Before CCD detectors were widely employed in observational astronomy, the main method of detection was the use of glass astrophotographic plates. Astronomical plates have been used to record information on the positio...Before CCD detectors were widely employed in observational astronomy, the main method of detection was the use of glass astrophotographic plates. Astronomical plates have been used to record information on the position and activity of celestial bodies for more than 100 years. There are about 30 000 astronomical plates in China, and the digitization of astronomical plates is of great significance for permanent preservation and to make full use of these valuable observation data. A digitizer with high precision and high measuring speed is a key piece of equipment for carrying out the task of dig- itizing these astronomical plates. A digitizer for glass astrophotographic plates was developed jointly by Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Nishimura Co., Ltd of Japan. The digitizer＇s hardware was manufactured by Nishimura Co., Ltd, and the performance test, error corrections as well as image pro- cessing of the digitizer were carried out by Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. The main structure and working mode of the digitizer are introduced in this paper. A performance test shows that brightness uniformity of illumination within the measuring area is better than 0.15%, the repeatability of digitized positions is better than 0.2 μm and the repeatability of digitized brightness is better than 0.01 instrumen- tal magnitude. The systematic factors affecting digitized positions, such as lens distortion, the actual optical resolution, non-linearity of guide rails, non-uniformity of linear motors in the mobile platform, deviation of the image mosaic, and non-orthogonality between the direction of scanning and camera lin- ear array, are calibrated and evaluated. Based on an astronomical plate with a size of 300 mm × 300 mm, which was digitized at different angles, the conversion residuals of positions of common stars on dif- ferent images were investigated. The results show that the standard deviations of the residuals are better than 0.9μm and the residual distribution is almost random, which demonstrates the digitizer has a higher precision for digitization.展开更多
As an important station of International Laser Ranging Service(ILRS),Shanghai Astronomical Observatory(SHAO)has upgraded Satellite Laser Ranging(SLR)system with high repetition rate and achieved some technological pro...As an important station of International Laser Ranging Service(ILRS),Shanghai Astronomical Observatory(SHAO)has upgraded Satellite Laser Ranging(SLR)system with high repetition rate and achieved some technological progress,There are a lot of improvements for overall system performance,such as annual observation passes,measurement precision and quality of observation data.SLR technology with repetition rate of 10 kHz is accomplished firstly in China,and space debris laser ranging technology with200 Hz laser is promoted and proved to be more detective for weak echo,which lead to successful measurement for 40,000 km satellites and space debris within 3000 km.At the same time,SLR based on multi-telescopes and 1064 nm wavelength are planned to make a breakthrough of detection capabilities,and also to expand its application fields.These progresses will be introduced in this paper in detail.展开更多
We will introduce the construction and design of a new simultaneous three-channel multicolor CCD photometer.This photometer has been mounted on the 1.2 m telescope at Jilin Astronomical Observatory,and is applied to s...We will introduce the construction and design of a new simultaneous three-channel multicolor CCD photometer.This photometer has been mounted on the 1.2 m telescope at Jilin Astronomical Observatory,and is applied to study space debris,gamma-ray burst afterglows,asteroids and other rapidly variable objects.As one of the ground follow-up telescopes of the Chinese-French Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor(SVOM)mission,it appears very essential to evaluate the performance of the photometry system of this photometer,which can achieve simultaneous imaging within a field of view of 21’.5×21’.5,21’.5×21’.5 and21’.3×21’.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS)g’,r’,i’bands,respectively.Photometric calibrations were carried out by using plenty of SDSS standard stars,and the relationship between the photometric system and the Johnson-Bessel filter system was also studied.The results of the performance evaluation from observing open cluster M67 are presented.展开更多
3C 66A is one of our first batches of photometric monitoring objects with the 1 m optical telescope at Yunnan University Astronomical Observatory.In the present work,the observational campaign was performed from 2021 ...3C 66A is one of our first batches of photometric monitoring objects with the 1 m optical telescope at Yunnan University Astronomical Observatory.In the present work,the observational campaign was performed from 2021 November 1 to 2022 February 27 in the Johnson-Morgan system V and R bands.The average magnitudes in each band were■=15.52±0.18 mag and■=15.07±0.17 mag.The overall variability amplitudes wereΔV=■,Amp=70.27%andΔR=■,Amp=68.56%,respectively.Most of the intraday variabilities(IDVs)occurred in 2021 December and 2022 February.The minimal rise/decay timescale was about 6 minutes(5.82±2.74 minutes and 6.18±2.81 minutes on 2022 February 11,6.99±3.70 minutes and 6.17±2.91 minutes on 2022 February 12).Durations of these rapid variabilities were from 11.99 to 179.67 minutes.The discrete correlation function analyses between V and R bands showed significantly correlated variability.Color index analysis of ID Vs showed that the spectrums do not change with variabilities.展开更多
The Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center faces issues related to delay-affected services. As a result, these services cannot be implemented in a timely manner due to the overloading of transmission links. In ...The Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center faces issues related to delay-affected services. As a result, these services cannot be implemented in a timely manner due to the overloading of transmission links. In this paper, the software-defined network technology is applied to the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center Network(XAODCN). Specifically, a novel reconfiguration method is proposed to realise the software-defined Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center Network(SDXAO-DCN), and a network model is constructed. To overcome the congestion problem, a traffic load-balancing algorithm is designed for fast transmission of the service traffic by combining three factors: network structure, congestion level and transmission service. The proposed algorithm is compared with current commonly load-balancing algorithms which are used in data center to verify its efficiency. Simulation experiments show that the algorithm improved transmission performance and transmission quality for the SDXAO-DCN.展开更多
