PRIMA for the VLTI – Science

The four main scientific objectives of PRIMA – the Phase-Referenced Imaging and Micro-arc second Astrometry facility for the VLTI – will be described:– extra-solar system characterization with astrometry, to detect planets and evaluate their mass, and imaging of the dust accretion disk,– galactic center study with astrometry(dynamics of the bulge stars) and imaging at 10μm (piercing the gas and dust clouds surrounding the galactic center),– observations of AGNs and other extra-galactic objects, too faint to be observed without PRIMA, for which partial imaging is needed to constrain their structuremodels,– micro-gravitational lensing event resolution (imaging and astrometry of their photo-center) in the Galactic Bulge and Magellanic Clouds, helping to determine directly the lens mass and distance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Positions of 46 radio stars: Observations of 1984–1985 and 1989–1991

The results of observations of 46 radio stars carried out with the Repsold meridian circle of the Kyyiv University Observatory in 1984–1985 and 1989–1991 are presented. The main goal of these observations is to improve the optical positions of radio stars for determination of a relationship between the optical and VLBI reference frames. The standard errors of averaged positions in two catalogues amount to 0.2 arcsec. These results were compared with those obtained with the Bordeaux meridian circle.     

Introducing the near infrared VLTI instrument AMBER to its users

AMBER is the General User near infrared focal instrument of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. It is a single mode, dispersed fringes, three telescope instrument. A limiting magnitude of the order of H=13 will allow tackling of a fair sample of extra galactic targets. A very high accuracy, in particular in color differential phase and closure phase modes gives good hope for very high dynamical range observations, possibly including hot extra solar planets. The relatively high maximum spectral resolution, up to 10000, will allow stellar activity observations. Between these extreme goals, AMBER has a wide range of applications including Young Stellar Objects, Evolved Stars, circumstellar material and many others. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The problem of the sighting line stabilization for axial meridian circles

The paper deals with the method based on treating the axial meridian circle and a long-focus light mark in the prime vertical as a single virtual instrument that has properties of meridian circle. A horizontal axis, a sighting line, and a micrometer cross-wire of the instrument are created by optical means. The key function here is performed by the light mark that ensures a reference direction used for formation of instrumental principal planes and directions. Stability of instrumental azimuth, inclination, and collimation is expected to be about ±0.″01. Besides, an accuracy of observations is not affected by any temperature and weight deformations of telescope mechanics. Owing to the last circumstance, the design is cheap and the telescope aperture may be increased significantly, to about 1m. An estimate of accuracy of observations depends on the adopted model of image motion, and for sites with excellent seeing and bright stars is ±0.″03 to ±0.″05 (rms).     

New consideration of atmospheric refraction in laser ranging data

In this paper we reconsider the formulae of tropospheric refraction correction for the Satellite Laser Range technique. From the expansion of the complementary error function, a new continued fraction form of the mapping function at optical frequencies is derived. The correction terms related to the operation frequency of the laser beam are considered in both the zenith delay and the mapping function. The correction for low-elevation satellites is briefly reviewed. The theoretical accuracy of the new mapping function has been analysed via the ray tracing integrals under the standard atmospheric profile. With respect to the radiosonde data, the deviations of the new mapping function are investigated in an elevation range down to near 1°, which is comparable with the results of the Marini–Murray formulae .     

Study of the atmospheric refraction in a single-mode instrument – application to AMBER/VLTI

This paper presents a study of the atmospheric refraction and its effect on the light coupling efficiency in an instrument using single-mode optical fibres. We show the analytical approach which allowed us to assess the need to correct the refraction in J and H bands while observing with an 8-m Unit Telescope. We then developed numerical simulations to go further in calculations. The hypotheses on the instrumental characteristics are those of AMBER (Astronomical Multi BEam combineR), the near-infrared focal beam combiner of the Very Large Telescope Interferometric mode, but most of the conclusions can be generalized to other single-mode instruments. We used the software package caos to take into account the atmospheric turbulence effect after correction by the European Southern Observatory system Multi-Application Curvature Adaptive Optics. The optomechanical study and design of the system correcting the atmospheric refraction on AMBER is then detailed. We showed that the atmospheric refraction becomes predominant over the atmospheric turbulence for some zenith angles z and spectral conditions: for z larger than 30° in J band for example. The study of the optical system showed that it allows to achieve the required instrumental performance in terms of throughput in J and H bands. First observations in J band of a bright star, α Cir star, at more than 30° from zenith clearly showed the gain to control the atmospheric refraction in a single-mode instrument, and validated the operating law.     

