37,430 research outputs found
Characterizing the Adaptive Optics Off-Axis Point-Spread Function - I: A Semi-Empirical Method for Use in Natural-Guide-Star Observations
Even though the technology of adaptive optics (AO) is rapidly maturing,
calibration of the resulting images remains a major challenge. The AO
point-spread function (PSF) changes quickly both in time and position on the
sky. In a typical observation the star used for guiding will be separated from
the scientific target by 10" to 30". This is sufficient separation to render
images of the guide star by themselves nearly useless in characterizing the PSF
at the off-axis target position. A semi-empirical technique is described that
improves the determination of the AO off-axis PSF. The method uses calibration
images of dense star fields to determine the change in PSF with field position.
It then uses this information to correct contemporaneous images of the guide
star to produce a PSF that is more accurate for both the target position and
the time of a scientific observation. We report on tests of the method using
natural-guide-star AO systems on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and Lick
Observatory Shane Telescope, augmented by simple atmospheric computer
simulations. At 25" off-axis, predicting the PSF full width at half maximum
using only information about the guide star results in an error of 60%. Using
an image of a dense star field lowers this error to 33%, and our method, which
also folds in information about the on-axis PSF, further decreases the error to
19%.Comment: 29 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in the PAS
Development of a fusion adaptive algorithm for marine debris detection within the post-Sandy restoration framework
Recognition of marine debris represent a difficult task due to the extreme variability of the marine environment, the possible targets, and the variable skill levels of human operators. The range of potential targets is much wider than similar fields of research such as mine hunting, localization of unexploded ordnance or pipeline detection. In order to address this additional complexity, an adaptive algorithm is being developing that appropriately responds to changes in the environment, and context.
The preliminary step is to properly geometrically and radiometrically correct the collected data. Then, the core engine manages the fusion of a set of statistically- and physically-based algorithms, working at different levels (swath, beam, snippet, and pixel) and using both predictive modeling (that is, a high-frequency acoustic backscatter model) and phenomenological (e.g., digital image processing techniques) approaches. The expected outcome is the reduction of inter-algorithmic cross-correlation and, thus, the probability of false alarm. At this early stage, we provide a proof of concept showing outcomes from algorithms that dynamically adapt themselves to the depth and average backscatter level met in the surveyed environment, targeting marine debris (modeled as objects of about 1-m size).
The project relies on a modular software library, called Matador (Marine Target Detection and Object Recognition)
Understanding evolutionary processes during past Quaternary climatic cycles: Can it be applied to the future?
Climate change affected ecological community make-up during the Quaternary which was probably both the cause of, and was caused by, evolutionary processes such as species evolution, adaptation and extinction of species and populations
Image Sampling with Quasicrystals
We investigate the use of quasicrystals in image sampling. Quasicrystals
produce space-filling, non-periodic point sets that are uniformly discrete and
relatively dense, thereby ensuring the sample sites are evenly spread out
throughout the sampled image. Their self-similar structure can be attractive
for creating sampling patterns endowed with a decorative symmetry. We present a
brief general overview of the algebraic theory of cut-and-project quasicrystals
based on the geometry of the golden ratio. To assess the practical utility of
quasicrystal sampling, we evaluate the visual effects of a variety of
non-adaptive image sampling strategies on photorealistic image reconstruction
and non-photorealistic image rendering used in multiresolution image
representations. For computer visualization of point sets used in image
sampling, we introduce a mosaic rendering technique.Comment: For a full resolution version of this paper, along with supplementary
materials, please visit at
http://www.Eyemaginary.com/Portfolio/Publications.htm
What is limiting near-infrared astrometry in the Galactic Center?
We systematically investigate the error sources for high-precision astrometry
from adaptive optics based near-infrared imaging data. We focus on the
application in the crowded stellar field in the Galactic Center. We show that
at the level of <=100 micro-arcseconds a number of effects are limiting the
accuracy. Most important are the imperfectly subtracted seeing halos of
neighboring stars, residual image distortions and unrecognized confusion of the
target source with fainter sources in the background. Further contributors to
the error budget are the uncertainty in estimating the point spread function,
the signal-to-noise ratio induced statistical uncertainty, coordinate
transformation errors, the chromaticity of refraction in Earth's atmosphere,
the post adaptive optics differential tilt jitter and anisoplanatism. For stars
as bright as mK=14, residual image distortions limit the astrometry, for
fainter stars the limitation is set by the seeing halos of the surrounding
stars. In order to improve the astrometry substantially at the current
generation of telescopes, an adaptive optics system with high performance and
weak seeing halos over a relatively small field (r<=3") is suited best.
