Instrumentation Commons^™

Transmission Telescope Optical Dynamic Alignment, Viviana Vladutescu, Aaron J. Swank, Dzu K. Le, Calvin R. Robinson, O. Scott Sands

Publications and Research

The Integrated Radio Optical Communication System (iROC) is designed to transmit data between Mars and Earth by means of radio waves at 32.67 GHz (Ka band) and laser beam (LB) at 1550 nm, both transmitted via a combined telescope/antenna called a teletenna. The iROC terminal will provide “beaconless” operations to allow full function from the outer planets. In order to point without the aid of an uplink beacon, the proof of concept presented here is addressing the need for an accurate determination and control of the relative position of the LB with respect to a reference star.

The experiment presented …

Corrigendum: The Remote Observatories Of The Southeastern Association For Research In Astronomy (Sara), William C. Keel, Terry Oswalt, Peter Mack, Gary Henson, Todd Hillwig, Daniel Batcheldor, Robert Berrington, Chris De Pree, Dieter Hartmann, Martha Leake, Javier Licandro, Brian Murphy, James Webb, Matt A. Wood

Publications

Bill Gray of Project Pluto brought to our attention an error of 0.03° in the listed latitude of our Kitt Peak telescope. While correcting the table where this occurred, we also take the opportunity to update the instrument properties and weather statistics of our remote telescopes

Testing Spiral Density-Wave Theory In Disk Galaxies Using Multi-Wavelength Image Data, Star Formation History Maps And Spatially Resolved Stellar Clusters, Mohamed Shameer Abdeen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Studying galaxy structures using different wavebands enables us to observe a varietyof intrinsic galactic features and to test the validity of underlying theories in detail. Density wave theory, originally proposed by C.C. Lin and F. Shu (Lin & Shu 1964), explains the nature of the spiral arm patterns in disk galaxies as density waves that propagate through the galactic disk. From spiral galaxies to the rings of Saturn, density wave theory has had success in providing qualitative explanations of disk dynamics. However, it is now widely believed that galactic disks are dissipative systems which raises the question of whether they …

Systematical Uncertainties In The Measurement Of A Gamma-Ray Burst’S Isotropic Equivalent Energy, Kimberly Zoldak

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic and luminous explosions in the Universe since the Big Bang, enabling them to be observed out to extremely large redshifts (z~9). Consequently, this makes them a promising cosmological standard candle candidate. Unfortunately, however, they have proven to be quite challenging to standardize. The GRB community has worked tirelessly at this task, and to date, has put forth several luminosity-distance relations, some more propitious than others. The most prevailing problem with these relations is in their sizable amount of scatter, likely due to measurement inconsistencies and errors in the variables they employ. This arises …

The James Webb Space Telescope And Scientific Progress, Robert Astle

Quest

Independent Research Paper

Research in progress for PHYS 2425: University Physics I

Faculty Mentor: Raji Kannampuzha, Ph.D.

The following paper represents research work done by students in University Physics 2425, the first half of a two-semester introductory course in physics. It is a calculus- based physics course, intended primarily for physics, chemistry, math, and engineering majors. Students are introduced to the concept of academic research by learning to ask research-focused questions and then use the library resources to pursue outside research to find answers. For this assignment, students are asked to investigate a physical science, biological science, or technology problem …

Transform Based Approaches For The Detection Of Astrophysical Signals, Marwan Mahfud Alkhweldi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Development of new algorithms for the detection of isolated astrophysical pulses is of interest to radio astronomers. Both Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and several Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs) were detected through the application of a single pulse search algorithm. The conventional approach to detect astronomical pulses requires an exhaustive search for the correct dispersion measure. Its accelerated versions involve signal processing in Fourier transform space.

In this dissertation, we present several new transform-based approaches for the detection and analysis of astrophysical signals with the latest being the most effective and advanced of all. It is implemented in several steps. First, …

Magnetic Properties Of Lsmo/Sto Thin Films: Magnetocaloric, Spin Dynamics And Magnetic Viscosity Investigations, Navid Mottaghi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

While other films are discussed, this dissertation will focus on detailed studies of the dc and ac bulk magnetometry in a characteristic 7.6 nm thin film of La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO₃ grown on SrTiO₃ (001). The dc bulk magnetometry measurements show that the sample is magnetically inhomogeneous. Temperature variation of magnetization (M vs. T) was measured in zero-field-cooled and field-cooled protocols to determine the blocking temperature T_B in different applied magnetic fields. The field variation of T_B is interpreted as the presence of embedded spin clusters of 1.4 nm. Moreover, the M vs. …

Investigation On The Use Of Small Aperture Telescopes For Leo Satellite Orbit Determination, Luis R. Curiel Iii

Master's Theses

The following thesis regards the use of small aperture telescopes for space domain awareness efforts. The rapidly populating space domain was motivation for the development of a new operation scheme to conduct space domain awareness feasibility studies using small telescopes. Two 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescopes at the California Polytechnic State University and the Air Force Research Lab in Kirtland AFB, NM, in conjunction with a dedicated CCD camera and a commercial DSLR camera, were utilized to conduct optical observations on satellites in Earth orbit.

