Abstract: General relativity predicts that images of optically thin accretion flows around black holes should generically have a “photon ring”, composed of a series of increasingly sharp subrings that correspond to increasingly strongly lensed emission near the black hole. Because the effects of lensing are determined by the spacetime curvature, the photon ring provides a pathway to precise measurements of the black hole properties and tests of the Kerr metric. We explore the prospects for detecting and measuring the photon ring using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) with the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) and the next-generation EHT (ngEHT). We present a series of tests using idealized self-fits to simple geometrical models and show that the EHT observations in 2017 and 2022 lack the angular resolution and sensitivity to detect the photon ring, while the improved coverage and angular resolution of ngEHT at 230 GHz and 345 GHz is sufficient for these models. We then analyze detection prospects using more realistic images from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations by applying “hybrid imaging”, which simultaneously models two components: a flexible raster image (to capture the direct emission) and a ring component. Using the Bayesian VLBI modeling package Comrade.jl, we show that the results of hybrid imaging must be interpreted with extreme caution for both photon ring detection and measurement—hybrid imaging readily produces false positives for a photon ring, and its ring measurements do not directly correspond to the properties of the photon ring.

Abstract: Limited by sensor resolution, Light Field (LF) images often suffer from an inherent trade-off between angular resolution and spatial resolution. LF reconstruction, including Spatial Super-Resolution (LFSSR) and Angular Super-Resolution (LFASR), upsamples LF in spatial and angular domain based on the complementary information in different views. In this paper, we propose efficient pseudo-4D end-to-end frameworks for LFSSR and LFASR, respectively. Since the epipolar information and spatial-angular information reflect the relationship between views, we propose to fully consider both of them to exploit complementary information thoroughly. Specifically, we first extract epipolar information from horizontally and vertically stacked views separately. Then an Epipolar-Aware Grid (EAG) network composed of Dual Interactive Blocks (DIBs) fully interacts the epipolar information, characterizing the grid-like LF parallax structure. In order to effectively achieve dense interaction between the spatial and angular domain to extract complementary information, several Parallel Spatial-Angular Integration Blocks (PSAIBs) are further introduced. For LFs with large baselines, we also propose a generic shear attention network, which generalizes the model designed for small baselines to large baselines without depth estimation. As compared to the state-of-the-art methods, extensive experiments conducted on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate our superiority in LFSSR tasks and LFASR tasks.

Abstract: ABSTRACT Imaging of the shadow around supermassive black hole (SMBH) horizon with a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) is recognised recently as a powerful tool for experimental testing of Einstein’s General relativity. The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has demonstrated that an Earth-extended VLBI with the maximum long base (D = 10 700 km) can provide a sufficient angular resolution θ ∼ 20 μas at λ = 1.3 mm (ν = 230 GHz) for imaging the shadow around SMBH located in the galaxy M87*. However, the accuracy of critically important characteristics, such as the asymmetry of the crescent-shaped bright structure around the shadow and the sharpness of a transition zone between the shadow floor and the bright crescent silhouette, both of order Δθ ∼ 4 μas, is still to be improved. In our previous paper, we have shown that Space-Earth VLBI observation within a joint Millimetron and EHT configuration at the near-Earth high elliptical orbit can considerably improve the image quality. Even more solid grounds for firm experimental validation of General relativity can be obtained with a higher resolution available within the joint Millimetron and EHT program at the Lagrangian point L2 in the Sun-Earth system with an expected imaging resolution at 230 GHz of Δθ ∼ 5 μas. In this paper, we argue that in spite of limitations of L2 orbit, an adequate sparse (u, v) coverage can be achieved and the imaging of the shadows around Sgr A* and M87* can be performed with a reasonable quality.

Abstract: The resolve instrument onboard the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) consists of an array of 6 × 6 silicon-thermistor microcalorimeters cooled down to 50 mK and a high-throughput x-ray mirror assembly (XMA) with a focal length of 5.6 m. XRISM is a recovery mission of ASTRO-H/Hitomi, and the Resolve instrument is a rebuild of the ASTRO-H soft x-ray spectrometer (SXS) and the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) that achieved energy resolution of ∼5 eV FWHM on orbit, with several important changes based on lessons learned from ASTRO-H. The flight models of the Dewar and the electronics boxes were fabricated and the instrument test and calibration were conducted in 2021. By tuning the cryocooler frequencies, energy resolution better than 4.9 eV FWHM at 6 keV was demonstrated for all 36 pixels and high resolution grade events, as well as energy-scale accuracy better than 2 eV up to 30 keV. The immunity of the detectors to microvibration, electrical conduction, and radiation was evaluated. The instrument was delivered to the spacecraft system in 2022-04 and is under the spacecraft system testing as of writing. The XMA was tested and calibrated separately. Its angular resolution is 1.27′ and the effective area of the mirror itself is 570 cm2 at 1 keV and 424 cm2 at 6 keV. We report the design and the major changes from the ASTRO-H SXS, the integration, and the results of the instrument test.

