Field Of Astronomy Research Articles

Machine learning applied to asteroid dynamics

Machine learning (ML) is the branch of computer science that studies computer algorithms that can learn from data. It is mainly divided into supervised learning, where the computer is presented with examples of entries, and the goal is to learn a general rule that maps inputs to outputs, and unsupervised learning, where no label is provided to the learning algorithm, leaving it alone to find structures. Deep learning is a branch of machine learning based on numerous layers of artificial neural networks, which are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks that constitute animal brains. In asteroid dynamics, machine learning methods have been recently used to identify members of asteroid families, small bodies images in astronomical fields, and to identify resonant arguments images of asteroids in three-body resonances, among other applications. Here, we will conduct a full review of available literature in the field and classify it in terms of metrics recently used by other authors to assess the state of the art of applications of machine learning in other astronomical subfields. For comparison, applications of machine learning to Solar System bodies, a larger area that includes imaging and spectrophotometry of small bodies, have already reached a state classified as progressing. Research communities and methodologies are more established, and the use of ML led to the discovery of new celestial objects or features, or new insights in the area. ML applied to asteroid dynamics, however, is still in the emerging phase, with smaller groups, methodologies still not well-established, and fewer papers producing discoveries or insights. Large observational surveys, like those conducted at the Zwicky Transient Facility or at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will produce in the next years very substantial datasets of orbital and physical properties for asteroids. Applications of ML for clustering, image identification, and anomaly detection, among others, are currently being developed and are expected of being of great help in the next few years.

CARIBBEAN ASTRONOMY FOR INCLUSION (CAI): TRANSFORMING “THEORY” ON INCLUSION INTO CONCRETE ACTIONS

Astronomy is the most fascinating science for the general public, and one of the most interdisciplinary existing subjects. This makes Astronomy an ideal subject to work on accessibility because through the teaching of Astronomy we can access a wide range of other topics. The population with disabilities is large, with high rates of unemployment. The main objective of CAI is this population, even in the most early stages of education. We are looking to provide accessible resources for the students with disabilities and reduce the gap that already exists in the professional field of Astronomy in our region, the Caribbean.

Content Analysis of Science Education Research in Special Education Journals

This study examines the special education studies on science education in the ERIC database. The main facts to be determined in the content analysis conducted in this study are as follows: subject types of special education studies in the field of science education, change of preferred studies according to years, main objectives, research methods, sample sizes, data collection tools, research method, data analysis method, the types of disabilities of the individuals in the samples, the level of education of the participants, the types of techniques used in the analyses. The articles reviewed in the study were searched in ERIC databases. As a result of the search, 87 articles were examined within the scope of science and special education in nineteen journals. Tables and figures were used to make the findings more understandable. According to study results: It has been concluded that both researchers working in the field of special education and researchers working in the field of science education do not want to conduct science education studies with individuals with special needs; the special education studies mainly were conducted in the field of science and technology; the studies were mainly focused to STEM; it was determined that the most studies were done in the field of science education and the least in the field of physics, chemistry, and astronomy; "Quasi-experimental" and "Multiple design" methods were preferred the most among the quantitative research methods.

Numerical and limited experimental study of 1150 nm signal amplification based on bismuth-doped fiber using 980 nm pumping

In this paper, a bismuth-doped fiber amplifier based on bismuth-aluminum-fluorine co-doping fiber is numerically simulated. The amplifier is a three-energy level structure with pump and signal wavelengths of 980 nm and 1150 nm. The different pump powers, signal powers, doping concentrations, and pump structures are adopted to investigate the effects on the gain and noise figure of the amplifier. Moreover, limited experimental results are utilized here to verify the applicability of the three-energy amplification system model to the bismuth-doped fiber amplifier (BDFA). The results show that the signal received a gain of more than 25 dB at a pump power of 500 mW for a signal input power of − 10 dBm under the forward pumping scheme, while the noise figure is around 3.2 dB. The forward pumping under the same conditions does not show a significant disadvantage compared to the bidirectional pumping, and the gain is only 1.6 % lower than the latter. In addition, the experimental results of single-mode BDFA still fit the three-energy system amplifier simulation model to some extent. The analysis supplies a positive reference for the development of amplifiers near 1150 nm, which has potential applications in medical or astronomical fields.