Satellites were imaged during August 2019, and from January 2020 to March 2020, resulting in the collection …

Tidal Locking And The Gravitational Fold Catastrophe, Andrea Ferroglia, Miguel C. N. Fiolhais

Publications and Research

The purpose of this work is to study the phenomenon of tidal locking in a pedagogical framework by analyzing the effective gravitational potential of a two-body system with two spinning objects. It is shown that the effective potential of such a system is an example of a fold catastrophe. In fact, the existence of a local minimum and saddle point, corresponding to tidally locked circular orbits, is regulated by a single dimensionless control parameter that depends on the properties of the two bodies and on the total angular momentum of the system. The method described in this work results in …

Measurements And Mitigation Of Scattered Light Noise In Ligo, Corey Daniel Austin

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Advanced LIGO (aLIGO) detectors use 1064 nm lasers to measure the tiny fluctuations in spacetime that occur when gravitational waves pass through the earth. LIGO makes use of advanced coating methods and materials to limit the amount of light that scatters from the main beam, but some amount of light does scatter. This stray light can interact with surfaces inside the interferometer that are not seismically isolated and then recombine with the main beam, introducing excess noise into the gravitational wave channel. This thesis reviews the methods for modeling scattered light with ray tracing software and analytical models, for …

Telescope Parallel Actuator Mount: Control And Testing, Samuel S. Artho-Bentz

Master's Theses

This thesis approaches the task of designing a control system for the Parallel Actuator Mount developed by Dr. John Ridgely and Mr. Garrett Gudgel. It aims to create a base framework that directly controls the telescope and can be expanded to accept external command. It incorporates lower priced components and develops more easily approachable software with great functionality. An open-loop method for velocity control is established. Developing repeatable tests is a major focus. Testing finds the control methods developed result in velocity error of less than 5% and position error of less than 1.5% despite several mechanical issues and inaccuracies. …

Topics In Gravitational Wave Physics, Aaron David Johnson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

We begin with a brief introduction to gravitational waves. Next we look into the origin of the Chandrasekhar transformations between the different equations found by perturbing a Schwarzschild black hole. Some of the relationships turn out to be Darboux transformations. Then we turn to GW150914, the first detected black hole binary system, to see if the nonlinear memory might be detectable by current and future detectors. Finally, we develop an updated code for computing equatorial extreme mass ratio inspirals which will be open sourced as soon as it has been generalized for arbitrary inclinations.

The Planetary Luminosity Problem: " Missing Planets" And The Observational Consequences Of Episodi Accretion, Sean D. Brittain, Joan R. Najita, Ruobing Dong, Zhaohuan Zhu

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

The high occurrence rates of spiral arms and large central clearings in protoplanetary disks, if interpreted as signposts of giant planets, indicate that gas giants commonly form as companions to young stars (Myr) at orbital separations of 10–300 au. However, attempts to directly image this giant planet population as companions to more mature stars (>10 Myr) have yielded few successes. This discrepancy could be explained if most giant planets form by "cold start," i.e., by radiating away much of their formation energy as they assemble their mass, rendering them faint enough to elude detection at later times. In that …

Discovering New Strong Gravitational Lenses In The Desi Legacy Imaging Surveys, Xiaosheng Huang, Christopher Storfer, A. Gu, V. Ravi, A. Pilon, W. Sheu, R. Venguswamy, S. Bankda, A. Dey, M. Landriau, D. Lang, A. Meisner, J. Moustakas, A. D. Myers, R. Sajith, E. F. Schlafly, D. J. Schlegel

Physics and Astronomy

We have conducted a search for new strong gravitational lensing systems in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Imaging Surveys’ Data Release 8. We use deep residual neural networks, building on previous work presented in Huang et al. (2020). These surveys together cover approximately one third of the sky visible from the northern hemisphere, reaching a z-band AB magnitude of ∼ 22.5. We compile a training sample that consists of known lensing systems as well as non-lenses in the Legacy Surveys and the Dark Energy Survey. After applying our trained neural networks to the survey data, we visually inspect and …

Characterizing Plasma With Emission Tomography-Feasibility Study On Synthetic And Experimental Data, M. Nikolić, A. Samolov, A. Godunov, L. Vušković,, S. Popović

