Simulation study of the performance of the Very Large Area gamma-ray Space Telescope

The Very Large Area gamma-ray Space Telescope(VLAST)is a mission concept proposed to detect gamma-ray photons through both Compton scattering and electron–positron pair production mechanisms,thus enabling the detection of photons with energies ranging from MeV to TeV.This project aims to conduct a comprehensive survey of the gamma-ray sky from a low-Earth orbit using an anti-coincidence detector,a tracker detector that also serves as a low-energy calorimeter,and a high-energy imaging calorimeter.We developed a Monte Carlo simulation application of the detector using the GEANT4 toolkit to evaluate the instrument performance,including the effective area,angular resolution,and energy resolution,and explored specific optimizations of the detector configuration.Our simulation-based analysis indicates that the current design of the VLAST is physically feasible,with an acceptance above 10 m^(2)sr which is four times larger than that of the Fermi-LAT,an energy resolution better than 2%at 10 GeV,and an angular resolution better than 0.2◦at 10 GeV.The VLAST project promises to make significant contributions to the field of gamma-ray astronomy and enhance our understanding of the cosmos.

Source Camera Identification Algorithm Based on Multi-Scale Feature Fusion

The widespread availability of digital multimedia data has led to a new challenge in digital forensics.Traditional source camera identification algorithms usually rely on various traces in the capturing process.However,these traces have become increasingly difficult to extract due to wide availability of various image processing algorithms.Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)-based algorithms have demonstrated good discriminative capabilities for different brands and even different models of camera devices.However,their performances is not ideal in case of distinguishing between individual devices of the same model,because cameras of the same model typically use the same optical lens,image sensor,and image processing algorithms,that result in minimal overall differences.In this paper,we propose a camera forensics algorithm based on multi-scale feature fusion to address these issues.The proposed algorithm extracts different local features from feature maps of different scales and then fuses them to obtain a comprehensive feature representation.This representation is then fed into a subsequent camera fingerprint classification network.Building upon the Swin-T network,we utilize Transformer Blocks and Graph Convolutional Network(GCN)modules to fuse multi-scale features from different stages of the backbone network.Furthermore,we conduct experiments on established datasets to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach.

GRB 200612A:An Ultralong Gamma-Ray Burst Powered by Magnetar Spinning Down

GRB 200612A could be classified as an ultralong gamma-ray burst due to its prompt emission lasting up to~1020 s and the true timescale of the central engine activity t_(burst)≥4×10^(4) s.The late X-ray light curve with a decay index ofα=7.53 is steeper than the steepest possible decay from an external shock model.We propose that this X-ray afterglow can be driven by dipolar radiation from the magnetar spindown during its early stage,while the magnetar collapsed into the black hole before its spindown,resulting in a very steep decay of the late X-ray light curve.The optical data show that the light curve is still rising after 1.1 ks,suggesting a late onset.We show that GRB 200612A’s optical afterglow light curve is fitted with the forward shock model by Gaussian structured off-axis jet.This is a special case among GRBs,as it may be an ultralong gamma-ray burst powered by a magnetar in an off-axis observation scenario.

First Digit Distributions of Gamma-Ray Bursts

The occurrence of the first significant digits from real world sources is usually not equally distributed,but is consistent with a logarithmic distribution instead,known as Benford’s law.In this work,we perform a comprehensive investigation on the first digit distributions of the duration,fluence,and energy flux of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) for the first time.For a complete GRB sample detected by the Fermi satellite,we find that the first digits of the duration and fluence adhere to Benford’s law.However,the energy flux shows a significant departure from this law,which may be due to the fact that a considerable part of the energy flux measurements is restricted by lack of spectral information.Based on the conventional duration classification scheme,we also check if the durations and fluences of long and short GRBs (with duration T_(90)>2 s and T_(90)≤2 s,respectively) obey Benford’s law.We find that the fluences of both long and short GRBs still agree with the Benford distribution,but their durations do not follow Benford’s law.Our results hint that the long–short GRB classification scheme does not directly represent the intrinsic physical classification scheme.