Image Field Deformation of LAMOST due to Differential Atmospheric Refraction

A vectorial expression of the image field deformation of LAMOST due to the differential atmospheric refraction is presented. The calculated results are compared with those from previous analyses based on the traditional spherical trigonometric formulas. It is demonstrated that different tangential displacements of star images during the observation tracking given by various authors are simply due to different reference points adopted. It is pointed out that the observational celestial pole is the center of the apparent diurnal motion, that, by referring to the observational celestial pole, the effect of the differential refraction on the image field of LAMOST during the 1.5-hour tracking period is approximately equivalent to a constant rotation of -13.65" for all declination belts. It is therefore unnecessary to design a particular tracking velocity for each observation, and this will be obviously advantageous to the observation implementation. If the maximum tracking error of the fibers is 0.2", then the fibers are required to be able to re-position during observational tracking for sky regions south of declination 20°and north of declination 60°.     

Comparison of the four catalogues by pairs,the Hipparcos,new Hipparcos,EOC‐2 and IL,by using μδ for the common 1120 stars

We present comparison results of our Independent Latitude (IL) catalogue of μ_δ determinations for 1120 bright stars with the Hipparcos, new Hipparcos and Earth Orientation Catalogue (EOC‐2) values. Also, we took into consideration the EOC3 and EOC4 (recent versions of EOC catalogues). Our μ_δ values are based on zenith telescope observations from seven Independent Latitude (IL) observatories. The IL measures are spanning a time baseline of up to 90 years which is the key advantage to the accurate determination of μ_δ. The short interval of the Hipparcos satellite observations is a disadvantage for a good accuracy of stellar proper motion, especially in the case of double and multiple stars. For this reason many astrometric catalogues have appeared after the publication of the Hipparcos including our IL catalogue. These catalogues are an appropriate combination of the Hipparcos satellite and ground‐based data which yields more accurate stellar coordinates and/or their proper motions. Among various types of ground‐based observations the latitude and universal time variations obtained from several million observations of stars reduced to the Hipparcos reference system were used for this purpose. These observations were obtained during almost the entire last century and were originally used to determine the Earth Orientation Parameters. It is also possible to use these data in the inverse task of checking the accuracy of stellar coordinates and/or their proper motions listed in the Hipparcos Catalogue. Such latitude and universal time variations data are the basis of the EOC and IL catalogues. In this paper, we computed the differences in μ_δ values between pairs of catalogues and analyzed the results to characterize the μ_δ errors for the four catalogues with a special focus on our IL catalogue. The standard errors of μ_δ for IL stars observed over more than 20 years are mostly smaller than or equal to the Hipparcos errors, and close to the accuracy level of the EOC‐2 (EOC‐3, EOC‐4) and the new Hipparcos. The resulting investigations of errors of differences of μ_δ, show that all four catalogues have relatively small random and systematic errors which are close to each other meaning that the corresponding μ_δ values have a high accuracy. Our sample also contains detected double and multiple stars for which the effects of the orbital and proper motions are difficult to separate. The differences of μ_δ values for these stars generally exceed those obtained for single stars. Also, these discrepancies could be attributed to effect of possible, still unrecognized, astrometric binaries. These investigations about the proper motions and double stars are in line with the activity of the IAU Working Group on Astrometry by Small Ground‐Based Telescopes. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

岁差常数改正及 FK5和Hipparcos自行系统

许多研究结果表明,FK5和Hipparcos自行系统的关系,与VLBI和LLR所测定的岁差常数改正值不相符合．利用建立在FK5系统上的PPM和ACRS自行数据的分析,通过多个子样本的考察,发现不论由PPM或ACRS自行资料,都无法给出一致的岁差改正值和分点运动改正值．从而表明,FK5自行内部的系统差是产生这种问题的主要因素．     

