Angular Resolution Research Articles

Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) science: Resolving the hot and ionized Universe through the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect

An omnipresent feature of the multi-phase “cosmic web” — the large-scale filamentary backbone of the Universe — is that warm/hot (≳ 105 K) ionized gas pervades it. This gas constitutes a relevant contribution to the overall universal matter budget across multiple scales, from the several tens of Mpc-scale intergalactic filaments, to the Mpc intracluster medium (ICM), all the way down to the circumgalactic medium (CGM) surrounding individual galaxies, on scales from ∼ 1 kpc up to their respective virial radii (∼ 100 kpc). The study of the hot baryonic component of cosmic matter density represents a powerful means for constraining the intertwined evolution of galactic populations and large-scale cosmological structures, for tracing the matter assembly in the Universe and its thermal history. To this end, the Sunyaev-Zeldovich (SZ) effect provides the ideal observational tool for measurements out to the beginnings of structure formation. The SZ effect is caused by the scattering of the photons from the cosmic microwave background off the hot electrons embedded within cosmic structures, and provides a redshift-independent perspective on the thermal and kinematic properties of the warm/hot gas. Still, current and next-generation (sub)millimeter facilities have been providing only a partial view of the SZ Universe due to any combination of: limited angular resolution, spectral coverage, field of view, spatial dynamic range, sensitivity, or all of the above. In this paper, we motivate the development of a wide-field, broad-band, multi-chroic continuum instrument for the Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) by identifying the scientific drivers that will deepen our understanding of the complex thermal evolution of cosmic structures. On a technical side, this will necessarily require efficient multi-wavelength mapping of the SZ signal with an unprecedented spatial dynamic range (from arcsecond to degree scales) and we employ detailed theoretical forecasts to determine the key instrumental constraints for achieving our goals.

CO in the Draco nebula: the atomic–molecular transition

ABSTRACT This paper presents maps of the J=2-1 transition of CO towards the Draco nebula intermediate-velocity cloud (IVC). The maps cover 8500 square arcmin with a velocity resolution of 0.33 km s$^{-1}$ and angular resolution of 38 ${\rm arcsec}$, or 0.11 pc at the cloud distance of 600 pc. The mapped area includes all the emission detected by the Herschel satellite with 250 $\mu$m intensity >5 MJy sr−1. Previously published observations of the far-infrared (far-IR) emission and the 21 cm line of HI are used to derive the column density distribution of H$_2$ and the abundance ratio CO/H$_2$, as well as the distribution of the molecular fraction of hydrogen, which approaches 90 per cent over much of the brighter parts of the nebula. The CO emission is highly clumpy and closely resembles the structures seen in far-IR images. The kinematics of the CO show supersonic motions between clumps but near-thermal to trans-sonic motions within clumps, consistent with model predictions that the scale length for dissipation of supersonic turbulence should be $\sim 0.1$ pc, mediated by kinematic viscosity and/or ambipolar diffusion. Different parts of the nebula show evidence for a spread of molecular formation time-scales of a few 10$^5$ yr, comparable with the dynamical time-scale of the infalling gas. The IVC will likely merge with the Galactic interstellar medium in $\sim 10^7$ yr, and the densest clumps may form an unbound cluster of low-mass stars.

Wearable Loops for Dynamic Monitoring of Joint Flexion: A Machine Learning Approach

We present a machine learning driven system to monitor joint flexion angles during dynamic motion, using a wearable loop-based sensor. Our approach uses wearable loops to collect transmission coefficient data and an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with fine-tuned parameters to increase accuracy of the measured angles. We train and validate the ANN for sagittal plane flexion of a leg phantom emulating slow motion, walking, brisk walking, and jogging. We fabricate the loops on conductive threads and evaluate the effect of fabric drift via measurements in the absence and presence of fabric. In the absence of fabric, our model produced a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.90°, 6.11°, 5.90°, and 5.44° during slow motion, walking, brisk walking, and jogging. The presence of fabric degraded the RMSE to 8.97°, 7.21°, 9.41°, and 7.79°, respectively. Without the proposed ANN method, errors exceeded 35.07° for all scenarios. Proof-of-concept results on three human subjects further validate this performance. Our approach empowers feasibility of wearable loop sensors for motion capture in dynamic, real-world environments. Increasing speed of motion and the presence of fabric degrade sensor performance due to added noise. Nevertheless, the proposed framework is generalizable and can be expanded upon in the future to improve upon the reported angular resolution.

