Ultraviolet Telescope Research Articles

Data‐driven modeling of the solar wind from 1 Rs to 1 AU

AbstractWe present here a time‐dependent three‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) solar wind simulation from the solar surface to the Earth's orbit driven by time‐varying line‐of‐sight solar magnetic field data. The simulation is based on the three‐dimensional (3‐D) solar‐interplanetary (SIP) adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) space‐time conservation element and solution element (CESE) MHD (SIP‐AMR‐CESE MHD) model. In this simulation, we first achieve the initial solar wind background with the time‐relaxation method by inputting a potential field obtained from the synoptic photospheric magnetic field and then generate the time‐evolving solar wind by advancing the initial 3‐D solar wind background with continuously varying photospheric magnetic field. The model updates the inner boundary conditions by using the projected normal characteristic method, inputting the high‐cadence photospheric magnetic field data corrected by solar differential rotation, and limiting the mass flux escaping from the solar photosphere. We investigate the solar wind evolution from 1 July to 11 August 2008 with the model driven by the consecutive synoptic maps from the Global Oscillation Network Group. We compare the numerical results with the previous studies on the solar wind, the solar coronal observations from the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope board on Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, and the measurements from OMNI at 1 astronomical unit (AU). Comparisons show that the present data‐driven MHD model's results have overall good agreement with the large‐scale dynamical coronal and interplanetary structures, including the sizes and distributions of the coronal holes, the positions and shapes of the streamer belts, the heliocentric distances of the Alfvénic surface, and the transitions of the solar wind speeds. However, the model fails to capture the small‐sized equatorial holes, and the modeled solar wind near 1 AU has a somewhat higher density and weaker magnetic field strength than observed. Perhaps better preprocessing of high‐cadence observed photospheric magnetic field (particularly 3‐D global measurements), combined with plasma measurements and higher resolution grids, will enable the data‐driven model to more accurately capture the time‐dependent changes of the ambient solar wind for further improvements. In addition, other measures may also be needed when the model is employed in the period of high solar activity.

Astrometric Support for the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope

The Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT) is an astronomical instrument aboard Chang’e 3, the lunar probe of China’s Lunar Exploration Program that successfully landed on the northern part of the Moon’s Mare Imbrium (340.4884E, 44.1214N) in late 2013. LUT is charting an ultraviolet map of the plane of the Milky Way and is also providing long-term light variability monitoring for a sample of RR Lyrae stars. However, the principal goal of the computer-controlled landing of the probe was a safe descent to a stable resting-place, and therefore, the precise orientation of LUT was never a priority. For this reason, at least theoretically, touch-down could have occurred anywhere and, for LUT, at any attitude, which would make the pointing and tracking of the wanted celestial objects practically impossible. Moreover, to reduce the data transmission load, the whole frame of every exposure could not be downloaded: only the image data containing the objects can make it to the ground; also, in order to save on electricity, the telescope does not usually track objects, which means that targets’ accurate positions and velocities (within the focal plane CCD) are both needed. This paper presents the astrometric solution devised to solve these problems: feasibility is first shown with experiments done from Earth, and then confirmed with actual LUT observations from the Moon’s surface.

18-Months operation of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope: a highly stable photometric performance

We here report the photometric performance of Lunar-based Ultraviolet telescope (LUT), the first robotic telescope working on the Moon, for its 18-months operation. In total, 17 IUE standards have been observed in 51 runs until June 2015, which returns a highly stable photometric performance during the past 18 months (i.e., no evolution of photometric performance with time). The magnitude zero point is determined to be $17.53\pm0.05$ mag, which is not only highly consistent with the results based on its first 6-months operation, but also independent on the spectral type of the standard from which the magnitude zero point is determined. The implications of this stable performance is discussed, and is useful for next generation lunar-based astronomical observations.

