9 research outputs found
Costs and benefits of automation for astronomical facilities
The Observatorio Astrof\'isico de Javalambre (OAJ{\dag}1) in Spain is a young
astronomical facility, conceived and developed from the beginning as a fully
automated observatory with the main goal of optimizing the processes in the
scientific and general operation of the Observatory. The OAJ has been
particularly conceived for carrying out large sky surveys with two
unprecedented telescopes of unusually large fields of view (FoV): the JST/T250,
a 2.55m telescope of 3deg field of view, and the JAST/T80, an 83cm telescope of
2deg field of view. The most immediate objective of the two telescopes for the
next years is carrying out two unique photometric surveys of several thousands
square degrees, J-PAS{\dag}2 and J-PLUS{\dag}3, each of them with a wide range
of scientific applications, like e.g. large structure cosmology and Dark
Energy, galaxy evolution, supernovae, Milky Way structure, exoplanets, among
many others. To do that, JST and JAST are equipped with panoramic cameras under
development within the J-PAS collaboration, JPCam and T80Cam respectively,
which make use of large format (~ 10k x 10k) CCDs covering the entire focal
plane. This paper describes in detail, from operations point of view, a
comparison between the detailed cost of the global automation of the
Observatory and the standard automation cost for astronomical facilities, in
reference to the total investment and highlighting all benefits obtained from
this approach and difficulties encountered. The paper also describes the
engineering development of the overall facilities and infrastructures for the
fully automated observatory and a global overview of current status,
pinpointing lessons learned in order to boost observatory operations
performance, achieving scientific targets, maintaining quality requirements,
but also minimizing operation cost and human resources.Comment: Global Observatory Control System GOC
Spike patterning in oxytocin neurons:Capturing physiological behaviour with Hodgkin-Huxley and integrate-and-fire models
Integrate-and-fire (IF) models can provide close matches to the discharge activity of neurons, but do they oversimplify the biophysical properties of the neurons? A single compartment Hodgkin-Huxley (HH) model of the oxytocin neuron has previously been developed, incorporating biophysical measurements of channel properties obtained in vitro. A simpler modified integrate-and-fire model has also been developed, which can match well the characteristic spike patterning of oxytocin neurons as observed in vivo. Here, we extended the HH model to incorporate synaptic input, to enable us to compare spike activity in the model with experimental data obtained in vivo. We refined the HH model parameters to closely match the data, and then matched the same experimental data with a modified IF model, using an evolutionary algorithm to optimise parameter matching. Finally we compared the properties of the modified HH model with those of the IF model to seek an explanation for differences between spike patterning in vitro and in vivo. We show that, with slight modifications, the original HH model, like the IF model, is able to closely match both the interspike interval (ISI) distributions of oxytocin neurons and the observed variability of spike firing rates in vivo and in vitro. This close match of both models to data depends on the presence of a slow activity-dependent hyperpolarisation (AHP); this is represented in both models and the parameters used in the HH model representation match well with optimal parameters of the IF model found by an evolutionary algorithm. The ability of both models to fit data closely also depends on a shorter hyperpolarising after potential (HAP); this is explicitly represented in the IF model, but in the HH model, it emerges from a combination of several components. The critical elements of this combination are identified
Social touch promotes interfemale communication via activation of parvocellular oxytocin neurons
Oxytocin (OT) is a great facilitator of social life but, although its effects on socially relevant brain regions have been extensively studied, OT neuron activity during actual social interactions remains unexplored. Most OT neurons are magnocellular neurons, which simultaneously project to the pituitary and forebrain regions involved in social behaviors. In the present study, we show that a much smaller population of OT neurons, parvocellular neurons that do not project to the pituitary but synapse onto magnocellular neurons, is preferentially activated by somatosensory stimuli. This activation is transmitted to the larger population of magnocellular neurons, which consequently show coordinated increases in their activity during social interactions between virgin female rats. Selectively activating these parvocellular neurons promotes social motivation, whereas inhibiting them reduces social interactions. Thus, parvocellular OT neurons receive particular inputs to control social behavior by coordinating the responses of the much larger population of magnocellular OT neurons. Charlet, Grinevich et al. show that social touch between female rats activates parvocellular oxytocin neurons; these neurons control social behavior by coordinating the responses of the much larger population of magnocellular oxytocin neurons
The miniJPAS survey: A preview of the Universe in 56 colors
The Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) will scan thousands of square degrees of the northern sky with a unique set of 56 filters using the dedicated 2.55 m Javalambre Survey Telescope (JST) at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory. Prior to the installation of the main camera (4.2âdeg2 field-of-view with 1.2 Gpixels), the JST was equipped with the JPAS-Pathfinder, a one CCD camera with a 0.3âdeg2 field-of-view and plate scale of 0.23 arcsec pixelâ1. To demonstrate the scientific potential of J-PAS, the JPAS-Pathfinder camera was used to perform miniJPAS, a âŒ1 deg2 survey of the AEGIS field (along the Extended Groth Strip). The field was observed with the 56 J-PAS filters, which include 54 narrow band (FWHMââŒâ145 Ă