V892 Tau: A tidally perturbed circumbinary disc in a triple stellar system

V892 Tau is a young binary star surrounded by a circumbinary disc that shows hints of an interaction with the low-mass nearby star V892 Tau NE. The goal of this paper is to constrain the orbit of V892 Tau NE and to determine the resulting circumbinary disc dynamics. We present new ALMA observations of the V892 Tau circumbinary disc at a twice higher angular and spectral resolution. We modelled the data with V892 Tau as a triple system and performed a grid of hydrodynamical simulations testing several orbits of the companion. The simulation outputs were then post-processed to build synthetic maps that we compared to the observations. The 12CO emission of the disc shows clear non-Keplerian features such as spiral arms. When comparing the data with our synthetic observations, we interpreted these features as ongoing interactions with the companion. Our simulations indicate that an eccentricity of $e of the companion is needed to reproduce the observed disc extent and that a mutual inclination of $ i with the inner binary reproduces the measured disc tilt. In order to explain most of the features of the circumbinary disc, we propose that V892 Tau NE follows an orbit with a mild eccentricity $0.2 < e < 0.5$ and a mutual inclination of $30 i < 60 Such a misaligned companion suggests the disc is oscillating and precessing with time, stabilising in an intermediate plane with a non-zero mutual inclination with the inner binary. Given the orbital configuration, we show that the stability of future planets is compromised in the second half of the disc once the gas has dissipated.

SCExAO/CHARIS Multiwavelength High-contrast Imaging of the BD+45°598 Debris Disk

We present a multiwavelength (1.16–2.37 μm) view of the debris disk around BD+45°598, using the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics system paired with the Coronagraphic High Angular Resolution Imaging Spectrograph. With an assumed age of 23 Myr, this source allows us to study the early evolution of debris disks and search for forming planets. We fit a scattered light model to our disk using a differential evolution algorithm, and constrain its geometry. We find the disk to have a peak density radius of R 0 = 109.6 au, an inclination of i = 88.1°, and position angle PA = 111.0°. While we do not detect a substellar companion in the disk, our calculated contrast limits indicate sensitivity to planets as small as ∼10M Jup at a projected separation of 12 au of the star, and as small as ∼4M Jup beyond 38 au. When measuring intensity as a function of wavelength, the disk color constrains the minimum dust grain size within a range of ∼0.13–1.01 μm.

ALMA-IMF

Context. One of the central questions in astrophysics is the origin of the initial mass function (IMF). It is intrinsically linked to the processes from which it originates, and hence its connection with the core mass function (CMF) must be elucidated. Aims. We aim to measure the CMF in the evolved W33-Main star-forming protocluster to compare it with CMF recently obtained in other Galactic star-forming regions, including the ones that are part of the ALMA-IMF program. Methods. We used observations from the ALMA-IMF large programme: ~2′ × 2′ maps of emission from the continuum and selected lines at 1.3 mm and 3 mm observed by the ALMA 12m only antennas. Our angular resolution was typically 1″, that is, ~2400 au at a distance of 2.4 kpc. The lines we analysed are CO (2–1), SiO (5–4), N2H+ (1–0), H41α as well as He41α blended with C41α. We built a census of dense cores in the region, and we measured the associated CMF based on a core-dependent temperature value. Results. We confirmed the ‘evolved’ status of W33-Main by identifiying three H II regions within the field, and to a lesser extent based on the number and extension of N2H+ filaments. We produced a filtered core catalogue of 94 candidates that we refined to take into account the contamination of the continuum by free-free and line emission, obtaining 80 cores with masses that range from 0.03 to 13.2 M⊙. We fitted the resulting high-mass end of the CMF with a single power law of the form N(log(M)) ∝ Mα, obtaining α = −1.44−0.22+0.16, which is slightly steeper but consistent with the Salpeter index. We categorised our cores as prestellar and protostellar, mostly based on outflow activity and hot core nature. We found the prestellar CMF to be steeper than a Salpeter-like distribution, and the protostellar CMF to be slightly top heavy. We found a higher proportion of cores within the H II regions and their surroundings than in the rest of the field. We also found that the cores’ masses were rather low (maximum mass of ~13 M⊙). Conclusions. We find that star formation in W33-Main could be compatible with a ‘clump-fed’ scenario of star formation in an evolved cloud characterised by stellar feedback in the form of H II regions, and under the influence of massive stars outside the field. Our results differ from those found in less evolved young star-forming regions in the ALMA-IMF program. Further investigations are needed to elucidate the evolution of late CMFs towards the IMF over statistically significant samples.

