2018年天文学热点回眸

 天文学是一门以观测为基础的学科，其发展主要依靠观测和数据的支持。基于SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System天文物理学数据系统中高被引文章并结合热点新闻报道，回顾了2018年天文学热点的进展和发现，以观测和基础研究、仪器研制及工具开发两大方面论述了2018年天文学研究热点。     

用^60Co放射源检测油垢厚度的初步实验研究

本文用石蜡模拟油垢，用^60Co放射源的1．25MeV平均能量的γ射线垂直入射，以一定的散射角和不同的探测立体角接收散射γ光子敫．发现散射γ计数与被测石蜡厚度之间存在不同的线性关系．结果发现，放射源与探测器之间屏蔽的好坏和合理的探测距离对提高线性度有很大关系．本实验测得最佳线性相关系数平方值为0．9981，平均测量精度为1．26mm．这对研究散射法检测油垢厚度和选择合适的探测距离提供了实验基础．     

用地面阵列寻找TeV能区γ点源的方法探讨

文中探讨搜寻TeV能区γ点源的方法.讨论利用student变量t判断来自源区及背景区宇宙线事例的统计差别,并由Bayes定理与MonteCarlo模拟相结合计算源区各能段的信号数,推算蟹状星云在TeV能区的γ射线微分能谱     

Physics in Melbourne

I survey highlights of the practice of physics and allied sciences in Melbourne,Australia, from the 1850s, soon after Europeans first settled in the area, to the present. I note recognizable sites of past and current physical-science activity that may be visited, as well as exhibits of historic items of physics apparatus. I trace the role of physics, in the course of a century and a half, in the evolution of a pioneering settlement into a large city embedded in a modern industrial economy.     

Infrared detection of a planet next to a bright star

Humans have always dreamt about the possibility of existence of planets in solar systems other than our own. After flying by, dropping probes, and even landing devices on most planets within our own solar system, the search for extra-solar planet is included in every proposal to either build a larger and better earth-, space-, or moon-based telescope, or observatory facility. The preliminary analysis seems to indicate that wavelength band from 25 μm to 30 μm is most promising in solving this problem. A number of IR technological challenges are to be overcome before the actual detection system can even be considered in a detailed design. The significant technical challenges of finding a planet will be described. Then details are given on the feasibility of detecting a planet with an instrument concept designed specifically for this purpose, a space-based, rotating rotationally shearing interferometer.     

深度学习在引力波数据处理中的应用初探

截至2018-01-16,LIGO已成功探测引力波事件6次.可以预期,引力波探测事件会越来越多,引力波天文学会很快进入到大数据阶段.深度学习在大数据处理方面近年来得到迅速发展.它在数据处理速度,准确度等方面都表现出极大的优势.深度学习在引力波数据处理中的应用讨论还不多.本文引入此问题,并对其进行初步研究.引力波数据最大的特点是强噪声、弱信号.现行的数据处理方法是利用匹配滤波的方式把引力波信号从强噪声中挖掘出来.同时,匹配滤波方法还可以确定引力波源的性质,定量确定其参数.匹配滤波方法的弱点是计算量巨大.这导致数据处理速度很慢.对于将来的大数据引力波天文学,这更将是一个巨大的隐患.匹配滤波方法的另一个潜在问题是,完备准确的理论波形模板是其工作的前提条件.这个潜在问题的后果是很难找到理论预期之外的引力波信号.深度学习的数据处理方法有可能在这些问题上提供出路.同时,深度学习也会遇到其自身的若干困难和问题.本文将从网络结构、训练数据制备、训练优化、对信号识别的泛化能力、对数据的特征图表示以及对特征数据遮挡的响应等方面来展开讨论.     

Developing Systems for Real-Time Streaming Analysis

Sources of streaming data are proliferating and so are the demands to analyze and mine such data in real time. Statistical methods frequently form the core of real-time analysis, and therefore, statisticians increasingly encounter the challenges and implicit requirements of real-time systems. This work recommends a comprehensive strategy for development and implementation of streaming algorithms, beginning with exploratory data analysis in a flexible computing environment, leading to specification of a computational algorithm for the streaming setting and its initial implementation, and culminating in successive improvements to computational efficiency and throughput. This sequential development relies on a collaboration between statisticians, domain scientists, and the computer engineers developing the real-time system. This article illustrates the process in the context of a radio astronomy challenge to mitigate adverse impacts of radio frequency interference (noise) in searches for high-energy impulses from distant sources. The radio astronomy application motivates discussion of system design, code optimization, and the use of hardware accelerators such as graphics processing units, field-programmable gate arrays, and IBM Cell processors. Supplementary materials, available online, detail the computing systems typically used for streaming systems with real-time constraints and the process of optimizing code for high efficiency and throughput.     

Long-term optical and radio variability analysis of BL Lacertae 2200+420

Based on the radio light curves in 22 GHz and 37 GHz from the Metsahovi monitoring program and the optical light curves in BVRI bands from previously published results and the"Whole Earth Blazar Telescope"(WEBT)archives,we analyze the time delay among 22 GHz,37 GHz and optical bands(B,V,R,I)of BL Lacertae by means of discrete correlation method.The results suggest there exist strong correlation among 22 GHz,37 GHz and optical bands(B,V,R,I)with zero-lag.The 37 GHz lags behind R band by 11 months.The correlation of brightness and color index among BVRI bands,brightness and spectral index between 37GHz and 22 GHz are also investigated.The results show a clear trend of bluer-when-brighter.     

《授时历》中的招差法和弧矢割圆术研究

研究了《授时历》中的招差法和弧矢割圆术的构建原理。结果表明，前者即现在的三次内插法，古代是从一些实测数据出发，利用代数方法构造一个确定天体在每一时段所处位置的算法，并用表格和公式的形式表示出来；后者是中国历法计算中首次使用的球面几何方法，系应用古代的勾股算术和沈括的“会圆术”并结合高次方程来解决天文测量问题。通过中外比较认为，牛顿内插法晚于中国招差示近400年，而弧矢割圆术的使用标志着中国数学上的球面三角法思想的出现。