A Fusion Framework for Camouflaged Moving Foreground Detection in the Wavelet Domain

Detecting camouflaged moving foreground objects has been known to be difficult due to the similarity between the foreground objects and the background. Conventional methods cannot distinguish the foreground from background due to the small differences between them and thus suffer from under-detection of the camouflaged foreground objects. In this paper, we present a fusion framework to address this problem in the wavelet domain. We first show that the small differences in the image domain can be highlighted in certain wavelet bands. Then the likelihood of each wavelet coefficient being foreground is estimated by formulating foreground and background models for each wavelet band. The proposed framework effectively aggregates the likelihoods from different wavelet bands based on the characteristics of the wavelet transform. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method significantly outperformed existing methods in detecting camouflaged foreground objects. Specifically, the average F-measure for the proposed algorithm was 0.87, compared to 0.71 to 0.8 for the other state-of-the-art methods.Comment: 13 pages, accepted by IEEE TI

Stellar Kinematics of the Double Nucleus of M31

We report observations of the double nucleus of M31 with the f/48 long-slit spectrograph of the HST Faint Object Camera. We obtain a total exposure of 19,000 sec. over 7 orbits, with the 0.063-arcsec-wide slit along the line between the two brightness peaks (PA 42). A spectrum of Jupiter is used as a spectral template. The rotation curve is resolved, and reaches a maximum amplitude of ~250 km/s roughly 0.3 arcsec either side of a rotation center lying between P1 and P2, 0.16 +/- 0.05 arcsec from the optically fainter P2. We find the velocity dispersion to be < 250 km/s everywhere except for a narrow ``dispersion spike'', centered 0.06 +/- 0.03 arcsec on the anti-P1 side of P2, in which sigma peaks at 440 +/- 70 km/s. At much lower confidence, we see local disturbances to the rotation curve at P1 and P2, and an elevation in sigma at P1. At very low significance we detect a weak asymmetry in the line-of-sight velocity distribution opposite to the sense usually encountered. Convolving our V and sigma profiles to CFHT resolution, we find good agreement with the results of Kormendy & Bender (1998, preprint), though there is a 20% discrepancy in the dispersion that cannot be attributed to the dispersion spike. Our results are not consistent with the location of the maximum dispersion as found by Bacon et al. We find that the sinking star cluster model of Emsellem & Combes (1997) does not reproduce either the rotation curve or the dispersion profile. The eccentric disk model of Tremaine (1995) fares better, and can be improved somewhat by adjusting the original parameters. However, detailed modeling will require dynamical models of significantly greater realism.Comment: 29 pages, Latex, AASTeX v4.0, with 7 eps figures. To appear in The Astronomical Journal, February 199

TNOs are Cool: A survey of the trans-Neptunian region V. Physical characterization of 18 Plutinos using Herschel PACS observations

We present Herschel PACS photometry of 18 Plutinos and determine sizes and albedos for these objects using thermal modeling. We analyze our results for correlations, draw conclusions on the Plutino size distribution, and compare to earlier results. Flux densities are derived from PACS mini scan-maps using specialized data reduction and photometry methods. In order to improve the quality of our results, we combine our PACS data with existing Spitzer MIPS data where possible, and refine existing absolute magnitudes for the targets. The physical characterization of our sample is done using a thermal model. Uncertainties of the physical parameters are derived using customized Monte Carlo methods. The correlation analysis is performed using a bootstrap Spearman rank analysis. We find the sizes of our Plutinos to range from 150 to 730 km and geometric albedos to vary between 0.04 and 0.28. The average albedo of the sample is 0.08 \pm 0.03, which is comparable to the mean albedo of Centaurs, Jupiter Family comets and other Trans-Neptunian Objects. We were able to calibrate the Plutino size scale for the first time and find the cumulative Plutino size distribution to be best fit using a cumulative power law with q = 2 at sizes ranging from 120-400 km and q = 3 at larger sizes. We revise the bulk density of 1999 TC36 and find a density of 0.64 (+0.15/-0.11) g cm-3. On the basis of a modified Spearman rank analysis technique our Plutino sample appears to be biased with respect to object size but unbiased with respect to albedo. Furthermore, we find biases based on geometrical aspects and color in our sample. There is qualitative evidence that icy Plutinos have higher albedos than the average of the sample.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 8 tables, accepted for publication in A&

The Sloan Lens ACS Survey. IX. Colors, Lensing and Stellar Masses of Early-type Galaxies

