Modern Engineering Trends in Astronomy - 2019

15 Sept 2019, 08:15 → 17 Sept 2019, 18:00 Asia/Kolkata

Banglore

We are pleased to announce a conference titled "Modern Engineering Trends in Astronomy" (META-2019) jointly organized  by National Centre for Radio Astrophysics of TIFR, Raman Research Institutes and Indian Institutes of Astrophysics, which will be held on 15th, 16th and 17th September, 2019 at Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, India.
The aim of the conference is to provide a common platform for Engineers working in the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics to share their knowledge and discuss the recent Engineering trends in building instruments for research in Astronomy and Astrophysics in India.

META-19Book_of_AbstractV0.2.pdf

META_2019_Accommodation.pdf

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META-2019_group_Photo.JPG

META-2019_Poster_Abstract.pdf

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META2019_program_Final_13092019.pdf

Sunday, 15 September

09:00 → 09:10 Welcoming Remarks -Director, IIA, Bengaluru

Welcome Remarks -Director, IIA, Bengaluru

09:10 → 10:00 Plenary Session, "L&T's contribution to Mega Science Projects"-Ravi Kataria, Head Business Development & Marketing, Missiles & Aerospace Business, Larsen & Toubro Limited.

"L&T's contribution to Mega Science Projects"-Ravi Kataria, Head Business Development & Marketing, Missiles & Aerospace Business, Larsen & Toubro Limited.

10:00 → 10:30 “India and Square Kilometre Array”-Y. Gupta, Centre Director,NCRA

“Square Kilometre Array”-Y. Gupta, Centre Director,NCRA

10:30 → 11:00 “India's contribution to TMT hardware”-N Viswanatha, Former GD, ISRO & Consultant TMT Project, IIA, Bengaluru

11:00 → 11:30 Poster Presentation & Coffee/Tea Break

11:30 → 11:45 "Wide Field Optical Spectrograph for Thirty Meter Telescope – India’s contribution in the design and development"-Devika K Divakar, Project Scientific Associate, India-TMT Coordinate Center,IIA, Bengaluru

11:45 → 12:00 INVESTIGATING SINGLE PHOTON INTERACTION PRODUCED BY TYPE II SPDC

INTRODUCTION-

SPDC is a nonlinear instant optical process that converts one photon of higher energy (namely, a pump photon), into a pair of photons (namely, a signal photon, and an idler photon) of lower energy, in accordance with the law of conservation of energy and law of conservation of momentum. It is an important process in quantum optics, for the generation of entangled photon pairs, and of single photons.

METHOD OF PHOTON INTERACTION EXPERIMENT-

The main goal of photon interaction experiment is to collide two photons at specific point in space and time exploring the particle nature of light and to reveal new information about the very nature of photons. The goal of photon collision is accomplished using β barium borate crystal which produces a pair of entangled photons using spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process which are to be collided.

INFERENCES OF THE EXPERIMENT-

The main inference that can be drawn from the results of the experiment is to explain how the photons can be split into more fundamental particles (possibly dark photons).

This interaction between the photons collision will help us to know and clarify our understanding of photon and our universe. It will also give us a clue as to how our universe might meet its ultimate fate.

CALCULATION OF COLLISION POINT-

x=a cos⁡θ, y=l_1+b sin⁡θ (for one of the ellipse)
x=c cos⁡∅, y=〖-l〗_2+ d sin⁡∅ (for second ellipse)

∅= 〖sin〗^(-1)⁡[(da/bc)± √((〖da/bc)〗^2-4[〖{l〗_1+l_2+b^2-〖(bc/a)〗^2}/〖(bc/a)〗^2 ] )]

θ = c/a cos[ 〖sin〗^(-1)⁡[(da/bc)± √((〖da/bc)〗^2-4[〖{l〗_1+l_2+b^2-〖(bc/a)〗^2}/〖(bc/a)〗^2 ] )]] ]

REFERENCES-

1) Effect of high dimensional entanglement of Laguerre - Gaussian modes in parametric down conversion in journal of optical society of America B (April 2009) by Yoko Miyamoto (University of Tokyo), Schigeki Takeuchi (University of Kyoto).


2) Constraining the photon lifetime in physical review letters ( July 2013) by Julian Heeck (Max Planck institute of nuclear physics).


   3) The mass of the photon (compilation of 130 research papers), by Liang-Cheng Tu1, Jun Luo and George T Gillies.

