The Educational Adaptive-optics Solar Telescope at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum

The Educational Adaptive-optics Solar Telescope(EAST)at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum has been running routine astronomical observations since 2021.It is a 65-cm-aperture Gregorian solar telescope for scientific education,outreach,and research.The telescope system is designed in an“open”format so that the solar tower architecture can be integrated with it,and visitors can watch the observations live from inside the tower.Equipped with adaptive optics,a high-resolution imaging system,and an integral field unit spectro-imaging system,this telescope can obtain high-resolution solar images in the TiO and Hαbands,and perform spectral image reconstruction using 400 optical fibers at selected wavelengths.It can be used not only in public education and scientific outreach but also in solar physics research.

Summary of a Life in Observational Ultraviolet/Optical Astronomy

I reminisce on my early life in Section 1;on my education in Sections 2 and 3;on the years at Princeton as a research astronomer in Section 4;on the years on the faculty at Chicago in Section 5;on research on Diffuse Interstellar Bands(DIBs) in Section 6;on construction of the 3.5 m telescope at Apache Point Observatory(APO)in Section 7;on work on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey(SDSS) in Section 8;on work in public education in Chicago in Section 9;and on my travels in Section 10. My main science research is of an observational nature,concerning Galactic and intergalactic interstellar gas. Highlights for me included my work on the orbiting telescope Copernicus, including the discovery of interstellar deuterium;early observations of absorption associated with fivetimes ionized oxygen;and discoveries concerning the phases of gas in the local interstellar medium, based on previously unobservable interstellar UV spectral lines. With other instruments and collaborations, I extended interstellar UV studies to the intergalactic cool gas using quasi-stellar object QSO absorption lines redshifted to the optical part of the spectrum;provided a better definition of the emission and morphological character of the source of absorption lines in QSO spectra;and pursued the identification of the unidentified DIBs. For several of these topics, extensive collaborations with many scientists were essential over many years. The conclusions developed slowly, as I moved from being a graduate student at Chicago, to a research scientist position at Princeton and then to a faculty position at Chicago. At each stage of life, I was exposed to new technologies adaptable to my science and to subsequent projects. From high school days, I encountered several management opportunities which were formative. I have been extremely fortunate both in scientific mentors I had and in experimental opportunities I encountered.

HF-VHF dual-channel multifunctional radio astronomy terminal system

The high frequency-very high frequency(HF-VHF)frequency band is of significant importance in astronomical observations,with applications studying various phenomena such as space weather,solar radio emissions,planetary eruptions in the solar system,pulsars,transient sources,and reionization of the early universe.This article introduces the HF-VHF frequency band multifunctional radio astronomical terminal system based on a dual-channel high-speed acquisition board with a frequency observation range of 1-250 MHz and a sampling rate of 500 Msps(Mega samples per second).The maximum quantization bit of the system is 14 bits,with a maximum time resolution of 0.1 s and a maximum spectral resolution of 16 kHz.The system combines spectral analysis of solar radio signals and recording of time-domain data of signals interfering with long baselines,and adopts a server-client separation mode to allow remote operation with separate permissions.It is used in the China-Malaysia joint astronomy project,which can carry out single-site observation of solar radio signals as well as interferometric observation of signals from multiple sites.

Long-term Integration Ability of the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite(SWAS)Spectral Line Receivers

The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite(SWAS)was the first space telescope capable of high spectral resolution observations of terahertz spectral lines.We have investigated the integration ability of its two receivers and spectrometer during five and a half years of on-orbit operation.The CI,O_(2),H_(2)O,and^(13)CO spectra taken toward all observed Galactic sources were analyzed.The present results are based on spectra with a total integration time of up to 2.72×10~4hr(■10~8s).The noise in the spectra is generally consistent with that expected from the radiometer equation,without any sign of approaching a noise floor.This noise performance reflects the extremely stable performance of the passively cooled front end as well as other relevant components in the SWAS instrument throughout its mission lifetime.

PyMsOfa:A Python Package for the Standards of Fundamental Astronomy(SOFA)Service

The Standards of Fundamental Astronomy(SOFA)is a service provided by the International Astronomical Union that offers algorithms and software for astronomical calculations,which was released in two versions for FORTRAN77 and ANSI C,respectively.In this work,we implement the Python package PyMsOfa for SOFA service by three ways:(1)a Python wrapper package based on a foreign function library for Python(ctypes),(2)a Python wrapper package with the foreign function interface for Python calling C code(cffi)and(3)a Python package directly written in pure Python codes from SOFA subroutines.The package PyMsOfa has fully implemented 247 functions of the original SOFA routines released on 2023 October 11.In addition,PyMsOfa is also extensively examined,which is exactly consistent with those test examples given by the original SOFA.This Python package can be suitable to not only the astrometric detection of habitable planets from the Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey mission,but also for the frontier themes of black holes and dark matter related to astrometric calculations and other fields.The source codes are available via http://pypi.org/project/PyMsOfa/and https://github.com/CHES2023/PyMsOfa.

