On the Geodetic Feasibility of Mars with VLBI Observables from Mars Probe
Based on the observation of Mars probe with ground VLBI, the observation model including the position of Mars probe and connection parameters of reference systems is studied in this paper, and the estimable parameter sequence is determined. Then the adjustment method appropriate for rank defect in the matrix of normal equation coefficients is studied, the model parameters are calculated and their precisions are evaluated. Thirdly, the impact of accidental errors to the parameters is analyzed. The results are given at the end of the paper.
VLBI OBSERVATIONS OF GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITES
The principle of determining spacecraft angular position with differential VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) technique is described. The first domestic differential VLBI observations of geosynchronous satellites were performed with participations of Shanghai, Urumqi and Kunming stations. Three strong quasars within angular separation of 15° from target satellites were selected as reference radio sources. The main purpose of such observations is to obtain interferometric fringes of the satellites, and to estimate accuracy of differential VLBI observations. A 2-station FX type correlator at SHAO (Shanghai Astronomical Observatory) was used to do cross-correlations of radio signals in MK3A-C tape format. Strong fringes of the satellites were detected to all stations. The precision of time delay and rate was derived from the correlator output. Based on system errors analysis, we estimated that ΔDOR (Delta Differential One-way Ranging) error was about 41cm, and ΔDOD (Delta Differential One-way Doppler) error was about 0.148mm/s, which corresponded, respectively, to the position error of 8m and the velocity error of 2.8mm/s for the geosynchronous satellite on the plane of sky.
Monte Carlo Study of the Effect of Backscatter Materail Thickness on 99 mTc Source Response in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Introduction SPECT projections are contaminated by scatter radiation, resulting in reduced image contrast and quantitative errors. Backscatter constitutes a major part of the scatter contamination in lower energy windows. The current study is an evaluation of the effect of backscatter material on FWHM and image quality investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. Materials and Methods SIMIND program was used for simulation of a Siemen’s dual-head variable angle scintillation gamma camera. Planar and SPECT scanning of a 99m Tc source and a Jaszczak phantom for varying thicknesses of Perspex slabs, as a backscatter media, were analyzed using the photopeak and scatter windows. Simulated planar images and reconstructed tomographic images were evaluated qualitatively, by two nuclear medicine specialists, and quantitatively, by Structural Similarity (SSIM) Index. Results In the 99m Tc photopeak window, no significant change in total counts due to backscatter material was measured. In the scatter windows, scattering was overestimated compared with a simulated backscatter free SPECT system. For instance, at a thickness of 10 cm, total counts of a 99m Tc source detected in the 72 keV windows eventually doubled with increasing backscatter material, compared with the situation without backscatter material. The backscatter contribution plateaued when more than 7 cm of scatter material was placed but there were optimized results for a backscatter thickness of 4.5 cm. Better image quality for the thickness was confirmed by the results of eye interpretation and also by SSIM algorithm. Conclusion Backscatter should be taken into account, particularly in model-based scatter correction methods in SPECT for an accurate simulation system optimization.