Fast Two-dimensional Positioning Method of Crab Pulsar Based on Multiple Optimization Algorithms

In the two-dimensional positioning method of pulsars, the grid method is used to provide non-sensitive direction and positional estimates. However, the grid method has a high computational load and low accuracy due to the interval of the grid. To improve estimation accuracy and reduce the computational load, we propose a fast twodimensional positioning method for the crab pulsar based on multiple optimization algorithms(FTPCO). The FTPCO uses the Levenberg–Marquardt(LM) algorithm, three-point orientation(TPO) method, particle swarm optimization(PSO) and Newton–Raphson-based optimizer(NRBO) to substitute the grid method. First, to avoid the influence of the non-sensitive direction on positioning, we take an orbital error and the distortion of the pulsar profile as optimization objectives and combine the grid method with the LM algorithm or PSO to search for the non-sensitive direction. Then, on the sensitive plane perpendicular to the non-sensitive direction, the TPO method is proposed to fast search the sensitive direction and sub-sensitive direction. Finally, the NRBO is employed on the sensitive and sub-sensitive directions to achieve two-dimensional positioning of the Crab pulsar. The simulation results show that the computational load of the FTPCO is reduced by 89.4% and the positioning accuracy of the FTPCO is improved by approximately 38% compared with the grid method. The FTPCO has the advantage of high real-time accuracy and does not fall into the local optimum.

PSRDP:A Parallel Processing Method for Pulsar Baseband Data

To address the problem of real-time processing of ultra-wide bandwidth pulsar baseband data,we designed and implemented a pulsar baseband data processing algorithm(PSRDP)based on GPU parallel computing technology.PSRDP can perform operations such as baseband data unpacking,channel separation,coherent dedispersion,Stokes detection,phase and folding period prediction,and folding integration in GPU clusters.We tested the algorithm using the J0437-4715 pulsar baseband data generated by the CASPSR and Medusa backends of the Parkes,and the J0332+5434 pulsar baseband data generated by the self-developed backend of the Nan Shan Radio Telescope.We obtained the pulse profiles of each baseband data.Through experimental analysis,we have found that the pulse profiles generated by the PSRDP algorithm in this paper are essentially consistent with the processing results of Digital Signal Processing Software for Pulsar Astronomy(DSPSR),which verified the effectiveness of the PSRDP algorithm.Furthermore,using the same baseband data,we compared the processing speed of PSRDP with DSPSR,and the results showed that PSRDP was not slower than DSPSR in terms of speed.The theoretical and technical experience gained from the PSRDP algorithm research in this article lays a technical foundation for the real-time processing of QTT(Qi Tai radio Telescope)ultra-wide bandwidth pulsar baseband data.

Improved astrometry of space debris with image restoration

In order to implement an observing strategy, image degradation that occurs during optical observation of space debris is ineluctable and has distinct characteris- tics. Image restoration is presented as a way to remove the influence of degradation in CCD images of space debris, based on assumed PSF models with the same F-WHM as images of the object. In the process of image restoration, the maximum entropy method is adopted. The results of reduction using observed raw CCD images indi- cate that the precision in estimating positions of objects is improved and the effects of degradation are reduced. Improving the astrometry of space debris using image restoration is effective and feasible.

Experiment on diffuse reflection laser ranging to space debris and data analysis

Space debris poses a serious threat to human space activities and needs to be measured and cataloged. As a new technology for space target surveillance, the measurement accuracy of diffuse reflection laser ranging （DRLR） is much higher than that of microwave radar and optoelectronic measurement. Based on the laser ranging data of space debris from the DRLR system at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory acquired in March-April, 2013, the characteristics and precision of the laser ranging data are analyzed and their applications in orbit determination of space debris are discussed, which is implemented for the first time in China. The experiment indicates that the precision of laser ranging data can reach 39 cm-228 cm. When the data are sufficient enough （four arcs measured over three days）, the orbital accuracy of space debris can be up to 50 m.