The coupling performance of photonic crystal fibres in fibre stellar interferometry

Large mode area (LMA), single-mode photonic crystal fibres (PCFs) have the potential to provide significant instrumental advantages in fibre stellar interferometry, due to their broad-band attenuation spectrum, endlessly single-moded performance and very large core size. We investigate the theoretical performance of coupling the telescope point spread function directly into LMA PCFs. We find that a single LMA fibre can replace as many as three step-index fibres for atmospheric seeing characterized by   D _T/ r _o≥ 2  with approximately the same coupling performance and a slower feed from the telescope. This could lead to considerable simplification of broad-band fibre interferometers.     

Error analysis of proper motions in decination obtained for 807 Hipparcos stars from PZT observations over many decades

After publication of the Hipparcos catalogue (in 1997), a few new astrometric catalogues have appeared (TYCHO‐2, ARIHIP, etc.), as a good combination of the Hipparcos satellite and ground‐based data, to get more accurate coordinates and proper motions of stars than the Hipparcos catalogue ones. There are also investigations on improving the Hipparcos coordinates and proper motions by using the astrometric observations of latitude and universal time variations (via observed stars referred to Hipparcos catalogue), together with Hipparcos data, carried out during the last few years. These kind of ground‐based data were collected at the end of the last century by J. Vondrák. There are about 4.4 million optical observations made worldwide at 33 observatories and with 47 instruments during 1899.7–1992.0; our Belgrade visual zenith telescope data (for the period 1949.0‐1986.0) were included. First of all, these data were used to determine the Earth Orientation Parameters – EOP, but they are also useful for the opposite task – to check the accuracy of coordinates and proper motions of Hipparcos stars which were observed from the ground over many decades. Here, we use the latitude part of ten Photographic Zenith Tubes – PZT data (more than 0.9 million observations made at 6 observatories during the time interval 1915.8–1992.0), and combine them with the Hipparcos catalogue ones, with suitable weights, in order to check the proper motions in declination for 807 common PZT/Hipparcos stars (and to construct the PZT catalogue of μ_δ for 807 stars). Our standard errors in proper motions in declination of these stars are less than or equal to the Hipparcos ones for 423 stars. The mean value of standard errors of 313 stars observed over more than 20 years by PZT is 0.40 mas/yr. This is 53% of 0.75 mas/yr (the suitable value from the Hipparcos catalogue). We used the Least Squares Method – LSM with the linear model. Our results are in good agreement with the Earth Orientation Catalogue – EOC‐2 and the new Hipparcos ones. The main steps of the method and the investigations of systematic errors in determined proper motions (the proper motion differences with respect to the Hipparcos values, the EOC‐2 ones and the new Hipparcos ones, as a function of α, δ, and magnitude) are presented here. A comparison of the four catalogues by pairs shows that there is no significant relationship between the differences of their μ_δ values and magnitudes and color indices of the common 807 stars. All catalogues have relatively small random and systematic errors which are close to each other. However, the comparison shows that our formal errors are too small. They are underestimated by a factor of nearly 1.7 (for EOC‐2, it is 2.0) if we take the new Hipparcos (or Hipparcos) data as reference (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An Approach of Tropospheric Correction for VLBI Phase-Referencing using GPS Data

The dominant source of error in VLBI phase-referencing is the troposphere at observing frequencies above 5 GHz. We compare the tropospheric zenith delays derived from VLBI and GPS data at VLBA stations collocated with GPS antennas. The systematic biases and standard deviations both are at the level of sub-centimeter. Based on this agreement, we suggest a new method of tropospheric correction in phase-referencing using combined VLBI and GPS data.     

