arXiv subjects

B. Nikolic

Publications and source records attributed to B. Nikolic.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Capabilities and Limitations of Non-Redundant Aperture Interferometry for Beam Size Measurements

Non-Redundant Aperture Interferometry (NRAI) is a beam characterization technique developed at ALBA in collaboration with radio-astronomy institutes. It enables the single-acquisition measurement of the full 2D transverse profile of the electron beam using visible synchrotron radiation. To better understand the technique limitations and performance, we performed extensive SRW simulations and compare them with experimental data. This paper presents the results of these studies, which define the capabilities and limits of NRAI applied to the current ALBA machine.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2026

Exploiting Non Redundant Aperture Interferometry as a Diagnostics Tool for Synchrotron Light Characterization

We recently introduced a novel interferometric method inspired by radio astronomy, utilizing a Non-Redundant Aperture (NRA) mask with self-calibration to fully characterize the two-dimensional transverse shape of electron beams from a single-shot interferogram. This paper reports the latest advancements in this technique, including a new data analysis approach based on closure amplitudes, which removes the need for self-calibration. We also demonstrate the method's applicability to wavefront sensing, and we explore its potential for resolving beam halos superimposed on well-defined Gaussian beam core.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2025

A New Method for Wavefront Sensing using Optical Masking Interferometry

Wave front sensing of the surface of equal phase for a propagating electromagnetic wave is a vital technology in fields ranging from real time adaptive optics, to high accuracy metrology, to medical optometry. We have developed a new method of wavefront sensing that makes a direct measurement of the electromagnetic phase distribution, or path-length delay, across an optical wavefront. The method is based on techniques developed in radio astronomical interferometric imaging. The method employs optical interferometry using a 2-D aperture mask, a Fourier transform of the interferogram to derive interferometric visibilities, and self-calibration of the complex visibilities to derive the voltage amplitude and phase gains at each hole in the mask, corresponding to corrections for non-uniform illumination and wavefront distortions across the aperture, respectively. The derived self-calibration gain phases are linearly proportional to the electromagnetic path-length distribution to each hole in the aperture mask, relative to the path-length to the reference hole, and hence represent a wavefront sensor with a precision of a small fraction of a wavelength. The method was tested at $\lambda=400\,$nm at the Xanadu optical bench at the ALBA synchrotron light source using a rotating mirror to insert tip-tilt changes in the wavefront. We reproduce the wavefront tilts to within $0.1''$ ($5\times 10^{-7}$~radians). We also derive the static metrology though the optical system for non-planar wavefront distortions to $\sim \pm1$~nm repeatability. Lastly, we derive frame-to-frame variations of the wavefront tilt due to vibrations of the optical components which range up to $\sim 0.5"$. These variations are relevant to adaptive optics applications. Based on the measured visibility phase noise after self-calibration, we estimate an rms path-length precision per 1~ms exposure of 0.6 nm.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Mitigating calibration errors from mutual coupling with time-domain filtering of 21 cm cosmological radio observations

The 21 cm transition from neutral Hydrogen promises to be the best observational probe of the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR). This has led to the construction of low-frequency radio interferometric arrays, such as the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array (HERA), aimed at systematically mapping this emission for the first time. Precision calibration, however, is a requirement in 21 cm radio observations. Due to the spatial compactness of HERA, the array is prone to the effects of mutual coupling, which inevitably lead to non-smooth calibration errors that contaminate the data. When unsmooth gains are used in calibration, intrinsically spectrally-smooth foreground emission begins to contaminate the data in a way that can prohibit a clean detection of the cosmological EoR signal. In this paper, we show that the effects of mutual coupling on calibration quality can be reduced by applying custom time-domain filters to the data prior to calibration. We find that more robust calibration solutions are derived when filtering in this way, which reduces the observed foreground power leakage. Specifically, we find a reduction of foreground power leakage by 2 orders of magnitude at k=0.5.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Investigating Mutual Coupling in the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array and Mitigating its Effects on the 21-cm Power Spectrum