Time-resolved Spectral Properties of Fermi-GBM Bright Long Gamma-Ray Bursts

The prompt emission mechanism of gamma-ray bursts(GRBs)is still unclear,and the time-resolved spectral analysis of GRBs is a powerful tool for studying their underlying physical processes.We performed a detailed time-resolved spectral analysis of 78 bright long GRB samples detected by Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor.A total of 1490 spectra were obtained and their properties were studied using a typical Band-shape model.First,the parameter distributions of the time-resolved spectrum are given as follows:the low-energy spectral indexα~-0.72,high-energy spectral indexβ~2.42,the peak energy E_(p)~221.69 keV,and the energy flux F~7.49×10^(-6)erg cm^(-2)s^(-1).More than 80%of the bursts exhibit the hardest low-energy spectral indexα_(max),exceeding the synchrotron limit(-2/3).Second,the evolution patterns of a and E_(p)were statistically analyzed.The results show that for multi-pulse GRBs the intensity-tracking pattern is more common than the hard-to-soft pattern in the evolution of both E_(p)andα.The hard-to-soft pattern is generally shown in single-pulse GRBs or in the initial pulse of multi-pulse GRBs.Finally,we found a significant positive correlation between F and E_(p),with half of the samples exhibiting a positive correlation between F andα.We discussed the spectral evolution of different radiation models.The diversity of spectral evolution patterns indicates that there may be more than one radiation mechanism occurring in the GRB radiation process,including photo spheric radiation and synchrotron radiation.However,it may also involve only one radiation mechanism,but more complicated physical details need to be considered.

Simulation Study on Constraining Gravitational Wave Propagation Speed by Gravitational Wave and Gamma-ray Burst Joint Observation on Binary Neutron Star Mergers

Theories of modified gravity suggest that the propagation speed of gravitational waves(GW)v_gmay deviate from the speed of light c.A constraint can be placed on the difference between c and v_gwith a simple method that uses the arrival time delay between GW and electromagnetic wave simultaneously emitted from a burst event.We simulated the joint observation of GW and short gamma-ray burst signals from binary neutron star merger events in different observation campaigns,involving advanced LIGO(aLIGO)in design sensitivity and Einstein Telescope(ET)joint-detected with Fermi/GBM.As a result,the relative precision of constraint on v_gcan reach~10~(-17)(aLIGO)and~10^(-18)(ET),which are one and two orders of magnitude better than that from GW170817,respectively.We continue to obtain the bound of graviton mass m_g≤7.1(3.2)×10~(-20)eV with aLIGO(ET).Applying the Standard-Model Extension test framework,the constraint on v_gallows us to study the Lorentz violation in the nondispersive,nonbirefringent limit of the gravitational sector.We obtain the constraints of the dimensionless isotropic coefficients S_(00)^(4)at mass dimension d=4,which are-1×10^(-15)<S_(00)^(4)<9×10^(-17)for aLIGO and-4×10^(-16)<s_(00)^(4<8<10^(-18))for ET.

Probing the Gamma-Ray Emission Region of Five TeV Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars

The location ofγ-ray emission of blazars remains a contested topic,inspiring the development of numerous investigative techniques to address this issue.In this work,we analyzed Fermiγ-ray light curves in the GeV and MeV bands,employing the discrete cross-correlation function method to discern time lags between the two bands.For 4C+21.35,Ton 599,B21420+32,and PKS 1510-089,we identified a time lag spanning several days,while for PKS 1441+25,the time lag was not statistically found.The results imply that the soft photons necessary for inverse Compton scattering predominantly originate from the dusty torus in the first four sources,whereas for PKS1441+25,they seem to be sourced mainly from the broad-line region.Further analysis of the opacity(τγγ)and the GeV spectra study supports the conclusion that the location of the dissipation region must be beyond the BLR to avoid significant absorption.Notably,for PKS 1441+25,the emission region is also posited to lie outside yet proximate to the BLR.The parameters of describing the emission region were obtained by fitting broadband spectral energy distribution with contemporaneous observation data.Our findings suggest that for the five TeV FSRQs,during Te V flaring events,the jet appears to maintain an equilibrium between the energy density of the magnetic field and that of the particles for all investigated sources,with the exceptions of 4C+21.35 and PKS1441+25.In terms of the overall jet power,particle energy is the dominant contributor,and the observed blazar radiation cannot be solely attributed to the magnetic field,except in the case of 4C+21.35.Consequently,magnetic reconnection is unlikely to be the primary mechanism behind particle acceleration in these systems.

Ultrafast pulse-dilation framing camera and its application for time-resolved X-ray diagnostic

An ultrafast framing camera with a pulse-dilation device,a microchannel plate(MCP)imager,and an electronic imaging system were reported.The camera achieved a temporal resolution of 10 ps by using a pulse-dilation device and gated MCP imager,and a spatial resolution of 100μm by using an electronic imaging system comprising combined magnetic lenses.The spatial resolution characteristics of the camera were studied both theoretically and experimentally.The results showed that the camera with combined magnetic lenses reduced the field curvature and acquired a larger working area.A working area with a diameter of 53 mm was created by applying four magnetic lenses to the camera.Furthermore,the camera was used to detect the X-rays produced by the laser-targeting device.The diagnostic results indicated that the width of the X-ray pulse was approximately 18 ps.

Monocular Distance Estimated Based on PTZ Camera

This paper introduces an intelligent computational approach for extracting salient objects fromimages and estimatingtheir distance information with PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) cameras. PTZ cameras have found wide applications innumerous public places, serving various purposes such as public securitymanagement, natural disastermonitoring,and crisis alarms, particularly with the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence and global infrastructuralprojects. In this paper, we combine Gauss optical principles with the PTZ camera’s capabilities of horizontal andpitch rotation, as well as optical zoom, to estimate the distance of the object.We present a novel monocular objectdistance estimation model based on the Focal Length-Target Pixel Size (FLTPS) relationship, achieving an accuracyrate of over 95% for objects within a 5 km range. The salient object extraction is achieved through a simplifiedconvolution kernel and the utilization of the object’s RGB features, which offer significantly faster computingspeeds compared to Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Additionally, we introduce the dark channel beforethe fog removal algorithm, resulting in a 20 dB increase in image definition, which significantly benefits distanceestimation. Our system offers the advantages of stability and low device load, making it an asset for public securityaffairs and providing a reference point for future developments in surveillance hardware.

Automatic Miscalibration Detection and Correction of LiDAR and Camera Using Motion Cues

This paper aims to develop an automatic miscalibration detection and correction framework to maintain accurate calibration of LiDAR and camera for autonomous vehicle after the sensor drift.First,a monitoring algorithm that can continuously detect the miscalibration in each frame is designed,leveraging the rotational motion each individual sensor observes.Then,as sensor drift occurs,the projection constraints between visual feature points and LiDAR 3-D points are used to compute the scaled camera motion,which is further utilized to align the drifted LiDAR scan with the camera image.Finally,the proposed method is sufficiently compared with two representative approaches in the online experiments with varying levels of random drift,then the method is further extended to the offline calibration experiment and is demonstrated by a comparison with two existing benchmark methods.

In-flight Energy Calibration of the GECAM Gamma-ray Detectors

The Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor(GECAM)mission is designed to monitor the Gamma-Ray Bursts(GRBs)associated with gravitational waves and other high-energy transient sources.The mission consists of two microsatellites which are planned to operate at the opposite sides of the Earth.Each GECAM satellite could detect and localize GRBs in about 8 keV-5 MeV with its 25 Gamma-Ray Detectors(GRDs).In this work,we report the in-flight energy calibration of GRDs using the characteristic gamma-ray lines in the background spectra,and show their performance evolution during the commissioning phase.Besides,a preliminary cross-calibration of energy response with Fermi GBM data is also presented,validating the energy response of GRDs.