Astronomical Knowledge of Sangam Tamils through Sangam Literature

The ancient Tamils were the ones who closely observed the astronomical events and changes occurring in the sky every day and told the world the thoughts related to astronomy. Names like Kanyan Poongunranar, Kanimethaviyar, Pakkudukkai Nakkaniyar etc. are proof that there were many people who excelled in the field of astronomy in Tamil Nadu. Astronomer Sylator has said that Tamil's system of celestial arithmetic is the most moderate of all the mathematics involved. The history of the past reveals that the Tamil race has been deeply entrenched in scientific spirit and thought since ancient times. Based on scientific news, Tamil has the honour of creating literature two thousand years ago. The Tamilian who moved the wheel of life grounded on a scientific basis that day has recorded his scientific thoughts in Tamil. Even before the vernacular connection and its consequent mythological dependence were visible in Tamil, the idea of cosmic elements like the world, planets, constellations, etc., was prevalent in Classical Tamil literature. General science encompasses various disciplines like physics, chemistry, medicine, botany, zoology, astronomy, etc. Among these is the branch called astronomy, which helps to understand the various elements of space. Since astronomy is a growing discipline and has a guiding platform for many future studies, the messages related to astronomy seen in Sangam poems are examined in this article.

Ultrasensitive Ferroelectric Semiconductor Phototransistors for Photon‐Level Detection

AbstractLow‐light‐level photodetections are highly desired in the fields of astronomy and quantum information. However, the existing techniques suffer from high operation voltages and complexity of fabrication, which reduces its compatibility with complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) based read‐out circuit and prevent the use of imaging. Here, a low‐light‐level phototransistor that employs a photo‐induced ferroelectric reversal mechanism in a ferroelectric semiconductor channel: α‐In2Se3 is demonstrated. It shows a record‐low noise‐equivalent power of 7.9 × 10−22 W Hz−1/2, a record‐high specific detectivity of 6.34 × 1017 Jones, and sensitivity approaching 20 photons in a photon‐counting mode, and fast time response of 260 µs/50 ns in the rise/decay period. It also works as an optoelectronic memory with an on/off ratio of 2.9 × 105, retention of longer than 10 years, and endurance of more than 106 cycles. Due to its high performance, simple architecture, and small operation voltage, the phototransistor provides a feasible platform for new‐generation low‐light‐level image sensors.

A possible subclassification of fast radio bursts

Although fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been an active field in astronomy and cosmology, their origin is still unknown to date. One of the interesting topics is the classification of FRBs, which is closely related to the origin of FRBs. Different physical mechanisms are required by different classes of FRBs. In the literature, they usually could be classified into non-repeating and repeating FRBs. Well motivated by the observations, here we are interested in the possible subclassification of FRBs. By using the first CHIME/FRB catalog, we propose to subclassify non-repeating (type I) FRBs into type Ia and Ib FRBs. The distribution of type Ia FRBs is delayed with respect to the cosmic star formation history (SFH), and hence they are probably associated with old stellar populations, while the distribution of type Ib FRBs tracks SFH, and hence they are probably associated with young stellar populations. Accordingly, the physical criteria for this subclassification of type I FRBs have been clearly determined. We find that there are some tight empirical correlations for type Ia FRBs but not for type Ib FRBs, and vice versa. These make them different in physical properties. Similarly, we suggest that repeating (type II) FRBs could also be subclassified into type IIa and IIb FRBs. A universal subclassification scheme is given at the end. This subclassification of FRBs might help us to reveal quite different physical mechanisms behind them, and improve their applications in astronomy and cosmology.

Islamic Astronomy of Abbasid Era (750-1258 AD)

Astronomy is a particular field in Islam related to the interests of daily Muslim worship practices, such as determining the beginning of prayer times, qibla direction, and the beginning of the Qamariyah month. During the Abbasid period 750-1258 AD, especially during the reign of Abu Ja'far Al-Mansur, Harun Al-Rashid, and Al-Ma'mun, Islamic astronomy developed significantly. This can be seen from the emergence of astronomers. The love of the three Abbasid caliphs for science significantly influenced the policies related to development in science. The method used in this study is a qualitative method with historical analysis techniques. This study aims to add to the enrichment of historical treasures related to the development of science, especially astronomy, during the Abbasid period. Meanwhile, astronomy during the Abbasid period also had many scientific sources that needed to be studied more comprehensively. That is, many scientific figures in astronomy have never been specifically studied. Therefore, the study of astronomy today in higher education must also seriously focus on learning classical knowledge. This paper discusses the Abbasid state in developing science during its reign by looking at it from the perspective of significant scientific developments during the leadership of its caliph, which was indirectly influenced by socio-religious and intellectual conditions in his time. During the Abbasid era, the progress of science had reached its golden age, especially in Islamic astronomy which had contributed to the development of its science in the field of astronomy in the period after that until now.