Front-end electronics development of large-area SiPM arrays for high-precision single-photon time measurement

TRopIcal DEep-sea Neutrino Telescope (TRIDENT) plans to incorporate silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) with superior time resolution in addition to photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) into its detection units, namely hybrid Digital Optical Modules (hDOMs), to improve its angular resolution. However, the time resolution significantly degrades for large-area SiPMs due to the large detector capacitance, posing significant challenges for the readout electronics of SiPMs in hDOM. We analyzed the influences of series and parallel connections when constructing a large-area SiPM array and designed a series-parallel connection SiPM array with differential output. We also designed a high-speed pre-amplifier based on transformers (MABA-007159) and radio frequency amplifiers (BGA2803), and an analog multi-channel summing circuit based on operational amplifiers (LMH6629). We measured the single photon time resolution (SPTR) of a 4 × 4 SiPM (Hamamatsu S13360-3050PE) array (12 × 12 mm2) of approximately 300 ps FWHM. This front-end readout design enables the large-area SiPM array to achieve high-precision single photon time measurement in one readout channel.

End-to-end simulations of exoplanet detection with multiplexed volume Bragg gratings

Context. Direct imaging of exoplanets greatly enhances our ability to spectroscopically detect molecules in their atmospheres, but requires both excellent angular and spectral resolution. A highly promising approach uses multiplexed transmission gratings to achieve compressed sensing, but the published theoretical calculations are not realistic enough to determine whether the approach is feasible. Aims. We aim to determine the performance of recovering exoplanet signals of an instrument with multiplexed volume Bragg gratings in a full, detailed numerical simulation, specifically examining any effects caused by multiplexing several gratings. Methods. Our end-to-end simulation includes realistic stellar and planetary spectra, a closed-loop adaptive optics simulation, and rigorous coupled wave analysis to model the multiplexed gratings. We chose 20 passbands around expected methane absorption features that were optically combined using 20 gratings. Results. We find that exoplanet signals can be recovered down to contrasts of 10−6−10−7, without the addition of a coronagraph. Multiplexing a larger number of gratings improves the deepest recovered contrast, if photon noise is the dominant noise source. When residuals from our simple post-processing approach are the largest noise source, a larger number of multiplexed gratings decreases the performance, due to the stacking of the PSFs at different wavelengths. This is an artifact of our data reduction approach. Conclusions. We conclude that multiplexed Bragg gratings are a viable method to look for exoplanets with a compressed sensing approach, and additional gains may be made in post-processing.

Improved modeling of in-ice particle showers for IceCube event reconstruction

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory relies on an array of photomultiplier tubes to detect Cherenkov light produced by charged particles in the South Pole ice. IceCube data analyses depend on an in-depth characterization of the glacial ice, and on novel approaches in event reconstruction that utilize fast approximations of photoelectron yields. Here, a more accurate model is derived for event reconstruction that better captures our current knowledge of ice optical properties. When evaluated on a Monte Carlo simulation set, the median angular resolution for in-ice particle showers improves by over a factor of three compared to a reconstruction based on a simplified model of the ice. The most substantial improvement is obtained when including effects of birefringence due to the polycrystalline structure of the ice. When evaluated on data classified as particle showers in the high-energy starting events sample, a significantly improved description of the events is observed.

The Influence of the Sun and Moon on the Observation of Very High Energy Gamma-ray Sources Using EAS Arrays

With great advance of ground-based extensive air shower arrays, such as LHAASO and HAWC, many very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources have been discovered and are being monitored regardless of the day and the night. Hence, the Sun and Moon would have some impacts on the observation of gamma-ray sources, which have not been taken into account in previous analysis. In this paper, the influence of the Sun and Moon on the observation of very high energy gamma-ray sources when they are near the line of sight of the Sun or Moon is estimated. The tracks of all the known VHE sources are scanned and several VHE sources are found to be very close to the line of sight of the Sun or Moon during some period. The absorption of very high energy gamma rays by sunlight is estimated with detailed method and some useful conclusions are achieved. The main influence is the block of the Sun and Moon on gamma rays and the shadow on the cosmic ray background. The influence is investigated considering the detector angular resolution and some strategies on data analysis are proposed to avoid the underestimation of the gamma-ray emission.