Physics Faculty Publications

We present a feasibility study on different tomographic algorithms to overcome the issues of finite sets of projection data, limited viewing angles, and noisy data, which cause the tomographic reconstruction to be an ill-posed inversion problem. We investigated three approaches: single angle Abel inversion, two angle approach, and multiple angle 2D plasma tomography. These methods were tested on symmetric and asymmetric sample functions and on experimental results from a supersonic flowing argon microwave plasma sustained in a cylindrical quartz cavity. The analysis focused on the afterglow region of the microwave flow where a plasmoid-like formation was observed. We investigated the …

Determining The Rotational And Orbital Velocities Of Objects In The Solar System, Mark Jones

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Astronomers have been observing the night sky for many centuries to establish a better understanding for our universe and solar system. As part of their observations, astronomers characterize celestial bodies by fundamental properties such as mass, motion, and composition in order to provide further insight about the objects in question. As technology and science have evolved, the methods for measuring these properties have become more precise and accurate. One such methodology is known as spectroscopy, and it is a significant tool for observational astronomy. In this paper, we shall describe how we used astronomical spectroscopy to determine orbital and rotational …

Design And Construction Of A Computer Controlled Astronomical Spectropolarimeter, Jacob Marchio

Honors College

A theoretical description of a simple optical train, modulated signal based spectropolarimeter is discussed. The design includes, after the telescope optical tube (in this case, a 9.25” Schmidt Cassegrain), a rotating quarter waveplate (compensator), a fixed linear polarizer (analyzer), and transmission grating of 100l/mm, with a ZWO ASI290mm astronomical camera. The practical constraints on implementing such an instrument are discussed, and the construction of the spectropolarimeter is detailed, including the necessary optics, optomechanics, and electromechanics. The rotation and recording of the rotating compensator is facilitated by a motorized connection with proportional feedback control, and the uncertainty in measuring the angle …

Automated Spectroscopic Detection And Mapping Using Alma And Machine Learningtechniques, Steven Cocke, Andrew Wilkins, Josephine Mcdaniel, John Santerre, Conor Nixon

SMU Data Science Review

In this paper we present a methodology for automating theclassification of spectrally resolved observations of multiple emissionlines with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).Molecules in planetary atmospheres emit or absorb different wavelengthsof light thereby providing a unique signature for each species. ALMAdata were taken from interferometric observations of Titan made be-tween UT 2012 July 03 23:22:14 and 2012 July 04 01:06:18 as part ofALMA project 2011.0.00319.S. We first employed a greedy set cover algorithm to identify the most probable molecules that would reproducethe set of frequencies with respective flux greater than 3σaway from themean. We then selected a subset of …

Physical Dispersions Of Meteor Showers Through High Precision Optical Observations, Denis Vida

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Meteoroids ejected from comets form meteoroid streams which disperse over time due to gravitational perturbations and non-gravitational forces. When stream meteoroids collide with the Earth's atmosphere, they are visible as meteors emanating from a common point-like area (radiant) in the sky. Measuring the size of meteor shower radiant areas can provide insight into stream formation and age. The tight radiant dispersion of young streams are difficult to determine due to measurement error, but if successfully measured, the dispersion could be used to constrain meteoroid ejection velocities from their parent comets. The estimated ejection velocity is an uncertain, model-dependent value with …

Optics Observatory Conversion From Solar To Stellar, Nicholas Schragal, Logan Curtis, Astronomy Club

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Calibration Transients In Ligo Detectors, Thomas Daniel Abbott

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation describes a novel method of analyzing fluctuations in the time-dependent calibration models of the LIGO interferometers to estimate their effect on strain reconstruction for gravitational-wave detections. The time-dependence of the calibration model of each detector is tracked with a set of parameters which are continuously measured while the interferometers are operating. These parameters track slow variations in the sensing function of the detectors as well as the actuators that hold the detectors in an operational state. The time-dependent parameter data during the second observation run (O2 [November 30, 2016 16:00 UTC to August 25, 2017 22:00:00 UTC]) and …

Stellar Nucleosynthesis: Direct Measurement Of The Neutron-Capture Cross Sections Of Stable Germanium Isotopes And Design Of A Next Generation Ion Trap For The Study Of Beta-Delayed Neutron Emission, Alexander Laminack

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Knowledge of stellar nuclear reaction rates is critical to understanding the cosmic origins of the abundances of elements. In order to determine these reaction rates, accurate measurements of nuclear cross sections are needed. This thesis presents the results of an experiment to directly measure the neutron capture cross sections of 70-Ge, 72-Ge, 74-Ge, and 76-Ge. These measurements were performed at the Los Alamos Neutron Science CEnter (LANSCE) using the Detector for Advanced Neutron Capture Experiments (DANCE). This is the first direct measurement for many of these isotopes across the neutron energy spectrum of 10 eV to 1 MeV using the …

