A near infrared frequency comb for Y+J band astronomical spectroscopy

Radial velocity (RV) surveys supported by high precision wavelength references (notably ThAr lamps and I2 cells) have successfully identified hundreds of exoplanets; however, as the search for exoplanets moves to cooler, lower mass stars, the optimum wave band for observation for these objects moves into the near infrared (NIR) and new wavelength standards are required. To address this need we are following up our successful deployment of an H band(1.45-1.7{\mu}m) laser frequency comb based wavelength reference with a comb working in the Y and J bands (0.98-1.3{\mu}m). This comb will be optimized for use with a 50,000 resolution NIR spectrograph such as the Penn State Habitable Zone Planet Finder. We present design and performance details of the current Y+J band comb.Comment: Submitted to SPIE, conference proceedings 845

Utilisation des contours actifs ou « snake » pour l'extraction des arêtes de représentations temps-fréquences : Application à l'analyse des contractions utérines

L'analyse et la caractérisation des représentations temps-fréquences d'un signal réel est souvent complexe. Pour simplifier ces représentations, on utilise généralement leurs arêtes ou chaînes de maxima énergétiques locaux. Nous proposons dans ce travail, une approche originale pour l'extraction des arêtes basée sur une méthode de traitement d'image : les contours actifs ou « snakes » associée à la méthode Gradient Vector Flow ou méthode du flux du vecteur de gradient, comme force d'attraction du contour actif. La méthode GVF-snake, appliquée sur différentes représentations temps-fréquences et pour des signaux diversement bruités, est robuste comparée à une méthode classique de traitement du signal. Le temps d'exécution est principalement fonction de la taille du contour actif. De plus, les erreurs d'extraction sont relativement faibles, quelle que soit la situation étudiée. Cette nouvelle approche a aussi été testée sur des représentations temps-fréquences de contractions utérines enregistrées chez le singe pendant la grossesse. Les erreurs d'extraction obtenues sur ces signaux réels se sont aussi révélées meilleures que celles obtenues avec la méthode classique

A High-Resolution Atlas of Uranium-Neon in the H Band

We present a high-resolution (R ~ 50 000) atlas of a uranium-neon (U/Ne) hollow-cathode spectrum in the H-band (1454 nm to 1638 nm) for the calibration of near-infrared spectrographs. We obtained this U/Ne spectrum simultaneously with a laser-frequency comb spectrum, which we used to provide a first-order calibration to the U/Ne spectrum. We then calibrated the U/Ne spectrum using the recently-published uranium line list of Redman et al. (2011), which is derived from high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer measurements. These two independent calibrations allowed us to easily identify emission lines in the hollow cathode lamp that do not correspond to known (classified) lines of either uranium or neon, and to compare the achievable precision of each source. Our frequency comb precision was limited by modal noise and detector effects, while the U/Ne precision was limited primarily by the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the observed emission lines and our ability to model blended lines. The standard deviation in the dispersion solution residuals from the S/N-limited U/Ne hollow cathode lamp were 50% larger than the standard deviation of the dispersion solution residuals from the modal-noise-limited laser frequency comb. We advocate the use of U/Ne lamps for precision calibration of near-infrared spectrographs, and this H-band atlas makes these lamps significantly easier to use for wavelength calibration.Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, submitted and accepted in ApJSS. Online-only material to be published online by ApJS

Autonomous Navigation and Security: A 13000h/3000km Case Study

This paper presents the design of an autonomous mobile platform and its security system. The MB835 mobile platform has been adopted for RoboX, a fully autonomous tour guide robot. In 2002, 11 of these tour guides have served the Robotics exhibition at Expo.02 (Swiss National Exhibition) from May 15 to October 20. This project has been conjointly conducted by the Autonomous Systems Lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and BlueBotics SA the spin-off company of the lab, which has produced the robots. The goal was to maximize the autonomy and mobility of the platform while ensuring high performance, robustness and security. The paper presents the platform, its navigation and security, which resulted in the ANT product (Autonomous Navigation Technology) and the results of the Robotics exhibition as empirical validation of the whole system

The SDSS-III APOGEE Radial Velocity Survey of M dwarfs I: Description of Survey and Science Goals