DIVISION D COMMISSION 44: SPACE AND HIGH-ENERGY ASTROPHYSICS

Division XI, the predecessor to Division D until 2012, was formed in 1994 at the IAU General Assembly in The Hague by merging Commission 44 Astronomy from Space and Commission 48 High Energy Astrophysics. Historically, space astrophysics started with the high energy wavelengths (far UV, X-ray, and gamma-ray astronomy) which are only accessible from space. However, in modern astronomy, to study high energy astrophysical processes, almost all wavelengths are used (including gamma-ray, X-ray, UV, optical, infrared, submillimeter and radio). In addition other ground-based facilities, including gravitational wave antennas, neutrino detectors and high-energy cosmic ray arrays are joining in this era of multi-messenger astrophysics, as well as space missions with the primary goals to discover and study exoplanets, are under the umbrella of Division XI.

Data processing pipeline for pointing observations of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope

We describe the data processing pipeline developed to reduce the pointing observation data of Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT), which belongs to the Chang’e-3 mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The pointing observation program of LUT is dedicated to monitor variable objects in a near-ultraviolet (245–345 nm) band. LUT works in lunar daytime for sufficient power supply, so some special data processing strategies have been developed for the pipeline. The procedures of the pipeline include stray light removing, astrometry, flat fielding employing superflat technique, source extraction and cosmic rays rejection, aperture and PSF photometry, aperture correction, and catalogues archiving, etc. It has been intensively tested and works smoothly with observation data. The photometric accuracy is typically ∼0.02 mag for LUT 10 mag stars (30 s exposure), with errors come from background noises, residuals of stray light removing, and flat fielding related errors. The accuracy degrades to be ∼0.2 mag for stars of 13.5 mag which is the $5\sigma$ detection limit of LUT.

High-performance solar-blind ultraviolet photodetector based on electrospun TiO2-ZnTiO3 heterojunction nanowires

High-performance solar-blind UV (ultraviolet) photodetectors (PDs) based on low-dimension semiconducting nanostructures with high sensitivity, excellent cycle stability, and the ability to operate in harsh environments are critical for solar observations, space communication, UV astronomy, and missile tracking. In this study, TiO2-ZnTiO3 heterojunction nanowire-based PDs are successfully developed and used to detect solar-blind UV light. A photoconductive analysis indicates that the fabricated PDs are sensitive to UV illumination, with high sensitivity, good stability, and high reproducibility. Further analysis indicates that the rich existence of grain boundaries within the TiO2-ZnTiO3 nanowire can greatly decrease the dark current and recombination of the electron-hole pairs and thereby significantly increase the device’s photosensitivity, spectra responsivity (1.1 × 106), and external quantum efficiency (4.3 × 108 %). Moreover, the PDs exhibit good photodetective performance with fast photoresponse and recovery and excellent thermal stability at temperatures as high as 175 °C. According to these results, TiO2-ZnTiO3 heterojunction nanowires exhibit great potential for applications in high-performance optical electronics and PDs, particularly next-generation photodetectors with the ability to operate in harsh environments.

Photometric Calibration of the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope for Its First Six Months of Operation on the Lunar Surface**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

We describe the photometric calibration of the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope (LUT), the first robotic astronomical telescope working on the lunar surface, for its first six months of operation on the lunar surface. Two spectral datasets (set A and B) from near-ultraviolet (NUV) to the optical band were constructed with 44 International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) standards, because of the LUT's relatively wide wavelength coverage. Set A was obtained by extrapolating the IUE NUV spectra (λ < 3200 Å) to the optical band based upon the theoretical spectra of stellar atmosphere models. Set B was composed of theoretical spectra from 2000 Å to 8000 Å extracted from the same model grid. In total, seven standards have been observed in 15 observational runs until May 2014. The calibration results show that the photometric performance of LUT is highly stable in its first six months of operation. The magnitude zero points obtained from the two spectral datasets are also consistent with each other, i.e., zp = 17.54 ± 0.09 mag (set A) and zp = 17.52 ± 0.07 mag (set B).

