Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 0704.2557

ULTRACAM: an ultra-fast, triple-beam CCD camera for high-speed astrophysics

V. S. Dhillon·T. R. Marsh·M. J. Stevenson·D. C. Atkinson·P. Kerry·P. T. Peacocke·A. J. A. Vick·S. M. Beard·D. J. Ives·D. W. Lunney·S. A. McLay·C. J. Tierney·J. Kelly·S. P. Littlefair·R. Nicholson·R. Pashley·E. T. Harlaftis·K. O'Brien
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

ULTRACAM is a portable, high-speed imaging photometer designed to study faint astronomical objects at high temporal resolutions. ULTRACAM employs two dichroic beamsplitters and three frame-transfer CCD cameras to provide three-colour optical imaging at frame rates of up to 500 Hz. The instrument has been mounted on both the 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope on La Palma and the 8.2-m Very Large Telescope in Chile, and has been used to study white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, pulsars, black-hole/neutron-star X-ray binaries, gamma-ray bursts, cataclysmic variables, eclipsing binary stars, extrasolar planets, flare stars, ultra-compact binaries, active galactic nuclei, asteroseismology and occultations by Solar System objects (Titan, Pluto and Kuiper Belt objects). In this paper we describe the scientific motivation behind ULTRACAM, present an outline of its design and report on its measured performance.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

V. S. Dhillon, T. R. Marsh, M. J. Stevenson, D. C. Atkinson, P. Kerry, P. T. Peacocke, A. J. A. Vick, S. M. Beard, D. J. Ives, D. W. Lunney, S. A. McLay, C. J. Tierney, J. Kelly, S. P. Littlefair, R. Nicholson, R. Pashley, E. T. Harlaftis, K. O'Brien. 2007-04-19. ULTRACAM: an ultra-fast, triple-beam CCD camera for high-speed astrophysics. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2007.11881.x

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2010

Engineering the Zero-Point Field and Polarizable Vacuum For Interstellar Flight

A theme that has come to the fore in advanced planning for long-range space exploration is the concept of "propellantless propulsion" or "field propulsion." One version of this concept involves the projected possibility that empty space itself (the quantum vacuum, or space-time metric) might be manipulated so as to provide energy/thrust for future space vehicles. Although such a proposal has a certain science-fiction quality about it, modern theory describes the vacuum as a polarizable medium that sustains energetic quantum fluctuations. Thus the possibility that matter/vacuum interactions might be engineered for space-flight applications is not a priori ruled out, although certain constraints need to be acknowledged. The structure and implications of such a far-reaching hypothesis are considered herein.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2010

Neutron star sequences and the starquake glitch model for the Crab and the Vela pulsars

We construct for the first time, the sequences of stable neutron star (NS) models capable of explaining simultaneously, the glitch healing parameters, $Q$, of both the pulsars, the Crab ($Q \geq 0.7$) and the Vela ($Q \leq 0.2$), on the basis of starquake mechanism of glitch generation, whereas the conventional NS models cannot give such consistent explanation. Furthermore, our models also yield an upper bound on NS masses similar to those obtained in the literature for a variety of modern equations of state (EOSs) compatible with causality and dynamical stability. The results obtained in this paper set an upper and lower bound on the energy of a gravitationally redshifted electron-positron annihilation line in the range of about 0.309 - 0.315 MeV from the Crab and in the range of about 0.425 - 0.439 MeV from the Vela pulsar.

astro-ph↗
arXiv2010

Vortex in axion condensate as a dark matter halo

We study the possibility of the vortices formation in axion condensate on the galactic scale. Such vortices can occur as a result of global rotation of the early universe. We study analytical models of vortices and calculate exemplary galaxy rotation curves. Depending on the setup it is possible to obtain a variety of shapes which give a good qualitative agreement with observational results. However, as we show, the extremely low velocity dispersions of the axions velocity are required to form the single vortex on the galactic scales. We find that the required velocity dispersion is of the order of $σ\approx 10^{-12} \frac{m}{s}$. This is much smaller that predicted within the present understanding of the axion physics. The vortices in axion condensate can be however formed on the much smaller scales and give seeds to the galaxy formation and to their angular momenta. On the other hand, the vortices can be formed on the galactic scales, but only if the mass of the axion-like particles is of the order of $10^{-30}$eV. In this case, the particle de Broglie wavelength is comparable with the galactic diameter. This condition must be fulfilled in order to keep the coherence of the quantum condensate on the galactic scales.

astro-ph↗