Engineering topics

Mosby, Gregory

Publications and source records attributed to Mosby, Gregory.

3 records

DOE OSTI2022

Understanding the Nature of an Unusual Post-starburst Quasar with Exceptionally Strong Ne v Emission

We present a z = 0.94 quasar, SDSS J004846.45-004611.9, discovered in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) BOSS survey. A visual analysis of this spectrum reveals highly broadened and blueshifted narrow emission lines, in particular, [Ne v] λ3426 and [O III ] λ5007, with outflow velocities of 4000 km s -1 , along with unusually large [Ne v] λ3426/[Ne III ] λ3869 ratios. The gas shows higher ionization at higher outflow velocities, indicating a connection between the powerful outflow and the unusual strength of the high ionization lines. The spectral energy distribution and the i – W3 color of the source reveal that it is likely a core extremely red quasar (ERQ); a candidate population of young active galactic nuclei (AGN) that are violently blowing out gas and dust from their centers. The dominance of host galaxy light in its spectrum and its fortuitous position in the SDSS S82 region allows us to measure its star formation history and investigate variability for the first time in an ERQ. Our analysis indicates that SDSS J004846.45-004611.9 underwent a short-lived starburst phase 400 Myr ago and was subsequently quenched, possibly indicating a time lag between star formation quenching and the onset of AGN activity. We also find that the strong extinction can be uniquely attributed to the AGN and does not persist in the host galaxy, contradicting a scenario where the source has recently transitioned from being a dusty submillimeter galaxy. In our relatively shallow photometric data, the source does not appear to be variable at 0.24–2.4 μm in the rest frame, most likely due to the dominant contribution of host galaxy starlight at these wavelengths.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2019

Principal Component Analysis of Up-The-Ramp Sampled Infrared Array Data

We describe the results of principal component analysis (PCA) of up-the-ramp sampled infrared (IR) array data from the Hubble Space Telescope wide field camera 3 (WFC3 IR), James Webb Space Telescope NIRSpec, and prototype Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope’s wide field instrument detectors. These systems use, respectively, Teledyne H1R, H2RG, and H4RG-10 near-IR detector arrays with a variety of IR array controllers. The PCA shows that the Legendre polynomials approximate the principal components of these systems (i.e., they roughly diagonalize the covariance matrix). In contrast to the monomial basis that is widely used for polynomial fitting and linearization today, the Legendre polynomials are an orthonormal basis. They provide a quantifiable, compact, and (nearly) linearly uncorrelated representation of the information content of the data. By fitting a few Legendre polynomials, nearly all of the meaningful information in representative WFC3 astronomical datacubes can be condensed from 15 up-the-ramp samples down to 6 compressible Legendre coefficients per pixel. The higher order coefficients contain time domain information that is lost when one projects up-the-ramp sampled datacubes onto two-dimensional images by fitting a straight line, even if the data are linearized before fitting the line. Going forward, we believe that this time domain information is potentially important for disentangling the various nonlinearities that can affect IR array observations, i.e., inherent pixel nonlinearity, persistence, burn in, brighter-fatter effect, (potentially) nonlinear interpixel capacitance, and perhaps others.

Rauscher, Bernard J.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Operation of a H4RG-10 in the NASA Goddard Astrophyiscs Divison IR Detector Lab Testbed

Future space and ground based missions in the near infrared are planning to or will utilize the next generation of Teledyne's HxRG detectors, the HgCdTe 4K x 4K array (H4RG). The science cases of such missions will require optimal stability and noise performance. To assess the detailed performance of the H4RG, we have developed a small single detector testbed in NASA Goddard's Astrophysics Division IR detector lab. The testbed operates a H4RG array inside a large dewar using a room temperature Leach controller. The dewar will include two integrating spheres with controlled apertures using NIR LEDs as light sources as well as a calibrated photodiode to precisely measure flux. We present preliminary results of a banded H4RG-10 array on the bench. In the near future, we plan to use the test bed to investigate the specific origins of electronic noise in the test bed, persistence, and other flux dependent nonlinearities.

Mosby, Gregory↗