) and two broader filters extending to the UV and the near-infrared, complemented by the u,âg,âr,âi SDSS broad band filters. In this miniJPAS survey overview paper, we present the miniJPAS data set (images and catalogs), as we highlight key aspects and applications of these unique spectro-photometric data and describe how to access the public data products. The data parameters reach depths of magABâââ22â23.5 in the 54 narrow band filters and up to 24 in the broader filters (5Ï in a 3âł aperture). The miniJPAS primary catalog contains more than 64â000 sources detected in the r band and with matched photometry in all other bands. This catalog is 99% complete at râ=â23.6 (râ=â22.7) mag for point-like (extended) sources. We show that our photometric redshifts have an accuracy better than 1% for all sources up to râ=â22.5, and a precision of â€0.3% for a subset consisting of about half of the sample. On this basis, we outline several scientific applications of our data, including the study of spatially-resolved stellar populations of nearby galaxies, the analysis of the large scale structure up to zââŒâ0.9, and the detection of large numbers of clusters and groups. Sub-percent redshift precision can also be reached for quasars, allowing for the study of the large-scale structure to be pushed to zâ>â2. The miniJPAS survey demonstrates the capability of the J-PAS filter system to accurately characterize a broad variety of sources and paves the way for the upcoming arrival of J-PAS, which will multiply this data by three orders of magnitude
The miniJPAS survey: a preview of the Universe in 56 colours
International audienceThe Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) will soon start to scan thousands of square degrees of the northern extragalactic sky with a unique set of optical filters from a dedicated m telescope, JST, at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory. Before the arrival of the final instrument (a 1.2 Gpixels, 4.2deg field-of-view camera), the JST was equipped with an interim camera (JPAS-Pathfinder), composed of one CCD with a 0.3deg field-of-view and resolution of 0.23 arcsec pixel. To demonstrate the scientific potential of J-PAS, with the JPAS-Pathfinder camera we carried out a survey on the AEGIS field (along the Extended Groth Strip), dubbed miniJPAS. We observed a total of deg, with the J-PAS filters, which include narrow band (NB, Angstrom) and two broader filters extending to the UV and the near-infrared, complemented by the SDSS broad band (BB) filters. In this paper we present the miniJPAS data set, the details of the catalogues and data access, and illustrate the scientific potential of our multi-band data. The data surpass the target depths originally planned for J-PAS, reaching between and for the NB filters and up to for the BB filters ( in a ~arcsec aperture). The miniJPAS primary catalogue contains more than sources extracted in the detection band with forced photometry in all other bands. We estimate the catalogue to be complete up to for point-like sources and up to for extended sources. Photometric redshifts reach subpercent precision for all sources up to , and a precision of % for about half of the sample. (Abridged
The miniJPAS survey: A preview of the Universe in 56 colors
International audienceThe Javalambre-Physics of the Accelerating Universe Astrophysical Survey (J-PAS) will scan thousands of square degrees of the northern sky with a unique set of 56 filters using the dedicated 2.55 m Javalambre Survey Telescope (JST) at the Javalambre Astrophysical Observatory. Prior to the installation of the main camera (4.2âdeg2 field-of-view with 1.2 Gpixels), the JST was equipped with the JPAS-Pathfinder, a one CCD camera with a 0.3âdeg2 field-of-view and plate scale of 0.23 arcsec pixelâ1. To demonstrate the scientific potential of J-PAS, the JPAS-Pathfinder camera was used to perform miniJPAS, a âŒ1 deg2 survey of the AEGIS field (along the Extended Groth Strip). The field was observed with the 56 J-PAS filters, which include 54 narrow band (FWHMââŒâ145 Ă
) and two broader filters extending to the UV and the near-infrared, complemented by the u,âg,âr,âi SDSS broad band filters. In this miniJPAS survey overview paper, we present the miniJPAS data set (images and catalogs), as we highlight key aspects and applications of these unique spectro-photometric data and describe how to access the public data products. The data parameters reach depths of magABâââ22â23.5 in the 54 narrow band filters and up to 24 in the broader filters (5Ï in a 3âł aperture). The miniJPAS primary catalog contains more than 64â000 sources detected in the r band and with matched photometry in all other bands. This catalog is 99% complete at râ=â23.6 (râ=â22.7) mag for point-like (extended) sources. We show that our photometric redshifts have an accuracy better than 1% for all sources up to râ=â22.5, and a precision of â€0.3% for a subset consisting of about half of the sample. On this basis, we outline several scientific applications of our data, including the study of spatially-resolved stellar populations of nearby galaxies, the analysis of the large scale structure up to zââŒâ0.9, and the detection of large numbers of clusters and groups. Sub-percent redshift precision can also be reached for quasars, allowing for the study of the large-scale structure to be pushed to zâ>â2. The miniJPAS survey demonstrates the capability of the J-PAS filter system to accurately characterize a broad variety of sources and paves the way for the upcoming arrival of J-PAS, which will multiply this data by three orders of magnitude.Key words: surveys / techniques: photometric / astronomical databases: miscellaneous / stars: general / galaxies: general / cosmology: observationsâ miniJPAS data and associated value added catalogs are publicly available http://archive.cefca.es/catalogues/minijpas-pdr20191