The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy Onboard the SATech-01 Satellite

The Lobster Eye Imager for Astronomy(LEIA),a pathfinder of the Wide-field X-ray Telescope of the Einstein Probe mission,was successfully launched onboard the SATech-01 satellite of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on2022 July 27.In this paper,we introduce the design and on-ground test results of the LEIA instrument.Using stateof-the-art Micro-Pore Optics(MPO),a wide field of view of 346 square degrees(18.6°×18.6°)of the X-ray imager is realized.An optical assembly composed of 36 MPO chips is used to focus incident X-ray photons,and four large-format complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS)sensors,each of size 6 cm×6 cm,are used as the focal plane detectors.The instrument has an angular resolution of 4’-8’(in terms of FWHM)for the central focal spot of the point-spread function,and an effective area of 2-3 cm^(2) at 1 keV in essentially all the directions within the field of view.The detection passband is 0.5-4 keV in soft X-rays and the sensitivity is2-3×10^(-11) erg s^(-1) cm^(-2)(about 1 milliCrab)with a 1000 s observation.The total weight of LEIA is 56 kg and the power is 85 W.The satellite,with a design lifetime of 2 yr,operates in a Sun-synchronous orbit of 500 km with an orbital period of 95 minutes.LEIA is paving the way for future missions by verifying in flight the technologies of both novel focusing imaging optics and CMOS sensors for X-ray observation,and by optimizing the working setups of the instrumental parameters.In addition,LEIA is able to carry out scientific observations to find new transients and to monitor known sources in the soft X-ray band,albeit with limited useful observing time available.

Characterization of silicon microstrip sensors for space astronomy

Silicon microstrip detectors are widely used in experiments for space astronomy.Before the detector is assembled,extensive characterization of the silicon microstrip sensors is indispensable and challenging.This work electrically evaluates a series of sensor parameters,including the depletion voltage,bias resistance,metal strip resistance,total leakage current,strip leakage current,coupling capacitance,and interstrip capacitance.Two methods are used to accurately measure the strip leakage current,and the test results match each other well.In measuring the coupling capacitance,we extract the correct value based on a SPICE model and two-port network analysis.In addition,the expression of the measured bias resistance is deduced based on the SPICE model.

Terahertz atmospheric windows for high angular resolution terahertz astronomy from Dome A

Atmospheric transmission from Dome A, Antarctica, presents new possibilities in the field of terahertz astronomy, where space telescopes have been the only observational tools until now. Using atmospheric transmission measurements from Dome A with a Fourier transform spectrometer, transmission spectra and long-term stabilities have been analyzed at 1.461 THz, 3.393 THz, 5.786 THz and 7.1 THz, which show that important atmospheric windows for terahertz astronomy open for a reasonable length of time in the winter season. With large aperture terahertz telescopes and interferometers at Dome A, high angular resolution terahertz observations are foreseen of atomic fine-structure lines from ionized gas and a water ice feature from protoplanetary disks.

Present and Prospect of Chinese Astronomy

In the ancient history,Chinese astronomers had made tremendous achievements.They maintained the longest continuous records of all kinds of astronomical phenomena,such as solar eclipses,sunspots,comets and guest stars(nova or supernova),which are still useful today for astronomical research.Ancient

The Jiao Tong University Spectroscopic Telescope Project

The Jiao Tong University Spectroscopic Telescope(JUST)is a 4.4-meter f/6.0 segmented-mirror telescope dedicated to spectroscopic observations.The JUST primary mirror is composed of 18 hexagonal segments,each with a diameter of 1.1 m.JUST provides two Nasmyth platforms for placing science instruments.One Nasmyth focus fits a field of view of 10′and the other has an extended field of view of 1.2°with correction optics.A tertiary mirror is used to switch between the two Nasmyth foci.JUST will be installed at a site at Lenghu in Qinghai Province,China,and will conduct spectroscopic observations with three types of instruments to explore the dark universe,trace the dynamic universe,and search for exoplanets:(1)a multi-fiber(2000 fibers)medium-resolution spectrometer(R=4000-5000)to spectroscopically map galaxies and large-scale structure;(2)an integral field unit(IFU)array of 500 optical fibers and/or a long-slit spectrograph dedicated to fast follow-ups of transient sources for multi-messenger astronomy;(3)a high-resolution spectrometer(R~100000)designed to identify Jupiter analogs and Earth-like planets,with the capability to characterize the atmospheres of hot exoplanets.