Patent activity in the field of graphene microwave path elements GHZ range from the point of view of import independence

The patent activity in the field of graphene microwave path elements the GHz range is analyzed from 2004 (the year of graphene discovery) to the present from the point of view of import independence. The articles from SCOPUS and WoS were taken into account in analysis in addition to patents. The search was conducted by countries: Russia, USA, China, India, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, Iran, Malaysia; by branch of knowledge: technical applications, energy, applications in chemical technology, biotechnology, chemistry, applications in computer technology, applications of mathematics, also materials science and the field of physics and astronomy. The patent research methodology is based on conducting searches through a combination keywords, and IPC indexes. Statistical analysis of patent documents selected because of the search illustrates the main conclusions regarding inventive activity in the research area by IPC indices years of priority, countries.

How to Use the Italian Astronomical Heritage for the Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge in the Society

Astronomical Observatories are the most ancient scientific institutes in Italy. They preserve an incredible treasure made by rare books, astronomical sketches, documents and letters, and a noteworthy instrument collection used to realize discoveries and studies in the fields of classical astronomy and astrophysics. In the last few years the National Institute for Astrophysics has promoted a project to preserve, catalogue, and present a great part of the Italian astronomical heritage on the web with “Polvere di stelle”, the gate to arrive at the origin of modern astronomy in Italy. The studies made by some Italian researchers on the history of observatories, on the development of the astronomical instruments, on astronomers and their discoveries, activities, and scientific journeys, have revealed a complex pattern of relationships with other scientific and cultural communities, politicians and the society of their time. So you can study the foundation of Padua and Naples Observatories and you have to talk of Napoleon, Murat, and the Congress of Vienna. You can trace the birth of astrophysics and run into the events of the unification of Italy. Or you can be involved in the biographical study of Schiaparelli and you find yourself talking about archeology and fashion. And vice versa.To disseminate the scientific culture, and valorize the Italian astronomical heritage in a much wider context, we have realized exhibits, laboratories, and theatrical experiences to give life to cultural heritage. Through a powerful emotional involvement, these methods of non-formal communication of science establish a strong relationship between performers and spectators and give a more homogeneous view of the work of astronomers, and the cultural heritage they have left behind.This paper illustrates the projects we have created and the results obtained to transform the history of astronomy into the men’s stories.

Semiempirical Potential in Kinetics Calculations on the HC3N + CN Reaction.

The reaction between the cyano radical CN and cyanoacetylene molecule HCN is of great interest in different astronomical fields, from star-forming regions to planetary atmospheres. In this work, we present a new synergistic theoretical approach for the derivation of the rate coefficient for gas phase neutral-neutral reactions. Statistic RRKM calculations on the Potential Energy Surface are coupled with a semiempirical analysis of the initial bimolecular interaction. The value of the rate coefficient for the HCN + CN → H + NCCCCN reaction obtained with this method is compared with previous theoretical and experimental investigations, showing strengths and weaknesses of the new presented approach.

AlgoSCR: an algorithm for solar contamination removal from radio interferometric data

ABSTRACT Hydrogen intensity mapping is a new field in astronomy that promises to make three-dimensional maps of the matter distribution of the Universe using the redshifted $21\, \textrm {cm}$ line of neutral hydrogen gas (HI). Several ongoing and upcoming radio interferometers, such as Tianlai, CHIME, HERA, HIRAX, etc., are using this technique. These instruments are designed to map large swaths of the sky by drift scanning over periods of many months. One of the challenges of the observations is that the daytime data are contaminated by strong radio signals from the Sun. In the case of Tianlai, this results in almost half of the measured data being unusable. We try to address this issue by developing an algorithm for solar contamination removal (AlgoSCR) from the radio data. The algorithm is based on an eigenvalue analysis of the visibility matrix and hence is applicable only to interferometers. We apply AlgoSCR to simulated visibilities, as well as real daytime data from the Tianlai dish array. The algorithm can reduce strong solar contamination by about 95 per cent without seriously affecting other weaker sky signals and thus makes the data usable for certain applications.

