sensitive untriggered burst search performed so far.

A 1.1-1.9 GHz SETI Survey of the Kepler Field. I. A Search for Narrow-band Emission from Select Targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siemion, Andrew P. V.; Demorest, Paul; Korpela, Eric; Maddalena, Ron J.; Werthimer, Dan; Cobb, Jeff; Howard, Andrew W.; Langston, Glen; Lebofsky, Matt; Marcy, Geoffrey W.; Tarter, Jill

2013-04-01

We present a targeted search for narrow-band (<5 Hz) drifting sinusoidal radio emission from 86 stars in the Kepler field hosting confirmed or candidate exoplanets. Radio emission less than 5 Hz in spectral extent is currently known to only arise from artificial sources. The stars searched were chosen based on the properties of their putative exoplanets, including stars hosting candidates with 380 K > T eq > 230 K, stars with five or more detected candidates or stars with a super-Earth (R p < 3 R ⊕) in a >50 day orbit. Baseband voltage data across the entire band between 1.1 and 1.9 GHz were recorded at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope between 2011 February and April and subsequently searched offline. No signals of extraterrestrial origin were found. We estimate that fewer than ~1% of transiting exoplanet systems host technological civilizations that are radio loud in narrow-band emission between 1 and 2 GHz at an equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) of ~1.5 × 1021 erg s-1, approximately eight times the peak EIRP of the Arecibo Planetary Radar, and we limit the number of 1-2 GHz narrow-band-radio-loud Kardashev type II civilizations in the Milky Way to be {<}10^{-6}\\ M^{-1}_\\odot. Here we describe our observations, data reduction procedures and results.

Narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductors

DOEpatents

Madan, A.; Mahan, A.H.

1985-01-10

Disclosed is a narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductor comprising an alloy of amorphous silicon and a band gap narrowing element selected from the group consisting of Sn, Ge, and Pb, with an electron donor dopant selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb, Bi and N. The process for producing the narrow band gap amorphous silicon semiconductor comprises the steps of forming an alloy comprising amorphous silicon and at least one of the aforesaid band gap narrowing elements in amount sufficient to narrow the band gap of the silicon semiconductor alloy below that of amorphous silicon, and also utilizing sufficient amounts of the aforesaid electron donor dopant to maintain the amorphous silicon alloy as an n-type semiconductor.

Implementation of an F-statistic all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in Virgo VSR1 data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th S.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Borkowski, K.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P. F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corpuz, A.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S.; Coulon, J. P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Donath, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dorosh, O.; Dossa, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J. D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C. J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hooper, S.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, Y. M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Luijten, E.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Milde, S.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Lowry, C. M. Mow; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pietka, M.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; vanden Brand, J. F. J.; VanDen Broeck, C.; vander Putten, S.; vander Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S. S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Finley, R. Vincent; Vinet, J. Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L. W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J. P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.

2014-08-01

We present an implementation of the F-statistic to carry out the first search in data from the Virgo laser interferometric gravitational wave detector for periodic gravitational waves from a priori unknown, isolated rotating neutron stars. We searched a frequency f0 range from 100 Hz to 1 kHz and the frequency dependent spindown f1 range from -1.6({{f}_{0}}/100\\;Hz)\\times {{10}^{-9}} Hz s-1 to zero. A large part of this frequency-spindown space was unexplored by any of the all-sky searches published so far. Our method consisted of a coherent search over two-day periods using the ℱ-statistic, followed by a search for coincidences among the candidates from the two-day segments. We have introduced a number of novel techniques and algorithms that allow the use of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm in the coherent part of the search resulting in a fifty-fold speed-up in computation of the F-statistic with respect to the algorithm used in the other pipelines. No significant gravitational wave signal was found. The sensitivity of the search was estimated by injecting signals into the data. In the most sensitive parts of the detector band more than 90% of signals would have been detected with dimensionless gravitational-wave amplitude greater than 5\\times {{10}^{-24}}.

A 1.1-1.9 GHz SETI SURVEY OF THE KEPLER FIELD. I. A SEARCH FOR NARROW-BAND EMISSION FROM SELECT TARGETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Siemion, Andrew P. V.; Korpela, Eric; Werthimer, Dan

2013-04-10

We present a targeted search for narrow-band (<5 Hz) drifting sinusoidal radio emission from 86 stars in the Kepler field hosting confirmed or candidate exoplanets. Radio emission less than 5 Hz in spectral extent is currently known to only arise from artificial sources. The stars searched were chosen based on the properties of their putative exoplanets, including stars hosting candidates with 380 K > T{sub eq} > 230 K, stars with five or more detected candidates or stars with a super-Earth (R{sub p} < 3 R{sub Circled-Plus }) in a >50 day orbit. Baseband voltage data across the entire bandmore » between 1.1 and 1.9 GHz were recorded at the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope between 2011 February and April and subsequently searched offline. No signals of extraterrestrial origin were found. We estimate that fewer than {approx}1% of transiting exoplanet systems host technological civilizations that are radio loud in narrow-band emission between 1 and 2 GHz at an equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) of {approx}1.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 21} erg s{sup -1}, approximately eight times the peak EIRP of the Arecibo Planetary Radar, and we limit the number of 1-2 GHz narrow-band-radio-loud Kardashev type II civilizations in the Milky Way to be <10{sup -6} M{sub Sun }{sup -1}. Here we describe our observations, data reduction procedures and results.« less

An enhanced narrow-band imaging method for the microvessel detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Feng; Song, Enmin; Liu, Hong; Wan, Youming; Zhu, Jun; Hung, Chih-Cheng

2018-02-01

A medical endoscope system combined with the narrow-band imaging (NBI), has been shown to be a superior diagnostic tool for early cancer detection. The NBI can reveal the morphologic changes of microvessels in the superficial cancer. In order to improve the conspicuousness of microvessel texture, we propose an enhanced NBI method to improve the conspicuousness of endoscopic images. To obtain the more conspicuous narrow-band images, we use the edge operator to extract the edge information of the narrow-band blue and green images, and give a weight to the extracted edges. Then, the weighted edges are fused with the narrow-band blue and green images. Finally, the displayed endoscopic images are reconstructed with the enhanced narrow-band images. In addition, we evaluate the performance of enhanced narrow-band images with different edge operators. Experimental results indicate that the Sobel and Canny operators achieve the best performance of all. Compared with traditional NBI method of Olympus company, our proposed method has more conspicuous texture of microvessel.

Ultra-thin narrow-band, complementary narrow-band, and dual-band metamaterial absorbers for applications in the THz regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Astorino, Maria Denise; Frezza, Fabrizio; Tedeschi, Nicola

2017-02-01

In this paper, ultra-thin narrow-band, complementary narrow-band, and dual-band metamaterial absorbers (MMAs), exploiting the same electric ring resonator configuration, are investigated at normal and oblique incidence for both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) polarizations, and with different physical properties in the THz regime. In the analysis of the ultra-thin narrow-band MMA, the limit of applicability of the transmission line model has been overcome with the introduction of a capacitance which considers the z component of the electric field. These absorbing structures have shown a wide angular response and a polarization-insensitive behavior due to the introduction of a conducting ground plane and to the four-fold rotational symmetry of the resonant elements around the propagation axis. We have adopted a retrieval procedure to extract the effective electromagnetic parameters of the proposed MMAs and we have compared the simulated and analytical results through the interference theory.

NASA SETI microwave observing project: Sky Survey element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.

1991-01-01

The SETI Sky Survey Observing Program is one of two complimentary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the sky survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range of 1.0 to 10.0 GHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin. Frequency resolutions of 30 Hz or narrower will be used across the entire band. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of ten million channels are required to keep the survey time approximately 6 years. Data rates in excess of 10 megabits per second will be generated in the data taking process. Sophisticated data processing techniques will be required to determine the ever changing receiver baselines, and to detect and archive potential SETI signals. Existing radio telescopes, including several of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) 34 meter antennas located at Goldstone, CA and Tidbinbilla, Australia will be used for the observations. The JPL has the primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey. In order to lay the foundation for the full scale SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system is being developed at the JPL. The system will be installed at the new 34-m high efficiency antenna at the Deep Space Station (DSS) 13 research and development station, Goldstone, CA, where it will be used to initiate the observational phase of the NASA SETI Sky Survey. It is anticipated that the early observations will be useful to test signal detection algorithms, scan strategies, and radio frequency interference rejection schemes. The SETI specific elements of the prototype system are: (1) the Wide Band Spectrum Analyzer (WBSA); a 2-million channel fast Fourier transformation (FFT) spectrum analyzer which covers an instantaneous bandpass of 40 MHz; (2) the signal detection processor; and (3) the SETI Sky Survey Manager, a network-based C-language environment that provides observatory control, performs data acquisition and analysis

CONCAM's Fuzzy-Logic All-Sky Star Recognition Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamir, L.; Nemiroff, R. J.

2004-05-01

One of the purposes of the global Night Sky Live (NSL) network of fisheye CONtinuous CAMeras (CONCAMs) is to monitor and archive the entire bright night sky, track stellar variability, and search for transients. The high quality of raw CONCAM data allows automation of stellar object recognition, although distortions of the fisheye lens and frequent slight shifts in CONCAM orientations can make even this seemingly simple task formidable. To meet this challenge, a fuzzy logic based algorithm has been developed that transforms (x,y) image coordinates in the CCD frame into fuzzy right ascension and declination coordinates for use in matching with star catalogs. Using a training set of reference stars, the algorithm statically builds the fuzzy logic model. At runtime, the algorithm searches for peaks, and then applies the fuzzy logic model to perform the coordinate transformation before choosing the optimal star catalog match. The present fuzzy-logic algorithm works much better than our first generation, straightforward coordinate transformation formula. Following this essential step, algorithms dealing with the higher level data products can then provide a stream of photometry for a few hundred stellar objects visible in the night sky. Accurate photometry further enables the computation of all-sky maps of skyglow and opacity, as well as a search for uncataloged transients. All information is stored in XML-like tagged ASCII files that are instantly copied to the public domain and available at http://NightSkyLive.net. Currently, the NSL software detects stars and creates all-sky image files from eight different locations around the globe every 3 minutes and 56 seconds.

Status of the NASA SETI Sky Survey microwave observing project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Wilck, H. C.; Olsen, E. T.; Garyantes, M. F.; Burns, D. J.; Asmar, P. R.; Brady, R. B.; Deich, W. T. S.; Renzetti, N. A.

1992-01-01

The Sky Survey observing program is one of two complementary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the Sky Survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range 1000-10,000 MHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial, intelligent origin. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of 10 million channels and data rates in excess of 10 gigabits per second are required to complete the survey in less than 7 years. To lay the foundation for the operational SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system has been built to test and refine real time signal detection algorithms, to test scan strategies and observatory control functions, and to test algorithms designed to reject radio frequency interference. This paper presents a high level description of the prototype hardware and reports on the preparations to deploy the system to the 34-m antenna at the research and development station of NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex, Goldstone, California.

Zernike analysis of all-sky night brightness maps.

PubMed

Bará, Salvador; Nievas, Miguel; Sánchez de Miguel, Alejandro; Zamorano, Jaime

2014-04-20

All-sky night brightness maps (calibrated images of the night sky with hemispherical field-of-view (FOV) taken at standard photometric bands) provide useful data to assess the light pollution levels at any ground site. We show that these maps can be efficiently described and analyzed using Zernike circle polynomials. The relevant image information can be compressed into a low-dimensional coefficients vector, giving an analytical expression for the sky brightness and alleviating the effects of noise. Moreover, the Zernike expansions allow us to quantify in a straightforward way the average and zenithal sky brightness and its variation across the FOV, providing a convenient framework to study the time course of these magnitudes. We apply this framework to analyze the results of a one-year campaign of night sky brightness measurements made at the UCM observatory in Madrid.

Extended Source/Galaxy All Sky 1

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-27

This panoramic view of the entire sky reveals the distribution of galaxies beyond our Milky Way galaxy, which astronomers call extended sources, as observed by Two Micron All-Sky Survey. The image is constructed from a database of over 1.6 million galaxies listed in the survey's Extended Source Catalog; more than half of the galaxies have never before been catalogued. The image is a representation of the relative brightnesses of these million-plus galaxies, all observed at a wavelength of 2.2 microns. The brightest and nearest galaxies are represented in blue, and the faintest, most distant ones are in red. This color scheme gives insights into the three dimensional large-scale structure of the nearby universe with the brightest, closest clusters and superclusters showing up as the blue and bluish-white features. The dark band in this image shows the area of the sky where our Milky Way galaxy blocks our view of distant objects, which, in this projection, lies predominantly along the edges of the image. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04252

The diagnostic value of narrow-band imaging for early and invasive lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Zhu, Juanjuan; Li, Wei; Zhou, Jihong; Chen, Yuqing; Zhao, Chenling; Zhang, Ting; Peng, Wenjia; Wang, Xiaojing

2017-07-01

This study aimed to compare the ability of narrow-band imaging to detect early and invasive lung cancer with that of conventional pathological analysis and white-light bronchoscopy. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Sinomed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases for relevant studies. Meta-disc software was used to perform data analysis, meta-regression analysis, sensitivity analysis, and heterogeneity testing, and STATA software was used to determine if publication bias was present, as well as to calculate the relative risks for the sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging vs those of white-light bronchoscopy for the detection of early and invasive lung cancer. A random-effects model was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy of the above modalities in cases in which a high degree of between-study heterogeneity was noted with respect to their diagnostic efficacies. The database search identified six studies including 578 patients. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging were 86% (95% confidence interval: 83-88%) and 81% (95% confidence interval: 77-84%), respectively, and the pooled sensitivity and specificity of white-light bronchoscopy were 70% (95% confidence interval: 66-74%) and 66% (95% confidence interval: 62-70%), respectively. The pooled relative risks for the sensitivity and specificity of narrow-band imaging vs the sensitivity and specificity of white-light bronchoscopy for the detection of early and invasive lung cancer were 1.33 (95% confidence interval: 1.07-1.67) and 1.09 (95% confidence interval: 0.84-1.42), respectively, and sensitivity analysis showed that narrow-band imaging exhibited good diagnostic efficacy with respect to detecting early and invasive lung cancer and that the results of the study were stable. Narrow-band imaging was superior to white light bronchoscopy with respect to detecting early and invasive lung cancer; however, the specificities of the two modalities did not differ

Status of the NASA SETI Sky Survey microwave observing project.

PubMed

Klein, M J; Gulkis, S; Wilck, H C; Olsen, E T; Garyantes, M F; Burns, D J; Asmar, P R; Brady, R B; Deich, W T; Renzetti, N A

1992-01-01

The Sky Survey observing program is one of two complementary strategies that NASA plans to use in its microwave Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). The primary objective of the Sky Survey is to search the entire sky over the frequency range 1000-10,000 MHz for evidence of narrow band signals of extraterrestrial, intelligent origin. Spectrum analyzers with upwards of 10 million channels and data rates in excess of 10 gigabits per second are required to complete the survey in less than 7 years. To lay the foundation for the operational SETI Sky Survey, a prototype system has been built to test and refine real time signal detection algorithms, to test scan strategies and observatory control functions, and to test algorithms designed to reject radio frequency interference. This paper presents a high level description of the prototype hardware and software and reports on the preparations to deploy the system to the 34-m antenna at the research and development station of NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex, Goldstone, California.

Asteroids Search Results in Large Photographic Sky Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shatokhina, S. V.; Kazantseva, L. V.; Yizhakevych, O. M.; Eglitis, I.; Andruk, V. M.

Photographic observations of XX century contained numerous and varied information about all objects and events of the Universe fixed on plates. The original and interesting observations of small bodies of the Solar system in previous years can be selected and used for various scientific tasks. Existing databases and online services can help make such selection easily and quickly. The observations of chronologically earlier ppositions, photometric evaluation of brightness for long periods of time allow refining the orbits of asteroids and identifying various non-stationaries. Photographic observations of Northern Sky Survey project and observations of clusters in UBVR bands were used for global search for small bodies of Solar system. Total we founded 2486 positions of asteroids and 13 positions of comets. All positions were compared with ephemeris. It was found that 80 positions of asteroids have a moment of observation preceding their discovery, and 19 of them are chronologically the earliest observations of these asteroids in the world.

Galactic SNR Candidates in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaudel, Daniel; Becker, Werner; Voges, Wolfgand; Reich, Wolfgang; Weisskopf, Martin; Six, N. Frank (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Identified radio supernova remnants (SNRS) in the Galaxy comprise an incomplete sample of the SNR population due to various selection effects. ROSAT performed the first all-sky survey with an imaging X-ray telescope, and thus provides another window for finding SNRS and compact objects that may reside within them. Performing a search for extended X-ray sources in the ROSAT all-sky survey database about 350 objects were identified as SNR candidates in recent years. Continuing this systematic search, we have reanalyzed the ROSAT all-sky survey (BASS) data of these candidates and correlated the results with radio surveys like NVSS, ATNF, Molonglo, and Effelsberg. A further correlation with SIMBAD and NED were used for subsequent identification purpose. About 50 of the 350 candidates turned out to be likely galaxies or clusters of galaxies. We found 14 RASS sources which are very promising SNR candidates and are currently subject of further follow-up studies. We will provide the details of the identification campaign and present first results.

Explanatory Supplement to the WISE All-Sky Release Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2012-01-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; Wright et al. 2010) surveyed the entire sky at 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22 microns in 2010, achieving 5-sigma point source sensitivities per band better than 0.08, 0.11, 1 and 6 mJy in unconfused regions on the ecliptic. The WISE All-Sky Data Release, conducted on March 14, 2012, incorporates all data taken during the full cryogenic mission phase, 7 January 2010 to 6 August 20l0,that were processed with improved calibrations and reduction algorithms. Release data products include: (1) an Atlas of 18,240 match-filtered, calibrated and coadded image sets; (2) a Source Catalog containing positions and four-band photometry for over 563 million objects, and (3) an Explanatory Supplement. Ancillary products include a Reject Table that contains 284 million detections that were not selected for the Source Catalog because they are low signal-to-noise ratio or spurious detections of image artifacts, an archive of over 1.5 million sets of calibrated WISE Single-exposure images, and a database of 9.4 billion source extractions from those single images, and moving object tracklets identified by the NEOWISE program (Mainzer et aI. 2011). The WISE All-Sky Data Release products supersede those from the WISE Preliminary Data Release (Cutri et al. 2011). The Explanatory Supplement to the WISE All-Sky Data Release Products is a general guide for users of the WISE data. The Supplement contains an overview of the WISE mission, facilities, and operations, a detailed description of WISE data processing algorithms, a guide to the content and formals of the image and tabular data products, and cautionary notes that describe known limitations of the All-Sky Release products. Instructions for accessing the WISE data products via the services of the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive are provided. The Supplement also provides analyses of the achieved sky coverage, photometric and astrometric characteristics and completeness and reliability of the All-Sky

The SuperCOSMOS all-sky galaxy catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, J. A.; Hambly, N. C.; Bilicki, M.; MacGillivray, H. T.; Miller, L.; Read, M. A.; Tritton, S. B.

2016-10-01

We describe the construction of an all-sky galaxy catalogue, using SuperCOSMOS scans of Schmidt photographic plates from the UK Schmidt Telescope and Second Palomar Observatory Sky Survey. The photographic photometry is calibrated using Sloan Digital Sky Survey data, with results that are linear to 2 per cent or better. All-sky photometric uniformity is achieved by matching plate overlaps and also by requiring homogeneity in optical-to-2MASS colours, yielding zero-points that are uniform to 0.03 mag or better. The typical AB depths achieved are BJ < 21, RF < 19.5 and IN < 18.5, with little difference between hemispheres. In practice, the IN plates are shallower than the BJ and RF plates, so for most purposes we advocate the use of a catalogue selected in these two latter bands. At high Galactic latitudes, this catalogue is approximately 90 per cent complete with 5 per cent stellar contamination; we quantify how the quality degrades towards the Galactic plane. At low latitudes, there are many spurious galaxy candidates resulting from stellar blends: these approximately match the surface density of true galaxies at |b| = 30°. Above this latitude, the catalogue limited in BJ and RF contains in total about 20 million galaxy candidates, of which 75 per cent are real. This contamination can be removed, and the sky coverage extended, by matching with additional data sets. This SuperCOSMOS catalogue has been matched with 2MASS and with WISE, yielding quasi-all-sky samples of respectively 1.5 million and 18.5 million galaxies, to median redshifts of 0.08 and 0.20. This legacy data set thus continues to offer a valuable resource for large-angle cosmological investigations.

Narrow-band generation in random distributed feedback fiber laser.

PubMed

Sugavanam, Srikanth; Tarasov, Nikita; Shu, Xuewen; Churkin, Dmitry V

2013-07-15

Narrow-band emission of spectral width down to ~0.05 nm line-width is achieved in the random distributed feedback fiber laser employing narrow-band fiber Bragg grating or fiber Fabry-Perot interferometer filters. The observed line-width is ~10 times less than line-width of other demonstrated up to date random distributed feedback fiber lasers. The random DFB laser with Fabry-Perot interferometer filter provides simultaneously multi-wavelength and narrow-band (within each line) generation with possibility of further wavelength tuning.

Photometric Type Ia supernova surveys in narrow-band filters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xavier, Henrique S.; Abramo, L. Raul; Sako, Masao; Benítez, Narciso; Calvão, Maurício O.; Ederoclite, Alessandro; Marín-Franch, Antonio; Molino, Alberto; Reis, Ribamar R. R.; Siffert, Beatriz B.; Sodré, Laerte.

2014-11-01

We study the characteristics of a narrow-band Type Ia supernova (SN) survey through simulations based on the upcoming Javalambre Physics of the accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey. This unique survey has the capabilities of obtaining distances, redshifts and the SN type from a single experiment thereby circumventing the challenges faced by the resource-intensive spectroscopic follow-up observations. We analyse the flux measurements signal-to-noise ratio and bias, the SN typing performance, the ability to recover light-curve parameters given by the SALT2 model, the photometric redshift precision from Type Ia SN light curves and the effects of systematic errors on the data. We show that such a survey is not only feasible but may yield large Type Ia SN samples (up to 250 SNe at z < 0.5 per month of search) with low core-collapse contamination (˜1.5 per cent), good precision on the SALT2 parameters (average σ _{m_B}=0.063, σ _{x_1}=0.47 and σc = 0.040) and on the distance modulus (average σμ = 0.16, assuming an intrinsic scatter σint = 0.14), with identified systematic uncertainties σsys ≲ 0.10σstat. Moreover, the filters are narrow enough to detect most spectral features and obtain excellent photometric redshift precision of σz = 0.005, apart from ˜2 per cent of outliers. We also present a few strategies for optimizing the survey's outcome. Together with the detailed host galaxy information, narrow-band surveys can be very valuable for the study of SN rates, spectral feature relations, intrinsic colour variations and correlations between SN and host galaxy properties, all of which are important information for SN cosmological applications.

Aquarius L-Band Radiometers Calibration Using Cold Sky Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dinnat, Emmanuel P.; Le Vine, David M.; Piepmeier, Jeffrey R.; Brown, Shannon T.; Hong, Liang

2015-01-01

An important element in the calibration plan for the Aquarius radiometers is to look at the cold sky. This involves rotating the satellite 180 degrees from its nominal Earth viewing configuration to point the main beams at the celestial sky. At L-band, the cold sky provides a stable, well-characterized scene to be used as a calibration reference. This paper describes the cold sky calibration for Aquarius and how it is used as part of the absolute calibration. Cold sky observations helped establish the radiometer bias, by correcting for an error in the spillover lobe of the antenna pattern, and monitor the long-term radiometer drift.

All-sky brightness monitoring of light pollution with astronomical methods.

PubMed

Rabaza, O; Galadí-Enríquez, D; Estrella, A Espín; Dols, F Aznar

2010-06-01

This paper describes a mobile prototype and a protocol to measure light pollution based on astronomical methods. The prototype takes three all-sky images using BVR filters of the Johnson-Cousins astronomical photometric system. The stars are then identified in the images of the Hipparcos and General Catalogue of Photometric Data II astronomical catalogues, and are used as calibration sources. This method permits the measurement of night-sky brightness and facilitates an estimate of which fraction is due to the light up-scattered in the atmosphere by a wide variety of man-made sources. This is achieved by our software, which compares the sky background flux to that of many stars of known brightness. The reduced weight and dimensions of the prototype allow the user to make measurements from virtually any location. This prototype is capable of measuring the sky distribution of light pollution, and also provides an accurate estimate of the background flux at each photometric band. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ROTSE All-Sky Surveys for Variable Stars. I. Test Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akerlof, C.; Amrose, S.; Balsano, R.; Bloch, J.; Casperson, D.; Fletcher, S.; Gisler, G.; Hills, J.; Kehoe, R.; Lee, B.; Marshall, S.; McKay, T.; Pawl, A.; Schaefer, J.; Szymanski, J.; Wren, J.

2000-04-01

The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment I (ROTSE-I) experiment has generated CCD photometry for the entire northern sky in two epochs nightly since 1998 March. These sky patrol data are a powerful resource for studies of astrophysical transients. As a demonstration project, we present first results of a search for periodic variable stars derived from ROTSE-I observations. Variable identification, period determination, and type classification are conducted via automatic algorithms. In a set of nine ROTSE-I sky patrol fields covering roughly 2000 deg2, we identify 1781 periodic variable stars with mean magnitudes between mv=10.0 and mv=15.5. About 90% of these objects are newly identified as variable. Examples of many familiar types are presented. All classifications for this study have been manually confirmed. The selection criteria for this analysis have been conservatively defined and are known to be biased against some variable classes. This preliminary study includes only 5.6% of the total ROTSE-I sky coverage, suggesting that the full ROTSE-I variable catalog will include more than 32,000 periodic variable stars.

South Galactic Cap u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS): Data Release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Hu; Zhou, Xu; Jiang, Zhaoji; Peng, Xiyan; Fan, Dongwei; Fan, Xiaohui; Fan, Zhou; He, Boliang; Jing, Yipeng; Lesser, Michael; Li, Cheng; Ma, Jun; Nie, Jundan; Shen, Shiyin; Wang, Jiali; Wu, Zhenyu; Zhang, Tianmeng; Zhou, Zhimin

2016-02-01

The South Galactic Cap u-band Sky Survey (SCUSS) is a deep u-band imaging survey in the south Galactic cap using the 2.3 m Bok telescope. The survey observations were completed at the end of 2013, covering an area of about 5000 square degrees. We release the data in the region with an area of about 4000 deg2 that is mostly covered by the Sloan digital sky survey. The data products contain calibrated single-epoch images, stacked images, photometric catalogs, and a catalog of star proper motions derived by Peng et al. The median seeing and magnitude limit (5σ) are about 2.″0 and 23.2 mag, respectively. There are about 8 million objects having measurements of absolute proper motions. All the data and related documentations can be accessed through the SCUSS data release website http://batc.bao.ac.cn/Uband/data.html.

Far infrared all-sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Paul L.

1991-01-01

An all-sky survey at submillimeter waves is examined. Far-infrared all-sky surveys were performed using high-thoroughput bolometric detectors from a one-meter balloon telescope. Based on the large-bodied experience obtained with the original all-sky survey telescope, a number of radically different approaches were implemented. Continued balloon measurements of the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background were performed.

The All Sky Automated Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pojmański, G.

2004-10-01

The All Sky Automated Survey is a low cost project, the ultimate goal of which is detection and investigation of any kind of the photometric variability present all over the sky. The current system consists of 4 instruments covering 36x36, 9x9 (2 units) and 2x2 degrees, equipped with 2Kx2K CCDs, V,R,I standard filters and custom made automated mounts. All are working in Las Campanas Observatory, Chile in fully automated mode. In the ASAS-3 phase of the project we have been taking data at a rate of 1 measurement per 1-3 days for all available objects brighter than V=14, located south of δ=+28 deg. So far over 2 TB of images has been collected and analyzed, leading to a photometric light curve catalog of over 10 million sources. A preliminary search for variability revealed over 40,000 bright, variable sources (over 75 % were not previously known). Direct access to the data is available over the Internet: http://www.astrouw.edu.pl/˜ gp/asas. At present the ASAS Alert System is being tested. Events, like outbursts of CV's or Novae, eclipses etc. are reported within a few minutes after first detection. Due to large number of artifacts in these data raw events require verification, which can take up to 24 hours.

An infrared search for extraterrestrial laser signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betz, A.

1986-01-01

The focus of project SETI is on microwave frequencies, where receivers fundamentally have the best sensitivity for the detection of narrow band signals. Such receivers, when coupled to existing radio telescopes, form an optimum system for broad area searches over the sky. Detection of narrow band infrared signals is best done with a laser heterodyne reciever similar in function to a microwave spectral line receiver. A receiver was built for astrophysical observations at 30 THz (10 microns) and the spectrometer is being adapted for SETI work. The receiver uses a small CO2 laser as the local oscillator, a HgCdTe diode as the photomixer, and a multichannel intermediate frequency (IF) filterbank. An advanced multichannel IF processor is now being built to detect infrared line radiation in 1000 spectral channels each 1 MHz wide. When completed this processor will be used with a ground based telescope next year for a survey of several hundred selected stars for narrow band CO2 laser signals at 30 THz.

First all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from unknown sources in binary systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Ackley, K.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Addesso, P.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ain, A.; Ajith, P.; Alemic, A.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amariutei, D.; Andersen, M.; Anderson, R.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barbet, M.; Barish, B. C.; Barker, D.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J. C.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th. S.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Belczynski, C.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Bergmann, G.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Biscans, S.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Bloemen, S.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogaert, G.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, Sukanta; Bosi, L.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brau, J. E.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Buchman, S.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Burman, R.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Celerier, C.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chamberlin, S. J.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Collette, C.; Colombini, M.; Cominsky, L.; Constancio, M.; Conte, A.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corpuz, A.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coughlin, S.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Coyne, R.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; De Rosa, R.; DeRosa, R. T.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Donath, A.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Dossa, S.; Douglas, R.; Downes, T. P.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edo, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Eggenstein, H.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; Endrőczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W. M.; Favata, M.; Fehrmann, H.; Fejer, M. M.; Feldbaum, D.; Feroz, F.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R. P.; Flaminio, R.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Gaonkar, S.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Gräf, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hart, M.; Hartman, M. T.; Haster, C.-J.; Haughian, K.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hewitson, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hooper, S.; Hopkins, P.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Huerta, E.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jaranowski, P.; Ji, Y.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Karlen, J.; Kasprzack, M.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kawabe, K.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keiser, G. M.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, N. G.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D. B.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J.; Li, T. G. F.; Libbrecht, K.; Libson, A.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Luijten, E.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E. P.; MacDonald, T.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Maglione, C.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mangini, N.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; McLin, K.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meinders, M.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyers, P.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Milde, S.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mishra, C.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Moesta, P.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R. K.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E. N.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palashov, O.; Palomba, C.; Pan, H.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poteomkin, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Premachandra, S.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Qin, J.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quiroga, G.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Ramirez, K.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Read, J.; Reed, C. M.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rhoades, E.; Ricci, F.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rodruck, M.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J. R.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Scheuer, J.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schutz, B. F.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Singh, R.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Stebbins, J.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Stephens, B. C.; Steplewski, S.; Stevenson, S.; Stone, R.; Stops, D.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Urbanek, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S. S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, K.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wiseman, A. G.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yang, Z.; Yoshida, S.; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, Fan; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zuraw, S.; Zweizig, J.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2014-09-01

We present the first results of an all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from unknown spinning neutron stars in binary systems using LIGO and Virgo data. Using a specially developed analysis program, the TwoSpect algorithm, the search was carried out on data from the sixth LIGO science run and the second and third Virgo science runs. The search covers a range of frequencies from 20 Hz to 520 Hz, a range of orbital periods from 2 to ˜2,254 h and a frequency- and period-dependent range of frequency modulation depths from 0.277 to 100 mHz. This corresponds to a range of projected semimajor axes of the orbit from ˜0.6×10-3 ls to ˜6,500 ls assuming the orbit of the binary is circular. While no plausible candidate gravitational wave events survive the pipeline, upper limits are set on the analyzed data. The most sensitive 95% confidence upper limit obtained on gravitational wave strain is 2.3×10-24 at 217 Hz, assuming the source waves are circularly polarized. Although this search has been optimized for circular binary orbits, the upper limits obtained remain valid for orbital eccentricities as large as 0.9. In addition, upper limits are placed on continuous gravitational wave emission from the low-mass x-ray binary Scorpius X-1 between 20 Hz and 57.25 Hz.

First low-frequency Einstein@Home all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves in Advanced LIGO data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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B.; Krämer, C.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kumar, S.; Kuo, L.; Kutynia, A.; Kwang, S.; Lackey, B. D.; Lai, K. H.; Landry, M.; Lang, R. N.; Lange, J.; Lantz, B.; Lanza, R. K.; Lartaux-Vollard, A.; Lasky, P. D.; Laxen, M.; Lazzarini, A.; Lazzaro, C.; Leaci, P.; Leavey, S.; Lee, C. H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, H. W.; Lee, K.; Lehmann, J.; Lenon, A.; Leonardi, M.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levin, Y.; Li, T. G. F.; Libson, A.; Littenberg, T. B.; Liu, J.; Lo, R. K. L.; Lockerbie, N. A.; London, L. T.; Lord, J. E.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J. D.; Lovelace, G.; Lück, H.; Lumaca, D.; Lundgren, A. P.; Lynch, R.; Ma, Y.; Macfoy, S.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magaña Hernandez, I.; Magaña-Sandoval, F.; Magaña Zertuche, L.; Magee, R. M.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Man, N.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mansell, G. 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C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoli, A.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H. R.; Parker, W.; Pascucci, D.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Patricelli, B.; Pearlstone, B. L.; Pedraza, M.; Pedurand, R.; Pekowsky, L.; Pele, A.; Penn, S.; Perez, C. J.; Perreca, A.; Perri, L. M.; Pfeiffer, H. P.; Phelps, M.; Piccinni, O. J.; Pichot, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pillant, G.; Pinard, L.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poggiani, R.; Popolizio, P.; Porter, E. K.; Post, A.; Powell, J.; Prasad, J.; Pratt, J. W. W.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L. G.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Pürrer, M.; Qi, H.; Qin, J.; Qiu, S.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E. A.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajan, C.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramirez, K. E.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Razzano, M.; Read, J.; Regimbau, T.; Rei, L.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Rew, H.; Reyes, S. D.; Ricci, F.; Ricker, P. M.; Rieger, S.; Riles, K.; Rizzo, M.; Robertson, N. A.; Robie, R.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Roma, V. J.; Romano, R.; Romel, C. L.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Ross, M. P.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Rynge, M.; Sachdev, S.; Sadecki, T.; Sadeghian, L.; Sakellariadou, M.; Salconi, L.; Saleem, M.; Salemi, F.; Samajdar, A.; Sammut, L.; Sampson, L. M.; Sanchez, E. J.; Sandberg, V.; Sandeen, B.; Sanders, J. R.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Sauter, O.; Savage, R. L.; Sawadsky, A.; Schale, P.; Scheuer, J.; Schmidt, E.; Schmidt, J.; Schmidt, P.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schönbeck, A.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulte, B. W.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwalbe, S. G.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seidel, E.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D. A.; Shaffer, T. J.; Shah, A. A.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shao, L.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Sheperd, A.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Shoemaker, D. M.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sieniawska, M.; Sigg, D.; Silva, A. D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L. P.; Singh, A.; Singh, R.; Singhal, A.; Sintes, A. M.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Smith, B.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Son, E. J.; Sonnenberg, J. A.; Sorazu, B.; Sorrentino, F.; Souradeep, T.; Spencer, A. P.; Srivastava, A. K.; Staley, A.; Steinke, M.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steinmeyer, D.; Stephens, B. C.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Stratta, G.; Strigin, S. E.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Sun, L.; Sunil, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B. L.; Szczepańczyk, M. J.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tanner, D. B.; Tápai, M.; Taracchini, A.; Taylor, J. A.; Taylor, R.; Theeg, T.; Thomas, E. G.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, S.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Toland, K.; Tonelli, M.; Tornasi, Z.; Torrie, C. I.; Töyrä, D.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Trifirò, D.; Trinastic, J.; Tringali, M. C.; Trozzo, L.; Tsang, K. W.; Tse, M.; Tso, R.; Tuyenbayev, D.; Ueno, K.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Urban, A. L.; Usman, S. A.; Vahi, K.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Valdes, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van Bakel, N.; van Beuzekom, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; Vander-Hyde, D. C.; van der Schaaf, L.; van Heijningen, J. V.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vardaro, M.; Varma, V.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Venugopalan, G.; Verkindt, D.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Viets, A. D.; Vinciguerra, S.; Vine, D. J.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Voss, D. V.; Vousden, W. D.; Vyatchanin, S. P.; Wade, A. R.; Wade, L. E.; Wade, M.; Walet, R.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Walsh, S.; Wang, G.; Wang, H.; Wang, J. Z.; Wang, M.; Wang, Y.-F.; Wang, Y.; Ward, R. L.; Warner, J.; Was, M.; Watchi, J.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Wen, L.; Wessel, E. K.; Weßels, P.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whiting, B. F.; Whittle, C.; Williams, D.; Williams, R. D.; Williamson, A. R.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M. H.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Woehler, J.; Wofford, J.; Wong, K. W. K.; Worden, J.; Wright, J. L.; Wu, D. S.; Wu, G.; Yam, W.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yap, M. J.; Yu, Hang; Yu, Haocun; Yvert, M.; ZadroŻny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zelenova, T.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zevin, M.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, M.; Zhang, T.; Zhang, Y.-H.; Zhao, C.; Zhou, M.; Zhou, Z.; Zhu, S. J.; Zhu, X. J.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.; Anderson, D. P.; LIGO Scientific Collaboration; Virgo Collaboration

2017-12-01

We report results of a deep all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves from isolated neutron stars in data from the first Advanced LIGO observing run. This search investigates the low frequency range of Advanced LIGO data, between 20 and 100 Hz, much of which was not explored in initial LIGO. The search was made possible by the computing power provided by the volunteers of the Einstein@Home project. We find no significant signal candidate and set the most stringent upper limits to date on the amplitude of gravitational wave signals from the target population, corresponding to a sensitivity depth of 48.7 [1 /√{Hz }] . At the frequency of best strain sensitivity, near 100 Hz, we set 90% confidence upper limits of 1.8 ×1 0-25. At the low end of our frequency range, 20 Hz, we achieve upper limits of 3.9 ×1 0-24. At 55 Hz we can exclude sources with ellipticities greater than 1 0-5 within 100 pc of Earth with fiducial value of the principal moment of inertia of 1038 kg m2 .

All-Sky Monitoring of Variable Sources with Fermi GBM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Finger, Mark; Camero-Arranz, Ascension; Becklen, Elif; Jenke, Peter; Cpe. K/ K/; Steele, Iain; Case, Gary; Cherry, Mike; Rodi, James;

Perfect narrow band absorber for sensing applications.

PubMed

Luo, Shiwen; Zhao, Jun; Zuo, Duluo; Wang, Xinbing

2016-05-02

We design and numerically investigate a perfect narrow band absorber based on a metal-metal-dielectric-metal structure which consists of periodic metallic nanoribbon arrays. The absorber presents an ultra narrow absorption band of 1.11 nm with a nearly perfect absorption of over 99.9% in the infrared region. For oblique incidence, the absorber shows an absorption more than 95% for a wide range of incident angles from 0 to 50°. Structure parameters to the influence of the performance are investigated. The structure shows high sensing performance with a high sensitivity of 1170 nm/RIU and a large figure of merit of 1054. The proposed structure has great potential as a biosensor.

Electronic structure descriptor for the discovery of narrow-band red-emitting phosphors

DOE PAGES

Wang, Zhenbin; Chu, Iek -Heng; Zhou, Fei; ...

2016-05-09

Narrow-band red-emitting phosphors are a critical component of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes for highly efficient illumination-grade lighting. In this work, we report the discovery of a quantitative descriptor for narrow-band Eu 2+-activated emission identified through a comparison of the electronic structures of known narrow-band and broad-band phosphors. We find that a narrow emission bandwidth is characterized by a large splitting of more than 0.1 eV between the two highest Eu 2+ 4 f 7 bands. By incorporating this descriptor in a high-throughput first-principles screening of 2259 nitride compounds, we identify five promising new nitride hosts for Eu 2+-activated red-emitting phosphors thatmore » are predicted to exhibit good chemical stability, thermal quenching resistance, and quantum efficiency, as well as narrow-band emission. Lastly, our findings provide important insights into the emission characteristics of rare-earth activators in phosphor hosts and a general strategy to the discovery of phosphors with a desired emission peak and bandwidth.« less

Electronic structure descriptor for the discovery of narrow-band red-emitting phosphors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Zhenbin; Chu, Iek -Heng; Zhou, Fei

Narrow-band red-emitting phosphors are a critical component of phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes for highly efficient illumination-grade lighting. In this work, we report the discovery of a quantitative descriptor for narrow-band Eu 2+-activated emission identified through a comparison of the electronic structures of known narrow-band and broad-band phosphors. We find that a narrow emission bandwidth is characterized by a large splitting of more than 0.1 eV between the two highest Eu 2+ 4 f 7 bands. By incorporating this descriptor in a high-throughput first-principles screening of 2259 nitride compounds, we identify five promising new nitride hosts for Eu 2+-activated red-emitting phosphors thatmore » are predicted to exhibit good chemical stability, thermal quenching resistance, and quantum efficiency, as well as narrow-band emission. Lastly, our findings provide important insights into the emission characteristics of rare-earth activators in phosphor hosts and a general strategy to the discovery of phosphors with a desired emission peak and bandwidth.« less

A narrow band pattern-matching model of vowel perception

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillenbrand, James M.; Houde, Robert A.

2003-02-01

The purpose of this paper is to propose and evaluate a new model of vowel perception which assumes that vowel identity is recognized by a template-matching process involving the comparison of narrow band input spectra with a set of smoothed spectral-shape templates that are learned through ordinary exposure to speech. In the present simulation of this process, the input spectra are computed over a sufficiently long window to resolve individual harmonics of voiced speech. Prior to template creation and pattern matching, the narrow band spectra are amplitude equalized by a spectrum-level normalization process, and the information-bearing spectral peaks are enhanced by a ``flooring'' procedure that zeroes out spectral values below a threshold function consisting of a center-weighted running average of spectral amplitudes. Templates for each vowel category are created simply by averaging the narrow band spectra of like vowels spoken by a panel of talkers. In the present implementation, separate templates are used for men, women, and children. The pattern matching is implemented with a simple city-block distance measure given by the sum of the channel-by-channel differences between the narrow band input spectrum (level-equalized and floored) and each vowel template. Spectral movement is taken into account by computing the distance measure at several points throughout the course of the vowel. The input spectrum is assigned to the vowel template that results in the smallest difference accumulated over the sequence of spectral slices. The model was evaluated using a large database consisting of 12 vowels in /hVd/ context spoken by 45 men, 48 women, and 46 children. The narrow band model classified vowels in this database with a degree of accuracy (91.4%) approaching that of human listeners.

The ADS All Sky Survey: footprints of astronomy literature, in the sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepe, Alberto; Goodman, A. A.; Muench, A. A.; Seamless Astronomy Group at the CfA

2014-01-01

The ADS All-Sky Survey (ADSASS) aims to transform the NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), widely known for its unrivaled value as a literature resource for astronomers, into a data resource. The ADS is not a data repository per se, but it implicitly contains valuable holdings of astronomical data, in the form of images, tables and object references contained within articles. The objective of the ADSASS effort is to extract these data and make them discoverable and available through existing data viewers. In this talk, the ADSASS viewer - http://adsass.org/ - will be presented: a sky heatmap of astronomy articles based on the celestial objects they reference. The ADSASS viewer is as an innovative research and visual search tool for it allows users to explore astronomical literature based on celestial location, rather than keyword string. The ADSASS is a NASA-funded initiative carried out by the Seamless Astronomy Group at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Narrow-Band Applications of Communications Satellites.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowlan, Bert; Horowitz, Andrew

This paper attempts to describe the advantages of "narrow-band" applications of communications satellites for education. It begins by discussing the general controversy surrounding the use of satellites in education, by placing the concern within the larger context of the general debate over the uses of new technologies in education, and by…

An all-sky survey of circular polarisation at 200 MHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenc, Emil; Murphy, Tara; Lynch, C. R.; Kaplan, D. L.; Zhang, S. N.

2018-05-01

We present results from the first all-sky radio survey in circular polarisation. The survey uses the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) to cover 30 900 sq. deg., over declinations south of +30° and north of -86° centred at 200 MHz (over a 169 - 231 MHz band). We achieve a spatial resolution of ˜3' and a typical sensitivity of 3.0 mJy PSF-1 over most of the survey region. We demonstrate a new leakage mitigation technique that reduces the leakage from total intensity into circular polarisation by an order of magnitude. In a blind survey of the imaged region, we detect 14 pulsars in circular polarisation above a 6σ threshold. We also detect six transient sources associated with artificial satellites. A targeted survey of 2 376 pulsars within the surveyed region yielded 33 detections above 4σ. Looking specifically at pulsars previously detected at 200 MHz in total intensity, this represents a 35% detection rate. We also conducted a targeted survey of 2 400 known flare stars, this resulted in two tentative detections above 4σ. A similar targeted search for 1 506 known exoplanets in the field yielded no detections above 4σ. The success of the survey suggests that similar surveys at longer wavelength bands and of deeper fields are warranted.

Searching for ET with Help from Three Million Volunteers: The SETI@Home, Serendip, Sevendip and Spck SETI Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werthimer, Dan; Anderson, David; Bowyer, Stuart; Cobb, Jeff; Demorest, Paul

2002-01-01

We summarize results from two radio and two optical SETI programs based at the University of California, Berkeley. We discuss the most promising candidate signals from these searches and present plans for future SETI searches, including SERENDIP V and SETI@home II. The ongoing SERENDIP sky survey searches for radio signals at the 300 meter Arecibo Observatory. SERENDIP IV uses a 168 million channel spectrum analyser and a dedicated receiver to take data 24 hours a day, year round. The sky survey covers a 100 MHz band centered at the 21 cm line (1420 MHz) and declinations from -2 to +38 degrees. SETI@home uses desktop computers of 3.5 million volunteers to analyse 50 Terabytes of data taken at Arecibo. The SETI@home sky survey is 10 times more sensitive and searches a much wider variety of signal types than SERRENDIP IV but covers only a 2.5 MHz band. SETI@home is the planet's largest supercomputer, averaging 25 Tflops. SETI@home participants have contributed over a million years of computing time so far. The SEVENDIP optical pulse search looks for nS time scale pulses at optical wavelengths. It utilizes an automated 30 inch telescope, three ultra fast photo multiplier tubes and a coincidence detector. The target list includes F,G,K and M stars, globular cluster and galaxies. The SPOCK optical SETI program searches for narrow band continuous signals using spectra taken by Marcy and his colleagues in their planet search at Keck observatory.

PePSS - A portable sky scanner for measuring extremely low night-sky brightness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocifaj, Miroslav; Kómar, Ladislav; Kundracik, František

2018-05-01

A new portable sky scanner designed for low-light-level detection at night is developed and employed in night sky brightness measurements in a rural region. The fast readout, adjustable sensitivity and linear response guaranteed in 5-6 orders of magnitude makes the device well suited for narrow-band photometry in both dark areas and bright urban and suburban environments. Quasi-monochromatic night-sky brightness data are advantageous in the accurate characterization of spectral power distribution of scattered and emitted light and, also allows for the possibility to retrieve light output patterns from whole-city light sources. The sky scanner can operate in both night and day regimes, taking advantage of the complementarity of both radiance data types. Due to its inherent very high sensitivity the photomultiplier tube could be used in night sky radiometry, while the spectrometer-equipped system component capable of detecting elevated intensities is used in daylight monitoring. Daylight is a source of information on atmospheric optical properties that in turn are necessary in processing night sky radiances. We believe that the sky scanner has the potential to revolutionize night-sky monitoring systems.

Band Edge Dynamics and Multiexciton Generation in Narrow Band Gap HgTe Nanocrystals.

PubMed

Livache, Clément; Goubet, Nicolas; Martinez, Bertille; Jagtap, Amardeep; Qu, Junling; Ithurria, Sandrine; Silly, Mathieu G; Dubertret, Benoit; Lhuillier, Emmanuel

2018-04-11

Mercury chalcogenide nanocrystals and especially HgTe appear as an interesting platform for the design of low cost mid-infrared (mid-IR) detectors. Nevertheless, their electronic structure and transport properties remain poorly understood, and some critical aspects such as the carrier relaxation dynamics at the band edge have been pushed under the rug. Some of the previous reports on dynamics are setup-limited, and all of them have been obtained using photon energy far above the band edge. These observations raise two main questions: (i) what are the carrier dynamics at the band edge and (ii) should we expect some additional effect (multiexciton generation (MEG)) as such narrow band gap materials are excited far above the band edge? To answer these questions, we developed a high-bandwidth setup that allows us to understand and compare the carrier dynamics resonantly pumped at the band edge in the mid-IR and far above the band edge. We demonstrate that fast (>50 MHz) photoresponse can be obtained even in the mid-IR and that MEG is occurring in HgTe nanocrystal arrays with a threshold around 3 times the band edge energy. Furthermore, the photoresponse can be effectively tuned in magnitude and sign using a phototransistor configuration.

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Entanglement of Narrow-Band Photons from Cold Atoms.

PubMed

Lee, Jong-Chan; Park, Kwang-Kyoon; Zhao, Tian-Ming; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2016-12-16

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement introduced in 1935 deals with two particles that are entangled in their positions and momenta. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of EPR position-momentum entanglement of narrow-band photon pairs generated from cold atoms. By using two-photon quantum ghost imaging and ghost interference, we demonstrate explicitly that the narrow-band photon pairs violate the separability criterion, confirming EPR entanglement. We further demonstrate continuous variable EPR steering for positions and momenta of the two photons. Our new source of EPR-entangled narrow-band photons is expected to play an essential role in spatially multiplexed quantum information processing, such as, storage of quantum correlated images, quantum interface involving hyperentangled photons, etc.

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Entanglement of Narrow-Band Photons from Cold Atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jong-Chan; Park, Kwang-Kyoon; Zhao, Tian-Ming; Kim, Yoon-Ho

2016-12-01

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) entanglement introduced in 1935 deals with two particles that are entangled in their positions and momenta. Here we report the first experimental demonstration of EPR position-momentum entanglement of narrow-band photon pairs generated from cold atoms. By using two-photon quantum ghost imaging and ghost interference, we demonstrate explicitly that the narrow-band photon pairs violate the separability criterion, confirming EPR entanglement. We further demonstrate continuous variable EPR steering for positions and momenta of the two photons. Our new source of EPR-entangled narrow-band photons is expected to play an essential role in spatially multiplexed quantum information processing, such as, storage of quantum correlated images, quantum interface involving hyperentangled photons, etc.

The 105-Month Swift-BAT All-Sky Hard X-Ray Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oh, Kyuseok; Koss, Michael; Markwardt, Craig B.; Schawinski, Kevin; Baumgartner, Wayne H.; Barthelmy, Scott D.; Cenko, S. Bradley; Gehrels, Neil; Mushotzky, Richard; Petulante, Abigail;

The 105-Month Swift-BAT All-sky Hard X-Ray Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Kyuseok; Koss, Michael; Markwardt, Craig B.; Schawinski, Kevin; Baumgartner, Wayne H.; Barthelmy, Scott D.; Cenko, S. Bradley; Gehrels, Neil; Mushotzky, Richard; Petulante, Abigail; Ricci, Claudio; Lien, Amy; Trakhtenbrot, Benny

2018-03-01

We present a catalog of hard X-ray sources detected in the first 105 months of observations with the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) coded-mask imager on board the Swift observatory. The 105-month Swift-BAT survey is a uniform hard X-ray all-sky survey with a sensitivity of 8.40× {10}-12 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {cm}}-2 over 90% of the sky and 7.24× {10}-12 {erg} {{{s}}}-1 {cm}}-2 over 50% of the sky in the 14–195 keV band. The Swift-BAT 105-month catalog provides 1632 (422 new detections) hard X-ray sources in the 14–195 keV band above the 4.8σ significance level. Adding to the previously known hard X-ray sources, 34% (144/422) of the new detections are identified as Seyfert active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in nearby galaxies (z< 0.2). The majority of the remaining identified sources are X-ray binaries (7%, 31) and blazars/BL Lac objects (10%, 43). As part of this new edition of the Swift-BAT catalog, we release eight-channel spectra and monthly sampled light curves for each object in the online journal and at the Swift-BAT 105-month website.

Digital all-sky polarization imaging of partly cloudy skies.

PubMed

Pust, Nathan J; Shaw, Joseph A

2008-12-01

Clouds reduce the degree of linear polarization (DOLP) of skylight relative to that of a clear sky. Even thin subvisual clouds in the "twilight zone" between clouds and aerosols produce a drop in skylight DOLP long before clouds become visible in the sky. In contrast, the angle of polarization (AOP) of light scattered by a cloud in a partly cloudy sky remains the same as in the clear sky for most cases. In unique instances, though, select clouds display AOP signatures that are oriented 90 degrees from the clear-sky AOP. For these clouds, scattered light oriented parallel to the scattering plane dominates the perpendicularly polarized Rayleigh-scattered light between the instrument and the cloud. For liquid clouds, this effect may assist cloud particle size identification because it occurs only over a relatively limited range of particle radii that will scatter parallel polarized light. Images are shown from a digital all-sky-polarization imager to illustrate these effects. Images are also shown that provide validation of previously published theories for weak (approximately 2%) polarization parallel to the scattering plane for a 22 degrees halo.

Solar Wind Charge Exchange Contribution to the ROSAT All Sky Survey Maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uprety, Y.; Chiao, M.; Collier, M. R.; Cravens, T.; Galeazzi, M.; Koutroumpa, D.; Kuntz, K. D.; Lallement, R.; Lepri, S. T.; Liu, W.; McCammon, D.; Morgan, K.; Porter, F. S.; Prasai, K.; Snowden, S. L.; Thomas, N. E.; Ursino, E.; Walsh, B. M.

2016-10-01

DXL (Diffuse X-ray emission from the Local Galaxy) is a sounding rocket mission designed to estimate the contribution of solar wind charge eXchange (SWCX) to the diffuse X-ray background and to help determine the properties of the Local Hot Bubble. The detectors are large area thin-window proportional counters with a spectral response that is similar to that of the PSPC used in the ROSAT All Sky Survey (RASS). A direct comparison of DXL and RASS data for the same part of the sky viewed from quite different vantage points in the solar system, and the assumption of approximate isotropy for the solar wind, allowed us to quantify the SWCX contribution to all six RASS bands (R1-R7, excluding R3). We find that the SWCX contribution at l=140^\\circ ,b=0^\\circ , where the DXL path crosses the Galactic plane, is 33 % +/- 6 % ({statistical})+/- 12 % ({systematic}) for R1, 44 % +/- 6 % +/- 5 % for R2, 18 % +/- 12 % +/- 11 % for R4, 14 % +/- 11 % +/- 9 % for R5, and negligible for the R6 and R7 bands. Reliable models for the distribution of neutral H and He in the solar system permit estimation of the contribution of interplanetary SWCX emission over the the whole sky and correction of the RASS maps. We find that the average SWCX contribution in the whole sky is 26 % +/- 6 % +/- 13 % for R1, 30 % +/- 4 % +/- 4 % for R2, 8 % +/- 5 % +/- 5 % for R4, 6 % +/- 4 % +/- 4 % for R5, and negligible for R6 and R7.

Results of an all-sky high-frequency Einstein@Home search for continuous gravitational waves in LIGO's fifth science run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Avneet; Papa, Maria Alessandra; Eggenstein, Heinz-Bernd; Zhu, Sylvia; Pletsch, Holger; Allen, Bruce; Bock, Oliver; Maschenchalk, Bernd; Prix, Reinhard; Siemens, Xavier

2016-09-01

We present results of a high-frequency all-sky search for continuous gravitational waves from isolated compact objects in LIGO's fifth science run (S5) data, using the computing power of the Einstein@Home volunteer computing project. This is the only dedicated continuous gravitational wave search that probes this high-frequency range on S5 data. We find no significant candidate signal, so we set 90% confidence level upper limits on continuous gravitational wave strain amplitudes. At the lower end of the search frequency range, around 1250 Hz, the most constraining upper limit is 5.0 ×10-24, while at the higher end, around 1500 Hz, it is 6.2 ×10-24. Based on these upper limits, and assuming a fiducial value of the principal moment of inertia of 1038 kg m2 , we can exclude objects with ellipticities higher than roughly 2.8 ×10-7 within 100 pc of Earth with rotation periods between 1.3 and 1.6 milliseconds.

Circles-in-the-sky searches and observable cosmic topology in a flat universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mota, B.; Rebouças, M. J.; Tavakol, R.

2010-05-01

In a universe with a detectable nontrivial spatial topology, the last scattering surface contains pairs of matching circles with the same distribution of temperature fluctuations—the so-called circles-in-the-sky. Searches for nearly antipodal circles-in-the-sky in maps of cosmic microwave background radiation have so far been unsuccessful. This negative outcome, along with recent theoretical results concerning the detectability of nearly flat compact topologies, is sufficient to exclude a detectable nontrivial topology for most observers in very nearly flat positively and negatively curved universes, whose total matter-energy density satisfies 0<|Ωtot-1|≲10-5. Here, we investigate the consequences of these searches for observable nontrivial topologies if the Universe turns out to be exactly flat (Ωtot=1). We demonstrate that in this case, the conclusions deduced from such searches can be radically different. We show that, although there is no characteristic topological scale in the flat manifolds, for all multiply-connected orientable flat manifolds, it is possible to directly study the action of the holonomies in order to obtain a general upper bound on the angle that characterizes the deviation from antipodicity of pairs of matching circles associated with the shortest closed geodesic. This bound is valid for all observers and all possible values of the compactification length parameters. We also show that in a flat universe, there are observers for whom the circles-in-the-sky searches already undertaken are insufficient to exclude the possibility of a detectable nontrivial spatial topology. It is remarkable how such small variations in the spatial curvature of the Universe, which are effectively indistinguishable geometrically, can have such a drastic effect on the detectability of cosmic topology. Another important outcome of our results is that they offer a framework with which to make statistical inferences from future circles-in-the-sky searches on

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WISE All-Sky Data Release (Cutri+ 2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutri, R. M.; et al.

2012-04-01

The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; see Wright et al. 2010AJ....140.1868W) is a NASA Medium Class Explorer mission that conducted a digital imaging survey of the entire sky in the 3.4, 4.6, 12 and 22um mid-infrared bandpasses (hereafter W1, W2, W3 and W4). WISE will produce and release to the world astronomical and educational communities and general public a digital Image Atlas covering the sky in the four survey bands, and a reliable Source Catalog containing accurate photometry and astrometry for over 300 million objects. The WISE Catalog and Atlas will enable a broad variety of research efforts ranging from the search for the closest stars and brown dwarfs to the most luminous galaxies in the Universe. WISE science data products will serve as an important reference data set for planning observations and interpreting data obtained with future ground and space-borne observatories, such as JWST. WISE was launched on 2009-12-14 from Vandenberg SLC2W. (1 data file).

Large Format Narrow-Band, Multi-Band, and Broad-Band LWIR QWIP Focal Planes for Space and Earth Science Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gunapala, S. D.; Bandara, S. V.

2004-01-01

A 640x512 pixel, long-wavelength cutoff, narrow-band (delta(lambda)/approx. 10%) quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) focal plane array (FPA), a four-band QWIP FPA in the 4-16 m spectral region, and a broad-band (delta(lambda)/approx. 42%) QWIP FPA having 15.4 m cutoff have been demonstrated.

Application of narrow-band television to industrial and commercial communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Embrey, B. C., Jr.; Southworth, G. R.

1974-01-01

The development of narrow-band systems for use in space systems is presented. Applications of the technology to future spacecraft requirements are discussed along with narrow-band television's influence in stimulating development within the industry. The transferral of the technology into industrial and commercial communications is described. Major areas included are: (1) medicine; (2) education; (3) remote sensing for traffic control; and (5) weather observation. Applications in data processing, image enhancement, and information retrieval are provided by the combination of the TV camera and the computer.

Narrow-band filters for the lightning imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piegari, Angela; Di Sarcina, Ilaria; Grilli, Maria Luisa; Menchini, Francesca; Scaglione, Salvatore; Sytchkova, Anna; Zola, Danilo; Cuevas, Leticia P.

2017-11-01

The study of lightning phenomena will be carried out by a dedicated instrument, the lightning imager, that will make use of narrow-band transmission filters for separating the Oxygen emission lines in the clouds, from the background signal. The design, manufacturing and testing of these optical filters will be described here.

Narrow band imaging combined with water immersion technique in the diagnosis of celiac disease.

PubMed

Valitutti, Francesco; Oliva, Salvatore; Iorfida, Donatella; Aloi, Marina; Gatti, Silvia; Trovato, Chiara Maria; Montuori, Monica; Tiberti, Antonio; Cucchiara, Salvatore; Di Nardo, Giovanni

2014-12-01

The "multiple-biopsy" approach both in duodenum and bulb is the best strategy to confirm the diagnosis of celiac disease; however, this increases the invasiveness of the procedure itself and is time-consuming. To evaluate the diagnostic yield of a single biopsy guided by narrow-band imaging combined with water immersion technique in paediatric patients. Prospective assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of narrow-band imaging/water immersion technique-driven biopsy approach versus standard protocol in suspected celiac disease. The experimental approach correctly diagnosed 35/40 children with celiac disease, with an overall diagnostic sensitivity of 87.5% (95% CI: 77.3-97.7). An altered pattern of narrow-band imaging/water immersion technique endoscopic visualization was significantly associated with villous atrophy at guided biopsy (Spearman Rho 0.637, p<0.001). Concordance of narrow-band imaging/water immersion technique endoscopic assessments was high between two operators (K: 0.884). The experimental protocol was highly timesaving compared to the standard protocol. An altered narrow-band imaging/water immersion technique pattern coupled with high anti-transglutaminase antibodies could allow a single guided biopsy to diagnose celiac disease. When no altered mucosal pattern is visible even by narrow-band imaging/water immersion technique, multiple bulbar and duodenal biopsies should be obtained. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Sub-MeV band observation of a hard burst from AXP 1E 1547.0-5408 with the Suzaku Wide-band All-sky Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasuda, Tetsuya; Iwakiri, Wataru B.; Tashiro, Makoto S.; Terada, Yukikatsu; Kouzu, Tomomi; Enoto, Teruaki; Nakagawa, Yujin E.; Bamba, Aya; Urata, Yuji; Yamaoka, Kazutaka; Ohno, Masanori; Shibata, Shinpei; Makishima, Kazuo

2015-06-01

The 2.1-s anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E 1547.0-5408 exhibited an X-ray outburst on 2009 January 22, emitting a large number of short bursts. The wide-band all-sky monitor (WAM) on-board Suzaku detected at least 254 bursts in the 160 keV-6.2 MeV band over the period of January 22 00:57-17:02 UT from the direction of 1E 1547.0-5408. One of these bursts, which occurred at 06:45:13, produced the brightest fluence in the 0.5-6.2 MeV range, with an averaged 0.16-6.2 MeV flux and extrapolated 25 keV-2 MeV fluence of about 1 × 10-5 erg cm-2 s-1 and about 3 × 10-4 erg cm-2, respectively. After pile-up corrections, the time-resolved WAM spectra of this burst were well-fitted in the 0.16-6.2 MeV range by two-component models; specifically, a blackbody plus an optically thin thermal bremsstrahlung or a combination of a blackbody and a power-law component with an exponential cut-off. These results are compared with previous works reporting the persistent emission and weaker short bursts followed by the same outburst.

Sky-plane discovery rates for Near Earth Object discoveries from Pan-STARRS1 - implications for future search strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainscoat, Richard J.; Chambers, Kenneth C.; Chastel, Serge; Denneau, Larry; Lilly Schunova, Eva; Micheli, Marco; Weryk, Robert J.

2016-10-01

The Pan-STARRS1 telescope has been spending most of its time for the last 2.5 years searching the sky for Near Earth Objects (NEOs). The surveyed area covers the entire northern sky and extends south to -49 degrees declination. Because Pan-STARRS1 has a large field-of-view, it has been able survey large areas of the sky, and we are now able to examine NEO discovery rates relative to ecliptic latitude.Most contemporary searches, including Pan-STARRS1, have been spending large amounts of their observing time during the dark moon period searching for NEOs close to the ecliptic. The rationale for this is that many objects have low inclination, and all objects in orbit around the Sun must cross the ecliptic. New search capabilities are now available, including Pan-STARRS2, and the upgraded camera in Catalina Sky Survey's G96 telescope. These allow NEO searches to be conducted over wider areas of the sky, and to extend further from the ecliptic.We have examined the discovery rates relative to location on the sky for new NEOs from Pan-STARRS1, and find that the new NEO discoveries are less concentrated on the ecliptic than might be expected. This finding also holds for larger objects. The southern sky has proven to be very productive in new NEO discoveries - this is a direct consequence of the major NEO surveys being located in the northern hemisphere.Our preliminary findings suggest that NEO searches should extend to at least 30 degrees from the ecliptic during the more sensitive dark moon period. At least 6,000 deg2 should therefore be searched each lunation. This is possible with the newly augmented NEO search assets, and repeat coverage will be needed in order to recover most of the NEO candidates found. However, weather challenges will likely make full and repeated coverage of such a large area of sky difficult to achieve. Some simple coordination between observing sites will likely lead to improvement in efficiency.