The Chang’e 3 Mission Overview

The Chang’e 3 (CE-3) mission was implemented as the first lander/rover mission of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP). After its successful launch at 01:30 local time on December 2, 2013, CE-3 was inserted into an eccentric polar lunar orbit on December 6, and landed to the east of a 430 m crater in northwestern Mare Imbrium (19.51°W, 44.12°N) at 21:11 on December 14, 2013. The Yutu rover separated from the lander at 04:35, December 15, and traversed for a total of 0.114 km. Acquisition of science data began during the descent of the lander and will continue for 12 months during the nominal mission. The CE-3 lander and rover each carry four science instruments. Instruments on the lander are: Landing Camera (LCAM), Terrain Camera (TCAM), Extreme Ultraviolet Camera (EUVC), and Moon-based Ultraviolet Telescope (MUVT). The four instruments on the rover are: Panoramic Camera (PCAM), VIS-NIR Imaging Spectrometer (VNIS), Active Particle induced X-ray Spectrometer (APXS), and Lunar Penetrating Radar (LPR). The science objectives of the CE-3 mission include: (1) investigation of the morphological features and geological structures of and near the landing area; (2) integrated in-situ analysis of mineral and chemical composition of and near the landing area; and (3) exploration of the terrestrial-lunar space environment and lunar-based astronomical observations. This paper describes the CE-3 objectives and measurements that address the science objectives outlined by the Comprehensive Demonstration Report of Phase II of CLEP. The CE-3 team has archived the initial science data, and we describe data accessibility by the science community.

James Webb, Son of Hubble

During its 25 years, the Hubble Space Telescope has become an iconic instrument and its spectacular images have had an important impact on the public perception of science, and astronomy in particular. NASA follows the iconic Hubble with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is planned for launch in 2018. Although we may consider JWST to be the son, or possibly younger brother of the Hubble, it is interesting to contrast the two telescopes in a technical sense. While JWST is the scientific successor of HST, it is a very different type of telescope. JWST will observe exclusively in the infrared, while HST was mostly an optical and ultraviolet telescope, with some capability in the near infrared.

An unprecedented constraint on water content in the sunlit lunar exosphere seen by Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope of Chang׳e-3 mission

The content of OH/H2O molecules in the tenuous exosphere of the Moon is still an open issue at present. We here report an unprecedented upper limit of the content of the OH radicals, which is obtained from the in situ measurements carried out by the Lunar-based Ultraviolet Telescope, a payload of Chinese Chang׳e-3 mission. By analyzing the diffuse background in the images taken by the telescope, the column density and surface concentration of the OH radicals are inferred to be <1011cm−2 and <104cm−3 (by assuming a hydrostatic equilibrium with a scale height of 100km), respectively, by assuming that the recorded background is fully contributed by their resonance fluorescence emission. The resulted concentration is lower than the previously reported value by about two orders of magnitude, and is close to the prediction of the sputtering model. In addition, the same measurements and method allow us to derive a surface concentration of <102cm−3 for the neutral magnesium, which is lower than the previously reported upper limit by about two orders of magnitude. These results are the best known of the OH (MgI) content in the lunar exosphere to date.

Current Star Formation in the Outer Rings among Early-type Disk Galaxies

AbstractWe use ARRAKIS, the atlas of stellar rings in galaxies (

Supervised classification of solar features using prior information

Context: The Sun as seen by Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) telescopes exhibits a variety of large-scale structures. Of particular interest for space-weather applications is the extraction of active regions (AR) and coronal holes (CH). The next generation of GOESR satellites will provide continuous monitoring of the solar corona in six EUV bandpasses that are similar to the ones provided by the SDO-AIA EUV telescope since May 2010. Supervised segmentations of EUV images that are consistent with manual segmentations by for example space-weather forecasters help in extracting useful information from the raw data. Aims: We present a supervised segmentation method that is based on the Maximum A Posteriori rule. Our method allows integrating both manually segmented images as well as other type of information. It is applied on SDO-AIA images to segment them into AR, CH, and the remaining Quiet Sun (QS) part. Methods: A Bayesian classifier is applied on training masks provided by the user. The noise structure in EUV images is nontrivial, and this suggests the use of a non-parametric kernel density estimator to fit the intensity distribution within each class. Under the Naive Bayes assumption we can add information such as latitude distribution and total coverage of each class in a consistent manner. Those information can be prescribed by an expert or estimated with an Expectation-Maximization algorithm. Results: The segmentation masks are in line with the training masks given as input and show consistency over time. Introduction of additional information besides pixel intensity improves upon the quality of the final segmentation. Conclusions: Such a tool can aid in building automated segmentations that are consistent with some ground truth’ defined by the users.

