327 research outputs found
Herschel SPIRE FTS Relative Spectral Response Calibration
Herschel/SPIRE Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) observations contain
emission from both the Herschel Telescope and the SPIRE Instrument itself, both
of which are typically orders of magnitude greater than the emission from the
astronomical source, and must be removed in order to recover the source
spectrum. The effects of the Herschel Telescope and the SPIRE Instrument are
removed during data reduction using relative spectral response calibration
curves and emission models. We present the evolution of the methods used to
derive the relative spectral response calibration curves for the SPIRE FTS. The
relationship between the calibration curves and the ultimate sensitivity of
calibrated SPIRE FTS data is discussed and the results from the derivation
methods are compared. These comparisons show that the latest derivation methods
result in calibration curves that impart a factor of between 2 and 100 less
noise to the overall error budget, which results in calibrated spectra for
individual observations whose noise is reduced by a factor of 2-3, with a gain
in the overall spectral sensitivity of 23% and 21% for the two detector bands,
respectively.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronom
Relative pointing offset analysis of calibration targets with repeated observations with Herschel-SPIRE Fourier-Transform Spectrometer
We present a method to derive the relative pointing offsets for SPIRE
Fourier-Transform Spectrometer (FTS) solar system object (SSO) calibration
targets, which were observed regularly throughout the Herschel mission. We
construct ratios of the spectra for all observations of a given source with
respect to a reference. The reference observation is selected iteratively to be
the one with the highest observed continuum. Assuming that any pointing offset
leads to an overall shift of the continuum level, then these ratios represent
the relative flux loss due to mispointing. The mispointing effects are more
pronounced for a smaller beam, so we consider only the FTS short wavelength
array (SSW, 958-1546 GHz) to derive a pointing correction. We obtain the
relative pointing offset by comparing the ratio to a grid of expected losses
for a model source at different distances from the centre of the beam, under
the assumption that the SSW FTS beam can be well approximated by a Gaussian. In
order to avoid dependency on the point source flux conversion, which uses a
particular observation of Uranus, we use extended source flux calibrated
spectra to construct the ratios for the SSOs. In order to account for continuum
variability, due to the changing distance from the Herschel telescope, the SSO
ratios are normalised by the expected model ratios for the corresponding
observing epoch. We confirm the accuracy of the derived pointing offset by
comparing the results with a number of control observations, where the actual
pointing of Herschel is known with good precision. Using the method we derived
pointing offsets for repeated observations of Uranus (including observations
centred on off-axis detectors), Neptune, Ceres and NGC7027. The results are
used to validate and improve the point-source flux calibration of the FTS.Comment: 17 pages, 19 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronom
Greening the Grey: A Framework for Integrated Green Grey Infrastructure (IGGI)
This report presents innovations from academia and practice designed to green grey infrastructure assets such as bridges, street furniture and coastal engineering structures that need to remain primarily grey for their essential function. We call this integrated green grey infrastructure (IGGI). We collated material on these innovations and assessed them using a critical success factors (CSF) framework that we –co-developed with a team of practitioners in government agencies and companies to help better evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of using IGGI measures compared to traditional grey engineering solutions. The CSF framework is outlined and demonstrated by assessing the engineering performance and ecosystem services benefits of ecological enhancements used in specific operational scale case studies. The case studies presented in this report show that simple, inexpensive ecological enhancement and green engineering solutions can deliver more multifunctional benefits than business as usual solutions for similar or reduced costs. These ecological enhancements and green engineering options have been compiled and assessed for historic conservation areas, urban areas, estuaries and at the coast. This report is intended to support asset managers, engineers, conservation and biodiversity teams, decision-makers, and other end-users to help them better identify IGGI options and evaluate these against business as usual grey engineering approaches
Herschel SPIRE Fourier Transform Spectrometer: Calibration of its Bright-source Mode
The Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) of the Spectral and Photometric
Imaging REceiver (SPIRE) on board the ESA Herschel Space Observatory has two