Pulsar Star Detection: A Comparative Analysis of Classification Algorithms using SMOTE

A Pulsar is a highly magnetized rotating compact star whose magnetic poles emit beams of radiation. The application of pulsar stars has a great application in the field of astronomical study. Applications like the existence of gravitational radiation can be indirectly confirmed from the observation of pulsars in a binary neutron star system. Therefore, the identification of pulsars is necessary for the study of gravitational waves and general relativity. Detection of pulsars in the universe can help research in the field of astrophysics. At present, there are millions of pulsar candidates present to be searched. Machine learning techniques can help detect pulsars from such a large number of candidates. The paper discusses nine common classification algorithms for the prediction of pulsar stars and then compares their performances using various classification metrics such as classification accuracy, precision and recall value, ROC score and f-score on both balanced and unbalanced data. SMOTE-technique is used to balance the data for better results. Among the nine algorithms, XGBoosting algorithm achieved the best results. The paper is concluded with prospects of machine learning for pulsar detection in the field of astronomy.

SUPPNet: Neural network for stellar spectrum normalisation

Context. Precise continuum normalisation of merged échelle spectra is a demanding task that is necessary for various detailed spectroscopic analyses. Automatic methods have limited effectiveness due to the variety of features present in the spectra of stars. This complexity often leads to the necessity for manual normalisation which is highly time-consuming. Aims. The aim of this work is to develop a fully automated normalisation tool that works with order-merged spectra and offers flexible manual fine-tuning, if necessary. Methods. The core of the proposed method uses the novel, fully convolutional deep neural network (SUPP Network) that was trained to predict a pseudo-continuum. The post-processing step uses smoothing splines that give access to regressed knots, which are useful for optional manual corrections. The active learning technique was applied to deal with possible biases that may arise from training with synthetic spectra and to extend the applicability of the proposed method to features absent in this kind of spectra. Results. The developed normalisation method was tested with high-resolution spectra of stars with spectral types from O to G, and gives a root mean squared (RMS) error over the set of test stars equal to 0.0128 in the spectral range from 3900 Å to 7000 Å and 0.0081 in the range from 4200 Å to 7000 Å. Experiments with synthetic spectra give a RMS of the order of 0.0050. Conclusions. The proposed method leads to results that are comparable to careful manual normalisation. Additionally, this approach is general and can be used in other fields of astronomy where background modelling or trend removal is a part of data processing.

Development and validation of an astronomy self-efficacy instrument for understanding and doing

This paper presents a new astronomy self efficacy instrument, composed of two factors, one relating to learning astronomy content, which we call astronomy personal self efficacy, and the other relating to the use of astronomical instrumentation, specifically the use of remote robotic telescopes for data collection. The latter is referred to as the astronomy instrumental self efficacy factor. The instrument has been tested for reliability and construct validity. Reliability testing showed that factor 1 had a Cronbachs alpha of 0.901 and factor 2 had a Cronbachs alpha of 0.937. Construct validity was established by computing one way analyses of variances, with the p value suitably protected, using independent variables peripherally related to the constructs. These analyses demonstrate that both scales possess high construct validity. The development of this astronomy specific instrument is an important step in evaluating self efficacy as a precursor to investigating the construct of science identity in the field of astronomy.

Survey for Distant Solar Twins (SDST) – I. epic method for stellar parameter measurement

ABSTRACT Solar twins are stars of key importance to the field of astronomy and offer a multitude of science applications. Only a small number (≲200) of solar twins are known today, all of which are relatively close to our Sun (${\lesssim}{800}\, {\rm pc}$). The goal of our Survey for Distant Solar Twins (SDST) is to identify many more solar twin and solar analogue stars out to much larger distances (${\sim}{4}\, {\rm kpc}$). In this paper, we present a new method to identify solar twins using relatively low S/N, medium resolving power ($R\sim 28\, 000$) spectra that will be typical of such distant targets observed with HERMES on the ${3.9}\, {\rm m}$ Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT). We developed a novel approach, namely epic, to measure stellar parameters (SPs) which we use to identify stars similar to our Sun. epic determines the stellar atmospheric parameters (effective temperature Teff, surface gravity log g, and metallicity [Fe/H]) using differential equivalent width (EW) measurements of selected spectroscopic absorption features and a simple model, trained on previously analysed spectra, that connects these EWs to the SPs. The reference for the EW measurements is a high S/N solar spectrum which is used to minimize several systematic effects. epic is fast, optimized for Sun-like stars and yields SP measurements with small enough uncertainties to enable spectroscopic identification of solar twin and analogue stars up to ${\sim}{4}\, {\rm kpc}$ away using AAT/HERMES, i.e. $\sigma \left(T_{\mathrm{eff}}, \log g, \textrm {[Fe/H]}\right) = \left({50}\, {\rm K}, {0.08}\, {\rm dex}, {0.03}\, {\rm dex}\right)$ on average at S/N = 25.

