Jun-Feng Hou | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Design and Implementation of a Microservice-Architecture Master Control System for AIMS

The mid-infrared solar magnetic field telescope AIMS (An Infrared System for the Accurate Measurement of Solar Magnetic Field) is the first ground-based telescope designed to directly measure solar magnetic fields via Zeeman splitting in the 8-14 um band, overcoming the century-long bottleneck of model-dependent indirect measurements. Its remote high-altitude site, heterogeneous multi-institute components, and complex observation modes comprising Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectropolarimetry and broadband imaging demand a highly autonomous Master Control System (MCS). We present the design and implementation of the AIMS MCS, featuring three key contributions: (1) an L0-L5 telescope automation classification inspired by the SAE J3016 autonomous driving standard, providing well-defined boundaries and a progressive evolution roadmap; (2) a three-layer system framework device control, autonomy support, and central decision-implemented with a microservice software architecture that achieves loose coupling, high cohesion, and continuous integration of heterogeneous components; and (3) a suite of key enabling tech-nologies including automatic pointing/tracking, autofocus via lucky-frame selection combined with power spectral ratio analysis, and environment-adaptive observation integrating auto-exposure, cloud detection, and power/thermal monitoring. The MCS has been validated across three telescopes at progressive automation levels: AIMS itself, the WenQuan Solar Magnetic Field Telescope, and the Solar Full-disk Multi-layer Magnetograph (SFMM). Collectively, these deployments demonstrate the feasibility and stability of the proposed architecture for progressive telescope automation.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

Spectro-polarimetric Observations at the NVST: I. Instrumental Polarization Calibration and Primary Measurements

This paper is devoted to the primary spectro-polarimetric observation performed at the New Vacuum Solar Telescope of China since 2017, and our aim is to precisely evaluate the real polarimetric accuracy and sensitivity of this polarimetry by using full Stokes spectro-polarimetric observations of the photospheric line Fe I 532.4 nm. In the work, we briefly describe the salient characteristic of the NVST as a polarimeter in technology and then characterize its instrumental polarization based on the operation in 2017 and 2019. It is verified that the calibration method making use of the instrumental polarization calibration unit (ICU) is stable and credible. The calibration accuracy can reach up to 3$\times 10^{-3}$ . Based on the scientific observation of the NOAA 12645 on April 5th, 2017, we estimate that the residual cross-talk from Stokes $I$ to Stokes $Q$, $U$ and $V$, after the instrumental polarization calibration, is about 4$\times10^{-3}$ on average, which is consistent with the calibration accuracy and close to the photon noise. The polarimetric sensitivity (i.e., the detection limit) for polarized light is of the order of $10^{-3}$ with an integration time over 20 seconds. Slow modulation rate is indeed an issue for the present system. The present NVST polarimeter is expected to be integrated with an high-order adaptive optics system and a field scanner to realize 2D magnetic field vector measurements in the following instrumentation update.

astro-ph.SR↗