6,803 research outputs found
Quantum-inspired computational imaging
Computational imaging combines measurement and computational methods with the aim of forming images even when the measurement conditions are weak, few in number, or highly indirect. The recent surge in quantum-inspired imaging sensors, together with a new wave of algorithms allowing on-chip, scalable and robust data processing, has induced an increase of activity with notable results in the domain of low-light flux imaging and sensing. We provide an overview of the major challenges encountered in low-illumination (e.g., ultrafast) imaging and how these problems have recently been addressed for imaging applications in extreme conditions. These methods provide examples of the future imaging solutions to be developed, for which the best results are expected to arise from an efficient codesign of the sensors and data analysis tools.Y.A. acknowledges support from the UK Royal Academy of Engineering under the Research Fellowship Scheme (RF201617/16/31). S.McL. acknowledges financial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grant EP/J015180/1). V.G. acknowledges support from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) InPho program through U.S. Army Research Office award W911NF-10-1-0404, the U.S. DARPA REVEAL program through contract HR0011-16-C-0030, and U.S. National Science Foundation through grants 1161413 and 1422034. A.H. acknowledges support from U.S. Army Research Office award W911NF-15-1-0479, U.S. Department of the Air Force grant FA8650-15-D-1845, and U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration grant DE-NA0002534. D.F. acknowledges financial support from the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (grants EP/M006514/1 and EP/M01326X/1). (RF201617/16/31 - UK Royal Academy of Engineering; EP/J015180/1 - UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; EP/M006514/1 - UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; EP/M01326X/1 - UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; W911NF-10-1-0404 - U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) InPho program through U.S. Army Research Office; HR0011-16-C-0030 - U.S. DARPA REVEAL program; 1161413 - U.S. National Science Foundation; 1422034 - U.S. National Science Foundation; W911NF-15-1-0479 - U.S. Army Research Office; FA8650-15-D-1845 - U.S. Department of the Air Force; DE-NA0002534 - U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration)Accepted manuscrip
Computational periscopy with an ordinary digital camera
Computing the amounts of light arriving from different directions enables a diffusely reflecting surface to play the part of a mirror in a periscope—that is, perform non-line-of-sight imaging around an obstruction. Because computational periscopy has so far depended on light-travel distances being proportional to the times of flight, it has mostly been performed with expensive, specialized ultrafast optical systems^1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12. Here we introduce a two-dimensional computational periscopy technique that requires only a single photograph captured with an ordinary digital camera. Our technique recovers the position of an opaque object and the scene behind (but not completely obscured by) the object, when both the object and scene are outside the line of sight of the camera, without requiring controlled or time-varying illumination. Such recovery is based on the visible penumbra of the opaque object having a linear dependence on the hidden scene that can be modelled through ray optics. Non-line-of-sight imaging using inexpensive, ubiquitous equipment may have considerable value in monitoring hazardous environments, navigation and detecting hidden adversaries.We thank F. Durand, W. T. Freeman, Y. Ma, J. Rapp, J. H. Shapiro, A. Torralba, F. N. C. Wong and G. W. Wornell for discussions. This work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) REVEAL Program contract number HR0011-16-C-0030. (HR0011-16-C-0030 - Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) REVEAL Program)Accepted manuscrip
The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE): A Nulling Polarimeter for Cosmic Microwave Background Observations
The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE) is an Explorer-class mission to
measure the gravity-wave signature of primordial inflation through its
distinctive imprint on the linear polarization of the cosmic microwave
background. The instrument consists of a polarizing Michelson interferometer
configured as a nulling polarimeter to measure the difference spectrum between
orthogonal linear polarizations from two co-aligned beams. Either input can
view the sky or a temperature-controlled absolute reference blackbody
calibrator. PIXIE will map the absolute intensity and linear polarization
(Stokes I, Q, and U parameters) over the full sky in 400 spectral channels
spanning 2.5 decades in frequency from 30 GHz to 6 THz (1 cm to 50 um
wavelength). Multi-moded optics provide background-limited sensitivity using
only 4 detectors, while the highly symmetric design and multiple signal
modulations provide robust rejection of potential systematic errors. The
principal science goal is the detection and characterization of linear
polarization from an inflationary epoch in the early universe, with
tensor-to-scalar ratio r < 10^{-3} at 5 standard deviations. The rich PIXIE
data set will also constrain physical processes ranging from Big Bang cosmology
to the nature of the first stars to physical conditions within the interstellar
medium of the Galaxy.Comment: 37 pages including 17 figures. Submitted to the Journal of Cosmology
and Astroparticle Physic
Heavy and Complex X-ray Absorption Towards the Nucleus of Markarian 6
We have used the ASCA satellite to make the first X-ray spectra of Markarian
6, a bright Seyfert 1.5 galaxy with complex and variable permitted lines, an
ionization cone, and remarkable radio structures. Our 0.6--9.5 keV spectra
penetrate to the black hole core of this Seyfert and reveal heavy and complex
intrinsic X-ray absorption. Both total covering and single partial covering
models fail to acceptably fit the observed absorption, and double partial
covering or partial covering plus warm absorption appears to be required. The
double partial covering model provides the best statistical fit to the data,
and we measure large column densities of ~ (3-20) * 10^{22} cm^{-2}
irrespective of the particular spectral model under consideration. These X-ray
columns are over an order of magnitude larger than expected based on
observations at longer wavelengths. Our data suggest that most of the X-ray
absorption occurs either in gas that has a relatively small amount of dust or
in gas that is located within the Broad Line Region. The X-ray absorber may
well be the putative `atmosphere' above the torus that collimates the
ionization cone. We also detect an apparently broad 6.4 keV iron K-alpha line,
and we present optical spectra demonstrating that the optical emission lines
were in a representative state during our ASCA observation.Comment: 30 pages, 7 figures, Astrophysical Journal. Paper is also available
at: http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/johnf/Text/research.htm
- …