Abstract: The acquisition of densely-sampled light field (LF) images is costly, which hampers the applications of LF imaging technology in 3D reconstruction, digital refocusing, virtual reality, etc . To mitigate the obstacle, various approaches have been proposed to reconstruct densely-sampled LF images from sparsely-sampled ones. However, most existing methods still suffer from the non-Lambertian effect and large disparity issue. In this paper, we embrace the challenges by introducing a new paradigm for LF angular super-resolution (SR), which first explores the multi-scale spatial-angular correlations on the sparse sub-aperture images (SAIs) and then performs angular SR on macro-pixel features. In this way, we propose an efficient LF angular SR network, termed as EASR, with simple 3D (2D) CNNs and reshaping operations. The proposed EASR can extract effective feature representations on SAIs and can handle large disparities well by performing angular SR on macro-pixel features. Extensive comparisons with state-of-the-art methods demonstrate that our method achieves superior performance visually and quantitatively. Furthermore, our method achieves efficient angular SR by providing an excellent tradeoff between reconstruction performance and inference time. Our code is available at https://github.com/GaoshengLiu/LF-EASR

Abstract: The ASTRI Mini-Array is an International collaboration, led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, that is constructing and operating an array of nine Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes to study gamma-ray sources at very high energy and perform optical stellar intensity interferometry (SII) observations. Angular resolutions below 100 microarcsec are achievable with stellar intensity interferometry, using telescopes separated by hundreds to thousands of meters baselines. At this level of resolution it turns out to be possible to reveal details on the surface and of the environment surrounding bright stars on the sky. The ASTRI Mini-Array will provide a suitable infrastructure for performing these measurements thanks to the capabilities offered by its 9 telescopes, which provide 36 simultaneous baselines over distances between 100 m and 700 m. After providing an overview of the scientific context and motivations for performing SII science with the ASTRI Mini-Array telescopes, we present the baseline design for the ASTRI Stellar Intensity Interferometry Instrument, a fast single photon counting instrument that will be mounted on the ASTRI telescopes and dedicated to performing SII observations of bright stars.

Abstract: The Q and U Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology (QUBIC) is a ground-based experiment that aims to detect B-mode polarisation anisotropies in the CMB at angular scales around the l=100 recombination peak. Systematic errors make ground-based observations of B modes at millimetre wavelengths very challenging and QUBIC mitigates these problems in a somewhat complementary way to other existing or planned experiments using the novel technique of bolometric interferometry. This technique takes advantage of the sensitivity of an imager and the systematic error control of an interferometer. A cold reflective optical combiner superimposes there-emitted beams from 400 aperture feedhorns on two focal planes. A shielding system composedof a fixed groundshield, and a forebaffle that moves with the instrument, limits the impact of local contaminants. The modelling, design, manufacturing and preliminary measurements of the optical components are described in this paper.

Abstract: Hi-5 is an ERC-funded project hosted at KU Leuven and a proposed visitor instrument for the VLTI. Its primary goal is to image the snow line region around young planetary systems using nulling interferometry in the L’ band, between 3.5 and 4.1 μm, where the contrast between exoplanets and their host stars is very advantageous. The breakthrough is the use of a photonic chip based beam combiner, which only recently allowed the required theoretical raw contrast of 10−3 in this spectral range. The VLTI long baseline interferometry enables to reach high angular resolution (4.2 mas at 3.8 μm wavelength with the Auxiliary Telescopes (ATs)), while high contrast detection is achieved using nulling interferometry. This polarisation requires a high degree of optical symmetry between the four pupils of the VLTI, only possible with precise phase, dispersion and intensity control systems. The instrument is currently in its design phase. In this paper, the warm optics design and the injection system up to the photonic chip are presented. The different properties of the design are presented including the optics used, the characteristics of the four beams and the current drawbacks. Particular attention is devoted to the optical alignment and the tolerance analysis in order to estimate the precision required for the alignment procedure and therefore to choose adapted optical mountings.