Cross-matching is a key technique to achieve fusion of multi-band astronomical catalogs. Due to different equipment such as various astronomical telescopes, the existence of measurement errors, and proper motions of t...Cross-matching is a key technique to achieve fusion of multi-band astronomical catalogs. Due to different equipment such as various astronomical telescopes, the existence of measurement errors, and proper motions of the celestial bodies, the same celestial object will have different positions in different catalogs, making it difficult to integrate multi-band or full-band astronomical data. In this study, we propose an online cross-matching method based on pseudo-spherical indexing techniques and develop a service combining with high performance computing system(Taurus) to improve cross-matching efficiency, which is designed for the Data Center of Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory. Specifically, we use Quad Tree Cube to divide the spherical blocks of the celestial object and map the 2D space composed of R.A. and decl. to 1D space and achieve correspondence between real celestial objects and spherical patches. Finally, we verify the performance of the service using Gaia 3 and PPMXL catalogs. Meanwhile, we send the matching results to VO tools-Topcat and Aladin respectively to get visual results. The experimental results show that the service effectively solves the speed bottleneck problem of crossmatching caused by frequent I/O, and significantly improves the retrieval and matching speed of massive astronomical data.展开更多
Astronomical spectroscopy is a critical tool in many advanced research topics such as cosmic origin,galaxy evolution,stellar formation,and exoplanet detection.Medium-to-large aperture optical telescopes equipped with ...Astronomical spectroscopy is a critical tool in many advanced research topics such as cosmic origin,galaxy evolution,stellar formation,and exoplanet detection.Medium-to-large aperture optical telescopes equipped with various spectrographs are suitable for many large programs.However,many small-aperture(30-80 cm)telescopes have the potential to perform quick and flexible observations in the astronomical field.Using current technology,most portable astronomical spectrographs can capture broadband spectra by rotating or changing the gratings to scan the spectrum at multiple exposures.This paper presents a portable broadband astronomical spectrograph(called ESPEC-2)that features an echelle grating as the main disperser and a group of collimating and imaging lenses to simplify the optical system.For 30-80 cm aperture telescopes,the lightweight prototype(~3.5 kg)enables spectral observation with a spectral resolution of R≥6200 over a wavelength range of 400-900 nm with a single exposure.Moreover,it can be directly mounted on the telescope’s focus or connected via optical fiber.Its portability and versatility make it suitable for use as a general-purpose spectrograph in other scientific experiments.The developed compact broadband spectrograph is expected to make significant contributions to scientific research,outreach,and education.展开更多
A 37-element solar adaptive optics （AO） system was built and installed at the 26-cm solar fine structure telescope of Yunnan Astronomical Observatory. The AO system is composed of a fine tracking loop with a tip/til...A 37-element solar adaptive optics （AO） system was built and installed at the 26-cm solar fine structure telescope of Yunnan Astronomical Observatory. The AO system is composed of a fine tracking loop with a tip/tilt mirror and a correlation tracker, a high-order correction loop with a 37-element deformable mirror, a correlating Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on the absolute difference algorithm, and a real time controller. The system was completed on Sep. 28, 2009 and was used to obtain AO-corrected high-resolution solar images. The contrast and resolution of the images are clearly improved after wavefront correction by AO. To the best of out knowledge, this system is the first solar AO system in China.展开更多
This work shows details of an evaluation of an observational system comprising a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor detector, 60 cm telescope and filter complement. The system’s photometric precision and differen...This work shows details of an evaluation of an observational system comprising a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor detector, 60 cm telescope and filter complement. The system’s photometric precision and differential photometric precision, and extinction coefficients were assessed through observations of Supersky flat fields, open clusters, standard stars and exoplanets. Photometry was precision achieved at the 0.02 mag level, with differential photometry of 0.004 mag precision. Extinction was found to agree with previous studies conducted at Xinglong Observatory. Ultimately, the results demonstrate this observing system is capable of precision scientific observations with a charge-coupled device across the optical wavelengths.展开更多
Astronomical spectroscopy is crucial for exploring the physical properties,chemical composition,and kinematic behavior of celestial objects.With continuous advancements in observational technology,astronomical spectro...Astronomical spectroscopy is crucial for exploring the physical properties,chemical composition,and kinematic behavior of celestial objects.With continuous advancements in observational technology,astronomical spectroscopy faces the dual challenges of rapidly expanding data volumes and relatively lagging data processing capabilities.In this context,the rise of artificial intelligence technologies offers an innovative solution to address these challenges.This paper analyzes the latest developments in the application of machine learning for astronomical spectral data mining and discusses future research directions in AI-based spectral studies.However,the application of machine learning technologies presents several challenges.The high complexity of models often comes with insufficient interpretability,complicating scientific understanding.Moreover,the large-scale computational demands place higher requirements on hardware resources,leading to a significant increase in computational costs.AI-based astronomical spectroscopy research should advance in the following key directions.First,develop efficient data augmentation techniques to enhance model generalization capabilities.Second,explore more interpretable model designs to ensure the reliability and transparency of scientific conclusions.Third,optimize computational efficiency and reduce the threshold for deep-learning applications through collaborative innovations in algorithms and hardware.Furthermore,promoting the integration of cross-band data processing is essential to achieve seamless integration and comprehensive analysis of multi-source data,providing richer,multidimensional information to uncover the mysteries of the universe.展开更多
Astronomical site selection work is very hard.Unmanned technologies are important trends and solutions.We present a relatively easy method to plan a high reliability site selection which can extend the time from site ...Astronomical site selection work is very hard.Unmanned technologies are important trends and solutions.We present a relatively easy method to plan a high reliability site selection which can extend the time from site deployment to returning for maintaining by unmanned confirming the site.First,we redefine the reliability of a site selection deployment with the parameter of the trusty time,which means when we must return,and which can be relatively easy for estimating.The redefinition makes the reliability parameter as a Bayesian probability,and can be obtained by estimating besides testing,which makes the evaluation of each device's reliability much easier.Then we use block diagram tools in the Matlab Simulink software to construct structure diagram,and to link each component with relations of parallel,serial,protection,and so on.This makes the whole reliability value can be calculated at the time when we design or plan a site selection.We applied this concept and method in an actual site selection in Lenghu,Qinghai Province,China.The survey practice reveals its effectiveness and simpleness.展开更多