We present the current photometric dataset for the Sloan Lens ACS (SLACS) Survey, including HST photometry from ACS, WFPC2, and NICMOS. These data have enabled the confirmation of an additional 15 grade `A' (certain) lens systems, bringing the number of SLACS grade `A' lenses to 85; including 13 grade `B' (likely) systems, SLACS has identified nearly 100 lenses and lens candidates. Approximately 80% of the grade `A' systems have elliptical morphologies while ~10% show spiral structure; the remaining lenses have lenticular morphologies. Spectroscopic redshifts for the lens and source are available for every system, making SLACS the largest homogeneous dataset of galaxy-scale lenses to date. We have developed a novel Bayesian stellar population analysis code to determine robust stellar masses with accurate error estimates. We apply this code to deep, high-resolution HST imaging and determine stellar masses with typical statistical errors of 0.1 dex; we find that these stellar masses are unbiased compared to estimates obtained using SDSS photometry, provided that informative priors are used. The stellar masses range from 10^10.5 to 10^11.8 M$_\odot$ and the typical stellar mass fraction within the Einstein radius is 0.4, assuming a Chabrier IMF. The ensemble properties of the SLACS lens galaxies, e.g. stellar masses and projected ellipticities, appear to be indistinguishable from other SDSS galaxies with similar stellar velocity dispersions. This further supports that SLACS lenses are representative of the overall population of massive early-type galaxies with M* >~ 10^11 M$_\odot$, and are therefore an ideal dataset to investigate the kpc-scale distribution of luminous and dark matter in galaxies out to z ~ 0.5.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures, 5 tables, published in Ap

Three-dimensional Multi-probe Analysis of the Galaxy Cluster A1689

We perform a 3D multi-probe analysis of the rich galaxy cluster A1689 by combining improved weak-lensing data from new BVRi'z' Subaru/Suprime-Cam observations with strong-lensing, X-ray, and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect (SZE) data sets. We reconstruct the projected matter distribution from a joint weak-lensing analysis of 2D shear and azimuthally integrated magnification constraints, the combination of which allows us to break the mass-sheet degeneracy. The resulting mass distribution reveals elongation with axis ratio ~0.7 in projection. When assuming a spherical halo, our full weak-lensing analysis yields a projected concentration of $c_{200c}^{2D}=8.9\pm 1.1$ ($c_{vir}^{2D}\sim 11$), consistent with and improved from earlier weak-lensing work. We find excellent consistency between weak and strong lensing in the region of overlap. In a parametric triaxial framework, we constrain the intrinsic structure and geometry of the matter and gas distributions, by combining weak/strong lensing and X-ray/SZE data with minimal geometric assumptions. We show that the data favor a triaxial geometry with minor-major axis ratio 0.39+/-0.15 and major axis closely aligned with the line of sight (22+/-10 deg). We obtain $M_{200c}=(1.2\pm 0.2)\times 10^{15} M_{\odot}/h$ and $c_{200c}=8.4\pm 1.3$, which overlaps with the $>1\sigma$ tail of the predicted distribution. The shape of the gas is rounder than the underlying matter but quite elongated with minor-major axis ratio 0.60+/-0.14. The gas mass fraction within 0.9Mpc is 10^{+3}_{-2}%. The thermal gas pressure contributes to ~60% of the equilibrium pressure, indicating a significant level of non-thermal pressure support. When compared to Planck's hydrostatic mass estimate, our lensing measurements yield a spherical mass ratio of $M_{Planck}/M_{GL}=0.70\pm 0.15$ and $0.58\pm 0.10$ with and without corrections for lensing projection effects, respectively.Comment: Accepted by ApJ. Minor textual changes to improve clarity (e.g., 5. HST STRONG-LENSING ANALYSIS). 26 pages, 17 figures. A version with high-resolution figures is available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~keiichi/upfiles/Umetsu15/umetsu15.pd

Top Quark Physics at the Tevatron

We review the field of top-quark physics with an emphasis on experimental techniques. The role of the top quark in the Standard Model of particle physics is summarized and the basic phenomenology of top-quark production and decay is introduced. We discuss how contributions from physics beyond the Standard Model could affect top-quark properties or event samples. The many measurements made at the Fermilab Tevatron, which test the Standard Model predictions or probe for direct evidence of new physics using the top-quark event samples, are reviewed here.Comment: 50 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables; version accepted by Review of Modern Physic