Imaging simulation and analysis of attitude jitter effect on topographic mapping for lunar orbiter stereo optical cameras

The geometric accuracy of topographic mapping with high-resolution remote sensing images is inevita-bly affected by the orbiter attitude jitter.Therefore,it is necessary to conduct preliminary research on the stereo mapping camera equipped on lunar orbiter before launching.In this work,an imaging simulation method consid-ering the attitude jitter is presented.The impact analysis of different attitude jitter on terrain undulation is conduct-ed by simulating jitter at three attitude angles,respectively.The proposed simulation method is based on the rigor-ous sensor model,using the lunar digital elevation model(DEM)and orthoimage as reference data.The orbit and attitude of the lunar stereo mapping camera are simulated while considering the attitude jitter.Two-dimensional simulated stereo images are generated according to the position and attitude of the orbiter in a given orbit.Experi-mental analyses were conducted by the DEM with the simulated stereo image.The simulation imaging results demonstrate that the proposed method can ensure imaging efficiency without losing the accuracy of topographic mapping.The effect of attitude jitter on the stereo mapping accuracy of the simulated images was analyzed through a DEM comparison.

A Localization Method of High Energy Transients for All-sky Gamma-ray Monitor

Fast and reliable localization of high-energy transients is crucial for characterizing the burst properties and guiding the follow-up observations.Localization based on the relative counts of different detectors has been widely used for all-sky gamma-ray monitors.There are two major methods for this count distribution localization:χ^(2)minimization method and the Bayesian method.Here we propose a modified Bayesian method that could take advantage of both the accuracy of the Bayesian method and the simplicity of the χ^(2)method.With comprehensive simulations,we find that our Bayesian method with Poisson likelihood is generally more applicable for various bursts than the χ^(2)method,especially for weak bursts.We further proposed a location-spectrum iteration approach based on the Bayesian inference,which could alleviate the problems caused by the spectral difference between the burst and location templates.Our method is very suitable for scenarios with limited computation resources or timesensitive applications,such as in-flight localization software,and low-latency localization for rapidly follow-up observations.

Analyzing the Impact of Scene Transitions on Indoor Camera Localization through Scene Change Detection in Real-Time

Real-time indoor camera localization is a significant problem in indoor robot navigation and surveillance systems.The scene can change during the image sequence and plays a vital role in the localization performance of robotic applications in terms of accuracy and speed.This research proposed a real-time indoor camera localization system based on a recurrent neural network that detects scene change during the image sequence.An annotated image dataset trains the proposed system and predicts the camera pose in real-time.The system mainly improved the localization performance of indoor cameras by more accurately predicting the camera pose.It also recognizes the scene changes during the sequence and evaluates the effects of these changes.This system achieved high accuracy and real-time performance.The scene change detection process was performed using visual rhythm and the proposed recurrent deep architecture,which performed camera pose prediction and scene change impact evaluation.Overall,this study proposed a novel real-time localization system for indoor cameras that detects scene changes and shows how they affect localization performance.