The Haoping 40 m radio telescope at the National Time Service Center,Chinese Academy of Sciences was built in 2014 and is primarily used to observe navigation satellites and pulsars.Since the first successful very lon...The Haoping 40 m radio telescope at the National Time Service Center,Chinese Academy of Sciences was built in 2014 and is primarily used to observe navigation satellites and pulsars.Since the first successful very long baseline interferometry(VLBI)observation of L-band radio source fringes in 2022,ten observations have been made so far.The stations involved in the observations include the Haoping 40 m radio telescope(Haoping),the Tianma 65 m radio telescope(Tianma),the Nanshan 26 m radio telescope(Urumqi),the Guizhou 500 m radio telescope(FAST),the Jilin 13 m radio telescope(Jilin),the Effelsberg 100 m radio telescope(Effelsberg),the Onsala 25 m radio telescope(Onsala),and the Chiang Mai 40 m radio telescope(Chiang Mai).This paper presents details on the specifications of the Haoping 40 m radio telescope,as well as the design of the VLBI experiment,the observation process,and the data processing.We also discuss the analysis of the fringe results involving the Haoping 40 m radio telescope,using Distributed FX Correlator to obtain excellent results.We confirm that the telescope is capable of participating in VLBI observations and performing specific data processing tasks.It can therefore play a greater role in future VLBI observations.展开更多
Most small bodies in the solar system have low orbital inclinations,concentrated near the ecliptic plane.However,some small bodies exhibit high orbital inclinations(i>20°)and are referred to as high-inclinatio...Most small bodies in the solar system have low orbital inclinations,concentrated near the ecliptic plane.However,some small bodies exhibit high orbital inclinations(i>20°)and are referred to as high-inclination small bodies.The discovery and study of these high-inclination objects are reshaping traditional understanding and challenging classical dynamical models.With the advancement of wide-field sky survey projects,an increasing number of small bodies with high-inclination and even retrograde orbits have been observed.Their unique orbital configurations suggest complex formation mechanisms and evolutionary histories.High-inclination small bodies differ significantly from ecliptic plane objects in terms of surface composition,size distribution,and dynamical behavior.Their formation mechanisms involve various pathways,such as gravitational perturbations and planetary scattering,resonance capture and inclination excitation,and the influence of potential Planet Nine.These objects not only serve as"fossil records"of the early evolution of the solar system but also provide new research perspectives for planetary formation theories,interstellar material exchange,and deep-space resource exploration.展开更多
Owing to its large aperture and advanced receivers,research plans for the Qitai 110 m radio telescope(QTT)include a variety of spectral line scientific studies.Sequential construction of receiver systems and multidisc...Owing to its large aperture and advanced receivers,research plans for the Qitai 110 m radio telescope(QTT)include a variety of spectral line scientific studies.Sequential construction of receiver systems and multidisciplinary planning require overcoming serious challenges to spectral line digital backend development,notably to digitize,process,and transmit considerable quantities of observational data,to minimize time-to-science with an easily scalable architecture,and to provide robust,high-quality data.As a proof-of-concept for the QTT backend,here we implement a baseband spectral line digital backend with a SNAP+GPU architecture.The SNAP-based digital frontend comprises two digitization links(1000 MHz,8-bit),two parallel quad-channel preprocessing modules,a quantization module,and a finite-state packaging module,generating a 100-MHz bandwidth digital link from the original analog signal through high-speed Ethernet transmission.The GPU node receives preprocessed baseband packets,constructs a ring buffer for lossless unpacking and distributing,with real-time data reception and caching,and conducts real-time spectral analysis(frequency resolution:3.051 kHz)of the 100 MHz baseband data.We evaluated system performance experimentally using spectral line observations with the Nanshan 26-m radio telescope(NSRT).For the QTT,the SNAP digital frontend will be seamlessly migrated to a radio frequency system-on-chip(RFSoC)architecture,resulting in five-and tenfold increases in instantaneous bandwidth and data throughput,respectively.The low-coupling digital frontend and GPU node can be easily extended to multiple nodes.展开更多
The solar cycle(SC),a phenomenon caused by the quasi-periodic regular activities in the Sun,occurs approximately every 11 years.Intense solar activity can disrupt the Earth’s ionosphere,affecting communication and na...The solar cycle(SC),a phenomenon caused by the quasi-periodic regular activities in the Sun,occurs approximately every 11 years.Intense solar activity can disrupt the Earth’s ionosphere,affecting communication and navigation systems.Consequently,accurately predicting the intensity of the SC holds great significance,but predicting the SC involves a long-term time series,and many existing time series forecasting methods have fallen short in terms of accuracy and efficiency.The Time-series Dense Encoder model is a deep learning solution tailored for long time series prediction.Based on a multi-layer perceptron structure,it outperforms the best previously existing models in accuracy,while being efficiently trainable on general datasets.We propose a method based on this model for SC forecasting.Using a trained model,we predict the test set from SC 19 to SC 25 with an average mean absolute percentage error of 32.02,root mean square error of 30.3,mean absolute error of 23.32,and R^(2)(coefficient of determination)of 0.76,outperforming other deep learning models in terms of accuracy and training efficiency on sunspot number datasets.Subsequently,we use it to predict the peaks of SC 25 and SC 26.For SC 25,the peak time has ended,but a stronger peak is predicted for SC 26,of 199.3,within a range of 170.8-221.9,projected to occur during April 2034.展开更多
Comets are small celestial bodies orbiting around the Sun.They are remnants left over from the formation of the solar system;their interiors store original material of the planetary disk within the solar system.They a...Comets are small celestial bodies orbiting around the Sun.They are remnants left over from the formation of the solar system;their interiors store original material of the planetary disk within the solar system.They are thus"fossils"for studying the early solar system.According to their orbital periods,comets are classified as long-period comets(orbital period P>200 years)and short-period comets(P<200 years).Long-period comets originate from the Oort Cloud.Compared to short-period comets,they enter the inner solar system less frequently and contain more primitive materials.Studying long-period comets helps us understand the origin of the solar system and reveals characteristics of the Oort Cloud.This paper begins with a summary of our extensive survey of the literature regarding methods of observing comets and foci of comet studies.We introduce systematically the main parameters currently used to assess the activity of long-period comets,including gas production rate,dust production rate,dust properties,morphological characteristics,etc.Subsequently,we discuss in depth the activity mechanisms of long-period comets,covering not only the water ice sublimation-driven mechanism(similar to that of short-period comets)but also various mechanisms that may dominate the activity of long-period comets in the low-temperature environment at the aphelion.These mechanisms include the sublimation of CO or CO_(2) gas ice,the polymerization reaction of cyanides,the crystallization of amorphous water ice,the annealing process of amorphous water ice,the thermal decomposition effect,and the electrostatic supercharge phenomenon.We then summarize the evolving activity of long-period comets as they travel from the Oort Cloud to the vicinity of their perihelions.We analyze unique properties of long-period comets,including such special phenomena as changes in dust color,coma structure,and tail structure.Finally,we summarize currently unresolved scientific questions,and then the entire paper.展开更多