A mechanistic study of grain boundary behaviour during irradiation-induced growth in zirconium

Grain boundaries play a significant role during deformation and can exhibit both beneficial and adverse effects on deformation behaviour during irradiation. For instance, macroscopic irradiation growth is increased by the presence of a high density of grain boundaries. Grain boundaries can act as sinks for point defects and barriers to dislocation motion. Thus, a mechanistic assessment of the impact of grain boundaries is essential for better understanding irradiation-induced deformation. The interplay between irradiation-induced microstructure and mechanical properties has been an area of research for many decades, but many uncertainties remain. In the present work, the deformation fields adjacent to grain boundaries in pure zirconium are investigated by using high angular resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HR-EBSD) after a period of irradiation growth. It is observed that the extent of grain boundary deformation is associated with the crystallographic orientation difference between adjacent grains. High-angle grain boundaries function as a deformation constraint, whereas a significant grain boundary migration occurs at some low-angle grain boundaries, which likely act as an active diffusion path for the irradiation-induced point defects. In addition, the change in residual strain fields associated with the irradiation damage is quantified with respect to a non-irradiated reference. A net change in the state of residual elastic strain in the order of ∼10−3 has been estimated for ∼8 dpa proton irradiation. Furthermore, the origin of residual elastic strain and lattice misorientation concentration along (0002) traces are discussed.

Quantitative Measurement and Evaluation of High-Resolution Ultrasonic Sound Fields using a Novel Automated Ultrasonic Immersion Scanner

Ultrasonic probes are an integral part of the automated ultrasonic non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) systems to detect and size the defects in a wide range of structural materials in production lines. A complete quantitative assessment of the performance characteristics of an application-specific UT probe is needed to be evaluated on the basis of the international standard DIN EN ISO 22232-2. This requirement of full assessment not only improves the quality assurance of the manufactured probes by evaluating the acceptance criteria but also provides the useful technical information to the end-user to optimize the automated ultrasonic testing on-site. In addition, the evaluation of probe characteristics should be carried periodically throughout their service life. In this work, we developed a novel high-precision ultrasonic immersion scanner to evaluate the full ultrasonic probe characteristics which include the squint angle measurement in three different reference planes (XY, XZ, and YZ), RF-signal and its frequency spectrum at water-steel interface, focal distance, focal range, focal width, focal length and also the angle of beam divergence in different planes of the sound field distribution. In the newly developed UT immersion scanner, for the first time, we successfully integrated the high-precision Hexapod with six axes to achieve a few micrometer (~15 µm) spatial-resolution in the measured sound field patterns and a good angular resolution (~0.05°) in the squint angle measurement. In addition, we used a verified UT instrument in accordance with the standard DIN EN ISO 22232-1 to obtain more accurate amplitude values (±0.5 dB) while scanning a test block. The automated scanning, data acquisition, evaluation, visualization and the automated test report generation are carried based on the standard DIN EN ISO 22232-2. The measured sound beam characteristics of both focused and non-focused application-specific ultrasonic probes with center frequencies ranging from 0.2 - 15 MHz using the pulse-echo technique on a 3 mm half-ball steel reflector are presented. In addition, the measured sound beams of an application-specific 5 MHz multi-element transmit-receive (TR) probe using the 3 mm flat-bottomed-hole (FBH) reflector in a steel reference plate are discussed. Finally, the quantitative analysis of the measured sound field results and the acceptance criteria in accordance with DIN EN ISO 22232-2 are discussed.

ALMA view of the L1448-mm protostellar system on disk scales: CH3OH and H13CN as new disk wind tracers

Protostellar disks are known to accrete; however, the exact mechanism that extracts the angular momentum and drives accretion in the low-ionization “dead” region of the disk is under debate. In recent years, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disk winds have become a popular solution. Even so, observations of these winds require both high spatial resolution (~10 s au) and high sensitivity, which has resulted in only a handful of MHD disk wind candidates to date. In this work we present high angular resolution (~30 au) ALMA observations of the emblematic L1448-mm protostellar system and find suggestive evidence for an MHD disk wind. The disk seen in dust continuum (~0.9 mm) has a radius of ~23 au. Rotating infall signatures in H13CO+ indicate a central mass of 0.4 ± 0.1 M⊙ and a centrifugal radius similar to the dust disk radius. Above the disk, we identify rotation signatures in the outflow traced by H13CN, CH3OH, and SO lines and find a kinematical structure consistent with theoretical predictions for MHD disk winds. This is the first detection of an MHD disk wind candidate in H13CN and CH3OH. The wind launching region estimated from cold MHD wind theory extends out to the disk edge. The magnetic lever arm parameter would be λϕ ≃ 1.7, in line with recent non-ideal MHD disk models. The estimated mass-loss rate is approximately four times the protostellar accretion rate (Ṁacc ≃ 2 × 10−6M⊙ yr−1) and suggests that the rotating wind could carry enough angular momentum to drive disk accretion.