Interferometric experiments designed to detect the highly redshifted 21-cm signal from neutral hydrogen are producing increasingly stringent constraints on the 21-cm power spectrum, but some k-modes remain systematics-dominated. Mutual coupling is a major systematic that must be overcome in order to detect the 21-cm signal, and simulations that reproduce effects seen in the data can guide strategies for mitigating mutual coupling. In this paper, we analyse 12 nights of data from the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array and compare the data against simulations that include a computationally efficient and physically motivated semi-analytic treatment of mutual coupling. We find that simulated coupling features qualitatively agree with coupling features in the data; however, coupling features in the data are brighter than the simulated features, indicating the presence of additional coupling mechanisms not captured by our model. We explore the use of fringe-rate filters as mutual coupling mitigation tools and use our simulations to investigate the effects of mutual coupling on a simulated cosmological 21-cm power spectrum in a "worst case" scenario where the foregrounds are particularly bright. We find that mutual coupling contaminates a large portion of the "EoR Window", and the contamination is several orders-of-magnitude larger than our simulated cosmic signal across a wide range of cosmological Fourier modes. While our fiducial fringe-rate filtering strategy reduces mutual coupling by roughly a factor of 100 in power, a non-negligible amount of coupling cannot be excised with fringe-rate filters, so more sophisticated mitigation strategies are required.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2024

Deriving the size and shape of the ALBA electron beam with optical synchrotron radiation interferometry using aperture masks: technical choices

We explore non-redundant aperture masking to derive the size and shape of the ALBA synchrotron light source at optical wavelengths using synchrotron radiation interferometry. We show that non-redundant masks are required due to phase fluctuations arising within the experimental set-up. We also show, using closure phase, that the phase fluctuations are factorizable into element-based errors. We employ multiple masks, including 2, 3, 5, and 6 hole configurations. We develop a process for self-calibration of the element-based amplitudes (square root of flux through the aperture), which corrects for non-uniform illumination over the mask, in order to derive visibility coherences and phases, from which the source size and shape can be derived. We explore the optimal procedures to obtain the most reliable results with the 5-hole mask, based on the temporal scatter in measured coherences and closure phases. We find that the closure phases are very stable, and close to zero (within $2^o$). Through uv-modeling, we consider the noise properties of the experiment and conclude that our visibility measurements per frame are likely accurate to an rms scatter of $\sim 1\%$.

physics.acc-ph↗

arXiv2022

Noncommutativity and nonassociativity of type II superstring with coordinate dependent RR field -- the general case

In this paper we consider non-commutativity that arises from T-duality of bosonic coordinates of type II superstring in presence of coordinate dependent Ramond-Ramond field. Action with such choice of the background fields is not translational invariant. Consequently, we will employ generalization of Buscher procedure that can be applied to cases that have coordinate dependent fields and that do not possess translational isometry. Bosonic part of newly obtained T-dual theory is non-local and defined in non-geometric double space spanned by Lagrange multipliers $y_\mu$ and double coordinate ${\Delta}V_\mu$. We will apply Buscher procedure once more on T-dual theory to check if original theory can be salvaged. Finally, we will use T-dual transformation laws along with Poisson brackets of original theory to derive Poisson bracket structure of T-dual theory.