This letter reports a gravitational redshift measurement experiment using a satellite-based compact passive hydrogen maser(PHM)in a lunar distant retrograde orbit(DRO).In March 2024,the Chinese Academy of Sciences lau...This letter reports a gravitational redshift measurement experiment using a satellite-based compact passive hydrogen maser(PHM)in a lunar distant retrograde orbit(DRO).In March 2024,the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched the DRO-A/B twin satellites,which entered a DRO in July 2024.This orbit has a geocentric distance of approximately 300,000–450,000 kilometers and a 2:1 resonance ratio.Employing microwave dual one-way ranging(DOWR),satellite-ground time-frequency comparisons were successfully achieved in April 2025 using the PHM aboard the DRO-A satellite.This study validated the in-orbit performance of the compact PHM and supported tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle.The gravitational redshift measurement result is(8.74±4.17)×10^(−3).As the world’s first fundamental physics experiment to deploy PHMs in a lunar DRO,this study provides significant new engineering approaches for testing gravitational theories in cislunar space.展开更多
The threat posed by space debris to space security is continuously increasing.Optical observation is the main detection method for space debris,but the variety of observation geometries in available measurement datase...The threat posed by space debris to space security is continuously increasing.Optical observation is the main detection method for space debris,but the variety of observation geometries in available measurement datasets is limited.Therefore,simulations are required to supplement observational data.Hardware-in-the-loop(HIL)simulations can provide high-quality simulated optical detection data at a reasonable cost,but existing hardware-in-the-loop methods are only adapted to simple motion scenarios.To extend the simulation ability to complex space motion scenarios,here we propose an optical hardware-in-the-loop space debris simulation method,relying on dynamic detection scenarios,that uses a collaborative scenario-modality-feature simulation scheme to simulate variable observation geometries and to obtain sequential space debris simulation data covering a variety of modalities and scenarios.We apply the proposed space debris detection method to ground-based and space-based simulation experiments and analyze target features within the simulated detection data to demonstrate the usefulness of such simulations.Our simulation method is applicable to space debris optical detection under diverse observation conditions and to multidimensional space debris feature characterization.展开更多
The Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project(ATSOP)entails the deployment of 30 small-aperture,wide-field optical telescopes in the Antarctic region.The system will perform long-term continuous observation campaig...The Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project(ATSOP)entails the deployment of 30 small-aperture,wide-field optical telescopes in the Antarctic region.The system will perform long-term continuous observation campaigns over a period of 100 d(24 h per day)per year,as well as short-time-scale sampling at intervals of 5 min,across a sky area of approximately 1200 square degrees centered near the south celestial pole.We have assessed the types of small solar system bodies detectable by the ATSOP telescopes,as well as the associated scientific research opportunities.Our analysis indicates that the ATSOP is capable of detecting near-Earth objects(NEOs)with all orbital inclinations,as well as high-inclination small bodies located beyond the main asteroid belt.Potential research topics include the discovery and identification of small bodies,orbit determination,physical characterization,investigation into the activity characteristics and evolutionary patterns of active small bodies,and studies on their dynamical evolution.Observations of NEOs can also contribute to planetary defense efforts.On the basis of pilot observational data collected by the Antarctic Tianmu prototype(AT-Proto)between February 20 and October 26,2023,a total of 478 asteroids and 9 comets were successfully identified,demonstrating the effectiveness of the ATSOP system in observing small solar system bodies.Looking ahead,with anticipated performance enhancements in the second-generation AT-Proto,the limiting magnitude will increase from 16 to 18,thereby enabling the detection of an even greater number of small solar system bodies.展开更多
Optical two-way time-frequency transfer(O-TWTFT),utilizing optical frequency comb carriers and linear optical sampling,effectively enables space-to-ground optical frequency standard comparisons.Previously reported det...Optical two-way time-frequency transfer(O-TWTFT),utilizing optical frequency comb carriers and linear optical sampling,effectively enables space-to-ground optical frequency standard comparisons.Previously reported detection sensitivities of O-TWTFTs were typically in the nanoWatt level,necessitating high-power optical frequency combs to compensate for significant losses in high-orbit satellite-to-ground passes.Such hardware-based solutions,while effective,tend to be costly.This paper presents a novel data post-processing algorithm to enhance sensitivity.Unlike previous timing methods,which depend solely on optical phase data and discard intensity information—resulting in elevated errors,especially under low-reception power,our approach employs complex least squares(CLS)estimation in the complex frequency domain.By preserving all intermediate data and avoiding noise from phase unwrapping,it achieves superior sensitivity and accuracy.Experiments over a 113-kilometer free-space link validate the algorithm's robustness,delivering a detection sensitivity of0.1 nanoWatts—over tenfold better than prior techniques—despite a 100-decibel link loss,comparable to Earth-Moon optical links.展开更多
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Basic Work (2012FY120500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1331112 and 11573055)
文摘Before CCD detectors were widely employed in observational astronomy, the main method of detection was the use of glass astrophotographic plates. Astronomical plates have been used to record information on the position and activity of celestial bodies for more than 100 years. There are about 30 000 astronomical plates in China, and the digitization of astronomical plates is of great significance for permanent preservation and to make full use of these valuable observation data. A digitizer with high precision and high measuring speed is a key piece of equipment for carrying out the task of dig- itizing these astronomical plates. A digitizer for glass astrophotographic plates was developed jointly by Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and Nishimura Co., Ltd of Japan. The digitizer＇s hardware was manufactured by Nishimura Co., Ltd, and the performance test, error corrections as well as image pro- cessing of the digitizer were carried out by Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. The main structure and working mode of the digitizer are introduced in this paper. A performance test shows that brightness uniformity of illumination within the measuring area is better than 0.15%, the repeatability of digitized positions is better than 0.2 μm and the repeatability of digitized brightness is better than 0.01 instrumen- tal magnitude. The systematic factors affecting digitized positions, such as lens distortion, the actual optical resolution, non-linearity of guide rails, non-uniformity of linear motors in the mobile platform, deviation of the image mosaic, and non-orthogonality between the direction of scanning and camera lin- ear array, are calibrated and evaluated. Based on an astronomical plate with a size of 300 mm × 300 mm, which was digitized at different angles, the conversion residuals of positions of common stars on dif- ferent images were investigated. The results show that the standard deviations of the residuals are better than 0.9μm and the residual distribution is almost random, which demonstrates the digitizer has a higher precision for digitization.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation (NSF) of China (U1631240 and 11503068)CAS Key Technology Talent Program
