天然卫星的CCD高精度定位观测、技术研发及相关理论研究

Precise positional observations and orbital determination for planetary natural satellites are of importance in the formation and evolution of the solar system, planetary physics and deep-space explorations. The research team in this proposal has long time studies in the proposal research field for several decades, accumulating many observations and valuable experiences in observing, data-analysis and orbital determination. All our efforts have earned some positive and active appraisals intranationally and internationally. We shall make systematically observations by applying time for serveral big-aperture telescopes, especially by the 1.56 m telescope at Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, in the joint laboratory for optical astronomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences. At the same time, the international newest progresses in the space astrometric era (such as Gaia astrometric satellite and Hubble space telescope) will be fully taken into account in order to take CCD observations in the tangential plane and precise and accurate timing observations by photometric measurements. We plan to use advanced terminal equipments (i.e. EMCCD) to develope some hardware and software so as to obtain higher precision observations. Moreover, all research capabilities in the team will be closely combined, together with substantial cooperation with some colleagues aboard, some new and innovational achievement will be expected in both orbital determination and ephemeris service for some natural satellites. The execution of this proposal will be able to promote well ability in the search field for planetary natural satellits in China and be useful in the future deep-space exploration of China.

天然卫星的高精度定位观测与轨道理论研究对太阳系起源与演化、行星物理研究以及深空探测都有着基础的意义。项目组数十年从事本领域的研究，积累了丰富的观测资料和宝贵的资料分析和轨道理论研究的经验，赢得了国内外同行的肯定和积极评价。本项目将主要依托中科院光学天文联合实验室几架大口径望远镜进行系统观测、充分考虑空间时代天体测量的最新进展，强强联合国内研究主要力量深入开展天然卫星CCD切平面天体测量与精准测光天体测量。重点研制高时间分辨率和高精度测光的先进终端以及开发相应的高精度CCD图像处理和分析软件系统，全面获取天然卫星高精度的观测资料。继续与国际同行深入合作，将在高精度定位资料获取、轨道理论研究与天然卫星历表服务等方面取得更大突破并取得新的创新性成果。项目的实施将奠定我国在天然卫星观测与轨道理论研究领域的大国地位，对我国正在蓬勃开展的空间探测尤其是深空探测具有基础性和前瞻性的意义。

四年来，项目组在天然卫星的高精度定位观测（包括联合天象观测）、图像处理与分析技术的研发以及轨道理论研究等方面均开展了深入的研究，取得了较丰硕的成果。项目组成员（和研究生）在国内几架大口径望远镜实施了大量观测，获得了丰富的原始资料，观测对象包括木星伽利略卫星和木卫6-10，土卫1-9，天卫1-5和海卫1-2，开发了高精度位置测量的图像处理软件和技术并实际应用于观测资料，发表了数千个国际上同类资料中最好精度水平的珍贵资料；基于历史照相底片的数字化和当代高精度天体测量参考星表在国际上率先发表了高精度的位置资料；重点研究了海王星卫星的轨道理论，发表了海卫一的运动理论，海卫二的轨道理论研究结合了当代地面观测资料和空间观测资料，研究论文已经完成。研制了EMCCD高精度快速多色测光系统，取得了初步观测结果。此外项目组还扩展了研究领域，参加了Gaia-FUN-SSO国际近地小行星联合观测，开展了相邻两个晚上精确测量小行星距离的研究，以及参与了Cassini 空间图像天体测量数据处理等等，取得了可喜成果。