arXiv subjects

Shubhangi Jain

Publications and source records attributed to Shubhangi Jain.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Near Ultraviolet Transient Explorer (NUTEx): A CubeSat-Based NUV Imaging Payload for Transient Sky Surveys

The Near Ultraviolet Transient Explorer (NUTEx) is a CubeSat-based near-ultraviolet (NUV) imaging payload designed for transient sky surveys and is currently under development. CubeSats are compact and cost-effective satellite platforms that have emerged as versatile tools for scientific exploration and technology demonstrations in space. NUTEx is an imaging telescope operating in the 200-300 nm wavelength range, intended for deployment on a micro-satellite bus. The optical system is based on a Ritchey Chretien (RC) telescope configuration, featuring a 146 mm primary mirror. The detector is a photon-counting microchannel plate (MCP) device with a solar-blind photocathode, paired with an in-house developed readout unit. The instrument has a wide field of view (FoV) of 4 deg, a peak effective area of approximately 18 sq cm at 260 nm, and can reach a sensitivity of 21 AB magnitude (SNR = 5) in a 1200 second exposure. The primary scientific objective of NUTEx is to monitor the night sky for transient phenomena, such as supernova remnants, flaring M-dwarf stars, and other short-timescale events. The payload is currently scheduled for launch in Q2 2026. This paper presents the NUTEx instrument design, outlines its scientific goals and capabilities, and provides an overview of the electronics and mechanical subsystems, including structural analysis.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

SAMPLE -- Stratospheric Altitude Microbiology Probe for Life Existence -- A Method of Collection of Stratospheric Samples Using Balloon-Borne Payload System

The Earth possesses many environmental extremes that mimic conditions on extraterrestrial worlds. The stratosphere at 30-40 km altitude closely resembles the surface of Mars in terms of pressure, temperature, and radiation levels (UV, proton, and Galactic cosmic rays). While microbial life in the troposphere is well documented, the true upper limit of Earth's biosphere remains unclear. The stratosphere offers a promising environment to explore microbial survival in such extreme conditions. Despite its significance to astrobiology, this region remains largely unexplored due to difficulties in access and avoiding contamination. To address this, we have developed SAMPLE (Stratospheric Altitude Microbiology Probe for Life Existence), a balloon-borne payload designed to collect dust samples from the stratosphere and return them in conditions suitable for lab analysis. The entire system is novel and designed in-house, with weight- and stress-optimized components. The main payload includes three pre-sterilized sampling trays and a controller that determines altitude and governs tray operation. One tray will remain closed during flight (airborne control) and another on the ground (cleanroom control) to monitor contamination. Additional systems include environmental sensors, GPS trackers, cameras, and a Flight Termination Unit (FTU) to end the mission once sampling is complete. A parachute ensures the safe recovery of the payload. Upon retrieving the payload, the sampling trays (including controls) will be sent to a suitable laboratory where the samples will be examined for the presence and nature of collected material.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Ultraviolet Extinction Sky Survey (UVESS): A mission concept for probing the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and Local Group galaxies

The 2175 Å bump shows considerable variations in its strength, width, and central wavelength when observed along different sightlines in the Milky Way and other galaxies. These variations offer valuable insights into the composition, size distribution, and processing of interstellar dust grains along different sightlines. This paper introduces a mission concept called UVESS (Ultraviolet Extinction Sky Survey) aimed at exploring the composition of the interstellar medium (ISM) within both the Milky Way and nearby Local Group Galaxies by mapping the variation of UV extinction curve slopes and the 2175 Å feature across a majority of the sky to gain insights into the makeup of the ISM. Recent advancements in UV instrumentation and technologies pave the way for the development of high-throughput instruments in compact form factors. In this paper, we outline mission science goals and instrument concept tailored for a small satellite-based platform dedicated to the study of UV extinction.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Spectroscopic Investigation of Nebular Gas (SING): Instrument Design, Assembly and Calibration

The Spectroscopic Investigation of Nebular Gas (SING) is a near-ultraviolet (NUV) low-resolution spectrograph payload designed to operate in the NUV range, 1400 $\unicode{x212B}$ -- 2700 $\unicode{x212B}$, from a stable space platform. SING telescope has a primary aperture of 298 mm, feeding the light to the long-slit UV spectrograph. SING has a field of view (FOV) of 1$^{\circ}$, achieving a spatial resolution of 1.33 arc minute and spectral resolution of 3.7 $\unicode{x212B}$ ($R\sim600$) at the central wavelength. SING employs a micro-channel plate (MCP) with a CMOS readout-based photon-counting detector. The instrument is designed to observe diffuse sources such as nebulae, supernova remnants, and the interstellar medium (ISM) to understand their chemistry. SING was selected by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to be hosted on the Chinese Space Station. The instrument will undergo qualification tests as per the launch requirements. In this paper, we describe the hardware design, optomechanical assembly, and calibration of the instrument.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2024

Development Of Raspberry Pi-based Processing Unit for UV Photon-Counting Detectors

In ultraviolet (UV) astronomical observations, photons from the sources are very few compared to the visible or infrared (IR) wavelength ranges. Detectors operating in the UV usually employ a photon-counting mode of operation. These detectors usually have an image intensifier sensitive to UV photons and a readout mechanism that employs photon counting. The development of readouts for these detectors is resource-intensive and expensive. In this paper, we describe the development of a low-cost UV photon-counting detector processing unit that employs a Raspberry Pi with its in built readout to perform the photon-counting operation. Our system can operate in both 3x3 and 5x5 window modes at 30 frames per sec (fps), where 5x5 window mode also enables the provision of detection of double events. The system can be built quickly from readily available custom-off-the-shelf (COTS) components and is thus used in inexpensive CubeSats or small satellite missions. This low-cost solution promises to broaden access to UV observations, advancing research possibilities in space-based astronomy.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2023

A unified statistical approach to explain the transverse momentum spectra in hadron-hadron collision

Thermodynamical description of the system created during high energy collision requires a proper thermodynamical framework to study the distribution of particles. In this work, we have attempted to explain the transverse momentum spectra of charged hadrons formed in $pp$ collision at different energies using the Pearson statistical framework. This formalism has been proved to nicely explain the spectra of particles produced in soft processes as well hard scattering processes in a consistent manner. For this analysis, we have used the highest available range of $p_T$ published by experiments to verify the applicability of Pearson statistical framework at large $p_T$.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2023

The theoretical description of the transverse momentum spectra: a unified model

Analysis of transverse momentum distributions is a useful tool to understand the dynamics of relativistic particles produced in high energy collision. Finding a proper distribution function to approximate the spectra is a vastly developing area of research in particle physics. In this work, we have provided a detailed theoretical description of the unified statistical framework in high energy physics. We have tested the applicability of this framework on experimental data by analysing the transverse momentum spectra of pion produced in heavy-ion collision at RHIC and LHC. We have also attempted to explain the transverse momentum spectra of charged hadrons formed in pp collision at different energies using the unified statistical framework. This formalism has been proved to nicely explain the spectra of particles produced in soft processes as well hard scattering processes in a consistent manner.

hep-ph↗