文摘As an important station of International Laser Ranging Service(ILRS),Shanghai Astronomical Observatory(SHAO)has upgraded Satellite Laser Ranging(SLR)system with high repetition rate and achieved some technological progress,There are a lot of improvements for overall system performance,such as annual observation passes,measurement precision and quality of observation data.SLR technology with repetition rate of 10 kHz is accomplished firstly in China,and space debris laser ranging technology with200 Hz laser is promoted and proved to be more detective for weak echo,which lead to successful measurement for 40,000 km satellites and space debris within 3000 km.At the same time,SLR based on multi-telescopes and 1064 nm wavelength are planned to make a breakthrough of detection capabilities,and also to expand its application fields.These progresses will be introduced in this paper in detail.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China。
文摘We will introduce the construction and design of a new simultaneous three-channel multicolor CCD photometer.This photometer has been mounted on the 1.2 m telescope at Jilin Astronomical Observatory,and is applied to study space debris,gamma-ray burst afterglows,asteroids and other rapidly variable objects.As one of the ground follow-up telescopes of the Chinese-French Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor(SVOM)mission,it appears very essential to evaluate the performance of the photometry system of this photometer,which can achieve simultaneous imaging within a field of view of 21’.5×21’.5,21’.5×21’.5 and21’.3×21’.3 in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS)g’,r’,i’bands,respectively.Photometric calibrations were carried out by using plenty of SDSS standard stars,and the relationship between the photometric system and the Johnson-Bessel filter system was also studied.The results of the performance evaluation from observing open cluster M67 are presented.
基金supported by the fund for the Youth Project of Basic Research Program of Yunnan Province (202001BB050012)the Joint Foundation of Department of Science and Technology of Yunnan Province and Yunnan University (202201BF070001-020)funded by the“Yunnan University Development Plan for World-Class Astronomy Discipline”。
文摘3C 66A is one of our first batches of photometric monitoring objects with the 1 m optical telescope at Yunnan University Astronomical Observatory.In the present work,the observational campaign was performed from 2021 November 1 to 2022 February 27 in the Johnson-Morgan system V and R bands.The average magnitudes in each band were■=15.52±0.18 mag and■=15.07±0.17 mag.The overall variability amplitudes wereΔV=■,Amp=70.27%andΔR=■,Amp=68.56%,respectively.Most of the intraday variabilities(IDVs)occurred in 2021 December and 2022 February.The minimal rise/decay timescale was about 6 minutes(5.82±2.74 minutes and 6.18±2.81 minutes on 2022 February 11,6.99±3.70 minutes and 6.17±2.91 minutes on 2022 February 12).Durations of these rapid variabilities were from 11.99 to 179.67 minutes.The discrete correlation function analyses between V and R bands showed significantly correlated variability.Color index analysis of ID Vs showed that the spectrums do not change with variabilities.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China No.2021YFC2203502the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)(11803080,12173077,11873082,12003062)+2 种基金the Tianshan Innovation Team Plan of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2022D14020)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CASNational Key R&D Program of China No.2018 YFA0404704。
文摘The Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center faces issues related to delay-affected services. As a result, these services cannot be implemented in a timely manner due to the overloading of transmission links. In this paper, the software-defined network technology is applied to the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center Network(XAODCN). Specifically, a novel reconfiguration method is proposed to realise the software-defined Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory Data Center Network(SDXAO-DCN), and a network model is constructed. To overcome the congestion problem, a traffic load-balancing algorithm is designed for fast transmission of the service traffic by combining three factors: network structure, congestion level and transmission service. The proposed algorithm is compared with current commonly load-balancing algorithms which are used in data center to verify its efficiency. Simulation experiments show that the algorithm improved transmission performance and transmission quality for the SDXAO-DCN.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Nos. 2022YFF0711502 and 2021YFC2203502)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)(12173077 and 12003062)+6 种基金the Tianshan Innovation Team Plan of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2022D14020)the Tianshan Talent Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2022TSYCCX0095)the Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (grant No. PTYQ2022YZZD01)China National Astronomical Data Center (NADC)the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instruments,budgeted from the Ministry of Finance of China (MOF)and administrated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (2022D01A360)supported by Astronomical Big Data Joint Research Center,co-founded by National Astronomical Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences。
文摘Cross-matching is a key technique to achieve fusion of multi-band astronomical catalogs. Due to different equipment such as various astronomical telescopes, the existence of measurement errors, and proper motions of the celestial bodies, the same celestial object will have different positions in different catalogs, making it difficult to integrate multi-band or full-band astronomical data. In this study, we propose an online cross-matching method based on pseudo-spherical indexing techniques and develop a service combining with high performance computing system(Taurus) to improve cross-matching efficiency, which is designed for the Data Center of Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory. Specifically, we use Quad Tree Cube to divide the spherical blocks of the celestial object and map the 2D space composed of R.A. and decl. to 1D space and achieve correspondence between real celestial objects and spherical patches. Finally, we verify the performance of the service using Gaia 3 and PPMXL catalogs. Meanwhile, we send the matching results to VO tools-Topcat and Aladin respectively to get visual results. The experimental results show that the service effectively solves the speed bottleneck problem of crossmatching caused by frequent I/O, and significantly improves the retrieval and matching speed of massive astronomical data.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2023YFF0714800)the Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(ZDKYYQ20220009).