Pulsar Candidate Classification Using a Computer Vision Method from a Combination of Convolution and Attention

Artificial intelligence methods are indispensable to identifying pulsars from large amounts of candidates.We develop a new pulsar identification system that utilizes the CoAtNet to score two-dimensional features of candidates,implements a multilayer perceptron to score one-dimensional features,and relies on logistic regression to judge the corresponding scores.In the data preprocessing stage,we perform two feature fusions separately,one for one-dimensional features and the other for two-dimensional features,which are used as inputs for the multilayer perceptron and the CoAtNet respectively.The newly developed system achieves 98.77%recall,1.07%false positive rate(FPR)and 98.85%accuracy in our GPPS test set.

Cleaning Radio Frequency Interference in Pulsar-Folded Data Based on the Conditional Random Fields with an Adaptive Prior

Radio astronomy observations are frequently impacted by radio frequency interference(RFI).We propose a novel method,named 2σCRF,for cleaning RFI in the folded data of pulsar observations,utilizing a Bayesian-based model called conditional random fields(CRFs).This algorithm minimizes the“energy”of every pixel given an initial label.The standard deviations(i.e.,rms values)of the folded pulsar data are utilized as pixels for all subintegrations and channels.Non-RFI data without obvious interference is treated as“background noise,”while RFI-affected data have different classes due to their exceptional rms values.This initial labeling can be automated and is adaptive to the actual data.The CRF algorithm optimizes the label category for each pixel of the image with the prior initial labels.We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method on pulsar folded data obtained from Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope observations.It can effectively recognize and tag various categories of RFIs,including broadband or narrowband,constant or instantaneous,and even weak RFIs that are unrecognizable in some pixels but picked out based on their neighborhoods.The results are comparable to those obtained via manual labeling but without the need for human intervention,saving time and effort.

The FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot Survey.II.Discovery of 76 Galactic Rotating Radio Transients and the Enigma of RRATs

We have carried out the Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot(GPPS)survey by using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST),the most sensitive systematic pulsar survey in the Galactic plane.In addition to more than 500 pulsars already discovered through normal periodical search,we report here the discovery of 76 new transient radio sources with sporadic strong pulses,detected by using the newly developed module for a sensitive single-pulse search.Their small DM values suggest that they all are Galactic rotating radio transients(RRATs).They show different properties in the follow-up observations.More radio pulses have been detected from 26 transient radio sources but no periods can be found due to a limited small number of pulses from all FAST observations.The followup observations show that 16 transient sources are newly identified as being the prototypes of RRATs with a period already determined from more detected sporadic pulses,and 10 sources are extremely nulling pulsars,and 24 sources are weak pulsars with sparse strong pulses.On the other hand,48 previously known RRATs have been detected by the FAST,either during verification observations for the GPPS survey or through targeted observations of applied normal FAST projects.Except for one RRAT with four pulses detected in a session of 5-minute observation and four RRATs with only one pulse detected in a session,sensitive FAST observations reveal that 43 RRATs are just generally weak pulsars with sporadic strong pulses or simply very nulling pulsars,so that the previously known RRATs always have an extreme emission state together with a normal hardly detectable weak emission state.This is echoed by the two normal pulsars J1938+2213 and J1946+1449 with occasional brightening pulses.Though strong pulses of RRATs are very outstanding in the energy distribution,their polarization angle variations follow the polarization angle curve of the averaged normal pulse profile,suggesting that the predominant sparse pulses of RRATs are emitted in the same region with the same geometry as normal weak pulsars.

30 glitches in 18 radio pulsars

Pulsar timing is a classic technology of detecting irregularities in pulsar rotation.We carried out this method for 18 young radio pulsars,with long-term timing observations obtained between 2007 and 2015 using the Parkes 64-m radio telescope.As a result,30 glitches were identified,ranging from 0.75 × 10^(-9) to 8.6 × 10^(-6) in the relative glitch sizes Δv/v,where v=1/P is the pulse frequency.These glitches are composed of 26 new glitches and four published glitches with new exponential recoveries.All pulsars exhibit normal glitches,and six pulsars were observed to undergo a glitch event for the first time.We discuss the properties and implications for neutron-star physics of these glitches,and show that they are in agreement with previous work,except that the cumulative probability distributions of the mean waiting times for PSRs J0537-6910,J1341-6220 and J1740-3015 are not in consonance with the Poisson model.

