Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999arep...43...42t&link_type=abstract
Astronomy Reports, Volume 43, Issue 1, January 1999, pp.42-58
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Numerical simulations are used to study the well-known problem of a limiting detectable separation between two point-like components of a double source. Three versions of the problem are considered: (A) the point spread function (PSF) is known a priori; (B) for a specified analytical form of the PSF, its parameters are to be estimated from observations of a single star; and (C) the PSF is not known at all. The images of single and close binary stars are simulated by taking into account photon noise, random background, stray light, pixel structure of the detector, dark current, read-out noise, and spatial variations in detector sensitivity. We generate large-sized samples of randomly blurred images of single and binary stars and obtain maximum-likelihood estimates of six parameters for each binary image: the binary's total brightness, the relative brightness of its com- ponents, and their Cartesian coordinates. Our numerical simulations are consistent with the previously found analytical solution of the problem, according to which the limiting detectable separation between the components is rho_min ~= D_80 / sqrt(psi), where D_80 is the characteristic width of the PSF, and psi is the signal-to-noise ratio within the image. Thus, the rough pixel structure of the detector and the presence of noise do not hinder the achievement of a resolution of order 0.001''-0.1'' with moderate-sized astronomical telescopes. The accompanying simulations of single-star images allow the limiting photometric and positional accuracy to be estimated for real light detectors. These results are also in agreement with the theoretical conclusion that the relative accuracy of the above estimates is of the order of psi^-1.
No associations
LandOfFree
Using a priori information in image restoration: Natural resolution limit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Using a priori information in image restoration: Natural resolution limit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Using a priori information in image restoration: Natural resolution limit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1190306