Enhanced tunable narrow-band THz emission from laser-modulated electron beams

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xiang, D.; Stupakov, G.; /SLAC

2009-06-19

We propose and analyze a scheme to generate enhanced narrow-band terahertz (THz) radiation through down-conversion of the frequency of optical lasers using laser-modulated electron beams. In the scheme the electron beam is first energy modulated by two lasers with wave numbers k{sub 1} and k2, respectively. After passing through a dispersion section, the energy modulation is converted to density modulation. Due to the nonlinear conversion process, the beam will have density modulation at wave number k = nk{sub 1} + mk{sub 2}, where n and m are positive or negative integers. By properly choosing the parameters for the lasers andmore » dispersion section, one can generate density modulation at THz frequency in the beam using optical lasers. This density-modulated beam can be used to generate powerful narrow-band THz radiation. Since the THz radiation is in tight synchronization with the lasers, it should provide a high temporal resolution for the optical-pump THz-probe experiments. The central frequency of the THz radiation can be easily tuned by varying the wavelength of the two lasers and the energy chirp of the electron beam. The proposed scheme is in principle able to generate intense narrow-band THz radiation covering the whole THz range and offers a promising way towards the tunable intense narrow-band THz sources.« less

The Search for Cosmic Company: SETI on ngVLA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croft, Steve; Siemion, Andrew; Hellbourg, Greg

2018-01-01

"Are we alone?" is one of the most profound human questions. The unprecedented capabilities of next generation radio telescopes, including ngVLA, will allow us to probe hitherto unexplored regions of parameter space, placing meaningful limits on the prevalence of technological civilizations in the Universe, or perhaps making one of the most significant discoveries in the history of science.Through both targeted and commensal observations, ngVLA data will be searched for signatures of technology (including narrow-band, Doppler-drifting, and more complex signals) that can be localized to particular positions on the sky. ngVLA provides critical capabilities in the 10 – 100 GHz range, a region of the spectrum used by many human technologies, to survey the sky at sensitivities unmatched by other facilities.

Correction of the Temperature Effect in 1020 NM Band of Sun-Sky Radiometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, K.; Li, Z.; Li, D.; Xie, Y.; Xu, H.

2018-04-01

Aerosol is an important part of the earth-atmosphere system. It can directly and indirectly influence solar radiation and then affect the energy balance of earth-atmosphere system. AERONET, as the largest ground-based observation network, provides multi-parameters of aerosol from more than 600 hundred sites using sun-sky radiometer, which contains 9 channels from 340 nm to 1640 nm. Among which, 1020 nm channel is greatly influenced by the temperature. In this paper, a new correction method of 1020 nm band is introduced. The new method transfers the temperature correction coefficient of the master radiometer to the comparative one. The filed calibration experiment shown that the temperature correction coefficient obtained by this method is close to the result from the temperature controlled chamber, and the difference is about 2.1 %. This new method is easy-to-use, and its accuracy is comparable to the standard one. It is more applicable for large-scale instrument calibration. In principle, this method is applicable to all bands of the sun-sky radiometer.

MOXE: An X-ray all-sky monitor for Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Priedhorsky, W.; Fenimore, E. E.; Moss, C. E.; Kelley, R. L.; Holt, S. S.

1989-01-01

A Monitoring Monitoring X-Ray Equipment (MOXE) is being developed for the Soviet Spectrum-X-Gamma Mission. MOXE is an X-ray all-sky monitor based on array of pinhole cameras, to be provided via a collaboration between Goddard Space Flight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory. The objectives are to alert other observers on Spectrum-X-Gamma and other platforms of interesting transient activity, and to synoptically monitor the X-ray sky and study long-term changes in X-ray binaries. MOXE will be sensitive to sources as faint as 2 milliCrab (5 sigma) in 1 day, and cover the 2 to 20 KeV band.

High power narrow-band fiber-based ASE source.

PubMed

Schmidt, O; Rekas, M; Wirth, C; Rothhardt, J; Rhein, S; Kliner, A; Strecker, M; Schreiber, T; Limpert, J; Eberhardt, R; Tünnermann, A

2011-02-28

In this paper we describe a high power narrow-band amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) light source at 1030 nm center wavelength generated in an Yb-doped fiber-based experimental setup. By cutting a small region out of a broadband ASE spectrum using two fiber Bragg gratings a strongly constrained bandwidth of 12±2 pm (3.5±0.6 GHz) is formed. A two-stage high power fiber amplifier system is used to boost the output power up to 697 W with a measured beam quality of M2≤1.34. In an additional experiment we demonstrate a stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) suppression of at least 17 dB (theoretically predicted ~20 dB), which is only limited by the dynamic range of the measurement and not by the onset of SBS when using the described light source. The presented narrow-band ASE source could be of great interest for brightness scaling applications by beam combination, where SBS is known as a limiting factor.

Narrow-band radio flares from red dwarf stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, Stephen M.; Kundu, Mukul R.; Jackson, Peter D.

1986-01-01

VLA observations of narrow-band behavior in 20 cm flares from two red dwarf stars, L726 - 8A and AD Leo, are reported. The flare on L726 - 8A was observed at 1415 and 1515 MHz; the flux and the evolution differed significantly at the two frequencies. The flare on AD Leo lasted for 2 hr at 1415 MHz but did not appear at 1515 MHz. The AD Leo flare appears to rule out a source drifting through the stellar corona and is unlikely to be due to plasma emission. In the cyclotron maser model the narrow-band behavior reflects the range of magnetic fields present within the source. The apparent constancy of this field for 2 hr is difficult to understand if magnetic reconnection is the source of energy for the flare. The consistent polarization exhibited by red dwarf flares at 20 cm may be related to stellar activity cycles, and changes in this polarization will permit measuring the length of these cycles.

Diluted magnetic semiconductors with narrow band gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Bo; Maekawa, Sadamichi

2016-10-01

We propose a method to realize diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) with p - and n -type carriers by choosing host semiconductors with a narrow band gap. By employing a combination of the density function theory and quantum Monte Carlo simulation, we demonstrate such semiconductors using Mn-doped BaZn2As2 , which has a band gap of 0.2 eV. In addition, we found a nontoxic DMS Mn-doped BaZn2Sb2 , of which the Curie temperature Tc is predicted to be higher than that of Mn-doped BaZn2As2 , the Tc of which was up to 230 K in a recent experiment.

Effect of narrow band nonuniformity on unsteady heat up of water vapor under radiation-conduction combined heat transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okamoto, Tatsuyuki; Tanaka, Tomohiro; Morimune, Atsushi

Effect of narrow band nonuniformity on unsteady heat up process of water vapor under radiation-conduction combined heat transfer is examined by comparing the result of numerical simulations with and without incorporation of narrow band nonuniformity. The authors propose a rational and comprehensive computational approach for incorporating the narrow band nonuniformity into numerical simulations of radiative heat transfer when the considered field is nonisothermal. Results of examination exhibited that the contribution of radiative heat transfer to the heat up rate of water vapor may be almost twice overestimated, if the narrow band nonuniformity effect is neglected. Separate analyses of radiative energymore » attributed to wall emission and gas emission clarified that the absorption of wall emission is overestimated and, on the contrary, the absorption of radiation energy emitted by water vapor itself is underestimated if the narrow band nonuniformity is neglected. The reason why such over- or under-estimation is induced is understood by examining the influence of line overlap parameter on the transmittance averaged within a narrow band. Smaller value of line overlap parameter {gamma}/d means more violent narrow band nonuniformity. The broken lines show the narrow band transmittance for flat incident power spectrum, and the solid lines show that for the radiative emission from the absorbing gas itself. It is also clarified that the disregard of the narrow band nonuniformity give rise to serious error in the estimation of absorption rate of wall and gas emission even in the case where the disregard of narrow band nonuniformity bring little change to the temperature distribution. The results illustrated in this paper suggest that the narrow band nonuniformity should not be neglected.« less

Therapeutic efficacy of narrow band imaging-assisted transurethral electrocoagulation for ulcer-type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome.

PubMed

Kajiwara, Mitsuru; Inoue, Shougo; Kobayashi, Kanao; Ohara, Shinya; Teishima, Jun; Matsubara, Akio

2014-04-01

Narrow band imaging cystoscopy can increase the visualization and detection of Hunner's lesions. A single-center, prospective clinical trial was carried out aiming to show the effectiveness of narrow band imaging-assisted transurethral electrocoagulation for ulcer-type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome. A total of 23 patients (19 women and 4 men) diagnosed as having ulcer-type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome were included. All typical Hunner's lesions and suspected areas identified by narrow band imaging were electrocoagulated endoscopically after the biopsy of those lesions. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed prospectively by using visual analog scale score of pain, O'Leary-Sant's symptom index, O'Leary-Sant's problem index and overactive bladder symptom score. The mean follow-up period was 22 months. All patients (100%) experienced a substantial improvement in pain. The average visual analog scale pain scores significantly decreased from 7.3 preoperatively to 1.2 1 month postoperatively. A total of 21 patients (91.3%) who reported improvement had at least a 50% reduction in bladder pain, and five reported complete resolution. Daytime frequency was significantly decreased postoperatively. O'Leary-Sant's symptom index, O'Leary-Sant's problem index and overactive bladder symptom score were significantly decreased postoperatively. However, during the follow-up period, a total of six patients had recurrence, and repeat narrow band imaging-assisted transurethral electrocoagulation of the recurrent lesions was carried out for five of the six patients, with good response in relieving bladder pain. Our results showed that narrow band imaging-assisted transurethral electrocoagulation could be a valuable therapeutic alternative in patients with ulcer-type interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, with good efficacy and reduction of recurrence rate. © 2014 The Japanese Urological Association.

The role of intraoperative narrow-band imaging in transoral laser microsurgery for early and moderately advanced glottic cancer.

PubMed

Klimza, Hanna; Jackowska, Joanna; Piazza, Cesare; Banaszewski, Jacek; Wierzbicka, Malgorzata

2018-03-01

Trans-oral laser microsurgery is an established technique for the treatment of early and moderately advanced laryngeal cancer. The authors intend to test the usefulness of narrow-band imaging in the intraoperative assessment of the larynx mucosa in terms of specifying surgical margins. Forty-four consecutive T1-T2 glottic cancers treated with trans-oral laser microsurgery Type I-VI cordectomy were presented. Suspected areas (90 samples/44 patients) were biopsied under the guidance of narrow-band imaging and white light and sent for frozen section. Our study revealed that 75 of 90 (83.3%) white light and narrow-band imaging-guided samples were histopathologically positive: 30 (40%) were confirmed as carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma and 45 (60%) as moderate to severe dysplasia. In 6 patients mucosa was suspected only in narrow-band imaging, with no suspicion under white light. Thus, in these 6 patients 18/90 (20%) samples were taken. In 5/6 patients 16/18 (88.8%) samples were positive in frozen section: in 6/18 (33.3%) carcinoma (2 patients), 10/18 (66.6%) severe dysplasia was confirmed (3 patients). In 1 patient 2/18 (11.1%) samples were negative in frozen section. Presented analysis showed, that sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of white light was 79.5%, 20% and 71.1% respectively, while narrow-band imaging was 100%, 0.0% and 85.7%, respectively. The intraoperative use of narrow-band imaging proved to be valuable in the visualization of suspect areas of the mucosa. Narrow-band imaging confirms the suspicions undertaken in white light and importantly, it showed microlesions beyond the scope of white light. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Controlling nested wrinkle morphology through the boundary effect on narrow-band thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Hanyang; Shi, Tielin; Liao, Guanglan; Xia, Qi

2017-07-01

We describe the formation of nested wrinkles created by the thermal mismatch between a narrow-band thin film and a compliant substrate. When a film is described as "narrow-band", it literally means that the film band width is much shorter than its length; more precisely, it means that the width is comparable with the wavelength of the wrinkles. A silicon mask was used during film sputtering to create narrow-band films on poly (dimethylsiloxane) substrate, thus creating regular boundaries to steer local stresses and control wrinkle morphology. Disordered nano-scale wrinkles were found nested within highly ordered micro-scale sinusoidal wrinkles. The formation of nested wrinkles was explained through the amplitude and wavelength saturation of nano-scale wrinkles. The disordered morphology of nano-scale wrinkles and the highly ordered morphology of micro-scale wrinkles were explained by using the boundary effect.

Narrow band imaging versus autofluorescence imaging for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma detection: a prospective study.

PubMed

Ni, X-G; Zhang, Q-Q; Wang, G-Q

2016-11-01

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic effectiveness of narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging for malignant laryngopharyngeal tumours. Between May 2010 and October 2010, 50 consecutive patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal tumour underwent endoscopic laryngopharynx examination. The morphological characteristics of laryngopharyngeal lesions were analysed using high performance endoscopic systems equipped with narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging modes. The diagnostic effectiveness of white light image, narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging endoscopy for benign and malignant laryngopharyngeal lesions was evaluated. Under narrow band imaging endoscopy, the superficial microvessels of squamous cell carcinomas appeared as dark brown spots or twisted cords. Under autofluorescence imaging endoscopy, malignant lesions appeared as bright purple. The sensitivity of malignant lesion diagnosis was not significantly different between narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging modes, but was better than for white light image endoscopy (χ2 = 12.676, p = 0.002). The diagnostic specificity was significantly better in narrow band imaging mode than in both autofluorescence imaging and white light imaging mode (χ2 = 8.333, p = 0.016). Narrow band imaging endoscopy is the best option for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal tumours.

Stereoscopic determination of all-sky altitude map of aurora using two ground-based Nikon DSLR cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, R.; Miyoshi, Y.; Shigematsu, K.; Hampton, D.; Mori, Y.; Kubo, T.; Yamashita, A.; Tanaka, M.; Takahei, T.; Nakai, T.; Miyahara, H.; Shiokawa, K.

2013-09-01

A new stereoscopic measurement technique is developed to obtain an all-sky altitude map of aurora using two ground-based digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. Two identical full-color all-sky cameras were set with an 8 km separation across the Chatanika area in Alaska (Poker Flat Research Range and Aurora Borealis Lodge) to find localized emission height with the maximum correlation of the apparent patterns in the localized pixels applying a method of the geographical coordinate transform. It is found that a typical ray structure of discrete aurora shows the broad altitude distribution above 100 km, while a typical patchy structure of pulsating aurora shows the narrow altitude distribution of less than 100 km. Because of its portability and low cost of the DSLR camera systems, the new technique may open a unique opportunity not only for scientists but also for night-sky photographers to complementarily attend the aurora science to potentially form a dense observation network.

RXTE All-Sky Monitor Localization of SGR 1627-41

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. A.; Bradt, H. V.; Levine, A. M.

1999-09-01

The fourth unambiguously identified Soft Gamma Repeater (SGR), SGR 1627--41, was discovered with the BATSE instrument on 1998 June 15 (Kouveliotou et al. 1998). Interplanetary Network (IPN) measurements and BATSE data constrained the location of this new SGR to a 6(deg) segment of a narrow (19('') ) annulus (Hurley et al. 1999; Woods et al. 1998). We report on two bursts from this source observed by the All-Sky Monitor (ASM) on RXTE. We use the ASM data to further constrain the source location to a 5(') long segment of the BATSE/IPN error box. The ASM/IPN error box lies within 0.3(') of the supernova remnant (SNR) G337.0--0.1. The probability that a SNR would fall so close to the error box purely by chance is ~ 5%.

Build YOUR All-Sky View with Aladin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberto, A.; Fernique, P.; Boch, T.; Bonnarel, F.

2011-07-01

From the need to extend the display outside the boundaries of a single image, the Aladin team recently developed a new feature to visualize wide areas or even all of the sky. This all-sky view is particularly useful for visualization of very large objects and, with coverage of the whole sky, maps from the Planck satellite. To improve on this capability, some catalogs and maps have been built from many surveys (e.g., DSS, IRIS, GLIMPSE, SDSS, 2MASS) in mixed resolutions, allowing progressive display. The maps are constructed by mosaicing individual images. Now, we provide a new tool to build an all-sky view with your own images. From the images you have selected, it will compose a mosaic with several resolutions (HEALPix tessellation), and organize them to allow their progressive display in Aladin. For convenience, you can export it to a HEALPix map, or share it with the community through Aladin from your web site or eventually from the CDS image collection.

Point Source All Sky

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-27

This panoramic view encompasses the entire sky as seen by Two Micron All-Sky Survey. The measured brightnesses of half a billion stars (points) have been combined into colors representing three distinct wavelengths of infrared light: blue at 1.2 microns, green at 1.6 microns, and red at 2.2 microns. This image is centered on the core of our own Milky Way galaxy, toward the constellation of Sagittarius. The reddish stars seemingly hovering in the middle of the Milky Way's disc -- many of them never observed before -- trace the densest dust clouds in our galaxy. The two faint smudges seen in the lower right quadrant are our neighboring galaxies, the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04250

Narrow-band filters for ocean colour imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krol, Hélène; Chazallet, Frédéric; Archer, Julien; Kirchgessner, Laurent; Torricini, Didier; Grèzes-Besset, Catherine

2017-11-01

During the last few years, the evolution of deposition technologies of optical thin films coatings and associated in-situ monitoring methods enables us today to successfully answer the increasingly request of space systems for Earth observation. Geostationary satellite COMS-1 (Communication, Ocean, Meteorological Satellite-1) of Astrium has the role of ensuring meteorological observation as well as monitoring of the oceans. It is equipped with a colour imager to observe the marine ecosystem through 8 bands in the visible spectrum with a ground resolution of 500m. For that, this very high technology instrument is constituted with a filters wheel in front of the oceanic colour imager with 8 narrow band filters carried out and qualified by Cilas.

Spectral karyotyping (SKY) in hematological neoplasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preiss, Birgitte S.; Pedersen, Rikke K.; Kerndrup, Gitte B.

2001-07-01

From November 1, 1997 till November 1, 2000 we have investigated 204 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (nequals95), acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) (nequals40), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) (nequals11), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) (nequals9), chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) (nequals4) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (nequals45) cytogenetically, using G-band analysis and spectral karyotyping (SKY). By SKY we were able to detect the abnormal clones in all cases but 9. In the G-band preparations these cases showed very few abnormal mitoses. The SKY either extended or confirmed the G-band findings in 94% of those with an abnormal karyotype. Cryptic translocations (translocations not suspected from the G-band karyotype) were found in 71 cases (26 AML, 9 ALL, 5 MDS, 2 CLL and 29 NHL). We find SKY a powerful adjuvant diagnostic tool that does not compromise one of the advantages of karyotyping techniques, the analysis of the entire genome which, in contrast to molecular biological techniques, still leave the possibility to get mroe answers than questions posed.

First Results of Exoplanet Observations with the Gran Telescopio Canarias: Narrow-Band Transit Photometry Capable of Detecting Super-Earth-size Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Eric B.; Colon, K. D.; Blake, C.; Lee, B.; Mahadevan, S.

2010-01-01

We present the first exoplanet observations from the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) using the OSIRIS tunable filter imager. Our narrow-band transit follow-up observations set a new record for ground-based, narrow-band photometric precision of an exoplanet transit. The demonstrated precision would allow the detection of a transiting super-Earth-sized planet at near-infrared wavelengths. Such high-precision follow-up observations could significantly improve measurements of the size and orbit of transiting super-Earth and Earth-like planets to be discovered by the CoRoT and Kepler space missions (Colon & Ford 2009). OSIRIS is one of two first light instruments for the GTC and features a tunable filter imaging mode. We observed the planet's host star along with several nearby reference stars during each transit, rapidly alternating observations between multiple narrow band-passes. The GTC's large aperture results in small photon noise and minimal scintillation noise, so care must be taken to minimize other potential systematic noise sources. The use of a narrow bandpass (2nm) reduces the effects of differential extinction, and we chose bandpasses that minimize atmospheric absorption and variability. We measure the flux of the target star relative to an ensemble of reference stars, using an aperture photometry algorithm adapted to allow for: 1) the center of the band-pass varying across the field and resulting in sky rings, and 2) a significant defocus to reduce flat fielding uncertainties and increase observing efficiency. We present results from the first tunable filter observations of an exoplanet transit and outline the exciting prospects for future GTC/OSIRIS observations to study super-Earth planets and the atmospheres of giant planets via occultation photometry. Based on observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), installed in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, in the island of La Palma.

The Second Catalog of Flaring Gamma-Ray Sources from the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdollahi, S.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Becerra Gonzalez, J.; Bellazzini, R.; Bissaldi, E.; Blandford, R. D.; Bloom, E. D.; Bonino, R.; Bottacini, E.; Bregeon, J.; Bruel, P.; Buehler, R.; Buson, S.; Cameron, R. A.; Caragiulo, M.; Caraveo, P. A.; Cavazzuti, E.; Cecchi, C.; Chekhtman, A.; Cheung, C. C.; Chiaro, G.; Ciprini, S.; Conrad, J.; Costantin, D.; Costanza, F.; Cutini, S.; D'Ammando, F.; de Palma, F.; Desai, A.; Desiante, R.; Digel, S. W.; Di Lalla, N.; Di Mauro, M.; Di Venere, L.; Donaggio, B.; Drell, P. S.; Favuzzi, C.; Fegan, S. J.; Ferrara, E. C.; Focke, W. B.; Franckowiak, A.; Fukazawa, Y.; Funk, S.; Fusco, P.; Gargano, F.; Gasparrini, D.; Giglietto, N.; Giomi, M.; Giordano, F.; Giroletti, M.; Glanzman, T.; Green, D.; Grenier, I. A.; Grove, J. E.; Guillemot, L.; Guiriec, S.; Hays, E.; Horan, D.; Jogler, T.; Jóhannesson, G.; Johnson, A. S.; Kocevski, D.; Kuss, M.; La Mura, G.; Larsson, S.; Latronico, L.; Li, J.; Longo, F.; Loparco, F.; Lovellette, M. N.; Lubrano, P.; Magill, J. D.; Maldera, S.; Manfreda, A.; Mayer, M.; Mazziotta, M. N.; Michelson, P. F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Mizuno, T.; Monzani, M. E.; Morselli, A.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Negro, M.; Nuss, E.; Ohsugi, T.; Omodei, N.; Orienti, M.; Orlando, E.; Paliya, V. S.; Paneque, D.; Perkins, J. S.; Persic, M.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Petrosian, V.; Piron, F.; Porter, T. A.; Principe, G.; Rainò, S.; Rando, R.; Razzano, M.; Razzaque, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Sgrò, C.; Simone, D.; Siskind, E. J.; Spada, F.; Spandre, G.; Spinelli, P.; Stawarz, L.; Suson, D. J.; Takahashi, M.; Tanaka, K.; Thayer, J. B.; Thompson, D. J.; Torres, D. F.; Torresi, E.; Tosti, G.; Troja, E.; Vianello, G.; Wood, K. S.

2017-09-01

We present the second catalog of flaring gamma-ray sources (2FAV) detected with the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool that blindly searches for transients over the entire sky observed by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. With respect to the first FAVA catalog, this catalog benefits from a larger data set, the latest LAT data release (Pass 8), as well as from an improved analysis that includes likelihood techniques for a more precise localization of the transients. Applying this analysis to the first 7.4 years of Fermi observations, and in two separate energy bands 0.1-0.8 GeV and 0.8-300 GeV, a total of 4547 flares were detected with significance greater than 6σ (before trials), on the timescale of one week. Through spatial clustering of these flares, 518 variable gamma-ray sources were identified. Based on positional coincidence, likely counterparts have been found for 441 sources, mostly among the blazar class of active galactic nuclei. For 77 2FAV sources, no likely gamma-ray counterpart has been found. For each source in the catalog, we provide the time, location, and spectrum of each flaring episode. Studying the spectra of the flares, we observe a harder-when-brighter behavior for flares associated with blazars, with the exception of BL Lac flares detected in the low-energy band. The photon indexes of the flares are never significantly smaller than 1.5. For a leptonic model, and under the assumption of isotropy, this limit suggests that the spectrum of freshly accelerated electrons is never harder than p˜ 2.

Active Narrow-Band Vibration Isolation of Large Engineering Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahman, Zahidul; Spanos, John

1994-01-01

We present a narrow-band tracking control method using a variant of the Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithm to isolate slowly changing periodic disturbances from engineering structures. The advantage of the algorithm is that it has a simple architecture and is relatively easy to implement while it can isolate disturbances on the order of 40-50 dB over decades of frequency band. We also present the results of an experiment conducted on a flexible truss structure. The average disturbance rejection achieved is over 40 dB over the frequency band of 5 Hz to 50 Hz.

Ground-based search for the brightest transiting planets with the Multi-site All-Sky CAmeRA: MASCARA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snellen, Ignas A. G.; Stuik, Remko; Navarro, Ramon; Bettonvil, Felix; Kenworthy, Matthew; de Mooij, Ernst; Otten, Gilles; ter Horst, Rik; le Poole, Rudolf

2012-09-01

The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations across the globe, with each station containing a battery of low-cost cameras to monitor the near-entire sky at each location. Once all stations have been installed, MASCARA will be able to provide a nearly 24-hr coverage of the complete dark sky, down to magnitude 8, at sub-minute cadence. Its purpose is to find the brightest transiting exoplanet systems, expected in the V=4-8 magnitude range - currently not probed by space- or ground-based surveys. The bright/nearby transiting planet systems, which MASCARA will discover, will be the key targets for detailed planet atmosphere observations. We present studies on the initial design of a MASCARA station, including the camera housing, domes, and computer equipment, and on the photometric stability of low-cost cameras showing that a precision of 0.3-1% per hour can be readily achieved. We plan to roll out the first MASCARA station before the end of 2013. A 5-station MASCARA can within two years discover up to a dozen of the brightest transiting planet systems in the sky.

All-Sky Microwave Imager Data Assimilation at NASA GMAO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Min-Jeong; Jin, Jianjun; El Akkraoui, Amal; McCarty, Will; Todling, Ricardo; Gu, Wei; Gelaro, Ron

2017-01-01

Efforts in all-sky satellite data assimilation at the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center have been focused on the development of GSI configurations to assimilate all-sky data from microwave imagers such as the GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and Global Change Observation Mission-Water (GCOM-W) Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR-2). Electromagnetic characteristics associated with their wavelengths allow microwave imager data to be relatively transparent to atmospheric gases and thin ice clouds, and highly sensitive to precipitation. Therefore, GMAOs all-sky data assimilation efforts are primarily focused on utilizing these data in precipitating regions. The all-sky framework being tested at GMAO employs the GSI in a hybrid 4D-EnVar configuration of the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) data assimilation system, which will be included in the next formal update of GEOS. This article provides an overview of the development of all-sky radiance assimilation in GEOS, including some performance metrics. In addition, various projects underway at GMAO designed to enhance the all-sky implementation will be introduced.

Gamma-sky.net: Portal to the gamma-ray sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voruganti, Arjun; Deil, Christoph; Donath, Axel; King, Johannes

2017-01-01

http://gamma-sky.net is a novel interactive website designed for exploring the gamma-ray sky. The Map View portion of the site is powered by the Aladin Lite sky atlas, providing a scalable survey image tesselated onto a three-dimensional sphere. The map allows for interactive pan and zoom navigation as well as search queries by sky position or object name. The default image overlay shows the gamma-ray sky observed by the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray space telescope. Other survey images (e.g. Planck microwave images in low/high frequency bands, ROSAT X-ray image) are available for comparison with the gamma-ray data. Sources from major gamma-ray source catalogs of interest (Fermi-LAT 2FHL, 3FGL and a TeV source catalog) are overlaid over the sky map as markers. Clicking on a given source shows basic information in a popup, and detailed pages for every source are available via the Catalog View component of the website, including information such as source classification, spectrum and light-curve plots, and literature references. We intend for gamma-sky.net to be applicable for both professional astronomers as well as the general public. The website started in early June 2016 and is being developed as an open-source, open data project on GitHub (https://github.com/gammapy/gamma-sky). We plan to extend it to display more gamma-ray and multi-wavelength data. Feedback and contributions are very welcome!

Suzaku Wide-band All-sky Monitor measurements of duration distributions of gamma-ray bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohmori, Norisuke; Yamaoka, Kazutaka; Ohno, Masanori; Sugita, Satoshi; Kinoshita, Ryuuji; Nishioka, Yusuke; Hurley, Kevin; Hanabata, Yoshitaka; Tashiro, Makoto S.; Enomoto, Junichi; Fujinuma, Takeshi; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Iwakiri, Wataru; Kawano, Takafumi; Kokubun, Motohide; Makishima, Kazuo; Matsuoka, Shunsuke; Nagayoshi, Tsutomu; Nakagawa, Yujin E.; Nakaya, Souhei; Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Takeda, Sawako; Terada, Yukikatsu; Urata, Yuji; Yabe, Seiya; Yasuda, Tetsuya; Yamauchi, Makoto

2016-06-01

We report on the T90 and T50 duration distributions and their relations with spectral hardness using 1464 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which were observed by the Suzaku Wide-band All-sky Monitor (WAM) from 2005 August 4 to 2010 December 29. The duration distribution is clearly bimodal in three energy ranges (50-120, 120-250, and 250-550 keV), but is unclear in the 550-5000 keV range, probably because of the limited sample size. The WAM durations decrease with energy according to a power-law index of -0.058(-0.034, +0.033). The hardness-duration relation reveals the presence of short-hard and long-soft GRBs. The short:long event ratio tends to be higher with increasing energy. We compared the WAM distribution with ones measured by eight other GRB instruments. The WAM T90 distribution is very similar to those of INTEGRAL/SPI-ACS and Granat/PHEBUS, and least likely to match the Swift/BAT distribution. The WAM short:long event ratio (0.25:0.75) is much different from Swift/BAT (0.08:0.92), but is almost the same as CGRO/BATSE (0.25:0.75). To explain this difference for BAT, we examined three effects: BAT trigger types, energy dependence of the duration, and detection sensitivity differences between BAT and WAM. As a result, we found that the ratio difference could be explained mainly by energy dependence including soft extended emissions for short GRBs and much better sensitivity for BAT which can detect weak/long GRBs. The reason for the same short:long event ratio for BATSE and WAM was confirmed by calculation using the trigger efficiency curve.

WATCHDOG: A COMPREHENSIVE ALL-SKY DATABASE OF GALACTIC BLACK HOLE X-RAY BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tetarenko, B. E.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Heinke, C. O.

With the advent of more sensitive all-sky instruments, the transient universe is being probed in greater depth than ever before. Taking advantage of available resources, we have established a comprehensive database of black hole (and black hole candidate) X-ray binary (BHXB) activity between 1996 and 2015 as revealed by all-sky instruments, scanning surveys, and select narrow-field X-ray instruments on board the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Monitor of All-Sky X-ray Image, Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, and Swift telescopes; the Whole-sky Alberta Time-resolved Comprehensive black-Hole Database Of the Galaxy or WATCHDOG. Over the past two decades, we have detected 132 transient outbursts, trackedmore » and classified behavior occurring in 47 transient and 10 persistently accreting BHs, and performed a statistical study on a number of outburst properties across the Galactic population. We find that outbursts undergone by BHXBs that do not reach the thermally dominant accretion state make up a substantial fraction (∼40%) of the Galactic transient BHXB outburst sample over the past ∼20 years. Our findings suggest that this “hard-only” behavior, observed in transient and persistently accreting BHXBs, is neither a rare nor recent phenomenon and may be indicative of an underlying physical process, relatively common among binary BHs, involving the mass-transfer rate onto the BH remaining at a low level rather than increasing as the outburst evolves. We discuss how the larger number of these “hard-only” outbursts and detected outbursts in general have significant implications for both the luminosity function and mass-transfer history of the Galactic BHXB population.« less

WATCHDOG: A Comprehensive All-sky Database of Galactic Black Hole X-ray Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tetarenko, B. E.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Heinke, C. O.; Gladstone, J. C.

2016-02-01

With the advent of more sensitive all-sky instruments, the transient universe is being probed in greater depth than ever before. Taking advantage of available resources, we have established a comprehensive database of black hole (and black hole candidate) X-ray binary (BHXB) activity between 1996 and 2015 as revealed by all-sky instruments, scanning surveys, and select narrow-field X-ray instruments on board the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory, Monitor of All-Sky X-ray Image, Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, and Swift telescopes; the Whole-sky Alberta Time-resolved Comprehensive black-Hole Database Of the Galaxy or WATCHDOG. Over the past two decades, we have detected 132 transient outbursts, tracked and classified behavior occurring in 47 transient and 10 persistently accreting BHs, and performed a statistical study on a number of outburst properties across the Galactic population. We find that outbursts undergone by BHXBs that do not reach the thermally dominant accretion state make up a substantial fraction (∼40%) of the Galactic transient BHXB outburst sample over the past ∼20 years. Our findings suggest that this “hard-only” behavior, observed in transient and persistently accreting BHXBs, is neither a rare nor recent phenomenon and may be indicative of an underlying physical process, relatively common among binary BHs, involving the mass-transfer rate onto the BH remaining at a low level rather than increasing as the outburst evolves. We discuss how the larger number of these “hard-only” outbursts and detected outbursts in general have significant implications for both the luminosity function and mass-transfer history of the Galactic BHXB population.

ESASky: All the sky you need

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marchi, Guido; ESASky Team

2018-06-01

ESASky is a discovery portal giving to all astronomers, professional and amateur alike, an easy way to access high-quality scientific data from their computer, tablet, or mobile device. It includes over half a million images, 300,000 spectra, and more than a billion catalogue sources. From gamma rays to radio wavelengths, it allows users to explore the cosmos with data from a dozen space missions from the astronomical archives of ESA, NASA, and JAXA and does not require prior knowledge of any particular mission. ESASky features an all-sky exploration interface, letting users easily zoom in for stars as single targets or as part of a whole galaxy, visualise them and retrieve the relevant data taken in an area of the sky with just a few clicks. Users can easily compare observations of the same source obtained by different space missions at different times and wavelengths. They can also use ESASky to plan future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, comparing the relevant portion of the sky as observed by Hubble and other missions. We will illustrate the many options to visualise and access astronomical data: interactive footprints for each instrument, tree-maps, filters, and solar-system object trajectories can all be combined and displayed. The most recent version of ESASky, released in February, also includes access to scientific publications, allowing users to visualise on the sky all astronomical objects with associated scientific publications and to link directly back to the papers in the NASA Astrophysics Data System.

An All-Sky Portable (ASP) Optical Catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flesch, Eric Wim

2017-06-01

This optical catalogue combines the all-sky USNO-B1.0/A1.0 and most-sky APM catalogues, plus overlays of SDSS optical data, into a single all-sky map presented in a sparse binary format that is easily downloaded at 9 Gb zipped. Total count is 1 163 237 190 sources and each has J2000 astrometry, red and blue magnitudes with PSFs and variability indicator, and flags for proper motion, epoch, and source survey and catalogue for each of the photometry and astrometry. The catalogue is available on http://quasars.org/asp.html, and additional data for this paper is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.4225/50/5807fbc12595f.

Non-proximity resonant tunneling in multi-core photonic band gap fibers: An efficient mechanism for engineering highly-selective ultra-narrow band pass splitters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florous, Nikolaos J.; Saitoh, Kunimasa; Murao, Tadashi; Koshiba, Masanori; Skorobogatiy, Maksim

2006-05-01

The objective of the present investigation is to demonstrate the possibility of designing compact ultra-narrow band-pass filters based on the phenomenon of non-proximity resonant tunneling in multi-core photonic band gap fibers (PBGFs). The proposed PBGF consists of three identical air-cores separated by two defected air-holes which act as highly-selective resonators. With a fine adjustment of the design parameters associated with the resonant-air-holes, phase matching at two distinct wavelengths can be achieved, thus enabling very narrow-band resonant directional coupling between the input and the two output cores. The validation of the proposed design is ensured with an accurate PBGF analysis based on finite element modal and beam propagation algorithms. Typical characteristics of the proposed device over a single polarization are: reasonable short coupling length of 2.7 mm, dual bandpass transmission response at wavelengths of 1.339 and 1.357 μm, with corresponding full width at half maximum bandwidths of 1.2 nm and 1.1 nm respectively, and a relatively high transmission of 95% at the exact resonance wavelengths. The proposed ultra-narrow band-pass filter can be employed in various applications such as all-fiber bandpass/bandstop filtering and resonant sensors.

Non-proximity resonant tunneling in multi-core photonic band gap fibers: An efficient mechanism for engineering highly-selective ultra-narrow band pass splitters.

PubMed

Florous, Nikolaos J; Saitoh, Kunimasa; Murao, Tadashi; Koshiba, Masanori; Skorobogatiy, Maksim

2006-05-29

The objective of the present investigation is to demonstrate the possibility of designing compact ultra-narrow band-pass filters based on the phenomenon of non-proximity resonant tunneling in multi-core photonic band gap fibers (PBGFs). The proposed PBGF consists of three identical air-cores separated by two defected air-holes which act as highly-selective resonators. With a fine adjustment of the design parameters associated with the resonant-air-holes, phase matching at two distinct wavelengths can be achieved, thus enabling very narrow-band resonant directional coupling between the input and the two output cores. The validation of the proposed design is ensured with an accurate PBGF analysis based on finite element modal and beam propagation algorithms. Typical characteristics of the proposed device over a single polarization are: reasonable short coupling length of 2.7 mm, dual bandpass transmission response at wavelengths of 1.339 and 1.357 mum, with corresponding full width at half maximum bandwidths of 1.2 nm and 1.1 nm respectively, and a relatively high transmission of 95% at the exact resonance wavelengths. The proposed ultra-narrow band-pass filter can be employed in various applications such as all-fiber bandpass/bandstop filtering and resonant sensors.

Extended Source/Galaxy All Sky 2

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-03-27

This panoramic view encompasses the entire sky and reveals the distribution of galaxies beyond the Milky Way galaxy, which astronomers call extended sources, as observed by Two Micron All-Sky Survey. The image is assembled from a database of over 1.6 million galaxies listed in the survey’s All-Sky Survey Extended Source Catalog; more than half of the galaxies have never before been catalogued. The colors represent how the many galaxies appear at three distinct wavelengths of infrared light (blue at 1.2 microns, green at 1.6 microns, and red at 2.2 microns). Quite evident are the many galactic clusters and superclusters, as well as some streamers composing the large-scale structure of the nearby universe. The blue overlay represents the very close and bright stars from our own Milky Way galaxy. In this projection, the bluish Milky Way lies predominantly toward the upper middle and edges of the image. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04251

Recent Characterization of the Night-Sky Irradiance in the Visible/Near-Infrared Spectral Band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Carolynn; Wood, Michael; Bender, Edward; Hart, Steve

2018-01-01

The U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD has made numerous characterizations of the night sky over the past 45 years. Up until the last four years, the measurement devices were highly detector-limited, which led to low spectral resolution, marginal sensitivity in no-moon conditions, and the need for inferential analysis of the resulting data. In 2014, however, the PhotoResearch Model PR-745 spectro-radiometer established a new state of the art for measurement of the integrated night-sky irradiance over the Visible-to-Near-Infrared (VNIR) spectral band (400-1050nm). This has enabled characterization of no-moon night-sky irradiance with a spectral bandwidth less than 15 nanometers, even when this irradiance is attenuated by heavy clouds or forest canopy. Since 2014, we have conducted a series of night-sky data collections at remote sites across the United States. The resulting data has provided new insights into natural radiance variations, cultural lighting impacts, and the spectrally-varying attenuation caused by cloud cover and forest canopy. Several new metrics have also been developed to provide insight into these newly-found components and temporal variations. The observations, findings and conclusions of the above efforts will be presented, including planned near-term efforts to further characterize the night-sky irradiance in the Visible/Near-Infrared spectral band.

High-Pressure Study of Perovskite-Like Organometal Halide: Band-Gap Narrowing and Structural Evolution of [NH 3 -(CH 2 ) 4 -NH 3 ]CuCl 4

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Qian; Li, Shourui; Wang, Kai

Searching for nontoxic and stable perovskite-like alternatives to lead-based halide perovskites for photovoltaic application is one urgent issue in photoelectricity science. Such exploration inevitably requires an effective method to accurately control both the crystalline and electronic structures. This work applies high pressure to narrow the band gap of perovskite-like organometal halide, [NH 3-(CH 2) 4-NH 3]CuCl 4 (DABCuCl4), through the crystalline-structure tuning. The band gap keeps decreasing below ~12 GPa, involving the shrinkage and distortion of CuCl 4 2–. Inorganic distortion determines both band-gap narrowing and phase transition between 6.4 and 10.5 GPa, and organic chains function as the springmore » cushion, evidenced by the structural transition at ~0.8 GPa. The supporting function of organic chains protects DABCuCl 4 from phase transition and amorphization, which also contributes to the sustaining band-gap narrowing. This work combines crystal structure and macroscopic property together and offers new strategies for the further design and synthesis of hybrid perovskite-like alternatives.« less

Searching for M Dwarf Flares in Raptor-Q All-sky Photometric Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolfe, Tristan; Wozniak, P. R.; Vestrand, Tom

2012-10-01

Stellar flares are releases of magnetic energy that cause emissions of a wide range across the electromagnetic spectrum. Flares of M dwarf stars are characterized by a large increase in blue and near-UV emissions, causing an increase in several magnitudes within minutes (Hilton et al, AJ, 2010). Exoplanets of several Earth masses have been discovered orbiting M dwarfs, so the search for M dwarf flares is very important, as the planets' atmospheres and habitability may be affected by these bursts in energy. Using data from Los Alamos National Labs' Raptor-Q telescope at Fenton Hill, NM, we are developing an automated method of detecting M dwarf flares. Raptor-Q operates robotically and, with five cameras, collects over 10,000 images of 90% of the sky above 12 degrees elevation in a given night, with a sensitivity up to magnitude R=10 (Wren et al, Proc SPIE, 2010), and automatically provides photometric and astrometric reductions of its images. A prototype pipeline has been developed using Python that looks for transient light curves (quick changes in magnitude over time) in Raptor-Q's data. These light curves will then be analyzed for characteristics of stellar flares, and cross-correlated with published catalogs to determine stellar type and any previous observations of flares.

Metaheuristics-Assisted Combinatorial Screening of Eu2+-Doped Ca-Sr-Ba-Li-Mg-Al-Si-Ge-N Compositional Space in Search of a Narrow-Band Green Emitting Phosphor and Density Functional Theory Calculations.

PubMed

Lee, Jin-Woong; Singh, Satendra Pal; Kim, Minseuk; Hong, Sung Un; Park, Woon Bae; Sohn, Kee-Sun

2017-08-21

A metaheuristics-based design would be of great help in relieving the enormous experimental burdens faced during the combinatorial screening of a huge, multidimensional search space, while providing the same effect as total enumeration. In order to tackle the high-throughput powder processing complications and to secure practical phosphors, metaheuristics, an elitism-reinforced nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), was employed in this study. The NSGA-II iteration targeted two objective functions. The first was to search for a higher emission efficacy. The second was to search for narrow-band green color emissions. The NSGA-II iteration finally converged on BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphors in the Eu 2+ -doped Ca-Sr-Ba-Li-Mg-Al-Si-Ge-N compositional search space. The BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphor, which was synthesized with no human intervention via the assistance of NSGA-II, was a clear single phase and gave an acceptable luminescence. The BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphor as well as all other phosphors that appeared during the NSGA-II iterations were examined in detail by employing powder X-ray diffraction-based Rietveld refinement, X-ray absorption near edge structure, density functional theory calculation, and time-resolved photoluminescence. The thermodynamic stability and the band structure plausibility were confirmed, and more importantly a novel approach to the energy transfer analysis was also introduced for BaLi 2 Al 2 Si 2 N 6 :Eu 2+ phosphors.

All-Sky Infrared Survey

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-11-17

This infrared view of the whole sky highlights the flat plane of our Milky Way galaxy line across middle of image. NASA WISE, will take a similar infrared census of the whole sky, only with much improved resolution and sensitivity.

THE 70 MONTH SWIFT-BAT ALL-SKY HARD X-RAY SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baumgartner, W. H.; Tueller, J.; Markwardt, C. B.

2013-08-15

We present the catalog of sources detected in 70 months of observations with the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) hard X-ray detector on the Swift gamma-ray burst observatory. The Swift-BAT 70 month survey has detected 1171 hard X-ray sources (more than twice as many sources as the previous 22 month survey) in the 14-195 keV band down to a significance level of 4.8{sigma}, associated with 1210 counterparts. The 70 month Swift-BAT survey is the most sensitive and uniform hard X-ray all-sky survey and reaches a flux level of 1.03 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -11} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} over 50% of themore » sky and 1.34 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -11} erg s{sup -1} cm{sup -2} over 90% of the sky. The majority of new sources in the 70 month survey continue to be active galactic nuclei, with over 700 in the catalog. As part of this new edition of the Swift-BAT catalog, we also make available eight-channel spectra and monthly sampled light curves for each object detected in the survey in the online journal and at the Swift-BAT 70 month Web site.« less

Reflective all-sky thermal infrared cloud imager

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Redman, Brian J.; Shaw, Joseph A.; Nugent, Paul W.

A reflective all-sky imaging system has been built using a long-wave infrared microbolometer camera and a reflective metal sphere. This compact system was developed for measuring spatial and temporal patterns of clouds and their optical depth in support of applications including Earth-space optical communications. The camera is mounted to the side of the reflective sphere to leave the zenith sky unobstructed. The resulting geometric distortion is removed through an angular map derived from a combination of checkerboard-target imaging, geometric ray tracing, and sun-location-based alignment. A tape of high-emissivity material on the side of the reflector acts as a reference thatmore » is used to estimate and remove thermal emission from the metal sphere. In conclusion, once a bias that is under continuing study was removed, sky radiance measurements from the all-sky imager in the 8-14 μm wavelength range agreed to within 0.91 W/(m 2 sr) of measurements from a previously calibrated, lens-based infrared cloud imager over its 110° field of view.« less

Reflective all-sky thermal infrared cloud imager

DOE PAGES

Redman, Brian J.; Shaw, Joseph A.; Nugent, Paul W.; ...

2018-04-17

A reflective all-sky imaging system has been built using a long-wave infrared microbolometer camera and a reflective metal sphere. This compact system was developed for measuring spatial and temporal patterns of clouds and their optical depth in support of applications including Earth-space optical communications. The camera is mounted to the side of the reflective sphere to leave the zenith sky unobstructed. The resulting geometric distortion is removed through an angular map derived from a combination of checkerboard-target imaging, geometric ray tracing, and sun-location-based alignment. A tape of high-emissivity material on the side of the reflector acts as a reference thatmore » is used to estimate and remove thermal emission from the metal sphere. In conclusion, once a bias that is under continuing study was removed, sky radiance measurements from the all-sky imager in the 8-14 μm wavelength range agreed to within 0.91 W/(m 2 sr) of measurements from a previously calibrated, lens-based infrared cloud imager over its 110° field of view.« less

Reflective all-sky thermal infrared cloud imager.

PubMed

Redman, Brian J; Shaw, Joseph A; Nugent, Paul W; Clark, R Trevor; Piazzolla, Sabino

2018-04-30

A reflective all-sky imaging system has been built using a long-wave infrared microbolometer camera and a reflective metal sphere. This compact system was developed for measuring spatial and temporal patterns of clouds and their optical depth in support of applications including Earth-space optical communications. The camera is mounted to the side of the reflective sphere to leave the zenith sky unobstructed. The resulting geometric distortion is removed through an angular map derived from a combination of checkerboard-target imaging, geometric ray tracing, and sun-location-based alignment. A tape of high-emissivity material on the side of the reflector acts as a reference that is used to estimate and remove thermal emission from the metal sphere. Once a bias that is under continuing study was removed, sky radiance measurements from the all-sky imager in the 8-14 μm wavelength range agreed to within 0.91 W/(m 2 sr) of measurements from a previously calibrated, lens-based infrared cloud imager over its 110° field of view.

AN EXTENDED AND MORE SENSITIVE SEARCH FOR PERIODICITIES IN ROSSI X-RAY TIMING EXPLORER/ALL-SKY MONITOR X-RAY LIGHT CURVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Levine, Alan M.; Bradt, Hale V.; Chakrabarty, Deepto

2011-09-01

We present the results of a systematic search in {approx}14 years of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer All-Sky Monitor (ASM) data for evidence of periodicities. Two variations of the commonly used Fourier analysis search method have been employed to significantly improve upon the sensitivity achieved by Wen et al. in 2006, who also searched for periodicities in ASM data. In addition, the present search is comprehensive in terms of sources studied and frequency range covered, and has yielded the detection of the signatures of the orbital periods of eight low-mass X-ray binary systems and of ten high-mass X-ray binaries not listedmore » in the tables of Wen et al. Orbital periods, epochs, signal amplitudes, modulation fractions, and folded light curves are given for each of these systems. Seven of the orbital periods are the most precise reported to date. In the course of this work, the 18.545 day orbital period of IGR J18483-0311 was co-discovered, and the first detections in X-rays were made of the {approx}3.9 day orbital period of LMC X-1 and the {approx}3.79 hr orbital period of 4U 1636-536. The results inform future searches for orbital and other periodicities in X-ray binaries.« less

Weather and atmosphere observation with the ATOM all-sky camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jankowsky, Felix; Wagner, Stefan

2015-03-01

The Automatic Telescope for Optical Monitoring (ATOM) for H.E.S.S. is an 75 cm optical telescope which operates fully automated. As there is no observer present during observation, an auxiliary all-sky camera serves as weather monitoring system. This device takes an all-sky image of the whole sky every three minutes. The gathered data then undergoes live-analysis by performing astrometric comparison with a theoretical night sky model, interpreting the absence of stars as cloud coverage. The sky monitor also serves as tool for a meteorological analysis of the observation site of the the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array. This overview covers design and benefits of the all-sky camera and additionally gives an introduction into current efforts to integrate the device into the atmosphere analysis programme of H.E.S.S.

Observational program options and system requirements for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence /SETI/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billingham, J.; Wolfe, J. H.; Edelson, R. E.; Gulkis, S.; Sadin, S. R.

1978-01-01

The possibility that intelligent life may be widespread in the universe is now being investigated. A formula for estimating the number of coexisting communicative civilizations has been developed by Drake. A good way of conducting a search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is to examine the microwave window of the electromagnetic spectrum for narrow-band signals which such civilizations may be transmitting. Two specific search strategies are described. Both employ existing antennas equipped with sophisticated multichannel spectrum analyzers and pattern recognition devices. The Ames Research Center proposal is a high sensitivity, high-resolution search of nearby promising stars and selected sky areas in the 'water hole' (1400-1727 MHz). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory proposal is for a survey of most of the sky over a significant portion of the free-space microwave window at lower sensitivities and resolutions. The approaches are complementary and both are being pursued. The consummation of these programs could achieve one of the most profound discoveries in the history of human civilization, or at least will show the way to future efforts.

Discovery of Four Field Methane (T-Type) Dwarfs with the Two Micron All-Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgasser, Adam J.; Kirkpatrick, J. Davy; Brown, Michael E.; Reid, I. Neill; Gizis, John E.; Dahn, Conard C.; Monet, David G.; Beichman, Charles A.; Liebert, James; Cutri, Roc M.; Skrutskie, Michael F.

1999-09-01

We report the discovery of four field methane (``T''-type) brown dwarfs using Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) data. One additional methane dwarf, previously discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, was also identified. Near-infrared spectra clearly show the 1.6 and 2.2 μm CH4 absorption bands characteristic of objects with Teff<~1300 K as well as broadened H2O bands at 1.4 and 1.9 μm. Comparing the spectra of these objects with that of Gl 229B, we propose that all new 2MASS T dwarfs are warmer than 950 K, in order from warmest to coolest: 2MASS J1217-03, 2MASS J1225-27, 2MASS J1047+21, and 2MASS J1237+65. Based on this preliminary sample, we find a warm T dwarf surface density of 0.0022 T dwarfs deg-2, or ~90 warm T dwarfs over the whole sky detectable to J<16. The resulting space density upper limit, 0.01 T dwarfs pc-3, is comparable to that of the first L dwarf sample from Kirkpatrick et al. Portions of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

Polyp detection rates using magnification with narrow band imaging and white light.

PubMed

Gilani, Nooman; Stipho, Sally; Panetta, James D; Petre, Sorin; Young, Michele A; Ramirez, Francisco C

2015-05-16

To compare the yield of adenomas between narrow band imaging and white light when using high definition/magnification. This prospective, non-randomized comparative study was performed at the endoscopy unit of veteran affairs medical center in Phoenix, Arizona. Consecutive patients undergoing first average risk colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy were selected. Two experienced gastroenterologists performed all the procedures that were blinded to each other's findings. Demographic details were recorded. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Proportional data were compared using the χ(2) test and means were compared using the Student's t test. Tandem colonoscopy was performed in a sequential and segmental fashion using one of 3 strategies: white light followed by narrow band imaging [Group A: white light (WL) → narrow band imaging (NBI)]; narrow band imaging followed by white light (Group B: NBI → WL) and, white light followed by white light (Group C: WL → WL). Detection rate of missed polyps and adenomas were evaluated in all three groups. Three hundred patients were studied (100 in each Group). Although the total time for the colonoscopy was similar in the 3 groups (23.8 ± 0.7, 22.2 ± 0.5 and 24.1 ± 0.7 min for Groups A, B and C, respectively), it reached statistical significance between Groups B and C (P < 0.05). The cecal intubation time in Groups B and C was longer than for Group A (6.5 ± 0.4 min and 6.5 ± 0.4 min vs 4.9 ± 0.3 min; P < 0.05). The withdrawal time for Groups A and C was longer than Group B (18.9 ± 0.7 min and 17.6 ± 0.6 min vs 15.7 ± 0.4 min; P < 0.05). Overall miss rate for polyps and adenomas detected in three groups during the second look was 18% and 17%, respectively (P = NS). Detection rate for polyps and adenomas after first look with white light was similar irrespective of the light used during the second look (WL → WL: 13.7% for polyps, 12.6% for adenomas; WL → NBI: 14.2% for polyps, 11.3% for adenomas). Miss rate of

The assessment of mucosal surgical margins in head and neck cancer surgery with narrow band imaging.

PubMed

Šifrer, Robert; Urbančič, Jure; Strojan, Primož; Aničin, Aleksandar; Žargi, Miha

2017-07-01

The diagnostic gain of narrow band imaging in the definition of surgical margins in the treatment of head and neck cancer was evaluated. A prospective study, blinded to the pathologist, with historical comparison. The study group included 45 patients subjected to the intraoperative definition of margins by narrow band imaging. The control group included 55 patients who had undergone standard definition of margins. All patients underwent resection of the tumor and frozen section analysis of superficial margins. The rate of initial R 0 resection and the ratio of histologically negative margins for both groups were statistically compared. The rate of initial R 0 resection in the study group and in the control group was 88.9% and 70.9% (P = .047), and the ratio of histologically negative margins was 95.9% and 88.4% (P = .017), respectively. Narrow band imaging reveals a microscopic extension of the tumor that could be effectively used to better define superficial margins and to achieve a higher rate of initial R 0 resections. 4 Laryngoscope, 127:1577-1582, 2017. © 2016 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

All-sky search for high-energy neutrinos from gravitational wave event GW170104 with the Antares neutrino telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albert, A.; André, M.; Anghinolfi, M.; Anton, G.; Ardid, M.; Aubert, J.-J.; Avgitas, T.; Baret, B.; Barrios-Martí, J.; Basa, S.; Belhorma, B.; Bertin, V.; Biagi, S.; Bormuth, R.; Bourret, S.; Bouwhuis, M. C.; Brânzaş, H.; Bruijn, R.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Capone, A.; Caramete, L.; Carr, J.; Celli, S.; Cherkaoui El Moursli, R.; Chiarusi, T.; Circella, M.; Coelho, J. A. B.; Coleiro, A.; Coniglione, R.; Costantini, H.; Coyle, P.; Creusot, A.; Díaz, A. F.; Deschamps, A.; De Bonis, G.; Distefano, C.; Di Palma, I.; Domi, A.; Donzaud, C.; Dornic, D.; Drouhin, D.; Eberl, T.; El Bojaddaini, I.; El Khayati, N.; Elsässer, D.; Enzenhöfer, A.; Ettahiri, A.; Fassi, F.; Felis, I.; Fusco, L. A.; Gay, P.; Giordano, V.; Glotin, H.; Grégoire, T.; Gracia Ruiz, R.; Graf, K.; Hallmann, S.; van Haren, H.; Heijboer, A. J.; Hello, Y.; Hernández-Rey, J. J.; Hößl, J.; Hofestädt, J.; Hugon, C.; Illuminati, G.; James, C. W.; de Jong, M.; Jongen, M.; Kadler, M.; Kalekin, O.; Katz, U.; Kießling, D.; Kouchner, A.; Kreter, M.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Kulikovskiy, V.; Lachaud, C.; Lahmann, R.; Lefèvre, D.; Leonora, E.; Lotze, M.; Loucatos, S.; Marcelin, M.; Margiotta, A.; Marinelli, A.; Martínez-Mora, J. A.; Mele, R.; Melis, K.; Michael, T.; Migliozzi, P.; Moussa, A.; Navas, S.; Nezri, E.; Organokov, M.; Păvălaş, G. E.; Pellegrino, C.; Perrina, C.; Piattelli, P.; Popa, V.; Pradier, T.; Quinn, L.; Racca, C.; Riccobene, G.; Sánchez-Losa, A.; Saldaña, M.; Salvadori, I.; Samtleben, D. F. E.; Sanguineti, M.; Sapienza, P.; Schüssler, F.; Sieger, C.; Spurio, M.; Stolarczyk, Th.; Taiuti, M.; Tayalati, Y.; Trovato, A.; Turpin, D.; Tönnis, C.; Vallage, B.; Van Elewyck, V.; Versari, F.; Vivolo, D.; Vizzoca, A.; Wilms, J.; Zornoza, J. D.; Zúñiga, J.

2017-12-01

Advanced LIGO detected a significant gravitational wave signal (GW170104) originating from the coalescence of two black holes during the second observation run on January 4th, 2017. An all-sky high-energy neutrino follow-up search has been made using data from the Antares neutrino telescope, including both upgoing and downgoing events in two separate analyses. No neutrino candidates were found within ± 500 s around the GW event time nor any time clustering of events over an extended time window of ± 3 months. The non-detection is used to constrain isotropic-equivalent high-energy neutrino emission from GW170104 to less than ˜ {1.2}× 10^{{55}} erg for a E^{-2} spectrum. This constraint is valid in the energy range corresponding to the 5-95% quantiles of the neutrino flux [3.2 TeV; 3.6 PeV], if the GW emitter was below the Antares horizon at the alert time.

Simultaneous band-gap narrowing and carrier-lifetime prolongation of organic–inorganic trihalide perovskites

PubMed Central

Kong, Lingping; Liu, Gang; Gong, Jue; Hu, Qingyang; Schaller, Richard D.; Dera, Przemyslaw; Zhang, Dongzhou; Liu, Zhenxian; Yang, Wenge; Zhu, Kai; Tang, Yuzhao; Wang, Chuanyi; Wei, Su-Huai; Xu, Tao; Mao, Ho-kwang

2016-01-01

The organic–inorganic hybrid lead trihalide perovskites have been emerging as the most attractive photovoltaic materials. As regulated by Shockley–Queisser theory, a formidable materials science challenge for improvement to the next level requires further band-gap narrowing for broader absorption in solar spectrum, while retaining or even synergistically prolonging the carrier lifetime, a critical factor responsible for attaining the near-band-gap photovoltage. Herein, by applying controllable hydrostatic pressure, we have achieved unprecedented simultaneous enhancement in both band-gap narrowing and carrier-lifetime prolongation (up to 70% to ∼100% increase) under mild pressures at ∼0.3 GPa. The pressure-induced modulation on pure hybrid perovskites without introducing any adverse chemical or thermal effect clearly demonstrates the importance of band edges on the photon–electron interaction and maps a pioneering route toward a further increase in their photovoltaic performance. PMID:27444014

All Sky Cloud Coverage Monitoring for SONG-China Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, J. F.; Deng, L. C.; Yan, Z. Z.; Wang, K.; Wu, Y.

2016-05-01

In order to monitor the cloud distributions at Qinghai station, a site selected for SONG (Stellar Observations Network Group)-China node, the design of the proto-type of all sky camera (ASC) applied in Xinglong station is adopted. Both hardware and software improvements have been made in order to be more precise and deliver quantitative measurements. The ARM (Advanced Reduced Instruction Set Computer Machine) MCU (Microcontroller Unit) instead of PC is used to control the upgraded version of ASC. A much higher reliability has been realized in the current scheme. Independent of the positions of the Sun and Moon, the weather conditions are constantly changing, therefore it is difficult to get proper exposure parameters using only the temporal information of the major light sources. A realistic exposure parameters for the ASC can actually be defined using a real-time sky brightness monitor that is also installed at the same site. The night sky brightness value is a very sensitive function of the cloud coverage, and can be accurately measured by the sky quality monitor. We study the correlation between the exposure parameter and night sky brightness value, and give the mathematical relation. The images of the all sky camera are inserted into database directly. All sky quality images are archived in FITS format which can be used for further analysis.

Uncertainties of parameterized surface downward clear-sky shortwave and all-sky longwave radiation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gubler, S.; Gruber, S.; Purves, R. S.

2012-06-01

As many environmental models rely on simulating the energy balance at the Earth's surface based on parameterized radiative fluxes, knowledge of the inherent model uncertainties is important. In this study we evaluate one parameterization of clear-sky direct, diffuse and global shortwave downward radiation (SDR) and diverse parameterizations of clear-sky and all-sky longwave downward radiation (LDR). In a first step, SDR is estimated based on measured input variables and estimated atmospheric parameters for hourly time steps during the years 1996 to 2008. Model behaviour is validated using the high quality measurements of six Alpine Surface Radiation Budget (ASRB) stations in Switzerland covering different elevations, and measurements of the Swiss Alpine Climate Radiation Monitoring network (SACRaM) in Payerne. In a next step, twelve clear-sky LDR parameterizations are calibrated using the ASRB measurements. One of the best performing parameterizations is elected to estimate all-sky LDR, where cloud transmissivity is estimated using measured and modeled global SDR during daytime. In a last step, the performance of several interpolation methods is evaluated to determine the cloud transmissivity in the night. We show that clear-sky direct, diffuse and global SDR is adequately represented by the model when using measurements of the atmospheric parameters precipitable water and aerosol content at Payerne. If the atmospheric parameters are estimated and used as a fix value, the relative mean bias deviance (MBD) and the relative root mean squared deviance (RMSD) of the clear-sky global SDR scatter between between -2 and 5%, and 7 and 13% within the six locations. The small errors in clear-sky global SDR can be attributed to compensating effects of modeled direct and diffuse SDR since an overestimation of aerosol content in the atmosphere results in underestimating the direct, but overestimating the diffuse SDR. Calibration of LDR parameterizations to local conditions

The Two Micron All Sky Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleinmann, S. G.; Lysaght, M. G.; Pughe, W. L.; Schneider, S. E.; Skrutskie, M. F.; Weinberg, M. D.; Price, S. D.; Matthews, K.; Soifer, B. T.; Huchra, J. P.

1994-01-01

The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) will provide a uniform survey of the entire sky at three near-infrared wavebands: J(lambda(sub eff) = 1.25 micrometers), H(lambda(sub eff) = 1.65 micrometers), and K(sub s)(lambda(sub eff) = 2.16 micrometers). A major goal of the survey is to probe large scale structures in the Milky Way and in the Local Universe, exploiting the relatively high transparency of the interstellar medium in the near-infrared, and the high near-infrared luminosities of evolved low- and intermediate-mass stars. A sensitive overview of the near-infrared sky is also an essential next step to maximize the gains achievable with infrared array technology. Our assessment of the astrophysical questions that might be addressed with these new arrays is currently limited by the very bright flux limit of the only preceding large scale near-infrared sky survey, the Two Micron Sky Survey carried out at Caltech in the late 1960's. Near-infrared instruments based on the new array technology have already obtained spectra of objects 1 million times fainter than the limit of the TMSS! This paper summarizes the essential parameters of the 2MASS project and the rationale behind those choices, and gives an overview of results obtained with a prototype camera that has been in operation since May 1992. We conclude with a list of expected data products and a statement of the data release policy.