The CCD instrument background of the SMILE SXI

The ESA and CAS SMILE mission orbit is highly elliptical and will pass through multiple radiation environments.The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instrument aboard has a radiation shutter door designed to close when the surrounding radiation flux is high.The shutter door will close when passing below an altitude threshold to protect against trapped particles in the Earth’s Van Allen Belts.Therefore,two radiation environments can be approximated based on the shutter door position:open and closed.The instrument background for the CCDs(Charge-Coupled Devices)that form the focal plane array of the SXI were evaluated for the two environments.Due to the correlation of the space environment with the solar cycle,the solar minima and maxima,the background was also evaluated at these two extremes.The results demonstrated that the highest instrument background will occur during solar minima due to the main contributing source being Galactic Cosmic Rays(GCRs).It was also found that the open background was highest for solar minima and that the closed background was highest during solar maxima.This is due to the radiation shutter door acting as a scattering centre and the changes in the energy flux distribution of the GCRs between the two solar extremes.

Application of deep learning methods combined with physical background in wide field of view imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

The High Altitude Detection of Astronomical Radiation(HADAR)experiment,which was constructed in Tibet,China,combines the wide-angle advantages of traditional EAS array detectors with the high-sensitivity advantages of focused Cherenkov detectors.Its objective is to observe transient sources such as gamma-ray bursts and the counterparts of gravitational waves.This study aims to utilize the latest AI technology to enhance the sensitivity of HADAR experiments.Training datasets and models with distinctive creativity were constructed by incorporating the relevant physical theories for various applications.These models can determine the type,energy,and direction of the incident particles after careful design.We obtained a background identification accuracy of 98.6%,a relative energy reconstruction error of 10.0%,and an angular resolution of 0.22°in a test dataset at 10 TeV.These findings demonstrate the significant potential for enhancing the precision and dependability of detector data analysis in astrophysical research.By using deep learning techniques,the HADAR experiment’s observational sensitivity to the Crab Nebula has surpassed that of MAGIC and H.E.S.S.at energies below 0.5 TeV and remains competitive with conventional narrow-field Cherenkov telescopes at higher energies.In addition,our experiment offers a new approach for dealing with strongly connected,scattered data.

Two-dimensional Parameter Relationships for W UMa-type Systems Revisited

Reviewing the empirical and theoretical parameter relationships between various parameters is a good way to understand more about contact binary systems.In this investigation,two-dimensional(2D)relationships for P–MV(system),P–L1,2,M1,2–L1,2,and q–Lratiowere revisited.The sample used is related to 118 contact binary systems with an orbital period shorter than 0.6 days whose absolute parameters were estimated based on the Gaia Data Release 3 parallax.We reviewed previous studies on 2D relationships and updated six parameter relationships.Therefore,Markov chain Monte Carlo and Machine Learning methods were used,and the outcomes were compared.We selected 22 contact binary systems from eight previous studies for comparison,which had light curve solutions using spectroscopic data.The results show that the systems are in good agreement with the results of this study.

铁磁绝缘体中磁振子的非平衡稳态输运性质

玻色子体系中的非平衡输运过程研究是极具挑战性的工作.磁振子是玻色子,具有与电子等费米子截然不同的自旋输运行为.本文以钇铁石榴石(YIG)铁磁绝缘体为研究对象,聚焦影响稳态下YIG中磁振子非平衡输运过程的关键因素.通过将具有非零化学势μm的玻色-爱因斯坦统计函数引入到玻尔兹曼输运方程中,获得了以为幂次的输运方程严格解析表达式(当α(=-μm/(k_(B)T))<1时).结果显示,当α<<1时,我们得到了与以往研究不同的化学势μm与非平衡粒子浓度δn_(m)之间的非线性关系δn_(m)∝-α^(1/2)α-(-μm)^(1/2)α;较大时,则还须考虑其高阶项.正因这种非线性关系,导致磁振子扩散方程显著不同于电子自旋扩散特性,其由线性微分方程演变为更复杂的非线性微分方程.本文重点研究了在两种极端温度梯度(即■T~1K/mm和10^(4)K/mm)下非平衡磁振子浓度δn_(m)和化学势μm的空间分布,它们分别对应于μm的值约为-0.1μeV和-6.2meV,均满足前提条件α<1.在远离平衡态的大温度梯度分布下,本文理论计算与实验结果吻合很好.这些理论研究结果将加深人们对铁磁绝缘体中磁振子非平衡输运行为的认识.

