2015/02/06 by Paul Chote, P. Chote, Chote, Paul +3
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomical Observations and Instrumentation #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Computer science #FOS: Physical sciences #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Light curve #MATLAB #Operating system #Photometry (optics) #Physics #Python (programming language) #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #White dwarf #astro-ph.IM
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1502.01767
10 pages, 9 figures, submitted to American Journal of Physics
arxiv created 2015/02/06 · openalex publication_date 2015/02/06 · arxiv updated 2015/02/09 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We have designed a realistic simulation of astronomical observing using a relatively low-cost commercial CCD camera and a microcontroller-based circuit that drives LEDs inside a light-tight box with time-varying intensities. As part of a laboratory experiment, students can acquire sequences of images using the camera, and then perform data analysis using a language such as MATLAB or Python to: (a) extract the intensity of the imaged LEDs, (b) perform basic calibrations on the time-series data, and (c) convert their data into the frequency domain where they can then identify the frequency structure. The primary focus is on studying light curves produced by the pulsating white dwarf stars. The exercise provides an introduction to CCD observing, a framework for teaching concepts in numerical data analysis and Fourier techniques, and connections with the physics of white dwarf stars.