Self-similarity of the magnetic field at different scales: The case of G31.41+0.31

Context. Dust polarization observations of the massive protocluster G31.41+0.31 carried out at ~1″ (~3750 au) resolution with the SMA at 870 µm have revealed one of the clearest examples to date of an hourglass-shaped magnetic field morphology in the high-mass regime. Additionally, ~O.″24 (~900 au) resolution observations with ALMA at 1.3 mm have confirmed these results. The next step is to investigate whether the magnetic field maintains its hourglass-shaped morphology down to circumstellar scales. Aims. To study the magnetic field morphology toward the four (proto)stars A, B, C, and D contained in G31.41+0.31 and examine whether the self-similarity observed at core scales (1″ and 0.″ 24 resolution) still holds at circumstellar scales, we carried out ALMA observations of the polarized dust continuum emission at 1.3 mm and 3.1 mm at an angular resolution of ~0.″068 (~250 au), sufficient to resolve the envelope emission of the embedded protostars. Methods. We used ALMA to perform full polarization observations at 233 GHz (Band 6) and 97.5 GHz (Band 3) with a synthesized beam of 0.″072 × 0.″064. We carried out polarization observations at two different wavelengths to confirm that the polarization traces magnetically aligned dust grains and is not due to dust self-scattering. Results. The polarized emission and the direction of the magnetic field obtained at the two wavelengths are basically the same, except for an area between the embedded sources C and B. In such an area, the emission at 1.3 mm could be optically thick and affected by dichroic extinction. In the rest of the core, the similarity of the emission at the two wavelengths suggests that the polarized emission is due to magnetically aligned grains. The polarized emission has been successfully modeled with a poloidal field with a small toroidal component on the order of 10% of the poloidal component, with a position angle ϕ = −63°, an inclination i = 50°, and a mass-to-flux ratio λ = 2.66. The magnetic field axis is oriented perpendicular to the NE-SW velocity gradient detected in the core. The strength of the plane-of-the-sky component of the mean magnetic field, estimated using both the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi and the polarization-intensity gradient methods, is in the range ~10−80 mG, for a density range 1.4 × 107−5 × 108 cm−3. The mass-to-flux ratio is in the range λ~1.9−3.0, which suggests that the core is “supercritical”. The polarization-intensity gradient method indicates that the magnetic field cannot prevent gravitational collapse inside the massive core. The collapse in the external part of the core is (slightly) sub-Alfvénic and becomes super-Alfvénic close to the center. Conclusions. Dust polarization measurements from large core scales to small circumstellar scales, in the hot molecular core G31.41+0.31 have confirmed the presence of a strong magnetic field with an hourglass-shaped morphology. This result suggests that the magnetic field could have a relevant role in regulating the star-forming process of massive stars at all scales, although it cannot prevent the collapse. However, it cannot be ruled out that the large opacity of the central region of the core may hinder the study of the magnetic field at circumstellar scales. Therefore, high-angular resolution observations at longer wavelengths, tracing optically thinner emission, are needed to confirm this self-similarity.

The Galactic latitude dependency of Faraday complexity in the S-PASS/ATCA RM catalogue

The S-band Polarisation All Sky Survey (SPASS/ATCA) rotation measure (RM) catalogue is the largest broadband RM catalogue to date, increasing the RM density in the sparse southern sky. Through analysis of this catalogue, we report a latitude dependency of the Faraday complexity of polarised sources in this catalogue within 10° of the Galactic plane towards the inner Galaxy. In this study, we aim to investigate this trend with follow-up observations using the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). We observe 95 polarised sources from the SPASS/ATCA RM catalogue at 1.1–3.1 GHz with ATCA’s 6 km configuration. We present Stokes QU fitting results and a comparative analysis with the SPASS/ATCA catalogue. We find an overall decrease in complexity in these sources with the higher angular resolution observations, with a complexity fraction of 42%, establishing that the majority of the complexity in the SPASS/ATCA sample is due to the mixing-in of diffuse Galactic emission at scales θ > 2.8′. Furthermore, we find a correlation between our observed small-scale complexity θ < 2.8′ and the Galactic spiral arms, which we interpret to be due to Galactic turbulence or small-scale polarised emission. These results emphasise the importance of considering the maximum angular scale to which the observations are sensitive in the classification of Faraday complexity; the effect of which can be more carefully investigated with SKA-precursor and pathfinder arrays (e.g. MeerKAT and ASKAP).