Anger-camera型中子探测器位置分辨性能研究

本文描述用于中国散裂中子源(CSNS)谱仪上,基于Anger-camera位置重建原理的闪烁体中子探测器样机位置分辨性能研究。在BL20中子测试束线上完成了探测器关键器件性能测试,包括硅光电倍增管(Silicon Photon Multiplier Tube, SiPM)阵列位置重建能力测试和耐辐照特性研究,同时对不同光导厚度下探测器位置分辨能力开展测试,发现基于SiPM阵列读出的Anger-camera型闪烁体中子探测器采用300μm的^(6)LiF/ZnS(Ag)闪烁屏和5 mm空气作为光导,其位置分辨最佳可达到0.6 mm。该探测器样机后期可通过大面积阵列拼接,实现中子衍射实验对大面积高位置分辨探测器的需求,其成功研制为加快谱仪建设提供有力的技术支撑。

Revisit of GeV Gamma-Ray Emission from Orion B with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

We revisit the γ-ray emission above 300 Me V towards the massive star-forming region of Orion B by adopting14 yr observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope and utilizing the updated software tools.The extended γ-ray emission region around Orion B is resolved into two components(region Ⅰ and region Ⅱ).The γ-ray spectrum of region I agrees with the predicted γ-ray spectrum assuming the cosmic ray(CR)density is the same as that of Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer(AMS-02)measured locally.Theγ-ray emissivity of region II appears to be deficit at low energy band(E<3 GeV).Through modeling we find that CR densities exhibit a significant deficit below 20 Ge V,which may be caused by a slow diffusion inside the dense region.This is probably caused by an increased magnetic field whose strength increases with the gas density.

Blackmagic Camera 8.5公测版更新发布

2023年12月,Blackmagic Camera8.5公测版正式发布。安装更新后,为Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2添加了Blackmagic Cloud工作流程支持。可以从摄影机的新媒体池向Blackmagic Cloud上传片段,也可以直接上传到DaVinci Resolve项目。

Refinement of the Proposed Gamma-Ray Burst Time Delay Model

This paper is the second instalment in our study of the observed time delay in the arrival times of radio photons emanating from Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). The mundane assumption in contemporary physics as to the cause of these pondersome time delays is that they are a result of the photon being endowed with a non-zero mass. While we do not rule out the possibility of a non-zero mass for the photon, our working assumption is that the major cause of these time delays may very well be that these photons are travelling in a rarefied cosmic plasma in which the medium’s electrons interact with the electric component of the Photon, thus generating tiny currents that lead to dispersion, hence, a frequency-dependent speed of Light (FDSL). In the present instalment, we “improve” on the model presented in the first instalment by dropping the assumption that the resultant pairs of these radio photons leave the shock front simultaneously. The new assumption of a non-simultaneous— albeit systematic—emission of these photon pairs allows us to obtain a much more convincing and stronger correlation in the time delay. This new correlation allows us to build a unified model for the four GRBs in our sample using a relative distance correction mechanism. The new unified model allows us to obtain as our most significant result a value for the frequency equivalence of the interstellar medium (ISM)’s conductance ν* ~ 1.500 ± 0.009 Hzand also an independent distance measure to the GRBs where we obtain for our four GRB samples an average distance of: ~69.40 ± 0.10, 40.00 ± 0.00, 58.40 ± 0.40, and 86.00 ± 1.00 Mpc, for GRB 030329, 980425, 000418 and 021004 respectively.

Blackmagic Camera 8.5.1正式发布

针对Blackmagic URSA Broadcast G2的Blackmagic Camera 8.5.1版本,提供了Blackmagic Cloud流程支持,用户可从摄影机的新媒体池向Blackmagic Cloud上传片段,也可以直接上传到Da Vinci Resolve项目。新添加的同时代理记录功能加上Blackmagic RAW或ProRes能够助力影像迅速送进新闻演播室或剪辑室,提高工作流程的效率。

Pocket Cinema Camera系列和全画幅6K摄影机加入推流等新功能

Blackmagic Design最新发布的摄影机软件Blackmagic Camera 8.6公共测试版为Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera和Cinema Camera 6K机型增加了云流程支持,让用户可以将素材从摄影机媒体池上传到Blackmagic Cloud,甚至直接上传到DaVinci Resolve项目中。并为两款机型的USB-C接口增加了网络摄像头功能,即可把摄影机连接到电脑,并使用任何主流推流软件或平台以全高清1080P质量推流直播。