hep-th↗

arXiv2022

Image-Plane Self-Calibration in Interferometry

We develop a new process of image plane self-calibration for interferometric imaging data. The process is based on Shape-Orientation-Size (SOS) conservation for the principal triangle in an image generated from the three fringes made from a triad of receiving elements, in situations where interferometric phase errors can be factorized into element-based terms. The basis of the SOS conservation principle is that, for a 3-element array, the only possible image corruption due to an element-based phase screen is a tilt of the aperture plane, leading to a shift in the image plane. Thus, an image made from any 3-element interferometer represents a true image of the source brightness, modulo an unknown translation. Image plane self-calibration entails deriving the unknown translations for each triad image via cross-correlation of the observed triad image with a model image of the source brightness. After correcting for these independent shifts, and summing the aligned triad images, a good image of the source brightness is generated from the full array, recovering source structure at diffraction-limited resolution. The process is iterative, using improved source models based on previous iterations. We demonstrate the technique in the high signal-to-noise context, and include a configuration based on radio astronomical facilities, and simple models of double sources. We show that the process converges for the simple models considered, although convergence is slower than for aperture-plane self-calibration for large-$N$ arrays. As currently implemented, the process is most relevant for arrays with a small number of elements. More generally, the technique provides geometric insight into closure phase and the self-calibration process. The technique is generalizable to non-astronomical interferometric imaging applications across the electromagnetic spectrum.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Simulations of primary beam effects on the cosmic bispectrum phase observed with the Hydrogen Epoch of Reionization Array

The 21~cm transition from neutral Hydrogen promises to be the best observational probe of the Epoch of Reionisation. The main difficulty in measuring the 21 cm signal is the presence of bright foregrounds that require very accurate interferometric calibration. Closure quantities may circumvent the calibration requirements but may be, however, affected by direction dependent effects, particularly antenna primary beam responses. This work investigates the impact of antenna primary beams affected by mutual coupling on the closure phase and its power spectrum. Our simulations show that primary beams affected by mutual coupling lead to a leakage of foreground power into the EoR window, which can be up to $\sim4$ orders magnitude higher than the case where no mutual coupling is considered. This leakage is, however, essentially confined at $k < 0.3$~$h$~Mpc$^{-1}$ for triads that include 29~m baselines. The leakage magnitude is more pronounced when bright foregrounds appear in the antenna sidelobes, as expected. Finally, we find that triads that include mutual coupling beams different from each other have power spectra similar to triads that include the same type of mutual coupling beam, indicating that beam-to-beam variation within triads (or visibility pairs) is not the major source of foreground leakage in the EoR window.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2021

Optimal allocation to deferred income annuities

In this paper we employ a lifecycle model that uses utility of consumption and bequest to determine an optimal Deferred Income Annuity (DIA) purchase policy. We lay out a mathematical framework to formalize the optimization process. The method and implementation of the optimization is explained, and the results are then analyzed. We extend our model to control for asset allocation and show how the purchase policy changes when one is allowed to vary asset allocation. Our results indicate that (i.) refundable DIAs are less appealing than non-refundable DIAs because of the loss of mortality credits; (ii.) the DIA allocation region is larger under the fixed asset allocation strategy due to it becoming a proxy for fixed-income allocation; and (iii.) when the investor is allowed to change asset-allocation, DIA allocation becomes less appealing. However, a case for higher DIA allocation can be made for those individuals who perceive their longevity to be higher than the population.

q-fin.PM↗

arXiv2015

An Overview of the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign

A major goal of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is to make accurate images with resolutions of tens of milliarcseconds, which at submillimeter (submm) wavelengths requires baselines up to ~15 km. To develop and test this capability, a Long Baseline Campaign (LBC) was carried out from September to late November 2014, culminating in end-to-end observations, calibrations, and imaging of selected Science Verification (SV) targets. This paper presents an overview of the campaign and its main results, including an investigation of the short-term coherence properties and systematic phase errors over the long baselines at the ALMA site, a summary of the SV targets and observations, and recommendations for science observing strategies at long baselines. Deep ALMA images of the quasar 3C138 at 97 and 241 GHz are also compared to VLA 43 GHz results, demonstrating an agreement at a level of a few percent. As a result of the extensive program of LBC testing, the highly successful SV imaging at long baselines achieved angular resolutions as fine as 19 mas at ~350 GHz. Observing with ALMA on baselines of up to 15 km is now possible, and opens up new parameter space for submm astronomy.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2015