The SPHEREx All-Sky Spectral Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bock, James; SPHEREx Science Team

2018-01-01

SPHEREx, a mission in NASA's Medium Explorer (MIDEX) program that was selected for Phase A in August 2017, is an all-sky survey satellite designed to address all three science goals in NASA's astrophysics division, with a single instrument, a wide-field spectral imager. SPHEREx will probe the physics of inflation by measuring non-Gaussianity by studying large-scale structure, surveying a large cosmological volume at low redshifts, complementing high-z surveys optimized to constrain dark energy. The origin of water and biogenic molecules will be investigated in all phases of planetary system formation - from molecular clouds to young stellar systems with protoplanetary disks - by measuring ice absorption spectra. We will chart the origin and history of galaxy formation through a deep survey mapping large-scale spatial power in two deep fields located near the ecliptic poles. Following in the tradition of all-sky missions such as IRAS, COBE and WISE, SPHEREx will be the first all-sky near-infrared spectral survey. SPHEREx will create spectra (0.75 – 4.2 um at R = 41; and 4.2 – 5 um at R = 135) with high sensitivity making background-limited observations using a passively-cooled telescope with a wide field-of-view for large mapping speed. During its two-year mission, SPHEREx will produce four complete all-sky maps that will serve as a rich archive for the astronomy community. With over a billion detected galaxies, hundreds of millions of high-quality stellar and galactic spectra, and over a million ice absorption spectra, the archive will enable diverse scientific investigations including studies of young stellar systems, brown dwarfs, high-redshift quasars, galaxy clusters, the interstellar medium, asteroids and comets. All aspects of the instrument and spacecraft have high heritage. SPHEREx requires no new technologies and carries large technical and resource margins on every aspect of the design. SPHEREx is a partnership between Caltech and JPL, following the

The "All Sky Camera Network"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Andy

2005-01-01

In 2001, the "All Sky Camera Network" came to life as an outreach program to connect the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) exhibit "Space Odyssey" with Colorado schools. The network is comprised of cameras placed strategically at schools throughout Colorado to capture fireballs--rare events that produce meteorites.…

Anomalous resistivity and superconductivity in the two-band Hubbard model with one narrow band (Review)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagan, M. Yu.; Valkov, V. V.

2011-01-01

We search for marginal Fermi-liquid behavior in the two-band Hubbard model with one narrow band. We consider the limit of low electron densities in the bands and strong intraband and interband Hubbard interactions. We analyze the influence of electron-polaron effects and other mechanisms for mass-enhancement (related to the momentum dependence of the self-energies) on the effective mass and scattering times of light and heavy components in the clean case (electron-electron scattering and no impurities). We find a tendency towards phase separation (towards negative partial compressibility of heavy particles) in the 3D case with a large mismatch between the densities of heavy and light bands in the strong coupling limit. We also find that for low temperatures and equal densities, the resistivity in a homogeneous state R(T )∝T2 behaves as a Fermi-liquid in both 3D and 2D. For temperatures greater than the effective bandwidth for heavy electrons T >Wh*, the coherence of the heavy component breaks down completely. The heavy particles move diffusively in the surrounding light particles. At the same time, light particles scatter on heavy particles as if on immobile (static) impurities. Under these conditions, the heavy component is marginal, while the light component is not. The resistivity approaches saturation for T >Wh* in the 3D case. In 2D the resistivity has a maximum and a localization tail owing to weak-localization corrections of the Altshuler-Aronov type. This behavior of resistivity in 3D could be relevant for some uranium-based heavy-fermion compounds such as UNi2Al3 and in 2D, for some other mixed-valence compounds, possibly including layered manganites. We also consider briefly the superconductive (SC) instability in this model. The leading instability tends to p-wave pairing and is governed by an enhanced Kohn-Luttinger mechanism for SC at low electron densities. The critical temperature corresponds to the pairing of heavy electrons via polarization of

Enhancing the visibility of injuries with narrow-banded beams of light within the visible light spectrum.

PubMed

Limmen, Roxane M; Ceelen, Manon; Reijnders, Udo J L; Joris Stomp, S; de Keijzer, Koos C; Das, Kees

2013-03-01

The use of narrow-banded visible light sources in improving the visibility of injuries has been hardly investigated, and studies examining the extent of this improvement are lacking. In this study, narrow-banded beams of light within the visible light spectrum were used to explore their ability in improving the visibility of external injuries. The beams of light were induced by four crime-lites(®) providing narrow-banded beams of light between 400 and 550 nm. The visibility of the injuries was assessed through specific long-pass filters supplied with the set of crime-lites(®) . Forty-three percent of the examined injuries improved in visibility by using the narrow-banded visible light. In addition, injuries were visualized that were not visible or just barely visible to the naked eye. The improvements in visibility were particularly marked with the use of crime-lites(®) "violet" and "blue" covering the spectrum between 400-430 and 430-470 nm. The simple noninvasive method showed a great potential contribution in injury examination. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The effect of spatial and spectral heterogeneity of ground-based light sources on night-sky radiances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocifaj, M.; Aubé, M.; Kohút, I.

2010-12-01

Nowadays, light pollution is a permanent problem at many observatories around the world. Elimination of excessive lighting during the night is not only about reduction of the total luminous power of ground-based light sources, but also involves experimenting with the spectral features of single lamps. Astronomical photometry is typically made at specific wavelengths, and thus the analysis of the spectral effects of light pollution is highly important. Nevertheless, studies on the spectral behaviour of night light are quite rare. Instead, broad-band or integral quantities (such as sky luminance) are preferentially measured and modelled. The knowledge of night-light spectra is necessary for the proper interpretation of narrow-band photometry data. In this paper, the night-sky radiances in the nominal spectral lines of the B (445 nm) and V (551 nm) filters are determined numerically under clear-sky conditions. Simultaneously, the corresponding sky-luminance patterns are computed and compared against the spectral radiances. It is shown that spectra, patterns and distances of the most important light sources (towns) surrounding an observatory are essential for determining the light pollution levels. In addition, the optical characteristics of the local atmosphere can change the angular behaviour of the sky radiance or luminance. All these effects are evaluated for two Slovakian observatories: Stará Lesná and Vartovka.

The Serendip II design. [narrowband astronautical radio signal search for extraterrestrial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werthimer, D.; Tarter, J.; Bowyer, S.

1985-01-01

Serendip II is an automated system designed to perform a real time search for narrow band radio signals in the spectra of sources in a regularly scheduled, non-Seti, astronomical observing program. Because Serendip II is expected to run continuously without requiring dedicated observing time, it is hoped that a large portion of the sky will be surveyed at high sensitivity and low cost. Serendip II will compute the power spectrum using a 65,536 channel fast Fourier transform processor with a real time bandwidth of 128 KHz and 2 Hz per channel resolution. After searching for peaks in a 100 KHz portion of the radio telescope's IF band, Serendip II will move to the next 100 KHz portion using a programmable frequency synthesizer; when the whole IF band has been scanned, the process will start again. Unidentified peaks in the power spectra are candidates for further study and their celestial coordinates will be recorded along with the time and power, IF and RF frequency, and bandwidth of the peak.

Measuring night sky brightness: methods and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hänel, Andreas; Posch, Thomas; Ribas, Salvador J.; Aubé, Martin; Duriscoe, Dan; Jechow, Andreas; Kollath, Zoltán; Lolkema, Dorien E.; Moore, Chadwick; Schmidt, Norbert; Spoelstra, Henk; Wuchterl, Günther; Kyba, Christopher C. M.

2018-01-01

Measuring the brightness of the night sky has become an increasingly important topic in recent years, as artificial lights and their scattering by the Earth's atmosphere continue spreading around the globe. Several instruments and techniques have been developed for this task. We give an overview of these, and discuss their strengths and limitations. The different quantities that can and should be derived when measuring the night sky brightness are discussed, as well as the procedures that have been and still need to be defined in this context. We conclude that in many situations, calibrated consumer digital cameras with fisheye lenses provide the best relation between ease-of-use and wealth of obtainable information on the night sky. While they do not obtain full spectral information, they are able to sample the complete sky in a period of minutes, with colour information in three bands. This is important, as given the current global changes in lamp spectra, changes in sky radiance observed only with single band devices may lead to incorrect conclusions regarding long term changes in sky brightness. The acquisition of all-sky information is desirable, as zenith-only information does not provide an adequate characterization of a site. Nevertheless, zenith-only single-band one-channel devices such as the "Sky Quality Meter" continue to be a viable option for long-term studies of night sky brightness and for studies conducted from a moving platform. Accurate interpretation of such data requires some understanding of the colour composition of the sky light. We recommend supplementing long-term time series derived with such devices with periodic all-sky sampling by a calibrated camera system and calibrated luxmeters or luminance meters.

Ultrabright narrow-band telecom two-photon source for long-distance quantum communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niizeki, Kazuya; Ikeda, Kohei; Zheng, Mingyang; Xie, Xiuping; Okamura, Kotaro; Takei, Nobuyuki; Namekata, Naoto; Inoue, Shuichiro; Kosaka, Hideo; Horikiri, Tomoyuki

2018-04-01

We demonstrate an ultrabright narrow-band two-photon source at the 1.5 µm telecom wavelength for long-distance quantum communication. By utilizing a bow-tie cavity, we obtain a cavity enhancement factor of 4.06 × 104. Our measurement of the second-order correlation function G (2)(τ) reveals that the linewidth of 2.4 MHz has been hitherto unachieved in the 1.5 µm telecom band. This two-photon source is useful for obtaining a high absorption probability close to unity by quantum memories set inside quantum repeater nodes. Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, the observed spectral brightness of 3.94 × 105 pairs/(s·MHz·mW) is also the highest reported over all wavelengths.

Polyp detection rates using magnification with narrow band imaging and white light

PubMed Central

Gilani, Nooman; Stipho, Sally; Panetta, James D; Petre, Sorin; Young, Michele A; Ramirez, Francisco C

2015-01-01

AIM: To compare the yield of adenomas between narrow band imaging and white light when using high definition/magnification. METHODS: This prospective, non-randomized comparative study was performed at the endoscopy unit of veteran affairs medical center in Phoenix, Arizona. Consecutive patients undergoing first average risk colorectal cancer screening colonoscopy were selected. Two experienced gastroenterologists performed all the procedures that were blinded to each other’s findings. Demographic details were recorded. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. Proportional data were compared using the χ2 test and means were compared using the Student’s t test. Tandem colonoscopy was performed in a sequential and segmental fashion using one of 3 strategies: white light followed by narrow band imaging [Group A: white light (WL) → narrow band imaging (NBI)]; narrow band imaging followed by white light (Group B: NBI → WL) and, white light followed by white light (Group C: WL → WL). Detection rate of missed polyps and adenomas were evaluated in all three groups. RESULTS: Three hundred patients were studied (100 in each Group). Although the total time for the colonoscopy was similar in the 3 groups (23.8 ± 0.7, 22.2 ± 0.5 and 24.1 ± 0.7 min for Groups A, B and C, respectively), it reached statistical significance between Groups B and C (P < 0.05). The cecal intubation time in Groups B and C was longer than for Group A (6.5 ± 0.4 min and 6.5 ± 0.4 min vs 4.9 ± 0.3 min; P < 0.05). The withdrawal time for Groups A and C was longer than Group B (18.9 ± 0.7 min and 17.6 ± 0.6 min vs 15.7 ± 0.4 min; P < 0.05). Overall miss rate for polyps and adenomas detected in three groups during the second look was 18% and 17%, respectively (P = NS). Detection rate for polyps and adenomas after first look with white light was similar irrespective of the light used during the second look (WL → WL: 13.7% for polyps, 12.6% for adenomas; WL → NBI: 14.2% for polyps, 11.3% for

VizieR Online Data Catalog: WATCHDOG: an all-sky database of Galactic BHXBs (Tetarenko+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tetarenko, B. E.; Sivakoff, G. R.; Heinke, C. O.; Gladstone, J. C.

2016-03-01

With the advent of more sensitive all-sky instruments, the transient universe is being probed in greater depth than ever before. Taking advantage of available resources, we have established a comprehensive database of black hole (and black hole candidate) X-ray binary (BHXB) activity between 1996 and 2015 as revealed by all-sky instruments, scanning surveys, and select narrow-field X-ray instruments on board the INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL), Monitor of All-Sky X-ray Image (MAXI), Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), and Swift telescopes; the Whole-sky Alberta Time-resolved Comprehensive black-Hole Database Of the Galaxy or WATCHDOG. Over the past two decades, we have detected 132 transient outbursts, tracked and classified behavior occurring in 47 transient and 10 persistently accreting BHs, and performed a statistical study on a number of outburst properties across the Galactic population. We find that outbursts undergone by BHXBs that do not reach the thermally dominant accretion state make up a substantial fraction (~40%) of the Galactic transient BHXB outburst sample over the past ~20 years. Our findings suggest that this "hard-only" behavior, observed in transient and persistently accreting BHXBs, is neither a rare nor recent phenomenon and may be indicative of an underlying physical process, relatively common among binary BHs, involving the mass-transfer rate onto the BH remaining at a low level rather than increasing as the outburst evolves. We discuss how the larger number of these "hard-only" outbursts and detected outbursts in general have significant implications for both the luminosity function and mass-transfer history of the Galactic BHXB population. (9 data files).

Broadening of effective photonic band gaps in biological chiral structures: From intrinsic narrow band gaps to broad band reflection spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, W. E.; Hernández-Jiménez, M.; Libby, E.; Azofeifa, D. E.; Solis, Á.; Barboza-Aguilar, C.

2015-09-01

Under normal illumination with non-polarized light, reflection spectra of the cuticle of golden-like and red Chrysina aurigans scarabs show a structured broad band of left-handed circularly polarized light. The polarization of the reflected light is attributed to a Bouligand-type left-handed chiral structure found through the scarab's cuticle. By considering these twisted structures as one-dimensional photonic crystals, a novel approach is developed from the dispersion relation of circularly polarized electromagnetic waves traveling through chiral media, to show how the broad band characterizing these spectra arises from an intrinsic narrow photonic band gap whose spectral position moves through visible and near-infrared wavelengths.

Maximizing the Performance of Automated Low Cost All-sky Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bettonvil, F.

2011-01-01

Thanks to the wide spread of digital camera technology in the consumer market, a steady increase in the number of active All-sky camera has be noticed European wide. In this paper I look into the details of such All-sky systems and try to optimize the performance in terms of accuracy of the astrometry, the velocity determination and photometry. Having autonomous operation in mind, suggestions are done for the optimal low cost All-sky camera.

Searching for white dwarfs candidates in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Należyty, Mirosław; Majczyna, Agnieszka; Ciechanowska, Anna; Madej, Jerzy

2009-06-01

Large amount of observational spectroscopic data are recently available from different observational projects, like Sloan Digital Sky Survey. It's become more urgent to identify white dwarfs stars based on data itself i.e. without modelling white dwarf atmospheres. In particular, existing methods of white dwarfs identification presented in Kleinman et al. (2004) and in Eisenstein et al. (2006) did not allow to find all the white dwarfs in examined data. We intend to test various criteria of searching for white dwarf candidates, based on photometric and spectral features.

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) Light Curve Server v1.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochanek, C. S.; Shappee, B. J.; Stanek, K. Z.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Thompson, Todd A.; Prieto, J. L.; Dong, Subo; Shields, J. V.; Will, D.; Britt, C.; Perzanowski, D.; Pojmański, G.

2017-10-01

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) is working toward imaging the entire visible sky every night to a depth of V˜ 17 mag. The present data covers the sky and spans ˜2-5 years with ˜100-400 epochs of observation. The data should contain some ˜1 million variable sources, and the ultimate goal is to have a database of these observations publicly accessible. We describe here a first step, a simple but unprecedented web interface https://asas-sn.osu.edu/ that provides an up to date aperture photometry light curve for any user-selected sky coordinate. The V band photometry is obtained using a two-pixel (16.″0) radius aperture and is calibrated against the APASS catalog. Because the light curves are produced in real time, this web tool is relatively slow and can only be used for small samples of objects. However, it also imposes no selection bias on the part of the ASAS-SN team, allowing the user to obtain a light curve for any point on the celestial sphere. We present the tool, describe its capabilities, limitations, and known issues, and provide a few illustrative examples.

Adaptive sparsest narrow-band decomposition method and its applications to rolling element bearing fault diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Junsheng; Peng, Yanfeng; Yang, Yu; Wu, Zhantao

2017-02-01

Enlightened by ASTFA method, adaptive sparsest narrow-band decomposition (ASNBD) method is proposed in this paper. In ASNBD method, an optimized filter must be established at first. The parameters of the filter are determined by solving a nonlinear optimization problem. A regulated differential operator is used as the objective function so that each component is constrained to be a local narrow-band signal. Afterwards, the signal is filtered by the optimized filter to generate an intrinsic narrow-band component (INBC). ASNBD is proposed aiming at solving the problems existed in ASTFA. Gauss-Newton type method, which is applied to solve the optimization problem in ASTFA, is irreplaceable and very sensitive to initial values. However, more appropriate optimization method such as genetic algorithm (GA) can be utilized to solve the optimization problem in ASNBD. Meanwhile, compared with ASTFA, the decomposition results generated by ASNBD have better physical meaning by constraining the components to be local narrow-band signals. Comparisons are made between ASNBD, ASTFA and EMD by analyzing simulation and experimental signals. The results indicate that ASNBD method is superior to the other two methods in generating more accurate components from noise signal, restraining the boundary effect, possessing better orthogonality and diagnosing rolling element bearing fault.

Numerical simulation of evaluation of surface breaking cracks by array-lasers generated narrow-band SAW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Li-Ming; Ni, Chen-Yin; Shen, Zhong-Hua; Ni, Xiao-Wu

2011-09-01

Most of the factors limiting the extensive application of laser-based ultrasonic for nondestructive evaluation of surface breaking crack are its poor sensitivity, low efficiency relative to conventional contact ultrasonic methods and limit on the dimension of the cracks. For this reason, a new technique that multiplepulse narrow-band ultrasound generated by laser arrays has been proposed. It is found that crack detection dependent on spectrum of narrow-band ultrasound generated by laser arrays can be operated with low amplitude requirements. In this paper, the narrow-band ultrasound generated by pulse laser arrays interacting with surface breaking cracks has been simulated in detail by the finite element method (FEM) according to the thermoelastic theory. The pulsed array lasers were assumed to be transient heat source, and the surface acoustic wave (SAW) which propagating on the top of the plate was computed based on thermoelastic theory. Then the frequency spectrums of both reflected waves by crack and transmission ones through crack were compared with the direct waves. Results demonstrate that multiple-frequency components of the narrow-band ultrasound were varied with change of the depth of surface breaking cracks significantly, which provides the possibility for precise evaluation of surface breaking cracks.

Second ROSAT all-sky survey (2RXS) source catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boller, Th.; Freyberg, M. J.; Trümper, J.; Haberl, F.; Voges, W.; Nandra, K.

2016-04-01

Aims: We present the second ROSAT all-sky survey source catalogue, hereafter referred to as the 2RXS catalogue. This is the second publicly released ROSAT catalogue of point-like sources obtained from the ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS) observations performed with the position-sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) between June 1990 and August 1991, and is an extended and revised version of the bright and faint source catalogues. Methods: We used the latest version of the RASS processing to produce overlapping X-ray images of 6.4° × 6.4° sky regions. To create a source catalogue, a likelihood-based detection algorithm was applied to these, which accounts for the variable point-spread function (PSF) across the PSPC field of view. Improvements in the background determination compared to 1RXS were also implemented. X-ray control images showing the source and background extraction regions were generated, which were visually inspected. Simulations were performed to assess the spurious source content of the 2RXS catalogue. X-ray spectra and light curves were extracted for the 2RXS sources, with spectral and variability parameters derived from these products. Results: We obtained about 135 000 X-ray detections in the 0.1-2.4 keV energy band down to a likelihood threshold of 6.5, as adopted in the 1RXS faint source catalogue. Our simulations show that the expected spurious content of the catalogue is a strong function of detection likelihood, and the full catalogue is expected to contain about 30% spurious detections. A more conservative likelihood threshold of 9, on the other hand, yields about 71 000 detections with a 5% spurious fraction. We recommend thresholds appropriate to the scientific application. X-ray images and overlaid X-ray contour lines provide an additional user product to evaluate the detections visually, and we performed our own visual inspections to flag uncertain detections. Intra-day variability in the X-ray light curves was quantified based on the

A new all-sky map of Galactic high-velocity clouds from the 21-cm HI4PI survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westmeier, Tobias

2018-02-01

High-velocity clouds (HVCs) are neutral or ionized gas clouds in the vicinity of the Milky Way that are characterized by high radial velocities inconsistent with participation in the regular rotation of the Galactic disc. Previous attempts to create a homogeneous all-sky H I map of HVCs have been hampered by a combination of poor angular resolution, limited surface brightness sensitivity and suboptimal sampling. Here, a new and improved H I map of Galactic HVCs based on the all-sky HI4PI survey is presented. The new map is fully sampled and provides significantly better angular resolution (16.2 versus 36 arcmin) and column density sensitivity (2.3 versus 3.7 × 1018 cm-2 at the native resolution) than the previously available LAB survey. The new HVC map resolves many of the major HVC complexes in the sky into an intricate network of narrow H I filaments and clumps that were not previously resolved by the LAB survey. The resulting sky coverage fraction of high-velocity H I emission above a column density level of 2 × 1018 cm-2 is approximately 15 per cent, which reduces to about 13 per cent when the Magellanic Clouds and other non-HVC emission are removed. The differential sky coverage fraction as a function of column density obeys a truncated power law with an exponent of -0.93 and a turnover point at about 5 × 1019 cm-2. H I column density and velocity maps of the HVC sky are made publicly available as FITS images for scientific use by the community.

All Sky Observations with BATSE and GBM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.

2008-01-01

The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on board the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) monitored the entire sky from 1991-2000. I will review highlights of BATSE observations including gamma ray bursts, black hole candidates, accreting pulsars, and active galaxies. On 2008 June 11, the Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope was launched. The Gamma ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board Fermi continues the all-sky monitoring legacy started with BATSE. I will review early results and planned observations with GBM.

An all sky study of fast X-ray transients. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connors, Alanna

1988-01-01

In the HEAO 1 A-2 survey of fast X-ray transients, a search of 2 to 20 keV scanning data was made for brief increases in flux, greater than 4 millicrabs, on timescales approximately 1 to 10 to the 4th s above a 12-hour average. The search was divided into two regions, and all-sky survey of the Galaxy, and a survey of the Magellanic Clouds. In the latter, 37 events were found and identified with 4 of the 5 brighest sources in the LMC, plus 2 as flares from a foreground star. Np X-ray bursts, no gamma-ray bursts, and no events from the SMC were found. In the all-sky survey, after excluding well-known variable sources, out of the equivalent of approximately 104 days of data, 15 events were found which falling into 2 broad categories: flares from coronal sources, roughly isotropically distributed, with optically thin thermal spectra; and harder fast transients apparently distributed near the Galactic plane. The first were identified as flares from ubiquitous active cool dwarf stars. It was hypothesized that the second may have been from distant Be-neutron star binaries. However, at least two of the harder, more luminous events remained unidentified. Future research should examine the nature of these rare events, and how they may fit into a hierarchy of hard fast transients from gamma-ray bursts to outbursts from pulsar systems.

Wide applicability of high-Tc pairing originating from coexisting wide and incipient narrow bands in quasi-one-dimensional systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsumoto, Karin; Ogura, Daisuke; Kuroki, Kazuhiko

2018-01-01

We study superconductivity in the Hubbard model on various quasi-one-dimensional lattices with coexisting wide and narrow bands originating from multiple sites within a unit cell, where each site corresponds to a single orbital. The systems studied are the two-leg and three-leg ladders, the diamond chain, and the crisscross ladder. These one-dimensional lattices are weakly coupled to form two-dimensional (quasi-one-dimensional) ones, and the fluctuation exchange approximation is adopted to study spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity. When one of the bands is perfectly flat and the Fermi level intersecting the wide band is placed in the vicinity of, but not within, the flat band, superconductivity arising from the interband scattering processes is found to be strongly enhanced owing to the combination of the light electron mass of the wide band and the strong pairing interaction due to the large density of states of the flat band. Even when the narrow band has finite bandwidth, the pairing mechanism still works since the edge of the narrow band, due to its large density of states, plays the role of the flat band. The results indicate the wide applicability of the high-Tc pairing mechanism due to coexisting wide and "incipient" narrow bands in quasi-one-dimensional systems.

Searching for bumps and ellipses on the ground and in the sky: no advantage for the ground plane.

PubMed

Jóhannesson, Omar I; Sigurdardottir, Kristín Ósk; Kristjánsson, Arni

2013-11-01

A staple of modern theories of vision is that the visual system has evolved to perceive cues containing the most predictive information about the layout of the environment. This entails the prediction that - other things being equal - visual performance in a familiar setting should be superior to performance in an unfamiliar one. Visual performance should therefore be better on the familiar ground plane compared to an implied sky or wall plane. We tested this comparing visual search for stimuli presented in an implied ground plane with search on a 180° rotated search display so that the stimuli appeared in an implied "sky" plane, and with search in a random layout implying no depth. This was tested for stimuli with, or without, curvature discontinuities, that have previously been shown to be strong cues for shape analysis. Surprisingly, no advantage of the ground plane over the sky plane was observed, while a strong effect of layout regularity was seen. Similarly, in experiment 2 there was little effect of placing the stimuli on an implied wall plane compared to the ground or the sky. The results are not explained by assuming that curvature discontinuities are such strong cues that they overshadow any effect of depth-plane, since there was a strong effect of regular versus random layout, which should also have disappeared under this account. The results argue instead for a very strong effect of layout regularity, unrelated to environmental regularities in evolutionary history, since there was no ground-plane benefit. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Narrow absorption lines with two observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhi-Fu; Gu, Qiu-Sheng; Chen, Yan-Mei; Cao, Yue

2015-07-01

We assemble 3524 quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) with repeated observations to search for variations of the narrow C IV λ λ 1548,1551 and Mg II λ λ 2796,2803 absorption doublets in spectral regions shortward of 7000 Å in the observed frame, which corresponds to time-scales of about 150-2643 d in the quasar rest frame. In these quasar spectra, we detect 3580 C IV absorption systems with zabs = 1.5188-3.5212 and 1809 Mg II absorption systems with zabs = 0.3948-1.7167. In term of the absorber velocity (β) distribution in the quasar rest frame, we find a substantial number of C IV absorbers with β < 0.06, which might be connected to absorption of quasar outflows. The outflow absorption peaks at υ ≈ 2000 km s^{-1} and drops rapidly below this peak value. Among 3580 C IV absorption systems, 52 systems (˜1.5 per cent) show obvious variations in equivalent widths in the absorber rest frame (Wr): 16 enhanced, 16 emerged, 12 weakened and 8 disappeared systems, respectively. We find that changes in Wrλ1548 are related neither to the time-scales of the two SDSS observations nor to absorber velocities in the quasar rest frame. Variable absorption in low-ionization species is important to constrain the physical conditions of the absorbing gas. There are two variable Mg II absorption systems measured from SDSS spectra detected by Hacker et al. However, in our Mg II absorption sample, we find that neither shows variable absorption with confident levels of >4σ for λ2796 lines and >3σ for λ2803 lines.

Use of narrow-band imaging bronchoscopy in detection of lung cancer.

PubMed

Zaric, Bojan; Perin, Branislav

2010-05-01

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) is a new endoscopic technique designed for detection of pathologically altered submucosal and mucosal microvascular patterns. The combination of magnification videobronchoscopy and NBI showed great potential in the detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the bronchial mucosa. The preliminary studies confirmed supremacy of NBI over white-light videobronchoscopy in the detection of premalignant and malignant lesions. Pathological patterns of capillaries in bronchial mucosa are known as Shibuya's descriptors (dotted, tortuous and abrupt-ending blood vessels). Where respiratory endoscopy is concerned, the NBI is still a 'technology in search of proper indication'. More randomized trials are necessary to confirm the place of NBI in the diagnostic algorithm, and more trials are needed to evaluate the relation of NBI to autofluorescence videobronchoscopy and to white-light magnification videobronchoscopy. Considering the fact that NBI examination of the tracheo-bronchial tree is easy, reproducible and clear to interpret, it is certain that NBI videobronchoscopy will play a significant role in the future of lung cancer detection and staging.

All sky imaging observations in visible and infrared waveband for validation of satellite cloud and aerosol products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Daren; Huo, Juan; Zhang, W.; Liu, J.

A series of satellite sensors in visible and infrared wavelengths have been successfully operated on board a number of research satellites, e.g. NOAA/AVHRR, the MODIS onboard Terra and Aqua, etc. A number of cloud and aerosol products are produced and released in recent years. However, the validation of the product quality and accuracy are still a challenge to the atmospheric remote sensing community. In this paper, we suggest a ground based validation scheme for satellite-derived cloud and aerosol products by using combined visible and thermal infrared all sky imaging observations as well as surface meteorological observations. In the scheme, a visible digital camera with a fish-eye lens is used to continuously monitor the all sky with the view angle greater than 180 deg. The digital camera system is calibrated for both its geometry and radiance (broad blue, green, and red band) so as to a retrieval method can be used to detect the clear and cloudy sky spatial distribution and their temporal variations. A calibrated scanning thermal infrared thermometer is used to monitor the all sky brightness temperature distribution. An algorithm is developed to detect the clear and cloudy sky as well as cloud base height by using sky brightness distribution and surface temperature and humidity as input. Based on these composite retrieval of clear and cloudy sky distribution, it can be used to validate the satellite retrievals in the sense of real-simultaneous comparison and statistics, respectively. What will be presented in this talk include the results of the field observations and comparisons completed in Beijing (40 deg N, 116.5 deg E) in year 2003 and 2004. This work is supported by NSFC grant No. 4002700, and MOST grant No 2001CCA02200

Narrow-band erbium-doped fibre linear–ring laser

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kolegov, A A; Sofienko, G S; Minashina, L A

2014-01-31

We have demonstrated a narrow-band linear – ring fibre laser with an output power of 15 mW at a wavelength of 1.55 μm and an emission bandwidth less than 5 kHz. The laser frequency is stabilised by an unpumped active fibre section and fibre Bragg grating. The fibre laser operates in a travelling wave mode, which allows the spatial hole burning effect to be avoided. At a certain pump power level, the laser switches from continuous mode to repetitivepulse operation, corresponding to relaxation oscillations. (control of laser radiation parameters)

Narrow-band, slowly varying decimetric radiation from the dwarf M flare star YZ Canis Minoris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lang, K. R.; Willson, R. F.

1986-01-01

Observations of slowly varying radiation from the dwarf M star YZ Canis Minoris with a maximum flux density of 20 mJy and narrow-band frequency structure at frequencies near 1465 MHz are presented. Possible explanations for this radiation are examined. Thermal gyroresonant radiation would require impossibly large coronal loops and magnetic field strengths. The narrow-band structure cannot be explained by continuum emission processes such as thermal bremsstrahlung, thermal gyroresonant radiation, or nonthermal gyrosynchrotron radiation. Coherent burst mechanisms seem to be required.

The Status of the NASA All Sky Fireball Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooke, William J.; Moser, Danielle E.

2011-01-01

Established by the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office, the NASA All Sky Fireball Network consists of 6 meteor video cameras in the southern United States, with plans to expand to 15 cameras by 2013. As of mid-2011, the network had detected 1796 multi-station meteors, including meteors from 43 different meteor showers. The current status of the NASA All Sky Fireball Network is described, alongside preliminary results.

Monte Carlo modeling of light-tissue interactions in narrow band imaging.

PubMed

Le, Du V N; Wang, Quanzeng; Ramella-Roman, Jessica C; Pfefer, T Joshua

2013-01-01

Light-tissue interactions that influence vascular contrast enhancement in narrow band imaging (NBI) have not been the subject of extensive theoretical study. In order to elucidate relevant mechanisms in a systematic and quantitative manner we have developed and validated a Monte Carlo model of NBI and used it to study the effect of device and tissue parameters, specifically, imaging wavelength (415 versus 540 nm) and vessel diameter and depth. Simulations provided quantitative predictions of contrast-including up to 125% improvement in small, superficial vessel contrast for 415 over 540 nm. Our findings indicated that absorption rather than scattering-the mechanism often cited in prior studies-was the dominant factor behind spectral variations in vessel depth-selectivity. Narrow-band images of a tissue-simulating phantom showed good agreement in terms of trends and quantitative values. Numerical modeling represents a powerful tool for elucidating the factors that affect the performance of spectral imaging approaches such as NBI.

Optical Sky Brightness and Transparency during the Winter Season at Dome A Antarctica from the Gattini-All-Sky Camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yi; Moore, Anna M.; Krisciunas, Kevin; Wang, Lifan; Ashley, Michael C. B.; Fu, Jianning; Brown, Peter J.; Cui, Xiangqun; Feng, Long-Long; Gong, Xuefei; Hu, Zhongwen; Lawrence, Jon S.; Luong-Van, Daniel; Riddle, Reed L.; Shang, Zhaohui; Sims, Geoff; Storey, John W. V.; Suntzeff, Nicholas B.; Tothill, Nick; Travouillon, Tony; Yang, Huigen; Yang, Ji; Zhou, Xu; Zhu, Zhenxi

2017-07-01

The summit of the Antarctic plateau, Dome A, is proving to be an excellent site for optical, near-infrared, and terahertz astronomical observations. Gattini is a wide-field camera installed on the PLATO instrument module as part of the Chinese-led traverse to Dome A in 2009 January. We present here the measurements of sky brightness with the Gattini ultra-large field of view (90^\\circ × 90^\\circ ) in the photometric B-, V-, and R-bands; cloud cover statistics measured during the 2009 winter season; and an estimate of the sky transparency. A cumulative probability distribution indicates that the darkest 10% of the nights at Dome A have sky brightness of S B = 22.98, S V = 21.86, and S R = 21.68 mag arcsec-2. These values were obtained during the year 2009 with minimum aurora, and they are comparable to the faintest sky brightness at Maunakea and the best sites of northern Chile. Since every filter includes strong auroral lines that effectively contaminate the sky brightness measurements, for instruments working around the auroral lines, either with custom filters or with high spectral resolution instruments, these values could be easily obtained on a more routine basis. In addition, we present example light curves for bright targets to emphasize the unprecedented observational window function available from this ground-based site. These light curves will be published in a future paper.

Narrowing the Search After Gravitational-Wave Detections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-11-01

Now that were able to detect gravitational waves, the next challenge is to spot electromagnetic signatures associated with gravitational-wave events. A team of scientists has proposed a new algorithm that might narrow the search.Artists illustrations of the stellar-merger model for short gamma-ray bursts. In the model, 1) two neutron stars inspiral, 2) they merge and produce a gamma-ray burst, 3) a small fraction of their mass is flung out and radiates as a kilonova, 4) a massive neutron star or black hole with a disk remains after the event. [NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI)]Light from Neutron-Star MergersJust over a year ago, LIGO detected its first gravitational-wave signal: GW150914, produced when two black holes merged. While we didnt expect to see any sort of light-based signal from this merger, we could expect to see transient electromagnetic signatures in the case of a neutron starblack hole merger or a neutron starneutron star merger in the form of a kilonova or a short gamma-ray burst.While we havent yet detected any mergers involving neutron stars, LIGO has the sensitivity to make these detections in the local universe, and we hope to start seeing them soon! Finding the electromagnetic companions to gravitational-wave signals would be the best way to probe the evolution history of the universe and learn what happens when evolved stars collide. So how do we hunt them down?2D localization maps for LIGOs detection of GW150914 (black contours), as well as the footprints of follow-up observations (red for radio, green for optical/IR, blue for X-ray). [Abbott et al. 2016]Pinpointing a VolumeThe two LIGO detectors can already provide rough 2D localization of where the gravitational-wave signal came from, but the region predicted for GW150914 still covered 600 square degrees, which is a pretty hefty patch of sky! In light of this, the simplest follow-up strategy of tiling large survey observations of the entire predicted region is somewhat impractical and time

Ultra-narrow band perfect absorbers based on Fano resonance in MIM metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ming; Fang, Jiawen; Zhang, Fei; Chen, Junyan; Yu, Honglin

2017-12-01

Metallic nanostructures have attracted numerous attentions in the past decades due to their attractive plasmonic properties. Resonant plasmonic perfect absorbers have promising applications in a wide range of technologies including photothermal therapy, thermophotovoltaics, heat-assisted magnetic recording and biosensing. However, it remains to be a great challenge to achieve ultra-narrow band in near-infrared band with plasmonic materials due to the large optical losses in metals. In this letter, we introduced Fano resonance in MIM metamaterials composed of an asymmetry double elliptic cylinders (ADEC), which can achieve ultra-narrow band perfect absorbers. In theoretical calculations, we observed an ultranarrow band resonant absorption peak with the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 8 nm and absorption amplitude exceeding 99% at 930 nm. Moreover, we demonstrate that the absorption increases with the increase of asymmetry and the absorption resonant wavelength can be tuned by changing the size and arrangement of the unit cell. The asymmetry metallic nanostructure also exhibit a higher refractive sensitivity as large as 503 nm/RIU with high figure of merit of 63, which is promising for high sensitive sensors. Results of this work are desirable for various potential applications in micro-technological structures such as biological sensors, narrowband emission, photodetectors and solar thermophotovoltaic (STPV) cells.

Band gap narrowing in BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles facilitated by multiple mechanisms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ramakanth, S.; James Raju, K. C., E-mail: kcjrsp@uohyd.ernet.in; School of Physics, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046

2014-05-07

In the present work, BaTiO{sub 3} nanoparticles of four different size ranges were prepared by sol-gel method. The optical band gap of these particles at some size ranges has come down to 2.53 eV from 3.2 eV, resulting in substantial increase in optical absorption by these ferroelectric nanoparticles making them potential candidates for light energy harvesting. XRD results show the presence of higher compressive strain in 23 nm and 54 nm size particles, they exhibit a higher band gap narrowing, whereas tensile strain is observed in 31 nm and 34 nm particles, and they do not show the marginal band gap narrowing. The 23 nm and 54 nmmore » particles also show a coupling of free carriers to phonons by increasing the intensity of LO phonon mode at 715 cm{sup −1}. The higher surface charge density is expected in case of enhanced surface optical Raman modes (638 cm{sup −1}) contained in 31 and 34 nm size particles. In addition to this, the red shift in an LO mode Raman spectral line at 305 cm{sup −1} with decrease in particle size depicts the presence of phonon confinement in it. The enhanced optical absorption in 23 nm and 54 nm size particles with a narrowed band gap of 3 eV and 2.53 eV is due to exchange correlation interactions between the carriers present in these particles. In 31 nm and 34 nm range particles, the absorption got bleached exhibiting increased band gaps of 3.08 eV and 3.2 eV, respectively. It is due to filling up of conduction band resulting from weakening of exchange correlation interactions between the charge carriers. Hence, it is concluded that the band gap narrowing in the nanoparticles of average size 23 nm/54 nm is a consequence of multiple effects like strain, electron-phonon interaction, and exchange correlation interactions between the carriers which is subdued in some other size ranges like 31 nm/34 nm.« less

An adaptive narrow band frequency modulation voice communication system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wishna, S.

1972-01-01

A narrow band frequency modulation communication system is described which provides for the reception of good quality voice at low carrier-to-noise ratios. The high level of performance is obtained by designing a limiter and phase lock loop combination as a demodulator, so that the bandwidth of the phase lock loop decreases as the carrier level decreases. The system was built for the position location and aircraft communication equipment experiment of the ATS 6 program.

Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer All-Sky Monitor Localization of SGR 1627-41

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Donald A.; Bradt, Hale V.; Levine, Alan M.

1999-07-01

The fourth unambiguously identified soft gamma repeater (SGR), SGR 1627-41, was discovered with the BATSE instrument on 1998 June 15. Interplanetary Network (IPN) measurements and BATSE data constrained the location of this new SGR to a 6° segment of a narrow (19") annulus. We present two bursts from this source observed by the All-Sky Monitor (ASM) on the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer. We use the ASM data to further constrain the source location to a 5' long segment of the BATSE/IPN error box. The ASM/IPN error box lies within 0.3 arcmin of the supernova remnant G337.0-0.1. The probability that a supernova remnant would fall so close to the error box purely by chance is ~5%.

Time Domain X-ray Astronomy with "All-Sky" Focusing Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorenstein, Paul

2016-04-01

The largest and most diverse types of temporal variations in all of astronomy occur in the soft, i.e. 0.5 to 10 keV, X-ray band. They range from millisecond QPO’s in compact binaries to year long flares from AGNs due to the absorption of a star by a SMBH, and the appearance of transient sources at decadal intervals. Models predict that at least some gravitational waves will be accompanied by an X-ray flare. A typical GRB produces more photons/sq. cm. in the soft band than it does in the Swift BAT 15 to 150 keV band. In addition the GRB X-ray fluence and knowledge of the details of the onset of the X-ray afterglow is obtained by observing the seamless transition from the active burst phase that has been attributed to internal shocks to the afterglow phases that has been attributed to external shocks. Detecting orphan X-ray afterglows will augment the event rate. With high sensitivity detectors some GRB identifications are likely to be with the youngest, most distant galaxies in the universe. Previous all-sky X-ray monitors have been non focusing limited field of view scanning instruments. An “All-Sky” (actually several ster FOV), focusing lobster-eye X-ray telescope will have much more grasp than the previous instruments and will allow a wide range of topics to be studied simultaneously. Two types of lobster-eye telescopes have been proposed. One type focuses in one dimension and uses a coded mask for resolution in the second. The other type focuses in two dimensions but has less effective area and less bandwidth. Both types are compatible with a Probe mission.

Duodenal villous morphology assessed using magnification narrow band imaging correlates well with histology in patients with suspected malabsorption syndrome.

PubMed

Dutta, Amit Kumar; Sajith, Kattiparambil Gangadharan; Shah, Gautam; Pulimood, Anna Benjamin; Simon, Ebby George; Joseph, Anjilivelil Joseph; Chacko, Ashok

2014-11-01

Narrow band imaging with magnification enables detailed assessment of duodenal villi and may be useful in predicting the presence of villous atrophy or normal villi. We aimed to assess the morphology of duodenal villi using magnification narrow band imaging and correlate it with histology findings in patients with clinically suspected malabsorption syndrome. Patients with clinical suspicion of malabsorption presenting at a tertiary care center were prospectively recruited in this diagnostic intervention study. Patients underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy using magnification narrow band imaging. The villous morphology in the second part of the duodenum was assessed independently by two endoscopists and the presence of normal or atrophic villi was recorded. Biopsy specimen was obtained from the same area and was examined by two pathologists together. The sensitivity and specificity of magnification narrow band imaging in detecting the presence of duodenal villous atrophy was calculated and compared to the histology. One hundred patients with clinically suspected malabsorption were included in this study. Sixteen patients had histologically confirmed villous atrophy. The sensitivity and specificity of narrow band imaging in predicting villous atrophy was 87.5% and 95.2%, respectively, for one endoscopist. The corresponding figures for the second endoscopist were 81.3% and 92.9%, respectively. The interobserver agreement was very good with a kappa value of 0.87. Magnification narrow band imaging performed very well in predicting duodenal villous morphology. This may help in carrying out targeted biopsies and avoiding unnecessary biopsies in patients with suspected malabsorption. © 2014 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2014 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Efficacy of narrow-band imaging for detecting intestinal metaplasia in adult patients with symptoms of dyspepsia.

PubMed

Sobrino-Cossío, S; Abdo Francis, J M; Emura, F; Galvis-García, E S; Márquez Rocha, M L; Mateos-Pérez, G; González-Sánchez, C B; Uedo, N

2018-02-12

Atrophy and intestinal metaplasia are early phenotypic markers in gastric carcinogenesis. White light endoscopy does not allow direct biopsy of intestinal metaplasia due to a lack of contrast of the mucosa. Narrow-band imaging is known to enhance the visibility of intestinal metaplasia, to reduce sampling error, and to increase the diagnostic yield of endoscopy for intestinal metaplasia in Asian patients. The aim of our study was to validate the diagnostic performance of narrow-band imaging using 1.5× electronic zoom endoscopy (with no high magnification) to diagnose intestinal metaplasia in Mexican patients. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on consecutive patients with dyspeptic symptoms at a private endoscopy center within the time frame of January 2015 to December 2016. A total of 338 patients (63±8.4 years of age, 40% women) were enrolled. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 10.9% and the incidence of intestinal metaplasia in the gastric antrum and corpus was 23.9 and 5.9%, respectively. Among the patients with intestinal metaplasia, 65.3% had the incomplete type, 42.7% had multifocal disease, and one third had extension to the gastric corpus. Two patients had low-grade dysplasia. The sensitivity of white light endoscopy was 71.2%, with a false negative rate of 9.9%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of narrow-band imaging (with a positive light blue crest) were 85, 98, 86.8, 97.7, and 87.2%, respectively. The prevalence of H. pylori infection and intestinal metaplasia in dyspeptic Mexican patients was not high. Through the assessment of the microsurface structure and light blue crest sign, non-optical zoom narrow-band imaging had high predictive values for detecting intestinal metaplasia in patients from a general Western setting. Copyright © 2018 Asociación Mexicana de Gastroenterología. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.

A new zenith-looking narrow-band radiometer-based system (ZEN) for dust aerosol optical depth monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almansa, A. Fernando; Cuevas, Emilio; Torres, Benjamín; Barreto, África; García, Rosa D.; Cachorro, Victoria E.; de Frutos, Ángel M.; López, César; Ramos, Ramón

2017-02-01

A new zenith-looking narrow-band radiometer based system (ZEN), conceived for dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) monitoring, is presented in this paper. The ZEN system comprises a new radiometer (ZEN-R41) and a methodology for AOD retrieval (ZEN-LUT). ZEN-R41 has been designed to be stand alone and without moving parts, making it a low-cost and robust instrument with low maintenance, appropriate for deployment in remote and unpopulated desert areas. The ZEN-LUT method is based on the comparison of the measured zenith sky radiance (ZSR) with a look-up table (LUT) of computed ZSRs. The LUT is generated with the LibRadtran radiative transfer code. The sensitivity study proved that the ZEN-LUT method is appropriate for inferring AOD from ZSR measurements with an AOD standard uncertainty up to 0.06 for AOD500 nm ˜ 0.5 and up to 0.15 for AOD500 nm ˜ 1.0, considering instrumental errors of 5 %. The validation of the ZEN-LUT technique was performed using data from AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) Cimel Electronique 318 photometers (CE318). A comparison between AOD obtained by applying the ZEN-LUT method on ZSRs (inferred from CE318 diffuse-sky measurements) and AOD provided by AERONET (derived from CE318 direct-sun measurements) was carried out at three sites characterized by a regular presence of desert mineral dust aerosols: Izaña and Santa Cruz in the Canary Islands and Tamanrasset in Algeria. The results show a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.99 to 0.97, and root mean square errors (RMSE) ranging from 0.010 at Izaña to 0.032 at Tamanrasset. The comparison of ZSR values from ZEN-R41 and the CE318 showed absolute relative mean bias (RMB) < 10 %. ZEN-R41 AOD values inferred from ZEN-LUT methodology were compared with AOD provided by AERONET, showing a fairly good agreement in all wavelengths, with mean absolute AOD differences < 0.030 and R2 higher than 0.97.

Narrow Band Gap Lead Sulfide Hole Transport Layers for Quantum Dot Photovoltaics.

PubMed

Zhang, Nanlin; Neo, Darren C J; Tazawa, Yujiro; Li, Xiuting; Assender, Hazel E; Compton, Richard G; Watt, Andrew A R

2016-08-24

The band structure of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) bilayer heterojunction solar cells is optimized using a combination of ligand modification and QD band gap control. Solar cells with power conversion efficiencies of up to 9.33 ± 0.50% are demonstrated by aligning the absorber and hole transport layers (HTL). Key to achieving high efficiencies is optimizing the relative position of both the valence band and Fermi energy at the CQD bilayer interface. By comparing different band gap CQDs with different ligands, we find that a smaller band gap CQD HTL in combination with a more p-type-inducing CQD ligand is found to enhance hole extraction and hence device performance. We postulate that the efficiency improvements observed are largely due to the synergistic effects of narrower band gap QDs, causing an upshift of valence band position due to 1,2-ethanedithiol (EDT) ligands and a lowering of the Fermi level due to oxidation.

Comparisons of USDA UV shadow-band irradiance measurements with TOMS satellite and DISORT model retrievels under all sky conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slusser, James R.; Krotkov, Nickolay A.; Gao, Wei; Herman, Jay R.; Labow, Gordon; Scott, Gwen

2002-01-01

Comparisons of UV irradiances measured by the USDA UVB Monitoring and Research Network at 305 and 368 nm with retrievals from the NASA TOMS and a multiple scattering radiative transfer code were made for an 18-month period from January 1, 2000 through May 31, 2001 for Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA (32.6 degree(s)N, 106.7 degree(s)W, 1317 m elevation) and Billings, Oklahoma, USA (36.6 degree(s)N, 97.5 degree(s)W, 317 m elevation). Agreement is generally within +/- 12% for all sky conditions and 8% for clear skies. The effects of aerosols is mostly less than 5%, consistent with the measured aerosol optical depths at 368 nm within the range of 0.05 and 0.25.

Further improvements in program to calculate electronic properties of narrow band gap materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson, James D.

1991-01-01

Research into the properties of narrow band gap materials during the period 15 Jun. to 15 Dec. 1991 is discussed. Abstracts and bibliographies from papers presented during this period are reported. Graphs are provided.

Ultranarrowband searches for extraterrestrial intelligence with dedicated signal-processing hardware.

PubMed

Horowitz, P; Matthews, B S; Forster, J; Linscott, I; Teague, C C; Chen, K; Backus, P

1986-01-01

Multichannel spectroscopy with millihertz resolution constitutes an attractive strategy for a microwave search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), assuming the transmission of a narrow-band radiofrequency beacon. Such resolution matches the properties of the interstellar medium, and the necessary receiver Doppler corrections provide a high degree of interference rejection. We have constructed a frequency-agile swept receiver with an 8,388,608-channel spectrum analyzer, on-line signal recognition, and multithreshold archiving. A search of 250 Sun-like stars at 1.4 and 2.8 GHz has been carried out with the Arecibo 305-m antenna, and a meridian transit search of the northern sky is in progress at the Harvard-Smithsonian 26-m antenna. Successive spectra of 400 kHz at 0.05 Hz resolution are searched for features characteristic of an intentional narrowband beacon transmission. These spectra are centered on guessable ("magic") frequencies (such as the 21-cm hydrogen hyperfine line), referenced successively to the local standard of rest, the galactic barycenter, and the cosmic blackbody rest frame.

A filterless, visible-blind, narrow-band, and near-infrared photodetector with a gain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Liang; Zhang, Yang; Bai, Yang; Zheng, Xiaopeng; Wang, Qi; Huang, Jinsong

2016-06-01

In many applications of near-infrared (NIR) light detection, a band-pass filter is needed to exclude the noise caused by visible light. Here, we demonstrate a filterless, visible-blind, narrow-band NIR photodetector with a full-width at half-maximum of <50 nm for the response spectrum. These devices have a thick (>4 μm) nanocomposite absorbing layers made of polymer-fullerene:lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs). The PbS QDs yield a photoconductive gain due to their hole-trapping effect, which effectively enhances both the responsivity and the visible rejection ratio of the external quantum efficiency by >10 fold compared to those without PbS QDs. Encouragingly, the inclusion of the PbS QDs does not increase the device noise. We directly measured a noise equivalent power (NEP) of 6.1 pW cm-2 at 890 nm, and a large linear dynamic range (LDR) over 11 orders of magnitude. The highly sensitive visible-blind NIR narrow-band photodetectors may find applications in biomedical engineering.

The Two Micron All Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonsdale, Carol

The 2 Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) project, a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts (Dr. Mike Skrutskie, PI) and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, JPL/Caltech funded primarily by NASA and the NSF, will scan the entire sky utilizing two new, highly automated 1.3m telescopes at Mt. Hopkins, AZ and at CTIO, Chile. Each telescope simultaneously scans the sky at J, H and Ks with a three channel camera using 256x256 arrays of HgCdTe detectors to detect point sources brighter than about 1 mJy (to SNR=10), with a pixel size of 2.0 arcseconds. The data rate is $\\sim 19$ Gbyte per night, with a total processed data volume of 13 Tbytes of images and 0.5 Tbyte of tabular data. The 2MASS data is archived nightly into the Infrared Science Information System at IPAC, which is based on an Informix database engine, judged at the time of purchase to have the best commercially available indexing and parallelization flexibility, and a 5 Tbyte-capacity RAID multi-threaded disk system with multi-server shared disk architecture. I will discuss the challenges of processing and archiving the 2MASS data, and of supporting intelligent query access to them by the astronomical community across the net, including possibilities for cross-correlation with other remote data sets.

Lyman Alpha Searches at Redshift Z>7

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, Jon

2007-05-01

The ZEN survey is a narrow J-band survey for Ly-alpha emitting galaxies at z > 7. I will briefly review the pros and cons of narrow band observations before summarising the ZEN1 and ZEN2 searches based upon deep ISAAC pointings. I will then present ZEN3, consisting of wide field, narrow band observations of two fields using the CFHT WIRCam facility. I will conclude by reviewing the current sample of candidates and what we have learned about the z > 7 Ly-alpha emitting population.

The Fermi All-Sky Variability Analysis: A List of Flaring Gamma-Ray Sources and the Search for Transients in our Galaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; Allafort, A.; Antolini, E.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G; Bastieri, D.; Bechtol, K.;

Response to narrow-band UVB--vitiligo-melasma versus vitiligo: a comparative study.

PubMed

Sharma, Parikshit; Pai, Harsha S; Pai, Ganesh S; Kuruvila, Maria; Kolar, Reshma

2011-04-01

Vitiligo is the most common depigmentary disorder of the skin and hair, resulting from selective destruction of melanocytes. Melasma, a hyperpigmentary disorder, presents as irregular, brown, macular hypermelanosis. A small subset of vitiligo patients paradoxically also have melasma. To evaluate and compare the response to narrow-band UVB in a group of patients with vitiligo, and another group of patients with vitiligo and coexisting melasma (vitiligo-melasma). Patients in both groups were treated with narrow-band UVB and a comparison of the zonal repigmentation was made at 4, 8, and 12 weeks after the initiation of therapy. At the end of 12 weeks, 86% of patients in the vitiligo-melasma group attained ≥75% pigmentation on the face, whereas this was achieved in only 12.5% of patients in the vitiligo group. Over the limbs, 73% of patients in the vitiligo-melasma group attained 75% or more pigmentation at the end of 12 weeks compared with only 9% in the vitiligo group. On the trunk, only 20% of vitiligo-melasma patients showed ≥75% pigmentation at 12 weeks compared with 63% of patients in the vitiligo group. Patients having both vitiligo and melasma have a significantly better prognosis for repigmentation on the face and limbs with narrow-band UVB compared with patients with vitiligo alone; the vitiligo-melasma patients achieve repigmentation much earlier and also attain a greater level of repigmentation. Unexpectedly, for truncal lesions, patients with vitiligo alone responded better than those with both conditions. Although the vitiligo-melasma group with truncal lesions started repigmenting earlier, the final pigmentation was more extensive in the vitiligo group.

VLITE Surveys the Sky: A 340 MHz Companion to the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Wendy; Clarke, Tracy; Brisken, Walter; Cotton, William; Richards, Emily E.; Giacintucci, Simona; Kassim, Namir

2018-01-01

The VLA Low Band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (VLITE; ) is a commensal observing system on the Karl G. Janksy Very Large Array (VLA) which was developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and NRAO. A 64 MHz sub-band from the prime focus 240-470 MHz dipoles is correlated during nearly all regular VLA observations. VLITE uses dedicated samplers and fibers, as well as a custom designed, real-time DiFX software correlator, and requires no additional resources from the VLA system running the primary science program. The experiment has been operating since November 2014 with 10 antennas; a recent expansion in summer 2017 increased that number to 16 and more than doubled the number of baselines.The VLA Sky Survey (VLASS; ), is an ongoing survey of the entire sky visible to the VLA at a frequency of 2-4 GHz. The observations are made using an "on-the-fly" (OTF) continuous RA scanning technique which fills in the sky by observing along rows of constant declination. VLITE breaks the data into 2-second integrations and correlates these at a central position every 1.5 degrees. All data for each correlator position is imaged separately, corrected and weighted by an appropriately elongated primary beam model, and then combined in the image plane to create a mosaic of the sky. A catalog of the sources is extracted to provide a 340 MHz sky model.We present preliminary images and catalogs from the 2017 VLASS observations which began in early September, 2017, and continued on a nearly daily basis throughout the fall. In addition to providing a unique sky model at 340 MHz, these data complement VLASS by providing spectral indices for all cataloged sources.

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bersier, D.

2016-12-01

This is an overview of the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae - ASAS-SN. We briefly present the hardware and capabilities of the survey and describe the most recent science results, in particular tidal disruption events and supernovae, including the brightest SN ever found.

Optimized fan-shaped chiral metamaterial as an ultrathin narrow-band circular polarizer at visible frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yizhuo; Wang, Xinghai; Ingram, Whitney; Ai, Bin; Zhao, Yiping

2018-04-01

Chiral metamaterials have the great ability to manipulate the circular polarizations of light, which can be utilized to build ultrathin circular polarizers. Here we build a narrow-band circular polarizer at visible frequencies based on plasmonic fan-shaped chiral nanostructures. In order to achieve the best optical performance, we systematically investigate how different fabrication factors affect the chiral optical response of the fan-shaped chiral nanostructures, including incident angle of vapor depositions, nanostructure thickness, and post-deposition annealing. The optimized fan-shaped nanostructures show two narrow bands for different circular polarizations with the maximum extinction ratios 7.5 and 6.9 located at wavelength 687 nm and 774 nm, respectively.

Results from the Ariel-5 all-sky X-ray monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holt, S. S.

1975-01-01

A summary of results obtained from the first year of Ariel-5 all-sky monitor operation is presented. Transient source observations, as well as the results of long term studies of Sco X-1, Cyg X-3, and Cyg X-1 are described. By example, the included results are indicative of the temporal effects to which the all-sky monitor remains sensitive as it begins its second year of observation.

Anomalous resistivity and the origin of heavy mass in the two-band Hubbard model with one narrow band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagan, M. Yu.; Val'kov, V. V.

2011-07-01

We search for marginal Fermi-liquid behavior [1] in the two-band Hubbard model with one narrow band. We consider the limit of low electron densities in the bands and strong intraband and interband Hubbard interactions. We analyze the influence of electron polaron effect [2] and other mechanisms of mass enhancement (related to momentum dependence of the self-energies) on the effective mass and scattering times of light and heavy components in the clean case (electron-electron scattering and no impurities). We find the tendency towards phase separation (towards negative partial compressibility of heavy particles) in the 3D case for a large mismatch between the densities of heavy and light bands in the strong-coupling limit. We also observe that for low temperatures and equal densities, the homogeneous state resistivity R( T) ˜ T 2 behaves in a Fermi-liquid fashion in both 3D and 2D cases. For temperatures higher than the effective bandwidth for heavy electrons T > W {*/ h }, the coherent behavior of the heavy component is totally destroyed. The heavy particles move diffusively in the surrounding of light particles. At the same time, the light particles scatter on the heavy ones as if on immobile (static) impurities. In this regime, the heavy component is marginal, while the light one is not. The resistivity saturates for T > W {*/ h } in the 3D case. In 2D, the resistivity has a maximum and a localization tail due to weak-localization corrections of the Altshuler-Aronov type [3]. Such behavior of resistivity could be relevant for some uranium-based heavy-fermion compounds like UNi2Al3 in 3D and for some other mixed-valence compounds possibly including layered manganites in 2D. We also briefly consider the superconductive (SC) instability in the model. The leading instability is towards the p-wave pairing and is governed by the enhanced Kohn-Luttinger [4] mechanism of SC at low electron density. The critical temperature corresponds to the pairing of heavy electrons

Imaging spectropolarimetry of cloudy skies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pust, Nathan; Shaw, Joseph A.

2006-05-01

The polarization state of atmospheric radiance varies with cloudiness and cloud type. We have developed a dual-field-of-view imaging spectro-polarimeter for measuring atmospheric polarization in five spectral bands from 450 to 700 nm. This instrument improves the acquisition time of past full-sky digital camera designs to 400 ms using liquid crystal variable retarders (LCVRs). The system can be used to measure polarization with either fisheye or telephoto optics, allowing studies of all-sky and target polarization. We present and describe measurements of sky polarization with clear and variably cloudy sky conditions. In clear skies, we observe a slight upward trend of the degree of polarization with wavelength, in agreement with previous observations. Presence of clouds generally reduces both cloudy sky and surrounding clear sky degree of polarization. The polarization measured from a cloud often reflects only the Rayleigh scattering between the instrument and the cloud, but some of our recent data shows partially polarized cloud scattering.

The effects of low-intensity narrow-band blue-light treatment compared to bright white-light treatment in seasonal affective disorder.

PubMed

Meesters, Ybe; Duijzer, Wianne B; Hommes, Vanja

2018-05-01

Ever since a new photoreceptor was discovered with a highest sensitivity to 470-490 nm blue light, it has been speculated that blue light has some advantages in the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) over more traditional treatments. In this study we compared the effects of exposure to narrow-band blue light (BLUE) to those of broad-wavelength white light (BLT) in the treatment of SAD. In a 15-day design, 45 patients suffering from SAD completed 30-min sessions of light treatment on 5 consecutive days. 21 subjects received white-light treatment (BLT, broad-wavelength without UV, 10 000 lx, irradiance 31.7 W/m 2 ), 24 subjects received narrow-band blue light (BLUE, 100 lx, irradiance 1.0 W/m 2 ). All participants completed weekly questionnaires concerning mood and energy levels, and were also assessed by means of the SIGH-SAD, which is the primary outcome measure. On day 15, SIGH-SAD ratings were significantly lower than on day 1 (BLT 73.2%, effect size 3.37; BLUE 67%, effect size 2.63), which outcomes were not statistically significant different between both conditions. Small sample size. Light treatment is an effective treatment for SAD. The use of narrow-band blue light is equally effective as a treatment using bright white-light. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

HRMS Sky Survey Techniques for Separating the Rare Interesting Signal from the Multitude of Background Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olsen, E.; Backus, C.; Gulkis, S.; Levin, S.

1993-01-01

The NASA High Resolution Microwave Survey (HRMS) Sky Survey component will survey the entire celestial sphere over the microwave frequency band to search for signals of intelligent origin which originate from beyond our solar system.

Using All-Sky Imaging to Improve Telescope Scheduling (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cole, G. M.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) Automated scheduling makes it possible for a small telescope to observe a large number of targets in a single night. But when used in areas which have less-than-perfect sky conditions such automation can lead to large numbers of observations of clouds and haze. This paper describes the development of a "sky-aware" telescope automation system that integrates the data flow from an SBIG AllSky340c camera with an enhanced dispatch scheduler to make optimum use of the available observing conditions for two highly instrumented backyard telescopes. Using the minute-by-minute time series image stream and a self-maintained reference database, the software maintains a file of sky brightness, transparency, stability, and forecasted visibility at several hundred grid positions. The scheduling software uses this information in real time to exclude targets obscured by clouds and select the best observing task, taking into account the requirements and limits of each instrument.

Measuring the color and brightness of artificial sky glow from cities using an all-sky imaging system calibrated with astronomical methods in the Johnson-Cousins B and V photometric systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pipkin, Ashley; Duriscoe, Dan M.; Lughinbuhl, Christian

2017-01-01

Artificial light at night, when observed at some distance from a city, results in a dome of sky glow, brightest at the horizon. The spectral power distribution of electric light utilized will determine its color of the light dome and the amount of light will determine its brightness. Recent outdoor lighting technologies have included blue-rich light emitting diode (LED) sources that may increase the relative amount of blue to green light in sky glow compared to typical high pressure sodium (HPS) sources with warmer spectra. Measuring and monitoring this effect is important to the preservation of night sky visual quality as seen from undeveloped areas outside the city, such as parks or other protected areas, since the dark-adapted human eye is more sensitive to blue and green. We present a method using a wide field CCD camera which images the entire sky in both Johnson V and B photometric bands. Standard stars within the images are used for calibration. The resulting all-sky brightness maps, and a derived B-V color index map, provide a means to assess and track the impact of specific outdoor lighting practices. We also present example data from several cities, including Las Vegas, Nevada, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Intensity Variations of Narrow Bands of Solar UV Radiation during Descending Phases of SACs 21-23

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gigolashvili, M.; Kapanadze, N.

