利用相位差法测量望远镜像差

大气湍流引起的动态波前畸变和望远镜的像差是限制望远镜分辨力的主要因素,如何准确地测量望远镜的像差是进一步提高望远镜分辨能力的关键问题。相位差法利用在焦面和离焦面上同时采集到的短曝光图像,恢复出瞬时波前相位分布,然后根据大气湍流的统计特性进行平均,可以实现对望远镜像差的估计。通过计算机模拟实验,对利用相位差法恢复光瞳上的波前相位和测量望远镜像差进行了研究。模拟研究结果表明,利用相位差法能有效地估计出望远镜像差,估计均方根误差约为0.08个波长。     

天文望远镜像差对斑点成像技术的影响

着重研究了采用斑点成像技术处理天文望远镜图像时,光学系统固定像差对图像恢复结果的影响。在详细研究各种恢复天文图像振幅和相位的理论和方法的基础上,建立了一个包括Labeyrie振幅恢复方法和KnoxThompson相位重构方法的恢复扩展目标的斑点成像处理模型,分析了光学系统固定像差对系统传递函数相位分布和目标相位重构的影响：天文目标通过大气成像,固定像差将会被淹没在大气湍流随机起伏中,像差对相位重构没有显著影响。处理图像结果表明,斑点成像技术能同时消除大气湍流和望远镜系统固定像差的影响,得到高分辨力的扩展目标图像。还提出了一种消除光学系统像差的方法。     

基于噪声特性的大气湍流退化图像多帧盲反卷积复原

由于大气湍流和噪声的影响,造成观测目标图像的退化.为了目标的精确观测,根据噪声特性,结合符合物理意义的约束条件,提出了新的大气湍流图像盲反卷积复原最小化模型,并以共轭梯度数值优化方法交替迭代求解,复原观测目标图像.为验证提出的算法的有效性,在计算机上模拟参数为望远镜口径为2.0 m,大气相干长度为0.1 m,图像信噪比为10 dB的大气湍流退化和噪声污染的图像,以提出的盲反卷积复原方法复原,实验结果表明,提出的盲反卷积复原算法避免了传统的盲反卷积复原算法的缺陷,有效地克服大气湍流和噪声的影响,复原出了清晰的观测目标图像.该图像盲反卷积复原方法的研究,对地基望远镜的观测有重要的基础性作用.     

基于双波前传感器自适应光学技术的太阳光栅光谱仪

为了研究不同太阳大气高度的热力学特性,具有良好成像质量的成像型光栅光谱仪是实现这个目标的重要仪器。然而作为地基式太阳望远镜重要的终端仪器之一,光栅光谱仪的光谱成像性能不可避免的会受到动态波前像差和系统静态像差的影响。动态波前像差常通过在太阳望远镜系统中集成自适应光学系统进行补偿。针对光学系统中的由装调和光学元件加工等引起的静态波前像差,提出了一种基于自适应光学技术校正光栅光谱仪中静态波前像差的方法,并进行了数值模拟仿真和实验验证。实验结果表明,校正后系统的残余波前像差RMS≈0.025λ,此时波前像差对光谱分辨率和能量利用率的影响可忽略,提高了光栅光谱仪的光谱成像质量,证明了所提出的方法的有效性。此外它具有降低光学系统装调精度和光学元件加工精度要求的优点。     

Synthetic imaging: nonadaptive anisoplanatic image correction in atmospheric turbulence

We introduce a synthetic-imaging technique that can be applied to correct anisoplanatic images degraded by atmospheric turbulence. This method is based on local image-quality analysis applied to a large set of short-exposure images and can be considered a generalization of the frame-selection technique. Experimental results obtained for atmospheric data demonstrate the efficiency of the synthetic-imaging technique in improving image quality.     