The Chang’e-3 lander and rover mission to the Moon

The Chang’e-3 (CE-3) lander and rover mission to the Moon was an intermediate step in China’s lunar exploration program, which will be followed by a sample return mission. The lander was equipped with a number of remote-sensing instruments including a pair of cameras (Landing Camera and Terrain Camera) for recording the landing process and surveying terrain, an extreme ultraviolet camera for monitoring activities in the Earth’s plasmasphere, and a first-ever Moon-based ultraviolet telescope for astronomical observations. The Yutu rover successfully carried out close-up observations with the Panoramic Camera, mineralogical investigations with the VIS-NIR Imaging Spectrometer, study of elemental abundances with the Active Particle induced X-ray Spectrometer, and pioneering measurements of the lunar subsurface with Lunar Penetrating Radar. This special issue provides a collection of key information on the instrumental designs, calibration methods and data processing procedures used by these experiments with a perspective of facilitating further analyses of scientific data from CE-3 in preparation for future missions.

Data preprocessing and preliminary results of the Moon-based Ultraviolet Telescope on the CE-3 lander

The Moon-based Ultraviolet Telescope (MUVT) is one of the payloads on the Chang'e-3 (CE-3) lunar lander. Because of the advantages of having no atmospheric disturbances and the slow rotation of the Moon, we can make long-term continuous observations of a series of important celestial objects in the near ultraviolet band (245∼340 nm), and perform a sky survey of selected areas, which cannot be completed on Earth. We can find characteristic changes in celestial brightness with time by analyzing image data from the MUVT, and deduce the radiation mechanism and physical properties of these celestial objects after comparing with a physical model. In order to explain the scientific purposes of MUVT, this article analyzes the preprocessing of MUVT image data and makes a preliminary evaluation of data quality. The results demonstrate that the methods used for data collection and preprocessing are effective, and the Level 2A and 2B image data satisfy the requirements of follow-up scientific researches.

Preface: The Chang'e-3 lander and rover mission to the Moon

The Chang'e-3 (CE-3) lander and rover mission to the Moon was an intermediate step in China's lunar exploration program, which will be followed by a sample return mission. The lander was equipped with a number of remote-sensing instruments including a pair of cameras (Landing Camera and Terrain Camera) for recording the landing process and surveying terrain, an extreme ultraviolet camera for monitoring activities in the Earth's plasmasphere, and a first-ever Moon-based ultraviolet telescope for astronomical observations. The Yutu rover successfully carried out close-up observations with the Panoramic Camera, mineralogical investigations with the VIS-NIR Imaging Spectrometer, study of elemental abundances with the Active Particle-induced X-ray Spectrometer, and pioneering measurements of the lunar subsurface with Lunar Penetrating Radar. This special issue provides a collection of key information on the instrumental designs, calibration methods and data processing procedures used by these experiments with a perspective of facilitating further analyses of scientific data from CE-3 in preparation for future missions.

Coronal behavior before the large flare onset

Abstract Flares are a major explosive event in our solar system. They are often followed by a coronal mass ejection that has the potential to trigger geomagnetic storms. There are various studies aiming to predict when and where the flares are likely to occur. Most of these studies mainly discuss the photospheric and chromospheric activity before the flare onset. In this paper we study the coronal features before the famous large flare occurrence on 2006 December 13. Using the data from Hinode/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), X-Ray Telescope (XRT), and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), we discuss the coronal features in the large scale (a few 100″) before the flare onset. Our findings are as follows. (1) The upflows in and around the active region start growing from ∼ 10 to 30 km s−1 a day before the flare. (2) The expanding coronal loops are clearly observed a few hours before the flare. (3) Soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet intensity are gradually reduced. (4) The upflows are further enhanced after the flare. From these observed signatures, we conclude that the outer part of active region loops with low density was expanding a day before the flare onset, and the inner part with high density was expanding a few hours before the onset.