We are carrying out a large ancillary program with the SDSS-III, using the fiber-fed multi-object NIR APOGEE spectrograph, to obtain high-resolution H-band spectra of more than 1200 M dwarfs. These observations are used to measure spectroscopic rotational velocities, radial velocities, physical stellar parameters, and variability of the target stars. Here, we describe the target selection for this survey and results from the first year of scientific observations based on spectra that is publicly available in the SDSS-III DR10 data release. As part of this paper we present RVs and vsini of over 200 M dwarfs, with a vsini precision of ~2 km/s and a measurement floor at vsini = 4 km/s. This survey significantly increases the number of M dwarfs studied for vsini and RV variability (at ~100-200 m/s), and will advance the target selection for planned RV and photometric searches for low mass exoplanets around M dwarfs, such as HPF, CARMENES, and TESS. Multiple epochs of radial velocity observations enable us to identify short period binaries, and AO imaging of a subset of stars enables the detection of possible stellar companions at larger separations. The high-resolution H-band APOGEE spectra provide the opportunity to measure physical stellar parameters such as effective temperatures and metallicities for many of these stars. At the culmination of this survey, we will have obtained multi-epoch spectra and RVs for over 1400 stars spanning spectral types of M0-L0, providing the largest set of NIR M dwarf spectra at high resolution, and more than doubling the number of known spectroscopic vsini values for M dwarfs. Furthermore, by modeling telluric lines to correct for small instrumental radial velocity shifts, we hope to achieve a relative velocity precision floor of 50 m/s for bright M dwarfs. We present preliminary results of this telluric modeling technique in this paper.Comment: Submitted to Astronomical Journa

The SDSS-III APOGEE Radial Velocity Survey Of M Dwarfs. I. Description Of The Survey And Science Goals

We are carrying out a large ancillary program with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, SDSS-III, using the fiber-fed multi-object near-infrared APOGEE spectrograph, to obtain high-resolution H-band spectra of more than 1200 M dwarfs. These observations will be used to measure spectroscopic rotational velocities, radial velocities, physical stellar parameters, and variability of the target stars. Here, we describe the target selection for this survey, as well as results from the first year of scientific observations based on spectra that will be publicly available in the SDSS-III DR 10 data release. As part of this paper we present radial velocities and rotational velocities of over 200 M dwarfs, with a v sin i precision of similar to 2 km s(-1) a measurement floor at v sin i = 4 km s(-1). This survey significantly increases the number of M dwarfs studied for rotational velocities and radial velocity variability (at similar to 100-200 m s(-1)), and will inform and advance the target selection for planned radial velocity and photometric searches for low-mass exoplanets around M dwarfs, such as the Habitable Zone Planet Finder, CARMENES, and TESS. Multiple epochs of radial velocity observations enable us to identify short period binaries, and adaptive optics imaging of a subset of stars enables the detection of possible stellar companions at larger separations. The high-resolution APOGEE spectra, covering the entire H band, provide the opportunity to measure physical stellar parameters such as effective temperatures and metallicities for many of these stars. At the culmination of this survey, we will have obtained multi-epoch spectra and radial velocities for over 1400 stars spanning the spectral range M0-L0, providing the largest set of near-infrared M dwarf spectra at high resolution, and more than doubling the number of known spectroscopic a sin i values for M dwarfs. Furthermore, by modeling telluric lines to correct for small instrumental radial velocity shifts, we hope to achieve a relative velocity precision floor of 50 m s(-1) for bright M dwarfs. With three or more epochs, this precision is adequate to detect substellar companions, including giant planets with short orbital periods, and flag them for higher-cadence followup. We present preliminary, and promising, results of this telluric modeling technique in this paper.Center for Exoplanets and Habitable WorldsPennsylvania State UniversityEberly College of SciencePennsylvania Space Grant ConsortiumNSF AST 1006676, AST 1126413National Science FoundationNational Aeronautics and Space Administration NNX-08AE38A, NNX13AB03GAlfred P. Sloan FoundationU.S. Department of Energy Oce of ScienceUniversity of ArizonaBrazilian Participation GroupBrookhaven National LaboratoryUniversity of CambridgeCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of FloridaFrench Participation GroupGerman Participation GroupHarvard UniversityInstituto de Astrosica de CanariasMichigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation GroupJohns Hopkins UniversityLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryMax Planck Institute for AstrophysicsMax Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial PhysicsNew Mexico State UniversityNew York UniversityOhio State UniversityUniversity of PortsmouthPrinceton UniversitySpanish Participation GroupUniversity of TokyoUniversity of UtahVanderbilt UniversityUniversity of VirginiaUniversity of WashingtonYale UniversityMcDonald Observator