Abstract: The Moon blocks cosmic rays, causing a deficit in their flux from its direction. Characterizing this Moon shadow is a technique used by cosmic ray air shower experiments to calibrate their angular resolution and validate the pointing accuracy. The GRAPES-3 air shower array, located in Ooty, India consists of an array of scintillator detectors and a large area muon telescope. It is sensitive to the measurement of cosmic ray and gamma ray induced showers in the TeV-PeV energy range. The timing measurements of the scintillator detectors were improved after upgrading the time-to-digital converters and coaxial cables in late 2012. The propagation delay of photomultiplier signal in coaxial cables were accurately determined on hourly basis using a random walk technique. The correction of shower front curvature for its dependence on the shower size and age together with accurate timing measurements led to a better angular resolution estimated using array division methods reported elsewhere [Jhansi et al., J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys. 07 (2020) 024]. In this paper, we discuss the validation of the angular resolution by observing the shadow of the Moon in cosmic ray flux using 3 years (2014 to 2016) of air shower data recorded during the postupgrade period. The angular resolution of the array was estimated to be 0.83°±0.09° with a statistical significance of 9.1σ and pointing accuracy along the right ascension and declination directions were obtained to be 0.032°±0.004° and 0.09°±0.003° for showers of energy >5 TeV, containing about 95% of triggered showers. The angular resolution improves to 0.38°±0.06° and 0.29°±0.06° for energy >100 TeV and >200 TeV respectively. The results are consistent with the values obtained from array division methods and are comparable to several air shower arrays that are located at almost twice the altitude of GRAPES-3. The improved angular resolution together with the accurate pointing increases the ability of GRAPES-3 to detect multi-TeV gamma ray sources.3 MoreReceived 30 April 2022Accepted 13 July 2022DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.106.022009© 2022 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasCosmic ray sourcesCosmic rays & astroparticlesGravitation, Cosmology & Astrophysics

Abstract: Abstract Fermi surfaces are essential for predicting, characterizing and controlling the properties of crystalline metals and semiconductors. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is the only technique directly probing the Fermi surface by measuring the Fermi momenta (k F ) from energy- and angular distribution of photoelectrons dislodged by monochromatic light. Existing apparatus is able to determine a number of k F -vectors simultaneously, but direct high-resolution 3D Fermi surface mapping remains problematic. As a result, no such datasets exist, strongly limiting our knowledge about the Fermi surfaces. Here we show that using a simpler instrumentation it is possible to perform 3D-mapping within a very short time interval and with very high resolution. We present the first detailed experimental 3D Fermi surface as well as other experimental results featuring advantages of our technique. In combination with various light sources our methodology and instrumentation offer new opportunities for high-resolution ARPES in the physical and life sciences.

Abstract: Suppression of straylight is one of the challenges in the optical design of a wide-field-of-view telescope. It contaminates the weak target signal with radiation from strong sources at angles far from the observing direction. We evaluated the optical design of a crossed-Dragone telescope, the LiteBIRD Low-Frequency Telescope (LFT), which has 18° ×9° field of view. We measured a 1/4-scaled antenna of the LFT at accordingly scaled frequencies of 160–200 GHz (corresponding to 40–50 GHz for the full-scale LFT), for the feed at the center and the edges of the focal plane. To separate straylight components, we computed the time profiles of the aperture fields with ∼ 0.1 ns resolution by inverse Fourier transformation of the measured frequency spectra and applied time gating to them. We identified far-sidelobe components in the time-gated antenna beam patterns whose arrival time and angular direction are consistent with straylight predicted by a ray-tracing simulation. The identified far-sidelobe components include straylight reduced but reflected inside the front hood and straylight with multiple reflections without intercepted by the front hood. Their intensities are less than the −56 dB level, which is the far-sidelobe knowledge requirement for the LFT.