2014-12-01

The study of variations of four narrow bands of solar spectral irradiance (SSI) in the ultraviolet (UV) range for period 1981-2008 is presented. Observational data obtained by space-flight missions SORCE, UARS, SME and daily meanings of international sunspot number (ISN) have been used. The investigated data cover the decreasing phases of the solar activity cycles (SACs) 21, 22 and 23. We have revealed a peculiar behavior of intensity variability of some solar ultraviolet spectral lines originated in the solar chromospheres for period corresponding to the declining phase of the solar cycle 23. It is found that variability of emission of different solar spectral narrow bands (289.5 nm, 300.5 nm) does not agree equally well with ISN variability during decreasing phase of the solar activity cycle 23. The negative correlations between total solar irradiance and the solar spectral narrow bands of UV emission (298.5 nm, 300.5 nm) had been revealed. The existence of the negative correlation can be explained by the sensitivity of SSI of some emission lines to the solar global magnetic field.

THE FERMI ALL-SKY VARIABILITY ANALYSIS: A LIST OF FLARING GAMMA-RAY SOURCES AND THE SEARCH FOR TRANSIENTS IN OUR GALAXY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Albert, A.

2013-07-01

In this paper, we present the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool to systematically study the variability of the gamma-ray sky measured by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. For each direction on the sky, FAVA compares the number of gamma-rays observed in a given time window to the number of gamma-rays expected for the average emission detected from that direction. This method is used in weekly time intervals to derive a list of 215 flaring gamma-ray sources. We proceed to discuss the 27 sources found at Galactic latitudes smaller than 10 Degree-Sign andmore » show that, despite their low latitudes, most of them are likely of extragalactic origin.« less

Searching for planetary nebulae at the Galactic halo via J-PAS and J-PLUS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncalves, Denise R.; Aparício-Villegas, Teresa; Akras, Stavros; Borges Fernandes, Marcelo; J-PAS Collaboration

2015-08-01

The Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) is a narrow-band imaging, very wide field cosmological survey to be carried out from a dedicated 2.5m telescope and a 4.7 sq.deg camera with 1.2Gpix. It will last 5 years and will observe 8500 sq.deg of Northern sky to a 5-σ magnitude depth for point sources, equivalent to i ~23.3 over an aperture of 2 arcsec2. The J-PAS filter system consists of 54 contiguous narrow band filters of 145-Å FWHM, from 3,500 to 10,000Å. Two broad-band filters will be added at the extremes, UV and IR, plus 3 SDSS g, r, and i filters. The Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survye (J-PLUS) will be an auxiliary survey ofJ-PAS (mainly for calibration) with a dedicated 0.80m telescope. J-PLUS comprises 12 filters, including g, r, i and z SDSS ones. Though about 2,500 planetary nebulae (PNe, confirmed spectroscopically) are known in the Galaxy, only 14 objects have been convincingly identified as halo PNe. They were classified as such from their location, kinematics and chemistry. Halo PNe are able to reveal precious information for the study of low- and intermediate-mass star evolution and the early chemical conditions of the Galaxy. The characteristic low continuum and intense line emissions of PNe make them good objects to be searched by J-PAS, and even by J-PLUS. For instance, the halo PNe BoBn 1, DdDm 1 and PS 1, located somewhere between 11 and 24 kpc from the Sun, have B magnitudes of 16, 14 and 13.4, respectively. Such values are easily encompassed by J-PAS/J-PLUS, given the typical limit magnitude of the survey. Though covering a significantly smaller sky area, data from the ALHAMBRA survey were used to test our J-PAS/J-PLUS strategy to search for PNe. Our first results will be shown in this poster.

A high-sensitivity search for extraterrestrial intelligence at lambda 18 cm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarter, J.; Cuzzi, J.; Black, D.; Clark, T.

1980-01-01

A targeted high-sensitivity search for narrow-band signals near a wavelength of 18 cm has been conducted using the 91-m radiotelescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The search included 201 nearby solar-type stars and achieved a frequency resolution of 5.5 Hz over a 1.4-MHz bandwidth. This high spectral resolution was obtained through a non-real-time reduction procedure using a Mark I VLBI recording terminal in conjunction with the CDC 7600 computational facility at the NASA-Ames Research Center. This is the first high-resolution search for narrow-band signals in this wavelength regime. To date it is the most sensitive search per unit observing time of any search strategy which does not postulate a unique magic frequency. Data show no evidence for narrow-band signals due to extraterrestrial intelligence at a 12-standard-deviation upper limit on signal strength of 1.1 x 10 to the -23rd W/sq m.

INTEGRAL/IBIS 7-year All-Sky Hard X-ray Survey. I. Image reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krivonos, R.; Revnivtsev, M.; Tsygankov, S.; Sazonov, S.; Vikhlinin, A.; Pavlinsky, M.; Churazov, E.; Sunyaev, R.

2010-09-01

This paper is the first in a series devoted to the hard X-ray whole sky survey performed by the INTEGRAL observatory over seven years. Here we present an improved method for image reconstruction with the IBIS coded mask telescope. The main improvements are related to the suppression of systematic effects that strongly limit sensitivity in the region of the Galactic plane (GP), especially in the crowded field of the Galactic center (GC). We extended the IBIS/ISGRI background model to take into account the Galactic ridge X-ray emission (GRXE). To suppress residual systematic artifacts on a reconstructed sky image, we applied nonparametric sky image filtering based on wavelet decomposition. The implemented modifications of the sky reconstruction method decrease the systematic noise in the ~20 Ms deep field of GC by ~44%, and practically remove it from the high-latitude sky images. New observational data sets, along with an improved reconstruction algorithm, allow us to conduct the hard X-ray survey with the best currently available minimal sensitivity 3.7 × 10-12 erg s-1 cm-2 ~ 0.26 mCrab in the 17-60 keV band at a 5σ detection level. The survey covers 90% of the sky down to the flux limit of 6.2 × 10-11 erg s-1 cm-2 (~4.32 mCrab) and 10% of the sky area down to the flux limit of 8.6 × 10-12 erg s-1 cm-2 (~0.60 mCrab). Based on observations with INTEGRAL, an ESA project with the instruments and science data center funded by ESA member states (especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain), Czech Republic, and Poland, and with the participation of Russia and the USA.

Gaia, an all-sky survey for standard photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrasco, J. M.; Weiler, M.; Jordi, C.; Fabricius, C.

2017-03-01

Gaia ESA's space mission (launched in 2013) includes two low resolution spectroscopic instruments (one in the blue, BP, and another in the red, RP, wavelength domains) to classify and derive the astrophysical parameters of the observed sources. As it is well known, Gaia is a full-sky unbiased survey down to about 20th magnitude. The scanning law yields a rather uniform coverage of the sky over the full extent (a minimum of 5 years) of the mission. Gaia data reduction is a global one over the full mission. Both sky coverage and data reduction strategy ensure an unprecedented all-sky homogeneous spectrophotometric survey. Certainly, that survey is of interest for current and future on-ground and space projects, like LSST, PLATO, EUCLID and J-PAS/J-PLUS among others. These projects will benefit from the large amount (more than one billion) and wide variety of objects observed by Gaia with good quality spectrophotometry. Synthetic photometry derived from Gaia spectrophotometry for any passband can be used to expand the set of standard sources for these new instruments to come. In the current Gaia data release scenario, BP/RP spectrophotometric data will be available in the third release (in 2018, TBC). Current preliminary results allow us to estimate the precision of synthetic photometry derived from the Gaia data. This already allows the preparation of the on-going and future surveys and space missions. We discuss here the exploitation of the Gaia spectrophotometry as standard reference due to its full-sky coverage and its expected photometric uncertainties derived from the low resolution Gaia spectra.

[Study on the Spectral Characteristics of the Narrow-Band Filter in SHS].

PubMed

Luo, Hai-yan; Shi, Hai-liang; Li, Zhi-wei; Li, Shuang; Xiong, Wei; Hong, Jin

2015-04-01

The spectral response of spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS) is determined by the spectrum property of narrow-band filter. As discussed in previous studies, the symmetric heterodyned interferogram of high frequency waves modulated by SHS and lack of sample lead to spectral confusion, which is associated with the true and ghost spectra. Because of the deviation from theoretical index of narrow-band filter in the process of coating, the boarded spectral response and middle wave shift are presented, and conditions in the theoretical Littrow wavelength made the effective wavelength range of SHS reduced. According to the measured curve of filter, a new wavenumber of zero spatial frequency can be reset by tunable laser, and it is easy for SHS to improve the spectral aliasing distortion. The results show that it is utilized to the maximum extent of the effective bandwidth by adjusting the grating angle of rotation to change the Littrow wavelength of the basic frequency, and the spectral region increased to 14.9 nm from original 12.9 nm.

Widely tunable narrow-band coherent Terahertz radiation from an undulator at THU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, X.; Wang, D.; Tian, Q.; Liang, Y.; Niu, L.; Yan, L.; Du, Y.; Huang, W.; Tang, C.

2018-01-01

There is anxious demand for intense widely tunable narrow-band Terahertz (THz) radiation in scientific research, which is regarded as a powerful tool for the coherent control of matter. We report the generation of widely tunable THz radiation from a planar permanent magnet undulator at Tsinghua University (THU). A relativistic electron beam is compressed by a magnetic chicane into sub-ps bunch length to excite THz radiation in the undulator coherently. The THz frequency can be tuned from 0.4 THz to 10 THz continuously with narrow-band spectrums when the undulator gap ranges from 23 mm to 75 mm. The measured pulse THz radiation energy from 220 pC bunch is 3.5 μJ at 1 THz and tens of μJ pulse energy (corresponding peak power of 10 MW) can be obtained when excited by 1 nC beam extrapolated from the property of coherent radiation. The experimental results agree well with theoretical predictions, which demonstrates a suitable THz source for the many applications that require intense and widely tunable THz sources.

Performance characteristics of a perforated shadow band under clear sky conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brooks, Michael J.

2010-12-15

A perforated, non-rotating shadow band is described for separating global solar irradiance into its diffuse and direct normal components using a single pyranometer. Whereas shadow bands are normally solid so as to occult the sensor of a pyranometer throughout the day, the proposed band has apertures cut from its circumference to intermittently expose the instrument sensor at preset intervals. Under clear sky conditions the device produces a saw tooth waveform of irradiance data from which it is possible to reconstruct separate global and diffuse curves. The direct normal irradiance may then be calculated giving a complete breakdown of the irradiancemore » curves without need of a second instrument or rotating shadow band. This paper describes the principle of operation of the band and gives a mathematical model of its shading mask based on the results of an optical ray tracing study. An algorithm for processing the data from the perforated band system is described and evaluated. In an extended trial conducted at NREL's Solar Radiation Research Laboratory, the band coupled with a thermally corrected Eppley PSP produced independent curves for diffuse, global and direct normal irradiance with low mean bias errors of 5.6 W/m{sup 2}, 0.3 W/m{sup 2} and -2.6 W/m{sup 2} respectively, relative to collocated reference instruments. Random uncertainties were 9.7 W/m{sup 2} (diffuse), 17.3 W/m{sup 2} (global) and 19.0 W/m{sup 2} (direct). When the data processing algorithm was modified to include the ray trace model of sensor exposure, uncertainties increased only marginally, confirming the effectiveness of the model. Deployment of the perforated band system can potentially increase the accuracy of data from ground stations in predominantly sunny areas where instrumentation is limited to a single pyranometer. (author)« less

The FERMI All-Sky Variability Analysis: A List of Flaring Gamma-Ray Sources and the Search for Transients in Our Galaxy

DOE PAGES

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; ...

2013-06-17

In this paper, we present the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool to systematically study the variability of the gamma-ray sky measured by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In addition, for each direction on the sky, FAVA compares the number of gamma-rays observed in a given time window to the number of gamma-rays expected for the average emission detected from that direction. This method is used in weekly time intervals to derive a list of 215 flaring gamma-ray sources. Finally, we proceed to discuss the 27 sources found at Galactic latitudes smaller thanmore » 10° and show that, despite their low latitudes, most of them are likely of extragalactic origin.« less

Facile doping of anionic narrow-band-gap conjugated polyelectrolytes during dialysis.

PubMed

Mai, Cheng-Kang; Zhou, Huiqiong; Zhang, Yuan; Henson, Zachary B; Nguyen, Thuc-Quyen; Heeger, Alan J; Bazan, Guillermo C

2013-12-02

PCPDTBTSO3 K, an anionic, narrow-band-gap conjugated polyelectrolyte, was found to be doped after dialysis. The proposed doping mechanism involves protonation of the polymer backbone, followed by electron transfer from a neutral chain, to generate radical cations, which are stabilized by the pendant sulfonate anions. Formation of polarons is supported by spectroscopy and electrical-conductivity measurements. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

2MASS - The 2 Micron All Sky Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kleinmann, S. G.

1992-01-01

This paper describes a new sky survey to be carried out in three wavebands, J(1.25 m), H(1.65 m), and K(2.2 m). The limiting sensitivity of the survey, 10 sigma detection of point sources with K not greater than 14 mag, coupled with its all-sky coverage, were selected primarily to support studies of the large-scale structure of the Milky Way and the Local Universe. The survey requires construction of a pair of observing facilities, one each for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Operations are scheduled to begin in 1995. The data will begin becoming publicly available soon thereafter.

A spectroscopic analysis of a sample of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cracco, V.; Ciroi, S.; Berton, M.; Di Mille, F.; Foschini, L.; La Mura, G.; Rafanelli, P.

2016-10-01

We revisited the spectroscopic characteristics of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) by analysing a homogeneous sample of 296 NLS1s at redshift between 0.028 and 0.345, extracted from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-DR7) public archive. We confirm that NLS1s are mostly characterized by Balmer lines with Lorentzian profiles, lower black hole masses and higher Eddington ratios than classic broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLS1s), but they also appear to be active galactic nuclei (AGNs) contiguous with BLS1s and sharing with them common properties. Strong Fe II emission does not seem to be a distinctive property of NLS1s, as low values of Fe II/Hβ are equally observed in these AGNs. Our data indicate that Fe II and Ca II kinematics are consistent with the one of Hβ. On the contrary, O I λ8446 seems to be systematically narrower and it is likely emitted by gas of the broad-line region more distant from the ionizing source and showing different physical properties. Finally, almost all NLS1s of our sample show radial motions of the narrow-line region highly ionized gas. The mechanism responsible for this effect is not yet clear, but there are hints that very fast outflows require high continuum luminosities (>1044 erg s-1) or high Eddington ratios (log (Lbol/LEdd) > -0.1).

LUGOL'S IODINE CHROMOENDOSCOPY VERSUS NARROW BAND IMAGE ENHANCED ENDOSCOPY FOR THE DETECTION OF ESOPHAGEAL CANCER IN PATIENTS WITH STENOSIS SECONDARY TO CAUSTIC/CORROSIVE AGENT INGESTION.

PubMed

Pennachi, Caterina Maria Pia Simoni; Moura, Diogo Turiani Hourneaux de; Amorim, Renato Bastos Pimenta; Guedes, Hugo Gonçalo; Kumbhari, Vivek; Moura, Eduardo Guimarães Hourneaux de

2017-01-01

The diagnosis of corrosion cancer should be suspected in patients with corrosive ingestion if after a latent period of negligible symptoms there is development of dysphagia, or poor response to dilatation, or if respiratory symptoms develop in an otherwise stable patient of esophageal stenosis. Narrow Band Imaging detects superficial squamous cell carcinoma more frequently than white-light imaging, and has significantly higher sensitivity and accuracy compared with white-light. To determinate the clinical applicability of Narrow Band Imaging versus Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy for detection of early esophageal cancer in patients with caustic/corrosive agent stenosis. Thirty-eight patients, aged between 28-84 were enrolled and examined by both Narrow Band Imaging and Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy. A 4.9mm diameter endoscope was used facilitating examination of a stenotic area without dilation. Narrow Band Imaging was performed and any lesion detected was marked for later biopsy. Then, Lugol´s solution chromoendoscopy was performed and biopsies were taken at suspicious areas. Patients who had abnormal findings at the routine, Narrow Band Imaging or Lugol´s solution chromoscopy exam had their stenotic ring biopsied. We detected nine suspicious lesions with Narrow Band Imaging and 14 with Lugol´s solution chromendoscopy. The sensitivity and specificity of the Narrow Band Imaging was 100% and 80.6%, and with Lugol´s chromoscopy 100% and 66.67%, respectively. Five (13%) suspicious lesions were detected both with Narrow Band Imaging and Lugol's chromoscopy, two (40%) of these lesions were confirmed carcinoma on histopathological examination. Narrow Band Imaging is an applicable option to detect and evaluate cancer in patients with caustic /corrosive stenosis compared to the Lugol´s solution chromoscopy.

Sky coverage modeling for the whole sky for laser guide star multiconjugate adaptive optics.

PubMed

Wang, Lianqi; Andersen, David; Ellerbroek, Brent

2012-06-01

The scientific productivity of laser guide star adaptive optics systems strongly depends on the sky coverage, which describes the probability of finding natural guide stars for the tip/tilt wavefront sensor(s) to achieve a certain performance. Knowledge of the sky coverage is also important for astronomers planning their observations. In this paper, we present an efficient method to compute the sky coverage for the laser guide star multiconjugate adaptive optics system, the Narrow Field Infrared Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS), being designed for the Thirty Meter Telescope project. We show that NFIRAOS can achieve more than 70% sky coverage over most of the accessible sky with the requirement of 191 nm total rms wavefront.

The Sondrestrom Research Facility All-sky Imagers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, E. A.; Grill, M.; Gudmundsson, E.; Stromme, A.

2010-12-01

The Sondrestrom Upper Atmospheric Research Facility is located near Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, just north of the Arctic Circle and 100 km inland from the west coast of Greenland. The facility is operated by SRI International in Menlo Park, California, under the auspices of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Operating in Greenland since 1983, the Sondrestrom facility is host to more than 20 instruments, the majority of which provide unique and complementary information about the arctic upper atmosphere. Together these instruments advance our knowledge of upper atmospheric physics and determine how the tenuous neutral gas interacts with the charged space plasma environment. The suite of instrumentation supports many disciplines of research - from plate tectonics to auroral physics and space weather. The Sondrestrom facility has recently acquired two new all-sky imagers. In this paper, we present images from both new imagers, placing them in context with other instruments at the site and detailing to the community how to gain access to this new data set. The first new camera replaces the intensified auroral system which has been on site for nearly three decades. This new all-sky imager (ASI), designed and assembled by Keo Scientific Ltd., employs a medium format 180° fisheye lens coupled to a set of five 3-inch narrowband interference filters. The current filter suite allows operation at the following wavelengths: 750 nm, 557.7 nm, 777.4 nm, 630.0 nm, and 732/3 nm. Monochromatic images from the ASI are acquired at a specific filter and integration time as determined by a unique configuration file. Integrations as short as 0.5 sec can be commanded for exceptionally bright features. Preview images are posted to the internet in near real-time, with final images posted weeks later. While images are continuously collected in a "patrol mode," users can request special collection sequences for targeted experiments. The second new imager installed at the Sondrestrom

All Sky Imager Network for Science and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, A.; Kendall, E. A.; Zalles, D. R.; Baumgardner, J. L.; Marshall, R. A.; Kaltenbacher, E.

2012-12-01

A new all sky imager network for space weather monitoring and education outreach has been developed by SRI International. The goal of this program is to install sensitive, low-light all-sky imagers across the continental United States to observe upper atmospheric airglow and aurora in near real time. While aurora borealis is often associated with the high latitudes, during intense geomagnetic storms it can extend well into the continental United States latitudes. Observing auroral processes is instrumental in understanding the space weather, especially in the times of increasing societal dependence on space-based technologies. Under the THEMIS satellite program, Canada has installed a network of all-sky imagers across their country to monitor aurora in real-time. However, no comparable effort exists in the United States. Knowledge of the aurora and airglow across the entire United States in near real time would allow scientists to quickly assess the impact of a geomagnetic storm in concert with data from GPS networks, ionosondes, radars, and magnetometers. What makes this effort unique is that we intend to deploy these imagers at high schools across the country. Selected high-schools will necessarily be in rural areas as the instrument requires dark night skies. At the commencement of the school year, we plan to give an introductory seminar on space weather at each of these schools. Science nuggets developed by SRI International in collaboration with the Center for GeoSpace Studies and the Center for Technology in Learning will be available for high school teachers to use during their science classes. Teachers can use these nuggets as desired within their own curricula. We intend to develop a comprehensive web-based interface that will be available for students and scientific community alike to observe data across the network in near real time and also to guide students towards complementary space weather data sets. This interface will show the real time extent of

Searching for periodic sources with LIGO. II. Hierarchical searches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brady, Patrick R.; Creighton, Teviet

2000-04-01

same available computing power; incoherent methods are computationally efficient at exploring large parameter spaces. We also consider a two-stage hierarchical search in which candidate events from a search using short data segments are followed up in a search using longer data segments. This hierarchical strategy yields a further 20-60 % improvement in sensitivity in all-sky (or directed) searches for old (>=1000 yr) slow (<=200 Hz) pulsars, and for young (>=40 yr) fast (<=1000 Hz) pulsars. Assuming enhanced LIGO detectors (LIGO-II) and 1012 flops of effective computing power, we examine the sensitivity to sources in three specialized classes. A limited area search for pulsars in the Galactic core would detect objects with gravitational ellipticities of ɛ>~5×10-6 at 200 Hz; such limits provide information about the strength of the crust in neutron stars. Gravitational waves emitted by unstable r-modes of newborn neutron stars would be detected out to distances of ~8 Mpc, if the r-modes saturate at a dimensionless amplitude of order unity and an optical supernova provides the position of the source on the sky. In searches targeting low-mass x-ray binary systems (in which accretion-driven spin up is balanced by gravitational-wave spin down), it is important to use information from electromagnetic observations to determine the orbital parameters as accurately as possible. An estimate of the difficulty of these searches suggests that objects with x-ray fluxes exceeding 2×10-8 erg cm-2 s-1 would be detected using the enhanced interferometers in their broadband configuration. This puts Sco X-1 on the verge of detectability in a broadband search; the amplitude signal to noise would be increased by a factor of order ~5-10 by operating the interferometer in a signal-recycled, narrow-band configuration. Further work is needed to determine the optimal search strategy when limited information is available about the frequency evolution of a source in a targeted search.

The Role of Clear Sky Identification in the Study of Cloud Radiative Effects: Combine Analysis from ISCCP and the Scanner of Radiation Budget (ScaRaB)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rossow, W. B.; Stubenrauch, C. J.; Briand, V.; Hansen, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Since the effect of clouds on the earth's radiation balance is often estimated as the difference of net radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere between all situations and monthly averaged clear sky situations of the same regions, a reliable identification of clear sky is important for the study of cloud radiative effects. The Scanner for Radiation Balance (ScaRaB) radiometer on board the Russian Meteor-3/7 satellite provided earth radiation budget observations from March 1994 to February 1995 with two ERBE-Re broad-band longwave and shortwave channels. Two narrow-band channels, in the infrared atmospheric window and in the visible band, have been added to the ScaRaB instrument to improve the cloud scene identification. The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) method for cloud detection and determination of cloud and surface properties uses the same narrow-band channels as ScaRaB, but is employed to a collection of measurements at a better spatial resolution of about 5 km. By applying the original ISCCP algorithms to the ScaRaB data, the clear sky frequency is about 5% lower than the one over quasi-simultaneous original ISCCP data, an indication that the ISCCP cloud detection is quite stable. However, one would expect an about 10 to 20% smaller clear sky occurrence over the larger ScaRaB pixels. Adapting the ISCCP algorithms to the reduced spatial resolution of 60 km and to the different time sampling of the ScaRaB data leads therefore to a reduction of a residual cloud contamination. A sensitivity study with time-space collocated ScaRaB and original ISCCP data at a spatial resolution of 1deg longitude x 1deg latitude shows that the effect of clear sky identification method plays a higher role on the clear sky frequency and therefore on the statistics than on the zonal mean values of the clear sky fluxes. Nevertheless, the zonal outgoing longwave fluxes corresponding to ERBE clear sky are in general about 2 to 10 W/sq m higher than those

Narrow band perfect absorber for maximum localized magnetic and electric field enhancement and sensing applications

PubMed Central

Yong, Zhengdong; Zhang, Senlin; Gong, Chensheng; He, Sailing

2016-01-01

Plasmonics offer an exciting way to mediate the interaction between light and matter, allowing strong field enhancement and confinement, large absorption and scattering at resonance. However, simultaneous realization of ultra-narrow band perfect absorption and electromagnetic field enhancement is challenging due to the intrinsic high optical losses and radiative damping in metals. Here, we propose an all-metal plasmonic absorber with an absorption bandwidth less than 8 nm and polarization insensitive absorptivity exceeding 99%. Unlike traditional Metal-Dielectric-Metal configurations, we demonstrate that the narrowband perfect absorption and field enhancement are ascribed to the vertical gap plasmonic mode in the deep subwavelength scale, which has a high quality factor of 120 and mode volume of about 10−4 × (λres/n)3. Based on the coupled mode theory, we verify that the diluted field enhancement is proportional to the absorption, and thus perfect absorption is critical to maximum field enhancement. In addition, the proposed perfect absorber can be operated as a refractive index sensor with a sensitivity of 885 nm/RIU and figure of merit as high as 110. It provides a new design strategy for narrow band perfect absorption and local field enhancement, and has potential applications in biosensors, filters and nonlinear optics. PMID:27046540

Comparison between ABR with click and narrow band chirp stimuli in children.

PubMed

Zirn, Stefan; Louza, Julia; Reiman, Viktor; Wittlinger, Natalie; Hempel, John-Martin; Schuster, Maria

2014-08-01

Click and chirp-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABR) are applied for the estimation of hearing thresholds in children. The present study analyzes ABR thresholds across a large sample of children's ears obtained with both methods. The aim was to demonstrate the correlation between both methods using narrow band chirp and click stimuli. Click and chirp evoked ABRs were measured in 253 children aged from 0 to 18 years to determine their individual auditory threshold. The delay-compensated stimuli were narrow band CE chirps with either 2000 Hz or 4000 Hz center frequencies. Measurements were performed consecutively during natural sleep, and under sedation or general anesthesia. Threshold estimation was performed for each measurement by two experienced audiologists. Pearson-correlation analysis revealed highly significant correlations (r=0.94) between click and chirp derived thresholds for both 2 kHz and 4 kHz chirps. No considerable differences were observed either between different age ranges or gender. Comparing the thresholds estimated using ABR with click stimuli and chirp stimuli, only 0.8-2% for the 2000 Hz NB-chirp and 0.4-1.2% of the 4000 Hz NB-chirp measurements differed more than 15 dB for different degrees of hearing loss or normal hearing. The results suggest that either NB-chirp or click ABR is sufficient for threshold estimation. This holds for the chirp frequencies of 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz. The use of either click- or chirp-evoked ABR allows a reduction of recording time in young infants. Nevertheless, to cross-check the results of one of the methods, we recommend measurements with the other method as well. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The narrow pass band filter of tunable 1D phononic crystals with a dielectric elastomer layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Liang-Yu; Wu, Mei-Ling; Chen, Lien-Wen

2009-01-01

In this paper, we study the defect bands of a 1D phononic crystal consisting of aluminum (Al) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) layers with a dielectric elastomer (DE) defect layer. The plane wave expansion (PWE) method and supercell calculation are used to calculate the band structure and the defect bands. The transmission spectra are obtained using the finite element method (FEM). Since the thickness of the dielectric elastomer defect layer is controlled by applying an electric voltage, the frequencies of the defect bands can be tuned. A narrow pass band filter can be developed and designed by using the dielectric elastomer.

Narrow-band microwave radiation from a biased single-Cooper-pair transistor.

PubMed

Naaman, O; Aumentado, J

2007-06-01

We show that a single-Cooper-pair transistor (SCPT) electrometer emits narrow-band microwave radiation when biased in its subgap region. Photoexcitation of quasiparticle tunneling in a nearby SCPT is used to spectroscopically detect this radiation in a configuration that closely mimics a qubit-electrometer integrated circuit. We identify emission lines due to Josephson radiation and radiative transport processes in the electrometer and argue that a dissipative superconducting electrometer can severely disrupt the system it attempts to measure.

Alaskan Auroral All-Sky Images on the World Wide Web

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stenbaek-Nielsen, H. C.

1997-01-01

In response to a 1995 NASA SPDS announcement of support for preservation and distribution of important data sets online, the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska, proposed to provide World Wide Web access to the Poker Flat Auroral All-sky Camera images in real time. The Poker auroral all-sky camera is located in the Davis Science Operation Center at Poker Flat Rocket Range about 30 miles north-east of Fairbanks, Alaska, and is connected, through a microwave link, with the Geophysical Institute where we maintain the data base linked to the Web. To protect the low light-level all-sky TV camera from damage due to excessive light, we only operate during the winter season when the moon is down. The camera and data acquisition is now fully computer controlled. Digital images are transmitted each minute to the Web linked data base where the data are available in a number of different presentations: (1) Individual JPEG compressed images (1 minute resolution); (2) Time lapse MPEG movie of the stored images; and (3) A meridional plot of the entire night activity.

The SkyMapper Transient Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scalzo, R. A.; Yuan, F.; Childress, M. J.; Möller, A.; Schmidt, B. P.; Tucker, B. E.; Zhang, B. R.; Onken, C. A.; Wolf, C.; Astier, P.; Betoule, M.; Regnault, N.

2017-07-01

The SkyMapper 1.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory has now begun regular operations. Alongside the Southern Sky Survey, a comprehensive digital survey of the entire southern sky, SkyMapper will carry out a search for supernovae and other transients. The search strategy, covering a total footprint area of 2 000 deg2 with a cadence of ⩽5 d, is optimised for discovery and follow-up of low-redshift type Ia supernovae to constrain cosmic expansion and peculiar velocities. We describe the search operations and infrastructure, including a parallelised software pipeline to discover variable objects in difference imaging; simulations of the performance of the survey over its lifetime; public access to discovered transients; and some first results from the Science Verification data.

New high Tc multiferroics KBiFe2O5 with narrow band gap and promising photovoltaic effect

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ganghua; Wu, Hui; Li, Guobao; Huang, Qingzhen; Yang, Chongyin; Huang, Fuqiang; Liao, Fuhui; Lin, Jianhua

2013-01-01

Intrinsic polarization of ferroelectrics (FE) helps separate photon-generated charge carriers thus enhances photovoltaic effects. However, traditional FE with transition-metal cations (M) of d0 electron in MO6 network typically has a band gap (Eg) exceeding 3.0 eV. Although a smaller Eg (2.6 eV) can be obtained in multiferroic BiFeO3, the value is still too high for optimal solar energy applications. Computational “materials genome” searches have predicted several exotic MO6 FE with Eg < 2.0 eV, all thus far unconfirmed because of synthesis difficulties. Here we report a new FE compound with MO4 tetrahedral network, KBiFe2O5, which features narrow Eg (1.6 eV), high Curie temperature (Tc ~ 780 K) and robust magnetic and photoelectric activities. The high photovoltage (8.8 V) and photocurrent density (15 μA/cm2) were obtained, which is comparable to the reported BiFeO3. This finding may open a new avenue to discovering and designing optimal FE compounds for solar energy applications. PMID:23405279

The second ROSAT All-Sky Survey source catalogue: the deepest X-ray All-Sky Survey before eROSITA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boller, T.; Freyberg, M.; Truemper, J.

2014-07-01

We present the second ROSAT all-sky survey source catalogue (RASS2, (Boller, Freyberg, Truemper 2014, submitted)). The RASS2 is an extension of the ROSAT Bright Source Catalogue (BSC) and the ROSAT Faint Source Catalogue (FSC). The total number of sources in the second RASS catalogue is 124489. The extensions include (i) the supply of new user data products, i.e., X-ray images, X-ray spectra, and X-ray light curves, (ii) a visual screening of each individual detection, (iii) an improved detection algorithm compared to the SASS II processing. This results into an as most as reliable and as most as complete catalogue of point sources detected during the ROSAT Survey observations. We discuss for the first time the intra-day timing and spectral properties of the second RASS catalogue. We find new highly variable sources and we discuss their timing properties. Power law fits have been applied which allows to determine X-ray fluxes, X-ray absorbing columns, and X-ray photon indices. We give access to the second RASS catalogue and the associated data products via a web-interface to allow the community to perform further scientific exploration. The RASS2 catalogue provides the deepest X-ray All-Sky Survey before eROSITA data will become available.

The NASA Fireball Network All-Sky Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Rob M.

2011-01-01

The construction of small, inexpensive all-sky cameras designed specifically for the NASA Fireball Network is described. The use of off-the-shelf electronics, optics, and plumbing materials results in a robust and easy to duplicate design. Engineering challenges such as weather-proofing and thermal control and their mitigation are described. Field-of-view and gain adjustments to assure uniformity across the network will also be detailed.

A daytime measurement of the lunar contribution to the night sky brightness in LSST's ugrizy bands-initial results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlin, Michael; Stubbs, Christopher; Claver, Chuck

2016-06-01

We report measurements from which we determine the spatial structure of the lunar contribution to night sky brightness, taken at the LSST site on Cerro Pachon in Chile. We use an array of six photodiodes with filters that approximate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope's u, g, r, i, z, and y bands. We use the sun as a proxy for the moon, and measure sky brightness as a function of zenith angle of the point on sky, zenith angle of the sun, and angular distance between the sun and the point on sky. We make a correction for the difference between the illumination spectrum of the sun and the moon. Since scattered sunlight totally dominates the daytime sky brightness, this technique allows us to cleanly determine the contribution to the (cloudless) night sky from backscattered moonlight, without contamination from other sources of night sky brightness. We estimate our uncertainty in the relative lunar night sky brightness vs. zenith and lunar angle to be between 0.3-0.7 mags depending on the passband. This information is useful in planning the optimal execution of the LSST survey, and perhaps for other astronomical observations as well. Although our primary objective is to map out the angular structure and spectrum of the scattered light from the atmosphere and particulates, we also make an estimate of the expected number of scattered lunar photons per pixel per second in LSST, and find values that are in overall agreement with previous estimates.

Predicting the Quasar Photometric Reshift with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Filter System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laubacher, Emily M.; York, Donald G.

1999-10-01

Photometric data were obtained for a set of known quasars (QSOs) in five bands with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) filter system for the purpose of testing the ability of the SDSS system to accurately predict the photometric redshift of QSOs. The initial plot of the SDSS photometric redshift versus the measured redshift shows a good relationship, but a lot of scatter. A literature search was conducted on a selected sampling of 49 QSOs, 26 with redshift z <= 0.5 and 23 with 0.5 < z < 2.6, to confirm their accurate identifications as QSOs with their advertised redshifts. This search revealed 10 rejected QSOs which were not QSOs but rather Seyfert galaxies or Narrow Line Objects. Additionally, 11 QSOs were either Broad Absorption Line Systems or had spectra that were in some way incomplete, and therefore, their QSO identification could not be confirmed. The revised plot, with the rejected and unconfirmed QSOs removed, gives an excellent straight line with very little scatter. Although these results are preliminary and for only a small sampling of QSOs, they show that further study of the relationship is warranted and that eventually the SDSS method may be used to accurately predict the photometric redshift of QSOs.

An All Sky Instantaneous Shortwave Solar Radiation Model for Mountainous Terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S.; Li, X.; She, J.

2017-12-01

In mountainous terrain, solar radiation shows high heterogeneity in space and time because of strong terrain shading effects and significant variability of cloud cover. While existing GIS-based solar radiation models simulate terrain shading effects with relatively high accuracy and models based on satellite datasets consider fine scale cloud attenuation processes, none of these models have considered the geometrical relationships between sun, cloud, and terrain, which are important over mountainous terrain. In this research we propose sky cloud maps to represent cloud distribution in a hemispherical sky using MODIS cloud products. By overlaying skyshed (visible area in the hemispherical sky derived from DEM), sky map, and sky cloud maps, we are able to consider both terrain shading effects and anisotropic cloud attenuation in modeling instantaneous direct and diffuse solar radiation in mountainous terrain. The model is evaluated with field observations from three automatic weather stations in the Tizinafu watershed in the Kunlun Mountains of northwestern China. Overall, under all sky conditions, the model overestimates instantaneous global solar radiation with a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 22%. The model is also evaluated under clear sky (clearness index of more than 0.75) and partly cloudy sky (clearness index between 0.35 and 0.75) conditions with MARDs of 5.98% and 23.65% respectively. The MARD for very cloudy sky (clearness index less than 0.35) is relatively high. But these days occur less than 1% of the time. The model is sensitive to DEM data error, algorithms used in delineating skyshed, and errors in MODIS atmosphere and cloud products. Our model provides a novel approach for solar radiation modeling in mountainous areas.

Energy transport in weakly nonlinear wave systems with narrow frequency band excitation.

PubMed

Kartashova, Elena

2012-10-01

A novel discrete model (D model) is presented describing nonlinear wave interactions in systems with small and moderate nonlinearity under narrow frequency band excitation. It integrates in a single theoretical frame two mechanisms of energy transport between modes, namely, intermittency and energy cascade, and gives the conditions under which each regime will take place. Conditions for the formation of a cascade, cascade direction, conditions for cascade termination, etc., are given and depend strongly on the choice of excitation parameters. The energy spectra of a cascade may be computed, yielding discrete and continuous energy spectra. The model does not require statistical assumptions, as all effects are derived from the interaction of distinct modes. In the example given-surface water waves with dispersion function ω(2)=gk and small nonlinearity-the D model predicts asymmetrical growth of side-bands for Benjamin-Feir instability, while the transition from discrete to continuous energy spectrum, excitation parameters properly chosen, yields the saturated Phillips' power spectrum ~g(2)ω(-5). The D model can be applied to the experimental and theoretical study of numerous wave systems appearing in hydrodynamics, nonlinear optics, electrodynamics, plasma, convection theory, etc.

Lights in the sky: a search for meaning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ward, Martin

2014-06-01

Across our planet humans live in diverse societies with different forms of government, social, economic and belief systems, but we all exist under one sky. Martin Ward sets the scene for a public panel discussion addressing these different cultural and historical lenses.

Narrow-band EUV Multilayer Coating for the MOSES Sounding Rocket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owens, Scott M.; Gum, Jeffery S.; Tarrio, Charles; Dvorak, Joseph; Kjornrattanawanich, Benjawan; Keski-Kuha, Ritva; Thomas, Roger J.; Kankelborg, Charles C.

2005-01-01

The Multi-order Solar EUV Spectrograph (MOSES) is a slitless spectrograph designed to study solar He II emission at 303.8 Angstroms, to be launched on a sounding rocket payload. One difference between MOSES and other slitless spectrographs is that the images are recorded simultaneously at three spectral orders, m = -1,0, +l. Another is the addition of a narrow-band multilayer coating on both the grating and the fold flat, which will reject out-of-band lines that normally contaminate the image of a slitless instrument. The primary metrics f a the mating were high peak reflectivity and suppression of Fe XV and XVI emission lines at 284 Angstroms and 335 Angstroms, respectively. We chose B4C/Mg2Si for our material combination since it provides better values for all three metrics together than the other leading candidates Si/Ir, Si/B4C or Si/SiC. Measurements of witness flats at NIST indicate the peak reflectivity at 303.6 is 38.5% for a 15 bilayer stack, while the suppression at 284 Angstroms, is 4.5x and at 335 Angstroms is 18.3x for each of two reflections in the instrument. We present the results of coating the MOSES flight gratings and fold flat, including the spectral response of the fold flat and grating as measured at NIST's SURF III and Brookhaven's X24C beamline.

RXTE All-Sky Slew Survey. Catalog of X-Ray Sources at B Greater Than 10 deg

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Revnivtsev, M.; Sazonov, S.; Jahoda, K.; Gilfanov, M.

2004-01-01

We report results of a serendipitous hard X-ray (3-20 keV), nearly all-sky (absolute value of b greater than l0 deg.) survey based on RXTE/PCA observations performed during satellite reorientations in 1996-2002. The survey is 80% (90%) complete to a 4(sigma) limiting flux of approx. = 1.8 (2.5) x 10(exp -l1) erg/s sq cm in the 3-20 keV band. The achieved sensitivity in the 3-8 keV and 8-20 keV subbands is similar to and an order of magnitude higher than that of the previously record HEAO-1 A1 and HEAO-1 A4 all-sky surveys, respectively. A combined 7 x 10(exp 3) sq. deg area of the sky is sampled to flux levels below l0(exp -11) erg/ s sq cm (3-20 keV). In total 294 sources are detected and localized to better than 1 deg. 236 (80%) of these can be confidently associated with a known astrophysical object; another 22 likely result from the superposition of 2 or 3 closely located known sources. 35 detected sources remain unidentified, although for 12 of these we report a likely soft X-ray counterpart from the ROSAT all-sky survey bright source catalog. Of the reliably identified sources, 63 have local origin (Milky Way, LMC or SMC), 64 are clusters of galaxies and 100 are active galactic nuclei (AGN). The fact that the unidentified X-ray sources have hard spectra suggests that the majority of them are AGN, including highly obscured ones (N(sub H) greater than l0(exp 23)/sq cm). For the first time we present a log N-log S diagram for extragalactic sources above 4 x l0(exp -12) erg/ s sq cm at 8-20 keV. Key words. cosmo1ogy:observations - diffuse radiation - X-rays general

Narrow-band injection seeding of a terahertz frequency quantum cascade laser: Selection and suppression of longitudinal modes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nong, Hanond, E-mail: Nong.Hanond@rub.de; Markmann, Sergej; Hekmat, Negar

2014-09-15

A periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) crystal with multiple poling periods is used to generate tunable narrow-bandwidth THz pulses for injection seeding a quantum cascade laser (QCL). We demonstrate that longitudinal modes of the quantum cascade laser close to the gain maximum can be selected or suppressed according to the seed spectrum. The QCL emission spectra obtained by electro-optic sampling from the quantum cascade laser, in the most favorable case, shows high selectivity and amplification of the longitudinal modes that overlap the frequency of the narrow-band seed. Proper selection of the narrow-band THz seed from the PPLN crystal discretely tunesmore » the longitudinal mode emission of the quantum cascade laser. Moreover, the THz wave build-up within the laser cavity is studied as a function of the round-trip time. When the seed frequency is outside the maximum of the gain spectrum the laser emission shifts to the preferential longitudinal mode.« less

A survey of nebulae around Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars in the southern sky, 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marston, A. P.; Chu, Y.-H.; Garcia-Segura, G.

1994-01-01

Images are presented from the first half of a survey of all Galactic Wolf-Rayet stars in the catalog of van der Hucht et al. (1981) residing in the southern skies. Previous surveys used only existing broad-band photographic plates. Encouraged by successes using CCD imaging with interference filters of the LMC and northern Galaxy (Miller & Chu 1993), we have expanded the survey to the southern hemisphere. In the first half of our southern survey, H alpha and (O III) narrow-band CCD images of fields centered on known Wolf-Rayet stars have indicated the existence of six new ring nebulae as well as revealing previously unobserved morphological features in the known ring nebulae. An example of this is an almost perfect ring of (O III) emission residing interior to the previously observed H alpha filaments of the Wolf-Rayet ring nebulae RCW 104. Our surveys to date indicate that 21% of all Wolf-Rayet stars have ring nebulae, with WN-type Wolf-Rayet stars having a greater likelihood for an associated ring.

Recovering physical properties from narrow-band photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoenell, W.; Cid Fernandes, R.; Benítez, N.; Vale Asari, N.

2013-05-01

Our aim in this work is to answer, using simulated narrow-band photometry data, the following general question: What can we learn about galaxies from these new generation cosmological surveys? For instance, can we estimate stellar age and metallicity distributions? Can we separate star-forming galaxies from AGN? Can we measure emission lines, nebular abundances and extinction? With what precision? To accomplish this, we selected a sample of about 300k galaxies with good S/N from the SDSS and divided them in two groups: 200k objects and a template library of 100k. We corrected the spectra to z = 0 and converted them to filter fluxes. Using a statistical approach, we calculated a Probability Distribution Function (PDF) for each property of each object and the library. Since we have the properties of all the data from the STARLIGHT-SDSS database, we could compare them with the results obtained from summaries of the PDF (mean, median, etc). Our results shows that we retrieve the weighted average of the log of the galaxy age with a good error margin (σ ≈ 0.1 - 0.2 dex), and similarly for the physical properties such as mass-to-light ratio, mean stellar metallicity, etc. Furthermore, our main result is that we can derive emission line intensities and ratios with similar precision. This makes this method unique in comparison to the other methods on the market to analyze photometry data and shows that, from the point of view of galaxy studies, future photometric surveys will be much more useful than anticipated.

Daytime Sky Brightness Characterization for Persistent GEO SSA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, G.; Cobb, R. G.

Space Situational Awareness (SSA) is fundamental to operating in space. SSA for collision avoidance ensures safety of flight for both government and commercial spacecraft through persistent monitoring. A worldwide network of optical and radar sensors gather satellite ephemeris data from the nighttime sky. Current practice for daytime satellite tracking is limited exclusively to radar as the brightening daytime sky prevents the use of visible-band optical sensors. Radar coverage is not pervasive and results in significant daytime coverage gaps in SSA. To mitigate these gaps, optical telescopes equipped with sensors in the near-infrared band (0.75-0.9m) may be used. The diminished intensity of the background sky radiance in the near-infrared band may allow for daylight tracking further into the twilight hours. To determine the performance of a near-infrared sensor for daylight custody, the sky background radiance must first be characterized spectrally as a function of wavelength. Using a physics-based atmospheric model with access to near-real time weather, we developed a generalized model for the apparent sky brightness of the Geostationary satellite belt. The model results are then compared to measured data collected from Dayton, OH through various look and Sun angles for model validation and spectral sky radiance quantification in the visible and near-infrared bands.

A multi-sensor data-driven methodology for all-sky passive microwave inundation retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takbiri, Zeinab; Ebtehaj, Ardeshir M.; Foufoula-Georgiou, Efi

2017-06-01

We present a multi-sensor Bayesian passive microwave retrieval algorithm for flood inundation mapping at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The algorithm takes advantage of observations from multiple sensors in optical, short-infrared, and microwave bands, thereby allowing for detection and mapping of the sub-pixel fraction of inundated areas under almost all-sky conditions. The method relies on a nearest-neighbor search and a modern sparsity-promoting inversion method that make use of an a priori dataset in the form of two joint dictionaries. These dictionaries contain almost overlapping observations by the Special Sensor Microwave Imager and Sounder (SSMIS) on board the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F17 satellite and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua and Terra satellites. Evaluation of the retrieval algorithm over the Mekong Delta shows that it is capable of capturing to a good degree the inundation diurnal variability due to localized convective precipitation. At longer timescales, the results demonstrate consistency with the ground-based water level observations, denoting that the method is properly capturing inundation seasonal patterns in response to regional monsoonal rain. The calculated Euclidean distance, rank-correlation, and also copula quantile analysis demonstrate a good agreement between the outputs of the algorithm and the observed water levels at monthly and daily timescales. The current inundation products are at a resolution of 12.5 km and taken twice per day, but a higher resolution (order of 5 km and every 3 h) can be achieved using the same algorithm with the dictionary populated by the Global Precipitation Mission (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) products.

RELEVANT ASPECTS OF MEDIUM-SCALE TIDs RELATED WITH MIDLATITUDES SPREAD- F OBSERVED BY ALL-SKY IMAGING SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE OVER TWO FULL SOLAR CYCLES

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pimenta, A. A.

2009-12-01

Using ground-based measurements we investigate the occurrence of medium-scale TIDs (MSTIDs) in the OI 630 nm nightglow emission all-sky images in the Brazilian low latitudes region related with midlatitude Spread F, during over two full solar cycles. The OI 630 nm images obtained during these periods show thermospheric dark band structures (MSTIDs) in low latitudes region propagating from southeast to northwest. These dark patches moved with average speed of about 50-200 m/s. Only during low solar activity period (LSA), ascending solar activity period (ASA) and descending solar activity period the DBS occurrences were observed in the OI630 nm nightglow emission all-sky images. However, during high solar activity (HAS) we didn’t observe the DBS in the all-sky images. In addition, ionospheric data over two stations in Brazil, one at the magnetic equator (São Luís) and the other close to the southern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly (Cachoeira Paulista) were used to study this kind of structures during high and low solar activity periods. It should be pointed out that these thermospheric/ionospheric events are not related to geomagnetic disturbed conditions. In this work, we present and discuss this phenomenon in the Brazilian sector over two full solar cycles under different solar activity conditions. A possible mechanism for generation of these dark band structures is presented.

Narrowing of band gap at source/drain contact scheme of nanoscale InAs-nMOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamed, A. H.; Oxland, R.; Aldegunde, M.; Hepplestone, S. P.; Sushko, P. V.; Kalna, K.

2018-04-01

A multi-scale simulation study of Ni/InAs nano-scale contact aimed for the sub-14 nm technology is carried out to understand material and transport properties at a metal-semiconductor interface. The deposited Ni metal contact on an 11 nm thick InAs channel forms an 8.5 nm thick InAs leaving a 2.5 nm thick InAs channel on a p-type doped (1 × 1016 cm-3) AlAs0.47Sb0.53 buffer. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal a band gap narrowing in the InAs at the metal-semiconductor interface. The one-dimensional (1D) self-consistent Poisson-Schrödinger transport simulations using real-space material parameters extracted from the DFT calculations at the metal-semiconductor interface, exhibiting band gap narrowing, give a specific sheet resistance of Rsh = 90.9 Ω/sq which is in a good agreement with an experimental value of 97 Ω/sq.

Narrow-Band Organic Photodiodes for High-Resolution Imaging.

PubMed

Han, Moon Gyu; Park, Kyung-Bae; Bulliard, Xavier; Lee, Gae Hwang; Yun, Sungyoung; Leem, Dong-Seok; Heo, Chul-Joon; Yagi, Tadao; Sakurai, Rie; Ro, Takkyun; Lim, Seon-Jeong; Sul, Sangchul; Na, Kyoungwon; Ahn, Jungchak; Jin, Yong Wan; Lee, Sangyoon

2016-10-05

There are growing opportunities and demands for image sensors that produce higher-resolution images, even in low-light conditions. Increasing the light input areas through 3D architecture within the same pixel size can be an effective solution to address this issue. Organic photodiodes (OPDs) that possess wavelength selectivity can allow for advancements in this regard. Here, we report on novel push-pull D-π-A dyes specially designed for Gaussian-shaped, narrow-band absorption and the high photoelectric conversion. These p-type organic dyes work both as a color filter and as a source of photocurrents with linear and fast light responses, high sensitivity, and excellent stability, when combined with C60 to form bulk heterojunctions (BHJs). The effectiveness of the OPD composed of the active color filter was demonstrated by obtaining a full-color image using a camera that contained an organic/Si hybrid complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) color image sensor.

Strategy for the IRAS all-sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundy, S. A.

1984-01-01

IRAS (the Infrared Astronomical Satellite) was launched on January 25, 1983 (January 26 GMT) with the primary purpose of performing an infrared survey of the entire celestial sphere. To ensure completeness and reliability, every point of sky was to be covered by a minimum of four separate scans of the telescope field-of-view, and as much as possible with six, with certain added timing constraints on the elapsed interval between scans. These strong requirements for sky coverage, combined with a restricted, rotating viewing-window, made extensive planning for the survey strategy, both pre-launch and during operations, a necessity. The result was that on November 21 (November 22 GMT), when the liquid helium required for cooling was depleted, 96 percent of the sky was covered to the minimum depth of four and 71 percent was coverd to depth six or more.

Narrow band noise response of a Belleville spring resonator.

PubMed

Lyon, Richard H

2013-09-01

This study of nonlinear dynamics includes (i) an identification of quasi-steady states of response using equivalent linearization, (ii) the temporal simulation of the system using Heun's time step procedure on time domain analytic signals, and (iii) a laboratory experiment. An attempt has been made to select material and measurement parameters so that nearly the same systems are used and analyzed for all three parts of the study. This study illustrates important features of nonlinear response to narrow band excitation: (a) states of response that the system can acquire with transitions of the system between those states, (b) the interaction between the noise source and the vibrating load in which the source transmits energy to or draws energy from the load as transitions occur; (c) the lag or lead of the system response relative to the source as transitions occur that causes the average frequencies of source and response to differ; and (d) the determination of the state of response (mass or stiffness controlled) by observation of the instantaneous phase of the influence function. These analyses take advantage of the use of time domain analytic signals that have a complementary role to functions that are analytic in the frequency domain.

Locata Performance Evaluation in the Presence of Wide- and Narrow-Band Interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Faisal A.; Rizos, Chris; Dempster, Andrew G.

Classically difficult positioning environments often call for augmentation technology to assist the GPS, or more generally the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology. The ground-based ranging technology offers augmentation, and even replacement, to GPS in such environments. However, like any other system relying on wireless technology, a Locata positioning network also faces issues in the presence of RF interference (RFI). This problem is magnified due to the fact that Locata operates in the licence-free 2·4 GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. The licence-free nature of this band attracts a much larger number of devices using a wider range of signal types than for licensed bands, resulting in elevation of the noise floor. Also, harmonics from out-of-band signals can act as potential interferers. WiFi devices operating in this band have been identified as the most likely potential interferer, due partially to their use of the whole ISM band, but also because Locata applications often also may use a wireless network. This paper evaluates the performance of Locata in the presence of both narrow- and wide-band interfering signals. Effects of received interference on both raw measurements and final solutions are reported and analysed. Test results show that Locata performance degrades in the presence of received interference. It is also identified that high levels of received interference can affect Locata carriers even if the interference is not in co-frequency situation with the affected carrier. Finally, Locata characteristics have been identified which can be exploited to mitigate RFI issues.

ASSESSMENT OF LOW-FREQUENCY HEARING WITH NARROW-BAND CHIRP EVOKED 40-HZ SINUSOIDAL AUDITORY STEADY STATE RESPONSE

PubMed Central

Wilson, Uzma S.; Kaf, Wafaa A.; Danesh, Ali A.; Lichtenhan, Jeffery T.

2016-01-01

Objective To determine the clinical utility of narrow-band chirp evoked 40-Hz sinusoidal auditory steady state responses (s-ASSR) in the assessment of low-frequency hearing in noisy participants. Design Tone bursts and narrow-band chirps were used to respectively evoke auditory brainstem responses (tb-ABR) and 40-Hz s-ASSR thresholds with the Kalman-weighted filtering technique and were compared to behavioral thresholds at 500, 2000, and 4000 Hz. A repeated measure ANOVA and post-hoc t-tests, and simple regression analyses were performed for each of the three stimulus frequencies. Study Sample Thirty young adults aged 18–25 with normal hearing participated in this study. Results When 4000 equivalent responses averages were used, the range of mean s-ASSR thresholds from 500, 2000, and 4000 Hz were 17–22 dB lower (better) than when 2000 averages were used. The range of mean tb-ABR thresholds were lower by 11–15 dB for 2000 and 4000 Hz when twice as many equivalent response averages were used, while mean tb-ABR thresholds for 500 Hz were indistinguishable regardless of additional response averaging Conclusion Narrow band chirp evoked 40-Hz s-ASSR requires a ~15 dB smaller correction factor than tb-ABR for estimating low-frequency auditory threshold in noisy participants when adequate response averaging is used. PMID:26795555

A simplified scheme for generating narrow-band mid-ultraviolet laser radiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Almog, G.; Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Geschwister-Scholl-Platz 1, 80539 München; Scholz, M., E-mail: Matthias.Scholz@toptica.com

2015-03-15

We report on the development and characterization of continuous, narrow-band, and tunable laser systems that use direct second-harmonic generation from blue and green diode lasers with an output power level of up to 11.1 mW in the mid-ultraviolet. One of our laser systems was tuned to the mercury 6{sup 1}S{sub 0} → 6{sup 3}P{sub 1} intercombination line at 253.7 nm. We could perform Doppler-free saturation spectroscopy on this line and were able to lock our laser to the transition frequency on long time scales.

The search for Near Earth Objects - why dark skies are critically important

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainscoat, Richard

2015-08-01

Impact of Earth by asteroids is perhaps the only natural disaster that can be prevented. If an asteroid that will impact Earth can be identified sufficiently early, it is possible to modify its orbit to eliminate the impact. As a consequence, a major effort is presently underway to identify Near Earth Objects (NEOs) that may present a threat to Earth. The impact of a 20-meter diameter object near Chelyabinsk, Russia, provided a spectacular reminder of the threat that these objects present. Although no deaths were caused, injuries and a large amount of property damage were caused.The search for NEOs is mostly funded by NASA. The principal search telescopes are the Pan-STARRS telescopes, located on Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii, and the Catalina Sky Survey, located near Tucson, Arizona. Both of these locations are seriously threatened by light pollution. A new survey, ATLAS, will commence shortly, with one telescope located on Haleakala, Maui, and the other telescope located on Mauna Loa, Hawaii (which is less threatened).Artificial light (i.e., light pollution) at these observing sites raises the sky background, and makes faint objects harder or impossible to see.Searches for Near Earth Objects typically use very broad passbands in order to obtain the maximum amount of light. These passbands typically stretch from 400 to 820 nm. As such, they are very vulnerable to the changes in lighting that are occurring across the globe, with widespread introduction of blue-rich white lighting. It is critically important in all of these locations to limit the amount of blue light that is so readily scattered by the atmosphere.A network of followup telescopes, spread across the planet, play a crucial role in the discovery of NEOs. After a new NEO is identified by the survey telescopes such as Pan-STARRS and Catalina, additional observations must be secured to establish its orbit, and in order to determine whether it poses a threat to Earth. The majority of these followup telescopes are

Reduction and Analysis of GALFACTS Data in Search of Compact Variable Sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenger, Trey; Barenfeld, S.; Ghosh, T.; Salter, C.

2012-01-01

The Galactic ALFA Continuum Transit Survey (GALFACTS) is an all-Arecibo sky, full-Stokes survey from 1225 to 1525 MHz using the multibeam Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA). Using data from survey field N1, the first field covered by GALFACTS, we are searching for compact sources that vary in intensity and/or polarization. The multistep procedure for reducing the data includes radio frequency interference (RFI) removal, source detection, Gaussian fitting in multiple dimensions, polarization leakage calibration, and gain calibration. We have developed code to analyze and calculate the calibration parameters from the N1 calibration sources, and apply these to the data of the main run. For detected compact sources, our goal is to compare results from multiple passes over a source to search for rapid variability, as well as to compare our flux densities with those from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) to search for longer time-scale variations.

Sky Localization of Complete Inspiral-Merger-Ringdown Signals for Nonspinning Black Hole Binaries with LISA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McWilliams, Sean T.; Lang, Ryan N.; Baker, John G.; Thorpe, James Ira

2011-01-01

We investigate the capability of LISA to measure the sky position of equal-mass, nonspinning black hole binaries, including for the first time the entire inspiral-merger-ringdown signal, the effect of the LISA orbits, and the complete three-channel LISA response. For an ensemble of systems near the peak of LISA's sensitivity band, with total rest mass of 2 x l0(exp 6) Stellar Mass at a redshift of z = 1 with random orientations and sky positions, we find median sky localization errors of approximately approx. 3 arcminutes. This is comparable to the field of view of powerful electromagnetic telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, that could be used to search for electromagnetic signals associated with merging black holes. We investigate the way in which parameter errors decrease with measurement time, focusing specifically on the additional information provided during the merger-ringdown segment of the signal. We find that this information improves all parameter estimates directly, rather than through diminishing correlations with any subset of well-determined parameters.

Extreme Variability Quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey

DOE PAGES

Rumbaugh, N.

2018-02-21

Here, we perform a systematic search for long-term extreme variability quasars (EVQs) in the overlapping Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and 3-Year Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging, which provide light curves spanning more than 15 years. We also identified 1000 EVQs with a maximum g band magnitude change of more than 1 mag over this period, about 10% of all quasars searched. The EVQs have L bol 10 45 - 10 47 erg s -1 and L=L Edd 0:01-1. Accounting for selection effects, we estimate an intrinsic EVQ fraction of 30-50% among all g.22 quasars over a baseline of 15more » years. These EVQs are good candidates for so-called “changing-look quasars”, where a spectral transition between the two types of quasars (broad-line and narrow-line) is observed between the dim and bright states. We performed detailed multi-wavelength, spectral and variability analyses for the EVQs and compared to their parent quasar sample. We found that EVQs are distinct from a control sample of quasars matched in redshift and optical luminosity: (1) their UV broad emission lines have larger equivalent widths; (2) their Eddington ratios are systematically lower; and (3) they are more variable on all timescales. The intrinsic difference in quasar properties for EVQs suggest that internal processes associated with accretion are the main driver for the observed extreme long-term variability. In spit of their different properties, EVQs seem to be in the tail of a continuous distribution of quasar properties, rather than standing out as a distinct population. We speculate that EVQs are normal quasars accreting at relatively low accretion rates, where the accretion flow is more likely to experience instabilities that drive the factor of few changes in flux on multi-year timescales.« less

Extreme Variability Quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rumbaugh, N.

Here, we perform a systematic search for long-term extreme variability quasars (EVQs) in the overlapping Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and 3-Year Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging, which provide light curves spanning more than 15 years. We also identified 1000 EVQs with a maximum g band magnitude change of more than 1 mag over this period, about 10% of all quasars searched. The EVQs have L bol 10 45 - 10 47 erg s -1 and L=L Edd 0:01-1. Accounting for selection effects, we estimate an intrinsic EVQ fraction of 30-50% among all g.22 quasars over a baseline of 15more » years. These EVQs are good candidates for so-called “changing-look quasars”, where a spectral transition between the two types of quasars (broad-line and narrow-line) is observed between the dim and bright states. We performed detailed multi-wavelength, spectral and variability analyses for the EVQs and compared to their parent quasar sample. We found that EVQs are distinct from a control sample of quasars matched in redshift and optical luminosity: (1) their UV broad emission lines have larger equivalent widths; (2) their Eddington ratios are systematically lower; and (3) they are more variable on all timescales. The intrinsic difference in quasar properties for EVQs suggest that internal processes associated with accretion are the main driver for the observed extreme long-term variability. In spit of their different properties, EVQs seem to be in the tail of a continuous distribution of quasar properties, rather than standing out as a distinct population. We speculate that EVQs are normal quasars accreting at relatively low accretion rates, where the accretion flow is more likely to experience instabilities that drive the factor of few changes in flux on multi-year timescales.« less

Extreme Variability Quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rumbaugh, N.; Shen, Yue; Morganson, Eric

2018-02-20

We perform a systematic search for long-term extreme variability quasars (EVQs) in the overlapping Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and 3-Year Dark Energy Survey (DES) imaging, which provide light curves spanning more than 15 years. We identified ~1000 EVQs with a maximum g band magnitude change of more than 1 mag over this period, about 10% of all quasars searched. The EVQs have L_bol~10^45-10^47 erg/s and L/L_Edd~0.01-1. Accounting for selection effects, we estimate an intrinsic EVQ fraction of ~30-50% among all g<~22 quasars over a baseline of ~15 years. These EVQs are good candidates for so-called "changing-look quasars", where amore » spectral transition between the two types of quasars (broad-line and narrow-line) is observed between the dim and bright states. We performed detailed multi-wavelength, spectral and variability analyses for the EVQs and compared to their parent quasar sample. We found that EVQs are distinct from a control sample of quasars matched in redshift and optical luminosity: (1) their UV broad emission lines have larger equivalent widths; (2) their Eddington ratios are systematically lower; and (3) they are more variable on all timescales. The intrinsic difference in quasar properties for EVQs suggest that internal processes associated with accretion are the main driver for the observed extreme long-term variability. However, despite their different properties, EVQs seem to be in the tail of a continuous distribution of quasar properties, rather than standing out as a distinct population. We speculate that EVQs are normal quasars accreting at relatively low accretion rates, where the accretion flow is more likely to experience instabilities that drive the factor of few changes in flux on multi-year timescales.« less

High resolution observations with Artemis-IV and the NRH. I. Type IV associated narrow-band bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouratzis, C.; Hillaris, A.; Alissandrakis, C. E.; Preka-Papadema, P.; Moussas, X.; Caroubalos, C.; Tsitsipis, P.; Kontogeorgos, A.