Furthermore, techniques to estimate or reconstruct the seeing halo could be
promising.Comment: accepted by MNRAS, 13 pages, 14 figure
The Application of the Montage Image Mosaic Engine To The Visualization Of Astronomical Images
The Montage Image Mosaic Engine was designed as a scalable toolkit, written
in C for performance and portability across *nix platforms, that assembles FITS
images into mosaics. The code is freely available and has been widely used in
the astronomy and IT communities for research, product generation and for
developing next-generation cyber-infrastructure. Recently, it has begun to
finding applicability in the field of visualization. This has come about
because the toolkit design allows easy integration into scalable systems that
process data for subsequent visualization in a browser or client. And it
includes a visualization tool suitable for automation and for integration into
Python: mViewer creates, with a single command, complex multi-color images
overlaid with coordinate displays, labels, and observation footprints, and
includes an adaptive image histogram equalization method that preserves the
structure of a stretched image over its dynamic range. The Montage toolkit
contains functionality originally developed to support the creation and
management of mosaics but which also offers value to visualization: a
background rectification algorithm that reveals the faint structure in an
image; and tools for creating cutout and down-sampled versions of large images.
Version 5 of Montage offers support for visualizing data written in HEALPix
sky-tessellation scheme, and functionality for processing and organizing images
to comply with the TOAST sky-tessellation scheme required for consumption by
the World Wide Telescope (WWT). Four online tutorials enable readers to
reproduce and extend all the visualizations presented in this paper.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures; accepted for publication in the PASP Special
Focus Issue: Techniques and Methods for Astrophysical Data Visualizatio
Deep-sea image processing
High-resolution seafloor mapping often requires optical methods of sensing, to confirm interpretations made from sonar data. Optical digital imagery of seafloor sites can now provide very high resolution and also provides additional cues, such as color information for sediments, biota and divers rock types. During the cruise AT11-7 of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) vessel R/V Atlantis (February 2004, East Pacific Rise) visual imagery was acquired from three sources: (1) a digital still down-looking camera mounted on the submersible Alvin, (2) observer-operated 1-and 3-chip video cameras with tilt and pan capabilities mounted on the front of Alvin, and (3) a digital still camera on the WHOI TowCam (Fornari, 2003). Imagery from the first source collected on a previous cruise (AT7-13) to the Galapagos Rift at 86°W was successfully processed and mosaicked post-cruise, resulting in a single image covering area of about 2000 sq.m, with the resolution of 3 mm per pixel (Rzhanov et al., 2003). This paper addresses the issues of the optimal acquisition of visual imagery in deep-seaconditions, and requirements for on-board processing. Shipboard processing of digital imagery allows for reviewing collected imagery immediately after the dive, evaluating its importance and optimizing acquisition parameters, and augmenting acquisition of data over specific sites on subsequent dives.Images from the deepsea power and light (DSPL) digital camera offer the best resolution (3.3 Mega pixels) and are taken at an interval of 10 seconds (determined by the strobe\u27s recharge rate). This makes images suitable for mosaicking only when Alvin moves slowly (≪1/4 kt), which is not always possible for time-critical missions. Video cameras provided a source of imagery more suitable for mosaicking, despite its inferiority in resolution. We discuss required pre-processing and imageenhancement techniques and their influence on the interpretation of mosaic content. An algorithm for determination of camera tilt parameters from acquired imagery is proposed and robustness conditions are discussed
The E-ELT Multi-Object Spectrograph: latest news from MOSAIC
There are 8000 galaxies, including 1600 at z larger than 1.6, which could be
simultaneously observed in an E-ELT field of view of 40 sq. arcmin. A
considerable fraction of astrophysical discoveries require large statistical
samples, which can only be obtained with multi-object spectrographs (MOS).
MOSAIC will provide a vast discovery space, enabled by a multiplex of 200 and
spectral resolving powers of R=5000 and 20000. MOSAIC will also offer the
unique capability of more than 10 "high-definition" (multi-object adaptive
optics, MOAO) integral-field units, optimised to investigate the physics of the
sources of reionization. The combination of these modes will make MOSAIC the
world-leading MOS facility, contributing to all fields of contemporary
astronomy, from extra-solar planets, to the study of the halo of the Milky Way
and its satellites, and from resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies
out to observations of the earliest "first-light" structures in the Universe.
It will also study the distribution of the dark and ordinary matter at all
scales and epochs of the Universe. Recent studies of critical technical issues
such as sky-background subtraction and MOAO have demonstrated that such a MOS
is feasible with state-of-the-art technology and techniques. Current studies of
the MOSAIC team include further trade-offs on the wavelength coverage, a
solution for compensating for the non-telecentric new design of the telescope,
and tests of the saturation of skylines especially in the near-IR bands. In the
2020s the E-ELT will become the world's largest optical/IR telescope, and we
argue that it has to be equipped as soon as possible with a MOS to provide the
most efficient, and likely the best way to follow-up on James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST) observations.Comment: 10 pages, 3 Figures, in Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for
Astronomy VI, 2016, Proc. SPI
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