Spatial modulation search applied to the search and confirmation of highly scintillated pulsars at FAST with a pulsar discovered in M3

We present a pulsar candidate identification and confirmation procedure based on a position-switch mode during the pulsar search observations.This method enables the simultaneous search and confirmation of a pulsar in a single observation,by utilizing the different spatial features of a pulsar signal and radio frequency interference(RFI).Based on this method,we performed test pulsar search observations in globular clusters M3,M15 and M92.We discovered and confirmed a new pulsar,M3 F,and detected the known pulsars M3 B,M15 A to G(except C) and M92 A.

Detection of 16 Small Glitches in Nine Pulsars

Pulsar timing measurements with a 26 m radio telescope at Nanshan between 2000 and 2014 were used to search for glitch events. The data span of nine pulsars ranges from 11.6 to 14.2 yr, and 16 new glitch events were identified in nine pulsars. Glitch parameters were determined through fitting the timing residuals data. All 16 glitches have a small fractional size. Six new glitches have been detected in PSR J1833-0827, making it another frequent glitching pulsar. Some of the 16 glitches may experience exponential or linear recovery, but it is unlikely for us to make further analyses with the large gap in the data set. All the glitch rates obtained from Nanshan are higher than that from Jodrell Bank Observatory. The small glitch size and high glitch rate could possibly attribute to the high observation cadence.

Ultra-wide Bandwidth Observations of 19 Pulsars with Parkes Telescope

Flux densities are basic observation parameters to describe pulsars.In the most updated pulsar catalog,24%of the listed radio pulsars have no flux density measurement at any frequency.Here,we report the first flux density measurements,spectral indices,pulse profiles,and correlations of the spectral index with pulsar parameters for 19 pulsars employing the Ultra-Wideband Low receiver system installed on the Parkes radio telescope.The results for spectral indices of 17 pulsars are in the range between-0.6 and-3.10.The polarization profiles of thirteen pulsars are shown.There is a moderate correlation between the spectral index and spin frequency.For most pulsars detected,the signal-to-noise ratio of pulse profile is not high,so DM,Faraday rotation measure,and polarization cannot be determined precisely.Twenty-nine pulsars were not detected in our observations.We discuss the possible explanations for why these pulsars were not detected.

Leveraging the Empirical Wavelet Transform in Combination with Convolutional LSTM Neural Networks to Enhance the Accuracy of Polar Motion Prediction

High-precision polar motion prediction is of great significance for deep space exploration and satellite navigation.Polar motion is affected by a variety of excitation factors,and nonlinear prediction methods are more suitable for polar motion prediction.In order to explore the effect of deep learning in polar motion prediction.This paper proposes a combined model based on empirical wavelet transform(EWT),Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)and Long Short Term Memory(LSTM).By training and forecasting EOP 20C04 data,the effectiveness of the algorithm is verified,and the performance of two forecasting strategies in deep learning for polar motion prediction is explored.The results indicate that recursive multi-step prediction performs better than direct multi-step prediction for short-term forecasts within 15 days,while direct multi-step prediction is more suitable for medium and long-term forecasts.In the 365 days forecast,the mean absolute error of EWT-CNN-LSTM in the X direction and Y direction is 18.25 mas and 15.78 mas,respectively,which is 23.5% and 16.2% higher than the accuracy of Bulletin A.The results show that the algorithm has a good effect in medium and long term polar motion prediction.