利用地球定向参数确定依巴谷输入星表与射电天球参考架之间的旋转

通过比较地球定向参数（ＥＯＰ）序列和对应的地固参考架，本文得到了依巴谷输入星表（ＨＩＣ）和国际地球自转服务（ＩＥＲＳ）基于甚长基线干涉测量（ＶＬＢＩ）建立的河外天球参考架（ＩＣＲＦ）之间的旋转参数，在Ｊ２０００．０历元，前者至后者的旋转参数为［８．４±１．１ｍａｓ，４６．７±１．１ｍａｓ，４５．５±１．５ｍａｓ］，其时间变率为［－０．１４±０．０５ｍａｓ／ａ，３．２２±０．０５ｍａｓ／ａ，５．７０±０．０７ｍａｓ／ａ］。依巴谷输入星表是完全基于ＦＫ５系统的，本文得到的旋转参数与ＩＣＲＦ和ＦＫ５之间的系统差异情况相符     

An Approach of Tropospheric Correction for VLBI Phase-Referencing using GPS Data

The dominant source of error in VLBI phase-referencing is the troposphere at observing frequencies above 5 GHz. We compare the tropospheric zenith delays derived from VLBI and GPS data at VLBA stations collocated with GPS antennas. The systematic biases and standard deviations both are at the level of sub-centimeter. Based on this agreement, we suggest a new method of tropospheric correction in phase-referencing using combined VLBI and GPS data.     

Modelling the optical turbulence boiling and its effect on finite-exposure differential image motion

It is usually accepted that whenever dealing with astronomical observation through the atmosphere, the optical turbulence temporal evolution can be sufficiently described with the so-called frozen turbulence hypothesis. In this model, turbulence is supposed to be equivalent to a series of solid phase screens that slide horizontally in front of the observation field of view. Experimental evidence shows, however, that an additional physical process must be taken into account when describing the temporal behaviour of the optical turbulence. In fact, while translating above the observer, turbulence undergoes a proper temporal evolution and affects differently the astronomical and, more specifically, the astrometric observations. The proper temporal evolution of the turbulence-induced optical turbulence observable quantities is here called the optical turbulence boiling. We are proposing through this paper a theoretical approach to the modelling of the optical turbulence temporal evolution when the turbulent layer horizontal translation and the optical turbulence boiling are both involved. The model we propose, as a working hypothesis though, has a direct relevance to differential astrometry because of its explicit dependence upon the optical turbulence temporal evolution. It can also be generalized to other techniques of high angular resolution astronomical observation through the atmospheric turbulence.     

实测大气折射值的新方法

简单评述了现有各种版本的大气折射表所依据的理论基础和编制方法，指出了实测大气折射值、建立随地形而异的实测大气折射模型的必要性和应具备的基本条件；在分析了长期以来不能直接测定大气折射值的原因后，介绍了一种在不同方向精确测定大气折射值和建立观测点大气折射模型的新方法，以及所依赖的观测仪器具备的特性，最后给出了用实测数据建立的本地大气折射模型。     

Micro-arcsecond Celestial Reference Frames: definition and realization - Impact of the recent IAU Resolutions

The adoption of the International Celestial Reference System (ICRS),based on Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations of extragalactic radiosources by the International Astronomical Union ...     

整体平差方法在CCD天体测量中的应用

回顾了基于底片重叠观测的整体平差方法的发展历史和应用概况，分析了该方法应用于底片资料处理没有取得预期效果的原因，介绍了小视场CCD重叠观测的整体平差研究进展．分析与实测资料归算表明，整体平差方法可以在CCD资料处理中充分发挥作用，在保证长焦距、小底片比例尺的同时，通过对CCD重叠观测的整体平差(相当于扩大观测视场)，可覆盖更多的参考星，进而达到改善局部参考架、提高归算结果精度的目的。     

标准大气模型建立映射函数的可靠性讨论

随着新空间技术观测精度的不断提高，大气传播误差的研究已经成为改进观测精度的主要途径之一．为了提高大气延迟改正映射函数的计算精度，在大气剖面的选取上，近年来已经开始从过去的模型大气，逐渐地向实测大气转变．结合个别具有代表性的探空气球站观测资料，比较用标准大气模型建立的映射函数与探空气球资料路径积分的结果，研究用标准大气模型建立映射函数的可靠性，并简单讨论在映射函数中地球物理参数选择的若干问题．