12:00 → 12:15 “Low cost Characterisation of Sun and Nadir Sensors for Attitude Control of Nano Satellites”- Mr. Asir Nesa Dass N, IIST

12:15 → 12:30 “Sky Watch Array Network (SWAN): Wide-band Receiver Instrumentation development and Current Status”- Mr. Raghavendra Rao K.B, RRI

12:30 → 12:45 The Infrared Astronomy Group (IR group) of TIFR, Milind Naik

The Infrared Astronomy Group (IR group) of TIFR has been developing near-infrared (NIR) instruments for ground based Indian telescopes, far-infrared instruments for TIFR 100-cm balloon borne telescope and has recently developed space platforms via IRSIS　 & other projects. This
talk will present an overview of NIR astronomical cameras developed by the IR group which have been commissioned / used at various observatories
in India (e.g. IGO, IUCAA,Pune; MIRO, PRL, Mt Abu; HCT, IIA, Hanle, Ladakh and DOT, ARIES, Devasthal, Uttarakhand). TANSPEC
Optical-NIR spectrograph is recently (April 2019) installed and commissioned at DOT 3.6 meter telescope. TIRSPEC NIR imager and spectrometer was commissioned at 2 meter HCT, Hanle in 2014 and
is currently being used for science observations. TIRCAM2 NIR imager has been used at MIRO, IGO and is currently installed at the side port of DOT 3.6 meter telescope. Talk will also cover a briefoverview of the IRSIS related work.

12:45 → 13:00 “Low cost - 21cm observation on Sun from Kodaikanal Solar Observatory”-Mr. Manickavasagam G (SBM college of Engg. and Technology, Dindigul)

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00 → 14:30 “Engineering challenges in realization of Visible Emission Line Coronagraph on-board Aditya-L1”-Mr. Subramanya NagabhushanaIIA, Bengaluru

14:30 → 14:45 "Brush arrangement for dome of 3.6m Devasthal optical telescope at ARIES”- Tarun Bangia, ARIES, Vaibhav Sharma, Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University

14:45 → 15:00 “Design and development of mechanical systems of SUIT Payload onboard Aditya-L1”-Mr. Akshay Kulkarni, IUCAA

15:00 → 15:15 “Design and Development of stress relieving support system for TMT primary glass blanks”-Mr. Alikhan Basheer, IIA, Bengaluru

15:15 → 15:30 “Design and Development of Telescope Cover Structure for 3.6m Telescope at ARIES”– Dr.Tarun Bangia, ARIES

15:30 → 16:00 Poster Presentation & Coffee/Tea Break

16:00 → 16:15 “Radio Frequency Interference and its mitigation at upgraded GMRT”-Mr.Sureshkumar S. , NCRA-TIFR Pune

16:15 → 16:30 “Testing a Multi-element, Multi-beam, FPA Beamformer in Freespace Test Range”- Ms Bela Dixit, GMRT, NCRA-TIFR

16:30 → 16:45 Development of tools and methods to characterize low noise power supplies for the purpose of Astronomical instrumentation

Reducing power supply noise is one of the essential steps in order to implement precision and reliable instrumentation. However, commercial power supplies are usually insufficient for the purpose of astronomical instrumentation. They usually lack noise characterization over a range of frequencies and also over a range of applied load. In this regard, we have defined a method of estimating tolerable noise limits along with specific bandwidth and load limit requirements for various electronic components. We have developed tools such as DC constant current loads and active RC filters to test and measure the noise performance of off-the-shelf power supply modules. Finally, We have fabricated a range of old and modern voltage regulator architectures and compared their measured noise figures for the purpose of realizing a low noise (< 50 microVolt RMS) power supply. We will discuss the various methods of noise measurement using a modern digital oscilloscope and various techniques to reduce power supply noise.

16:45 → 17:00 “Accelerated Tile Processor”- Prabu T, RRI

17:00 → 17:15 Challenges in Designing a Digital Spectrometer for Detection of Signals from CD/EoR, Girish B. S, RRI

Challenges in Designing a Digital Spectrometer for Detection of Signals from CD/EoR, Girish B. S, RRI

17:15 → 17:30 FPGA-based Focal Plane Array Beamformer Architectures for the Expanded GMRT

The Expanded GMRT (eGMRT) is a proposal to look at three expansions to the
GMRT - increasing the field of view, increasing angular resolution and
improving the sensitivity to the extended radio emission. In this talk, we
would focus on increasing the field-of-view using Focal Plane Array (FPA)
and the ongoing development of the FPGA-based prototype FPA beamformer. A
prototype is being developed to understand the challenges in building
real-time beamformer with multiple inputs and multiple beams. As part of
this project, we have calculated the computational complexity of
implementing FPA beamformer in real-time and the various tradeoffs at the
architectural level. This tradeoff analysis helped in arriving at an
optimal number of inputs, spectral channels, and beams for Virtex-5 FPGA.
In case of an FPA system, the computation of beamformer weights through the
correlation operation is only needed at distinct time intervals. This led
to a further increase in the number of inputs for the same hardware setup,
by separating the correlation and beamforming designs, and exploring FPGA
reconfigurability. An alternate approach through a fully offline
correlation design using recorded raw voltages would also be described. The
current version of the multi-element, multi-beam design of the narrowband
(32 MHz bandwidth, 16-input, 4-beam) and wideband (300 MHz bandwidth)
beamformers have been developed using the CASPER (Collaboration for
Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research) methodology. The
recent test results from the above- mentioned beamformer designs conducted
in a free-space test range (at the GMRT site) would be described. As a step
towards migration to contemporary signal processing platforms and the final
prototype beamformer, we have started beamformer development using Xilinx
RFSoC (RF System-on-Chip).