Astro2020 Apc White Paper. 2020 Vision: Towards A Sustainable Oir System, Sally Oey, Terry D. Oswalt, Tom Maccarone, Fred Walter, Charles Bailyn, Jay Gallagher, Todd Henry, Derek Buzasi, J. Allyn Smith, Rachael Beaton, Jim Webb, Brad Barlow, Misty Bentz, Leslie Hebb, Patrick Kelly, Jedidah Isler, Michael Meyer, John Salzer, Simone Scaringi

Publications

Open-access telescopes of all apertures are needed to operate a competitive and efficient national science program. While larger facilities contribute light-gathering power and angular resolution, smaller ones dominate for field of view, time-resolution, and especially, total available observing time, thereby enabling our entire, diversely-expert community. Smaller aperture telescopes therefore play a critical and indispensable role in advancing science. Thus, the divestment of NSF support for modest-aperture (1 – 4 m) public telescopes poses a serious threat to U.S. scientific leadership, which is compounded by the unknown consequences of the shift from observations driven by individual investigators to survey-driven science. Given …

There Is No Constant In Physics: A Neutrosophic Explanation, Victor Christianto, Robert Neil Boyd, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In Neutrosophic Logic, a basic assertion is that there are variations of about everything that we can measure; the variations surround three parameters called T,I,F (truth, indeterminacy, falsehood) which can take a range of values. Similarly, in this paper we consider NL applications in physics constants. Those constants actually all have a window of plus and minus values, relative to the average value of the constant. For example, speed of light, c, can vary in a window up to +/- 3000 m/s. Therefore it should be written: 300000 km/s +/- 3 km/s. We also discuss some implications of this new …

High Power And Optomechanics In Advanced Ligo Detectors, Terra Christine Hardwick

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In September 2015, a new era of astronomy began with the first direct detection of grav- itational waves from a binary black hole coalescence. The event was captured by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory, comprised of two long-baseline interferometers, one in Livingston, LA and one in Hanford, WA. At the time of the first detection, the interferometers were part way through an upgrade to an advanced configuration and were operating with a strain sensitivity of just better than 10⁻²³/Hz^1/2 around 100Hz. The full Advanced LIGO design calls for sensitivity of a few parts in 10⁻²⁴/Hz …

A Rotating Aperture Mask For Small Telescopes, Edward L. Foley

Master's Theses

Observing the dynamic interaction between stars and their close stellar neighbors is key to establishing the stars’ orbits, masses, and other properties. Our ability to visually discriminate nearby stars is limited by the power of our telescopes, posing a challenge to astronomers at small observatories that contribute to binary star surveys. Masks placed at the telescope aperture promise to augment the resolving power of telescopes of all sizes, but many of these masks must be manually and repetitively reoriented about the optical axis to achieve their full benefits. This paper introduces a design concept for a mask rotation mechanism that …

Polarized X-Ray Sources For Calibration Of The Ixpe X-Ray Telescopes, Samantha Johnson, Wayne Baumgartner

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

The Design And Testing Of A Gamma-Neutron Spectrometer For The Helen Project, Everett Cavanaugh, Christopher Helmerich, Sean Widmier, Sarah Dangelo

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Wavelength Calibration Of The Full-Sun Ultraviolet Rocket Spectrometer (Furst), Nicolas Donders, Amy Winebarger, Charles Kankelborg, Genevieve Vigil, Ken Kobayashi, Laurel Rachmeler, Gary Zank

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Space Telescope And Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. Viii. Time Variability Of Emission And Absorption In Ngc 5548 Based On Modeling The Ultraviolet Spectrum, Gerard A. Kriss, Gisella De Rosa, Justin Ely, Bradley M. Peterson, J. Kaastra, M. Mehdipour, Gary J. Ferland, Maryamossadat Dehghanian, S. Mathur, Rick Edelson, Kirk T. Korista, N. Arav, Aaron J. Barth, Misty C. Bentz, W. Niel Brandt, D. Michael Crenshaw, E. Dalla Bonta, K. D. Kenney, C. Done, Michael Eracleous, Michael M. Fausnaugh, E. Gardner, Michael R. Goad, Catherine J. Grier, Keith Horne, Christopher S. Kochanek, I. M. Mchardy, Hagai Netzer, Anna Pancoast, L. Pei, Richard W. Pogge, Daniel Proga

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

We model the ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope during the 6 month reverberation mapping campaign in 2014. Our model of the emission from NGC 5548 corrects for overlying absorption and deblends the individual emission lines. Using the modeled spectra, we measure the response to continuum variations for the deblended and absorption-corrected individual broad emission lines, the velocity-dependent profiles of Lyα and C iv, and the narrow and broad intrinsic absorption features. We find that the time lags for the corrected emission lines are comparable to those for the original data. …