Variable optical polarization during high state in γ-ray loud, narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342

Abstract We present results of optical polarimetric and multi-band photometric observations for γ-ray loud, narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342. This object has been monitored by the 1.5-m Kanata telescope since 2012 September, but following a γ-ray flux enhancement detected by Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) on MJD 56483 (2013 July 10), dense follow-up was performed by 10 0.5–2.0-m telescopes in Japan over one week. The 2-yr RC-band light curve showed clear brightening corresponding to the γ-ray flux increase, and then decayed gradually. The high state as a whole lasted for ∼ 20 d, during which we clearly detected optical polarization from this object. The polarization degree (PD) of the source increased from 0%–1% in quiescence to ∼ 3% at maximum and then declined to the quiescent level, with the duration of the enhancement being less than 10 d. The moderate PD around the peak allowed us to precisely measure the daily polarization angle (PA). As a result, we found that the daily PAs were almost constant and aligned to the jet axis, suggesting that the magnetic field direction at the emission region is transverse to the jet. This implies either a presence of helical/toroidal magnetic field or transverse magnetic field compressed by shock(s). We also found small-amplitude intra-night variability during the 2-hr continuous exposure on a single night. We discuss these findings based on the turbulent multi-zone model recently advocated by Marscher (2014, ApJ, 780, 87). Optical to ultraviolet (UV) spectrum showed a rising shape in the higher frequency and the UV magnitude measured by Swift/UVOT (UV and Optical Telescope) was steady even during the flaring state, suggesting that thermal emission from accretion disk is dominant in that band.

Challenges on Ultraviolet Astronomy 2014

We are pleased to present this Special Issue of Astrophysics & Space Science; “Challenges on Ultraviolet Astronomy 2014”. This volume comes at a crucial time in Ultraviolet (UV) astronomy. The NASA/ESA programmes that created the community are reaching completion and future missions, apart from the World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSOUV), are small-class, some operating from balloons. This volume provides an update on the evolution of the field since our last Special Issue “UV Astronomy 2011”. By the end of its lifetime, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will have left a rich legacy of UV spectroscopic data for a very wide range of astronomical objects, at a wide range of spectral resolutions, basically covering the full wavelength range from the Lyman limit at 90 nm to about 350 nm, where the Earth atmosphere becomes almost fully transparent to cosmic photons. For obvious reasons, at high spectral resolutions (R > 20,000) the HST spectrographs, in particular the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph

WSO-UV progress and expectations

The World Space Observatory Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) is the space mission that will grant access to the ultraviolet (UV) range in the post Hubble epoch. WSO-UV is equipped with instrumentation for imaging and spectroscopy and it is fully devoted to UV astronomy. In this article, we outline the WSO-UV mission model and present the current status of the project.

INTERACTION AND MERGING OF TWO SINISTRAL FILAMENTS

In this paper, we report the interaction and subsequent merging of two sinistral filaments (F1 and F2) occurring at the boundary of AR 9720 on 2001 December 6. The two filaments were close and nearly perpendicular to each other. The interaction occurred after F1 was erupted and the eruption was impeded by a more extended filament channel (FC) standing in the way, in which F2 was embedded. The erupted material ran into FC along its axis, causing F1 and F2 to merge into a single structure that subsequently underwent a large-amplitude to-and-fro motion. A significant plasma heating process was observed in the merging process, making the mixed material largely disappear from the H alpha passband, but appear in Extreme Ultraviolet Telescope 195 angstrom images for a while. These observations can serve as strong evidence of merging reconnection between the two colliding magnetic structures. A new sinistral filament was formed along FC after the cooling of the merged and heated material. No coronal mass ejection was observed to be associated with the event; though, the eruption was accompanied by a two-ribbon flare with a separation motion, indicating that the eruption had failed. This event shows that, in addition to overlying magnetic fields, such an interaction is an effective restraint to make a filament eruption fail in this way.