Analysis and modeling of aerothermal radiation based on experimental data

The effect of aerothermal radiation on the performance of an airborne infrared imaging system is becoming a crucial issue in the development of electro-optic systems. In this paper the high-temperature radiation characteristics of infrared window are studied in depth, and a multi-scale analysis model of aerothermal radiation degraded images is presented. The presented model adopted a least-squares fitting method to simulate the salient characteristics of the aerothermal radiation degraded images. The aerothermal radiation degradation characteristic database containing characterizing parameters of degraded images was created. Through optimization selection, the characterizing parameters were used to correct the degraded images in the real aerothermal environment. The experimental results show that the model is effective in the aerothermal radiation degraded image correction, and improves the quality of the aerothermal radiation degraded image.     

Point Spread Function Estimation for a Turbulence-Degenerated Image Based on Àtrous Wavelet Transform

The observed object images are seriously blurred because of the influence of atmospheric turbulence. The restoration is required for the reconstruction of turbulence degraded images. Point spread function (PSF) estimation, an essential part of image restoration, has no accurate estimation algorithm at present. Based on the àtrous wavelet, we deduce a novel PSF estimation algorithm. First, the àtrous wavelet at varying scales is transformed. Then, on the basis of the relation among the local maxima of the modulus of the wavelet coefficients at different scales, the Lipschitz exponent of the wavelet coefficients is computed, thus the variance of a PSF is estimated. From this estimated variance, one is able to obtain the PSF. Consequently, the object image can be restored. Experimental results show that the proposed method is highly effective with good performance.     

Experimental validation of a technique to measure tilt from a laser guide star

We have experimentally demonstrated for what is believed to be the first time a method for sensing wave-front tilt with a laser guide star (LGS). The tilt components of wave fronts were measured synchronously from the LGS by use of a telescope with a 0.75-m effective aperture and from the star Polaris by use of a 1.5-m telescope. The Rayleigh guide star was formed at an altitude of 6 km and at a corresponding range of 10.5 km by projection of a focused beam at Polaris from the full aperture at the 1.5-m telescope. Both telescope mounts were unpowered and bolted in place, allowing us to reduce substantially the telescope vibration. The maximum value of the measured cross-correlation coefficient between the tilt for Polaris and the LGS is 0.71. The variations of the measured cross-correlation coefficient in the range from 0.22 to 0.71 are caused by turbulence at altitudes above 6 km, which was not sampled by the laser beacon but affected tilt for Polaris, the cone effect for turbulence below 6 km, residual mount jitter of the telescopes, and variations of the signal/noise ratio. The results support our concept of sensing atmospheric tilt by observing a LGS with an auxiliary telescope and indicate that this method is a possible solution for the tip-tilt problem.     

Space solar telescope in soft X-ray and EUV band

In this paper we have reviewed our achievements in soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) optics. Up to now, the research system of soft X-ray and EUV optics has been established, including light sources, detectors, calibrations, optical testing and machining of super smooth mirrors, and fabrications of multilayer film mirrors. Based on our achievements, we have developed two types of solar space telescopes for the soft X-ray and EUV space solar observations. One is an EUV multilayer normal incident telescope array including 4 different operation wavelength telescopes. The operation wavelengths of the EUV telescope are 13.0, 17.1, 19.5 and 30.4 nm. The other is a complex space solar telescope, which is composed of an EUV multilayer normal incident telescope and a soft X-ray grazing incident telescope. The EUV multilayer normal incident telescope stands in the central part of the soft X-ray grazing incident telescope. The normal incident telescope and the grazing incident telescope have a common detector. The different operation wavelengths can be changed by rotating a filter wheel.     

Impact of telescope seeing on laser adaptive optics

Atmospheric turbulence in the internal light path of a telescope produces noncommon path phase differences that degrade the image quality of adaptive-optics systems employing laser guide stars. The spatial covariance and rms wavefront errors produced by this effect are derived. It is found that the tilt-removed wavefront error ranges from about 12 nm for a representative 30 m telescope to 59 nm for a 100 m telescope of similar optical design. For adaptive-optics systems that aim to derive tip-tilt information from the laser guide stars the error is considerably larger, ranging from 22 nm for the 30 m telescope to 256 nm for the 100 m telescope. This effect can be a significant impediment to the performance of such systems.     