ALMA Observations of Asteroid 3 Juno at 60 Kilometer Resolution

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3 mm continuum images of the asteroid 3 Juno obtained with an angular resolution of 0.042 arcseconds (60 km at 1.97 AU). The data were obtained over a single 4.4 hr interval, which covers 60% of the 7.2 hr rotation period, approximately centered on local transit. A sequence of ten consecutive images reveals continuous changes in the asteroid's profile and apparent shape, in good agreement with the sky projection of the three-dimensional model of the Database of Asteroid Models from Inversion Techniques. We measure a geometric mean diameter of 259pm4 km, in good agreement with past estimates from a variety of techniques and wavelengths. Due to the viewing angle and inclination of the rotational pole, the southern hemisphere dominates all of the images. The median peak brightness temperature is 215pm13 K, while the median over the whole surface is 197pm15 K. With the unprecedented resolution of ALMA, we find that the brightness temperature varies across the surface with higher values correlated to the subsolar point and afternoon areas, and lower values beyond the evening terminator. The dominance of the subsolar point is accentuated in the final four images, suggesting a reduction in the thermal inertia of the regolith at the corresponding longitudes, which are possibly correlated to the location of the putative large impact crater. These results demonstrate ALMA's potential to resolve thermal emission from the surface of main belt asteroids, and to measure accurately their position, geometric shape, rotational period, and soil characteristics.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2015

First Results from High Angular Resolution ALMA Observations Toward the HL Tau Region

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations from the 2014 Long Baseline Campaign in dust continuum and spectral line emission from the HL Tau region. The continuum images at wavelengths of 2.9, 1.3, and 0.87 mm have unprecedented angular resolutions of 0.075 arcseconds (10 AU) to 0.025 arcseconds (3.5 AU), revealing an astonishing level of detail in the circumstellar disk surrounding the young solar analogue HL Tau, with a pattern of bright and dark rings observed at all wavelengths. By fitting ellipses to the most distinct rings, we measure precise values for the disk inclination (46.72pm0.05 degrees) and position angle (+138.02pm0.07 degrees). We obtain a high-fidelity image of the 1.0 mm spectral index ($\alpha$), which ranges from $\alpha\sim2.0$ in the optically-thick central peak and two brightest rings, increasing to 2.3-3.0 in the dark rings. The dark rings are not devoid of emission, we estimate a grain emissivity index of 0.8 for the innermost dark ring and lower for subsequent dark rings, consistent with some degree of grain growth and evolution. Additional clues that the rings arise from planet formation include an increase in their central offsets with radius and the presence of numerous orbital resonances. At a resolution of 35 AU, we resolve the molecular component of the disk in HCO+ (1-0) which exhibits a pattern over LSR velocities from 2-12 km/s consistent with Keplerian motion around a ~1.3 solar mass star, although complicated by absorption at low blue-shifted velocities. We also serendipitously detect and resolve the nearby protostars XZ Tau (A/B) and LkHa358 at 2.9 mm.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

ALMA Long Baseline Observations of the Strongly Lensed Submillimeter Galaxy HATLAS J090311.6+003906 at z=3.042

We present initial results of very high resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the $z$=3.042 gravitationally lensed galaxy HATLAS J090311.6+003906 (SDP.81). These observations were carried out using a very extended configuration as part of Science Verification for the 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign, with baselines of up to 15 km. We present continuum imaging at 151, 236 and 290 GHz, at unprecedented angular resolutions as fine as 23 milliarcseconds (mas), corresponding to an un-magnified spatial scale of ~180 pc at z=3.042. The ALMA images clearly show two main gravitational arc components of an Einstein ring, with emission tracing a radius of ~1.5". We also present imaging of CO(10-9), CO(8-7), CO(5-4) and H2O line emission. The CO emission, at an angular resolution of ~170 mas, is found to broadly trace the gravitational arc structures but with differing morphologies between the CO transitions and compared to the dust continuum. Our detection of H2O line emission, using only the shortest baselines, provides the most resolved detection to date of thermal H2O emission in an extragalactic source. The ALMA continuum and spectral line fluxes are consistent with previous Plateau de Bure Interferometer and Submillimeter Array observations despite the impressive increase in angular resolution. Finally, we detect weak unresolved continuum emission from a position that is spatially coincident with the center of the lens, with a spectral index that is consistent with emission from the core of the foreground lensing galaxy.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2012