Ultrahigh-energy γ-Rays from Past Explosions in Our Galaxy

Abstract The discovery of the sources of ultrahigh-energy photons in our Galaxy by the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov Gamma-ray Observatory and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) has revolutionized the field of gamma-ray astronomy in the last few years. These emissions are sometimes found in the vicinity of powerful pulsars or supernova remnants (SNRs) associated with giant molecular clouds (GMCs). Inverse Compton emission by shock-accelerated electrons emitted by pulsars and proton–proton interactions of shock-accelerated protons emitted by SNRs with cold protons in molecular clouds are often identified as the causes of these emissions. In this paper we have selected two ultrahigh-energy photon sources, LHAASO J2108+5157 and LHAASO J0341+5258, which are associated with GMCs, but no powerful pulsar or SNR has been detected in their vicinity. We have proposed a scenario where shock-accelerated electrons and protons are injected in the local environment of these sources from past explosions, which happened thousands of years ago. We show that the observed ultrahigh-energy photon flux can be explained with the secondary gamma rays produced by the time-evolved relativistic electron and proton spectra.

Opinions of Middle School Students on the Concept of Science and the Use of Robotic Systems

In this research, in the “Artvin gets Color with Science and Robotics-2”project, which was supported with the Project number 121B899 within the scope of the 2020/1 call period launched in the 15thyear of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) 4004-Nature Education and Science Schools Support Program, students were taught in science, robotics, artificial intelligence, It is aimed to examine his views on the concept of science and the use of robotic systems after active learning and by doing different scientific activities in the fields of astronomy and nature. The Project was carried out with the participation of 30 secondary school 6th and 7th grade students. Student personal information form, robotic pre-questionnaire, robotic satisfaction test, “What do you think is science?” and “If you were a scientist, what would you like to invent?” were used as data collection tools in the research. A two-question questionnaire and a semi-structured form for robotics activities were used. Quantitative data obtained from the research were analyzed according to the content analysis method in qualitative data by giving frequency and percentage values. From the analysis of the data obtained, it was determined that the project made a positive contribution to the students' perspectives on science and robotics. As a result of the study, students’ defined science as the effort to improve people's living conditions, to investigate unknown events in the universe and the world, to research, discover, produce and develop new things, and to change the World and people in which we live.

Fast radio burst distributions consistent with the first CHIME/FRB catalog

Currently, fast radio bursts (FRBs) have become a very active field in astronomy and cosmology. However, the origin of FRBs is still unknown to date. The studies on the intrinsic FRB distributions might help us to reveal the possible origins of FRBs, and improve the simulations for FRB cosmology. Recently, the first CHIME/FRB catalog of 536 events was released. Such a large uniform sample of FRBs detected by a single telescope is very valuable to test the FRB distributions. Later, it has been claimed that the FRB distribution model tracking the cosmic star formation history (SFH) was rejected by the first CHIME/FRB catalog. In the present work, we consider some empirical FRB distribution models, and find that many of them can be fully consistent with the CHIME/FRB observational data for some suitable model parameters. Notice that a suppressed evolution with respect to SFH is commonly found for FRBs. In particular, we independently confirm that the FRB distribution model tracking SFH can be rejected at very high confidence. On the other hand, all the "successful" models effectively require a certain degree of "delay" with respect to SFH. These results might shed light on the origin of FRBs and FRB cosmology.

MaLeFiSenta: Machine Learning for FilamentS Identification and Orientation in the ISM

Filament identification became a key step to tackling fundamental problems in various fields of Astronomy. Nevertheless, existing filament identification algorithms are critically user-dependent and require individual parametrization. In this study, we aimed at adapting the neural networks approach to elaborate the best model for filament identification that would not require fine-tuning for a given astronomical map. First, we created training samples based on the most commonly used maps of the interstellar medium obtained by Planck and Herschel space telescopes and the atomic hydrogen all-sky survey HI4PI. We used the Rolling Hough Transform, a widely used algorithm for filament identification, to produce training outputs. In the next step, we trained different neural network models and discovered that a combination of the Mask R-CNN and U-Net architecture is most appropriate for filament identification and determination of their orientation angles. We showed that neural network training might be performed efficiently on a relatively small training sample of only around 100 maps. Our approach eliminates the parametrization bias and facilitates filament identification and angle determination on large data sets.