Analysis of telescope array receivers for deep-space inter-planetary optical communication link between Earth and Mars

Optical communication technology shows promising prospects to fulfill the large bandwidth communication requirements of future deep-space exploration missions that are launched by NASA and various other international space agencies. At Earth, a telescope with a large aperture diameter is required to capture very weak optical signals that are transmitted from distant planets and to support large bandwidth communication link. A single large telescope has the limitations of cost, single point failure in case of malfunction, difficulty in manufacturing high quality optics, maintenance, and trouble in providing communication operations when transmitting spacecraft is close to the Sun. An array of relatively smaller-sized telescopes electrically connected to form an aggregate aperture area equivalent to a single large telescope is a viable alternative to a monolithic gigantic aperture. In this paper, we present the design concept and analysis of telescope array receivers for an optical communication link between Earth and Mars. Pulse-position modulation (PPM) is used at the transmitter end and photon-counting detectors along with the direct-detection technique are employed at each telescope element in the array. We also present the optimization of various system parameters, such as detector size (i.e., receiver field of view), PPM slot width, and the PPM order M, to mitigate the atmospheric turbulence and background noise effects, and to maximize the communication system performance. The performance of different array architectures is evaluated through analytical techniques and Monte-Carlo simulations for a broad range of operational scenarios, such as, Earth-Mars conjunction, Earth-Mars opposition, and different background and turbulence conditions. It is shown that the performance of the telescope array-based receiver is equivalent to a single large telescope; and as compared to current RF technology, telescope array-based optical receivers can provide several orders of magnitude greater data rates for deep-space communication with Mars.     

基于多视场星点椭圆率的望远镜主动准直方法

光学元件的准直失调会引起天文望远镜在观测过程中的像质退化,该问题在大口径快焦比的天文光学系统中更为突出。针对此问题,本文提出一种用于望远镜日常观测过程中的主动准直方法,通过星像解算实时校正副镜位置及姿态达到维持望远镜像质的目的。该方法基于多视场星点椭圆率,利用粒子群优化算法迭代求解望远镜光学元件失调量,从而校正由光学元件失调引起的低阶像差。利用1.6 m多通道测光巡天望远镜光学系统进行模拟仿真,求解副镜失调量残余误差小于1%,在系统设计公差范围以内。利用南极巡天望远镜AST3-3模拟及实验验证,表明该方法可高精度求解望远镜光学元件的失调误差。     

基于月面图像的大气波前倾斜量提取算法的性能分析

 为了提高月球激光测距试验中的回波光子数,考虑将自适应光学技术应用于云南天文台1.2 m光学望远镜,以实时校正望远镜跟踪误差和由于大气湍流的影响而造成的到达月球表面的激光束的扩展与漂移效应。针对月面为低对比度扩展源的特点,利用互相关函数法及绝对差分算法对采集的月面图像进行了大气波前倾斜量的提取。模拟了未去除和去除大气波前倾斜量的月面长曝光图像,发现去除大气波前倾斜量后的图像对比度较未去除有了相应提高。研究表明：月球激光测距试验中,绝对差分算法更适合用来提取大气波前倾斜量。     

Non-Kolmogorov湍流大气中小尺度热晕效应线性理论

从小尺度热晕线性理论出发,在non-Kolmogorov谱的基础上,得到了non-Kolmogorov谱湍流下热晕相位补偿的Strehl比表达式,分析了湍流谱对高能激光的相位补偿的影响.研究结果表明湍流谱对湍流热晕效应的相位补偿有重要的影响.在相同的湍流菲涅耳数下,当谱指数越接近于3时补偿效果越差,谱指数接近于4时补偿效果越好.在相同大气相干长度条件下或在相同湍流折射率常量条件下,当谱指数接近于3时,Strehl比随热晕效应的增强而下降变快,当湍流谱指数逐渐接近于4时,Strehl比下降速度变慢.其原因是随着湍流谱指数的增大,湍流热晕相互作用引起的对数振幅起伏增长变慢.     

