Abstract
OPTIMA is a small, versatile high-speed photometer which is primarily intended for time resolved observations of young high energy pulsars at optical wavelengths. The detector system consists of eight fiber fed photon counters based on avalanche photodiodes, a GPS timing receiver, an integrating CCD camera to ensure the correct pointing of the telescope and a computerized control unit. Since January 1999 OPTIMA proves its scientific potential by measuring a very detailed light-curve of the Crab Pulsar as well as by observing cataclysmic variable stars on very short timescales. In this article we describe the design of the detector system focussing on the photon counting units and the software control which correlates the detected photons with the GPS timing signal.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beskin, G. M., Neizvestny, S. I., Pimonov, A. A., Plakhotnichenko, V. L. and Shvartsman, V. F.: 1983, Soviet Astronomy Letters 9, 148–151.
Buccheri, R., Bennett, K., Bignami, G. F., Bloemen, J. B., Boriakoff, V. et al.: 1985, Astronomy and Astrophysics 128, 245–251.
Chen, K., Chang, H.-K. and Ho, C.: 1996, Astrophysical Journal 471, 967–972.
Cocke, W. J., Disney, M. J. and Taylor, D. J.: 1969, Nature 221, 525–527.
Eikenberry, S. S., Fazio, G. G., Ransom, S. M., Middleditch, J., Kristian, J. et al.: 1997, Astrophysical Journal 477, 465–474.
Golden, A., Shearer, A., Redfern, R. M., Beskin, G. M., Neizvestny, S. I. et al.: 2000, Astronomy and Astrophysics 363, 617–628.
Graham-Smith, F., Dolan, J. F., Boyd, P. T., Biggs, J. D., Lyne, A. G. et al.: 1996, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 282, 1354–1358
Lyne, A. G., Pritchard, R. S. and Roberts, M. E.: 1992, University of Manchester, Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories, Jodrell Bank, Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK, http://www.jb.ac.uk/ ~pulsar/crab.html
Middleditch, J. and Pennypacker, C.: 1985, Nature 313, 659–661.
Percival, J. W., Biggs, J. D., Dolan, J. F., Robinson, E. L. Taylor, M. J. et al.: 1993, Astrophysical Journal 407, 276–283.
Perryman, M. A. C., Favata, F., Peacock, A., Rando, N. and Taylor, B. G.: 1999, Astronomy and Astrophysics 346, L30–L32.
Rando, N., Peacock, A., Favata, F. and Perryman, M.: 2000, Experimental Astronomy 10, 499–517.
Romani, R. W., Miller, A. J., Cabrera, B. and Figueroa-Feliciano, E.: 1999, Astrophysical Journal 521, L153–L156.
Shearer, A., Redfern, R. M., Gorman, G., Butler, R., Golden, A. et al.: 1997, Astrophysical Journal 487, L181–L185.
Shearer, A., Golden, A., Harfst, S., Butler, R., Redfern, R. M. et al.: 1998, Astronomy and Astrophysics 335, L21–L24.
Straubmeier, C.: 2001, OPTIMA - Entwicklung und erste astronomische Messungen eines optischen Hochgeschwindigkeitsphotometers, PhD Thesis, Technical University of Munich.
Wallace, P. T., Peterson, B. A., Murdin, P. G., Danziger, I. J., Manchester, R. N. et al.: 1977, Nature 266, 692–694.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Straubmeier, C., Kanbach, G. & Schrey, F. OPTIMA: A Photon Counting High-Speed Photometer. Experimental Astronomy 11, 157–170 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013117110998
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013117110998