Estimating the subsolar magnetopause position from soft X-ray images using a low-pass image filter

The Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)missions will image the Earth’s dayside magneto pause and cusps in soft X-rays after their respective launches in the near future,to specify glo bal magnetic reconnection modes for varying solar wind conditions.To suppo rt the success of these scientific missions,it is critical to develop techniques that extract the magnetopause locations from the observed soft X-ray images.In this research,we introduce a new geometric equation that calculates the subsolar magnetopause position(RS)from a satellite position,the look direction of the instrument,and the angle at which the X-ray emission is maximized.Two assumptions are used in this method:(1)The look direction where soft X-ray emissions are maximized lies tangent to the magnetopause,and(2)the magnetopause surface near the subsolar point is almost spherical and thus RSis nea rly equal to the radius of the magneto pause curvature.We create synthetic soft X-ray images by using the Open Geospace General Circulation Model(OpenGGCM)global magnetohydrodynamic model,the galactic background,the instrument point spread function,and Poisson noise.We then apply the fast Fourier transform and Gaussian low-pass filte rs to the synthetic images to re move noise and obtain accurate look angles for the soft X-ray pea ks.From the filte red images,we calculate RS and its accuracy for different LEXI locations,look directions,and solar wind densities by using the OpenGGCM subsolar magnetopause location as ground truth.Our method estimates RS with an accuracy of<0.3 RE when the solar wind density exceeds>10 cm-3.The accuracy improves for greater solar wind densities and during southward interplanetary magnetic fields.The method ca ptures the magnetopause motion during southwa rd interplaneta ry magnetic field turnings.Consequently,the technique will enable quantitative analysis of the magnetopause motion and help reveal the dayside reconnection modes for dynamic solar wind conditions.This technique will suppo rt the LEXI and SMILE missions in achieving their scientific o bjectives.

Two methods for separating the magnetospheric solar wind charge exchange soft X-ray emission from the diffuse X-ray background

Solar wind charge exchange(SWCX)is the process of solar wind high-valence ions exchanging charges with neutral components and generating soft X-rays.Recently,detecting the SWCX emission from the magnetosphere is proposed as a new technique to study the magnetosphere using panoramic soft X-ray imaging.To better prepare for the data analysis of upcoming magnetospheric soft X-ray imaging missions,this paper compares the magnetospheric SWCX emission obtained by two methods in an XMM-Newton observation,during which the solar wind changed dramatically.The two methods differ in the data used to fit the diffuse X-ray background(DXB)parameters in spectral analysis.The method adding data from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey(RASS)is called the RASS method.The method using the quiet observation data is called the Quiet method,where quiet observations usually refer to observations made by the same satellite with the same target but under weaker solar wind conditions.Results show that the spectral compositions of magnetospheric SWCX emission obtained by the two methods are very similar,and the changes in intensity over time are highly consistent,although the intensity obtained by the RASS method is about 2.68±0.56 keV cm^(-2)s^(-1)sr^(-1)higher than that obtained by the Quiet method.Since the DXB intensity obtained by the RASS method is about 2.84±0.74 keV cm^(-2)s^(-1)sr^(-1)lower than that obtained by the Quiet method,and the linear correlation coefficient between the difference of SWCX and DXB obtained by the two methods in diffe rent energy band is close to-1,the diffe rences in magnetospheric SWCX can be fully attributed to the diffe rences in the fitted DXB.The difference between the two methods is most significant when the energy is less than 0.7 keV,which is also the main energy band of SWCX emission.In addition,the difference between the two methods is not related to the SWCX intensity and,to some extent,to solar wind conditions,because SWCX intensity typically va ries with the solar wind.In summary,both methods are robust and reliable,and should be considered based on the best available options.