Large-field CO (J = 1−0) observations toward SNR G150.3+4.5

Aims. We aim to investigate the molecular environment of the supernova remnant (SNR) G150.3+4.5, and explore its association with ambient molecular clouds (MCs). Methods. We present large-field CO (J = 1−0) molecular line observations toward SNR G150.3+4.5, using the 13.7 m millimeter telescope of the Purple Mountain Observatory. The observations have an angular resolution of ~55″. We analyzed the spatial distribution of MCs in relation to the SNR shell detected in previous Urumqi λ 6 cm radio observations and examined the CO spectra for kinematics information. Results. We find that MCs within the velocity range of [−14, −2] km s−1 are spatially distributed along the radio shell of the SNR. Line broadening and asymmetries are observed in the CO spectra of the clouds. Moreover, we find that the molecular clouds around the shell have systematic velocity gradients in the position–velocity (PV) diagram. Both the morphology alignment and gas kinematics suggest that the SNR is associated with the ambient MCs at ~740 pc. Based on the CO gas distance, the dimension and the age of the SNR are estimated to be 40 pc × 33 pc and 3.8 × 104 yr, respectively. The very high energy emission of 1LHAASO J0428+5531 toward the SNR may originate from the interaction between the SNR and the surrounding MCs.

High-resolution 2D-DoA sequential algorithm of azimuth and elevation estimation in automotive distributed system of coherent MIMO radars

Objectives. One of the main tasks of radiolocation involves the problem of increasing spatial resolution of the targets in the case of limited aperture of the radar antenna array and short length of time samples (snapshots). Algorithms must be developed to provide high angular resolution and low computational complexity. In order to conform with the existing Advanced Driver Assistance Systems requirements, modern cars are equipped with more than one radar having a common signal processing scheme to improve performance during target detection, positioning, and recognition as compared to a single radar. The present study aims to develop a two-dimensional Direction-of-Arrival algorithm with low computation complexity as part of distributed coherent automotive radar system for cases involving short time samples (snapshots).Methods. A virtual antenna array formation algorithm is formulated according to the two-dimensional Capon method. A proposed modification of two-dimensional Capon algorithm is based on sequentially estimating the directions of arrival for the distributed radar system. The Monte Carlo method is used to compare the effectiveness of the considered algorithms.Results. The 2D-DoA sequential algorithm of azimuth and elevation estimation is proposed. The comparative analysis results for the developed algorithm and classical 2D Capon method based on numerical simulation using Monte Carlo method are presented. The proposed scheme of DoA estimation for coherent signal processing of distributed radars is shown to lead to an improvement of the main considered metrics representing the probability of correctly estimating the number of targets, mean square error, and square error compared to a single radar system. The proposed low-computational algorithm shows the gain in complexity compared to full 2D Capon algorithm.Conclusions. The proposed two-stage algorithm for estimating the directions of arrival of signals in azimuth and elevation planes can be applied to the distributed system of coherent radars with several receiving and transmitting antennas representing multiple input multiple output (MIMO) radars. The algorithm is based on sequentially estimating the directions of arrival, implying estimation in the azimuthal plane at the first stage and estimation in the vertical plane at the second stage. The performance of a coherent radar system with limited antenna array configuration of separate radar is close in characteristics to a high-performance 4D-radar with a large antenna array system.

Complex angular structure of three elliptical galaxies from high-resolution ALMA observations of strong gravitational lenses

The large-scale mass distributions of galaxy-scale strong lenses have long been assumed to be well described by a singular ellipsoidal power-law density profile with external shear. However, the inflexibility of this model could lead to systematic errors in astrophysical parameters inferred with gravitational lensing observables. Here, we present observations with the Atacama Large (sub-)Millimetre Array (ALMA) of three strongly lensed dusty star-forming galaxies at $ mas angular resolution and investigate the sensitivity of these data to angular structure in the lensing galaxies. We jointly infer the lensing mass distribution and the full surface brightness of the lensed sources with multipole expansions of the power-law density profile up to the fourth order using a technique developed for interferometric data. All three datasets strongly favour third and fourth-order multipole amplitudes of $ percent of the convergence. While the infrared stellar isophotes and isodensity shapes agree for one lens system, for the other two the isophotes disagree to varying extents, suggesting contributions to the angular structure from dark matter intrinsic or extrinsic to the lensing galaxy.