文摘Astronomical spectroscopy is a critical tool in many advanced research topics such as cosmic origin,galaxy evolution,stellar formation,and exoplanet detection.Medium-to-large aperture optical telescopes equipped with various spectrographs are suitable for many large programs.However,many small-aperture(30-80 cm)telescopes have the potential to perform quick and flexible observations in the astronomical field.Using current technology,most portable astronomical spectrographs can capture broadband spectra by rotating or changing the gratings to scan the spectrum at multiple exposures.This paper presents a portable broadband astronomical spectrograph(called ESPEC-2)that features an echelle grating as the main disperser and a group of collimating and imaging lenses to simplify the optical system.For 30-80 cm aperture telescopes,the lightweight prototype(~3.5 kg)enables spectral observation with a spectral resolution of R≥6200 over a wavelength range of 400-900 nm with a single exposure.Moreover,it can be directly mounted on the telescope’s focus or connected via optical fiber.Its portability and versatility make it suitable for use as a general-purpose spectrograph in other scientific experiments.The developed compact broadband spectrograph is expected to make significant contributions to scientific research,outreach,and education.
文摘A 37-element solar adaptive optics （AO） system was built and installed at the 26-cm solar fine structure telescope of Yunnan Astronomical Observatory. The AO system is composed of a fine tracking loop with a tip/tilt mirror and a correlation tracker, a high-order correction loop with a 37-element deformable mirror, a correlating Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on the absolute difference algorithm, and a real time controller. The system was completed on Sep. 28, 2009 and was used to obtain AO-corrected high-resolution solar images. The contrast and resolution of the images are clearly improved after wavefront correction by AO. To the best of out knowledge, this system is the first solar AO system in China.
文摘This work shows details of an evaluation of an observational system comprising a complementary metal-oxidesemiconductor detector, 60 cm telescope and filter complement. The system’s photometric precision and differential photometric precision, and extinction coefficients were assessed through observations of Supersky flat fields, open clusters, standard stars and exoplanets. Photometry was precision achieved at the 0.02 mag level, with differential photometry of 0.004 mag precision. Extinction was found to agree with previous studies conducted at Xinglong Observatory. Ultimately, the results demonstrate this observing system is capable of precision scientific observations with a charge-coupled device across the optical wavelengths.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFC2203502 and 2022YFF0711502)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(12173077)+4 种基金the Tianshan Talent Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2022TSYCCX0095 and 2023TSYCCX0112)the Scientific Instrument Developing Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(PTYQ2022YZZD01)China National Astronomical Data Center(NADC)the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instruments,budgeted from the Ministry of Finance of China(MOF)and administrated by the Chinese Academy of SciencesNatural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2022D01A360).
文摘Astronomical spectroscopy is crucial for exploring the physical properties,chemical composition,and kinematic behavior of celestial objects.With continuous advancements in observational technology,astronomical spectroscopy faces the dual challenges of rapidly expanding data volumes and relatively lagging data processing capabilities.In this context,the rise of artificial intelligence technologies offers an innovative solution to address these challenges.This paper analyzes the latest developments in the application of machine learning for astronomical spectral data mining and discusses future research directions in AI-based spectral studies.However,the application of machine learning technologies presents several challenges.The high complexity of models often comes with insufficient interpretability,complicating scientific understanding.Moreover,the large-scale computational demands place higher requirements on hardware resources,leading to a significant increase in computational costs.AI-based astronomical spectroscopy research should advance in the following key directions.First,develop efficient data augmentation techniques to enhance model generalization capabilities.Second,explore more interpretable model designs to ensure the reliability and transparency of scientific conclusions.Third,optimize computational efficiency and reduce the threshold for deep-learning applications through collaborative innovations in algorithms and hardware.Furthermore,promoting the integration of cross-band data processing is essential to achieve seamless integration and comprehensive analysis of multi-source data,providing richer,multidimensional information to uncover the mysteries of the universe.
基金supported by the Investigation of Technological Infrastructure Resources(No.2023FY101101)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(No.11073027 and No.12373104)。
文摘Astronomical site selection work is very hard.Unmanned technologies are important trends and solutions.We present a relatively easy method to plan a high reliability site selection which can extend the time from site deployment to returning for maintaining by unmanned confirming the site.First,we redefine the reliability of a site selection deployment with the parameter of the trusty time,which means when we must return,and which can be relatively easy for estimating.The redefinition makes the reliability parameter as a Bayesian probability,and can be obtained by estimating besides testing,which makes the evaluation of each device's reliability much easier.Then we use block diagram tools in the Matlab Simulink software to construct structure diagram,and to link each component with relations of parallel,serial,protection,and so on.This makes the whole reliability value can be calculated at the time when we design or plan a site selection.We applied this concept and method in an actual site selection in Lenghu,Qinghai Province,China.The survey practice reveals its effectiveness and simpleness.
基金supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project(E152KJ1201)the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(2024JC-YBQN-0036)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42030105 and 11973046)the National SKA Program of China(2020SKA0120200).