Mshpy23:a user-friendly,parameterized model of magnetosheath conditions

Lunar Environment heliospheric X-ray Imager(LEXI)and Solar wind−Magnetosphere−Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)will observe magnetosheath and its boundary motion in soft X-rays for understanding magnetopause reconnection modes under various solar wind conditions after their respective launches in 2024 and 2025.Magnetosheath conditions,namely,plasma density,velocity,and temperature,are key parameters for predicting and analyzing soft X-ray images from the LEXI and SMILE missions.We developed a userfriendly model of magnetosheath that parameterizes number density,velocity,temperature,and magnetic field by utilizing the global Magnetohydrodynamics(MHD)model as well as the pre-existing gas-dynamic and analytic models.Using this parameterized magnetosheath model,scientists can easily reconstruct expected soft X-ray images and utilize them for analysis of observed images of LEXI and SMILE without simulating the complicated global magnetosphere models.First,we created an MHD-based magnetosheath model by running a total of 14 OpenGGCM global MHD simulations under 7 solar wind densities(1,5,10,15,20,25,and 30 cm)and 2 interplanetary magnetic field Bz components(±4 nT),and then parameterizing the results in new magnetosheath conditions.We compared the magnetosheath model result with THEMIS statistical data and it showed good agreement with a weighted Pearson correlation coefficient greater than 0.77,especially for plasma density and plasma velocity.Second,we compiled a suite of magnetosheath models incorporating previous magnetosheath models(gas-dynamic,analytic),and did two case studies to test the performance.The MHD-based model was comparable to or better than the previous models while providing self-consistency among the magnetosheath parameters.Third,we constructed a tool to calculate a soft X-ray image from any given vantage point,which can support the planning and data analysis of the aforementioned LEXI and SMILE missions.A release of the code has been uploaded to a Github repository.

The magnetosheath at high spectral resolution

While we eagerly anticipate SMILE’s(Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer)unprecedented X-ray observations of the Earth’s magnetosheath and the initiation of a new era of magnetospheric research,it seems appropriate to look ahead to the abilities of the next generation of astrophysics missions.Of these,the Line Emission Mapper(LEM),a large aperture micro-calorimeter based mission,is currently planned to be able to observe the magnetosheath at high spectral resolution(~2 eV).With a field of view of~30′,LEM will allow higher spatial resolution and higher cadence measurement of the motion of a very small portion of the magnetopause over relatively short periods of time(multiple hours),complementing SMILE’s global mapping.LEM’s strength is its spectral resolution.It will be able to measure the abundance of a broad range of elements and ionization states,many of which are inaccessible to current in situ instruments,and will be able to separate the emission from the magnetosheath from the emission from the cosmic X-ray background using the difference in their relative velocities.

Sequestration of helium and xenon via iron-halide compounds in early Earth

The terrestrial abundance anomalies of helium and xenon suggest the presence of deep-Earth reservoirs of these elements,which has led to great interest in searching for materials that can host these usually unreactive elements.Here,using an advanced crystal structure search approach in conjunction with first-principles calculations,we show that several Xe/He-bearing iron halides are thermodynamically stable in a broad region of P–T phase space below 60 GPa.Our results present a compelling case for sequestration of He and Xe in the early Earth and may suggest their much wider distribution in the present Earth than previously believed.These findings offer insights into key material-based and physical mechanisms for elucidating major geological phenomena.

Finding the magnetopause location using soft X-ray observations and a statistical inverse method

Variability in the location and shape of the dayside magnetopause is attributed to magnetic reconnection,a fundamental process that enables the transfer of mass,energy,and momentum from the solar wind into the magnetosphere.The spatial and temporal properties of the magnetopause,under varying solar and magnetospheric conditions,remain largely unknown because empirical studies using in-situ observations are challenging to interpret.Global wide field-of-view(FOV)imaging is the only means to simultaneously observe the spatial distribution of the plasma properties over the vast dayside magnetospheric region and,subsequently,quantify the energy transport from the interplanetary medium into the terrestrial magnetosphere.Two upcoming missions,ESA/CAS SMILE and NASA’s LEXI will provide wide-field imagery of the dayside magnetosheath in soft X-rays,an emission generated by charge exchange interactions between high charge-state heavy ions of solar wind origin and exospheric neutral atoms.High-cadence two-dimensional observations of the magnetosheath will allow the estimation of dynamic properties of its inner boundary,the magnetopause,and enable studies of its response to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure and interplanetary magnetic field orientation.This work introduces a statistically-based estimation approach based on inverse theory to estimate the spatial distribution of magnetosheath soft X-ray emissivities and,with this,identify the location of the magnetopause over the Sun−Earth line.To do so,we simulate the magnetosheath structure using the MHD-based OpenGGCM model and generate synthetic soft X-ray images using LEXI’s orbit and attitude information.Our results show that 3-D estimations using the described statistically-based technique are robust against Poisson-distributed shot noise inherent to soft X-ray images.Also,our proposed methodology shows that the accuracy of both three-dimensional(3-D)estimation and the magnetopause standoff distance calculation highly depends on the observational point.