2016-02-01

Context. Narrow-band bursts appear on dynamic spectra from microwave to decametric frequencies as fine structures with very small duration and bandwidth. They are believed to be manifestations of small scale energy release through magnetic reconnection. Aims: We analyzed 27 metric type IV events with embedded narrow-band bursts, which were observed by the ARTEMIS-IV radio spectrograph from 30 June 1999 to 1 August 2010. We examined the morphological characteristics of isolated narrow-band structures (mostly spikes) and groups or chains of structures. Methods: The events were recorded with the SAO high resolution (10 ms cadence) receiver of ARTEMIS-IV in the 270-450 MHz range. We measured the duration, spectral width, and frequency drift of ~12 000 individual narrow-band bursts, groups, and chains. Spike sources were imaged with the Nançay radioheliograph (NRH) for the event of 21 April 2003. Results: The mean duration of individual bursts at fixed frequency was ~100 ms, while the instantaneous relative bandwidth was ~2%. Some bursts had measurable frequency drift, either positive or negative. Quite often spikes appeared in chains, which were closely spaced in time (column chains) or in frequency (row chains). Column chains had frequency drifts similar to type-IIId bursts, while most of the row chains exhibited negative frequently drifts with a rate close to that of fiber bursts. From the analysis of NRH data, we found that spikes were superimposed on a larger, slowly varying, background component. They were polarized in the same sense as the background source, with a slightly higher degree of polarization of ~65%, and their size was about 60% of their size in total intensity. Conclusions: The duration and bandwidth distributions did not show any clear separation in groups. Some chains tended to assume the form of zebra, lace stripes, fiber bursts, or bursts of the type-III family, suggesting that such bursts might be resolved in spikes when viewed with high

Hydrogen-Saturated Saline Protects Intensive Narrow Band Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Guinea Pigs through an Antioxidant Effect

PubMed Central

Chen, Liwei; Yu, Ning; Lu, Yan; Wu, Longjun; Chen, Daishi; Guo, Weiwei; Zhao, Lidong; Liu, Mingbo; Yang, Shiming; Sun, Xuejun; Zhai, Suoqiang

2014-01-01

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate hydrogen-saturated saline protecting intensive narrow band noise-induced hearing loss. Guinea pigs were divided into three groups: hydrogen-saturated saline; normal saline; and control. For saline administration, the guinea pigs were given daily abdominal injections (1 ml/100 g) 3 days before and 1 h before narrow band noise exposure (2.5–3.5 kHz 130 dB SPL, 1 h). The guinea pigs in the control group received no treatment. The hearing function was assessed by the auditory brainstem response (ABR) and distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) recording. The changes of free radicals in the cochlea before noise exposure, and immediately and 7 days after noise exposure were also examined. By Scanning electron microscopy and succinate dehydrogenase staining, we found that pre-treatment with hydrogen-saturated saline significantly reduced noise-induced hair cell damage and hearing loss. We also found that the malondialdehyde, lipid peroxidation, and hydroxyl levels were significantly lower in the hydrogen-saturated saline group after noise trauma, indicating that hydrogen-saturated saline can decrease the amount of harmful free radicals caused by noise trauma. Our findings suggest that hydrogen-saturated saline is effective in preventing intensive narrow band noise-induced hearing loss through the antioxidant effect. PMID:24945316

SkyDOT: a publicly accessible variability database, containing multiple sky surveys and real-time data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Starr, D. L.; Wozniak, P. R.; Vestrand, W. T.

2002-01-01

SkyDOT (Sky Database for Objects in Time-Domain) is a Virtual Observatory currently comprised of data from the RAPTOR, ROTSE I, and OGLE I1 survey projects. This makes it a very large time domain database. In addition, the RAPTOR project provides SkyDOT with real-time variability data as well as stereoscopic information. With its web interface, we believe SkyDOT will be a very useful tool for both astronomers, and the public. Our main task has been to construct an efficient relational database containing all existing data, while handling a real-time inflow of data. We also provide a useful web interface allowing easymore » access to both astronomers and the public. Initially, this server will allow common searches, specific queries, and access to light curves. In the future we will include machine learning classification tools and access to spectral information.« less

GASS: the Parkes Galactic all-sky survey. II. Stray-radiation correction and second data release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalberla, P. M. W.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.; Pisano, D. J.; Calabretta, M. R.; Ford, H. Alyson; Lockman, F. J.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Kerp, J.; Winkel, B.; Murphy, T.; Newton-McGee, K.

2010-10-01

Context. The Parkes Galactic all-sky survey (GASS) is a survey of Galactic atomic hydrogen (H i) emission in the southern sky observed with the Parkes 64-m Radio Telescope. The first data release was published by McClure-Griffiths et al. (2009). Aims: We remove instrumental effects that affect the GASS and present the second data release. Methods: We calculate the stray-radiation by convolving the all-sky response of the Parkes antenna with the brightness temperature distribution from the Leiden/Argentine/Bonn (LAB) all sky 21-cm line survey, with major contributions from the 30-m dish of the Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomía (IAR) in the southern sky. Remaining instrumental baselines are corrected using the LAB data for a first guess of emission-free baseline regions. Radio frequency interference is removed by median filtering. Results: After applying these corrections to the GASS we find an excellent agreement with the Leiden/Argentine/Bonn (LAB) survey. The GASS is the highest spatial resolution, most sensitive, and is currently the most accurate H i survey of the Galactic H i emission in the southern sky. We provide a web interface for generation and download of FITS cubes.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Wisconsin soft X-ray diffuse background all-sky Survey (McCammon+ 1983)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCammon, D.; Burrows, D. N.; Sanders, W. T.; Kraushaar, W. L.

1997-10-01

The catalog contains all-sky survey of the soft X-ray diffuse background and the count-rate data from which the maps were made for the ten flights included in the survey. It contains 40 files in the machine-readable version and includes documentation and utility subroutines. The data files contain different band maps (B, C, M, M1, M2, I, J, 2-6 keV) in a 0 degree-centered Aitoff projection, in a 180-degree-centered Aitoff projection, in a north polar projection, and in a south polar projection. Lookup tables in the form of FITS images are provided for conversion between pixel coordinates and Galactic coordinates for the various projections. The bands are: B = 130-188eV C = 160-284eV M1 = 440-930eV M2 = 600-1100eV I = 770-1500eV J = 1100-2200eV 2-6keV = 1800-6300eV (51 data files).

Crystal Growth and Characterization of the Narrow-Band-Gap Semiconductors OsPn 2 (Pn = P, As, Sb)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bugaris, Daniel E.; Malliakas, Christos D.; Shoemaker, Daniel P.

2014-09-15

Using metal fluxes, crystals of the binary osmium dipnictides OsPn(2) (Pn = P, As, Sb) have been grown for the first time. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirms that these compounds crystallize in the marcasite structure type with orthorhombic space group Pnnm. The structure is a three-dimensional framework of corner- and edge-sharing OsPn(6) octahedra, as well as [Pn(2)(-4)] anions. Raman spectroscopy shows the presence of PP single bonds, consistent with the presence of [Pn(2)(-4)] anions and formally Os4+ cations. Optical-band-gap and high-temperature electrical resistivity measurements indicate that these materials are narrow-band-gap semiconductors. The experimentally determined Seebeck coefficients reveal that nominally undoped OsP2more » and OsSb2 are n-type semiconductors, whereas OsAs2 is p-type. Electronic band structure using density functional theory calculations shows that these compounds are indirect narrow-band-gap semiconductors. The bonding p orbitals associated with the Pn(2) dimer are below the Fermi energy, and the corresponding antibonding states are above, consistent with a PnPn single bond. Thermopower calculations using Boltzmann transport theory and constant relaxation time approximation show that these materials are potentially good thermoelectrics, in agreement with experiment.« less

Laser-based ultrasonics by dual-probe interferometer detection and narrow-band ultrasound generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jin

1993-01-01

Despite the advantages of laser-based ultrasonic (LBU) systems, the overall sensitivity of LBU systems needs to be improved for practical applications. Progress is reported to achieve better LBU detection accuracy and sensitivity for applications with surface waves and Lamb waves. A novel dual-probe laser interferometer has been developed to measure the same signal at two points. The dual-probe interferometer is a modification of a conventional single-probe interferometer in that the reference beam is guided to a second detecting point on the specimen surface to form a differential measurement mode, which measure the difference of the displacements at the two points. This dual-probe interferometer is particularly useful for accurate measurements of the speed and attenuation of surface waves and Lamb waves. The dual-probe interferometer has been applied to obtain accurate measurements of the surface wave speed and attenuation on surfaces of increasing surface roughness. It has also been demonstrated that with an appropriate signal processing method, namely, the power cepstrum method, the dual-probe interferometer is applicable to measure the local surface wave speed even when the probe separation is so small that the two waveforms in the interferometer output signal overlap in the time domain. Narrow-band signal generation and detection improve the sensitivity of LBU systems. It is proposed to use a diffraction grating to form an array of illuminating strips which form a source of narrowband surface and Lamb waves. The line-array of thermoelastic sources generates narrow-band signals whose frequency and bandwidth can be easily controlled. The optimum line-array parameters, such as width, spacing and the number of lines in the array have been derived theoretically and verified experimentally. Narrow-band signal generation with optimum parameters has been demonstrated. The enhanced LBU system with dual-probe detection and narrowband signal generation has been

An all sky map of the CO emission extracted from Planck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aumont, Jonathan

2012-07-01

The High Frequency Instrument (HFI) on board of the Planck satellite, observing the sky in the 100 to 857 GHz frequency range, is sensitive to the light emitted by the CO molecule through its rotational transition lines. We present here the first all sky map of the CO emission ever compiled, taking advantage of the Planck HFI high sensitivity and sky coverage. The processing of this map is first presented, from calibration of the response of the HFI bolometers to the CO lines, to the component separation method that was applied to separate the CO signal from other Galactic components and from the CMB radiation. After having quantified the characteristics of the map, in terms of noise statistics and level, large scale systematics and zero level assessment, we test its reliability by confronting it with ground measurements of the integrated intensity of the ^{12}CO (J=1-0) line. First, we show a very good agreement to the Dame et al. 2001 data, in and around the bright molecular cloud regions, always within the combined uncertainties in the absolute calibration of ground based data and the varying ^{13}CO/^{12}CO line ratio. We additionally use the Hartmann et al. 1998 and Magnani et al. 2000 measurements, sampling the high Galactic latitudes sky with a grid of more than 15,000 degree-spaced positions, and find compatibility both for where they do measure CO and where they don't. As being an all sky map, it can be used to find CO clouds that were never observed by dedicated ground measurements and we illustrate this ability in the Pegasus region around previous observations by Dame et al. 2001 and Yamamoto et al. 2003.

Surveying Galaxy Evolution in the Far-Infrared: A Far-Infrared All-Sky Survey Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benford, D. J.; Amato, M. J.; Dwek, E.; Freund, M. M.; Gardner, J. P.; Kashlinsky, A.; Leisawitz, D. T.; Mather, J. C.; Moseley, S. H.; Shafer, R. A.

2004-01-01

Half of the total luminosity in the Universe is emitted at rest wavelengths approximately 80-100 microns. At the highest known galaxy redshifts (z greater than or equal to 6) this energy is redshifted to approximately 600 microns. Quantifying the evolution of galaxies at these wavelengths is crucial to our understanding of the formation of structure in the Universe following the big bang. Surveying the whole sky will find the rare and unique objects, enabling follow-up observations. SIRCE, the Survey of Infrared Cosmic Evolution, is such a mission concept under study at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. A helium-cooled telescope with ultrasensitive detectors can image the whole sky to the confusion limit in 6 months. Multiple wavelength bands permit the extraction of photometric redshifts, while a large telescope yields a low confusion limit. We discuss the implications of such a survey for galaxy formation and evolution, large-scale structure, star formation, and the structure of interstellar dust.

Narrow band imaging in the diagnosis of intra-epithelial and invasive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: a preliminary report of two cases.

PubMed

Masaki, Takashi; Katada, Chikatoshi; Nakayama, Meijin; Takeda, Masahiko; Miyamoto, Shunsuke; Seino, Yutomo; Koizumi, Wasaburo; Tanabe, Satoshi; Horiguchi, Satoshi; Okamoto, Makito

2009-12-01

Narrow band imaging (NBI) is a novel optical technique that enhances the diagnostic capability of the gastrointestinal endoscope (GIE) by illuminating the intraepithelial papillary capillary loop (IPCL) using narrow bandwidth filters in a red-green-blue sequential illumination system (CV-260SL processor and CLV-260SL light source, Olympus Optical Co. Ltd, Tokyo, Japan). The NBI filter sets (415 nm and 540 nm) are selected to obtain fine images of the microvascular structure. Because 415 nm is the hemoglobin absorption band, capillaries on the mucosal surface can be seen most clearly at this wavelength. NBI is able to represent more clearly both capillary patterns and the boundary between different types of tissue, which are necessary for diagnosing a tumor in its early stage (Gono K, Yamazaki K, Doguchi N, Nonami T, Obi T, Yamaguchi M, et al. Endoscopic observation of tissue by narrow band illumination. Opt Rev 2003;10:211-215, Gono K, Obi T, Yamaguchi M, Ohyama N, Machida H, Sano Y, et al. Appearance of enhanced tissue feature in narrow-band endoscopic imaging. J Biomed Opt 2004;9:568-577). We present two patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in whom the spread and the depth of invasion was evaluated with transnasal GIE equipped with NBI. Based on our results, the vascular neoplastic changes of carcinoma in situ of the larynx could be similar to carcinoma in situ of the esophagus.

The History of the CONCAM Project: All Sky Monitors in the Digital Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nemiroff, Robert; Shamir, Lior; Pereira, Wellesley

2018-01-01

The CONtinuous CAMera (CONCAM) project, which ran from 2000 to (about) 2008, consisted of real-time, Internet-connected, fisheye cameras located at major astronomical observatories. At its peak, eleven CONCAMs around the globe monitored most of the night sky, most of the time. Initially designed to search for transients and stellar variability, CONCAMs gained initial notoriety as cloud monitors. As such, CONCAMs made -- and its successors continue to make -- ground-based astronomy more efficient. The original, compact, fisheye-observatory-in-a-suitcase design underwent several iterations, starting with CONCAM0 and with the last version dubbed CONCAM3. Although the CONCAM project itself concluded after centralized funding diminished, today more locally-operated, commercially-designed, CONCAM-like devices operate than ever before. It has even been shown that modern smartphones can operate in a CONCAM-like mode. It is speculated that the re-instatement of better global coordination of current wide-angle sky monitors could lead to better variability monitoring of the brightest stars and transients.

Multipurpose Spectroradiometer for Satellite Instrument Calibration and Zenith Sky Remote Sensing Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, Donald F.; Ahmad, Zia

2001-01-01

In the early 1990s a series of surface-based direct sun and zenith sky measurements of total column ozone were made with SBUV/2 flight models and the SSBUV Space Shuttle instrument in Boulder, Colorado which were compared with NOAA Dobson Instrument direct sun observations and TOMS instrument overpass observations of column ozone. These early measurements led to the investigation of the accuracy of derived total column ozone amounts and aerosol optical depths from zenith sky observations. Following the development and availability of radiometrically stable IAD narrow band interference filter and nitrided silicon photodiodes a simple compact multifilter spectroradiometer was developed which can be used as a calibration transfer standard spectroradiometer (CTSS) or as a surface based instrument remote sensing instruments for measurements of total column ozone and aerosol optical depths. The total column ozone derived from zenith sky observations agrees with Dobson direct sun AD double wavelength pair measurements and with TOMS overpass ozone amounts within uncertainties of about 1%. When used as a calibration transfer standard spectroradiometer the multifilter spectroradiometer appears to be capable of establishing instrument radiometric calibration uncertainties of the order of 1% or less relative to national standards laboratory radiometric standards.

First-principles study of direct and narrow band gap semiconducting β -CuGaO 2

DOE PAGES

Nguyen, Manh Cuong; Zhao, Xin; Wang, Cai-Zhuang; ...

2015-04-16

Semiconducting oxides have attracted much attention due to their great stability in air or water and the abundance of oxygen. Recent success in synthesizing a metastable phase of CuGaO 2 with direct narrow band gap opens up new applications of semiconducting oxides as absorber layer for photovoltaics. Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we investigate the thermodynamic and mechanical stabilities as well as the structural and electronic properties of the β-CuGaO 2 phase. Our calculations show that the β-CuGaO 2 structure is dynamically and mechanically stable. The energy band gap is confirmed to be direct at the Γ point ofmore » Brillouin zone. In conclusion, the optical absorption occurs right at the band gap edge and the density of states near the valance band maximum is large, inducing an intense absorption of light as observed in experiment.« less

Narrow band quantitative and multivariate electroencephalogram analysis of peri-adolescent period

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The peri-adolescent period is a crucial developmental moment of transition from childhood to emergent adulthood. The present report analyses the differences in Power Spectrum (PS) of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) between late childhood (24 children between 8 and 13 years old) and young adulthood (24 young adults between 18 and 23 years old). Results The narrow band analysis of the Electroencephalogram was computed in the frequency range of 0–20 Hz. The analysis of mean and variance suggested that six frequency ranges presented a different rate of maturation at these ages, namely: low delta, delta-theta, low alpha, high alpha, low beta and high beta. For most of these bands the maturation seems to occur later in anterior sites than posterior sites. Correlational analysis showed a lower pattern of correlation between different frequencies in children than in young adults, suggesting a certain asynchrony in the maturation of different rhythms. The topographical analysis revealed similar topographies of the different rhythms in children and young adults. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated the same internal structure for the Electroencephalogram of both age groups. Principal Component Analysis allowed to separate four subcomponents in the alpha range. All these subcomponents peaked at a lower frequency in children than in young adults. Conclusions The present approaches complement and solve some of the incertitudes when the classical brain broad rhythm analysis is applied. Children have a higher absolute power than young adults for frequency ranges between 0-20 Hz, the correlation of Power Spectrum (PS) with age and the variance age comparison showed that there are six ranges of frequencies that can distinguish the level of EEG maturation in children and adults. The establishment of maturational order of different frequencies and its possible maturational interdependence would require a complete series including all the different ages. PMID

Narrow band quantitative and multivariate electroencephalogram analysis of peri-adolescent period.

PubMed

Martinez, E I Rodríguez; Barriga-Paulino, C I; Zapata, M I; Chinchilla, C; López-Jiménez, A M; Gómez, C M

2012-08-24

The peri-adolescent period is a crucial developmental moment of transition from childhood to emergent adulthood. The present report analyses the differences in Power Spectrum (PS) of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) between late childhood (24 children between 8 and 13 years old) and young adulthood (24 young adults between 18 and 23 years old). The narrow band analysis of the Electroencephalogram was computed in the frequency range of 0-20 Hz. The analysis of mean and variance suggested that six frequency ranges presented a different rate of maturation at these ages, namely: low delta, delta-theta, low alpha, high alpha, low beta and high beta. For most of these bands the maturation seems to occur later in anterior sites than posterior sites. Correlational analysis showed a lower pattern of correlation between different frequencies in children than in young adults, suggesting a certain asynchrony in the maturation of different rhythms. The topographical analysis revealed similar topographies of the different rhythms in children and young adults. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated the same internal structure for the Electroencephalogram of both age groups. Principal Component Analysis allowed to separate four subcomponents in the alpha range. All these subcomponents peaked at a lower frequency in children than in young adults. The present approaches complement and solve some of the incertitudes when the classical brain broad rhythm analysis is applied. Children have a higher absolute power than young adults for frequency ranges between 0-20 Hz, the correlation of Power Spectrum (PS) with age and the variance age comparison showed that there are six ranges of frequencies that can distinguish the level of EEG maturation in children and adults. The establishment of maturational order of different frequencies and its possible maturational interdependence would require a complete series including all the different ages.

All flavour point-source search with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Tino

2017-09-01

ANTARES is the largest neutrino telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. The detector has established excellent pointing resolution for muon neutrinos (0.4 degrees) and a degree-level resolution also for contained shower events (about 2 degrees). Together with its geographical location, the good angular resolution makes ANTARES an excellent tool to test for the presence of cosmic sources in the Southern Hemisphere and in particular the area around the Galactic Centre, where IceCube reports a number of high-energy events. In this contribution, we present a search for cosmic neutrino sources using ANTARES data taken from early 2007 until the end of 2013. Such sources are identified as a cluster of events in the combined track and shower channels. In addition to the all-flavour full-sky and candidate list searches, we focus on a restricted region around the Galactic Centre. Different spectral indices for the neutrino energy spectrum have been investigated as well as possible extended sources.

A test of ν stability using a 200 GeV narrow-band neutrino beam at BEBC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deden, H.; Grässler, H.; Kirch, D.; Schultze, K.; Böckmann, K.; Glimpf, W.; Kokott, T. P.; Nellen, B.; Saarikko, H.; Wünsch, B.; Bosetti, P. C.; Cundy, D. C.; Grant, A. L.; Hulth, P. O.; Pape, L.; Peyrou, Ch.; Skjeggestad, O.; Wachsmuth, H.; Mermikides, M.; Vayaki, A.; Barnham, K. W. J.; Butterworth, I.; Chima, J. S.; Clayton, E. F.; Miller, D. B.; Mobayyen, M.; Petrides, A.; Powell, K. J.; Albajar, C.; Lloyd, J. L.; Myatt, G.; Perkins, D. H.; Poppe, M.; Radojicic, D.; Renton, P.; Saitta, B.; Wells, J.; Bloch, M.; Bolognese, T.; Tallini, B.; Velasco, J.; Vignaud, D.; Aachen-Bonn-CERN-Demokritos Athens-I. C. London-Oxford-Saclay Collaboration

1981-01-01

νe induced events obtained in a 200 GeV narrow-band beam have been studied and compared to the number expected from K e3+ decay. Agreement is found between the expected and observed numbers allowing limits to be set on νe → νx mixing.

The Einstein All-Sky IPC slew survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elvis, Martin; Plummer, David; Fabbiano, G.

1989-01-01

The construction of the Einstein All-Sky Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) slew survey is considered. It contains approximately 1000 sources between 10(exp -12) and 10(exp -10) erg/sq cm/s with a concentration toward the ecliptic poles and away from the galactic plane. Several sizable samples of bright soft X-ray selected objects for follow-up ROSAT and ASTRO-D observations and statistical study are presented. The survey source list is expected to be available by late 1989. Both paper and remote access online data base versions are to be available. An identification program is considered.

Generation of tunable narrow-band surface-emitted terahertz radiation in periodically poled lithium niobate.

PubMed

Weiss, C; Torosyan, G; Avetisyan, Y; Beigang, R

2001-04-15

Generation of tunable narrow-band terahertz (THz) radiation perpendicular to the surface of periodically poled lithium niobate by optical rectification of femtosecond pulses is reported. The generated THz radiation can be tuned by use of different poling periods and different observation angles, limited only by the available bandwidth of the pump pulse. Typical bandwidths were 50-100 GHz, depending on the collection angle and the number of periods involved.

Our Sky Now and Then: Searches for Lost Stars and Impossible Effects as Probes of Advanced Extraterrestrial Civilizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villarroel, Beatriz; Imaz, Inigo; Bergstedt, Josefine

2016-09-01

Searches for extraterrestrial intelligence using large survey data often look for possible signatures of astroengineering. We propose searching for physically impossible effects caused by highly advanced technology by carrying out a search for disappearing galaxies and Milky Way stars. We select ˜10 million objects from USNO-B1.0 with low proper motions (μ < 20 mas yr-1) imaged on the sky in two epochs. We search for objects not found at the expected positions in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) by visually examining images of ˜290,000 USNO-B1.0 objects with no counterpart in the SDSS. We identify some spurious targets in the USNO-B1.0. We find one candidate of interest for follow-up photometry, although it is very uncertain. If the candidate eventually is found, it defines the probability of observing a disappearing-object event in the last decade to less than one in one million in the given samples. Nevertheless, because the complete USNO-B1.0 data set is 100 times larger than any of our samples, we propose an easily accessible citizen science project in search of USNO-B1.0 objects that have disappeared from the SDSS.

Optimization of advanced Wiener estimation methods for Raman reconstruction from narrow-band measurements in the presence of fluorescence background

PubMed Central

Chen, Shuo; Ong, Yi Hong; Lin, Xiaoqian; Liu, Quan

2015-01-01

Raman spectroscopy has shown great potential in biomedical applications. However, intrinsically weak Raman signals cause slow data acquisition especially in Raman imaging. This problem can be overcome by narrow-band Raman imaging followed by spectral reconstruction. Our previous study has shown that Raman spectra free of fluorescence background can be reconstructed from narrow-band Raman measurements using traditional Wiener estimation. However, fluorescence-free Raman spectra are only available from those sophisticated Raman setups capable of fluorescence suppression. The reconstruction of Raman spectra with fluorescence background from narrow-band measurements is much more challenging due to the significant variation in fluorescence background. In this study, two advanced Wiener estimation methods, i.e. modified Wiener estimation and sequential weighted Wiener estimation, were optimized to achieve this goal. Both spontaneous Raman spectra and surface enhanced Raman spectra were evaluated. Compared with traditional Wiener estimation, two advanced methods showed significant improvement in the reconstruction of spontaneous Raman spectra. However, traditional Wiener estimation can work as effectively as the advanced methods for SERS spectra but much faster. The wise selection of these methods would enable accurate Raman reconstruction in a simple Raman setup without the function of fluorescence suppression for fast Raman imaging. PMID:26203387

BANYAN. V. A SYSTEMATIC ALL-SKY SURVEY FOR NEW VERY LATE-TYPE LOW-MASS STARS AND BROWN DWARFS IN NEARBY YOUNG MOVING GROUPS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gagné, Jonathan; Lafrenière, David; Doyon, René

2015-01-10

We present the BANYAN All-Sky Survey (BASS) catalog, consisting of 228 new late-type (M4-L6) candidate members of nearby young moving groups (YMGs) with an expected false-positive rate of ∼13%. This sample includes 79 new candidate young brown dwarfs and 22 planetary-mass objects. These candidates were identified through the first systematic all-sky survey for late-type low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in YMGs. We cross-matched the Two Micron All Sky Survey and AllWISE catalogs outside of the galactic plane to build a sample of 98,970 potential ≥M5 dwarfs in the solar neighborhood and calculated their proper motions with typical precisions of 5-15more » mas yr{sup –1}. We selected highly probable candidate members of several YMGs from this sample using the Bayesian Analysis for Nearby Young AssociatioNs II tool (BANYAN II). We used the most probable statistical distances inferred from BANYAN II to estimate the spectral type and mass of these candidate YMG members. We used this unique sample to show tentative signs of mass segregation in the AB Doradus moving group and the Tucana-Horologium and Columba associations. The BASS sample has already been successful in identifying several new young brown dwarfs in earlier publications, and will be of great interest in studying the initial mass function of YMGs and for the search of exoplanets by direct imaging; the input sample of potential close-by ≥M5 dwarfs will be useful to study the kinematics of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs and search for new proper motion pairs.« less

All-sky homogeneity of precipitable water vapour over Paranal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Querel, Richard R.; Kerber, Florian

2014-08-01

A Low Humidity and Temperature Profiling (LHATPRO) microwave radiometer, manufactured by Radiometer Physics GmbH (RPG), is used to monitor sky conditions over ESO's Paranal observatory in support of VLT science operations. The unit measures several channels across the strong water vapour emission line at 183 GHz, necessary for resolving the low levels of precipitable water vapour (PWV) that are prevalent on Paranal (median ~2.4 mm). The instrument consists of a humidity profiler (183-191 GHz), a temperature profiler (51-58 GHz), and an infrared camera (~10 μm) for cloud detection. We present, for the first time, a statistical analysis of the homogeneity of all-sky PWV using 21 months of periodic (every 6 hours) all-sky scans from the radiometer. These data provide unique insight into the spatial and temporal variation of atmospheric conditions relevant for astronomical observations, particularly in the infrared. We find the PWV over Paranal to be remarkably homogeneous across the sky down to 27.5° elevation with a median variation of 0.32 mm (peak to valley) or 0.07 mm (rms). The homogeneity is a function of the absolute PWV but the relative variation is fairly constant at 10-15% (peak to valley) and 3% (rms). Such variations will not be a significant issue for analysis of astronomical data. Users at ESO can specify PWV - measured at zenith - as an ambient constraint in service mode to enable, for instance, very demanding observations in the infrared that can only be conducted during periods of very good atmospheric transmission and hence low PWV. We conclude that in general it will not be necessary to add another observing constraint for PWV homogeneity to ensure integrity of observations. For demanding observations requiring very low PWV, where the relative variation is higher, the optimum support could be provided by observing with the LHATPRO in the same line-of-sight simultaneously. Such a mode of operations has already been tested but will have to be

Narrow-band evoked oto-acoustic emission from ears with normal and pathologic conditions.

PubMed

Takeda, Taizo; Kakigi, Akinobu; Takebayashi, Shinji; Ohono, Satoshi; Nishioka, Rie; Nakatani, Hiroaki

2010-01-01

Evoked oto-acoustic emission (EOAE), in particular the slow component, is fragile with the inner ear lesions and is apt to disappear in impaired ears. This presence is thought to mean that inner ear is not badly damaged, and that the presence of EOAEs in early stage sudden deafness carries a good prognosis. Narrow-band EOAE analysis would open a potentially promising way to manage sensorineural deafness. The aim of present study was to evaluate the characteristics of EOAEs from pathologic ears by a narrow-band EOAE analysis, which allowed us to investigate amplitude, frequency content and latency of EOAEs simultaneously and also to easily detect weak echoes in cases with inner ear lesions. EOAEs were analyzed by investigating narrow-band frequency contents of EOAEs, filtered by a 100-Hz step of pass bandwidth in frequency regions from 1.0 to 2.0 kHz, and by 500 Hz of pass bandwidth in the frequency ranges of 0.5-1.0 and 2.0-5.0 kHz. EOAE testing was performed in 40 normal ears and 111 ears with pathologic disorders, including sudden deafness, Ménière's disease and surgically proven acoustic neurinomas. Spontaneous oto-acoustic emission was investigated in some cases. In acoustic neurinoma, especially computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging tests were performed to assess the tumor size. (1) Narrow-band EOAE analysis revealed that EOAEs from normal ears were composed of two main echo trains and several sub-echoes. The main echo trains were divided into a fast component with a short latency of <10 ms and a slow component with a long latency of >10 ms. (2) EOAEs could often be detected from ears with moderate to severe hearing loss >45 dB HL in early stage sudden deafness. The prognosis of sudden deafness was good in cases where both a fast component and slow component were detected in the acute stage within 2 weeks after the deafness onset, and was pessimistic, when either or both of them failed to recover. (3) In Ménière's disease, EOAE was found

Data indexing techniques for the EUVE all-sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, J.; Saba, V.; Dobson, C.

1992-01-01

This poster describes techniques developed for manipulating large full-sky data sets for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer project. The authors have adapted the quatrilateralized cubic sphere indexing algorithm to allow us to efficiently store and process several types of large data sets, such as full-sky maps of photon counts, exposure time, and count rates. A variation of this scheme is used to index sparser data such as individual photon events and viewing times for selected areas of the sky, which are eventually used to create EUVE source catalogs.

Search for GRB related prompt optical emission and other fast varying objects with ``Pi of the Sky'' detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ćwiok, M.; Dominik, W.; Małek, K.; Mankiewicz, L.; Mrowca-Ciułacz, J.; Nawrocki, K.; Piotrowski, L. W.; Sitek, P.; Sokołowski, M.; Wrochna, G.; Żarnecki, A. F.

2007-06-01

Experiment “Pi of the Sky” is designed to search for prompt optical emission from GRB sources. 32 CCD cameras covering 2 steradians will monitor the sky continuously. The data will be analysed on-line in search for optical flashes. The prototype with 2 cameras operated at Las Campanas (Chile) since 2004 has recognised several outbursts of flaring stars and has given limits for a few GRB.

H-tailored surface conductivity in narrow band gap In(AsN)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Velichko, A. V., E-mail: amalia.patane@nottingham.ac.uk, E-mail: anton.velychko@nottingham.ac.uk; Patanè, A., E-mail: amalia.patane@nottingham.ac.uk, E-mail: anton.velychko@nottingham.ac.uk; Makarovsky, O.

2015-01-12

We show that the n-type conductivity of the narrow band gap In(AsN) alloy can be increased within a thin (∼100 nm) channel below the surface by the controlled incorporation of H-atoms. This channel has a large electron sheet density of ∼10{sup 18 }m{sup −2} and a high electron mobility (μ > 0.1 m{sup 2}V{sup −1}s{sup −1} at low and room temperature). For a fixed dose of impinging H-atoms, its width decreases with the increase in concentration of N-atoms that act as H-traps thus forming N-H donor complexes near the surface.

An all-sky catalogue of solar-type dwarfs for exoplanetary transit surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nascimbeni, V.; Piotto, G.; Ortolani, S.; Giuffrida, G.; Marrese, P. M.; Magrin, D.; Ragazzoni, R.; Pagano, I.; Rauer, H.; Cabrera, J.; Pollacco, D.; Heras, A. M.; Deleuil, M.; Gizon, L.; Granata, V.

2016-12-01

Most future surveys designed to discover transiting exoplanets, including TESS and PLATO, will target bright (V ≲ 13) and nearby solar-type stars having a spectral type later than F5. In order to enhance the probability of identifying transits, these surveys must cover a very large area on the sky, because of the intrinsically low areal density of bright targets. Unfortunately, no existing catalogue of stellar parameters is both deep and wide enough to provide a homogeneous input list. As the first Gaia data release exploitable for this purpose is expected to be released not earlier than late 2017, we have devised an improved reduced-proper-motion (RPM) method to discriminate late field dwarfs and giants by combining the fourth U.S. Naval Observatory CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC4) proper motions with AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey DR6 photometry, and relying on Radial Velocity Experiment DR4 as an external calibrator. The output, named UCAC4-RPM, is a publicly available, complete all-sky catalogue of solar-type dwarfs down to V ≃ 13.5, plus an extension to log g > 3.0 subgiants. The relatively low amount of contamination (defined as the fraction of false positives; <30 per cent) also makes UCAC4-RPM a useful tool for the past and ongoing ground-based transit surveys, which need to discard candidate signals originating from early-type or giant stars. As an application, we show how UCAC4-RPM may support the preparation of the TESS (that will map almost the entire sky) input catalogue and the input catalogue of PLATO, planned to survey more than half of the whole sky with exquisite photometric precision.

Development of narrow-band fluorescence index for the detection of aflatoxin contaminated corn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Hruska, Zuzana; Kincaid, Russell; Ononye, Ambrose; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2011-06-01

Aflatoxin is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus when the fungus invades developing corn kernels. Because of its potent toxicity, the levels of aflatoxin are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, allowing 20 ppb (parts per billion) limits in food, and feed intended for interstate commerce. Currently, aflatoxin detection and quantification methods are based on analytical tests. These tests require the destruction of samples, can be costly and time consuming, and often rely on less than desirable sampling techniques. Thus, the ability to detect aflatoxin in a rapid, non-invasive way is crucial to the corn industry in particular. This paper described how narrow-band fluorescence indices were developed for aflatoxin contamination detection based on single corn kernel samples. The indices were based on two bands extracted from full wavelength fluorescence hyperspectral imagery. The two band results were later applied to two large sample experiments with 25 g and 1 kg of corn per sample. The detection accuracies were 85% and 95% when 100 ppb threshold was used. Since the data acquisition period is significantly lower for several image bands than for full wavelength hyperspectral data, this study would be helpful in the development of real-time detection instrumentation for the corn industry.

Photonic band gap properties of one-dimensional Thue-Morse all-dielectric photonic quasicrystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Chenxi; Tan, Wei; Liu, Jianjun

2018-05-01

In this paper, the photonic band gap (PBG) properties of one-dimensional (1D) Thue-Morse photonic quasicrystal (PQC) S4 structure are theoretically investigated by using transfer matrix method in Bragg condition. The effects of the center wavelength, relative permittivity and incident angle on PBG properties are elaborately analyzed. Numerical results reveal that, in the case of normal incidence, the symmetry and periodicity properties of the photonic band structure are presented. As the center wavelength increases, the PBG center frequency and PBG width decrease while the photonic band structure is always symmetrical about the central frequency and the photonic band structure repeats periodically in the expanding observation frequency range. With the decrease of relative permittivity contrast, the PBG width and the relative PBG width gradually decreases until PBG disappears while the symmetry of the photonic band structure always exists. In the case of oblique incidence, as the incident angle increases, multiple narrow PBGs gradually merge into a wide PBG for the TE mode while for the TM mode, the number of PBG continuously decreases and eventually disappears, i.e., multiple narrow PBGs become a wide passband for the TM mode. The research results will provide a reference for the choice of the material, the incident angle for the PBG properties and its applications of 1D Thue-Morse PQC.

AKARI's infrared view on nearby stars. Using AKARI infrared camera all-sky survey, 2MASS, and Hipparcos catalogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ita, Y.; Matsuura, M.; Ishihara, D.; Oyabu, S.; Takita, S.; Kataza, H.; Yamamura, I.; Matsunaga, N.; Tanabé, T.; Nakada, Y.; Fujiwara, H.; Wada, T.; Onaka, T.; Matsuhara, H.

2010-05-01

Context. The AKARI, a Japanese infrared space mission, has performed an All-Sky Survey in six infrared-bands from 9 to 180 μm with higher spatial resolutions and better sensitivities than IRAS. Aims: We investigate the mid-infrared (9 and 18 μm) point source catalog (PSC) obtained with the infrared camera (IRC) onboard AKARI, in order to understand the infrared nature of the known objects and to identify previously unknown objects. Methods: Color-color diagrams and a color-magnitude diagram were plotted with the AKARI-IRC PSC and other available all-sky survey catalogs. We combined the Hipparcos astrometric catalog and the 2MASS all-sky survey catalog with the AKARI-IRC PSC. We furthermore searched literature and SIMBAD astronomical database for object types, spectral types, and luminosity classes. We identified the locations of representative stars and objects on the color-magnitude and color-color diagram schemes. The properties of unclassified sources can be inferred from their locations on these diagrams. Results: We found that the (B-V) vs. (V-S9W) color-color diagram is useful for identifying the stars with infrared excess emerged from circumstellar envelopes or disks. Be stars with infrared excess are separated well from other types of stars in this diagram. Whereas (J-L18W) vs. (S9W-L18W) diagram is a powerful tool for classifying several object types. Carbon-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and OH/IR stars form distinct sequences in this color-color diagram. Young stellar objects (YSOs), pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, post-AGB stars, and planetary nebulae (PNe) have the largest mid-infrared color excess and can be identified in the infrared catalog. Finally, we plot the L18W vs. (S9W-L18W) color-magnitude diagram, using the AKARI data together with Hipparcos parallaxes. This diagram can be used to identify low-mass YSOs and AGB stars. We found that this diagram is comparable to the [24] vs. ([8.0]-[24]) diagram of Large Magellanic Cloud sources

Acute monocytic leukemia and multiple abnormalities in a child with duplication of 1q detected by GTG-banding and SKY.

PubMed

Scrideli, Carlos A; Baruffi, Marcelo R; Squire, Jeremy A; Ramos, Ester S; Karaskova, Jana; Heck, Benjamin; Tone, Luiz G

2005-12-01

Patients with 1q duplication have demonstrated a wide range of multiple congenital abnormalities. Alterations involving this chromosomal region have being described in hematopoietic malignancies and a series of candidate genes that may be associated with neoplasias have been mapped in this region. We describe a case of partial trisomy 1q "syndrome" and acute monocytic leukemia. Cytogenetic study of the bone marrow cells by GTG-banding and spectral karyotyping (SKY) showed dup(1)(q23q44) in all cells analyzed. The dismorphological features with the dup(1q) suggest a constitutional chromosome alteration and the first, in our knowledge, association of a trisomy 1q "syndrome" with AML.

Nature of the narrow optical band in H*-aggregates: Dozy-chaos–exciton coupling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Egorov, Vladimir V., E-mail: egorov@photonics.ru

2014-07-15

Dozy chaos emerges as a combined effect of the collective chaotic motion of electrons and nuclei, and their chaotic electromagnetic interactions in the transient state of molecules experiencing quantum transitions. Following earlier discussions of the well-known Brönsted relations for proton-transfer reactions; the temperature-dependent electron transfer in Langmuir–Blodgett films; the shape of the optical bands of polymethine dye monomers, their dimers, and J-aggregates, this paper reports one more application of the dozy-chaos theory of molecular quantum transitions. The qualitative and quantitative explanations for shape of a narrow and blue-shifted optical absorption band in H{sup *}-aggregates is given on the basis ofmore » the dozy-chaos theory by taking into account the dozy-chaos–exciton coupling effect. It is emphasized that in the H{sup *}-aggregate chromophore (dimer of cyclic bis-thiacarbocyanines) there is a competition between two Frenkel exciton transitions through the chaotic reorganization motion of nuclear environment. As a result, the highly organized quantum transition to the upper exciton state becomes an exciton-induced source of dozy chaos for the low organized transition to the lower exciton state. This manifests itself in appearing the narrow peak and broad wing in the optical spectrum pattern of H{sup *}-aggregates. A similar enhancement in the H{sup *}-effect caused by the strengthening of the exciton coupling in H{sup *}-dimers, which could be achieved by synthesizing tertiary and quarternary thiacarbocyanine monomers, is predicted.« less

Optical Design with Narrow-Band Imaging for a Capsule Endoscope.

PubMed

Yen, Chih-Ta; Lai, Zong-Wei; Lin, Yu-Ting; Cheng, Hsu-Chih

2018-01-01

The study proposes narrow-band imaging (NBI) lens design of 415 nm and 540 nm of a capsule endoscope (CE). The researches show that in terms of the rate of accuracy in detecting and screening neoplastic and nonneoplastic intestinal lesions, the NBI system outperformed that of traditional endoscopes and rivaled that of chromoendoscopes. In the proposed NBI CE optical system, the simulation result shows the field of view (FOV) was 109.8°; the modulation transfer function (MTF) could achieve 12.5% at 285 lp/mm and 34.1% at 144 lp/mm. The relative illumination reaches more than 60%, and the system total length was less than 4 mm. Finally, this design provides high-quality images for a 300-megapixel 1/4 ″ CMOS image sensor with a pixel size of 1.75  μ m.

Turboprop and rotary-wing aircraft flight parameter estimation using both narrow-band and broadband passive acoustic signal-processing methods.

PubMed

Ferguson, B G; Lo, K W

2000-10-01

Flight parameter estimation methods for an airborne acoustic source can be divided into two categories, depending on whether the narrow-band lines or the broadband component of the received signal spectrum is processed to estimate the flight parameters. This paper provides a common framework for the formulation and test of two flight parameter estimation methods: one narrow band, the other broadband. The performances of the two methods are evaluated by applying them to the same acoustic data set, which is recorded by a planar array of passive acoustic sensors during multiple transits of a turboprop fixed-wing aircraft and two types of rotary-wing aircraft. The narrow-band method, which is based on a kinematic model that assumes the source travels in a straight line at constant speed and altitude, requires time-frequency analysis of the acoustic signal received by a single sensor during each aircraft transit. The broadband method is based on the same kinematic model, but requires observing the temporal variation of the differential time of arrival of the acoustic signal at each pair of sensors that comprises the planar array. Generalized cross correlation of each pair of sensor outputs using a cross-spectral phase transform prefilter provides instantaneous estimates of the differential times of arrival of the signal as the acoustic wavefront traverses the array.

The Hazard of Exposure to 2.075 kHz Center Frequency Narrow Band Impulses

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

i By r James H. Patterson, Jr. Kevin Bordwell Sensory Research Division and Roger P. Hamernik William A. Ahroon George Turrentine C. E. Hargett, Jr...The hazard of exposure to 2.075 kHz center frequency narrow band impulses 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) James H. Patterson, Jr., Kevin Bordwell , Roger P...Patterson, J. H., Jr., Carrier, M., Jr., Bordwell , K., Lomba Gautier, I. M., Hamernik, R. P., Ahroon, W. A., Turrentine, G. A., and Hargett, C. E., Jr

High-resolution endoscopy plus chromoendoscopy or narrow-band imaging in Barrett's esophagus: a prospective randomized crossover study.

PubMed

Kara, M A; Peters, F P; Rosmolen, W D; Krishnadath, K K; ten Kate, F J; Fockens, P; Bergman, J J G H

2005-10-01

High-resolution endoscopy (HRE) may improve the detection of early neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus. Indigo carmine chromoendoscopy (ICC) and narrow-band imaging (NBI) may be useful techniques to complement HRE. The aim of this study was to compare HRE-ICC with HRE-NBI for the detection of high-grade dysplasia or early cancer (HGD/EC) in patients with Barrett's esophagus. Twenty-eight patients with Barrett's esophagus underwent HRE-ICC and HRE-NBI (separated by 6 - 8 weeks) in a randomized sequence. The two procedures were performed by two different endoscopists, who were blinded to the findings of the other examination. Targeted biopsies were taken from all detected lesions, followed by four-quadrant biopsies at 2-cm intervals. Biopsy evaluation was supervised by a single expert pathologist, who was blinded to the imaging technique used. Fourteen patients were diagnosed with HGD/EC. The sensitivity for HGD/EC was 93 % and 86 % for HRE-ICC and HRE-NBI, respectively. Targeted biopsies had a sensitivity of 79 % with HRE alone. HGD was diagnosed from random biopsies alone in only one patient. ICC and NBI detected a limited number of additional lesions occult to HRE, but these lesions did not alter the sensitivity for identifying patients with HGD/EC. In most patients with high-grade dysplasia or early cancer in Barrett's esophagus, subtle lesions can be identified with high-resolution endoscopy. Indigo carmine chromoendoscopy and narrow-band imaging are comparable as adjuncts to high-resolution endoscopy.

Impact of aerosols and clouds on decadal trends in all-sky solar radiation over the Netherlands (1966-2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boers, Reinout; Brandsma, Theo; Pier Siebesma, A.

2017-07-01

A 50-year hourly data set of global shortwave radiation, cloudiness and visibility over the Netherlands was used to quantify the contribution of aerosols and clouds to the trend in yearly-averaged all-sky radiation (1.81 ± 1.07 W m-2 decade-1). Yearly-averaged clear-sky and cloud-base radiation data show large year-to-year fluctuations caused by yearly changes in the occurrence of clear and cloudy periods and cannot be used for trend analysis. Therefore, proxy clear-sky and cloud-base radiations were computed. In a proxy analysis hourly radiation data falling within a fractional cloudiness value are fitted by monotonic increasing functions of solar zenith angle and summed over all zenith angles occurring in a single year to produce an average. Stable trends can then be computed from the proxy radiation data. A functional expression is derived whereby the trend in proxy all-sky radiation is a linear combination of trends in fractional cloudiness, proxy clear-sky radiation and proxy cloud-base radiation. Trends (per decade) in fractional cloudiness, proxy clear-sky and proxy cloud-base radiation were, respectively, 0.0097 ± 0.0062, 2.78 ± 0.50 and 3.43 ± 1.17 W m-2. To add up to the all-sky radiation the three trends have weight factors, namely the difference between the mean cloud-base and clear-sky radiation, the clear-sky fraction and the fractional cloudiness, respectively. Our analysis clearly demonstrates that all three components contribute significantly to the observed trend in all-sky radiation. Radiative transfer calculations using the aerosol optical thickness derived from visibility observations indicate that aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI) is a strong candidate to explain the upward trend in the clear-sky radiation. Aerosol-cloud interaction (ACI) may have some impact on cloud-base radiation, but it is suggested that decadal changes in cloud thickness and synoptic-scale changes in cloud amount also play an important role.

Spectral and Spatial UV Sky Radiance Measurements at a Seaside Resort Under Clear Sky and Slightly Overcast Conditions.

PubMed

Sandmann, Henner; Stick, Carsten

2014-01-01

Spatial measurements of the diffusely scattered sky radiance at a seaside resort under clear sky and slightly overcast conditions have been used to calculate the sky radiance distribution across the upper hemisphere. The measurements were done in the summer season when solar UV radiation is highest. The selected wavelengths were 307, 350 and 550 nm representing the UVB, UVA and VIS band. Absolute values of radiance differ considerably between the wavelengths. Normalizing the measured values by use of direct solar radiance made the spatial distributions of unequal sky radiance comparable. The results convey a spatial impression of the different distributions of the radiance at the three wavelengths. Relative scattered radiance intensity is one order of magnitude greater in UVB than in VIS, whereas in UVA lies roughly in between. Under slightly overcast conditions scattered radiance is increased at all three wavelengths by about one order of magnitude. These measurements taken at the seaside underline the importance of diffuse scattered radiance. The effect of shading parts of the sky can be estimated from the distribution of sky radiance. This knowledge might be useful for sun seekers and in the treatment of people staying at the seaside for therapeutic purposes. © 2013 The American Society of Photobiology.

X ray observations of late-type stars using the ROSAT all-sky survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Fleming, Thomas A.

1992-03-01

The ROSAT mission made the first x ray survey of the entire sky using an imaging detector. Although ROSAT is a joint NASA/German project and involves direct American participation during its second phase of pointed observations, the all-sky survey remains the sole property of the German investigators. NASA grant represented the first use of ROSAT data analysis funds to support direct American participation in the ROSAT all-sky survey. The project involved a collaborative agreement between the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) where JILA supplied MPE with a post-doctoral research associate with experience in the field of stellar (coronal) x ray emission to work within their ROSAT group. In return, members of the cool star research group at JILA were given the opportunity to collaborate on projects involving ROSAT all-sky survey data. Both sides have benefitted (and still benefit) from this arrangement since MPE suffers from a shortage of researchers who are interested in x ray emission from 'normal' stars and white dwarfs. MPE has also drawn upon experience in optical identification of x ray sources from the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey in planning their own identification strategies for the ROSAT all-sky survey. The JILA cool stars group has benefitted since access to all-sky survey data has expanded the scope of their already extensive research programs involving multiwavelength observations of late-type stars. ROSAT was successfully launched on 1 June 1990 and conducted the bulk of the survey from 30 July 1990 to 25 January 1991. Data gaps in the survey have subsequently been made up. At the time of this writing (February 1992), the survey data have been processed once with the Standard Analysis Software System (SASS). A second processing will soon begin with improvements made to the SASS to correct errors and bugs found while carrying out scientific projects with data

X ray observations of late-type stars using the ROSAT all-sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Linsky, Jeffrey L.; Fleming, Thomas A.

1992-01-01

The ROSAT mission made the first x ray survey of the entire sky using an imaging detector. Although ROSAT is a joint NASA/German project and involves direct American participation during its second phase of pointed observations, the all-sky survey remains the sole property of the German investigators. NASA grant represented the first use of ROSAT data analysis funds to support direct American participation in the ROSAT all-sky survey. The project involved a collaborative agreement between the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA) and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) where JILA supplied MPE with a post-doctoral research associate with experience in the field of stellar (coronal) x ray emission to work within their ROSAT group. In return, members of the cool star research group at JILA were given the opportunity to collaborate on projects involving ROSAT all-sky survey data. Both sides have benefitted (and still benefit) from this arrangement since MPE suffers from a shortage of researchers who are interested in x ray emission from 'normal' stars and white dwarfs. MPE has also drawn upon experience in optical identification of x ray sources from the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey in planning their own identification strategies for the ROSAT all-sky survey. The JILA cool stars group has benefitted since access to all-sky survey data has expanded the scope of their already extensive research programs involving multiwavelength observations of late-type stars. ROSAT was successfully launched on 1 June 1990 and conducted the bulk of the survey from 30 July 1990 to 25 January 1991. Data gaps in the survey have subsequently been made up. At the time of this writing (February 1992), the survey data have been processed once with the Standard Analysis Software System (SASS). A second processing will soon begin with improvements made to the SASS to correct errors and bugs found while carrying out scientific projects with data

Investigation of narrow-band thermal emission from intersubband transitions in quantum wells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Zoysa, M.; Hakubi Center, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Kyoto 606-8501; Asano, T.

2015-09-14

We investigate thermal emission from n-doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs). Emission peaks with Lorentzian shapes (linewidth 11∼19 meV) that reflect transitions between the first and second conduction subbands are observed in the mid-infrared range. It is demonstrated that the emission characteristics can be tuned by modifying the QW parameters. The peak emissivity is increased from 0.3 to 0.9 by modifying the doping density, and the peak wavelength is tuned from 6 to 10 μm by changing the well width. The obtained results are useful for the design of narrow-band thermal emitters.

The NASA SETI sky survey: Recent developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Olsen, E. T.; Renzetti, N. A.

1989-01-01

NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project utilizes two complementary search strategies: a sky survey and a targeted search. The SETI team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, has primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey part. Described here is progress that has been made developing the major elements of the survey including a 2-million channel wideband spectrum analyzer system that is being designed and constructed by JPL for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The system will be a multiuser instrument; it will serve as a prototype for the SETI sky survey processor. This prototype system will be used to test the signal detection and observational strategies on DSN antennas in the near future.

The NASA SETI sky survey - Recent developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, Michael J.; Gulkis, Samuel; Olsen, Edward T.; Renzetti, Nicholas A.

1988-01-01

NASA's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project utilizes two complimentary search strategies: a sky survey and a targeted search. The SETI team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have primary responsibility to develop and carry out the sky survey part of the Microwave Observing Project. The paper describes progress that has been made to develop the major elements of the survey including a two-million channel wideband spectrum analyzer system that is being developed and constructed by JPL for the Deep Space Network. The new system will be a multiuser instrument that will serve as a prototype for the SETI Sky Survey processor. This system will be used to test the signal detection and observational strategies on deep-space network antennas in the near future.

SkyProbeBV: dual-color absolute sky transparency monitor to optimize science operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuillandre, Jean-Charles; Magnier, Eugene; Sabin, Dan; Mahoney, Billy

2008-07-01

Mauna Kea (4200 m elevation, Hawaii) is known for its pristine seeing conditions, but sky transparency can be an issue for science operations: 25% of the nights are not photometric, a cloud coverage mostly due to high-altitude thin cirrus. The Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) is upgrading its real-time sky transparency monitor in the optical domain (V-band) into a dual-color system by adding a B-band channel and redesigning the entire optical and mechanical assembly. Since 2000, the original single-channel SkyProbe has gathered one exposure every minute during each observing night using a small CCD camera with a very wide field of view (35 sq. deg.) encompassing the region pointed by the telescope for science operations, and exposures long enough (30 seconds) to capture at least 100 stars of Hipparcos' Tychos catalog at high galactic latitudes (and up to 600 stars at low galactic latitudes). A key advantage of SkyProbe over direct thermal infrared imaging detection of clouds, is that it allows an accurate absolute measurement, within 5%, of the true atmospheric absorption by clouds affecting the data being gathered by the telescope's main science instrument. This system has proven crucial for decision making in the CFHT queued service observing (QSO), representing today 95% of the telescope time: science exposures taken in non-photometric conditions are automatically registered for being re-observed later on (at 1/10th of the original exposure time per pointing in the observed filters) to ensure a proper final absolute photometric calibration. If the absorption is too high, exposures can be repeated, or the observing can be done for a lower ranked science program. The new dual color system (simultaneous B & V bands) will allow a better characterization of the sky properties above Mauna Kea and should enable a better detection of the thinner cirrus (absorption down to 0.02 mag., i.e. 2%). SkyProbe is operated within the Elixir pipeline, a collection of tools

Noctilucent cloud particle size determination based on multi-wavelength all-sky analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ugolnikov, Oleg S.; Galkin, Alexey A.; Pilgaev, Sergey V.; Roldugin, Alexey V.

2017-10-01

The article deals with the analysis of color distribution in noctilucent clouds (NLC) in the sky based on multi-wavelength (RGB) CCD-photometry provided with the all-sky camera in Lovozero in the north of Russia (68.0°N, 35.1°E) during the bright expanded NLC performance in the night of August 12, 2016. Small changes in the NLC color across the sky are interpreted as the atmospheric absorption and extinction effects combined with the difference in the Mie scattering functions of NLC particles for the three color channels of the camera. The method described in this paper is used to find the effective monodisperse radius of particles about 55 nm. The result of these simple and cost-effective measurements is in good agreement with previous estimations of comparable accuracy. Non-spherical particles, Gaussian and lognormal distribution of the particle size are also considered.

The effects of low-intensity narrow-band blue-light treatment compared to bright white-light treatment in sub-syndromal seasonal affective disorder.

PubMed

Meesters, Ybe; Winthorst, Wim H; Duijzer, Wianne B; Hommes, Vanja

2016-02-18

The discovery of a novel photoreceptor in the retinal ganglion cells with a highest sensitivity of 470-490 nm blue light has led to research on the effects of short-wavelength light in humans. Several studies have explored the efficacy of monochromatic blue or blue-enriched light in the treatment of SAD. In this study, a comparison has been made between the effects of broad-wavelength light without ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths compared to narrow-band blue light in the treatment of sub-syndromal seasonal affective disorder (Sub-SAD). In a 15-day design, 48 participants suffering from Sub-SAD completed 20-minute sessions of light treatment on five consecutive days. 22 participants were given bright white-light treatment (BLT, broad-wavelength light without UV 10 000 lux, irradiance 31.7 Watt/m(2)) and 26 participants received narrow-band blue light (BLUE, 100 lux, irradiance 1.0 Watt/m(2)). All participants completed daily and weekly questionnaires concerning mood, activation, sleep quality, sleepiness and energy. Also, mood and energy levels were assessed by means of the SIGH-SAD, the primary outcome measure. On day 15, SIGH-SAD ratings were significantly lower than on day 1 (BLT 54.8 %, effect size 1.7 and BLUE 50.7 %, effect size 1.9). No statistically significant differences were found on the main outcome measures. Light treatment is an effective treatment for Sub-SAD. The use of narrow-band blue-light treatment is equally effective as bright white-light treatment. This study was registered in the Dutch Trial Register (Nederlands Trial Register TC =  4342 ) (20-12-2013).

GaiaNIR - A future all-sky astrometry mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobbs, David; Høg, Erik

2018-04-01

With the launch of Gaia in December 2013, Europe entered a new era of space astrometry following in the footsteps of the very successful Hipparcos mission. A weakness of Gaia is that it only operates at optical wavelengths. However, much of the Galactic centre and the spiral arm regions are obscured by interstellar extinction. An obvious improvement on Gaia is to include the Near-Infra-Red (NIR) which requires the use of new types of detectors. Additionally, to scan the entire sky and measure global absolute parallaxes the spacecraft must have a constant rotation resulting in a moving image that must be compensated for by, for example, operating the detectors in Time Delayed Integration (TDI) mode. If these technical issues can be solved a new Gaia-like mission separated by a 20 year interval would give; 1) NIR all-sky astrometry and photometry to penetrate the obscured regions and to observe intrinsically red objects with almost diffraction limited resolution; 2) improved proper motions with fourteen times smaller errors than from Gaia alone opening up new science cases, such as long period exoplanets and accurate halo measurements; 3) allow the slowly degrading accuracy of the Gaia reference frame, which will be the basis for future astronomical measurements, to be reset.

Introducing the All-sky NOAO Source Catalog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nidever, David L.; NOAO DataLab

2017-06-01

Most of the sky has been imaged with NOAO's telescopes from both hemispheres. While the large majority of these data were obtained for PI-led projects only a small fraction have been released to the community via well-calibrated and easily accessible catalogs. We are remedying this by created a catalog of sources from most of the public data taken on CTIO-4m+DECam as well as KPNO-4m+Mosaic3. This catalog, called the NOAO Source Catalog (NSC), already contains 2.3 billion unique objects, 19 billion source measurements, covers ~25,000 square degrees of the sky, has 10-sigma depths of ~23rd magnitude in most broadband filters, and astrometric accuracy of ~20 mas. We plan to release the catalog via the new NOAO Data Lab service in the near future.

ASHI: An All Sky Heliospheric Imager for Viewing Thomson-Scattered Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffington, A.; Jackson, B. V.; Yu, H. S.; Hick, P. P.; Bisi, M. M.

2017-12-01

We have developed, and are now making a detailed design for an All-Sky Heliospheric Imager (ASHI), to fly on future deep-space missions. ASHI's principal long-term objective is acquisition of a precision photometric map of the inner heliosphere as viewed from deep space. Photometers on the twin Helios spacecraft, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) upon the Coriolis satellite, and the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) upon the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft, all indicate an optimum instrument design for visible-light Thomson-scattering observations. This design views a hemisphere of sky starting a few degrees from the Sun. Two imagers can cover almost all of the whole sky. A key photometric specification for ASHI is 0.1% differential photometry: this enables the three dimensional reconstruction of density starting from near the Sun and extending outward. SMEI analyses have demonstrated the success of this technique: when employed by ASHI, this will provide an order of magnitude better resolution in 3-D density over time. We augment this analysis to include velocity, and these imagers deployed in deep space can thus provide high-resolution comparisons both of direct in-situ density and velocity measurements to remote observations of solar wind structures. In practice we find that the 3-D velocity determinations provide the best tomographic timing depiction of heliospheric structures. We discuss the simple concept behind this, and present recent progress in the instrument design, and its expected performance specifications. A preliminary balloon flight of an ASHI prototype is planned to take place next Summer.

A blue optical filter for narrow-band imaging in endoscopic capsules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, M. F.; Ghaderi, M.; Goncalves, L. M.; de Graaf, G.; Wolffenbuttel, R. F.; Correia, J. H.

2014-05-01

This paper presents the design, simulation, fabrication, and characterization of a thin-film Fabry-Perot resonator composed of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) thin-films. The optical filter is developed to be integrated with a light emitting diode (LED) for enabling narrow-band imaging (NBI) in endoscopy. The NBI is a high resolution imaging technique that uses spectrally centered blue light (415 nm) and green light (540 nm) to illuminate the target tissue. The light at 415 nm enhances the imaging of superficial veins due to their hemoglobin absorption, while the light at 540 nm penetrates deeper into the mucosa, thus enhances the sub-epithelial vessels imaging. Typically the endoscopes and endoscopic capsules use white light for acquiring images of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, implementing the NBI technique in endoscopic capsules enhances their capabilities for the clinical applications. A commercially available blue LED with a maximum peak intensity at 404 nm and Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) of 20 nm is integrated with a narrow band blue filter as the NBI light source. The thin film simulations show a maximum spectral transmittance of 36 %, that is centered at 415 nm with FWHM of 13 nm for combined the blue LED and a Fabry Perot resonator system. A custom made deposition scheme was developed for the fabrication of the blue optical filter by RF sputtering. RF powered reactive sputtering at 200 W with the gas flows of argon and oxygen that are controlled for a 5:1 ratio gives the optimum optical conditions for TiO2 thin films. For SiO2 thin films, a non-reactive RF sputtering at 150 W with argon gas flow at 15 sccm results in the best optical performance. The TiO2 and SiO2 thin films were fully characterized by an ellipsometer in the wavelength range between 250 nm to 1600 nm. Finally, the optical performance of the blue optical filter is measured and presented.

Anisotropy in the all-sky distribution of galaxy morphological types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javanmardi, Behnam; Kroupa, Pavel

2017-01-01

We present the first study of the isotropy of the all-sky distribution of morphological types of galaxies in the Local Universe out to around 200 Mpc using more than 60 000 galaxies from the HyperLeda database. We use a hemispherical comparison method where the sky is divided into two opposite hemispheres and the abundance distribution of the morphological types, T, are compared using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test. By pointing the axis of symmetry of the hemisphere pairs to different directions in the sky, the KS statistic as a function of sky coordinates is obtained. For three samples of galaxies within around 100, 150, and 200 Mpc, we find a significant hemispherical asymmetry with a vanishingly small chance of occurring in an isotropic distribution. Astonishingly, regardless of this extreme significance, the observed hemispherical asymmetry for the three distance ranges is aligned with the celestial equator at the 97.1-99.8% confidence level and with the ecliptic at 94.6-97.6%, estimated using a Monte Carlo analysis. Shifting T values randomly within their uncertainties has a negligible effect on this result. When a magnitude limit of B ≤ 15 mag is applied to these samples, the galaxies within 100 Mpc show no significant anisotropy after randomization of T. However, the direction of the asymmetry in the samples within 150 and 200 Mpc and the same magnitude limit is found to be within an angular separation of 32 degrees from (l,b) = (123.7,24.6) with a 97.2% and 99.9% confidence level, respectively. This direction is only 2.6 degrees away from the celestial north pole. Unless the Local Universe has a significant anisotropic distribution of galaxy morphologies aligned with the orientation or the orbit of the Earth (which would be a challenge for the Cosmological Principle), our results show that there seems to be a systematic bias in the classification of galaxy morphological types between the data from the northern and the southern equatorial sky. Further

Cataloging the Entire Sky with NOAO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nidever, David; Dey, Arjun; Olsen, Knut; Nikutta, Robert; Juneau, Stephanie; NOAO Data Lab Team

2018-01-01

More than two thirds of the sky has now been imaged in at least one band with NOAO's telescopes. The large majority of these data were obtained for PI-led projects and surveys, and thus far only a small fraction have been released to the community via well-calibrated and easily accessible catalogs. We are remedying this by creating a catalog of sources from most of the public data taken using the CTIO-4m+DECam and KPNO-4m+Mosaic3. This catalog, called the NOAO Source Catalog (NSC), currently covers ~25,000 square degrees, contains 20 billion individual measurements of 2 billion unique objects, and has 10-sigma depths of ~23rd magnitude in most broad-band filters and astrometric accuracy of ~20 mas. The NSC can be used to investigate stellar streams, dwarf satellite galaxies, galaxy distributions, variable stars and other transients. I will give an overview of the first public data release distributed through NOAO Data Lab and discuss initial results from a search for Milky Way satellite galaxies using the new catalog.