detector setting modes: (a) a nominal mode, which is optimized for observing
moderately bright to faint astronomical targets, and (b) a bright-source mode
recommended for sources significantly brighter than 500 Jy, within the SPIRE
FTS bandwidth of 446.7-1544 GHz (or 194-671 microns in wavelength), which
employs a reduced detector responsivity and out-of-phase analog signal
amplifier/demodulator. We address in detail the calibration issues unique to
the bright-source mode, describe the integration of the bright-mode data
processing into the existing pipeline for the nominal mode, and show that the
flux calibration accuracy of the bright-source mode is generally within 2% of
that of the nominal mode, and that the bright-source mode is 3 to 4 times less
sensitive than the nominal mode.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronom
Infrared Candidates for the Intense Galactic X-ray Source GX 17+2
We present new astrometric solutions and infrared Hubble Space Telescope
observations of GX 17+2 (X1813-140), one of the brightest X-ray sources on the
celestial sphere. Despite 30 years of intensive study, and the existence of a
strong radio counterpart with a sub-arcsecond position, the object remains
optically unidentified. The observed X-ray characteristics strongly suggest
that it is a so-called "Z-source," the rare but important category that
includes Sco X-1 and Cyg X-2. Use of the USNO-A2.0 catalog enables us to
measure the position of optical and infrared objects near the radio source to
sub-arcsecond precision within the International Celestial Reference Frame, for
direct comparison with the radio position, which we also recompute using modern
calibrators. With high confidence we eliminate the V~17.5 star NP Ser, often
listed as the probable optical counterpart of the X-ray source, as a candidate.
Our HST NICMOS observations show two faint objects within our 0.5" radius 90%
confidence error circle. Even the brighter of the two, Star A, is far fainter
than expected (H~19.8), given multiple estimates of the extinction in this
field and our previous understanding of Z sources, but it becomes the best
candidate for the counterpart of GX 17+2. The probability of a chance
coincidence of an unrelated faint object on the radio position is high.
However, if the true counterpart is not Star A, it is fainter still, and our
conclusion that the optical counterpart is surprisingly underluminous is but
strengthened.Comment: 15 pages including 3 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication
in The Astrophysical Journa
Herschel SPIRE FTS Spectral Mapping Calibration
The Herschel SPIRE Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) performs spectral
imaging in the 447-1546 GHz band. It can observe in three spatial sampling
modes: sparse mode, with a single pointing on sky, or intermediate or full
modes with 1 and 1/2 beam spacing, respectively. In this paper, we investigate
the uncertainty and repeatability for fully sampled FTS mapping observations.
The repeatability is characterised using nine observations of the Orion Bar.
Metrics are derived based on the ratio of the measured intensity in each
observation compared to that in the combined spectral cube from all
observations. The mean relative deviation is determined to be within 2%, and
the pixel-by-pixel scatter is ~7%. The scatter increases towards the edges of
the maps. The uncertainty in the frequency scale is also studied, and the
spread in the line centre velocity across the maps is found to be ~15 km/s.
Other causes of uncertainty are also discussed including the effect of pointing
and the additive uncertainty in the continuum.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental
Astronom
Developing a business case for greening hard coastal and estuarine infrastructure: preliminary results
This paper presents a new framework of critical success factors (CSF) that is being developed to aid approval of ecological enhancements and green engineering options in cities, historic conservation areas, estuaries and at the coast. This is intended to support asset managers, engineers, conservation and biodiversity teams, decision-makers, and other end-users. The CSF framework is outlined and demonstrated by assessing the engineering performance and ecosystem services benefits of ecological enhancements used in specific operational scale case studies. Where data availability permits, the costs and benefits of different greening approaches compared to ‘business as usual’ are assessed. Three coastal and estuarine case studies are presented to demonstrate how the framework can be applied to compare traditional engineering solutions to green-grey options. Results show that simple, inexpensive ecological enhancement and green engineering solutions can deliver more multifunctional benefits than business as usual solutions for similar or reduced costs. They also demonstrate that the CSF framework will be a powerful tool that can aid practitioners in evaluating green engineering solutions compared with business as usual
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