No Arabic abstract
Pyxel is a novel python tool for end-to-end detection chain simulation i.e. from detector optical effects to readout electronics effects. It is an easy-to-use framework to host and pipeline any detector effect model. It is suited for simulating both Charge-Coupled Devices, CMOS Image Sensors and Mercury Cadmium Telluride hybridized arrays. It is conceived as a collaborative tool to promote reusability, knowledge transfer, and reliability in the instrumentation community. We provide a demonstration of Pyxels basic principles, describe newly added capabilities, and give examples of more advanced applications.
Aims. We present simulations of the perfomances of the future SPHERE IFS instrument designed for imaging extrasolar planets in the near infrared (Y, J, and H bands). Methods. We used the IDL package code for adaptive optics simulation (CAOS) to prepare a series of input point spread functions (PSF). These feed an IDL tool (CSP) that we designed to simulate the datacube resulting from the SPHERE IFS. We performed simulations under different conditions to evaluate the contrast that IFS will be able to reach and to verify the impact of physical propagation within the limits of the near field of the aperture approximation (i.e. Fresnel propagation). We then performed a series of simulations containing planet images to test the capability of our instrument to correctly classify the found objects. To this purpose we developed a separated IDL tool. Results. We found that using the SPHERE IFS instrument and appropriate analysis techniques, such as multiple spectral differential imaging (MDI), spectral deconvolution (SD), and angular differential imaging (ADI), we should be able to image companion objects down to a luminosity contrast of ? 10-7 with respect to the central star in favorable cases. Spectral deconvolution resulted in the most effective method for reducing the speckle noise. We were then able to find most of the simulated planets (more than 90% with the Y-J-mode and more than the 95% with the Y-H-mode) for contrasts down to 3 times 10-7 and separations between 0.3 and 1.0 arcsec. The spectral classification is accurate but seems to be more precise for late T-type spectra than for earlier spectral types. A possible degeneracy between early L-type companion objects and field objects (flat spectra) is highlighted. The spectral classification seems to work better using the Y-H-mode than with the Y-J-mode.
Massive stars can explode as supernovae at the end of their life cycle, releasing neutrinos whose total energy reaches $10^{53}$ erg. Moreover, neutrinos play key roles in supernovae, heating and reviving the shock wave as well as cooling the resulting protoneutron star. Therefore, neutrino detectors are waiting to observe the next galactic supernova and several theoretical simulations of supernova neutrinos are underway. While these simulation concentrate mainly on only the first one second after the supernova bounce, the only observation of a supernova with neutrinos, SN 1987A, revealed that neutrino emission lasts for more than 10 seconds. For this reason, long-time simulation and analysis tools are needed to compare theories with the next observation. Our study is to develop an integrated supernova analysis framework to prepare an analysis pipeline for treating galactic supernovae observations in the near future. This framework deals with the core-collapse, bounce and proto-neutron star cooling processes, as well as with neutrino detection on earth in a consistent manner. We have developed a new long-time supernova simulation in one dimension that explodes successfully and computes the neutrino emission for up to 20 seconds. Using this model we estimate the resulting neutrino signal in the Super-Kamiokande detector to be about 1,800 events for an explosion at 10 kpc and discuss its implications in this paper. We compare this result with the SN 1987A observation to test its reliability.
FORCE is a Japan-US space-based astronomy mission for an X-ray imaging spectroscopy in an energy range of 1--80 keV. The Wideband Hybrid X-ray Imager (WHXI), which is the main focal plane detector, will use a hybrid semiconductor imager stack composed of silicon and cadmium telluride (CdTe). The silicon imager will be a certain type of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) pixel sensor, named the X-ray pixel (XRPIX) series. Since the sensor has a small pixel size (30--36 $mu$m) and a thick sensitive region (300--500 $mu$m), understanding the detector response is not trivial and is important in order to optimize the camera design and to evaluate the scientific capabilities. We have developed a framework to simulate observations of celestial sources with semiconductor sensors. Our simulation framework was tested and validated by comparing our simulation results to laboratory measurements using the XRPIX 6H sensor. The simulator well reproduced the measurement results with reasonable physical parameters of the sensor including an electric field structure, a Coulomb repulsion effect on the carrier diffusion, and arrangement of the degraded regions. This framework is also applicable to future XRPIX updates including the one which will be part of the WHXI, as well as various types of semiconductor sensors.
We present the simulation framework CRPropa version 3 designed for efficient development of astrophysical predictions for ultra-high energy particles. Users can assemble modules of the most relevant propagation effects in galactic and extragalactic space, include their own physics modules with new features, and receive on output primary and secondary cosmic messengers including nuclei, neutrinos and photons. In extension to the propagation physics contained in a previous CRPropa version, the new version facilitates high-performance computing and comprises new physical features such as an interface for galactic propagation using lensing techniques, an improved photonuclear interaction calculation, and propagation in time dependent environments to take into account cosmic evolution effects in anisotropy studies and variable sources. First applications using highlighted features are presented as well.
The main objective of the Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is the detection and analysis of extended cosmic ray phenomena, so-called super-preshowers (SPS), using existing as well as new infrastructure (cosmic-ray observatories, educational detectors, single detectors etc.). The search for ensembles of cosmic ray events initiated by SPS is yet an untouched ground, in contrast to the current state-of-the-art analysis, which is focused on the detection of single cosmic ray events. Theoretical explanation of SPS could be given either within classical (e.g., photon-photon interaction) or exotic (e.g., Super Heavy Dark Matter decay or annihilation) scenarios, thus detection of SPS would provide a better understanding of particle physics, high energy astrophysics and cosmology. The ensembles of cosmic rays can be classified based on the spatial and temporal extent of particles constituting the ensemble. Some classes of SPS are predicted to have huge spatial distribution, a unique signature detectable only with a facility of the global size. Since development and commissioning of a completely new facility with such requirements is economically unwarranted and time-consuming, the global analysis goals are achievable when all types of existing detectors are merged into a worldwide network. The idea to use the instruments in operation is based on a novel trigger algorithm: in parallel to looking for neighbour surface detectors receiving the signal simultaneously, one should also look for spatially isolated stations clustered in a small time window.