Science with the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Eric J.; Baum, Stefi Alison; Brandt, W. Niel; Chandler, Claire J.; Clarke, Tracy E.; Condon, James J.; Cordes, James M.; Deustua, Susana E.; Dickinson, Mark; Gugliucci, Nicole E.; Hallinan, Gregg; Hodge, Jacqueline; Lang, Cornelia C.; Law, Casey J.; Lazio, Joseph; Mao, Sui Ann; Myers, Steven T.; Osten, Rachel A.; Richards, Gordon T.; Strauss, Michael A.; White, Richard L.; Zauderer, Bevin; Extragalactic Science Working Group, Galactic Science Working Group, Transient Science Working Group

2015-01-01

The Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) was initiated to develop and carry out a new generation large radio sky survey using the recently upgraded Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The proposed VLASS is a modern, multi-tiered survey with the VLA designed to provide a broad, cohesive science program with forefront scientific impact, capable of generating unexpected scientific discoveries, generating involvement from all astronomical communities, and leaving a lasting legacy value for decades.VLASS will observe from 2-4 GHz and is structured to combine comprehensive all sky coverage with sequentially deeper coverage in carefully identified parts of the sky, including the Galactic plane, and will be capable of informing time domain studies. This approach enables both focused and wide ranging scientific discovery through the coupling of deeper narrower tiers with increasing sky coverage at shallower depths, addressing key science issues and providing a statistical interpretational framework. Such an approach provides both astronomers and the citizen scientist with information for every accessible point of the radio sky, while simultaneously addressing fundamental questions about the nature and evolution of astrophysical objects.VLASS will follow the evolution of galaxies and their central black hole engines, measure the strength and topology of cosmic magnetic fields, unveil hidden explosions throughout the Universe, and chart our galaxy for stellar remnants and ionized bubbles. Multi-wavelength communities studying rare objects, the Galaxy, radio transients, or galaxy evolution out to the peak of the cosmic star formation rate density will equally benefit from VLASS.Early drafts of the VLASS proposal are available at the VLASS website (https://science.nrao.edu/science/surveys/vlass/vlass), and the final proposal will be posted in early January 2015 for community comment before undergoing review in March 2015. Upon approval, VLASS would then be on schedule to start

The Sky This Week - Naval Oceanography Portal

Science.gov Websites

section Advanced Search... Sections Home Time Earth Orientation Astronomy Meteorology Oceanography Ice You . Read More... The Sky This Week, 2018 April 17 - 24 Celebrate Dark-sky Week and Astronomy Day! Read More More... The Sky This Week, 2018 April 3 - 10 April is Astronomy Month...no fooling. Read More... The

SETI prototype system for NASA's Sky Survey microwave observing project - A progress report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, M. J.; Gulkis, S.; Wilck, H. C.

1990-01-01

Two complementary search strategies, a Targeted Search and a Sky Survey, are part of NASA's SETI microwave observing project scheduled to begin in October of 1992. The current progress in the development of hardware and software elements of the JPL Sky Survey data processing system are presented. While the Targeted Search stresses sensitivity allowing the detection of either continuous or pulsed signals over the 1-3 GHz frequency range, the Sky Survey gives up sensitivity to survey the 99 percent of the sky that is not covered by the Targeted Search. The Sky Survey spans a larger frequency range from 1-10 GHz. The two searches will deploy special-purpose digital signal processing equipment designed and built to automate the observing and data processing activities. A two-million channel digital wideband spectrum analyzer and a signal processor system will serve as a prototype for the SETI Sky Survey processor. The design will permit future expansion to meet the SETI requirement that the processor concurrently search for left and right circularly polarized signals.

Reduction of timing jitter and intensity noise in normal-dispersion passively mode-locked fiber lasers by narrow band-pass filtering.

PubMed

Qin, Peng; Song, Youjian; Kim, Hyoji; Shin, Junho; Kwon, Dohyeon; Hu, Minglie; Wang, Chingyue; Kim, Jungwon

2014-11-17

Fiber lasers mode-locked with normal cavity dispersion have recently attracted great attention due to large output pulse energy and femtosecond pulse duration. Here we accurately characterized the timing jitter of normal-dispersion fiber lasers using a balanced cross-correlation method. The timing jitter characterization experiments show that the timing jitter of normal-dispersion mode-locked fiber lasers can be significantly reduced by using narrow band-pass filtering (e.g., 7-nm bandwidth filtering in this work). We further identify that the timing jitter of the fiber laser is confined in a limited range, which is almost independent of cavity dispersion map due to the amplifier-similariton formation by insertion of the narrow bandpass filter. The lowest observed timing jitter reaches 0.57 fs (rms) integrated from 10 kHz to 10 MHz Fourier frequency. The rms relative intensity noise (RIN) is also reduced from 0.37% to 0.02% (integrated from 1 kHz to 5 MHz Fourier frequency) by the insertion of narrow band-pass filter.

Novel schemes for the optimization of the SPARC narrow band THz source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marchetti, B., E-mail: barbara.marchetti@desy.de; Zagorodnov, I.; Bacci, A.

2015-07-15

A pulsed, tunable, narrow band radiation source with frequency in the THz region can be obtained collecting the coherent transition radiation produced by a train of ultra-short electron bunches having picosecond scale inter-distance. In this paper, we review the techniques feasible at the SPARC-LAB test facility to produce and manipulate the requested train of electron bunches and we examine the dynamics of their acceleration and compression. In addition, we show how the performances of the train compression and the radiation intensity and bandwidth can be significantly improved through the insertion of a fourth order harmonic cavity, working in the X-bandmore » and acting as a longitudinal phase space linearizer.« less

SkyMapper Southern Survey: First Data Release (DR1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Christian; Onken, Christopher A.; Luvaul, Lance C.; Schmidt, Brian P.; Bessell, Michael S.; Chang, Seo-Won; Da Costa, Gary S.; Mackey, Dougal; Martin-Jones, Tony; Murphy, Simon J.; Preston, Tim; Scalzo, Richard A.; Shao, Li; Smillie, Jon; Tisserand, Patrick; White, Marc C.; Yuan, Fang

2018-02-01

We present the first data release of the SkyMapper Southern Survey, a hemispheric survey carried out with the SkyMapper Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. Here, we present the survey strategy, data processing, catalogue construction, and database schema. The first data release dataset includes over 66 000 images from the Shallow Survey component, covering an area of 17 200 deg2 in all six SkyMapper passbands uvgriz, while the full area covered by any passband exceeds 20 000 deg2. The catalogues contain over 285 million unique astrophysical objects, complete to roughly 18 mag in all bands. We compare our griz point-source photometry with Pan-STARRS1 first data release and note an RMS scatter of 2%. The internal reproducibility of SkyMapper photometry is on the order of 1%. Astrometric precision is better than 0.2 arcsec based on comparison with Gaia first data release. We describe the end-user database, through which data are presented to the world community, and provide some illustrative science queries.

The MEarth project: an all-sky survey for transiting Earth-like exoplanets orbiting nearby M-dwarfs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irwin, Jonathan; Berta-Thompson, Zachory K.; Charbonneau, David; Dittmann, Jason; Newton, Elisabeth R.

2015-01-01

The MEarth project is an operational all-sky survey searching for transiting Earth-like exoplanets around 3,000 of the closest mid-to-late M-dwarfs. These will be among the best planets in their size class for atmospheric characterization using present day and near-future instruments such as HST, JWST and ground-based Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs), by virtue of the large observational signal sizes afforded by their small and bright host stars. We present an update on the status and recent scientific results of the survey from our two observing stations: MEarth-North at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Mount Hopkins, Arizona, and MEarth-South at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile. MEarth-North discovered the transiting mini-Neptune exoplanet GJ 1214b, which currently has the best-studied atmosphere of any exoplanet in its size class. In addition to searching for planets, we actively pursue stellar astrophysics topics and characterization of the target star sample using MEarth data and supplementary spectroscopic follow-up. This has included measuring astrometric parallaxes for more than 1500 nearby stars, the discovery of 6 new low-mass eclipsing binaries amenable to direct measurement of the masses and radii of their components, and rotation periods, spectral classifications, metallicities and activity indices for hundreds of stars. The MEarth light curves themselves also provide a detailed record of the photometric behavior of the target stars, which include the most favorable and interesting targets to search for small and potentially habitable planets. This will be a valuable resource for all future surveys searching for planets around these stars. All light curves gathered during the survey are made publicly available after one year.The MEarth project gratefully acknowledges funding from the David and Lucile Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering, the National Science Foundation under grants AST-0807690, AST-1109468, and AST-1004488

Scanning sky monitor (SSM) onboard AstroSat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramadevi, M. C.; Seetha, S.; Bhattacharya, Dipankar; Ravishankar, B. T.; Sitaramamurthy, N.; Meena, G.; Sharma, M. Ramakrishna; Kulkarni, Ravi; Babu, V. Chandra; Kumar; Singh, Brajpal; Jain, Anand; Yadav, Reena; Vaishali, S.; Ashoka, B. N.; Agarwal, Anil; Balaji, K.; Nagesh, G.; Kumar, Manoj; Gaan, Dhruti Ranjan; Kulshresta, Prashanth; Agarwal, Pankaj; Sebastian, Mathew; Rajarajan, A.; Radhika, D.; Nandi, Anuj; Girish, V.; Agarwal, Vivek Kumar; Kushwaha, Ankur; Iyer, Nirmal Kumar

2017-10-01

Scanning Sky Monitor (SSM) onboard AstroSat is an Xray sky monitor in the soft X-ray band designed with a large field of view to detect and locate transient X-ray sources and alert the astronomical community about interesting phenomena in the X-ray sky. SSM comprises position sensitive proportional counters with 1D coded mask for imaging. There are three detector units mounted on a platform capable of rotation which helps covering about 50% of the sky in one full rotation. This paper discusses the elaborate details of the instrument and few immediate results from the instrument after launch.

A prototype for the PASS Permanent All Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deeg, H. J.; Alonso, R.; Belmonte, J. A.; Horne, K.; Alsubai, K.; Collier Cameron, A.; Doyle, L. R.

2004-10-01

A prototype system for the Permanent All Sky Survey (PASS) project is presented. PASS is a continuous photometric survey of the entire celestial sphere with a high temporal resolution. Its major objectives are the detection of all giant-planet transits (with periods up to some weeks) across stars up to mag 10.5, and to deliver continuously photometry that is useful for the study of any variable stars. The prototype is based on CCD cameras with short focal length optics on a fixed mount. A small dome to house it at Teide Observatory, Tenerife, is currently being constructed. A placement at the antarctic Dome C is also being considered. The prototype will be used for a feasibility study of PASS, to define the best observing strategies, and to perform a detailed characterization of the capabilities and scope of the survey. Afterwards, a first partial sky surveying will be started with it. That first survey may be able to detect transiting planets during its first few hundred hours of operation. It will also deliver a data set around which software modules dealing with the various scientific objectives of PASS will be developed. The PASS project is still in its early phase and teams interested in specific scientific objectives, in providing technical expertise, or in participating with own observations are invited to collaborate.

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

DOE PAGES

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

2017-09-26

Here, we have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging - a total of ~8 million exposures in each band - from ~37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ~3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacymore » Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.« less

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

Here, we have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging - a total of ~8 million exposures in each band - from ~37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ~3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacymore » Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.« less

The Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey: Herschel Image Atlas and Aperture Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Jason K.; Sanders, D. B.; Larson, K. L.; Mazzarella, J. M.; Howell, J. H.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Xu, K. C.; Paladini, R.; Schulz, B.; Shupe, D.; Appleton, P.; Armus, L.; Billot, N.; Chan, B. H. P.; Evans, A. S.; Fadda, D.; Frayer, D. T.; Haan, S.; Ishida, C. M.; Iwasawa, K.; Kim, D.-C.; Lord, S.; Murphy, E.; Petric, A.; Privon, G. C.; Surace, J. A.; Treister, E.

2017-04-01

Far-infrared images and photometry are presented for 201 Luminous and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies [LIRGs: log ({L}{IR}/{L}⊙ )=11.00{--}11.99, ULIRGs: log ({L}{IR}/{L}⊙ )=12.00{--}12.99], in the Great Observatories All-Sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), based on observations with the Herschel Space Observatory Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) instruments. The image atlas displays each GOALS target in the three PACS bands (70, 100, and 160 μm) and the three SPIRE bands (250, 350, and 500 μm), optimized to reveal structures at both high and low surface brightness levels, with images scaled to simplify comparison of structures in the same physical areas of ˜100 × 100 kpc2. Flux densities of companion galaxies in merging systems are provided where possible, depending on their angular separation and the spatial resolution in each passband, along with integrated system fluxes (sum of components). This data set constitutes the imaging and photometric component of the GOALS Herschel OT1 observing program, and is complementary to atlases presented for the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Collectively, these data will enable a wide range of detailed studies of active galactic nucleus and starburst activity within the most luminous infrared galaxies in the local universe. Based on Herschel Space Observatory observations. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by the European-led Principal Investigator consortia, and important participation from NASA.

Measurement of the surface wavelength distribution of narrow-band radiation by a colorimetric method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraiskii, A V; Mironova, T V; Sultanov, T T

2010-09-10

A method is suggested for determining the wavelength of narrow-band light from a digital photograph of a radiating surface. The digital camera used should be appropriately calibrated. The accuracy of the wavelength measurement is better than 1 nm. The method was tested on the yellow doublet of mercury spectrum and on the adjacent continuum of the incandescent lamp radiation spectrum. By means of the method suggested the homogeneity of holographic sensor swelling was studied in stationary and transient cases. (laser applications and other topics in quantum electronics)

ASHI, an All Sky Heliospheric Imager for Future NASA Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, B. V.; Buffington, A.; Hick, P. P.; Yu, H. S.; Bisi, M. M.

2016-12-01

We wish to answer the scientific question: "What are the shapes and time histories of heliospheric structures in the plasma parameters, density and velocity as structures move outward from the Sun and surround the spacecraft?" To provide answers to this question, we propose ASHI, an All-Sky Heliospheric Imager for future NASA missions. ASHI's primary applicability is to view the inner heliosphere from deep space as a photometric system. The zodiacal-light photometers on the twin Helios spacecraft, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on the Coriolis satellite, and the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) on the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft, all point the way towards an optimum instrument for viewing Thomson-scattering observations. The specifications for such systems include viewing the whole sky starting beyond a few degrees of the Sun, and covering a hemisphere or more of sky. With an imager mass of about 2.5 kg per system (scalable to lower values for instruments viewing from closer than 1 AU), ten-minute exposures, 20 arc-second pointing, and low power consumption, this type of instrument has been a popular choice for recent NASA Mission concepts such as STEREO, Solar Orbiter, Solar probe, and EASCO. A key photometric specification for such imagers is 0.1% differential photometry which enables the 3-D reconstruction of density starting from near the Sun and extending outward. A proven concept using SMEI analyses, ASHI will provide an order of magnitude better resolution in three dimensions over time. As a new item we intend to include velocity in this concept, and for a heliospheric imager in deep space, provide high-resolution comparisions of in-situ density and velocity measurements obtained at the spacecraft, to structures observed remotely.

2MASS Catalog Server Kit Version 2.1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, C.

2013-10-01

The 2MASS Catalog Server Kit is open source software for use in easily constructing a high performance search server for important astronomical catalogs. This software utilizes the open source RDBMS PostgreSQL, therefore, any users can setup the database on their local computers by following step-by-step installation guide. The kit provides highly optimized stored functions for positional searchs similar to SDSS SkyServer. Together with these, the powerful SQL environment of PostgreSQL will meet various user's demands. We released 2MASS Catalog Server Kit version 2.1 in 2012 May, which supports the latest WISE All-Sky catalog (563,921,584 rows) and 9 major all-sky catalogs. Local databases are often indispensable for observatories with unstable or narrow-band networks or severe use, such as retrieving large numbers of records within a small period of time. This software is the best for such purposes, and increasing supported catalogs and improvements of version 2.1 can cover a wider range of applications including advanced calibration system, scientific studies using complicated SQL queries, etc. Official page: http://www.ir.isas.jaxa.jp/~cyamauch/2masskit/

The Development of the Spanish Fireball Network Using a New All-Sky CCD System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo-Rodríguez, J. M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Llorca, J.; Fabregat, J.; Martínez, V. J.; Reglero, V.; Jelínek, M.; Kubánek, P.; Mateo, T.; Postigo, A. De Ugarte

2004-12-01

We have developed an all-sky charge coupled devices (CCD) automatic system for detecting meteors and fireballs that will be operative in four stations in Spain during 2005. The cameras were developed following the BOOTES-1 prototype installed at the El Arenosillo Observatory in 2002, which is based on a CCD detector of 4096 × 4096 pixels with a fish-eye lens that provides an all-sky image with enough resolution to make accurate astrometric measurements. Since late 2004, a couple of cameras at two of the four stations operate for 30 s in alternate exposures, allowing 100% time coverage. The stellar limiting magnitude of the images is +10 in the zenith, and +8 below ~ 65° of zenithal angle. As a result, the images provide enough comparison stars to make astrometric measurements of faint meteors and fireballs with an accuracy of ~ 2°arcminutes. Using this prototype, four automatic all-sky CCD stations have been developed, two in Andalusia and two in the Valencian Community, to start full operation of the Spanish Fireball Network. In addition to all-sky coverage, we are developing a fireball spectroscopy program using medium field lenses with additional CCD cameras. Here we present the first images obtained from the El Arenosillo and La Mayora stations in Andalusia during their first months of activity. The detection of the Jan 27, 2003 superbolide of ± 17 ± 1 absolute magnitude that overflew Algeria and Morocco is an example of the detection capability of our prototype.

Rapid All-Sky Transient Discovery and Analysis with Evryscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbett, Henry T.; Law, Nicholas; Fors, Octavi; Ratzloff, Jeff; Goeke, Erin; Howard, Ward S.

2018-01-01

The Evryscope is an array of 24 small telescopes on a common mount, capable of observing the entire visible sky down to g' ~ 16 with a two-minute cadence. Each exposure covers 8000 square degrees over 691 MPix and requires minimal readout time, providing 97% continuous coverage of the night sky. The system's large field of view and rapid cadence enable exploration of a previously inaccessible parameter space of bright and fast transients, including nearby microlensing events, supernovae, and kilonovae GW counterparts. The first instrument, located at CTIO in Chile, was deployed in mid-2015 and is currently in production creating multi-year light curves with percent-level precision. A second identical system is on track for deployment at Mount Laguna Observatory in California in early 2018. Once operational, the two sites will provide simultaneous two-color photometry over a 4000 square degree overlapping region accessible to both instruments, operating as a combined discovery and follow-up network for transient phenomena on all nearby stars and many nearby galaxies. I will present recent science results from the Evryscope and an overview of our data reduction pipeline.

The 60-month all-sky BAT Survey of AGN and the Anisotropy of Nearby AGN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ajello, M.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Alexander, D.M.

2012-04-02

Surveys above 10 keV represent one of the the best resources to provide an unbiased census of the population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We present the results of 60 months of observation of the hard X-ray sky with Swift/BAT. In this timeframe, BAT detected (in the 15-55 keV band) 720 sources in an all-sky survey of which 428 are associated with AGN, most of which are nearby. Our sample has negligible incompleteness and statistics a factor of {approx}2 larger over similarly complete sets of AGN. Our sample contains (at least) 15 bona-fide Compton-thick AGN and 3 likely candidates. Compton-thickmore » AGN represent a {approx}5% of AGN samples detected above 15 keV. We use the BAT dataset to refine the determination of the LogN-LogS of AGN which is extremely important, now that NuSTAR prepares for launch, towards assessing the AGN contribution to the cosmic X-ray background. We show that the LogN-LogS of AGN selected above 10 keV is now established to a {approx}10% precision. We derive the luminosity function of Compton-thick AGN and measure a space density of 7.9{sub -2.9}{sup +4.1} x 10{sup -5} Mpc{sup -3} for objects with a de-absorbed luminosity larger than 2 x 10{sup 42} erg s{sup -1}. As the BAT AGN are all mostly local, they allow us to investigate the spatial distribution of AGN in the nearby Universe regardless of absorption. We find concentrations of AGN that coincide spatially with the largest congregations of matter in the local ({le} 85 Mpc) Universe. There is some evidence that the fraction of Seyfert 2 objects is larger than average in the direction of these dense regions.« less

The All-Sky Swift - INTEGRAL X-Ray Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michelson, Peter

All-sky surveys at hard X-ray energies (above 15 keV) have proven to be a powerful technique in detecting Galactic and extragalactic source populations. Most of the radiation at hard X-ray energies originates in non-thermal processes. These processes take place in extreme conditions of gravitational fields, of electromagnetic field, and also in explosive events. Such extreme conditions can be found in the Milk Way in the vicinity of neutron stars, black holes, and supernovae. Also extragalactic sources are known to be hard X-ray emitters like Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), blazars, and Clusters of Galaxies. Currently the most sensitive flying hard X-ray detectors are the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board the NASA mission Swift and the INTEGRAL Soft-Gamma Ray Imager (IBIS/ISGRI) on board the ESA mission INTEGRAL. BAT and IBIS/ISGRI are coded- mask telescopes that shed continuously light on the Galactic and the extragalactic source populations. However, coded-mask telescopes suffer from heavy systematic effects (errors) preventing them from reaching their theoretical limiting sensitivity. Furthermore, by design, they block ~50% of the incident photons causing and increase of statistical noise. As a consequence BAT and IBIS/ISGRI are not sensitive enough to detect faint objects. In addition it has been proven that the Galactic survey of these instruments is limited by systematic uncertainties. Therefore, further observations on the Galactic plane will not improve the sensitivity of the survey of BAT and IBIS/ISGRI. In this project we show that it is possible to overcome the limits of BAT and of IBIS/ISGRI by combining their observations in the 18 55 keV energy range. We call it the SIX survey that stands for Swift - INTEGRAL X-ray survey. Two major advantages are obtained by merging the observations of BAT and IBIS/ISGRI: 1) the exposure is greatly enhanced (sum of BAT and IBIS/ISGRI) and therefore the sensitivity is improved; 2) the systematic errors of both

Update on narrow band imaging in disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract.

PubMed

Singh, Rajvinder; Lee, Shok Y; Vijay, Nimal; Sharma, Prateek; Uedo, Noriya

2014-03-01

With the ever-increasing concern regarding morbidity and mortality associated with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, the importance of an effective and efficient diagnostic tool cannot be overstated. The standard of care currently is an examination using conventional white light endoscopy. This approach may occasionally overlook areas exhibiting a premalignant change. Numerous image-enhanced modalities have been recently introduced. Narrow band imaging (NBI) appears to be the most prominent of these and perhaps the most commonly used. Thepresent review will focus on some of the newer studies on NBI and its utility in the diagnosis of malignant, pre-malignant and chronic inflammatory conditions of the upper gastrointestinal tract. © 2013 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2013 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Whispering-Gallery-Mode Tunable Narrow-Band-Pass Filter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Savchenkov, Anatoliy; Iltchenko, Vladimir; Matsko, Andrey; Maleki, Lute

2004-01-01

An experimental tunable, narrow-band-pass electro-optical filter is based on a whispering-gallery resonator. This device is a prototype of tunable filters needed for the further development of reconfigurable networking wavelength-division multiplexers and communication systems that utilize radio-frequency (more specifically, microwave) subcarrier signals on optical carrier signals. The characteristics of whispering-gallery resonators that make them attractive for such applications include high tuning speed, compactness, wide tuning range, low power consumption, and compatibility with single-mode optical fibers. In addition, relative to Fabry-Perot resonators, these devices offer advantages of greater robustness and lower cost. As described in several prior NASA Tech Briefs articles, a whispering-gallery resonator is a spheroidal, disk-like, or toroidal body made of a highly transparent material. It is so named because it is designed to exploit whispering-gallery electromagnetic modes, which are waveguide modes that propagate circumferentially and are concentrated in a narrow toroidal region centered on the equatorial plane and located near the outermost edge. The experimental whispering-gallery tunable filter (see figure) is made from a disk of Z-cut LiNbO3 of 4.8-mm diameter and 0.17-mm thickness. The perimeter of the disk is rounded to a radius of curvature of 100 m. Metal coats on the flat faces of the disk serve as electrodes for exploiting the electro-optical effect in LiNbO3 for tuning. There is no metal coat on the rounded perimeter region, where the whispering-gallery modes propagate. Light is coupled from an input optical fiber into the whispering-gallery modes by means of a diamond prism. Another diamond prism is used to couple light from the whispering-gallery modes to an output optical fiber. This device is designed and operated to exploit transverse magnetic (TM) whispering- gallery modes, rather than transverse electric (TE) modes because the

Detecting TLEs using a massive all-sky camera network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garnung, M. B.; Celestin, S. J.

2017-12-01

Transient Luminous Events (TLEs) are large-scale optical events occurring in the upper-atmosphere from the top of thunderclouds up to the ionosphere. TLEs may have important effects in local, regional, and global scales, and many features of TLEs are not fully understood yet [e.g, Pasko, JGR, 115, A00E35, 2010]. Moreover, meteor events have been suggested to play a role in sprite initiation by producing ionospheric irregularities [e.g, Qin et al., Nat. Commun., 5, 3740, 2014]. The French Fireball Recovery and InterPlanetary Observation Network (FRIPON, https://www.fripon.org/?lang=en), is a national all-sky 30 fps camera network designed to continuously detect meteor events. We seek to make use of this network to observe TLEs over unprecedented space and time scales ( 1000×1000 km with continuous acquisition). To do so, we had to significantly modify FRIPON's triggering software Freeture (https://github.com/fripon/freeture) while leaving the meteor detection capability uncompromised. FRIPON has a great potential in the study of TLEs. Not only could it produce new results about spatial and time distributions of TLEs over a very large area, it could also be used to validate and complement observations from future space missions such as ASIM (ESA) and TARANIS (CNES). In this work, we present an original image processing algorithm that can detect sprites using all-sky cameras while strongly limiting the frequency of false positives and our ongoing work on sprite triangulation using the FRIPON network.

A narrow-band k-distribution model with single mixture gas assumption for radiative flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, Sung Min; Kim, Jae Won; Kwon, Oh Joon

2018-06-01

In the present study, the narrow-band k-distribution (NBK) model parameters for mixtures of H2O, CO2, and CO are proposed by utilizing the line-by-line (LBL) calculations with a single mixture gas assumption. For the application of the NBK model to radiative flows, a radiative transfer equation (RTE) solver based on a finite-volume method on unstructured meshes was developed. The NBK model and the RTE solver were verified by solving two benchmark problems including the spectral radiance distribution emitted from one-dimensional slabs and the radiative heat transfer in a truncated conical enclosure. It was shown that the results are accurate and physically reliable by comparing with available data. To examine the applicability of the methods to realistic multi-dimensional problems in non-isothermal and non-homogeneous conditions, radiation in an axisymmetric combustion chamber was analyzed, and then the infrared signature emitted from an aircraft exhaust plume was predicted. For modeling the plume flow involving radiative cooling, a flow-radiation coupled procedure was devised in a loosely coupled manner by adopting a Navier-Stokes flow solver based on unstructured meshes. It was shown that the predicted radiative cooling for the combustion chamber is physically more accurate than other predictions, and is as accurate as that by the LBL calculations. It was found that the infrared signature of aircraft exhaust plume can also be obtained accurately, equivalent to the LBL calculations, by using the present narrow-band approach with a much improved numerical efficiency.

Narrow Band Filter at 1550 nm Based on Quasi-One-Dimensional Photonic Crystal with a Mirror-Symmetric Heterostructure.

PubMed

Wang, Fang; Cheng, Yong Zhi; Wang, Xian; Zhang, Yi Nan; Nie, Yan; Gong, Rong Zhou

2018-06-27

In this paper, we present a high-efficiency narrow band filter (NBF) based on quasi-one-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) with a mirror symmetric heterostructure. Similarly to the Fabry-Perot-like resonance cavity, the alternately-arranged dielectric layers on both sides act as the high reflectance and the junction layers used as the defect mode of the quasi-one-dimensional PC, which can be designed as a NBF. The critical conditions for the narrow pass band with high transmittance are demonstrated and analyzed by simulation and experiment. The simulation results indicate that the transmission peak of the quasi-one-dimensional PC-based NBF is up to 95.99% at the telecommunication wavelength of 1550 nm, which agrees well with the experiment. Furthermore, the influences of the periodicity and thickness of dielectric layers on the transmission properties of the PC-based NBF also have been studied numerically. Due to its favorable properties of PC-based NBF, it is can be found to have many potential applications, such as detection, sensing, and communication.

Fast cadence planet-searches with the all-sky, gigapixel-scale Evryscope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratzloff, Jeff; Law, Nicholas

2018-01-01

The Evryscope is a 24-camera robotic telescope that continuously images 8,000 square degrees in 2-minute exposures, that has been collecting data continuously since deployment to CTIO in mid-2015. The telescope provides the fast cadence observations necessary for detecting minute to tens-of-minute time-scale exoplanet transits, which would occur around small, compact host stars including White Dwarfs and Hot Subdwarfs. We are conducting target surveys for each of these types of stars searching for potential planet transit signals. Our surveys will be the largest performed to date with several thousand targets in each group and years of observations, and the only surveys with minute-scale cadence. We present the status of the surveys, our estimated detection ability, interesting candidates, and preliminary results.

Particle dark matter searches in the anisotropic sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornengo, Nicolao; Regis, Marco

2014-02-01

Anisotropies in the electromagnetic emission produced by dark matter annihilation or decay in the extragalactic sky are a recent tool in the quest for a particle dark matter evidence. We review the formalism to compute the two-point angular power spectrum in the halo-model approach and discuss the features and the relative size of the various auto- and cross-correlation signals that can be envisaged for anisotropy studies. From the side of particle dark matter signals, we consider the full multi-wavelength spectrum, from the radio emission to X-ray and gamma-ray productions. We discuss the angular power spectra of the auto-correlation of each of these signals and of the cross-correlation between any pair of them. We then extend the search to comprise specific gravitational tracers of dark matter distribution in the Universe: weak-lensing cosmic shear, large-scale-structure matter distribution and CMB-lensing. We have shown that cross-correlating a multi-wavelength dark matter signal (which is a direct manifestation of its particle physics nature) with a gravitational tracer (which is a manifestation of the presence of large amounts of unseen matter in the Universe) may offer a promising tool to demonstrate that what we call DM is indeed formed by elementary particles.

Active galaxies observed during the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer all-sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, H. L.; Fruscione, A.; Carone, T. E.

1995-01-01

We present observations of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) obtained with the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) during the all-sky survey. A total of 13 sources were detected at a significance of 2.5 sigma or better: seven Seyfert galaxies, five BL Lac objects, and one quasar. The fraction of BL Lac objects is higher in our sample than in hard X-ray surveys but is consistent with the soft X-ray Einstein Slew Survey, indicating that the main reason for the large number of BL Lac objects in the extreme ulktraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray bands is their steeper X-ray spectra. We show that the number of AGNs observed in both the EUVE and ROSAT Wide Field Camera surveys can readily be explained by modelling the EUV spectra with a simple power law in the case of BL Lac objects and with an additional EUV excess in the case of Seyferts and quasars. Allowing for cold matter absorption in Seyfert galaxy hosts drive up the inferred average continuum slope to 2.0 +/- 0.5 (at 90% confidence), compared to a slope of 1.0 usually found from soft X-ray data. If Seyfert galaxies without EUV excesses form a significant fraction of the population, then the average spectrum of those with bumps should be even steeper. We place a conservative limit on neutral gas in BL Lac objects: N(sub H) less than 10(exp 20)/sq cm.

HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUDS IN THE GALACTIC ALL SKY SURVEY. I. CATALOG

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moss, V. A.; Kummerfeld, J. K.; McClure-Griffiths, N. M.

2013-11-01

We present a catalog of high-velocity clouds (HVCs) from the Galactic All Sky Survey (GASS) of southern sky neutral hydrogen, which has 57 mK sensitivity and 1 km s{sup –1} velocity resolution and was obtained with the Parkes Telescope. Our catalog has been derived from the stray-radiation-corrected second release of GASS. We describe the data and our method of identifying HVCs and analyze the overall properties of the GASS population. We catalog a total of 1693 HVCs at declinations <0°, including 1111 positive velocity HVCs and 582 negative velocity HVCs. Our catalog also includes 295 anomalous velocity clouds (AVCs). Themore » cloud line-widths of our HVC population have a median FWHM of ∼19 km s{sup –1}, which is lower than that found in previous surveys. The completeness of our catalog is above 95% based on comparison with the HIPASS catalog of HVCs upon which we improve by an order of magnitude in spectral resolution. We find 758 new HVCs and AVCs with no HIPASS counterpart. The GASS catalog will shed unprecedented light on the distribution and kinematic structure of southern sky HVCs, as well as delve further into the cloud populations that make up the anomalous velocity gas of the Milky Way.« less

Camera characterization for all-sky polarization measurements during the 2017 solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, Taiga; Dahl, Laura M.; Laurie, Seth A.; Shaw, Joseph A.

2017-08-01

A solar eclipse provides a rare opportunity to observe skylight polarization during conditions that are fundamentally different than what we see every day. On 21 August 2017 we will measure the skylight polarization during a total solar eclipse in Rexburg, Idaho, USA. Previous research has shown that during totality the sky polarization pattern is altered significantly to become nominally symmetric about the zenith. However, there are still questions remaining about the details of how surface reflectance near the eclipse observation site and optical properties of aerosols in the atmosphere influence the totality sky polarization pattern. We will study how skylight polarization in a solar eclipse changes through each phase and how surface and atmospheric features affect the measured polarization signatures. To accomplish this, fully characterizing the cameras and fisheye lenses is critical. This paper reports measurements that include finding the camera sensitivity and its relationship to the required short exposure times, measuring the camera's spectral response function, mapping the angles of each camera pixel with the fisheye lens, and taking test measurements during daytime and twilight conditions. The daytime polarimetric images were compared to images from an existing all-sky polarization imager and a polarimetric radiative transfer model.

Sky type discrimination using a ground-based sun photometer

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeFelice, Thomas P.; Wylie, Bruce K.

2001-01-01

A 2-year feasibility study was conducted at the USGS EROS Data Center, South Dakota (43.733°N, 96.6167°W) to assess whether a four-band, ground-based, sun photometer could be used to discriminate sky types. The results indicate that unique spectral signatures do exist between sunny skies (including clear and hazy skies) and cirrus, and cirrostratus, altocumulus or fair-weather cumulus, and thin stratocumulus or altostratus, and fog/fractostratus skies. There were insufficient data points to represent other cloud types at a statistically significant level.

The strain induced band gap modulation from narrow gap semiconductor to half-metal on Ti{sub 2}CrGe: A first principles study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Jia, E-mail: jiali@hebut.edu.cn; Research Institute for Energy Equipment Materials, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin 300401; Zhang, Zhidong

The Heusler alloy Ti{sub 2}CrGe is a stable L2{sub 1} phase with antiferromagnetic ordering. With band-gap energy (∼ 0.18 eV) obtained from a first-principles calculation, it belongs to the group of narrow band gap semiconductor. The band-gap energy decreases with increasing lattice compression and disappears until a strain of −5%; moreover, gap contraction only occurs in the spin-down states, leading to half-metallic character at the −5% strain. The Ti{sub 1}, Ti{sub 2}, and Cr moments all exhibit linear changes in behavior within strains of −5%– +5%. Nevertheless, the total zero moment is robust for these strains. The imaginary part ofmore » the dielectric function for both up and down spin states shows a clear onset energy, indicating a corresponding electronic gap for the two spin channels.« less

Social learning solves the problem of narrow-peaked search landscapes: experimental evidence in humans.

PubMed

Acerbi, Alberto; Tennie, Claudio; Mesoudi, Alex

2016-09-01

The extensive use of social learning is considered a major reason for the ecological success of humans. Theoretical considerations, models and experiments have explored the evolutionary basis of social learning, showing the conditions under which learning from others is more adaptive than individual learning. Here we present an extension of a previous experimental set-up, in which individuals go on simulated 'hunts' and their success depends on the features of a 'virtual arrowhead' they design. Individuals can modify their arrowhead either by individual trial and error or by copying others. We study how, in a multimodal adaptive landscape, the smoothness of the peaks influences learning. We compare narrow peaks, in which solutions close to optima do not provide useful feedback to individuals, to wide peaks, where smooth landscapes allow an effective hill-climbing individual learning strategy. We show that individual learning is more difficult in narrow-peaked landscapes, but that social learners perform almost equally well in both narrow- and wide-peaked search spaces. There was a weak trend for more copying in the narrow than wide condition, although as in previous experiments social information was generally underutilized. Our results highlight the importance of tasks' design space when studying the adaptiveness of high-fidelity social learning.

Weak Broadband Electromagnetic Fields are More Disruptive to Magnetic Compass Orientation in a Night-Migratory Songbird (Erithacus rubecula) than Strong Narrow-Band Fields

PubMed Central

Schwarze, Susanne; Schneider, Nils-Lasse; Reichl, Thomas; Dreyer, David; Lefeldt, Nele; Engels, Svenja; Baker, Neville; Hore, P. J.; Mouritsen, Henrik

2016-01-01

Magnetic compass orientation in night-migratory songbirds is embedded in the visual system and seems to be based on a light-dependent radical pair mechanism. Recent findings suggest that both broadband electromagnetic fields ranging from ~2 kHz to ~9 MHz and narrow-band fields at the so-called Larmor frequency for a free electron in the Earth’s magnetic field can disrupt this mechanism. However, due to local magnetic fields generated by nuclear spins, effects specific to the Larmor frequency are difficult to understand considering that the primary sensory molecule should be organic and probably a protein. We therefore constructed a purpose-built laboratory and tested the orientation capabilities of European robins in an electromagnetically silent environment, under the specific influence of four different oscillating narrow-band electromagnetic fields, at the Larmor frequency, double the Larmor frequency, 1.315 MHz or 50 Hz, and in the presence of broadband electromagnetic noise covering the range from ~2 kHz to ~9 MHz. Our results indicated that the magnetic compass orientation of European robins could not be disrupted by any of the relatively strong narrow-band electromagnetic fields employed here, but that the weak broadband field very efficiently disrupted their orientation. PMID:27047356

Gamma-Ray-emitting Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paliya, Vaidehi S.; Ajello, M.; Rakshit, S.; Mandal, Amit Kumar; Stalin, C. S.; Kaur, A.; Hartmann, D.

2018-01-01

The detection of significant γ-ray emission from radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1s) galaxies enables us to study jets in environments different than those in blazars. However, due to the small number of known γ-ray-emitting NLSy1 (γ-NLSy1) galaxies, a comprehensive study could not be performed. Here, we report the first detection of significant γ-ray emission from four active galactic nuclei (AGNs), recently classified as NLSy1 from their Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) optical spectrum. Three flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) present in the third Large Area Telescope AGN catalog (3LAC) are also found as γ-NLSy1 galaxies. Comparing the γ-ray properties of these objects with 3LAC blazars reveals their spectral shapes to be similar to FSRQs, however, with low γ-ray luminosity (≲1046–47 erg s‑1). In the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer color–color diagram, these objects occupy a region mainly populated by FSRQs. Using the H β emission line parameters, we find that on average γ-NLSy1 have smaller black hole masses than FSRQs at similar redshifts. In the low-resolution SDSS image of one of the γ-NLSy1 source, we find the evidence of an extended structure. We conclude by noting that overall many observational properties of γ-NLSy1 sources are similar to FSRQs, and therefore these objects could be their low black hole mass counterparts, as predicted in the literature.

Parameter-space metric of semicoherent searches for continuous gravitational waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pletsch, Holger J.

2010-08-01

Continuous gravitational-wave (CW) signals such as emitted by spinning neutron stars are an important target class for current detectors. However, the enormous computational demand prohibits fully coherent broadband all-sky searches for prior unknown CW sources over wide ranges of parameter space and for yearlong observation times. More efficient hierarchical “semicoherent” search strategies divide the data into segments much shorter than one year, which are analyzed coherently; then detection statistics from different segments are combined incoherently. To optimally perform the incoherent combination, understanding of the underlying parameter-space structure is requisite. This problem is addressed here by using new coordinates on the parameter space, which yield the first analytical parameter-space metric for the incoherent combination step. This semicoherent metric applies to broadband all-sky surveys (also embedding directed searches at fixed sky position) for isolated CW sources. Furthermore, the additional metric resolution attained through the combination of segments is studied. From the search parameters (sky position, frequency, and frequency derivatives), solely the metric resolution in the frequency derivatives is found to significantly increase with the number of segments.

Application of simple all-sky imagers for the estimation of aerosol optical depth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantzidis, Andreas; Tzoumanikas, Panagiotis; Nikitidou, Efterpi; Salamalikis, Vasileios; Wilbert, Stefan; Prahl, Christoph

2017-06-01

Aerosol optical depth is a key atmospheric constituent for direct normal irradiance calculations at concentrating solar power plants. However, aerosol optical depth is typically not measured at the solar plants for financial reasons. With the recent introduction of all-sky imagers for the nowcasting of direct normal irradiance at the plants a new instrument is available which can be used for the determination of aerosol optical depth at different wavelengths. In this study, we are based on Red, Green and Blue intensities/radiances and calculations of the saturated area around the Sun, both derived from all-sky images taken with a low-cost surveillance camera at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria, Spain. The aerosol optical depth at 440, 500 and 675nm is calculated. The results are compared with collocated aerosol optical measurements and the mean/median difference and standard deviation are less than 0.01 and 0.03 respectively at all wavelengths.

ATLAS: A High-cadence All-sky Survey System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonry, J. L.; Denneau, L.; Heinze, A. N.; Stalder, B.; Smith, K. W.; Smartt, S. J.; Stubbs, C. W.; Weiland, H. J.; Rest, A.

2018-06-01

Technology has advanced to the point that it is possible to image the entire sky every night and process the data in real time. The sky is hardly static: many interesting phenomena occur, including variable stationary objects such as stars or QSOs, transient stationary objects such as supernovae or M dwarf flares, and moving objects such as asteroids and the stars themselves. Funded by NASA, we have designed and built a sky survey system for the purpose of finding dangerous near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). This system, the “Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System” (ATLAS), has been optimized to produce the best survey capability per unit cost, and therefore is an efficient and competitive system for finding potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) but also for tracking variables and finding transients. While carrying out its NASA mission, ATLAS now discovers more bright (m < 19) supernovae candidates than any ground based survey, frequently detecting very young explosions due to its 2 day cadence. ATLAS discovered the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst independent of the high energy trigger and has released a variable star catalog of 5 × 106 sources. This is the first of a series of articles describing ATLAS, devoted to the design and performance of the ATLAS system. Subsequent articles will describe in more detail the software, the survey strategy, ATLAS-derived NEA population statistics, transient detections, and the first data release of variable stars and transient light curves.

Band gap narrowing in n-type and p-type 3C-, 2H-, 4H-, 6H-SiC, and Si

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Persson, C.; Lindefelt, U.; Sernelius, B. E.

1999-10-01

Doping-induced energy shifts of the conduction band minimum and the valence band maximum have been calculated for n-type and p-type 3C-, 2H-, 4H-, 6H-SiC, and Si. The narrowing of the fundamental band gap and of the optical band gap are presented as functions of ionized impurity concentration. The calculations go beyond the common parabolic treatments of the ground state energy dispersion by using energy dispersion and overlap integrals from band structure calculations. The nonparabolic valence band curvatures influence strongly the energy shifts especially in p-type materials. The utilized method is based on a zero-temperature Green's function formalism within the random phase approximation with local field correction according to Hubbard. We have parametrized the shifts of the conduction and the valence bands and made comparisons with recently published results from a semi-empirical model.

Narrow-band tunable terahertz emission from ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 3-x}Ga thin films

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Awari, N.; University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen; Kovalev, S., E-mail: s.kovalev@hzdr.de, E-mail: c.fowley@hzdr.de, E-mail: rodek@tcd.ie

2016-07-18

Narrow-band terahertz emission from coherently excited spin precession in metallic ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 3-x}Ga Heusler alloy nanofilms has been observed. The efficiency of the emission, per nanometer film thickness, is comparable or higher than that of classical laser-driven terahertz sources based on optical rectification. The center frequency of the emission from the films can be tuned precisely via the film composition in the range of 0.20–0.35 THz, making this type of metallic film a candidate for efficient on-chip terahertz emitters. Terahertz emission spectroscopy is furthermore shown to be a sensitive probe of magnetic properties of ultra-thin films.

The GRB All-sky Spectrometer Experiment II: Data Collection and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voigt, Elana; Martinot, Zachary; Banks, Zachary; Pober, Jonathan; Morales, Miguel F.

2015-01-01

The GRB All-sky Spectrometer Experiment (GASE) is a widefield interferometer radio telescope designed to look for Gamma Ray Bursts in the 30 to 50 MHz range. It is based and operated as a wholly undergraduate experiment at the University of Washington. This poster will focus on data analysis and the relation of data analysis to the commissioning process of our 8 element GASE array.

Examining Dense Data Usage near the Regions with Severe Storms in All-Sky Microwave Radiance Data Assimilation and Impacts on GEOS Hurricane Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Min-Jeong; Jin, Jianjun; McCarty, Will; El Akkraoui, Amal; Todling, Ricardo; Gelaro, Ron

2018-01-01

Many numerical weather prediction (NWP) centers assimilate radiances affected by clouds and precipitation from microwave sensors, with the expectation that these data can provide critical constraints on meteorological parameters in dynamically sensitive regions to make significant impacts on forecast accuracy for precipitation. The Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center assimilates all-sky microwave radiance data from various microwave sensors such as all-sky GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) radiance in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) atmospheric data assimilation system (ADAS), which includes the GEOS atmospheric model, the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) atmospheric analysis system, and the Goddard Aerosol Assimilation System (GAAS). So far, most of NWP centers apply same large data thinning distances, that are used in clear-sky radiance data to avoid correlated observation errors, to all-sky microwave radiance data. For example, NASA GMAO is applying 145 km thinning distances for most of satellite radiance data including microwave radiance data in which all-sky approach is implemented. Even with these coarse observation data usage in all-sky assimilation approach, noticeable positive impacts from all-sky microwave data on hurricane track forecasts were identified in GEOS-5 system. The motivation of this study is based on the dynamic thinning distance method developed in our all-sky framework to use of denser data in cloudy and precipitating regions due to relatively small spatial correlations of observation errors. To investigate the benefits of all-sky microwave radiance on hurricane forecasts, several hurricane cases selected between 2016-2017 are examined. The dynamic thinning distance method is utilized in our all-sky approach to understand the sources and mechanisms to explain the benefits of all-sky microwave radiance data from various microwave radiance sensors like Advanced Microwave Sounder Unit

Subharmonic response of a single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear vibro-impact system to a narrow-band random excitation.

PubMed

Haiwu, Rong; Wang, Xiangdong; Xu, Wei; Fang, Tong

2009-08-01

The subharmonic response of single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear vibro-impact oscillator with a one-sided barrier to narrow-band random excitation is investigated. The narrow-band random excitation used here is a filtered Gaussian white noise. The analysis is based on a special Zhuravlev transformation, which reduces the system to one without impacts, or velocity jumps, thereby permitting the applications of asymptotic averaging over the "fast" variables. The averaged stochastic equations are solved exactly by the method of moments for the mean-square response amplitude for the case of linear system with zero offset. A perturbation-based moment closure scheme is proposed and the formula of the mean-square amplitude is obtained approximately for the case of linear system with nonzero offset. The perturbation-based moment closure scheme is used once again to obtain the algebra equation of the mean-square amplitude of the response for the case of nonlinear system. The effects of damping, detuning, nonlinear intensity, bandwidth, and magnitudes of random excitations are analyzed. The theoretical analyses are verified by numerical results. Theoretical analyses and numerical simulations show that the peak amplitudes may be strongly reduced at large detunings or large nonlinear intensity.

Acceptor-modulated optical enhancements and band-gap narrowing in ZnO thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ali; Jin, Yuhua; Irfan, Muhammad; Jiang, Yijian

2018-03-01

Fermi-Dirac distribution for doped semiconductors and Burstein-Moss effect have been correlated first time to figure out the conductivity type of ZnO. Hall Effect in the Van der Pauw configuration has been applied to reconcile our theoretical estimations which evince our assumption. Band-gap narrowing has been found in all p-type samples, whereas blue Burstein-Moss shift has been recorded in the n-type films. Atomic Force Microscopic (AFM) analysis shows that both p-type and n-type films have almost same granular-like structure with minor change in average grain size (˜ 6 nm to 10 nm) and surface roughness rms value 3 nm for thickness ˜315 nm which points that grain size and surface roughness did not play any significant role in order to modulate the conductivity type of ZnO. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) have been employed to perform the structural, chemical and elemental analysis. Hexagonal wurtzite structure has been observed in all samples. The introduction of nitrogen reduces the crystallinity of host lattice. 97% transmittance in the visible range with 1.4 × 107 Ω-1cm-1 optical conductivity have been detected. High absorption value in the ultra-violet (UV) region reveals that NZOs thin films can be used to fabricate next-generation high-performance UV detectors.

Searching for Wolf-Rayet Stars Beyond the Local Group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bibby, J. L.; Shara, M. M.; Crowther, P. A.; Moffat, A. F. J.

2012-12-01

We present preliminary results from our HST/WFC3 F469N narrow-band imaging of the nearby star-forming galaxy M101 in which we search for Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars, possible progenitors of Type Ibc core-collapse supernovae (ccSNe). From analysis of the central pointing of M101 we identify ˜1000 WR candidates from photometric analysis and estimate ˜ 450 using the “blinking” method. From analysis of a sample region we find that 35% of our WR candidates would not be detected in ground-based surveys and 40% of sources are not detected in the HST F435W images, highlighting the importance of high spatial resolution narrow-band imaging.

Facile Atmospheric Pressure Synthesis of High Thermal Stability and Narrow-Band Red-Emitting SrLiAl3N4:Eu(2+) Phosphor for High Color Rendering Index White Light-Emitting Diodes.

PubMed

Zhang, Xuejie; Tsai, Yi-Ting; Wu, Shin-Mou; Lin, Yin-Chih; Lee, Jyh-Fu; Sheu, Hwo-Shuenn; Cheng, Bing-Ming; Liu, Ru-Shi

2016-08-03

Red phosphors (e.g., SrLiAl3N4:Eu(2+)) with high thermal stability and narrow-band properties are urgently explored to meet the next-generation high-power white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, to date, synthesis of such phosphors remains an arduous task. Herein, we report, for the first time, a facile method to synthesize SrLiAl3N4:Eu(2+) through Sr3N2, Li3N, Al, and EuN under atmospheric pressure. The as-synthesized narrow-band red-emitting phosphor exhibits excellent thermal stability, including small chromaticity shift and low thermal quenching. Intriguingly, the title phosphor shows an anomalous increase in theoretical lumen equivalent with the increase of temperature as a result of blue shift and band broadening of the emission band, which is crucial for high-power white LEDs. Utilizing the title phosphor, commercial YAG:Ce(3+), and InGaN-based blue LED chip, a proof-of-concept warm white LEDs with a color rendering index (CRI) of 91.1 and R9 = 68 is achieved. Therefore, our results highlight that this method, which is based on atmospheric pressure synthesis, may open a new means to explore narrow-band-emitting nitride phosphor. In addition, the underlying requirements to design Eu(2+)-doped narrow-band-emitting phosphors were also summarized.

Deep UV Narrow-Band Photodetector Based on Ion Beam Synthesized Indium Oxide Quantum Dots in Al2O3 Matrix.

PubMed

Rajamani, Saravanan; Arora, Kanika; Konakov, Anton; Belov, Alexey; Korolev, Dmitry; Nikolskaya, Alyona; Mikhaylov, Alexey N; Surodin, Sergey; Kryukov, Ruslan; Nikolichev, Dmitri; Sushkov, Artem; Pavlov, Dmitry; Tetelbaum, David; Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Mahesh

2018-04-20

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have attracted tremendous attention owing to their novel electrical and optical properties due to the size dependent quantum confinement effects. This provides an advantage of tunable wavelength detection, which is essential to realize spectrally selective photodetectors. We report the fabrication and characterization of high performance narrow band ultraviolet photodetector (UV-B) based on In2O3 nanocrystals embedded in Al2O3 matrices. The In2O3 nanocrystals are synthesized in Al2O3 matrix by sequential implantation of In+ and N2+ ions and post-implantation annealing. The photodetector exhibits excellent optoelectronic performances with high spectral responsivity and external quantum efficiency. The spectral response showed a band-selective nature with a full width half maximum of ∼ 60 nm, and the responsivity reaches up to 70 A/W under 290 nm at 5 V bias. The corresponding rejection ratio to visible region was as high as 8400. The high performance of this photodetector makes it highly suitable for practical applications such as narrow-band spectrum-selective photodetectors. The device design based on ion-synthesized nanocrystals would provide a new approach for realizing a visible-blind photodetector. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

GOALS, STRATEGIES AND FIRST DISCOVERIES OF AO327, THE ARECIBO ALL-SKY 327 MHz DRIFT PULSAR SURVEY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deneva, J. S.; Stovall, K.; Martinez, J. G.

2013-09-20

We report initial results from AO327, a drift survey for pulsars with the Arecibo telescope at 327 MHz. The first phase of AO327 will cover the sky at declinations of –1° to 28°, excluding the region within 5° of the Galactic plane, where high scattering and dispersion make low-frequency surveys sub-optimal. We record data from a 57 MHz bandwidth with 1024 channels and 125 μs sampling time. The 60 s transit time through the AO327 beam means that the survey is sensitive to very tight relativistic binaries even with no acceleration searches. To date we have detected 44 known pulsarsmore » with periods ranging from 3 ms to 2.21 s and discovered 24 new pulsars. The new discoveries include 3 ms pulsars, three objects with periods of a few tens of milliseconds typical of young as well as mildly recycled pulsars, a nuller, and a rotating radio transient. Five of the new discoveries are in binary systems. The second phase of AO327 will cover the sky at declinations of 28°-38°. We compare the sensitivity and search volume of AO327 to the Green Bank North Celestial Cap survey and the GBT350 drift survey, both of which operate at 350 MHz.« less

GTC/CanariCam Mid-IR Imaging of the Fullerene-rich Planetary Nebula IC 418: Searching for the Spatial Distribution of Fullerene-like Molecules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz-Luis, J. J.; García-Hernández, D. A.; Manchado, A.; García-Lario, P.; Villaver, E.; García-Segura, G.

2018-03-01

We present seeing-limited narrow-band mid-IR GTC/CanariCam images of the spatially extended fullerene-containing planetary nebula (PN) IC 418. The narrow-band images cover the C60 fullerene band at 17.4 μm, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon like (PAH-like) feature at 11.3 μm, the broad 9–13 μm feature, and their adjacent continua at 9.8 and 20.5 μm. We study the relative spatial distribution of these complex species, all detected in the Spitzer and Infrared Space Observatory spectra of IC 418, with the aim of getting observational constraints to the formation process of fullerenes in H-rich circumstellar environments. A similar ring-like extended structure is seen in all narrow-band filters, except in the dust continuum emission at 9.8 μm, which peaks closer to the central star. The continuum-subtracted images display a clear ring-like extended structure for the carrier of the broad 9–13 μm emission, while the spatial distribution of the (PAH-like) 11.3 μm emission is not so well defined. Interestingly, a residual C60 17.4 μm emission (at about 4σ from the sky background) is seen when subtracting the dust continuum emission at 20.5 μm. This residual C60 emission, if real, might have several interpretations, the most exciting being perhaps that other fullerene-based species like hydrogenated fullerenes with very low H-content may contribute to the observed 17.4 μm emission. We conclude that higher sensitivity mid-IR images and spatially resolved spectroscopic observations (especially in the Q-band) are necessary to get some clues about fullerene formation in PNe.

Laser-produced lithium plasma as a narrow-band extended ultraviolet radiation source for photoelectron spectroscopy.

PubMed

Schriever, G; Mager, S; Naweed, A; Engel, A; Bergmann, K; Lebert, R

1998-03-01

Extended ultraviolet (EUV) emission characteristics of a laser-produced lithium plasma are determined with regard to the requirements of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The main features of interest are spectral distribution, photon flux, bandwidth, source size, and emission duration. Laser-produced lithium plasmas are characterized as emitters of intense narrow-band EUV radiation. It can be estimated that the lithium Lyman-alpha line emission in combination with an ellipsoidal silicon/molybdenum multilayer mirror is a suitable EUV source for an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy microscope with a 50-meV energy resolution and a 10-mum lateral resolution.

Narrow band vacuum ultraviolet radiation, produced by fast conical discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antsiferov, P. S.; Dorokhin, L. A.; Koshelev, K. N.

2018-04-01

The article presents the experimental study of discharges in a conical cavity, filled with Ar at pressure 80 Pa. The electrical current driver (inductive storage with plasma erosion opening switch) supplies to the load electrical current pulse with growth rate about 1012 A s‑1 and maximal value 30–40 kA. The convergent conical shock wave starts from the inner surface of the discharge cavity and collapses in ‘zippering’ mode. The pin hole camera imaging with MCP detector (time resolution 5 ns) have demonstrated the appearance of effectively fast moving compact plasma with visible velocity v  =  (1.5  ±  0.14)  ×  107 cm s‑1. Plasma emits narrow band radiation in the spectral range of Rydberg series transitions of Ar VII, Ar VIII with quantum number up to n  =  9 (wavelength about 11 nm). The intensity of radiation is comparable with the total plasma emission in the range 10–50 nm. Charge exchange between multiply charged Ar ions and cold Ar atoms of working gas is proposed as the possible mechanism of the origin of the radiation.

Research and design of an optical system of biochemical analyzer based on the narrow-band pass filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Ze-xin; Chen, Kuan

2008-03-01

Biochemical analyzer is one of the important instruments in the clinical diagnosis, and its optical system is the important component. The operation of this optical system can be regard as three parts. The first is transforms the duplicate colored light as the monochromatic light. The second is transforms the light signal of the monochromatic, which have the information of the measured sample, as the electric signal by use the photoelectric detector. And the last is to send the signal to data processing system by use the control system. Generally, there are three types monochromators: prism, optical grating and narrow-band pass filter. Thereinto, the narrow-band pass filter were widely used in the semi-auto biochemical analyzer. Through analysed the principle of biochemical analyzer base on the narrow-band pass filter, we known that the optical has three features. The first is the optical path of the optical system is a non- imaging system. The second, this system is wide spectrum region that contain visible light and ultraviolet spectrum. The third, this is a little aperture and little field monochromatic light system. Therefore, design idea of this optical system is: (1) luminous energy in the system less transmission loss; (2) detector coupled to the luminous energy efficient; mainly correct spherical aberration. Practice showed the point of Image quality evaluation: (1) dispersion circle diameter equal the receiving device pixel effective width of 125%, and the energy distribution should point target of 80% of energy into the receiving device pixel width of the effective diameter in this dispersion circle; (2) With MTF evaluation, the requirements in 20lp/ mm spatial frequency, the MTF values should not be lower than 0.6. The optical system should be fit in with ultraviolet and visible light width spectrum, and the detector image plane can but suited the majority visible light spectrum when by defocus optimization, and the image plane of violet and ultraviolet

[Value of narrow band imaging endoscopy in detection of early laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma].

PubMed

Staníková, L; Kučová, H; Walderová, R; Zeleník, K; Šatanková, J; Komínek, P

2015-01-01

Narrow band imaging (NBI) is an endoscopic method using filtered wavelengths in detection of microvascular abnormalities associated with preneoplastic and neoplastic changes of the mucosa. The aim of the study is to evaluate the value of NBI endoscopy in the dia-gnosis of laryngeal precancerous and early stages of cancerous lesions and to investigate impact of NBI method in prehistological diagnostics in vivo. One hundred patients were enrolled in the study and their larynx was investigated using white light HD endoscopy and narrow band imaging between 6/ 2013- 10/ 2014. Indication criteria included chronic laryngitis, hoarseness for more than three weeks or macroscopic laryngeal lesion. Features of mucosal lesions were evaluated by white light endoscopy and afterwards were compared with intra-epithelial papillary capillary loop changes, viewed using NBI endoscopy. Suspicious lesions (leukoplakia, exophytic tumors, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and/ or malignant type of vascular network by NBI endoscopy) were evaluated by histological analysis, results were compared with prehistological NBI dia-gnosis. Using NBI endoscopy, larger demarcation of pathological mucosal features than in white light visualization were recorded in 32/ 100 (32.0%) lesions, in 4/ 100 (4.0%) cases even new lesions were detected only by NBI endoscopy. 63/ 100 (63.0%) suspected lesions were evaluated histologically -  malign changes (carcinoma in situ or invasive carcinoma) were observed in 25/ 63 (39.7%). Prehistological diagnostics of malignant lesions using NBI endoscopy were in agreement with results of histological examination in 23/ 25 (92.0%) cases. The sensitivity of NBI in detecting malignant lesions was 89.3%, specificity of this method was 94.9%. NBI endoscopy is a promising optical technique enabling in vivo differentiation of superficial neoplastic lesions. These results suggest endoscopic NBI may be useful in the early detection of laryngeal cancer and precancerous

Ortho-Rectification of Narrow Band Multi-Spectral Imagery Assisted by Dslr RGB Imagery Acquired by a Fixed-Wing Uas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rau, J.-Y.; Jhan, J.-P.; Huang, C.-Y.

2015-08-01

Miniature Multiple Camera Array (MiniMCA-12) is a frame-based multilens/multispectral sensor composed of 12 lenses with narrow band filters. Due to its small size and light weight, it is suitable to mount on an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for acquiring high spectral, spatial and temporal resolution imagery used in various remote sensing applications. However, due to its wavelength range is only 10 nm that results in low image resolution and signal-to-noise ratio which are not suitable for image matching and digital surface model (DSM) generation. In the meantime, the spectral correlation among all 12 bands of MiniMCA images are low, it is difficult to perform tie-point matching and aerial triangulation at the same time. In this study, we thus propose the use of a DSLR camera to assist automatic aerial triangulation of MiniMCA-12 imagery and to produce higher spatial resolution DSM for MiniMCA12 ortho-image generation. Depending on the maximum payload weight of the used UAS, these two kinds of sensors could be collected at the same time or individually. In this study, we adopt a fixed-wing UAS to carry a Canon EOS 5D Mark2 DSLR camera and a MiniMCA-12 multi-spectral camera. For the purpose to perform automatic aerial triangulation between a DSLR camera and the MiniMCA-12, we choose one master band from MiniMCA-12 whose spectral range has overlap with the DSLR camera. However, all lenses of MiniMCA-12 have different perspective centers and viewing angles, the original 12 channels have significant band misregistration effect. Thus, the first issue encountered is to reduce the band misregistration effect. Due to all 12 MiniMCA lenses being frame-based, their spatial offsets are smaller than 15 cm and all images are almost 98% overlapped, we thus propose a modified projective transformation (MPT) method together with two systematic error correction procedures to register all 12 bands of imagery on the same image space. It means that those 12 bands of images acquired at

Northern Sky Variability Survey: Public Data Release

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woźniak, P. R.; Vestrand, W. T.; Akerlof, C. W.; Balsano, R.; Bloch, J.; Casperson, D.; Fletcher, S.; Gisler, G.; Kehoe, R.; Kinemuchi, K.; Lee, B. C.; Marshall, S.; McGowan, K. E.; McKay, T. A.; Rykoff, E. S.; Smith, D. A.; Szymanski, J.; Wren, J.

2004-04-01

The Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS) is a temporal record of the sky over the optical magnitude range from 8 to 15.5. It was conducted in the course of the first-generation Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-I) using a robotic system of four comounted unfiltered telephoto lenses equipped with CCD cameras. The survey was conducted from Los Alamos, New Mexico, and primarily covers the entire northern sky. Some data in southern fields between declinations 0° and -38° are also available, although with fewer epochs and noticeably lesser quality. The NSVS contains light curves for approximately 14 million objects. With a 1 yr baseline and typically 100-500 measurements per object, the NSVS is the most extensive record of stellar variability across the bright sky available today. In a median field, bright unsaturated stars attain a point-to-point photometric scatter of ~0.02 mag and position errors within 2". At Galactic latitudes |b|<20deg, the data quality is limited by severe blending due to the ~14" pixel size. We present basic characteristics of the data set and describe data collection, analysis, and distribution. All NSVS photometric measurements are available for on-line public access from the Sky Database for Objects in Time-Domain (SkyDOT) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Copies of the full survey photometry may also be requested on tape. Based on observations obtained with the ROTSE-I robotic telescope, which was operated at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Narrow bandpass steep edge optical filter for the JAST/T80 telescope instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichel, S.; Brauneck, U.; Bourquin, S.; Marín-Franch, A.

2013-09-01

The Observatorio Astrofisico de Javalambre in Spain observes with its JAST/T80 telescope galaxies in the Local Universe in a systematic study. This is accomplished with a multi-band photometric all sky survey called Javalambre Photometric Local Universe Survey (J-PLUS). A wide field camera receives the signals from universe via optical filters. In this presentation the development and design of a narrow bandpass steep edge filter with wide suppression will be shown. The filter has a full width half maximum in the range of 13-15 nm (with <1 nm tolerance) with central wavelengths in the range 350-860nm and an average transmission larger than 90% in the passband. Signals beyond the passband (blocking range) have to be suppressed down to 250nm and up to 1050nm (spectral regime), where a blocking of OD 5 (transmission < 10-5) is required. The edges have to be steep for a small transition width from 5% to 80%. The spectral requirements result in a large number of layers which are deposited with magnetron sputtering. The transmitted wavefront error of the optical filter must be less than lambda/2 over the 100mm aperture and the central wavelength uniformity must be better than +/- 0.4% over the clear aperture. The filter consists of optical filter glass and a coated substrate in order to reach the spectral requirements. The substrate is coated with more than 120 layers. The total filter thickness was specified to be 8.0mm. Results of steep edge narrow bandpass filters will be demonstrated fulfilling all these demanding requirements.