ALMA Temporal Phase Stability and the Effectiveness of Water Vapor Radiometer

Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will be the world largest mm/submm interferometer, and currently the Early Science is ongoing, together with the commissioning and science verification (CSV). Here we present a study of the temporal phase stability of the entire ALMA system from antennas to the correlator. We verified the temporal phase stability of ALMA using data, taken during the last two years of CSV activities. The data consist of integrations on strong point sources (i.e., bright quasars) at various frequency bands, and at various baseline lengths (up to 600 m). From the observations of strong quasars for a long time (from a few tens of minutes, up to an hour), we derived the 2-point Allan Standard Deviation after the atmospheric phase correction using the 183 GHz Water Vapor Radiometer (WVR) installed in each 12 m antenna, and confirmed that the phase stability of all the baselines reached the ALMA specification. Since we applied the WVR phase correction to all the data mentioned above, we also studied the effectiveness of the WVR phase correction at various frequencies, baseline lengths, and weather conditions. The phase stability often improves a factor of 2 - 3 after the correction, and sometimes a factor of 7 improvement can be obtained. However, the corrected data still displays an increasing phase fluctuation as a function of baseline length, suggesting that the dry component (e.g., N2 and O2) in the atmosphere also contributes the phase fluctuation in the data, although the imperfection of the WVR phase correction cannot be ruled out at this moment.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Dirichlet boundary conditions in type IIB superstring theory and fermionic T-duality

In this article we investigate the relation between consequences of Dirichlet boundary conditions (momenta noncommutativity and parameters of the effective theory) and background fields of fermionic T-dual theory. We impose Dirichlet boundary conditions on the endpoints of the open string propagating in background of type IIB superstring theory with constant background fields. We showed that on the solution of the boundary conditions the momenta become noncommutative, while the coordinates commute. Fermionic T-duality is also introduced and its relation to noncommutativity is considered. We use compact notation so that type IIB superstring formally gets the form of the bosonic one with Grassman variables. Then momenta noncommutativity parameters are fermionic T-dual fields. The effective theory, the initial theory on the solution of boundary conditions, is bilinear in the effective coordinates, odd under world-sheet parity transformation. The effective metric is equal to the initial one and terms with the effective Kalb-Ramond field vanish.

hep-th↗

arXiv2010

Noncommutativity relations in type IIB theory and their supersymmetry

In the present paper we investigate noncommutativity of $D9$ and $D5$-brane world-volumes embedded in space-time of type IIB superstring theory. Boundary conditions, which preserve half of the initial supersymmetry, are treated as canonical constraints. Solving the constraints we obtain original coordinates in terms of the effective coordinates and momenta. Presence of momenta induces noncommutativity of string endpoints. We show that noncommutativity relations are connected by N=1 supersymmetry transformations and noncommutativity parameters are components of N=1 supermultiplet.

hep-th↗

arXiv2009

Noncommutativity in space-time extended by Liouville field

The world-sheet quantum conformal invariance can be realized in the presence of the conformal factor $F$, by inclusion of Liouville term. In the background with linear dilaton field, $Φ(x)=Φ_0+a_μx^μ$, the field $F$ becomes a new noncommutative variable. Therefore, it is natural to extend space-time with a new coordinate, $F$, in order to unify expressions for noncommutativity parameter $Θ^{ij}$ of the space-time coordinates $x^i$, with the part $Θ^i$ connecting noncommutativity between coordinates $x^i$ and $F$. In this way we solve the problems of Dp-brane noncommutativity in a more elegant way. The technical advantage uses the fact that in the extended space-time the action with dilaton field can be rewritten in dilaton free form. We use canonical method and extend its application to the derivation of boundary conditions. From requirement that Hamiltonian, as the time translation generator, has well defined derivatives in the coordinates and momenta, we obtain boundary conditions directly in the canonical form.

hep-th↗