Combination of terrestrial reference frames based on space geodetic techniques in SHAO:methodology and main issues

Based on years of input from the four geodetic techniques （SLR, GPS, VLBI and DORIS）, the strategies of the combination were studied in SHAO to generate a new global terrestrial reference frame as the material realization of the ITRS defined in IERS Conventions. The main input includes the time series of weekly solutions （or fortnightly for SLR 1983-1993） of observational data for satellite techniques and session-wise normal equations for VLBI. The set of estimated unknowns includes 3- dimensional Cartesian coordinates at the reference epoch 2005.0 of the stations distributed globally and their rates as well as the time series of consistent Earth Orientation Parameters （EOPs） at the same epochs as the input. Besides the final solution, namely SOL-2, generated by using all the inputs before 2015.0 obtained from short-term observation processing, another reference solution, namely SOL- 1, was also computed by using the input before 2009.0 based on the same combination of procedures for the purpose of comparison with ITRF2008 and DTRF2008 and for evaluating the effect of the latest six more years of data on the combined results. The estimated accuracy of the x-component and y-component of the SOL- 1 TRF-origin was better than 0.1 mm at epoch 2005.0 and better than 0.3 mm yr- 1 in time evolution, either compared with ITRF2008 or DTRF2008. However, the z-component of the translation parameters from SOL-1 to ITRF2008 and DTRF2008 were 3.4 mm and -1.0 ram, respectively. It seems that the z-component of the SOL-1 TRF-origin was much closer to the one in DTRF2008 than the one in ITRF2008. The translation parameters from SOL-2 to ITRF2014 were 2.2, -1.8 and 0.9 mm in the x-, y- and z-components respectively with rates smaller than 0.4 mmyr-1. Similarly, the scale factor transformed from SOL-1 to DTRF2008 was much smaller than that to ITRF2008. The scale parameter from SOL-2 to ITRF2014 was -0.31 ppb with a rate lower than 0.01 ppb yr-1. The external precision （WRMS） compared with IERS EOP 08 C04 of the combined EOP series was smaller than 0.06 mas for the polar motions, smaller than 0.01 ms for the UT1-UTC and smaller than 0.02 ms for the LODs. The precision of the EOPs in SOL-2 was slightly higher than that of SOL-1.

Astrometric calibration of the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anti-center(XSTPS-GAC)

Abstract We present astrometric calibration of the Xuyi Schmidt Telescope Photometric Survey of the Galactic Anti-center （XSTPS-GAC）. XSTPS-GAC is the photometric part of the Digital Sky Survey of the Galactic Anti-center （DSS-GAC）, which is a photometric and spectroscopic sky survey, in combination with LAMOST. In order to select an astrometric reference catalog, we made comparisons between the four widely used astrometric catalogs, GSC2.3, USNO-B1.0, UCAC3 and PPMXL. PPMXL shows relatively small systematic errors in positions and more homogeneous proper motion distributions toward the Galactic Anti-center （GAC）, and was selected as the reference catalog. Based on the high quality and bright reference stars that were picked out from PPMXL, we performed a 4th-order polynomial fitting in image units, to construct the transformation relation between coordinates used by XSTPS-GAC and standard coordinates, and to simultaneously correct the image distortions in the CCD. Then we applied the derived relation to all sources to obtain their mean celestial coordinates based on the Intemational Celestial Reference System. For bright point sources with r 〈 17.0 mag, the accuracy of astrometric calibration could reach about 80 mas for each of the g, r, i bands, with systematic errors being less than 10 mas. But for the faint sources at the brightness limit of the survey, which was r - 19.0 mag, the accuracy can still reach 200 mas. After combining all observations, the final weighted average coordinates could reach an accuracy of less than 70 mas for bright stars. For faint stars, the rms residuals of weighted coordinates decrease to -110 mas. The final combined XSTPS-GAC coordinates show a good consistency with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Crab脉冲星X射线计时观测数据处理与分析

对我国公开发布的空间试验卫星X射线探测器观测Crab脉冲星的数据进行了处理与分析,描述了利用X射线脉冲星观测数据与卫星轨道数据建立积分脉冲轮廓与标准脉冲轮廓的方法,给出了在频域测量脉冲星脉冲到达时刻(toa)的原理方法与算法.利用每组观测数据,计算得到Crab脉冲星脉冲toa,通过与Crab脉冲星星历预报脉冲toa的比较,分析得到卫星载荷X射线探测器观测Crab脉冲星,在消除掉系统误差后,50 min积分时间的观测精度约14μs.