Abstract: Ground-level particle detection is now a well-established approach to TeV gamma-ray astronomy. Detection of Cherenkov light produced in water-filled detection units is a proven and cost-effective method. Here we discuss the optimization of the units towards the future Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO). In this context, we investigate a new type of configuration in which each water Cherenkov detector (WCD) unit in the array comprises two chambers with black or reflective walls and a single photomultiplier tube (PMT) in each chamber. We find that this is a cost-effective approach that improves the performance of the WCD array with respect to current approaches. A shallow lower chamber with a PMT facing downwards enables muon tagging and the identification of hadron-induced air showers, which are the primary source of background in gamma-ray astronomy. We investigate how gamma/hadron separation power and achievable angular resolution depend on the geometry and wall reflectivity of the detector units in this configuration. We find that excellent angular resolution, background rejection power and low-energy response are achievable in this double-layer configuration, with the aid of reflective surfaces in both chambers.

Abstract: The lobster eye telescope is promising for large-field x ray imaging in astronomy. The special structure of the lobster eye system makes the focal plane a sphere, resulting in detector defocus when the field is large. In this study, we established a model based on the principle of lobster eye imaging and simulated the imaging at different image distances. The results reveal the relationship between the defocus and position accuracy and angular resolution. To ensure the optical performance of the large field lobster eye telescope, we propose a detection system design method using multiple detectors stitched together to form a spherical-like surface and apply it to the development of the Einstein Probe/wide-field x ray telescope (EP/WXT) submodule. About 70% of the detection area is out of focus within 0.5 mm. The scanning image of the integrated WXT submodule shows good uniformity of the point spread function (PSF) for various incident angles, and the effect of defocus on imaging is acceptable.

Abstract: The hybrid pixel detector Timepix3 allows the measurement of the time and energy deposition of an event simultaneously in each 55 μm pixel, which makes Timepix3 a promising approach for a compact Compton camera. However, the angular resolution of Compton camera based on this kind of detector with high pixel density is usually degraded in imaging of MeV gamma-ray sources, because the diffusion of energetic Compton electron or photoelectron could trigger many pixels and lead to an inaccurate measurement of interaction position. In this study, an electron track algorithm is used to reconstruct the electron track and determine the interaction point. An demonstrative experiment was carried out, showing that the effect of this algorithm was significant. The angular resolution measures of a single layer Compton camera based on Timepix3 was enhanced to 12 degrees (FWHM) in imaging of a 60Co gamma-ray source.

Abstract: We present the discovery of 34 comoving systems containing an ultracool dwarf found by means of the NOIRLab Source Catalog (NSC) DR2. NSC’s angular resolution of ∼ 1″ allows for the detection of small separation binaries with significant proper motions. We used the catalog’s accurate proper motion measurements to identify the companions by cross-matching a previously compiled list of brown dwarf candidates with NSC DR2. The comoving pairs consist of either a very low-mass star and an ultracool companion, or a white dwarf and an ultracool companion. The estimated spectral types of the primaries are in the K and M dwarf regimes, those of the secondaries in the M, L, and T dwarf regimes. We calculated angular separations between ∼2″ and ∼ 56″, parallactic distances between ∼43 and ∼261 pc, and projected physical separations between ∼169 and ∼8487 au. The lowest measured total proper motion is 97 mas yr−1, with the highest 314 mas yr−1. Tangential velocities range from ∼23 to ∼187 km s−1. We also determined comoving probabilities, estimated mass ratios, and calculated binding energies for each system. We found no indication of possible binarity for any component of the 34 systems in the published literature. The discovered systems can contribute to the further study of the formation and evolution of low-mass systems as well as to the characterization of cool substellar objects.

Abstract: The Very Large Telescope Interferometer is one of the most proficient observatories in the world for high angular resolution. Since its first observations, it has hosted several interferometric instruments operating in various bandwidths in the infrared. As a result, the VLTI yields countless discoveries and technological breakthroughs. We introduce to the VLTI the new concept of Asgard: an instrumental suite including four natively collaborating instruments: BIFROST, a stellar interferometer dedicated to the study of the formation of multiple systems; Hi- 5, a nulling interferometer dedicated to imaging young nearby planetary systems in the M band; HEIMDALLR, an all-in-one instrument performing both fringe tracking and stellar interferometry with the same optics; Baldr, a fibre-injection optimiser. These instruments share common goals and technologies. Thus, the idea of this suite is to make the instruments interoperable and complementary to deliver unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy from J to M bands. The interoperability of the Asgard instruments and their integration in the VLTI are the main challenges of this project. In this paper, we introduce the overall optical design of the Asgard suite, the different modules, and the main challenges ahead.