Multi-tap complex-coefficient incoherent microwave photonic filters based on optical single-sideband modulation and narrow band optical filtering.

PubMed

Sagues, Mikel; García Olcina, Raimundo; Loayssa, Alayn; Sales, Salvador; Capmany, José

2008-01-07

We propose a novel scheme to implement tunable multi-tap complex coefficient filters based on optical single sideband modulation and narrow band optical filtering. A four tap filter is experimentally demonstrated to highlight the enhanced tuning performance provided by complex coefficients. Optical processing is performed by the use of a cascade of four phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings specifically fabricated for this purpose.

SPACE: the SPectroscopic, All-Sky Cosmic Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cimatti, A.; Robberto, M.; Baugh, C.; Beckwith, S. W. V.; Content, R.; Daddi, E.; deLucia, G.; Garilli, B.; Guzzo, L.; Kauffmann, G.;

Program for narrow-band analysis of aircraft flyover noise using ensemble averaging techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gridley, D.

1982-01-01

A package of computer programs was developed for analyzing acoustic data from an aircraft flyover. The package assumes the aircraft is flying at constant altitude and constant velocity in a fixed attitude over a linear array of ground microphones. Aircraft position is provided by radar and an option exists for including the effects of the aircraft's rigid-body attitude relative to the flight path. Time synchronization between radar and acoustic recording stations permits ensemble averaging techniques to be applied to the acoustic data thereby increasing the statistical accuracy of the acoustic results. Measured layered meteorological data obtained during the flyovers are used to compute propagation effects through the atmosphere. Final results are narrow-band spectra and directivities corrected for the flight environment to an equivalent static condition at a specified radius.

All-sky photogrammetry techniques to georeference a cloud field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crispel, Pierre; Roberts, Gregory

2018-01-01

In this study, we present a novel method of identifying and geolocalizing cloud field elements from a portable all-sky camera stereo network based on the ground and oriented towards zenith. The methodology is mainly based on stereophotogrammetry which is a 3-D reconstruction technique based on triangulation from corresponding stereo pixels in rectified images. In cases where clouds are horizontally separated, identifying individual positions is performed with segmentation techniques based on hue filtering and contour detection algorithms. Macroscopic cloud field characteristics such as cloud layer base heights and velocity fields are also deduced. In addition, the methodology is fitted to the context of measurement campaigns which impose simplicity of implementation, auto-calibration, and portability. Camera internal geometry models are achieved a priori in the laboratory and validated to ensure a certain accuracy in the peripheral parts of the all-sky image. Then, stereophotogrammetry with dense 3-D reconstruction is applied with cameras spaced 150 m apart for two validation cases. The first validation case is carried out with cumulus clouds having a cloud base height at 1500 m a.g.l. The second validation case is carried out with two cloud layers: a cumulus fractus layer with a base height at 1000 m a.g.l. and an altocumulus stratiformis layer with a base height of 2300 m a.g.l. Velocity fields at cloud base are computed by tracking image rectangular patterns through successive shots. The height uncertainty is estimated by comparison with a Vaisala CL31 ceilometer located on the site. The uncertainty on the horizontal coordinates and on the velocity field are theoretically quantified by using the experimental uncertainties of the cloud base height and camera orientation. In the first cumulus case, segmentation of the image is performed to identify individuals clouds in the cloud field and determine the horizontal positions of the cloud centers.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: NGC 4038/4039 broad and /narrow band photometry (Mengel+, 2005)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mengel, S.; Lehnert, M. D.; Thatte, N.; Genzel, R.

2005-06-01

The Ks-band image which was used for the 3{sigma}-detection was obtained with ISAAC on VLT-ANTU as part of programme 65.N-0577, and has a FWHM of ~0.38". 1072 point-like objects were detected. For the multi-band photometry, we also used the HST archival images obtained by Whitmore et al. (see Whitmore et al., 1999AJ....118.1551W), which we rebinned to the same pixel size as the ISAAC image (0.1484"/pix). The CO narrow band image was also obtained with ISAAC, while the Br{gamma} image was obtained with SOFI at the NTT (programme number 63.N-0528). The Br{gamma} image had a lower image quality than the other two images (FWHM=0.7"). The photometry data were used to simultaneously fit age and extinction for each individual cluster in comparison to an evolutionary synthesis model. Where possible, the visual extinction was determined from an average of the extinction from the broadband fit and from the Hydrogen recombination line ratios (in comparison to the expected Case B line ratio). The age estimate from the fit was, where possible, averaged with the aged determined from equivalent widths and CO index. (1 data file).

Variable frame rate transmission - A review of methodology and application to narrow-band LPC speech coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanathan, V. R.; Makhoul, J.; Schwartz, R. M.; Huggins, A. W. F.

1982-04-01

The variable frame rate (VFR) transmission methodology developed, implemented, and tested in the years 1973-1978 for efficiently transmitting linear predictive coding (LPC) vocoder parameters extracted from the input speech at a fixed frame rate is reviewed. With the VFR method, parameters are transmitted only when their values have changed sufficiently over the interval since their preceding transmission. Two distinct approaches to automatic implementation of the VFR method are discussed. The first bases the transmission decisions on comparisons between the parameter values of the present frame and the last transmitted frame. The second, which is based on a functional perceptual model of speech, compares the parameter values of all the frames that lie in the interval between the present frame and the last transmitted frame against a linear model of parameter variation over that interval. Also considered is the application of VFR transmission to the design of narrow-band LPC speech coders with average bit rates of 2000-2400 bts/s.

SPHEREx: Probing the Physics of Inflation with an All-Sky Spectroscopic Galaxy Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dore, Olivier; SPHEREx Science Team

2018-01-01

SPHEREx, a mission in NASA's Medium Explorer (MIDEX) program that was selected for Phase A in August 2017, is an all-sky survey satellite designed to address all three science goals in NASA’s astrophysics division: probe the origin and destiny of our Universe; explore whether planets around other stars could harbor life; and explore the origin and evolution of galaxies. These themes are addressed by a single survey, with a single instrument.In this poster, we describe how SPHEREx can probe the physics of inflationary non-Gaussianity by measuring large-scale structure with galaxy redshifts over a large cosmological volume at low redshifts, complementing high-redshift surveys optimized to constrain dark energy.SPHEREx will be the first all-sky near-infrared spectral survey, creating a legacy archive of spectra. In particular, it will measure the redshifts of over 500 million galaxies of all types, an unprecedented dataset. Using this catalog, SPHEREx will reduce the uncertainty in fNL -- a parameter describing the inflationary initial conditions -- by a factor of more than 10 compared with CMB measurements. At the same time, this catalog will enable strong scientific synergies with Euclid, WFIRST and LSST

Automated Meteor Detection by All-Sky Digital Camera Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suk, Tomáš; Šimberová, Stanislava

2017-12-01

We have developed a set of methods to detect meteor light traces captured by all-sky CCD cameras. Operating at small automatic observatories (stations), these cameras create a network spread over a large territory. Image data coming from these stations are merged in one central node. Since a vast amount of data is collected by the stations in a single night, robotic storage and analysis are essential to processing. The proposed methodology is adapted to data from a network of automatic stations equipped with digital fish-eye cameras and includes data capturing, preparation, pre-processing, analysis, and finally recognition of objects in time sequences. In our experiments we utilized real observed data from two stations.

Narrow Band Gap Conjugated Polyelectrolytes.

PubMed

Cui, Qiuhong; Bazan, Guillermo C

2018-01-16

Two essential structural elements define a class of materials called conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs). The first is a polymer framework with an electronically delocalized, π-conjugated structure. This component allows one to adjust desirable optical and electronic properties, for example the range of wavelengths absorbed, emission quantum yields, electron affinity, and ionization potential. The second defining feature is the presence of ionic functionalities, which are usually linked via tethers that can modulate the distance of the charged groups relative to the backbone. These ionic groups render CPEs distinct relative to their neutral conjugated polymer counterparts. Solubility in polar solvents, including aqueous media, is an immediately obvious difference. This feature has enabled the development of optically amplified biosensor protocols and the fabrication of multilayer organic semiconductor devices through deposition techniques using solvents with orthogonal properties. Important but less obvious potential advantages must also be considered. For example, CPE layers have been used to introduce interfacial dipoles and thus modify the effective work function of adjacent electrodes. One can thereby modulate the barriers for charge injection into semiconductor layers and improve the device efficiencies of organic light-emitting diodes and solar cells. With a hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic ionic sites, CPEs can also be used as dispersants for insoluble materials. Narrow band gap CPEs (NBGCPEs) have been studied only recently. They contain backbones that comprise electron-rich and electron-poor fragments, a combination that leads to intramolecular charge transfer excited states and enables facile oxidation and reduction. One particularly interesting combination is NBGCPEs with anionic sulfonate side groups, for which spontaneous self-doping in aqueous media is observed. That no such doping is observed with cationic NBGCPEs indicates that the interplay

A new method of derived equatorial plasma bubbles motion by tracing OI 630 nm emission all-sky images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M.; Yu, T.; Chunliang, X.; Zuo, X.; Liu, Z.

2017-12-01

A new method for estimating the equatorial plasma bubbles (EPBs) motions from airglow emission all-sky images is presented in this paper. This method, which is called 'cloud-derived wind technology' and widely used in satellite observation of wind, could reasonable derive zonal and meridional velocity vectors of EPBs drifts by tracking a series of successive airglow 630.0 nm emission images. Airglow emission images data are available from an all sky airglow camera in Hainan Fuke (19.5°N, 109.2°E) supported by China Meridional Project, which can receive the 630.0nm emission from the ionosphere F region at low-latitudes to observe plasma bubbles. A series of pretreatment technology, e.g. image enhancement, orientation correction, image projection are utilized to preprocess the raw observation. Then the regions of plasma bubble extracted from the images are divided into several small tracing windows and each tracing window can find a target window in the searching area in following image, which is considered as the position tracing window moved to. According to this, velocities in each window are calculated by using the technology of cloud-derived wind. When applying the cloud-derived wind technology, the maximum correlation coefficient (MCC) and the histogram of gradient (HOG) methods to find the target window, which mean to find the maximum correlation and the minimum euclidean distance between two gradient histograms in respectively, are investigated and compared in detail. The maximum correlation method is fianlly adopted in this study to analyze the velocity of plasma bubbles because of its better performance than HOG. All-sky images from Hainan Fuke, between August 2014 and October 2014, are analyzed to investigate the plasma bubble drift velocities using MCC method. The data at different local time at 9 nights are studied and find that zonal drift velocity in different latitude at different local time ranges from 50 m/s to 180 m/s and there is a peak value at

All-Sky Observational Evidence for An Inverse Correlation Between Dust Temperature and Emissivity Spectral Index

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Z.; Fixsen, D. J.; Gold, B.

2012-01-01

We show that a one-component variable-emissivity-spectral-index model (the free- model) provides more physically motivated estimates of dust temperature at the Galactic polar caps than one- or two-component fixed-emissivity-spectral-index models (fixed- models) for interstellar dust thermal emission at far-infrared and millimeter wavelengths. For the comparison we have fit all-sky one-component dust models with fixed or variable emissivity spectral index to a new and improved version of the 210-channel dust spectra from the COBE-FIRAS, the 100-240 micrometer maps from the COBE-DIRBE and the 94 GHz dust map from the WMAP. The best model, the free-alpha model, is well constrained by data at 60-3000 GHz over 86 per cent of the total sky area. It predicts dust temperature (T(sub dust)) to be 13.7-22.7 (plus or minus 1.3) K, the emissivity spectral index (alpha) to be 1.2-3.1 (plus or minus 0.3) and the optical depth (tau) to range 0.6-46 x 10(exp -5) with a 23 per cent uncertainty. Using these estimates, we present all-sky evidence for an inverse correlation between the emissivity spectral index and dust temperature, which fits the relation alpha = 1/(delta + omega (raised dot) T(sub dust) with delta = -.0.510 plus or minus 0.011 and omega = 0.059 plus or minus 0.001. This best model will be useful to cosmic microwave background experiments for removing foreground dust contamination and it can serve as an all-sky extended-frequency reference for future higher resolution dust models.

Continuous All-Sky Cloud Measurements: Cloud Fraction Analysis Based on a Newly Developed Instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aebi, C.; Groebner, J.; Kaempfer, N.; Vuilleumier, L.

2017-12-01

Clouds play an important role in the climate system and are also a crucial parameter for the Earth's surface energy budget. Ground-based measurements of clouds provide data in a high temporal resolution in order to quantify its influence on radiation. The newly developed all-sky cloud camera at PMOD/WRC in Davos (Switzerland), the infrared cloud camera (IRCCAM), is a microbolometer sensitive in the 8 - 14 μm wavelength range. To get all-sky information the camera is located on top of a frame looking downward on a spherical gold-plated mirror. The IRCCAM has been measuring continuously (day and nighttime) with a time resolution of one minute in Davos since September 2015. To assess the performance of the IRCCAM, two different visible all-sky cameras (Mobotix Q24M and Schreder VIS-J1006), which can only operate during daytime, are installed in Davos. All three camera systems have different software for calculating fractional cloud coverage from images. Our study analyzes mainly the fractional cloud coverage of the IRCCAM and compares it with the fractional cloud coverage calculated from the two visible cameras. Preliminary results of the measurement accuracy of the IRCCAM compared to the visible camera indicate that 78 % of the data are within ± 1 octa and even 93 % within ± 2 octas. An uncertainty of 1-2 octas corresponds to the measurement uncertainty of human observers. Therefore, the IRCCAM shows similar performance in detection of cloud coverage as the visible cameras and the human observers, with the advantage that continuous measurements with high temporal resolution are possible.

SlideSort: all pairs similarity search for short reads

PubMed Central

Shimizu, Kana; Tsuda, Koji

2011-01-01

Motivation: Recent progress in DNA sequencing technologies calls for fast and accurate algorithms that can evaluate sequence similarity for a huge amount of short reads. Searching similar pairs from a string pool is a fundamental process of de novo genome assembly, genome-wide alignment and other important analyses. Results: In this study, we designed and implemented an exact algorithm SlideSort that finds all similar pairs from a string pool in terms of edit distance. Using an efficient pattern growth algorithm, SlideSort discovers chains of common k-mers to narrow down the search. Compared to existing methods based on single k-mers, our method is more effective in reducing the number of edit distance calculations. In comparison to backtracking methods such as BWA, our method is much faster in finding remote matches, scaling easily to tens of millions of sequences. Our software has an additional function of single link clustering, which is useful in summarizing short reads for further processing. Availability: Executable binary files and C++ libraries are available at http://www.cbrc.jp/~shimizu/slidesort/ for Linux and Windows. Contact: slidesort@m.aist.go.jp; shimizu-kana@aist.go.jp Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:21148542

Stellar activity for every TESS star in the Southern sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, Ward S.; Law, Nicholas; Fors, Octavi; Corbett, Henry T.; Ratzloff, Jeff; del Ser, Daniel

2018-01-01

Although TESS will search for Earths around more than 200,000 nearby stars, the life-impacting superflare occurrence of these stars remains poorly characterized. We monitor long-term stellar flare occurrence for every TESS star in the accessible sky at 2-minute cadence with the CTIO-based Evryscope, a combination of twenty-four telescopes, together giving instantaneous sky coverage of 8000 square degrees. In collaboration with Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array (LWA) all-sky monitoring, Evryscope also provides optical counterparts to radio flare, CME, and exoplanet-magnetosphere stellar activity searches. A Northern Evryscope will be installed at Mount Laguna Observatory, CA in collaboration with SDSU later this year, enabling stellar activity characterization for the full TESS target list and both continuous viewing zones, as well as providing 100% overlap with LWA radio activity. Targets of interest (e.g. Proxima Cen, TRAPPIST-1) are given special focus. We are currently sensitive to stellar activity down to 1% precision at g' ~ 10 and about 0.2 of a magnitude at g' ~ 15. With 2-minute cadence and a projected 5-year timeline, with 2+ years already recorded, we present preliminary results from an activity characterization of every Southern TESS target.

ASASSN1: Bright Comet Discovered by the All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prieto, JJ. L.; Shappee, B. J.; Brimacombe, J.; Stanek, K. Z.; Chen, Ping; Dong, Subo; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Kochanek, C. S.; Brown, J. S.; Shields, J. V.; Thompson, T. A.

2017-07-01

During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN, Shappee et al. 2014), using data from the quadruple 14-cm "Cassius" telescope on Cerro Tololo, Chile, we discovered a new moving transient source, now confirmed as a comet.

A search for the 13175 A infrared diffuse band in dense environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adamson, A. J.; Kerr, Tom H.; Whittet, D. C. B.; Duley, Walter W.

1994-01-01

Models of ionized interstellar C60 predict a strong transition in the 1.2 micrometer region, and two candidate bands have recently been detected in reddened stars. We have searched for the stronger of these bands (at 13175 A) in the Taurus dark cloud complex, to determine its response to the dark-cloud environment. None of the three lines of sight studied (two near the cloud surface, one reaching A(sub V) greater than 20(sup m)) give rise to a detectable band; in one case the equivalent width is a factor of order three below that predicted. Since such behaviour is also shown by the optical Diffuse Interstellar Bands, we suggest that the 13175 A band is a genuine DIB, but we caution against an automatic interpretation in terms of an ionic carrier.

Very narrow band model calculations of atmospheric fluxes and cooling rates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bernstein, L.S.; Berk, A.; Acharya, P.K.

1996-10-15

A new very narrow band model (VNBM) approach has been developed and incorporated into the MODTRAN atmospheric transmittance-radiance code. The VNBM includes a computational spectral resolution of 1 cm{sup {minus}1}, a single-line Voigt equivalent width formalism that is based on the Rodgers-Williams approximation and accounts for the finite spectral width of the interval, explicit consideration of line tails, a statistical line overlap correction, a new sublayer integration approach that treats the effect of the sublayer temperature gradient on the path radiance, and the Curtis-Godson (CG) approximation for inhomogeneous paths. A modified procedure for determining the line density parameter 1/d ismore » introduced, which reduces its magnitude. This results in a partial correction of the VNBM tendency to overestimate the interval equivalent widths. The standard two parameter CG approximation is used for H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2}, while the Goody three parameter CG approximation is used for O{sub 3}. Atmospheric flux and cooling rate predictions using a research version of MODTRAN, MODR, are presented for H{sub 2}O (with and without the continuum), CO{sub 2}, and O{sub 3} for several model atmospheres. The effect of doubling the CO{sub 2} concentration is also considered. These calculations are compared to line-by-line (LBL) model calculations using the AER, GLA, GFDL, and GISS codes. The MODR predictions fall within the spread of the LBL results. The effects of decreasing the band model spectral resolution are illustrated using CO{sub 2} cooling rate and flux calculations. 36 refs., 18 figs., 1 tab.« less

A Method for Deriving All-Sky Evapotranspiration From the Synergistic Use of Remotely Sensed Images and Meteorological Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leng, Pei; Li, Zhao-Liang; Duan, Si-Bo; Tang, Ronglin; Gao, Mao-Fang

2017-12-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important component of the water and energy cycle. The present study develops a practical approach for generating all-sky ET with the synergistic use of satellite images and meteorological data. In this approach, the ET over clear-sky pixels is estimated from a two-stage land surface temperature (LST)/fractional vegetation cover feature space method where the dry/wet edges are determined from theoretical calculations. For cloudy pixels, the Penman-Monteith equation is used to calculate the ET where no valid remotely sensed LST is available. An evaluation of the method with ET collected at ground-based large aperture scintillometer measurements at the Yucheng Comprehensive Experimental Station (YCES) in China is performed over a growth period from April to October 2010. The results show that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) and bias over clear-sky pixels are 57.3 W/m2 and 18.2 W/m2, respectively, whereas an RMSE of 69.3 W/m2 with a bias of 12.3 W/m2 can be found over cloudy pixels. Moreover, a reasonable overall RMSE of 65.3 W/m2 with a bias of 14.4 W/m2 at the YCES can be obtained under all-sky conditions, indicating a promising prospect for the derivation of all-sky ET using currently available satellite and meteorological data at a regional or global scale in future developments.

BRIGHTNESS AND FLUCTUATION OF THE MID-INFRARED SKY FROM AKARI OBSERVATIONS TOWARD THE NORTH ECLIPTIC POLE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pyo, Jeonghyun; Jeong, Woong-Seob; Matsumoto, Toshio

2012-12-01

We present the smoothness of the mid-infrared sky from observations by the Japanese infrared astronomical satellite AKARI. AKARI monitored the north ecliptic pole (NEP) during its cold phase with nine wave bands covering from 2.4 to 24 {mu}m, out of which six mid-infrared bands were used in this study. We applied power-spectrum analysis to the images in order to search for the fluctuation of the sky brightness. Observed fluctuation is explained by fluctuation of photon noise, shot noise of faint sources, and Galactic cirrus. The fluctuations at a few arcminutes scales at short mid-infrared wavelengths (7, 9, and 11 {mu}m)more » are largely caused by the diffuse Galactic light of the interstellar dust cirrus. At long mid-infrared wavelengths (15, 18, and 24 {mu}m), photon noise is the dominant source of fluctuation over the scale from arcseconds to a few arcminutes. The residual fluctuation amplitude at 200'' after removing these contributions is at most 1.04 {+-} 0.23 nW m{sup -2} sr{sup -1} or 0.05% of the brightness at 24 {mu}m and at least 0.47 {+-} 0.14 nW m{sup -2} sr{sup -1} or 0.02% at 18 {mu}m. We conclude that the upper limit of the fluctuation in the zodiacal light toward the NEP is 0.03% of the sky brightness, taking 2{sigma} error into account.« less

Design of an S band narrow-band bandpass BAW filter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yang; Zhao, Kun-li; Han, Chao

2017-11-01

An S band narrowband bandpass filter BAW with center frequency 2.460 GHz, bandwidth 41MHz, band insertion loss - 1.154 dB, the passband ripple 0.9 dB, the out of band rejection about -42.5dB@2.385 GHz; -45.5dB@2.506 GHz was designed for potential UAV measurement and control applications. According to the design specifications, the design is as follows: each FBAR's stack was designed in BAW filter by using Mason model. Each FBAR's shape was designed with the method of apodization electrode. The layout of BAW filter was designed. The acoustic-electromagnetic cosimulation model was built to validate the performance of the designed BAW filter. The presented design procedure is a common one, and there are two characteristics: 1) an A and EM co-simulation method is used for the final BAW filter performance validation in the design stage, thus ensures over-optimistic designs by the bare 1D Mason model are found and rejected in time; 2) An in-house developed auto-layout method is used to get compact BAW filter layout, which simplifies iterative error-and-try work here and output necessary in-plane geometry information to the A and EM cosimulation model.

An observational program to search for radio signals from extraterrestrial intelligence through the use of existing facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edelson, R. E.

1976-01-01

It is argued that a substantial portion of the capability for detecting microwave signals from extraterrestrial civilizations lies not in the application of ever larger antenna collecting areas but rather in the application of millions or billions of simultaneous frequency-channel observations combined with rapid and powerful data processing techniques. The application of these methods to existing facilities is discussed in terms of a program of modest expense and duration which will seek to discover certain classes of extraterrestrial signals of intelligent origin while defining boundaries to the search problem throughout the range of interest. This program will investigate radio-astronomical phenomena of interest and simultaneously define the background of environmental radiation in order to determine physical limitations on both the search strategies and the potential for deep-space communications. Signal parameters that must be determined are examined along with the potential of existing radio-astronomical facilities for detecting narrow-band signals. A seven-year program is described which will carry out a search for extraterrestrial intelligence over 80% of the sky and over the entire frequency range from 1 to 25 GHz with a sensitivity limit varying from 10 to the -21st power W/sq cm at the lowest frequencies to 10 to the -19th power W/sq cm at the higher frequencies.

Observing floods from space: Experience gained from COSMO-SkyMed observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierdicca, N.; Pulvirenti, L.; Chini, M.; Guerriero, L.; Candela, L.

2013-03-01

The COSMO-SkyMed mission offers a unique opportunity to obtain all weather radar images characterized by short revisit time, thus being useful for flood evolution mapping. The COSMO-SkyMed system has been activated several times in the last few years in occasion of flood events all over the world in order to provide very high resolution X-band SAR images useful for flood detection purposes. This paper discusses the major outcomes of the experience gained, within the framework of the OPERA Pilot Project funded by the Italian Space Agency, from using COSMO-SkyMed data for the purpose of near real time generation of flood maps. A review of the mechanisms which determine the imprints of the inundation on the radar images and of the fundamental simulation tools able to predict these imprints and help image interpretation is provided. The approach developed to process the data and to generate the flood maps is also summarized. Then, the paper illustrates the experience gained with COSMO-SkyMed by describing and discussing a number of significant examples. These examples demonstrate the potential of the COSMO-SkyMed system and the suitability of the approach developed for generating the final products, but they also highlight some critical aspects that require further investigations to improve the reliability of the flood maps.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Second ROSAT all-sky survey (2RXS) source catalog (Boller+, 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boller, T.; Freyberg, M. J.; Truemper, J.; Haberl, F.; Voges, W.; Nandra, K.

2016-03-01

We have re-analysed the photon event files from the ROSAT all-sky survey. The main goal was to create a catalogue of point-like sources, which is referred to as the 2RXS source catalogue. We improved the reliability of detections by an advanced detection algorithm and a complete screening process. New data products were created to allow timing and spectral analysis. Photon event files with corrected astrometry and Moon rejection (RASS-3.1 processing) were made available in FITS format. The 2RXS catalogue will serve as the basic X-ray all-sky survey catalogue until eROSITA data become available. (2 data files).

Machine-learning identification of galaxies in the WISE × SuperCOSMOS all-sky catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krakowski, T.; Małek, K.; Bilicki, M.; Pollo, A.; Kurcz, A.; Krupa, M.

2016-11-01

Context. The two currently largest all-sky photometric datasets, WISE and SuperCOSMOS, have been recently cross-matched to construct a novel photometric redshift catalogue on 70% of the sky. Galaxies were separated from stars and quasars through colour cuts, which may leave imperfections because different source types may overlap in colour space. Aims: The aim of the present work is to identify galaxies in the WISE × SuperCOSMOS catalogue through an alternative approach of machine learning. This allows us to define more complex separations in the multi-colour space than is possible with simple colour cuts, and should provide a more reliable source classification. Methods: For the automatised classification we used the support vector machines (SVM) learning algorithm and employed SDSS spectroscopic sources that we cross-matched with WISE × SuperCOSMOS to construct the training and verification set. We performed a number of tests to examine the behaviour of the classifier (completeness, purity, and accuracy) as a function of source apparent magnitude and Galactic latitude. We then applied the classifier to the full-sky data and analysed the resulting catalogue of candidate galaxies. We also compared the resulting dataset with the one obtained through colour cuts. Results: The tests indicate very high accuracy, completeness, and purity (>95%) of the classifier at the bright end; this deteriorates for the faintest sources, but still retains acceptable levels of 85%. No significant variation in the classification quality with Galactic latitude is observed. When we applied the classifier to all-sky WISE × SuperCOSMOS data, we found 15 million galaxies after masking problematic areas. The resulting sample is purer than the one produced by applying colour cuts, at the price of a lower completeness across the sky. Conclusions: The automatic classification is a successful alternative approach to colour cuts for defining a reliable galaxy sample. The identifications we

The Least Mean Squares Adaptive FIR Filter for Narrow-Band RFI Suppression in Radio Detection of Cosmic Rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szadkowski, Zbigniew; Głas, Dariusz

2017-06-01

Radio emission from the extensive air showers (EASs), initiated by ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays, was theoretically suggested over 50 years ago. However, due to technical limitations, successful collection of sufficient statistics can take several years. Nowadays, this detection technique is used in many experiments consisting in studying EAS. One of them is the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), located within the Pierre Auger Observatory. AERA focuses on the radio emission, generated by the electromagnetic part of the shower, mainly in geomagnetic and charge excess processes. The frequency band observed by AERA radio stations is 30-80 MHz. Thus, the frequency range is contaminated by human-made and narrow-band radio frequency interferences (RFIs). Suppression of contaminations is very important to lower the rate of spurious triggers. There are two kinds of digital filters used in AERA radio stations to suppress these contaminations: the fast Fourier transform median filter and four narrow-band IIR-notch filters. Both filters have worked successfully in the field for many years. An adaptive filter based on a least mean squares (LMS) algorithm is a relatively simple finite impulse response (FIR) filter, which can be an alternative for currently used filters. Simulations in MATLAB are very promising and show that the LMS filter can be very efficient in suppressing RFI and only slightly distorts radio signals. The LMS algorithm was implemented into a Cyclone V field programmable gate array for testing the stability, RFI suppression efficiency, and adaptation time to new conditions. First results show that the FIR filter based on the LMS algorithm can be successfully implemented and used in real AERA radio stations.

A Fluorescent Indicator for Imaging Lysosomal Zinc(II) with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-Enhanced Photostability and a Narrow Band of Emission

PubMed Central

Sreenath, Kesavapillai; Yuan, Zhao; Allen, John R.

2015-01-01

We demonstrate a strategy to transfer the zinc(II) sensitivity of a fluoroionophore with low photostability and a broad emission band to a bright and photostable fluorophore with a narrow emission band. The two fluorophores are covalently connected to afford an intramolecular Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) conjugate. The FRET donor in the conjugate is a zinc(II)-sensitive arylvinylbipyridyl fluoroionophore, the absorption and emission of which undergo bathochromic shifts upon zinc(II) coordination. When the FRET donor is excited, efficient intramolecular energy transfer occurs to result in the emission of the acceptor boron dipyrromethene (4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene or BODIPY) as a function of zinc(II) concentration. The broad emission band of the donor/zinc(II) complex is transformed into the strong, narrow emission band of the BODIPY acceptor in the FRET conjugates, which can be captured within the narrow emission window that is preferred for multicolor imaging experiments. In addition to competing with other nonradiative decay processes of the FRET donor, the rapid intramolecular FRET of the excited FRET-conjugate molecule protects the donor fluorophore from photobleaching, thus enhancing the photostability of the indicator. FRET conjugates 3 and 4 contain aliphatic amino groups, which selectively target lysosomes in mammalian cells. This subcellular localization preference was verified by using confocal fluorescence microscopy, which also shows the zinc(II)-enhanced emission of 3 and 4 in lysosomes. It was further shown using two-color structured illumination microscopy (SIM), which is capable of extending the lateral resolution over the Abbe diffraction limit by a factor of two, that the morpholino-functionalized compound 4 localizes in the interior of lysosomes, rather than anchoring on the lysosomal membranes, of live HeLa cells. PMID:25382395

Concept of a small satellite for sub-MeV and MeV all sky survey: the CAST mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakazawa, Kazuhiro; Takahashi, Tadayuki; Ichinohe, Yuto; Takeda, Shin'ichiro; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Kamae, Tuneyoshi; Kokubun, Motohide; Takashima, Takeshi; Tashiro, Makoto; Tamagawa, Toru; Terada, Yukikatsu; Nomachi, Masaharu; Fukazawa, Yasushi; Makishima, Kazuo; Mizuno, Tsunefumi; Mitani, Takefumi; Yoshimitsu, Tetsuo; Watanabe, Shin

2012-09-01

MeV and sub-MeV energy band from ~200 keV to ~2 MeV contains rich information of high-energy phenomena in the universe. The CAST (Compton Telescope for Astro and Solar Terrestrial) mission is planned to be launched at the end of 2010s, and aims at providing all-sky map in this energy-band for the first time. It is made of a semiconductor Compton telescope utilizing Si as a scatterer and CdTe as an absorber. CAST provides allsky sub-MeV polarization map for the first time, as well. The Compton telescope technology is based on the design used in the Soft Gamma-ray Detector (SGD) onboard ASTRO-H, characterized by its tightly stacked semiconductor layers to obtain high Compton reconstruction efficiency. The CAST mission is currently planned as a candidate for the small scientific satellite series in ISAS/JAXA, weighting about 500 kg in total. Scalable detector design enables us to consider other options as well. Scientific outcome of CAST is wide. It will provide new information from high-energy sources, such as AGN and/or its jets, supernova remnants, magnetors, blackhole and neutron-star binaries and others. Polarization map will tell us about activities of jets and reflections in these sources, as well. In addition, CAST will simultaneously observe the Sun, and depending on its attitude, the Earth.

Sky Quality Meter measurements in a colour-changing world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez de Miguel, A.; Aubé, M.; Zamorano, J.; Kocifaj, M.; Roby, J.; Tapia, C.

2017-05-01

The Sky Quality Meter (SQM) has become the most common device used to track the evolution of the brightness of the sky from polluted regions to first-class astronomical observatories. A vast database of SQM measurements already exists for many places in the world. Unfortunately, the SQM operates over a wide spectral band and its spectral response interacts with the sky's spectrum in a complex manner. This is why the optical signals are difficult to interpret when the data are recorded in regions with different sources of artificial light. The brightness of the night sky is linked in a complex way to ground-based light emissions, while taking into account atmospheric-induced optical distortion as well as spectral transformation from the underlying ground surfaces. While the spectral modulation of the sky's radiance has been recognized, it still remains poorly characterized and quantified. The impact of the SQM's spectral characteristics on sky-brightness measurements is analysed here for different light sources, including low- and high-pressure sodium lamps, PC-amber and white LEDs, metal halide and mercury lamps. We show that a routine conversion of radiance to magnitude is difficult, or rather impossible, because the average wavelength depends on actual atmospheric and environment conditions, the spectrum of the source and device-specific properties. We correlate SQM readings with both the Johnson astronomical photometry bands and the human system of visual perception, assuming different lighting technologies. These findings have direct implications for the processing of SQM data and for their improvement and/or remediation.

Acquisition and visualization techniques for narrow spectral color imaging.

PubMed

Neumann, László; García, Rafael; Basa, János; Hegedüs, Ramón

2013-06-01

This paper introduces a new approach in narrow-band imaging (NBI). Existing NBI techniques generate images by selecting discrete bands over the full visible spectrum or an even wider spectral range. In contrast, here we perform the sampling with filters covering a tight spectral window. This image acquisition method, named narrow spectral imaging, can be particularly useful when optical information is only available within a narrow spectral window, such as in the case of deep-water transmittance, which constitutes the principal motivation of this work. In this study we demonstrate the potential of the proposed photographic technique on nonunderwater scenes recorded under controlled conditions. To this end three multilayer narrow bandpass filters were employed, which transmit at 440, 456, and 470 nm bluish wavelengths, respectively. Since the differences among the images captured in such a narrow spectral window can be extremely small, both image acquisition and visualization require a novel approach. First, high-bit-depth images were acquired with multilayer narrow-band filters either placed in front of the illumination or mounted on the camera lens. Second, a color-mapping method is proposed, using which the input data can be transformed onto the entire display color gamut with a continuous and perceptually nearly uniform mapping, while ensuring optimally high information content for human perception.

Inter-band optoelectronic properties in quantum dot structure of low band gap III-V semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, Anup; Maiti, Biswajit; Chanda Sarkar, Debasree

2014-04-01

A generalized theory is developed to study inter-band optical absorption coefficient (IOAC) and material gain (MG) in quantum dot structures of narrow gap III-V compound semiconductor considering the wave-vector (k→) dependence of the optical transition matrix element. The band structures of these low band gap semiconducting materials with sufficiently separated split-off valance band are frequently described by the three energy band model of Kane. This has been adopted for analysis of the IOAC and MG taking InAs, InSb, Hg1-xCdxTe, and In1-xGaxAsyP1-y lattice matched to InP, as example of III-V compound semiconductors, having varied split-off energy band compared to their bulk band gap energy. It has been found that magnitude of the IOAC for quantum dots increases with increasing incident photon energy and the lines of absorption are more closely spaced in the three band model of Kane than those with parabolic energy band approximations reflecting the direct the influence of energy band parameters. The results show a significant deviation to the MG spectrum of narrow-gap materials having band nonparabolicity compared to the parabolic band model approximations. The results reflect the important role of valence band split-off energies in these narrow gap semiconductors.

Narrow Band Imaging Enhances the Detection Rate of Penetration and Aspiration in FEES.

PubMed

Nienstedt, Julie C; Müller, Frank; Nießen, Almut; Fleischer, Susanne; Koseki, Jana-Christiane; Flügel, Till; Pflug, Christina

2017-06-01

Narrow band imaging (NBI) is widely used in gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and urological endoscopy. Its original purpose was to visualize vessels and epithelial irregularities. Based on our observation that adding NBI to common white light (WL) improves the contrast of the test bolus in fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES), we now investigated the potential value of NBI in swallowing disorders. 148 FEES images were analyzed from 74 consecutive patients with swallowing disorders, including 74 with and 74 without NBI. All images were evaluated by four dysphagia specialists. Findings were classified according to Rosenbek's penetration-aspiration scale modified for evaluating these FEES images. Intra- and inter-rater reliability was determined as well as observer confidence. A better visualization of the bolus is the main advantage of NBI in FEES. This generally leads to sharper optical contrasts and better detection of small bolus quantities. Accordingly, NBI enhances the detection rate of penetration and aspiration. On average, identification of laryngeal penetration increased from 40 to 73% and of aspiration from 13 to 24% (each p < 0.01) of patients. In contrast to WL alone, the use of NBI also markedly increased the inter- and intra-rater reliability (p < 0.01) and the rating confidence of all experts (p < 0.05). NBI is an easy and cost-effective tool simplifying dysphagia evaluation and shortening FEES evaluation time. It leads to a markedly higher detection rate of pathological findings. The significantly better intra- and inter-rater reliability argues further for a better overall reproducibly of FEES interpretation.

There Are (super)Giants in the Sky: Searching for Misidentified Massive Stars in Algorithmically-Selected Quasar Catalogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dorn-Wallenstein, Trevor Z.; Levesque, Emily

2017-11-01

Thanks to incredible advances in instrumentation, surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey have been able to find and catalog billions of objects, ranging from local M dwarfs to distant quasars. Machine learning algorithms have greatly aided in the effort to classify these objects; however, there are regimes where these algorithms fail, where interesting oddities may be found. We present here an X-ray bright quasar misidentified as a red supergiant/X-ray binary, and a subsequent search of the SDSS quasar catalog for X-ray bright stars misidentified as quasars.

Application of a Hough Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves on Data from the Fifth LIGO Science Run

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adhikari, R. X.;

Application of a Hough search for continuous gravitational waves on data from the fifth LIGO science run

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aasi, J.; Abadie, J.; Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Abbott, T.; Abernathy, M. R.; Accadia, T.; Acernese, F.; Adams, C.; Adams, T.; Adhikari, R. X.; Affeldt, C.; Agathos, M.; Aggarwal, N.; Aguiar, O. D.; Ajith, P.; Allen, B.; Allocca, A.; Amador Ceron, E.; Amariutei, D.; Anderson, R. A.; Anderson, S. B.; Anderson, W. G.; Arai, K.; Araya, M. C.; Arceneaux, C.; Areeda, J.; Ast, S.; Aston, S. M.; Astone, P.; Aufmuth, P.; Aulbert, C.; Austin, L.; Aylott, B. E.; Babak, S.; Baker, P. T.; Ballardin, G.; Ballmer, S. W.; Barayoga, J. C.; Barker, D.; Barnum, S. H.; Barone, F.; Barr, B.; Barsotti, L.; Barsuglia, M.; Barton, M. A.; Bartos, I.; Bassiri, R.; Basti, A.; Batch, J.; Bauchrowitz, J.; Bauer, Th S.; Bebronne, M.; Behnke, B.; Bejger, M.; Beker, M. G.; Bell, A. S.; Bell, C.; Belopolski, I.; Bergmann, G.; Berliner, J. M.; Bersanetti, D.; Bertolini, A.; Bessis, D.; Betzwieser, J.; Beyersdorf, P. T.; Bhadbhade, T.; Bilenko, I. A.; Billingsley, G.; Birch, J.; Bitossi, M.; Bizouard, M. A.; Black, E.; Blackburn, J. K.; Blackburn, L.; Blair, D.; Blom, M.; Bock, O.; Bodiya, T. P.; Boer, M.; Bogan, C.; Bond, C.; Bondu, F.; Bonelli, L.; Bonnand, R.; Bork, R.; Born, M.; Boschi, V.; Bose, S.; Bosi, L.; Bowers, J.; Bradaschia, C.; Brady, P. R.; Braginsky, V. B.; Branchesi, M.; Brannen, C. A.; Brau, J. E.; Breyer, J.; Briant, T.; Bridges, D. O.; Brillet, A.; Brinkmann, M.; Brisson, V.; Britzger, M.; Brooks, A. F.; Brown, D. A.; Brown, D. D.; Brückner, F.; Bulik, T.; Bulten, H. J.; Buonanno, A.; Buskulic, D.; Buy, C.; Byer, R. L.; Cadonati, L.; Cagnoli, G.; Calderón Bustillo, J.; Calloni, E.; Camp, J. B.; Campsie, P.; Cannon, K. C.; Canuel, B.; Cao, J.; Capano, C. D.; Carbognani, F.; Carbone, L.; Caride, S.; Castiglia, A.; Caudill, S.; Cavaglià, M.; Cavalier, F.; Cavalieri, R.; Cella, G.; Cepeda, C.; Cesarini, E.; Chakraborty, R.; Chalermsongsak, T.; Chao, S.; Charlton, P.; Chassande-Mottin, E.; Chen, X.; Chen, Y.; Chincarini, A.; Chiummo, A.; Cho, H. S.; Chow, J.; Christensen, N.; Chu, Q.; Chua, S. S. Y.; Chung, S.; Ciani, G.; Clara, F.; Clark, D. E.; Clark, J. A.; Cleva, F.; Coccia, E.; Cohadon, P.-F.; Colla, A.; Colombini, M.; Constancio, M., Jr.; Conte, A.; Conte, R.; Cook, D.; Corbitt, T. R.; Cordier, M.; Cornish, N.; Corsi, A.; Costa, C. A.; Coughlin, M. W.; Coulon, J.-P.; Countryman, S.; Couvares, P.; Coward, D. M.; Cowart, M.; Coyne, D. C.; Craig, K.; Creighton, J. D. E.; Creighton, T. D.; Crowder, S. G.; Cumming, A.; Cunningham, L.; Cuoco, E.; Dahl, K.; Dal Canton, T.; Damjanic, M.; Danilishin, S. L.; D'Antonio, S.; Danzmann, K.; Dattilo, V.; Daudert, B.; Daveloza, H.; Davier, M.; Davies, G. S.; Daw, E. J.; Day, R.; Dayanga, T.; Debreczeni, G.; Degallaix, J.; Deleeuw, E.; Deléglise, S.; Del Pozzo, W.; Denker, T.; Dent, T.; Dereli, H.; Dergachev, V.; DeRosa, R. T.; De Rosa, R.; DeSalvo, R.; Dhurandhar, S.; Díaz, M.; Dietz, A.; Di Fiore, L.; Di Lieto, A.; Di Palma, I.; Di Virgilio, A.; Dmitry, K.; Donovan, F.; Dooley, K. L.; Doravari, S.; Drago, M.; Drever, R. W. P.; Driggers, J. C.; Du, Z.; Dumas, J.-C.; Dwyer, S.; Eberle, T.; Edwards, M.; Effler, A.; Ehrens, P.; Eichholz, J.; Eikenberry, S. S.; EndrHoczi, G.; Essick, R.; Etzel, T.; Evans, K.; Evans, M.; Evans, T.; Factourovich, M.; Fafone, V.; Fairhurst, S.; Fang, Q.; Farinon, S.; Farr, B.; Farr, W.; Favata, M.; Fazi, D.; Fehrmann, H.; Feldbaum, D.; Ferrante, I.; Ferrini, F.; Fidecaro, F.; Finn, L. S.; Fiori, I.; Fisher, R.; Flaminio, R.; Foley, E.; Foley, S.; Forsi, E.; Fotopoulos, N.; Fournier, J.-D.; Franco, S.; Frasca, S.; Frasconi, F.; Frede, M.; Frei, M.; Frei, Z.; Freise, A.; Frey, R.; Fricke, T. T.; Fritschel, P.; Frolov, V. V.; Fujimoto, M.-K.; Fulda, P.; Fyffe, M.; Gair, J.; Gammaitoni, L.; Garcia, J.; Garufi, F.; Gehrels, N.; Gemme, G.; Genin, E.; Gennai, A.; Gergely, L.; Ghosh, S.; Giaime, J. A.; Giampanis, S.; Giardina, K. D.; Giazotto, A.; Gil-Casanova, S.; Gill, C.; Gleason, J.; Goetz, E.; Goetz, R.; Gondan, L.; González, G.; Gordon, N.; Gorodetsky, M. L.; Gossan, S.; Goßler, S.; Gouaty, R.; Graef, C.; Graff, P. B.; Granata, M.; Grant, A.; Gras, S.; Gray, C.; Greenhalgh, R. J. S.; Gretarsson, A. M.; Griffo, C.; Groot, P.; Grote, H.; Grover, K.; Grunewald, S.; Guidi, G. M.; Guido, C.; Gushwa, K. E.; Gustafson, E. K.; Gustafson, R.; Hall, B.; Hall, E.; Hammer, D.; Hammond, G.; Hanke, M.; Hanks, J.; Hanna, C.; Hanson, J.; Harms, J.; Harry, G. M.; Harry, I. W.; Harstad, E. D.; Hartman, M. T.; Haughian, K.; Hayama, K.; Heefner, J.; Heidmann, A.; Heintze, M.; Heitmann, H.; Hello, P.; Hemming, G.; Hendry, M.; Heng, I. S.; Heptonstall, A. W.; Heurs, M.; Hild, S.; Hoak, D.; Hodge, K. A.; Holt, K.; Hong, T.; Hooper, S.; Horrom, T.; Hosken, D. J.; Hough, J.; Howell, E. J.; Hu, Y.; Hua, Z.; Huang, V.; Huerta, E. A.; Hughey, B.; Husa, S.; Huttner, S. H.; Huynh, M.; Huynh-Dinh, T.; Iafrate, J.; Ingram, D. R.; Inta, R.; Isogai, T.; Ivanov, A.; Iyer, B. R.; Izumi, K.; Jacobson, M.; James, E.; Jang, H.; Jang, Y. J.; Jaranowski, P.; Jiménez-Forteza, F.; Johnson, W. W.; Jones, D.; Jones, D. I.; Jones, R.; Jonker, R. J. G.; Ju, L.; K, Haris; Kalmus, P.; Kalogera, V.; Kandhasamy, S.; Kang, G.; Kanner, J. B.; Kasprzack, M.; Kasturi, R.; Katsavounidis, E.; Katzman, W.; Kaufer, H.; Kaufman, K.; Kawabe, K.; Kawamura, S.; Kawazoe, F.; Kéfélian, F.; Keitel, D.; Kelley, D. B.; Kells, W.; Keppel, D. G.; Khalaidovski, A.; Khalili, F. Y.; Khazanov, E. A.; Kim, B. K.; Kim, C.; Kim, K.; Kim, N.; Kim, W.; Kim, Y.-M.; King, E. J.; King, P. J.; Kinzel, D. L.; Kissel, J. S.; Klimenko, S.; Kline, J.; Koehlenbeck, S.; Kokeyama, K.; Kondrashov, V.; Koranda, S.; Korth, W. Z.; Kowalska, I.; Kozak, D.; Kremin, A.; Kringel, V.; Krishnan, B.; Królak, A.; Kucharczyk, C.; Kudla, S.; Kuehn, G.; Kumar, A.; Kumar, P.; Kumar, R.; Kurdyumov, R.; Kwee, P.; Landry, M.; Lantz, B.; Larson, S.; Lasky, P. D.; Lawrie, C.; Leaci, P.; Lebigot, E. O.; Lee, C.-H.; Lee, H. K.; Lee, H. M.; Lee, J.; Lee, J.; Leonardi, M.; Leong, J. R.; Le Roux, A.; Leroy, N.; Letendre, N.; Levine, B.; Lewis, J. B.; Lhuillier, V.; Li, T. G. F.; Lin, A. C.; Littenberg, T. B.; Litvine, V.; Liu, F.; Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Liu, Z.; Lloyd, D.; Lockerbie, N. A.; Lockett, V.; Lodhia, D.; Loew, K.; Logue, J.; Lombardi, A. L.; Lorenzini, M.; Loriette, V.; Lormand, M.; Losurdo, G.; Lough, J.; Luan, J.; Lubinski, M. J.; Lück, H.; Lundgren, A. P.; Macarthur, J.; Macdonald, E.; Machenschalk, B.; MacInnis, M.; Macleod, D. M.; Magana-Sandoval, F.; Mageswaran, M.; Mailand, K.; Majorana, E.; Maksimovic, I.; Malvezzi, V.; Man, N.; Manca, G. M.; Mandel, I.; Mandic, V.; Mangano, V.; Mantovani, M.; Marchesoni, F.; Marion, F.; Márka, S.; Márka, Z.; Markosyan, A.; Maros, E.; Marque, J.; Martelli, F.; Martin, I. W.; Martin, R. M.; Martinelli, L.; Martynov, D.; Marx, J. N.; Mason, K.; Masserot, A.; Massinger, T. J.; Matichard, F.; Matone, L.; Matzner, R. A.; Mavalvala, N.; May, G.; Mazumder, N.; Mazzolo, G.; McCarthy, R.; McClelland, D. E.; McGuire, S. C.; McIntyre, G.; McIver, J.; Meacher, D.; Meadors, G. D.; Mehmet, M.; Meidam, J.; Meier, T.; Melatos, A.; Mendell, G.; Mercer, R. A.; Meshkov, S.; Messenger, C.; Meyer, M. S.; Miao, H.; Michel, C.; Mikhailov, E. E.; Milano, L.; Miller, J.; Minenkov, Y.; Mingarelli, C. M. F.; Mitra, S.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Mitselmakher, G.; Mittleman, R.; Moe, B.; Mohan, M.; Mohapatra, S. R. P.; Mokler, F.; Moraru, D.; Moreno, G.; Morgado, N.; Mori, T.; Morriss, S. R.; Mossavi, K.; Mours, B.; Mow-Lowry, C. M.; Mueller, C. L.; Mueller, G.; Mukherjee, S.; Mullavey, A.; Munch, J.; Murphy, D.; Murray, P. G.; Mytidis, A.; Nagy, M. F.; Nanda Kumar, D.; Nardecchia, I.; Nash, T.; Naticchioni, L.; Nayak, R.; Necula, V.; Nelemans, G.; Neri, I.; Neri, M.; Newton, G.; Nguyen, T.; Nishida, E.; Nishizawa, A.; Nitz, A.; Nocera, F.; Nolting, D.; Normandin, M. E.; Nuttall, L. K.; Ochsner, E.; O'Dell, J.; Oelker, E.; Ogin, G. H.; Oh, J. J.; Oh, S. H.; Ohme, F.; Oppermann, P.; O'Reilly, B.; Ortega Larcher, W.; O'Shaughnessy, R.; Osthelder, C.; Ott, C. D.; Ottaway, D. J.; Ottens, R. S.; Ou, J.; Overmier, H.; Owen, B. J.; Padilla, C.; Pai, A.; Palomba, C.; Pan, Y.; Pankow, C.; Paoletti, F.; Paoletti, R.; Papa, M. A.; Paris, H.; Pasqualetti, A.; Passaquieti, R.; Passuello, D.; Pedraza, M.; Peiris, P.; Penn, S.; Perreca, A.; Phelps, M.; Pichot, M.; Pickenpack, M.; Piergiovanni, F.; Pierro, V.; Pinard, L.; Pindor, B.; Pinto, I. M.; Pitkin, M.; Poeld, J.; Poggiani, R.; Poole, V.; Poux, C.; Predoi, V.; Prestegard, T.; Price, L. R.; Prijatelj, M.; Principe, M.; Privitera, S.; Prix, R.; Prodi, G. A.; Prokhorov, L.; Puncken, O.; Punturo, M.; Puppo, P.; Quetschke, V.; Quintero, E.; Quitzow-James, R.; Raab, F. J.; Rabeling, D. S.; Rácz, I.; Radkins, H.; Raffai, P.; Raja, S.; Rajalakshmi, G.; Rakhmanov, M.; Ramet, C.; Rapagnani, P.; Raymond, V.; Re, V.; Reed, C. M.; Reed, T.; Regimbau, T.; Reid, S.; Reitze, D. H.; Ricci, F.; Riesen, R.; Riles, K.; Robertson, N. A.; Robinet, F.; Rocchi, A.; Roddy, S.; Rodriguez, C.; Rodruck, M.; Roever, C.; Rolland, L.; Rollins, J. G.; Romano, R.; Romanov, G.; Romie, J. H.; Rosińska, D.; Rowan, S.; Rüdiger, A.; Ruggi, P.; Ryan, K.; Salemi, F.; Sammut, L.; Sancho de la Jordana, L.; Sandberg, V.; Sanders, J.; Sannibale, V.; Santiago-Prieto, I.; Saracco, E.; Sassolas, B.; Sathyaprakash, B. S.; Saulson, P. R.; Savage, R.; Schilling, R.; Schnabel, R.; Schofield, R. M. S.; Schreiber, E.; Schuette, D.; Schulz, B.; Schutz, B. F.; Schwinberg, P.; Scott, J.; Scott, S. M.; Seifert, F.; Sellers, D.; Sengupta, A. S.; Sentenac, D.; Sequino, V.; Sergeev, A.; Shaddock, D.; Shah, S.; Shahriar, M. S.; Shaltev, M.; Shapiro, B.; Shawhan, P.; Shoemaker, D. H.; Sidery, T. L.; Siellez, K.; Siemens, X.; Sigg, D.; Simakov, D.; Singer, A.; Singer, L.; Sintes, A. M.; Skelton, G. R.; Slagmolen, B. J. J.; Slutsky, J.; Smith, J. R.; Smith, M. R.; Smith, R. J. E.; Smith-Lefebvre, N. D.; Soden, K.; Son, E. J.; Sorazu, B.; Souradeep, T.; Sperandio, L.; Staley, A.; Steinert, E.; Steinlechner, J.; Steinlechner, S.; Steplewski, S.; Stevens, D.; Stochino, A.; Stone, R.; Strain, K. A.; Straniero, N.; Strigin, S.; Stroeer, A. S.; Sturani, R.; Stuver, A. L.; Summerscales, T. Z.; Susmithan, S.; Sutton, P. J.; Swinkels, B.; Szeifert, G.; Tacca, M.; Talukder, D.; Tang, L.; Tanner, D. B.; Tarabrin, S. P.; Taylor, R.; ter Braack, A. P. M.; Thirugnanasambandam, M. P.; Thomas, M.; Thomas, P.; Thorne, K. A.; Thorne, K. S.; Thrane, E.; Tiwari, V.; Tokmakov, K. V.; Tomlinson, C.; Toncelli, A.; Tonelli, M.; Torre, O.; Torres, C. V.; Torrie, C. I.; Travasso, F.; Traylor, G.; Tse, M.; Ugolini, D.; Unnikrishnan, C. S.; Vahlbruch, H.; Vajente, G.; Vallisneri, M.; van den Brand, J. F. J.; Van Den Broeck, C.; van der Putten, S.; van der Sluys, M. V.; van Heijningen, J.; van Veggel, A. A.; Vass, S.; Vasúth, M.; Vaulin, R.; Vecchio, A.; Vedovato, G.; Veitch, J.; Veitch, P. J.; Venkateswara, K.; Verkindt, D.; Verma, S.; Vetrano, F.; Viceré, A.; Vincent-Finley, R.; Vinet, J.-Y.; Vitale, S.; Vlcek, B.; Vo, T.; Vocca, H.; Vorvick, C.; Vousden, W. D.; Vrinceanu, D.; Vyachanin, S. P.; Wade, A.; Wade, L.; Wade, M.; Waldman, S. J.; Walker, M.; Wallace, L.; Wan, Y.; Wang, J.; Wang, M.; Wang, X.; Wanner, A.; Ward, R. L.; Was, M.; Weaver, B.; Wei, L.-W.; Weinert, M.; Weinstein, A. J.; Weiss, R.; Welborn, T.; Wen, L.; Wessels, P.; West, M.; Westphal, T.; Wette, K.; Whelan, J. T.; Whitcomb, S. E.; White, D. J.; Whiting, B. F.; Wibowo, S.; Wiesner, K.; Wilkinson, C.; Williams, L.; Williams, R.; Williams, T.; Willis, J. L.; Willke, B.; Wimmer, M.; Winkelmann, L.; Winkler, W.; Wipf, C. C.; Wittel, H.; Woan, G.; Worden, J.; Yablon, J.; Yakushin, I.; Yamamoto, H.; Yancey, C. C.; Yang, H.; Yeaton-Massey, D.; Yoshida, S.; Yum, H.; Yvert, M.; Zadrożny, A.; Zanolin, M.; Zendri, J.-P.; Zhang, F.; Zhang, L.; Zhao, C.; Zhu, H.; Zhu, X. J.; Zotov, N.; Zucker, M. E.; Zweizig, J.

2014-04-01

We report on an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves in the frequency range 50-1000 Hz with the first derivative of frequency in the range -8.9 × 10-10 Hz s-1 to zero in two years of data collected during LIGO’s fifth science run. Our results employ a Hough transform technique, introducing a χ2 test and analysis of coincidences between the signal levels in years 1 and 2 of observations that offers a significant improvement in the product of strain sensitivity with compute cycles per data sample compared to previously published searches. Since our search yields no surviving candidates, we present results taking the form of frequency dependent, 95% confidence upper limits on the strain amplitude h0. The most stringent upper limit from year 1 is 1.0 × 10-24 in the 158.00-158.25 Hz band. In year 2, the most stringent upper limit is 8.9 × 10-25 in the 146.50-146.75 Hz band. This improved detection pipeline, which is computationally efficient by at least two orders of magnitude better than our flagship Einstein@Home search, will be important for ‘quick-look’ searches in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detector era.

Observation of coherently enhanced tunable narrow-band terahertz transition radiation from a relativistic sub-picosecond electron bunch train

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piot, P.; Sun, Y. -E; Maxwell, T. J.

2011-06-27

We experimentally demonstrate the production of narrow-band (δf/f ~ =20% at f ~ = 0.5 THz) THz transition radiation with tunable frequency over [0.37, 0.86] THz. The radiation is produced as a train of sub-picosecond relativistic electron bunches transits at the vacuum-aluminum interface of an aluminum converter screen. In addition, we show a possible application of modulated beams to extend the dynamical range of a popular bunch length diagnostic technique based on the spectral analysis of coherent radiation.

Simulator spectral characterization using balloon calibrated solar cells with narrow band pass filters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodelle, G. S.; Brooks, G. R.; Seaman, C. H.

1981-01-01

The development and implementation of an instrument for spectral measurement of solar simulators for testing solar cell characteristics is reported. The device was constructed for detecting changes in solar simulator behavior and for comparing simulator spectral irradiance to solar AM0 output. It consists of a standard solar cell equipped with a band pass filter narrow enough so that, when flown on a balloon to sufficient altitude along with sufficient numbers of cells, each equipped with filters of different bandpass ratings, the entire spectral response of the standard cell can be determined. Measured short circuit currents from the balloon flights thus produce cell devices which, when exposed to solar simulator light, have a current which does or does not respond as observed under actual AM0 conditions. Improvements of the filtered cells in terms of finer bandpass filter tuning and measurement of temperature coefficients are indicated.

The ROSAT All-Sky Survey view of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pietsch, W.; Denner, K.; Kahabka, P.; Pakull, M.; Schaeidt, S.

1996-01-01

During the Rosat all sky survey, centered on the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), 516 X-ray sources were detected. The field was covered from July 1990 to January 1991. The X-ray parameters of the sources, involving position, count rates, hardness ratios, extent, and time variability during the observations, are discussed. Identifications with objects from optical, radio and infrared wavelength allow the LMC candidates to be separated from the foreground stars and the background objects.

Tunable narrow linewidth all-fiber thulium-doped fiber laser in a 2 µm-band using two Hi-Bi fiber optical loop mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Posada-Ramírez, B.; Durán-Sánchez, M.; Álvarez-Tamayo, R. I.; Ibarra-Escamilla, B.; Hernández-Arriaga, M. V.; Sánchez-de-la-Llave, D.; Kuzin, E. A.

2017-08-01

We propose an all-fiber Tm-doped fiber laser with a tunable and narrow laser line generated in a wavelength region of 2 µm. A single laser line with a linewidth below 0.05 nm, tunable in a wavelength range of 44.25 nm, is obtained. The laser linewidth and the discrete wavelength tuning range depend on the characteristics of the two fiber optical loop mirrors with high birefringence in the loop that forms the cavity. Dual-wavelength laser operation is also observed at tuning range limits with a wavelength separation of 47 nm. Alternate wavelength switching is also observed.

Imaging and mapping the impact of clouds on skyglow with all-sky photometry.

PubMed

Jechow, Andreas; Kolláth, Zoltán; Ribas, Salvador J; Spoelstra, Henk; Hölker, Franz; Kyba, Christopher C M

2017-07-27

Artificial skyglow is constantly growing on a global scale, with potential ecological consequences ranging up to affecting biodiversity. To understand these consequences, worldwide mapping of skyglow for all weather conditions is urgently required. In particular, the amplification of skyglow by clouds needs to be studied, as clouds can extend the reach of skyglow into remote areas not affected by light pollution on clear nights. Here we use commercial digital single lens reflex cameras with fisheye lenses for all-sky photometry. We track the reach of skyglow from a peri-urban into a remote area on a clear and a partly cloudy night by performing transects from the Spanish town of Balaguer towards Montsec Astronomical Park. From one single all-sky image, we extract zenith luminance, horizontal and scalar illuminance. While zenith luminance reaches near-natural levels at 5 km distance from the town on the clear night, similar levels are only reached at 27 km on the partly cloudy night. Our results show the dramatic increase of the reach of skyglow even for moderate cloud coverage at this site. The powerful and easy-to-use method promises to be widely applicable for studies of ecological light pollution on a global scale also by non-specialists in photometry.

High-Performance Polymer Solar Cell with Single Active Material of Fully Conjugated Block Copolymer Composed of Wide-Band gap Donor and Narrow-Band gap Acceptor Blocks.

PubMed

Lee, Ji Hyung; Park, Chang Geun; Kim, Aesun; Kim, Hyung Jong; Kim, Youngseo; Park, Sungnam; Cho, Min Ju; Choi, Dong Hoon

2018-06-06

We synthesized a novel fully conjugated block copolymer, P3, in which a wide-band gap donor block (P1) was connected to a narrow-band gap acceptor block (P2). As P3 contains P1 block with a wide bandgap and P2 block with a narrow bandgap, it exhibits a very wide complementary absorption. Transient photoluminescence measurement using P3 dilute solution demonstrated intramolecular charge transfer between the P1 block and the P2 block, which was not observed in a P1/P2 blend solution. A P3 thin film showed complete PL quenching because the photoinduced inter-/intramolecular charge transfer states were effectively formed. This phenomenon can play an important role in the photovoltaic properties of P3-based polymer solar cells. A single active material polymer solar cell (SAMPSC) fabricated from P3 alone exhibited a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.87% with a high open-circuit voltage of 0.93 V and a short-circuit current of 8.26 mA/cm 2 , demonstrating a much better performance than a binary P1-/P2-based polymer solar cell (PCE = 1.14%). This result facilitates the possible improvement of the photovoltaic performance of SAMPSCs by inducing favorable nanophase segregation between p- and n blocks. In addition, owing to the high morphological stability of the block copolymer, excellent shelf-life was observed in a P3-based SAMPSC compared with a P1/P2-based PSC.

Search for narrow-width tt(bar) resonances in pp(bar) collisons at sqrt(s)=1.8TeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Supriya

2004-03-01

We present a preliminary result on a search for narrow-width resonances that decay into ttbar pairs using 130 pb^{-1} of lepton plus jets data in ppbar collisions at center of mass energy = 1.8 TeV. No significant deviation from Standard Model prediction is observed. 95% C.L. upper limits on the production cross section of the narrow-width resonance times its branching fraction to ttbar are presented for different resonance masses, M_X. We also exclude the existence of a leptophobic topcolor particle, X, with M_X < 560 GeV/c^2 for a width \\Gamma_X = 0.012 M_X.