文摘The Haoping 40 m radio telescope at the National Time Service Center,Chinese Academy of Sciences was built in 2014 and is primarily used to observe navigation satellites and pulsars.Since the first successful very long baseline interferometry(VLBI)observation of L-band radio source fringes in 2022,ten observations have been made so far.The stations involved in the observations include the Haoping 40 m radio telescope(Haoping),the Tianma 65 m radio telescope(Tianma),the Nanshan 26 m radio telescope(Urumqi),the Guizhou 500 m radio telescope(FAST),the Jilin 13 m radio telescope(Jilin),the Effelsberg 100 m radio telescope(Effelsberg),the Onsala 25 m radio telescope(Onsala),and the Chiang Mai 40 m radio telescope(Chiang Mai).This paper presents details on the specifications of the Haoping 40 m radio telescope,as well as the design of the VLBI experiment,the observation process,and the data processing.We also discuss the analysis of the fringe results involving the Haoping 40 m radio telescope,using Distributed FX Correlator to obtain excellent results.We confirm that the telescope is capable of participating in VLBI observations and performing specific data processing tasks.It can therefore play a greater role in future VLBI observations.
基金supported by the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instruments,budgeted from the Ministry of Finance of China(MOF)and administrated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12173093 and 11973094)the science research grants from the China Manned Space Project(No.CMS-CSST-2021-B08).
文摘Most small bodies in the solar system have low orbital inclinations,concentrated near the ecliptic plane.However,some small bodies exhibit high orbital inclinations(i>20°)and are referred to as high-inclination small bodies.The discovery and study of these high-inclination objects are reshaping traditional understanding and challenging classical dynamical models.With the advancement of wide-field sky survey projects,an increasing number of small bodies with high-inclination and even retrograde orbits have been observed.Their unique orbital configurations suggest complex formation mechanisms and evolutionary histories.High-inclination small bodies differ significantly from ecliptic plane objects in terms of surface composition,size distribution,and dynamical behavior.Their formation mechanisms involve various pathways,such as gravitational perturbations and planetary scattering,resonance capture and inclination excitation,and the influence of potential Planet Nine.These objects not only serve as"fossil records"of the early evolution of the solar system but also provide new research perspectives for planetary formation theories,interstellar material exchange,and deep-space resource exploration.
基金supported by the “Light in China’s Western Region” program (2022-XBQNXZ012)by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12073067)
文摘Owing to its large aperture and advanced receivers,research plans for the Qitai 110 m radio telescope(QTT)include a variety of spectral line scientific studies.Sequential construction of receiver systems and multidisciplinary planning require overcoming serious challenges to spectral line digital backend development,notably to digitize,process,and transmit considerable quantities of observational data,to minimize time-to-science with an easily scalable architecture,and to provide robust,high-quality data.As a proof-of-concept for the QTT backend,here we implement a baseband spectral line digital backend with a SNAP+GPU architecture.The SNAP-based digital frontend comprises two digitization links(1000 MHz,8-bit),two parallel quad-channel preprocessing modules,a quantization module,and a finite-state packaging module,generating a 100-MHz bandwidth digital link from the original analog signal through high-speed Ethernet transmission.The GPU node receives preprocessed baseband packets,constructs a ring buffer for lossless unpacking and distributing,with real-time data reception and caching,and conducts real-time spectral analysis(frequency resolution:3.051 kHz)of the 100 MHz baseband data.We evaluated system performance experimentally using spectral line observations with the Nanshan 26-m radio telescope(NSRT).For the QTT,the SNAP digital frontend will be seamlessly migrated to a radio frequency system-on-chip(RFSoC)architecture,resulting in five-and tenfold increases in instantaneous bandwidth and data throughput,respectively.The low-coupling digital frontend and GPU node can be easily extended to multiple nodes.
基金supported by the Academic Research Projects of Beijing Union University(ZK20202204)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12250005,12073040,12273059,11973056,12003051,11573037,12073041,11427901,11572005,11611530679 and 12473052)+1 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of the China Academy of Sciences(XDB0560000,XDA15052200,XDB09040200,XDA15010700,XDB0560301,and XDA15320102)the Chinese Meridian Project(CMP).
文摘The solar cycle(SC),a phenomenon caused by the quasi-periodic regular activities in the Sun,occurs approximately every 11 years.Intense solar activity can disrupt the Earth’s ionosphere,affecting communication and navigation systems.Consequently,accurately predicting the intensity of the SC holds great significance,but predicting the SC involves a long-term time series,and many existing time series forecasting methods have fallen short in terms of accuracy and efficiency.The Time-series Dense Encoder model is a deep learning solution tailored for long time series prediction.Based on a multi-layer perceptron structure,it outperforms the best previously existing models in accuracy,while being efficiently trainable on general datasets.We propose a method based on this model for SC forecasting.Using a trained model,we predict the test set from SC 19 to SC 25 with an average mean absolute percentage error of 32.02,root mean square error of 30.3,mean absolute error of 23.32,and R^(2)(coefficient of determination)of 0.76,outperforming other deep learning models in terms of accuracy and training efficiency on sunspot number datasets.Subsequently,we use it to predict the peaks of SC 25 and SC 26.For SC 25,the peak time has ended,but a stronger peak is predicted for SC 26,of 199.3,within a range of 170.8-221.9,projected to occur during April 2034.
基金supported by the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instruments,budgeted from the Ministry of Finance of China(MOF)and administrated by the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant Nos.12173093)science research grants from the China Manned Space Project with No.CMS-CSST-2021-B08.
