Szymon Gladysz (European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere), Roberto Baena Gallé (University of Barcelona, Spain), Julian C. Christou (Gemini Observatory, Hilo Base Facility), Lewis C. Roberts, Jr. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology)
Keywords: Comparite test, adaptive optics, blind deconvolution, bayesian framework, psf fitting.
Abstract:
One application of adaptive optics (AO) is high-resolution imaging of closely-spaced objects. Determining differential photometry between the two or more components of a system is essential for deducing their physical properties such as mass and/or internal structure. The task has implications for (i) Space Situational Awareness, such as the monitoring of fainter microsatellites or debris nearby a larger object, and (ii) astronomy such as the observations of close stellar faint companions. We have applied several algorithms to the task of determining the relative photometry of point sources with overlapping point spread functions in images collected with adaptive optics. These algorithms cover a wide range of approaches in the field of image processing. Specifically we have tested: PSF-fitting, multi-frame and single-frame blind deconvolution, maximum-likelihood approach combined with wavelet decomposition, and a novel one-dimensional deconvolution technique which separates signal and speckle statistics rather than integrated intensities. We present results from applying these algorithms to synthetic close binary stars for different observing conditions.
Date of Conference: September 14-17, 2010
Track: Adaptive Optics & Imaging