A new method to improve power efficiencies of optical systems with Cassegrain-telescope receivers

We presented a new method to improve power efficiencies of the optical systems with Cassegrain telescope receivers by using vortex sources with optimized parameters. A typical model of optical systems with Cassegrain telescope receivers was established and power losses in the optical system under the H-V 5/7 turbulence model were analyzed in detail. The calculating results showed that power efficiency of the optical system can be improved from 76.48% to 97.25%. A reduced-scaled experiment was carried out and the experimental results showed that power efficiency of the optical system can be improved from 71.89% to 90.60%.     

空间太阳望远镜偏振光测量技术

在空间天文望远镜上,由于需要用科学仪器采集太阳偏振图像,所以引出了对偏振光测量问题的研究。利用Stockes参数进行偏振光测量,可以使得原本需要对两个方向的振幅(a1,a2)和相位差进行测量的问题转化为对三个都是强度量纲的Stockes参数进行测量,这就使得测量和实现起来变得简单和容易多了。利用Stockes参数讨论了偏振光测量的原理和方法,并描述了它在空间天文望远镜(SST)中的实现方案。     

37-element solar adaptive optics for 26-cm solar fine structure telescope at Yunnan Astronomical Observatory

A 37-element solar adaptive optics （AO） system was built and installed at the 26-cm solar fine structure telescope of Yunnan Astronomical Observatory. The AO system is composed of a fine tracking loop with a tip/tilt mirror and a correlation tracker, a high-order correction loop with a 37-element deformable mirror, a correlating Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor based on the absolute difference algorithm, and a real time controller. The system was completed on Sep. 28, 2009 and was used to obtain AO-corrected high-resolution solar images. The contrast and resolution of the images are clearly improved after wavefront correction by AO. To the best of out knowledge, this system is the first solar AO system in China.     

Application of multi-frame approach in single-frame blind deconvolution

A new single-frame blind deconvolution algorithm for the linear shift-invariant imaging system is presented. The algorithm processes the partial images segmented from one single degraded image by multi-frame approach to recover the point spread function (PSF). Then a deconvolution method is employed to restore the whole image with the recovered PSF. In addition, in order to improve the fidelity and resolution of the recovered PSF, the coprimeness of the partial images is utilized. Results of simulated and real atmospheric turbulence degraded images using the algorithm are reported.     

Subaru Telescope —History,active/adaptive optics,instruments, and scientific achievements—

The Subaru Telescope^a) is an 8.2 m optical/infrared telescope constructed during 1991–1999 and has been operational since 2000 on the summit area of Maunakea, Hawaii, by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). This paper reviews the history, key engineering issues, and selected scientific achievements of the Subaru Telescope. The active optics for a thin primary mirror was the design backbone of the telescope to deliver a high-imaging performance. Adaptive optics with a laser-facility to generate an artificial guide-star improved the telescope vision to its diffraction limit by cancelling any atmospheric turbulence effect in real time. Various observational instruments, especially the wide-field camera, have enabled unique observational studies. Selected scientific topics include studies on cosmic reionization, weak/strong gravitational lensing, cosmological parameters, primordial black holes, the dynamical/chemical evolution/interactions of galaxies, neutron star mergers, supernovae, exoplanets, proto-planetary disks, and outliers of the solar system. The last described are operational statistics, plans and a note concerning the culture-and-science issues in Hawaii.     

应用闭环残余倾斜数据分析自适应光学系统精跟踪回路性能

在自适应光学系统中,目标跟踪误差主要由未完全补偿的大气湍流扰动和望远镜抖动引起的跟踪误差以及系统的倾斜噪声误差两部分组成。提出一种用闭环残余倾斜数据计算倾斜噪声误差、大气湍流扰动和望远镜抖动引起的跟踪误差以及系统跟踪残余误差的新方法,并用此方法分析61单元自适应光学系统中精跟踪回路的性能。