文摘Comets are small celestial bodies orbiting around the Sun.They are remnants left over from the formation of the solar system;their interiors store original material of the planetary disk within the solar system.They are thus"fossils"for studying the early solar system.According to their orbital periods,comets are classified as long-period comets(orbital period P>200 years)and short-period comets(P<200 years).Long-period comets originate from the Oort Cloud.Compared to short-period comets,they enter the inner solar system less frequently and contain more primitive materials.Studying long-period comets helps us understand the origin of the solar system and reveals characteristics of the Oort Cloud.This paper begins with a summary of our extensive survey of the literature regarding methods of observing comets and foci of comet studies.We introduce systematically the main parameters currently used to assess the activity of long-period comets,including gas production rate,dust production rate,dust properties,morphological characteristics,etc.Subsequently,we discuss in depth the activity mechanisms of long-period comets,covering not only the water ice sublimation-driven mechanism(similar to that of short-period comets)but also various mechanisms that may dominate the activity of long-period comets in the low-temperature environment at the aphelion.These mechanisms include the sublimation of CO or CO_(2) gas ice,the polymerization reaction of cyanides,the crystallization of amorphous water ice,the annealing process of amorphous water ice,the thermal decomposition effect,and the electrostatic supercharge phenomenon.We then summarize the evolving activity of long-period comets as they travel from the Oort Cloud to the vicinity of their perihelions.We analyze unique properties of long-period comets,including such special phenomena as changes in dust color,coma structure,and tail structure.Finally,we summarize currently unresolved scientific questions,and then the entire paper.
文摘This letter reports a gravitational redshift measurement experiment using a satellite-based compact passive hydrogen maser(PHM)in a lunar distant retrograde orbit(DRO).In March 2024,the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched the DRO-A/B twin satellites,which entered a DRO in July 2024.This orbit has a geocentric distance of approximately 300,000–450,000 kilometers and a 2:1 resonance ratio.Employing microwave dual one-way ranging(DOWR),satellite-ground time-frequency comparisons were successfully achieved in April 2025 using the PHM aboard the DRO-A satellite.This study validated the in-orbit performance of the compact PHM and supported tests of the Einstein Equivalence Principle.The gravitational redshift measurement result is(8.74±4.17)×10^(−3).As the world’s first fundamental physics experiment to deploy PHMs in a lunar DRO,this study provides significant new engineering approaches for testing gravitational theories in cislunar space.
基金supported by the Special funding project for space debris and Near-Earth Asteroids defense research(KJSP2023020202).
文摘The threat posed by space debris to space security is continuously increasing.Optical observation is the main detection method for space debris,but the variety of observation geometries in available measurement datasets is limited.Therefore,simulations are required to supplement observational data.Hardware-in-the-loop(HIL)simulations can provide high-quality simulated optical detection data at a reasonable cost,but existing hardware-in-the-loop methods are only adapted to simple motion scenarios.To extend the simulation ability to complex space motion scenarios,here we propose an optical hardware-in-the-loop space debris simulation method,relying on dynamic detection scenarios,that uses a collaborative scenario-modality-feature simulation scheme to simulate variable observation geometries and to obtain sequential space debris simulation data covering a variety of modalities and scenarios.We apply the proposed space debris detection method to ground-based and space-based simulation experiments and analyze target features within the simulated detection data to demonstrate the usefulness of such simulations.Our simulation method is applicable to space debris optical detection under diverse observation conditions and to multidimensional space debris feature characterization.
基金supported by the Operation,Maintenance and Upgrading Fund for Astronomical Telescopes and Facility Instruments,budgeted by the Ministry of Finance of China(MOF)and administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12173093 and 11973094)a science research grant from the China Manned Space Project(No.CMS-CSST-2021-B08).
文摘The Antarctic Tianmu Staring Observation Project(ATSOP)entails the deployment of 30 small-aperture,wide-field optical telescopes in the Antarctic region.The system will perform long-term continuous observation campaigns over a period of 100 d(24 h per day)per year,as well as short-time-scale sampling at intervals of 5 min,across a sky area of approximately 1200 square degrees centered near the south celestial pole.We have assessed the types of small solar system bodies detectable by the ATSOP telescopes,as well as the associated scientific research opportunities.Our analysis indicates that the ATSOP is capable of detecting near-Earth objects(NEOs)with all orbital inclinations,as well as high-inclination small bodies located beyond the main asteroid belt.Potential research topics include the discovery and identification of small bodies,orbit determination,physical characterization,investigation into the activity characteristics and evolutionary patterns of active small bodies,and studies on their dynamical evolution.Observations of NEOs can also contribute to planetary defense efforts.On the basis of pilot observational data collected by the Antarctic Tianmu prototype(AT-Proto)between February 20 and October 26,2023,a total of 478 asteroids and 9 comets were successfully identified,demonstrating the effectiveness of the ATSOP system in observing small solar system bodies.Looking ahead,with anticipated performance enhancements in the second-generation AT-Proto,the limiting magnitude will increase from 16 to 18,thereby enabling the detection of an even greater number of small solar system bodies.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Programme of China(Grant Nos.2020YFC2200103 and 2020YFA0309800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.T2125010)+4 种基金Strategic Priority Research Programme of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB35030000)Anhui Initiative in Quantum Information Technologies(Grant No.AHY010100)Key R&D Plan of Shandong Province(Grant No.2021ZDPT01)Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(Grant No.2019SHZDZX01)Innovation Programme for Quantum Science and Technology(Grant Nos.2021ZD0300100,2021ZD0300300,and2021ZD0300903)。
文摘Optical two-way time-frequency transfer(O-TWTFT),utilizing optical frequency comb carriers and linear optical sampling,effectively enables space-to-ground optical frequency standard comparisons.Previously reported detection sensitivities of O-TWTFTs were typically in the nanoWatt level,necessitating high-power optical frequency combs to compensate for significant losses in high-orbit satellite-to-ground passes.Such hardware-based solutions,while effective,tend to be costly.This paper presents a novel data post-processing algorithm to enhance sensitivity.Unlike previous timing methods,which depend solely on optical phase data and discard intensity information—resulting in elevated errors,especially under low-reception power,our approach employs complex least squares(CLS)estimation in the complex frequency domain.By preserving all intermediate data and avoiding noise from phase unwrapping,it achieves superior sensitivity and accuracy.Experiments over a 113-kilometer free-space link validate the algorithm's robustness,delivering a detection sensitivity of0.1 nanoWatts—over tenfold better than prior techniques—despite a 100-decibel link loss,comparable to Earth-Moon optical links.