17:30 → 18:00 Coffee/Tea Break

18:00 → 19:30 Ultra-Precision Engineering-Enabling human’s fundamental quest to decode the COSMOS - Sendhil Raja S. Ph.D., RRCAT

19:30 → 20:30 Dinner at ICNAPP

21:45 → 22:15 Invited Talks

“Square Kilometre Array”-Y. Gupta, Director,NCRA

Monday, 16 September

09:00 → 10:00 “Software for the Thirty Meter Telescope”- Prof. Annapurni Subramaniyam, IIA, Bengaluru

10:00 → 11:00 “VELC payload on ADITYA-L1” – Prof.B.R.Prasad, PI VELC ADITYA L1,IIA, Bengaluru

11:00 → 11:30 Poster Presentation & Coffee/Tea Break

11:30 → 12:00 “INSIST: A Proposed Wide-Field, UV-Optical, Imaging and SpectroscopicSpace Telescope”-Mr.Sriram Sripadmanaban, IIA, Bengaluru

12:00 → 12:15 “Adaptive Optics Program at IIA”- Dr.Sridharan Rengaswamy,IIA, Bengaluru

12:15 → 12:30 “FE analysis for the mechanical structure of Prototype Segmented Mirror Telescope”- MrSandeep D.S.IIA, Bengaluru

12:30 → 12:45 “FE analysis for the mechanical structure of Prototype Segmented Mirror Telescope”- MrSandeep D.S.IIA, Bengaluru

12:45 → 13:00 “Conceptual Design of Primary Mirror Cover for the proposed 2m classNational Large Solar Telescope”- Mr. Govinda K.V. IIA, Bengaluru

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00 → 14:30 “Telescope Control Software and Communication server for 30 inch Telescope, VBO - an Overview / Software aspects of 2.4 M mirror coating plant, VBO”- V Arumugam,Engineer-E,IIA, Bengaluru

14:30 → 14:45 “The 3.6 m DOT electronics: Maintenance and future upgradation strategies”- Dr Kumar T. S. ARIES

14:45 → 15:00 “RF over fibre optic backplane for phased array antennas”- Mr.Sanjeet Kumar Rai ,NCRA TIFR

15:00 → 15:15 “RASCAL (Reflector Antenna Sensitivity Calculator) Software”- Mr. Sougata Chatterjee,GMRT-NCRA-TIFR

15:15 → 15:30 “Antenna and RF”-Abdipour

15:30 → 15:50 Poster Presentation & Coffee/Tea Break

15:50 → 16:05 “Dual polarized broadband dipole antenna feed with conical reflector for uGMRT”-Mr Hanumanth Rao Bandari, TIFR

16:05 → 16:20 “Design of Drive Circuit for piezo walker for configurable slit unit”- Mr Pankaj Madhwani, TIFR, Mumbai

16:20 → 16:35 “Evolution of GMRT Servo Computer with RTAI: Status and Updates”-Mr.Thiyagarajan Beeman, Mr.Shailendra Bagde, GMRT, TIFR.

16:35 → 16:50 “Developmental status of X-ray polarization sensitive mirrors”-Mr Panini Singam, IIA, Bengaluru

16:50 → 17:05 "Conceptual design for TMT high resolution optical spectrograph"- Amirul Hasan, Project Engineer I, India-TMT Coordinate Center, IIA, Bengaluru

17:05 → 17:20 “An overview of Analog Receiver System for Detection of Global EoR Signal” - Somashekar R, RRI

17:20 → 17:35 “Non-spherical representation of optical surfaces - an advanced study”- Mr Totan Chand, IIA, Bengaluru

17:35 → 18:00 Coffee/Tea

Tuesday, 17 September

06:00 → 09:30 Visit to VBO (Starting Point: IIA, Koramangala)

09:30 → 10:00 0 Breakfast at VBO

10:00 → 11:15 Visit to VBT (90")

11:15 → 11:30 Coffee/Tea

11:30 → 13:00 Visit to JCBT,40" & 30" Telescopes

13:00 → 14:00 Lunch Break

14:00 → 17:30 Departure from VBO and arrival to IIA Bangalore, Conference closure