All-dielectric band stop filter at terahertz frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Shan; Chen, Lin

2018-01-01

We design all-dielectric band stop filters with silicon subwavelength rod and block arrays at terahertz frequencies. Supporting magnetic dipole resonances originated from the Mia resonance, the all-dielectric filters can modulate the working band by simply varying the structural geometry, while eliminating the ohmic loss induced by the traditional metallic metamaterials and uninvolved with the complicated mechanism. The nature of the resonance in the silicon arrays is clarified, which is attributed to the destructive interference between the directly transmitted waves and the waves emitted from the magnetic dipole resonances, and the resonance frequency is determined by the dielectric structure. By particularly designing the geometrical parameters, the profile of the transmission spectrum can be tailored, and the step-like band edge can be obtained. The all-dielectric filters can realize 93% modulation of the transmission within 0.04 THz, and maintain the bandwidth of 0.05 THz. This work provides a method to develop THz functional devices, such as filters, switches and sensors.

Efficient high-power narrow-linewidth all-fibred linearly polarized ytterbium laser source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, Anthony; Liégeois, Flavien; Hernandez, Yves; Giannone, Domenico

2012-06-01

We report on experimental results on a high power, all-fibred, linearly polarized, mode-locked laser at 1.03 μm. The laser generates pulses of 40 ps wide at a repetition rate of 52 MHz, exhibiting 12 kW peak power. Dispersion in optical fibres is controlled to obtain both high power and narrow spectral linewidth. The average output power reached is 25 W with a spectral linewidth of 380 pm and a near diffraction limit beam (M2 < 1.2). This laser is an ideal candidate for applications like IR spectroscopy, where high peak power and narrow linewidth are required for subsequent wavelength conversion.

The 60 Month All-Sky Burst Alert Telescope Survey of Active Galactic Nucleus and the Anisotropy of Nearby AGNs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ajello, M.; Alexander, D. M.; Greiner, J.; Madejeski, G. M.; Gehrels, N.; Burlon, D.

2014-01-01

Surveys above 10 keV represent one of the best resources to provide an unbiased census of the population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We present the results of 60 months of observation of the hard X-ray sky with Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). In this time frame, BAT-detected (in the 15-55 keV band) 720 sources in an all-sky survey of which 428 are associated with AGNs, most of which are nearby. Our sample has negligible incompleteness and statistics a factor of approx. 2 larger over similarly complete sets of AGNs. Our sample contains (at least) 15 bona fide Compton-thick AGNs and 3 likely candidates. Compton-thick AGNs represent approx. 5% of AGN samples detected above 15 keV. We use the BAT data set to refine the determination of the log N-log S of AGNs which is extremely important, now that NuSTAR prepares for launch, toward assessing the AGN contribution to the cosmic X-ray background. We show that the log N-log S of AGNs selected above 10 keV is now established to approx. 10% precision. We derive the luminosity function of Compton-thick AGNs and measure a space density of 7.9(+4.1/-2.9)× 10(exp -5)/cubic Mpc for objects with a de-absorbed luminosity larger than 2 × 10(exp 42) erg / s. As the BAT AGNs are all mostly local, they allow us to investigate the spatial distribution of AGNs in the nearby universe regardless of absorption. We find concentrations of AGNs that coincide spatially with the largest congregations of matter in the local (much < 85 Mpc) universe. There is some evidence that the fraction of Seyfert 2 objects is larger than average in the direction of these dense regions..

Computer-aided diagnosis of colorectal polyp histology by using a real-time image recognition system and narrow-band imaging magnifying colonoscopy.

PubMed

Kominami, Yoko; Yoshida, Shigeto; Tanaka, Shinji; Sanomura, Yoji; Hirakawa, Tsubasa; Raytchev, Bisser; Tamaki, Toru; Koide, Tetsusi; Kaneda, Kazufumi; Chayama, Kazuaki

2016-03-01

It is necessary to establish cost-effective examinations and treatments for diminutive colorectal tumors that consider the treatment risk and surveillance interval after treatment. The Preservation and Incorporation of Valuable Endoscopic Innovations (PIVI) committee of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy published a statement recommending the establishment of endoscopic techniques that practice the resect and discard strategy. The aims of this study were to evaluate whether our newly developed real-time image recognition system can predict histologic diagnoses of colorectal lesions depicted on narrow-band imaging and to satisfy some problems with the PIVI recommendations. We enrolled 41 patients who had undergone endoscopic resection of 118 colorectal lesions (45 nonneoplastic lesions and 73 neoplastic lesions). We compared the results of real-time image recognition system analysis with that of narrow-band imaging diagnosis and evaluated the correlation between image analysis and the pathological results. Concordance between the endoscopic diagnosis and diagnosis by a real-time image recognition system with a support vector machine output value was 97.5% (115/118). Accuracy between the histologic findings of diminutive colorectal lesions (polyps) and diagnosis by a real-time image recognition system with a support vector machine output value was 93.2% (sensitivity, 93.0%; specificity, 93.3%; positive predictive value (PPV), 93.0%; and negative predictive value, 93.3%). Although further investigation is necessary to establish our computer-aided diagnosis system, this real-time image recognition system may satisfy the PIVI recommendations and be useful for predicting the histology of colorectal tumors. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The GRB All-sky Spectrometer Experiment I: Instrument Overview and Science Drivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinot, Zachary; Voigt, Elana; Banks, Zachary; Pober, Jonathan; Morales, Miguel F.

2015-01-01

The GRB All-sky Spectrometer Experiment (GASE) is an experiment designed to detect low frequency highly dispersed radio emission in the afterglow of a GRB. The detection of such a signal could provide a probe of IGM density as well as the conditions near the source of a GRB. The instrument used is an eight-element array of dipole antennas located on the University of Washington campus. This poster will further elaborate the design of the instrument and its scientific goals.

Radio Source Contributions to the Microwave Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boughn, S. P.; Partridge, R. B.

2008-03-01

Cross-correlations of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) full sky K-, Ka-, Q-, V-, and W-band maps with the 1.4 GHz NVSS source count map and the HEAO I A2 2-10 keV full sky X-ray flux map are used to constrain rms fluctuations due to unresolved microwave sources in the WMAP frequency range. In the Q band (40.7 GHz), a lower limit, taking account of only those fluctuations correlated with the 1.4 GHz radio source counts and X-ray flux, corresponds to an rms Rayleigh-Jeans temperature of ˜2 μK for a solid angle of 1 deg2 assuming that the cross-correlations are dominated by clustering, and ˜1 μK if dominated by Poisson fluctuations. The correlated fluctuations at the other bands are consistent with a β = -2.1 ± 0.4 frequency spectrum. If microwave sources are distributed similarly in redshift to the radio and X-ray sources and are similarly clustered, then the implied total rms microwave fluctuations correspond to ˜5 μK. While this value should be considered no more than a plausible estimate, it is similar to that implied by the excess, small angular scale fluctuations observed in the Q band by WMAP and is consistent with estimates made by extrapolating low-frequency source counts.

Band-gap narrowing and magnetic behavior of Ni-doped Ba(Ti0.875Ce0.125)O3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Wenliang; Deng, Hongmei; Yu, Lu; Yang, Pingxiong; Chu, Junhao

2015-11-01

Band-gap narrowing and magnetic effects have been observed in a Ni-doped Ba(Ti0.875Ce0.125)O3 (BTC) thin film. Structural characterizations and microstructural analysis show that the as-prepared Ba(Ti0.75Ce0.125Ni0.125)O3-δ (BTCN) thin film exhibits a cubic perovskite structure with an average grain size of 25 nm. The Ce doping at the Ti-site results in an increasing perovskite volume to favour an O-vacancy-stabilized Ni2+ substitution. Raman spectroscopy, however, shows the cubic symmetry of crystalline structures is locally lowered by the presence of dopants, significantly deviating from the ideal Pm3m space group. Moreover, BTCN presents a narrowed band-gap, much smaller than that of BaTiO3 and BTC, due to new states of both the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in an electronic structure with the presence of Ni. Also, magnetic enhancement driven by co-doping has been confirmed in the films, which mainly stems from the exchange interaction of Ni2+ ions via an electron trapped in a bridging oxygen vacancy. These findings may open an avenue to discover and design optimal perovskite compounds for solar-energy devices and information storage.

Three gangliogliomas: results of GTG-banding, SKY, genome-wide high resolution SNP-array, gene expression and review of the literature.

PubMed

Xu, Li-Xin; Holland, Heidrun; Kirsten, Holger; Ahnert, Peter; Krupp, Wolfgang; Bauer, Manfred; Schober, Ralf; Mueller, Wolf; Fritzsch, Dominik; Meixensberger, Jürgen; Koschny, Ronald

2015-04-01

According to the World Health Organization gangliogliomas are classified as well-differentiated and slowly growing neuroepithelial tumors, composed of neoplastic mature ganglion and glial cells. It is the most frequent tumor entity observed in patients with long-term epilepsy. Comprehensive cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic data including high-resolution genomic profiling (single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-array) of gangliogliomas are scarce but necessary for a better oncological understanding of this tumor entity. For a detailed characterization at the single cell and cell population levels, we analyzed genomic alterations of three gangliogliomas using trypsin-Giemsa banding (GTG-banding) and by spectral karyotyping (SKY) in combination with SNP-array and gene expression array experiments. By GTG and SKY, we could confirm frequently detected chromosomal aberrations (losses within chromosomes 10, 13 and 22; gains within chromosomes 5, 7, 8 and 12), and identify so far unknown genetic aberrations like the unbalanced non-reciprocal translocation t(1;18)(q21;q21). Interestingly, we report on the second so far detected ganglioglioma with ring chromosome 1. Analyses of SNP-array data from two of the tumors and respective germline DNA (peripheral blood) identified few small gains and losses and a number of copy-neutral regions with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in germline and in tumor tissue. In comparison to germline DNA, tumor tissues did not show substantial regions with significant loss or gain or with newly developed LOH. Gene expression analyses of tumor-specific genes revealed similarities in the profile of the analyzed samples regarding different relevant pathways. Taken together, we describe overlapping but also distinct and novel genetic aberrations of three gangliogliomas. © 2014 Japanese Society of Neuropathology.

UWB Filtering Power Divider with Two Narrow Notch-bands and Wide Stop-band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Feng; Wang, Xin-Yi; Zou, Xin Tong; Shi, Xiao Wei

2017-12-01

A compact filtering ultra-wideband (UWB) microstrip power divider (PD) with two sharply rejected notch-bands and wide stopband is analyzed and designed in this paper. The proposed UWB PD is based on a conventional Wilkinson power divider, while two stub loaded resonators (SLRs) are coupled into two symmetrical output ports to achieve a bandpass filtering response. The simplified composite right/left-handed (SCRLH) resonators are employed to generate the dual notched bands. Defected ground structure (DGS) is introduced to improve the passband performance. Good insertion/return losses, isolation and notch-band rejection are achieved as demonstrated in both simulation and experiment.

Every-10-minute Refresh of Precipitation and Flood Risk Predictions by Assimilating Himawari-8 All-sky Satellite Radiances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, T.; Kotsuki, S.; Lien, G. Y.; Maejima, Y.; Okamoto, K.; Miyoshi, T.

2017-12-01

To capture the flood risk, it is essential to obtain accurate precipitation forecasts in terms of intensity, location, and timing. In this regard, data assimilation plays an important role to provide better initial conditions for precipitation forecasts. In particular, geostationary satellites are among the most important data sources because of their broad coverage and high observing frequency. Recently, third-generation geostationary satellites, Himawari-8/9 of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and GOES-16 of the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA), were launched, and among them, Himawari-8 was the first and has been fully operated since July 2015. Himawari-8 is capable of every-10-minute full disk observation similarly to GOES-16 and allows to refresh precipitation and flood predictions as frequently as every 10 minutes. This has a potential advantage in capturing the flood risk associated with a sudden torrential rainfall much earlier. This study aims to demonstrate the advantage of frequent updates of precipitation and flood risk predictions by assimilating all-sky Himawari-8 infrared (IR) radiances. We use an advanced regional data assimilation system known as the SCALE-LETKF, composed of a regional numerical weather prediction (NWP) model (SCALE-RM) developed in RIKEN, Japan and the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF). We focus on a major disaster case in Japan known as September 2015 Kanto-Tohoku heavy rainfall in which a meridional precipitation band associated with a tropical cyclone induced a record-breaking rainfall and eventually caused a collapse of a Kinu River levee. By assimilating a moisture sensitive IR band (band 9, 6.9 µm) of Himawari-8 every 10 minutes into a 6-km mesh SCALE-LETKF, the heavy precipitation forecasts are greatly improved. We run a rainfall-runoff model using the improved precipitation forecasts and obtain high risk of floods predicted with longer lead times.

Deep Full-sky Coadds from Three Years of WISE and NEOWISE Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, A. M.; Lang, D.; Schlegel, D. J.

2017-10-01

We have reprocessed over 100 terabytes of single-exposure Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)/NEOWISE images to create the deepest ever full-sky maps at 3-5 microns. We include all publicly available W1 and W2 imaging—a total of ˜8 million exposures in each band—from ˜37 months of observations spanning 2010 January to 2015 December. Our coadds preserve the native WISE resolution and typically incorporate ˜3× more input frames than those of the AllWISE Atlas stacks. Our coadds are designed to enable deep forced photometry, in particular for the Dark Energy Camera Legacy Survey (DECaLS) and Mayall z-Band Legacy Survey (MzLS), both of which are being used to select targets for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument. We describe newly introduced processing steps aimed at leveraging added redundancy to remove artifacts, with the intent of facilitating uniform target selection and searches for rare/exotic objects (e.g., high-redshift quasars and distant galaxy clusters). Forced photometry depths achieved with these coadds extend 0.56 (0.46) magnitudes deeper in W1 (W2) than is possible with only pre-hibernation WISE imaging.

Spatial Model of Sky Brightness Magnitude in Langkawi Island, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redzuan Tahar, Mohammad; Kamarudin, Farahana; Umar, Roslan; Khairul Amri Kamarudin, Mohd; Sabri, Nor Hazmin; Ahmad, Karzaman; Rahim, Sobri Abdul; Sharul Aikal Baharim, Mohd

2017-03-01

Sky brightness is an essential topic in the field of astronomy, especially for optical astronomical observations that need very clear and dark sky conditions. This study presents the spatial model of sky brightness magnitude in Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Two types of Sky Quality Meter (SQM) manufactured by Unihedron are used to measure the sky brightness on a moonless night (or when the Moon is below the horizon), when the sky is cloudless and the locations are at least 100 m from the nearest light source. The selected locations are marked by their GPS coordinates. The sky brightness data obtained in this study were interpolated and analyzed using a Geographic Information System (GIS), thus producing a spatial model of sky brightness that clearly shows the dark and bright sky areas in Langkawi Island. Surprisingly, our results show the existence of a few dark sites nearby areas of high human activity. The sky brightness of 21.45 mag arcsec{}-2 in the Johnson-Cousins V-band, as the average of sky brightness equivalent to 2.8 × {10}-4{cd} {{{m}}}-2 over the entire island, is an indication that the island is, overall, still relatively dark. However, the amount of development taking place might reduce the number in the near future as the island is famous as a holiday destination.

Preferential Charge Generation at Aggregate Sites in Narrow Band Gap Infrared Photoresponsive Polymer Semiconductors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sulas, Dana B.; London, Alexander E.; Huang, Lifeng

Infrared organic photodetector materials are investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy, demonstrating that ultrafast charge generation assisted by polymer aggregation is essential to compensate for the energy gap law, which dictates that excited state lifetimes decrease as the band gap narrows. Short sub–picosecond singlet exciton lifetimes are measured in a structurally related series of infrared–absorbing copolymers that consist of alternating cyclopentadithiophene electron–rich “push” units and strong electron–deficient “pull” units, including benzothiadiazole, benzoselenadiazole, pyridalselenadiazole, or thiadiazoloquinoxaline. While the ultrafast lifetimes of excitons localized on individual polymer chains suggest that charge carrier generation will be inefficient, high detectivity for polymer:PC 71BM infrared photodetectorsmore » is measured in the 0.6 < λ < 1.5 µm range. The photophysical processes leading to charge generation are investigated by performing a global analysis on transient absorption data of blended polymer:PC 71BM films. In these blends, charge carriers form primarily at polymer aggregate sites on the ultrafast time scale (within our instrument response), leaving quickly decaying single–chain excitons unquenched. Lastly, the results have important implications for the further development of organic infrared optoelectronic devices, where targeting processes such as excited state delocalization over aggregates may be necessary to mitigate losses to ultrafast exciton decay as materials with even lower band gaps are developed.« less

Preferential Charge Generation at Aggregate Sites in Narrow Band Gap Infrared Photoresponsive Polymer Semiconductors

DOE PAGES

Sulas, Dana B.; London, Alexander E.; Huang, Lifeng; ...

2018-02-13

Infrared organic photodetector materials are investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy, demonstrating that ultrafast charge generation assisted by polymer aggregation is essential to compensate for the energy gap law, which dictates that excited state lifetimes decrease as the band gap narrows. Short sub–picosecond singlet exciton lifetimes are measured in a structurally related series of infrared–absorbing copolymers that consist of alternating cyclopentadithiophene electron–rich “push” units and strong electron–deficient “pull” units, including benzothiadiazole, benzoselenadiazole, pyridalselenadiazole, or thiadiazoloquinoxaline. While the ultrafast lifetimes of excitons localized on individual polymer chains suggest that charge carrier generation will be inefficient, high detectivity for polymer:PC 71BM infrared photodetectorsmore » is measured in the 0.6 < λ < 1.5 µm range. The photophysical processes leading to charge generation are investigated by performing a global analysis on transient absorption data of blended polymer:PC 71BM films. In these blends, charge carriers form primarily at polymer aggregate sites on the ultrafast time scale (within our instrument response), leaving quickly decaying single–chain excitons unquenched. Lastly, the results have important implications for the further development of organic infrared optoelectronic devices, where targeting processes such as excited state delocalization over aggregates may be necessary to mitigate losses to ultrafast exciton decay as materials with even lower band gaps are developed.« less

Ultrabright, narrow-band photon-pair source for atomic quantum memories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Pin-Ju; Chen, Ying-Cheng

2018-06-01

We demonstrate an ultrabright, narrow-band and frequency-tunable photon-pair source based on cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC) which is compatible with atomic transition of rubidium D 2-line (780 nm) or cesium D 2-line (852 nm). With the pump beam alternating between a high and a low power phase, the output is switching between the optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and photon-pair generation mode. We utilize the OPO output light to lock the cavity length to maintain the double resonances of signal and idler, as well as to lock the signal frequency to cesium atomic transition. With a type-II phase matching and a double-passed pump scheme such that the cluster frequency spacing is larger than the SPDC bandwidth, the photon-pair output is in a nearly single-mode operation as confirmed by a scanning Fabry–Perot interferometer with its output detected by a photomultiplier. The achieved generation and detection rates are 7.24× {10}5 and 6142 s‑1 mW‑1, respectively. The correlation time of the photon pair is 21.6(2.2) ns, corresponding to a bandwidth of 2π × 6.6(6) MHz. The spectral brightness is 1.06× {10}5 s‑1 mW‑1 MHz‑1. This is a relatively high value under a single-mode operation with the cavity-SPDC scheme. The generated single photons can be readily used in experiments related to atomic quantum memories.

The Effect of High N-DOPED Anatase TiO2 on the Band Gap Narrowing and Redshift by First-Principles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Qingyu; Jin, Yongjun; Ying, Chun; Zhao, Erjun; Zhang, Yue; Dong, Hongying

2012-10-01

Anatase TiO2 supercells were studied by first-principles, in which one was undoped and another three were high N-doping. Partial densities of states, band structure, population and absorption spectrum were calculated. The calculated results indicated that in the condition of TiO2-xNx (x = 0.0625, 0.125, 0.25), the higher the doping concentration is, the shorter will be the lattice parameters parallel to the direction of c-axis. The strength of covalent bond significantly varied. The formation energy increases at first, and then decreases. The doping models become less stable as N-doping concentration increases. Meanwhile, the narrower the band gap is, the more significant will be the redshift, which is in agreement with the experimental results.

Source Detection with Bayesian Inference on ROSAT All-Sky Survey Data Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmetti, F.; Voges, W.; Fischer, R.; Boese, G.; Dose, V.

2004-07-01

We employ Bayesian inference for the joint estimation of sources and background on ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) data. The probabilistic method allows for detection improvement of faint extended celestial sources compared to the Standard Analysis Software System (SASS). Background maps were estimated in a single step together with the detection of sources without pixel censoring. Consistent uncertainties of background and sources are provided. The source probability is evaluated for single pixels as well as for pixel domains to enhance source detection of weak and extended sources.

Retrieval of Garstang's emission function from all-sky camera images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocifaj, Miroslav; Solano Lamphar, Héctor Antonio; Kundracik, František

2015-10-01

The emission function from ground-based light sources predetermines the skyglow features to a large extent, while most mathematical models that are used to predict the night sky brightness require the information on this function. The radiant intensity distribution on a clear sky is experimentally determined as a function of zenith angle using the theoretical approach published only recently in MNRAS, 439, 3405-3413. We have made the experiments in two localities in Slovakia and Mexico by means of two digital single lens reflex professional cameras operating with different lenses that limit the system's field-of-view to either 180º or 167º. The purpose of using two cameras was to identify variances between two different apertures. Images are taken at different distances from an artificial light source (a city) with intention to determine the ratio of zenith radiance relative to horizontal irradiance. Subsequently, the information on the fraction of the light radiated directly into the upward hemisphere (F) is extracted. The results show that inexpensive devices can properly identify the upward emissions with adequate reliability as long as the clear sky radiance distribution is dominated by a largest ground-based light source. Highly unstable turbidity conditions can also make the parameter F difficult to find or even impossible to retrieve. The measurements at low elevation angles should be avoided due to a potentially parasitic effect of direct light emissions from luminaires surrounding the measuring site.

Micro-Bunched Beam Production at FAST for Narrow Band THz Generation Using a Slit-Mask

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hyun, J.; Crawford, D.; Edstrom Jr, D.

We discuss simulations and experiments on creating micro-bunch beams for generating narrow band THz radiation at the Fermilab Accelerator Science and Technology (FAST) facility. The low-energy electron beamline at FAST consists of a photoinjector-based RF gun, two Lband superconducting accelerating cavities, a chicane, and a beam dump. The electron bunches are lengthened with cavity phases set off-crest for better longitudinal separation and then micro-bunched with a slit-mask installed in the chicane. We carried out the experiments with 30 MeV electron beams and detected signals of the micro-bunching using a skew quadrupole magnet in the chicane. In this paper, the detailsmore » of micro-bunch beam production, the detection of micro-bunching and comparison with simulations are described.« less

Optimized hyperspectral band selection using hybrid genetic algorithm and gravitational search algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Aizhu; Sun, Genyun; Wang, Zhenjie

2015-12-01

The serious information redundancy in hyperspectral images (HIs) cannot contribute to the data analysis accuracy, instead it require expensive computational resources. Consequently, to identify the most useful and valuable information from the HIs, thereby improve the accuracy of data analysis, this paper proposed a novel hyperspectral band selection method using the hybrid genetic algorithm and gravitational search algorithm (GA-GSA). In the proposed method, the GA-GSA is mapped to the binary space at first. Then, the accuracy of the support vector machine (SVM) classifier and the number of selected spectral bands are utilized to measure the discriminative capability of the band subset. Finally, the band subset with the smallest number of spectral bands as well as covers the most useful and valuable information is obtained. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, studies conducted on an AVIRIS image against two recently proposed state-of-the-art GSA variants are presented. The experimental results revealed the superiority of the proposed method and indicated that the method can indeed considerably reduce data storage costs and efficiently identify the band subset with stable and high classification precision.

The ASAS-SN catalogue of variable stars I: The Serendipitous Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayasinghe, T.; Kochanek, C. S.; Stanek, K. Z.; Shappee, B. J.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Thompson, Toda A.; Prieto, J. L.; Dong, Subo; Pawlak, M.; Shields, J. V.; Pojmanski, G.; Otero, S.; Britt, C. A.; Will, D.

2018-07-01

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) is the first optical survey to routinely monitor the whole sky with a cadence of ˜2-3 d down to V ≲ 17 mag. ASAS-SN has monitored the whole sky since 2014, collecting ˜100-500 epochs of observations per field. The V-band light curves for candidate variables identified during the search for supernovae are classified using a random forest classifier and visually verified. We present a catalogue of 66 179 bright, new variable stars discovered during our search for supernovae, including 27 479 periodic variables and 38 700 irregular variables. V-band light curves for the ASAS-SN variables are available through the ASAS-SN variable stars data base (https://asas-sn.osu.edu/variables). The data base will begin to include the light curves of known variable stars in the near future along with the results for a systematic, all-sky variability survey.

The ASAS-SN Catalog of Variable Stars I: The Serendipitous Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayasinghe, T.; Kochanek, C. S.; Stanek, K. Z.; Shappee, B. J.; Holoien, T. W.-S.; Thompson, Todd A.; Prieto, J. L.; Dong, Subo; Pawlak, M.; Shields, J. V.; Pojmanski, G.; Otero, S.; Britt, C. A.; Will, D.

2018-04-01

The All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) is the first optical survey to routinely monitor the whole sky with a cadence of ˜2 - 3 days down to V≲ 17 mag. ASAS-SN has monitored the whole sky since 2014, collecting ˜100 - 500 epochs of observations per field. The V-band light curves for candidate variables identified during the search for supernovae are classified using a random forest classifier and visually verified. We present a catalog of 66,533 bright, new variable stars discovered during our search for supernovae, including 27,753 periodic variables and 38,780 irregular variables. V-band light curves for the ASAS-SN variables are available through the ASAS-SN variable stars database (https://asas-sn.osu.edu/variables). The database will begin to include the light curves of known variable stars in the near future along with the results for a systematic, all-sky variability survey.

Variable gamma-ray sky at 1 GeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pshirkov, M. S.; Rubtsov, G. I.

2013-01-01

We search for the long-term variability of the gamma-ray sky in the energy range E > 1 GeV with 168 weeks of the gamma-ray telescope Fermi-LAT data. We perform a full sky blind search for regions with variable flux looking for deviations from uniformity. We bin the sky into 12288 pixels using the HEALPix package and use the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to compare weekly photon counts in each pixel with the constant flux hypothesis. The weekly exposure of Fermi-LAT for each pixel is calculated with the Fermi-LAT tools. We consider flux variations in a pixel significant if the statistical probability of uniformity is less than 4 × 10-6, which corresponds to 0.05 false detections in the whole set. We identified 117 variable sources, 27 of which have not been reported variable before. The sources with previously unidentified variability contain 25 active galactic nuclei (AGN) belonging to the blazar class (11 BL Lacs and 14 FSRQs), one AGN of an uncertain type, and one pulsar PSR J0633+1746 (Geminga).

Exploring the particle nature of dark matter with the All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory (AMEGO)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caputo, Regina; Meyer, Manuel; Sánchez-Conde, Miguel; AMEGO

2018-01-01

The era of precision cosmology has revealed that ~80% of the matter in the universe is dark matter. Two leading candidates, motivated by both particle and astrophysics, are Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles (WISPs) like axions and axionlike particles. Both WIMPs and WISPs have distinct gamma-ray signatures. Data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) continues to be an integral part of the search for these dark matter signatures spanning the 50 MeV to >300 GeV energy range in a variety of astrophysical targets. Thus far, there are no conclusive detections; however, there is an intriguing excess of gamma rays associated with Galactic center (GCE) that could be explained with WIMP annihilation. The angular resolution of the LAT at lower energies makes source selection challenging and the true nature of the detected signal remains unknown. WISP searches using, e.g. supernova explosions, spectra of blazars, or strongly magnetized environments, would also greatly benefit from increased angular and energy resolution, as well as from polarization measurements. To address these, we are developing AMEGO, the All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory. This instrument has a projected energy and angular resolution that will increase sensitivity by a factor of 20-50 over previous instruments. This will allow us to explore new areas of dark matter parameter space and provide unprecedented access to its particle nature.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Northern Sky Variability Survey (Wozniak+, 2004)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wozniak, P. R.; Vestrand, W. T.; Akerlof, C. W.; Balsano, R.; Bloch, J.; Casperson, D.; Fletcher, S.; Gisler, G.; Kehoe, R.; Kinemuchi, K.; Lee, B. C.; Marshall, S.; McGowan, K. E.; McKay, T. A.; Rykoff, E. S.; Smith, D. A.; Szymanski, J.; Wren, J.

2004-11-01

The Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS) is a temporal record of the sky over the optical magnitude range from 8 to 15.5. It was conducted in the course of the first-generation Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE-I) using a robotic system of four comounted unfiltered telephoto lenses equipped with CCD cameras. The survey was conducted from Los Alamos, New Mexico, and primarily covers the entire northern sky. Some data in southern fields between declinations 0{deg} and -38{deg} are also available, although with fewer epochs and noticeably lesser quality. The NSVS contains light curves for approximately 14 million objects. With a 1-yr baseline and typically 100-500 measurements per object, the NSVS is the most extensive record of stellar variability across the bright sky available today. In a median field, bright unsaturated stars attain a point-to-point photometric scatter of ~0.02mag and position errors within 2. At Galactic latitudes |b|<20{deg}, the data quality is limited by severe blending due to the ~14" pixel size. We present basic characteristics of the data set and describe data collection, analysis, and distribution. All NSVS photometric measurements are available for on-line public access from the Sky Database for Objects in Time-Domain (SkyDOT) at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Copies of the full survey photometry may also be requested on tape. (7 data files).

Hα Emitting Galaxies at z ∼ 0.6 in the Deep And Wide Narrow-band Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlin, Alicia; Rhoads, James E.; Malhotra, Sangeeta; Probst, Ronald; Swaters, Rob; Tilvi, Vithal S.; Zheng, Zhen-Ya; Finkelstein, Steven; Hibon, Pascale; Mobasher, Bahram; Jiang, Tianxing; Joshi, Bhavin; Pharo, John; Veilleux, Sylvain; Wang, Junxian; Yang, Huan; Zabl, Johannes

2018-05-01

We present new measurements of the Hα luminosity function (LF) and star formation rate (SFR) volume density for galaxies at z ∼ 0.62 in the COSMOS field. Our results are part of the Deep And Wide Narrow-band Survey (DAWN), a unique infrared imaging program with large areal coverage (∼1.1 deg2 over five fields) and sensitivity (9.9× {10}-18 {erg} {cm}}-2 {{{s}}}-1 at 5σ). The present sample, based on a single DAWN field, contains 116 Hα emission-line candidates at z ∼ 0.62, 25% of which have spectroscopic confirmations. These candidates have been selected through the comparison of narrow and broad-band images in the infrared and through matching with existing catalogs in the COSMOS field. The dust-corrected LF is well described by a Schechter function with {L}* ={10}42.64+/- 0.92 erg s‑1, {{{Φ }}}* ={10}-3.32+/- 0.93 Mpc‑3, {L}* {{{Φ }}}* ={10}39.40+/- 0.15 erg s‑1 Mpc‑3, and α = ‑1.75 ± 0.09. From this LF, we calculate a SFR density of ρ SFR = 10‑1.37 ± 0.08 M ⊙ yr‑1 Mpc‑3. We expect an additional cosmic variance uncertainty of ∼20%. Both the faint end slope and luminosity density that we derive are consistent with prior results at similar redshifts, with reduced uncertainties. We also present an analysis of these Hα emitters’ sizes, which shows a direct correlation between the galaxies’ sizes and their Hα emission.

Searches for H2O masers toward narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshiaki, Hagiwara; Doi, Akihiro; Hachisuka, Kazuya; Horiuchi, Shinji

2018-05-01

We present searches for 22 GHz H2O masers toward 36 narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s), selected from known NLS1s with vsys ≲ 41000 km s-1. Out of the 36 NLS1s in our sample, 11 have been first surveyed in our observations, while the observations of other NLS1s were previously reported in literature. In our survey, no new water maser source from NLS1s was detected at the 3σ rms level of 8.4 mJy to 144 mJy, which depends on different observing conditions or inhomogeneous sensitivities of each observation using three different telescopes. It is likely that the non-detection of new masers in our NLS1 sample is primarily due to insufficient sensitivities of our observations. Including the five known NLS1 masers, the total detection rate of the H2O maser in NLS1s is not remarkably different from that of type 2 Seyfert galaxies or LINERs. However, more extensive and systematic searches of NLS1 would be required for a statistical discussion of the detection rate of the NLS1 maser, compared with that of type 2 Seyferts or LINERs.

Searches for H2O masers toward narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagiwara, Yoshiaki; Doi, Akihiro; Hachisuka, Kazuya; Horiuchi, Shinji

2018-06-01

We present searches for 22 GHz H2O masers toward 36 narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s), selected from known NLS1s with vsys ≲ 41000 km s-1. Out of the 36 NLS1s in our sample, 11 have been first surveyed in our observations, while the observations of other NLS1s were previously reported in literature. In our survey, no new water maser source from NLS1s was detected at the 3σ rms level of 8.4 mJy to 144 mJy, which depends on different observing conditions or inhomogeneous sensitivities of each observation using three different telescopes. It is likely that the non-detection of new masers in our NLS1 sample is primarily due to insufficient sensitivities of our observations. Including the five known NLS1 masers, the total detection rate of the H2O maser in NLS1s is not remarkably different from that of type 2 Seyfert galaxies or LINERs. However, more extensive and systematic searches of NLS1 would be required for a statistical discussion of the detection rate of the NLS1 maser, compared with that of type 2 Seyferts or LINERs.

Pi of the Sky observation of GRB160625B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Opiela, Rafał; Batsch, Tadeusz; Castro-Tirado, Alberto Javier; Czyrkowski, Henryk; Ćwiek, Arkadiusz; Ćwiok, Mikołaj; DÄ browski, Ryszard; Jelinek, Martin; Kasprowicz, Grzegorz; Majcher, Ariel; Małek, Katarzyna; Mankiewicz, Lech; Nawrocki, Krzysztof; Obara, Łukasz; Piotrowski, Lech; Siudek, Małgorzata; Sokołowski, Marcin; Wawrzaszek, Roman; Wrochna, Grzegorz; Zaremba, Marcin; Żarnecki, Aleksander Filip

2017-08-01

Pi of the Sky is a system of wide field of view robotic telescopes, which search for short timescale astrophysical phenomena, especially for prompt optical GRB emission. The system was designed for autonomous operation, monitoring a large fraction of the sky to a depth of 12m-13m and with time resolution of the order of 10 seconds. Custom designed CCD cameras are equipped with Canon lenses f = 85 mm, f/d = 1.2 and cover 20° × 20° of the sky each. The final system with 16 cameras on 4 equatorial mounts was completed in 2014 at the INTA El Arenosillo Test Centre in Spain. GRB160625B was an extremely bright GRB with three distinct emission episodes. Cameras of the Pi of the Sky observatory in Spain were not observing the position of the GRB160625B prior to the first emission episode. Observations started only after receiving Fermi/GBM trigger, about 140 seconds prior to the second emission. As the position estimate taken from the Fermi alert and used to position the telescope was not very accurate, the actual position of the burst happened to be in the overlap region of two cameras, resulting in two independent sets of measurements. Light curves from both cameras were reconstructed using the Luiza framework. No object brighter than 12.4m (3σ limit) was observed prior to the second GRB emission. An optical flash was identified on an image starting -5.9s before the time of the Fermi/LAT trigger, brightening to about 8m on the next image and then becoming gradually dimmer, fading below our sensitivity after about 400s. Emission features as measured in different spectral bands indicate that the three emission episodes of GRB160625B were dominated by distinct physics process. Simultaneously observations in gamma-rays and optical wavelengths support the hypothesis that this was the first observed transition from thermal to non-thermal radiation in a single GRB. Main results of the combined analysis are presented.

Solar Wind Charge Exchange Contribution To The ROSAT Sky Survey Maps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uprety, Y.; Chiao, M.; Collier, M. R.; Cravens, T.; Galeazzi, M.; Koutroumpa, D.; Kuntz, K. D.; Lallement, R.; Lepri, S. T.; Liu, W.;

Variability Search in GALFACTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kania, Joseph; Wenger, Trey; Ghosh, Tapasi; Salter, Christopher J.

2015-01-01

The Galactic ALFA Continuum Transit Survey (GALFACTS) is an all-Arecibo-sky survey using the seven-beam Arecibo L-band Feed Array (ALFA). The Survey is centered at 1.375 GHz with 300-MHz bandwidth, and measures all four Stokes parameters. We are looking for compact sources that vary in intensity or polarization on timescales of about a month via intra-survey comparisons and long term variations through comparisons with the NRAO VLA Sky Survey. Data processing includes locating and rejecting radio frequency interference, recognizing sources, two-dimensional Gaussian fitting to multiple cuts through the same source, and gain corrections. Our Python code is being used on the calibrations sources observed in conjunction with the survey measurements to determine the calibration parameters that will then be applied to data for the main field.

Observation of coherently enhanced tunable narrow-band terahertz transition radiation from a relativistic sub-picosecond electron bunch train

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Piot, P.; Maxwell, T. J.; Accelerator Physics Center, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois 60510

2011-06-27

We experimentally demonstrate the production of narrow-band ({delta}f/f{approx_equal}20% at f{approx_equal}0.5THz) transition radiation with tunable frequency over [0.37, 0.86] THz. The radiation is produced as a train of sub-picosecond relativistic electron bunches transits at the vacuum-aluminum interface of an aluminum converter screen. The bunch train is generated via a transverse-to-longitudinal phase space exchange technique. We also show a possible application of modulated beams to extend the dynamical range of a popular bunch length diagnostic technique based on the spectral analysis of coherent radiation.

Omnidirectional narrow optical filters for circularly polarized light in a nanocomposite structurally chiral medium.

PubMed

Avendaño, Carlos G; Palomares, Laura O

2018-04-20

We consider the propagation of electromagnetic waves throughout a nanocomposite structurally chiral medium consisting of metallic nanoballs randomly dispersed in a structurally chiral material whose dielectric properties can be represented by a resonant effective uniaxial tensor. It is found that an omnidirectional narrow pass band and two omnidirectional narrow band gaps are created in the blue optical spectrum for right and left circularly polarized light, as well as narrow reflection bands for right circularly polarized light that can be controlled by varying the light incidence angle and the filling fraction of metallic inclusions.

Validation of spatially resolved all sky imager derived DNI nowcasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Pascal; Wilbert, Stefan; Schüler, David; Prahl, Christoph; Haase, Thomas; Ramirez, Lourdes; Zarzalejo, Luis; Meyer, Angela; Vuilleumier, Laurent; Blanc, Philippe; Dubrana, Jean; Kazantzidis, Andreas; Schroedter-Homscheidt, Marion; Hirsch, Tobias; Pitz-Paal, Robert

2017-06-01

Mainly due to clouds, Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) displays short-term local variabilities affecting the efficiency of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. To enable efficient plant operation, DNI nowcasts in high spatial and temporal resolutions for 15 to 30 minutes ahead are required. Ground-based All Sky Imagers (ASI) can be used to detect, track and predict 3D positions of clouds possibly shading the plant. The accuracy and reliability of these ASI-derived DNI nowcasts must be known to allow its application in solar power plants. Within the framework of the European project DNICast, an ASI-based nowcasting system was developed and implemented at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA). Its validation methodology and validation results are presented in this work. The nowcasting system outperforms persistence forecasts for volatile irradiance situations.

Update on the Commensal VLA Low-band Ionospheric and Transient Experiment (VLITE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassim, Namir E.; Clarke, Tracy E.; Ray, Paul S.; Polisensky, Emil; Peters, Wendy M.; Giacintucci, Simona; Helmboldt, Joseph F.; Hyman, Scott D.; Brisken, Walter; Hicks, Brian; Deneva, Julia S.

2017-01-01

The JVLA Low-band Ionospheric and Transient Experiment (VLITE) is a commensal observing system on the NRAO JVLA. The separate optical path of the prime-focus sub-GHz dipole feeds and the Cassegrain-focus GHz feeds provided an opportunity to expand the simultaneous frequency operation of the JVLA through joint observations across both systems. The low-band receivers on 10 JVLA antennas are outfitted with dedicated samplers and use spare fibers to transport the 320-384 MHz band to the VLITE correlator. The initial phase of VLITE uses a custom-designed real-time DiFX software correlator to produce autocorrelations, as well as parallel and cross-hand cross-correlations from the linear dipole feeds. NRL and NRAO have worked together to explore the scientific potential of the commensal low frequency system for ionospheric remote sensing, astrophysics and transients. VLITE operates at nearly 70% wall time with roughly 6200 hours of JVLA time recorded each year.VLITE data are used in real-time for ionospheric research and are transferred daily to NRL for processing in the astrophysics and transient pipelines. These pipelines provide automated radio frequency interference excision, calibration, imaging and self-calibration of data.We will review early scientific results from VLITE across all three science focus areas, including the ionosphere, slow (> 1 sec) transients, and astrophysics. We also discuss the future of the project, that includes its planned expansion to eVLITE including the addition of more antennas, and a parallel capability to search for fast (< 1 sec), dispersed transients, such as Fast Radio Bursts and Rotating Radio Transients. We will also present early results of commissioning tests to utilize VLITE data products to complement NRAO’s 3 GHz VLA Sky Survey (VLASS). Revised pipelines are under development for operation during the on-the-fly operation mode of the sky survey.

Narrow-band imaging for the computer assisted diagnosis in patients with Barrett's esophagus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kage, Andreas; Raithel, Martin; Zopf, Steffen; Wittenberg, Thomas; Münzenmayer, Christian

2009-02-01

Cancer of the esophagus has the worst prediction of all known cancers in Germany. The early detection of suspicious changes in the esophagus allows therapies that can prevent the cancer. Barrett's esophagus is a premalignant change of the esophagus that is a strong indication for cancer. Therefore there is a big interest to detect Barrett's esophagus as early as possible. The standard examination is done with a videoscope where the physician checks the esophagus for suspicious regions. Once a suspicious region is found, the physician takes a biopsy of that region to get a histological result of it. Besides the traditional white light for the illumination there is a new technology: the so called narrow-band Imaging (NBI). This technology uses a smaller spectrum of the visible light to highlight the scene captured by the videoscope. Medical studies indicate that the use of NBI instead of white light can increase the rate of correct diagnoses of a physician. In the future, Computer-Assisted Diagnosis (CAD) which is well known in the area of mammography might be used to support the physician in the diagnosis of different lesions in the esophagus. A knowledge-based system which uses a database is a possible solution for this task. For our work we have collected NBI images containing 326 Regions of Interest (ROI) of three typical classes: epithelium, cardia mucosa and Barrett's esophagus. We then used standard texture analysis features like those proposed by Haralick, Chen, Gabor and Unser to extract features from every ROI. The performance of the classification was evaluated with a classifier using the leaving-one-out sampling. The best result that was achieved is an accuracy of 92% for all classes and an accuracy of 76% for Barrett's esophagus. These results show that the NBI technology can provide a good diagnosis support when used in a CAD system.

Progress on the Low Frequency All Sky Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Anthony; Jenet, F.; Craig, J.; Creighton, T. D.; Dartez, L. P.; Hicks, B.; Hinojosa, J.; Jaramillo, R.; Kassim, N. E.; Lunsford, G.; Miller, R. B.; Murray, J.; Ray, P. S.; Rivera, J.; Taylor, G. B.

2013-01-01

The Low Frequency All Sky Monitor is a system of geographically separated radio arrays dedicated to the study of radio transients. LoFASM consists of four stations, each comprised of 12 cross-dipole antennas designed to operate between 5-88MHz. The antennas and front end electronics for LoFASM were designed by the Naval Research Laboratory for the Long Wavelength Array project. Over the last year, undergraduate students from the University of Texas at Brownsville’s Center for Advanced Radio Astronomy have been establishing these stations around the continental US, consisting of sites located in Port Mansfield, Texas, the LWA North Arm site of the LWA1 Radio Observatory in New Mexico, adjacent to the North Arm of the Very Large Array, the Green Bank Radio Observatory, West Virginia, and NASA’s Goldstone tracking complex in California. In combination with the establishment of these sites was the development of the analog hardware, which consists of commercial off-the-shelf RF splitter/combiners and a custom amplifier and filter chain designed by colleagues at the University of New Mexico. This poster will expound on progress in site installation and development of the analog signal chain.

Ultrafast Narrow Band Modulation of VCSELs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ning, Cun-Zheng; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Multimode beating was greatly enhanced by taking output from part (e.g., half) of the output facet. Simpler sources of microwaves and millimeter waves of various frequencies were generated by varying the VCSEL diameter in a single multimode VCSEL our coupling of a few VCSELs. Breathing frequency in multi-mode operations affects modulation response and bandwidth. Optimizing RO frequency and mode beating frequency could potentially expand bandwidths suitable for wide band digital communications.

Narrow Angle Diversity using ACTS Ka-band Signal with Two USAT Ground Stations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalu, A.; Emrich, C.; Ventre, J.; Wilson, W.; Acosta, R.

1998-01-01

Two ultra small aperture terminal (USAT) ground stations, separated by 1.2 km in a narrow angle diversity configuration, received a continuous Ka-band tone sent from Cleveland Link Evaluation Terminal (LET). The signal was transmitted to the USAT ground stations via NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) steerable beam. Received signal power at the two sites was measured and analyzed. A dedicated datalogger at each site recorded time-of-tip data from tipping bucket rain gauges, providing rain amount and instantaneous rain rate. WSR-88D data was also obtained for the collection period. Eleven events with ground-to-satellite slant-path precipitation and resultant signal attenuation were observed during the data collection period. Fade magnitude and duration were compared at the two sites and diversity gain was calculated. These results exceeded standard diversity gain model predictions by several decibels. Rain statistics from tipping bucket data and from radar data were also compared to signal attenuation. The nature of Florida's subtropical rainfall, specifically its impact on signal attenuation at the sites, was addressed.

Searching for flares in GALEX data with gPhoton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Million, Chase; Fleming, Scott W.; Brasseur, Clara; Osten, Rachel A.; Bianchi, Luciana; Shiao, Bernie

2017-06-01

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) spacecraft observed a large fraction of the sky in two ultraviolet bands using micro-channel plate detectors with time resolutions of less than ten milliseconds. The gPhoton database of calibrated GALEX photon events at MAST has recently enabled a thorough search of this legacy data set for astrophysical variability at cadences shorter than the orbital period of the spacecraft. (https://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/gphoton/) We explore techniques for mining photon-level data for variability on timescales of seconds to minutes with an emphasis on dwarf star flares, which can be probed at lower energies and shorter durations with gPhoton than prior surveys. We present the early results of a systematic search for such events.

A serendipitous all sky survey for bright objects in the outer solar system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brown, M. E.; Drake, A. J.; Djorgovski, S. G.

2015-02-01

We use seven year's worth of observations from the Catalina Sky Survey and the Siding Spring Survey covering most of the northern and southern hemisphere at galactic latitudes higher than 20° to search for serendipitously imaged moving objects in the outer solar system. These slowly moving objects would appear as stationary transients in these fast cadence asteroids surveys, so we develop methods to discover objects in the outer solar system using individual observations spaced by months, rather than spaced by hours, as is typically done. While we independently discover eight known bright objects in the outer solar system, the faintestmore » having V=19.8±0.1, no new objects are discovered. We find that the survey is nearly 100% efficient at detecting objects beyond 25 AU for V≲19.1 (V≲18.6 in the southern hemisphere) and that the probability that there is one or more remaining outer solar system object of this brightness left to be discovered in the unsurveyed regions of the galactic plane is approximately 32%.« less

Measuring the X-ray luminosities of SDSS DR7 clusters from ROSAT All Sky Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lei; Yang, Xiaohu; Shen, Shiyin; Mo, H. J.; van den Bosch, Frank C.; Luo, Wentao; Wang, Yu; Lau, Erwin T.; Wang, Q. D.; Kang, Xi; Li, Ran

2014-03-01

We use ROSAT All Sky Survey broad-band X-ray images and the optical clusters identified from Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7 to estimate the X-ray luminosities around ˜65 000 candidate clusters with masses ≳ 1013 h- 1 M⊙ based on an optical to X-ray (OTX) code we develop. We obtain a catalogue with X-ray luminosity for each cluster. This catalogue contains 817 clusters (473 at redshift z ≤ 0.12) with signal-to-noise ratio >3 in X-ray detection. We find about 65 per cent of these X-ray clusters have their most massive member located near the X-ray flux peak; for the rest 35 per cent, the most massive galaxy is separated from the X-ray peak, with the separation following a distribution expected from a Navarro-Frenk-White profile. We investigate a number of correlations between the optical and X-ray properties of these X-ray clusters, and find that the cluster X-ray luminosity is correlated with the stellar mass (luminosity) of the clusters, as well as with the stellar mass (luminosity) of the central galaxy and the mass of the halo, but the scatter in these correlations is large. Comparing the properties of X-ray clusters of similar halo masses but having different X-ray luminosities, we find that massive haloes with masses ≳ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ contain a larger fraction of red satellite galaxies when they are brighter in X-ray. An opposite trend is found in central galaxies in relative low-mass haloes with masses ≲ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ where X-ray brighter clusters have smaller fraction of red central galaxies. Clusters with masses ≳ 1014 h- 1 M⊙ that are strong X-ray emitters contain many more low-mass satellite galaxies than weak X-ray emitters. These results are also confirmed by checking X-ray clusters of similar X-ray luminosities but having different characteristic stellar masses. A cluster catalogue containing the optical properties of member galaxies and the X-ray luminosity is available at http://gax.shao.ac.cn/data/Group.html.

CMOS image sensor with organic photoconductive layer having narrow absorption band and proposal of stack type solid-state image sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takada, Shunji; Ihama, Mikio; Inuiya, Masafumi

2006-02-01

Digital still cameras overtook film cameras in Japanese market in 2000 in terms of sales volume owing to their versatile functions. However, the image-capturing capabilities such as sensitivity and latitude of color films are still superior to those of digital image sensors. In this paper, we attribute the cause for the high performance of color films to their multi-layered structure, and propose the solid-state image sensors with stacked organic photoconductive layers having narrow absorption bands on CMOS read-out circuits.

The global blue-sky albedo change between 2000 - 2015 seen from MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrysoulakis, N.; Mitraka, Z.; Gorelick, N.

2016-12-01

The land surface albedo is a critical physical variable, which influences the Earth's climate by affecting the energy budget and distribution in the Earth-atmosphere system. Blue-sky albedo estimates provide a quantitative means for better constraining global and regional scale climate models. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo product includes parameters for the estimation of both the directional-hemispherical surface reflectance (black-sky albedo) and the bi-hemispherical surface reflectance (white-sky albedo). This dataset was used here for the blue-sky albedo estimation over the globe on an 8-day basis at 0.5 km spatial resolution for the whole time period covered by MODIS acquisitions (i.e. 2000 until today). To estimate the blue-sky albedo, the fraction of the diffused radiation is needed, a function of the Aerosol Optical Thickness (AOT). Required AOT information was acquired from the MODIS AOT product at 1̊ × 1̊ spatial resolution. Since the blue-sky albedo depends on the solar zenith angle (SZA), the 8-day mean blue-sky albedo values were computed as averages of the corresponding values for the representative SZAs covering the 24-hour day. The estimated blue-sky albedo time series was analyzed to capture changes during the 15 period. All computation were performed using the Google Earth Engine (GEE). The GEE provided access to all the MODIS products needed for the analysis without the need of searching or downloading. Moreover, the combination of MODIS products in both temporal and spatial terms was fast and effecting using the GEE API (Application Program Interface). All the products covering the globe and for the time period of 15 years were processed via a single collection. Most importantly, GEE allowed for including the calculation of SZAs covering the 24-hour day which improves the quality of the overall product. The 8-day global products of land surface albedo are available through http://www.rslab.gr/downloads.html

Polyphase-discrete Fourier transform spectrum analysis for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence sky survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, G. A.; Gulkis, S.

1991-01-01

The sensitivity of a matched filter-detection system to a finite-duration continuous wave (CW) tone is compared with the sensitivities of a windowed discrete Fourier transform (DFT) system and an ideal bandpass filter-bank system. These comparisons are made in the context of the NASA Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) microwave observing project (MOP) sky survey. A review of the theory of polyphase-DFT filter banks and its relationship to the well-known windowed-DFT process is presented. The polyphase-DFT system approximates the ideal bandpass filter bank by using as few as eight filter taps per polyphase branch. An improvement in sensitivity of approx. 3 dB over a windowed-DFT system can be obtained by using the polyphase-DFT approach. Sidelobe rejection of the polyphase-DFT system is vastly superior to the windowed-DFT system, thereby improving its performance in the presence of radio frequency interference (RFI).

Narrow-band Imagery with the Goddard Fabry-Perot: Probing the Epoch of Active Accretion for PMS Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodgate, Bruce E.; Grady, C.; Endres, M.; Williger, G.

2006-01-01

The STIS coronagraphic imaging sample of I'MS stars was surveyed with the Goddard Fabry-Perot (GFP) interferometer to determine what fraction of the stars drive jets, whether there is any difference in behavior for a group of intermediate-mass stars as compared with T Tauri stars, and to search for evolutionary effects. Compared to broad band imaging, the FGP achieves an emission-line nebulosity-to-star contrast gain of between 500 and 3000. To date, we have detected jets associated with classical T Tauri stars spanning a factor of 280 in mass accretion rate in approximately 50% of the STIS coronagraphic imaging sample. We also detected jets or Herbig-HARO knots associated with 5 Herbig Ae stars, all younger than 8 Myr, for a detection fraction which is smaller than the T Tauri survey.

A lunar base for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Bernard M.

1988-01-01

The possibilities of using lanar based radio antennas in search of intelligent extraterrestrial communications is explored. The proposed NASA search will have two search modes: (1) An all sky survey covering the frequency range from 1 to 10 GHz; and (2) A high sensitivity targeted search listening for signals from the approx. 800 solar type stars within 80 light years of the Sun, and covering 1 to 3 GHz.

Fully Polarimetric Passive W-band Millimeter Wave Imager for Wide Area Search

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tedeschi, Jonathan R.; Bernacki, Bruce E.; Sheen, David M.

2013-09-27

We describe the design and phenomenology imaging results of a fully polarimetric W-band millimeter wave (MMW) radiometer developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for wide-area search. Operating from 92 - 94 GHz, the W-band radiometer employs a Dicke switching heterodyne design isolating the horizontal and vertical mm-wave components with 40 dB of polarization isolation. Design results are presented for both infinite conjugate off-axis parabolic and finite conjugate off-axis elliptical fore-optics using optical ray tracing and diffraction calculations. The received linear polarizations are down-converted to a microwave frequency band and recombined in a phase-shifting network to produce all six orthogonal polarizationmore » states of light simultaneously, which are used to calculate the Stokes parameters for display and analysis. The resulting system performance produces a heterodyne receiver noise equivalent delta temperature (NEDT) of less than 150m Kelvin. The radiometer provides novel imaging capability by producing all four of the Stokes parameters of light, which are used to create imagery based on the polarization states associated with unique scattering geometries and their interaction with the down welling MMW energy. The polarization states can be exploited in such a way that man-made objects can be located and highlighted in a cluttered scene using methods such as image comparison, color encoding of Stokes parameters, multivariate image analysis, and image fusion with visible and infrared imagery. We also present initial results using a differential imaging approach used to highlight polarization features and reduce common-mode noise. Persistent monitoring of a scene using the polarimetric passive mm-wave technique shows great promise for anomaly detection caused by human activity.« less

Multiple scattering contribution to the diffuse light of a night sky: A model which embraces all orders of scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kocifaj, Miroslav

2018-02-01

The mechanism in which multiple scattering influences the radiance of a night sky has been poorly quantified until recently, or even completely unknown from the theoretical point of view. In this paper, the relative contribution of higher-scattering radiances to the total sky radiance is treated analytically for all orders of scattering, showing that a fast and accurate numerical solution to the problem exists. Unlike a class of ray tracing codes in which CPU requirements increase tremendously with each new scattering mode, the solution developed here requires the same processor time for each scattering mode. This allows for rapid estimation of higher-scattering radiances and residual error that is otherwise unknown if these radiances remain undetermined. Such convergence testing is necessary to guarantee accuracy and the stability of the numerical predictions. The performance of the method developed here is demonstrated in a set of numerical experiments aiming to uncover the relative importance of higher-scattering radiances at different distances from a light source. We have shown, that multiple scattering effects are generally low if distance to the light source is below 30 km. At large distances the multiple scattering can become important at the dark sky elements situated opposite to the light source. However, the brightness at this part of sky is several orders of magnitude smaller than that of a glowing dome of light over a city, so we do not expect that a partial increase or even doubling the radiance of otherwise dark sky elements can noticeably affect astronomical observations or living organisms (including humans). Single scattering is an appropriate approximation to the sky radiance of a night sky in the vast majority of cases.

Active Galactic Nuclei at All Wavelengths and from All Angles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, Paolo

2017-11-01

AGN are quite unique astronomical sources emitting over more than 20 orders of magnitude in frequency, with different electromagnetic bands providing windows on different sub-structures and their physics. They come in a large number of flavors only partially related to intrinsic differences. I highlight here the types of sources selected in different bands, the relevant selection effects and biases, and the underlying physical processes. I then look at the "big picture" by describing the most important parameters one needs to describe the variety of AGN classes and by discussing AGN at all frequencies in terms of their sky surface density. I conclude with a look at the most pressing open issues and the main new facilities, which will flood us with new data to tackle them.

Active Galactic Nuclei at all wavelengths and from all angles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, Paolo

2017-11-01

AGN are quite unique astronomical sources emitting over more than twenty orders of magnitude in frequency, with different electromagnetic bands providing windows on different sub-structures and their physics. They come in a large number of flavors only partially related to intrinsic differences. I highlight here the types of sources selected in different bands, the relevant selection effects and biases, and the underlying physical processes. I then look at the ``big picture'' by describing the most important parameters one needs to describe the variety of AGN classes and by discussing AGN at all frequencies in terms of their sky surface density. I conclude with a look at the most pressing open issues and the main new facilities, which will flood us with new data to tackle them.

The Aquarius Simulator and Cold-Sky Calibration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Le Vine, David M.; Dinnat, Emmanuel P.; Abraham, Saji; deMatthaeis, Paolo; Wentz, Frank J.

2011-01-01

A numerical simulator has been developed to study remote sensing from space in the spectral window at 1.413 GHz (L-band), and it has been used to optimize the cold-sky calibration (CSC) for the Aquarius radiometers. The celestial sky is a common cold reference in microwave radiometry. It is currently being used by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite, and it is planned that, after launch, the Aquarius/SAC-D observatory will periodically rotate to view "cold sky" as part of the calibration plan. Although radiation from the celestial sky is stable and relatively well known, it varies with location. In addition, radiation from the Earth below contributes to the measured signal through the antenna back lobes and also varies along the orbit. Both effects must be taken into account for a careful calibration. The numerical simulator has been used with the Aquarius configuration (antennas and orbit) to investigate these issues and determine optimum conditions for performing a CSC. This paper provides an overview of the simulator and the analysis leading to the selection of the optimum locations for a CSC.

Effect of narrow band ultraviolet B phototherapy as monotherapy or combination therapy for vitiligo: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Ronghua; Qiao, Meng; Wang, Xiaoyan; Zhao, Xintong; Sun, Qing

2017-01-01

The treatment of vitiligo is still one of the most difficult dermatological challenges, although there are many therapeutic options. Narrow band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy is considered to be a very important modality for generalized vitiligo. The aim of this study was to explore whether a combination of NB-UVB and topical agents would be superior to NB-UVB alone for treating vitiligo. We searched the electronic databases such as PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The primary outcome was the proportion of ≥50% repigmentation (a clinical significance), and secondary outcome was the proportion of ≥75% repigmentation (an excellent response). Seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 240 patients (413 lesions) were included in this meta-analysis. The study showed no significant difference between NB-UVB combination therapy (NB-UVB and topical calcineurin inhibitor or vitamin D analogs) and NB-UVB monotherapy in the outcomes of ≥50% repigmentation and ≥75% repigmentation. However, lesions located on the face and neck had better results in ≥50% repigmentation (RR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.08-1.81) and ≥75% repigmentation (RR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.10-3.20) with NB-UVB and topical calcineurin inhibitor combination therapy vs. NB-UVB monotherapy. The meta-analysis suggested that adding neither topical calcineurin inhibitors nor topical vitamin-D3 analogs on NB-UVB can yield significantly superior outcomes than NB-UVB monotherapy for treatment of vitiligo. However, addition of topical calcineurin inhibitors to NB-UVB may increase treatment outcomes in vitiligo affecting face and neck. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Science Goals for an All-sky Viewing Observatory in X-rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Remillard, R. A.; Levine, A. M.; Morgan, E. H.; Bradt, H. V.

2003-03-01

We describe a concept for a NASA SMEX Mission that will provide a comprehensive investigation of cosmic explosions. These range from the short flashes at cosmological distances in Gamma-ray bursts, to the moments of relativistic mass ejections in Galactic microquasars, to the panorama of outbursts used to identify the stellar-scale black holes in our Galaxy. With an equatorial launch, an array of 31 cameras can cover 97% of the sky with an average exposure efficiency of 65%. Coded mask cameras with Xe detectors (1.5-12 keV) are chosen for their ability to distinguish thermal and non-thermal processes, while providing high throughput and msec time resolution to capture the detailed evolution of bright events. This mission, with 1' position accuracy, would provide a long-term solution to the critical needs for monitoring services for Chandra and GLAST, with possible overlap into the time frame for Constellation-X. The sky coverage would create additional science opportunities beyond the X-ray missions: "eyes" for LIGO and partnerships for time-variability with LOFAR and dedicated programs at optical observatories. Compared to the RXTE ASM, AVOX offers improvements by a factor of 40 in instantaneous sky coverage and a factor of 10 in sensitivity to faint X-ray sources (i.e. to 0.8 mCrab at 3 sigma in 1 day).

Einstein-Home search for periodic gravitational waves in early S5 LIGO data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Abbott, B. P.; Abbott, R.; Adhikari, R.

This paper reports on an all-sky search for periodic gravitational waves from sources such as deformed isolated rapidly spinning neutron stars. The analysis uses 840 hours of data from 66 days of the fifth LIGO science run (S5). The data were searched for quasimonochromatic waves with frequencies f in the range from 50 to 1500 Hz, with a linear frequency drift f (measured at the solar system barycenter) in the range -f/{tau}search wasmore » distributed over approximately 100 000 computers volunteered by the general public. This large computing power allowed the use of a relatively long coherent integration time of 30 hours while searching a large parameter space. This search extends Einstein-Home's previous search in LIGO S4 data to about 3 times better sensitivity. No statistically significant signals were found. In the 125-225 Hz band, more than 90% of sources with dimensionless gravitational-wave strain tensor amplitude greater than 3x10{sup -24} would have been detected.« less

Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutri, R. M.; Wright, E. L.; Conrow, T.; Fowler, J. W.; Eisenhardt, P. R. M.; Grillmair, C.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Masci, F.; McCallon, H. L.; Wheelock, S. L.; Fajardo-Acosta, S.; Yan, L.; Benford, D.; Harbut, M.; Jarrett, T.; Lake, S.; Leisawitz, D.; Ressler, M. E.; Stanford, S. A.; Tsai, C. W.; Liu, F.; Helou, G.; Mainzer, A.; Gettings, D.; Gonzalez, A.; Hoffman, D.; Marsh, K. A.; Padgett, D.; Skrutskie, M. F.; Beck, R. P.; Papin, M.; Wittman, M.

2013-11-01

The AllWISE program builds upon the successful Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE; Wright et al. 2010) mission by combining data from all WISE and NEOWISE (Mainzer et al. 2011) survey phases to form the most comprehensive view of the mid-infrared sky currently available. By combining the data from two complete sky coverage epochs in an advanced data processing system, AllWISE has generated new products that have enhanced photometric sensitivity and accuracy, and improved astrometric precision compared with the earlier WISE All-Sky Data Release. Exploiting the 6 month baseline between the WISE sky coverage epochs enables AllWISE to measure source motions for the first time, and to compute improved flux variability statistics. AllWISE data release products include: a Source Catalog that contains 4-band fluxes, positions, apparent motion measurements, and flux variability statistics for over 747 million objects detected at SNR>5 in the combined exposures; a Multiepoch Photometry Database containing over 42 billion time-tagged, single-exposure fluxes for each object detected on the combined exposures; and an Image Atlas of 18,240 4-band calibrated FITS images, depth-of-coverage and noise maps that cover the sky produced by coadding nearly 7.9 million single-exposure images from the cryogenic and post-cryogenic survey phases. The Explanatory Supplement to the AllWISE Data Release Products is a general guide for users of the AllWISE data. The Supplement contains detailed descriptions of the format and characteristics of the AllWISE data products, as well as a summary of cautionary notes that describe known limitations. The Supplement is an on-line document that is updated frequently to provide the most current information for users of the AllWISE data products. The Explanatory Supplement is maintained at: http://wise2.ipac.caltech.edu/docs/release/allwise/expsup/index.html AllWISE makes use of data from WISE, which is a joint project of the University of

A theory for narrow-banded radio bursts at Uranus - MHD surface waves as an energy driver