Astronomical
Imaging
Solid State Sensor Research
This group is interested in the development of new solid
state imagers for use in ground based astronomy, space
based systems, medical imaging and remote sensing. New
two dimensional arrays are designed, fabricated, diced
& bonded, and finally tested at RIT. The arrays
are then used in new imaging systems such as a tip-tilt
atmospheric correction imaging system, a true digital
photon counting system, and a small compact linearly
variable filter coated push-broom scanner.
Charge Injection
Devices and Active Pixel Sensors
Astronomical Imaging
In addition the group has interests in astronomical
observing programs. Typically we use our own CCD camera
system on any of a variety of telescopes, both local
and international. Our two principal cameras both use
large format chips (one is a 2048 x 2048 and the other
a 4096 x 4096 CCD chip both manufactured by the Eastman
Kodak Company) that are cooled used thermoelectric coolers
and refrigerated liquid circulation to about -50 C.
A recent observational project involves the study of
young stellar clusters located in our own galaxy. In
particular we are interested in determining the mass
functiuon of such regions so as to understand the mechanisms
of star formation. Our recent work includes:
A study of IC 1805 using data from the Northern Planetary
Patrol Telescope in Hawaii.
A study of Berkeley 86 using the Monterey Institute
for Astronomy (MIRA) Telescope at Chews Ridge in California.
A study of NGC 3293 and NGC 2363 (Tau CMa) using
the University of Toronto Southern Observatory in
Chile.
Searching for planetary systems other than those
orbiting our own sun. Our approach is to observe eclipsing
binary star systems and to search for either variation
in the brightness of the systems (i.e. a transit by
a planet) or to look for periodic changes in the phase
of the ecipse minimas, We are members of the international
consortium known as the TEP Network. During the summer
of 1996 our CCD camera was used on the Lick Observatory
Crossley Telescope for three months (in collaboration
with Laurance Doyle of SETI @ NASA Ames) to obtain
photometric data on approximately a dozen eclipsing
binary systems.
Observation of comets and nebula. The CCD camera
has been used behind a tunable liquid crystal filter
(LCF) that allows the center pass band of 5 nm to
be selected anywhere in the range between 400 and
720 nm. For an example see images obtained at MIRA
of the Orion
Nebula with the LCF tuned both on and off the
Hydrogen balmer series alpha line. Our current filter
has a 35 mm aperture and a tuning time of about 30
msec. The filter is commercially available from Cambridge
Research and Instrumentation of Massachusetts.
Observations using the Starfire Optical Range in
New Mexico to study photometric and imaging quality
of a system using active optics.
In addition a study
of Jupiter using an IR 58 x 62 pixels InSb camera
at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facilty in Hawaii has
been made.
Lab Members
Zoran
Ninkov , Associate Professor, Imaging Science
Roger
Easton , Assistant Professor, Imaging Science
James
Kern , Professor, Physics
Anne
Young, Associate Professor, Physics
Robert Slawson PhD (U.Waterloo) - Post-Doctoral Fellow
Elliott Horch PhD (Stanford) - Post-Doctoral Fellow
Min-Ming Wu PhD (Shanghai) - Research Scientist
Gerrutt
Lubberts PhD (Rochester) - Research Scientist
Brian
Backer - PhD Student (Active Optics)
Dan Kavaldjiev - PhD Student (Detector Characterization)
Al Piterman - PhD Student
Alina Gorcea - MS Student
Facilities
The RIT Observatory
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The
Mees Observatory of the University of Rochester
T he RIT Microelectronics Facility
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