LOFAR Deep Fields: Probing the sub-mJy regime of polarized extragalactic sources in ELAIS-N1. I. The catalog

Quantifying the number density and physical characteristics of extragalactic polarized sources is important for the successful planning of future studies based on Faraday rotation measure (RM) grids of polarized sources to probe foreground Galactic and intergalactic magnetic fields. However, it is proving very hard to detect polarized signal from the population of very faint (sub-mJy) polarized sources at low radio frequencies, and their properties are mostly unknown. LOFAR can play an important role in such studies thanks to its sensitivity and angular resolution, combined with the precision on the inferred RM values that can be achieved through low-frequency broad-band polarimetry. The aim of this study is to probe the sub-mJy polarized source population with LOFAR. In this first paper, we present the method used to stack LOFAR polarization datasets, the resulting catalog of polarized sources, and the derived polarized source counts. The European Large Area ISO Survey-North 1 (ELAIS-N1) field, one of the deepest of the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) Deep Fields so far, was selected for a polarimetric study at 114.9–177.4 MHz. A total area of 25 deg$^2$ was imaged at 6"-resolution in the Stokes $Q$ and $U$ parameters. Alignment of polarization angles was done both in frequency and in Faraday space before stacking datasets from 19 eight-hour-long epochs taken in two different LOFAR observing cycles. A search for polarized sources was carried out in the final, stacked dataset, and the properties of the detected sources were examined. The depolarization level of sources known to be polarized at 1.4 GHz was quantified. A one-sigma noise level, $ QU $, of 19 mu Jy/beam was reached in the central part of the field after stacking. Twenty-five polarized sources were detected above 8$ QU $, five of which had not been detected in polarization at any other radio frequencies before. Seven additional polarized components were found by lowering the threshold to 6$ QU $ at positions corresponding to sources known to be polarized at 1.4 GHz. In two radio galaxies, polarization was detected from both radio lobes, so the final number of associated radio continuum sources is 31. The detected sources are weakly polarized, with a median degree of polarization of 1.75<!PCT!> for the sample of sources detected in polarized emission. For the 10 polarized sources previously identified in a pilot LOFAR study of the ELAIS-N1 field at 20"-resolution, the RM values are consistent but the degrees of polarization are higher in the 6"-resolution data. The sources previously detected in polarization at 1.4 GHz are significantly depolarized at 150 MHz. The catalog is used to derive the polarized source counts at 150 MHz. This is the deepest and highest-resolution polarization study at 150 MHz to date. A full characterization of the sources and an analysis of the catalog will be presented in Paper II.

High‐resolution 3D imaging by microwave photonic time division multiplexing‐multiple‐input‐multiple‐output radar with broadband digital beamforming

AbstractA broadband microwave photonic time division multiplexing (TDM) multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) radar is proposed in which photonic frequency quadrupling is adopted to generate broadband radar signals and photonic frequency mixing is implemented for de‐chirping processing of radar echoes. By utilising two radio frequency switches to control the signal transmission and reception, TDM‐MIMO mechanism is formed using a single microwave photonic radar transceiver. This microwave photonic TDM‐MIMO radar not only achieves high range resolution using broadband processing but also enables high angular resolution and forward‐looking imaging capability with low system complexity. Besides, a broadband digital beamforming (DBF) method is introduced to solve the broadband beam squint and broadening problems and implement near‐field correction. In the experiment, a microwave photonic TDM‐MIMO radar with an 8×8 T‐shape antenna array is established with a bandwidth of 8 GHz (18–26 GHz) in each channel. The range and angular resolutions are estimated to be ∼2 cm and ∼2°, respectively. Applying the broadband DBF method, high‐resolution 3D imaging of small targets is achieved with good focusing of targets and deep suppression of grating lobes and side lobes. Hence, the proposed microwave photonic TDM‐MIMO radar with broadband DBF provides a promising solution for high‐resolution 3D imaging.