Abstract: In a lidar system, replacing moving components with solid-state devices is highly anticipated to make a reliable and compact lidar system, provided that a substantially large beam area with a large angular extent as well as high angular resolution is assured for the lidar transmitter and receiver. A new quasi-solid-state lidar optical architecture employs a transmitter with a two-dimensional MEMS mirror for fine beam steering at a fraction of the degree of the angular resolution and is combined with a digital micromirror device for wide FOV scanning over 37 degree while sustaining a large aperture area of 140 mm squared. In the receiver, a second digital micromirror device is synchronized to the transmitter DMD, which enables a large FOV receiver. An angular resolution of 0.57°(H) by 0.23° (V) was achieved with 0.588 fps for scanning 1344 points within the field of view.

Abstract: We have been developing a light-weight X-ray telescope using micro electro mechanical systems technologies for future space missions. Micropores of 20 µm width are formed in a 4-inch Si wafer with deep reactive ion etching, and their sidewalls are used as X-ray reflection mirrors. The flatness of the sidewall is an important factor to determine the imaging performance, angular resolution. It is known that hydrogen annealing is effective to smooth a Si surface. We tested 150 hour annealing to achieve the ultimately smooth sidewalls. After 50 hour, 100 hour, and 150 hour annealing, the angular resolution improved 10.3, 4.0, and 2.6 arcmin in full width at half maximum (FWHM) and 17.0, 14.5, and 10.8 arcmin in half-power width (HPW). In spite of this improvement, the edge shapes of the sidewall were rounded. Therefore, both edges of the sidewall were ground and polished, and then the angular resolution was improved further to 3.2 arcmin (FWHM) and 5.4 arcmin (HPW).

Abstract: In this research, we develop a new method of upgrading the radio pointing model of an important instrument of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) telescope, i.e., the Submillimeter High Angular Resolution Camera II (SHARC II), by making three types of structural reconstruction of its existing model. First, the axial displacement of the secondary reflector of the telescope is introduced to the radio pointing model for SHARC II. Second, the multi-layer perceptron is applied for better describing higher-order terms in the radio pointing model, which are hard to be mathematically formulated. Third, a receding horizon modeling method is proposed to replace the time-dependent term in the existing model, for better reducing the negative impact of the time drift on the model’s accuracy. Results of numerical experiments and statistical significance analysis based on the real pointing data of SHARC II show that the reconstructed radio pointing model can improve the accuracy of estimating the pointing error, and the proposed method of upgrading the radio pointing model is effective. Considering that the CSO telescope will be moved from the old site at Maunakea, Hawaii to the new site at the Chajnantor Plateau in Chile, the proposed methods of upgrading the radio pointing model are expected to be employed for pointing correction after the telescope is refurbished at the new site.

Abstract: The Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA), sited on the high desert plains of Chajnantor in Chile, has opened a new window onto solar physics in 2016 by providing continuum observations at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths with an angular resolution comparable to that available at optical (O), ultraviolet (UV), extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and X-ray wavelengths, and with superior time resolution. In the intervening years, progress has been made testing and commissioning new observing modes and capabilities, in developing data calibration strategies, and in data imaging and restoration techniques. Here we review ALMA current solar observing capabilities, the process by which a user may propose to use the instrument, and summarize the observing process and work flow. We then discuss some of the challenges users may encounter in imaging and analyzing their data. We conclude with a discussion of additional solar observing capabilities and modes under consideration that are intended to further exploit the unique spectral coverage provided by ALMA.

Abstract: MEMS-based LiDAR with a low cost and small volume is a promising solution for 3D measurement. In this paper, a reconfigurable angular resolution design method is proposed in a separate-axis Lissajous scanning MEMS LiDAR system. This design method reveals the influence factors on the angular resolution, including the characteristics of the MEMS mirrors, the laser duty cycle and pulse width, the processing time of the echo signal, the control precision of the MEMS mirror, and the laser divergence angle. A simulation was carried out to show which conditions are required to obtain different angular resolutions. The experimental results of the 0.2° × 0.62° and 0.2° × 0.15° (horizontal × vertical) angular resolutions demonstrate the feasibility of the design method to realize a reconfigurable angular resolution in a separate-axis Lissajous scanning MEMS LiDAR system by employing MEMS mirrors with different characteristics. This study provides a reasonable potential to obtain a high and flexible angular resolution for MEMS LiDAR.