3,405 research outputs found
Aqueye+: a new ultrafast single photon counter for optical high time resolution astrophysics
Aqueye+ is a new ultrafast optical single photon counter, based on single
photon avalanche photodiodes (SPAD) and a 4-fold split-pupil concept. It is a
completely revisited version of its predecessor, Aqueye, successfully mounted
at the 182 cm Copernicus telescope in Asiago. Here we will present the new
technological features implemented on Aqueye+, namely a state of the art timing
system, a dedicated and optimized optical train, a high sensitivity and high
frame rate field camera and remote control, which will give Aqueye plus much
superior performances with respect to its predecessor, unparalleled by any
other existing fast photometer. The instrument will host also an optical
vorticity module to achieve high performance astronomical coronography and a
real time acquisition of atmospheric seeing unit. The present paper describes
the instrument and its first performances.Comment: Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 9504, id. 95040C 14 pp. (2015
INTEGRAL/IBIS search for e-e+ annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center Region
Electron-positron annihilation radiation from the Galactic Center region has
been detected since the seventies, but its astrophysical origin is still a
topic of a scientific debate. We have analyzed data of the gamma-ray imager
IBIS/ISGRI onboard of ESA's INTEGRAL platform in the ee line.
During the first year of the missions Galactic Center Deep Exposure no evidence
for point sources at 511 keV has been found in the ISGRI data; the
upper limit for resolved single point sources is estimated to be .Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures; Cospar 2004. To be published in: Advances in
Space Researc
Statistical evaluation of the flux cross-calibration of the XMM-Newton EPIC cameras
The second XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue, 2XMM, provides the
ideal data base for performing a statistical evaluation of the flux
cross-calibration of the XMM-Newton European Photon Imaging Cameras (EPIC). We
aim to evaluate the status of the relative flux calibration of the EPIC cameras
on board XMM-Newton (MOS1, MOS2, and pn) and investigate the dependence of the
calibration on energy, position in the field of view of the X-ray detectors,
and lifetime of the mission. We compiled the distribution of flux percentage
differences for large samples of 'good quality' objects detected with at least
two of the EPIC cameras. The mean offset of the fluxes and dispersion of the
distributions was then found by Gaussian fitting. Count rate to flux conversion
was performed with a fixed spectral model. The impact on the results of varying
this model was investigated. Excellent agreement was found between the two EPIC
MOS cameras to better than 4% from 0.2 keV to 12.0 keV. MOS cameras register
7-9% higher flux than pn below 4.5 keV and 10-13% flux excess above 4.5 keV. No
evolution of the flux ratios is seen with time, except at energies below 0.5
keV, where we found a strong decrease in the MOS to pn flux ratio with time.
This effect is known to be due to a gradually degrading MOS redistribution
function. The flux ratios show some dependence on distance from the optical
axis in the sense that the MOS to pn flux excess increases with off-axis angle.
Furthermore, in the 4.5-12.0 keV band there is a strong dependence of the MOS
to pn excess flux on the azimuthal-angle. These results strongly suggest that
the calibration of the Reflection Grating Array (RGA) blocking factors is
incorrect at high energies. Finally, we recommend ways to improve the
calculation of fluxes in future versions of XMM-Newton source catalogues.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. Abridged Abstract. Accepted for
publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
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