The Bright Single Pulse Emission from PSR B1133+16

We have conducted a comprehensive investigation into the bright single pulse emission from PSR B1133+16using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope.High time resolution data(61μs)were obtained at a center frequency of 322 MHz with a bandwidth of 32 MHz over a continuous observation period of 7.45 hr.A total of 1082 bright pulses were sporadically detected with peak flux densities ranging from 10 to 23 times stronger than the average pulse profile.However,no giant pulse-like emission with a relative pulse energy larger than 10 and extremely short duration was detected,indicating that these bright pulses cannot be categorized as giant pulse emission.The majority of these bright pulses are concentrated in pulse phases at both the leading and trailing windows of the average pulse profile,with an occurrence ratio of approximately 2.74.The pulse energy distribution for all individual pulses can be described by a combination of two Gaussian components and a cutoff power-law with an index of α=-3.2.An updated nulling fraction of 15.35%±0.45% was determined from the energy distribution.The emission of individual pulses follows a log-normal distribution in peak flux density ratio.It is imperative that regular phase drifting in bright pulse sequence is identified in both the leading and trailing components for the first time.Possible physical mechanisms are discussed in detail to provide insights into these observations.

The RFI Fast Mitigation Algorithm Based on Block LMS Filter

The radio telescope possesses high sensitivity and strong signal collection capabilities.While receiving celestial radiation signals,it also captures Radio Frequency Interferences(RFIs)introduced by human activities.RFI,as signals originating from sources other than the astronomical targets,significantly impacts the quality of astronomical data.This paper presents an RFI fast mitigation algorithm based on block Least Mean Square(LMS)algorithm.It enhances the traditional adaptive LMS filter by grouping L adjacent time-sampled points into one block and applying the same filter coefficients for filtering within each block.This transformation reduces multiplication calculations and enhances algorithm efficiency by leveraging the time-domain convolution theorem.The algorithm is tested using baseband data from the Parkes 64 m radio telescope's pulsar observations and simulated data.The results confirm the algorithm's effectiveness,as the pulsar profile after RFI mitigation closely matches the original pulsar profile.

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.

An improved astrometric calibration technique for space debris observation

An optical survey is the main technique for detecting space debris. Due to the specific character- istics of observation, the pointing errors and tracking errors of the telescope as well as image degradation may be significant, which make it difficult for astrometric calibration. Here we present an improved method that corrects the pointing and tracking errors, and measures the image position precisely. The pipeline is tested on a number of CCD images obtained from a 1-m telescope administered by Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory while observing a GPS satellite. The results show that the position measurement error of the background stars is around 0.1 pixel, while the time cost for a single frame is about 7.5 s; hence the relia- bility and accuracy of our method are demonstrated. In addition, our method shows a versatile and feasible way to perform space debris observation utilizing non-dedicated telescopes, which means more sensors could be involved and the ability to perform surveys could be improved.

Pulsar candidate classification with deep convolutional neural networks

As the performance of dedicated facilities has continually improved, large numbers of pulsar candidates are being received, which makes selecting valuable pulsar signals from the candidates challenging. In this paper, we describe the design for a deep convolutional neural network(CNN) with 11 layers for classifying pulsar candidates. Compared to artificially designed features, the CNN chooses the subintegrations plot and sub-bands plot for each candidate as inputs without carrying biases. To address the imbalance problem, a data augmentation method based on synthetic minority samples is proposed according to the characteristics of pulsars. The maximum pulses of pulsar candidates were first translated to the same position, and then new samples were generated by adding up multiple subplots of pulsars. The data augmentation method is simple and effective for obtaining varied and representative samples which keep pulsar characteristics. In experiments on the HTRU 1 dataset, it is shown that this model can achieve recall of 0.962 and precision of 0.963.