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Staff profile

Overview

Dr Alastair Basden

Head of COSMA HPC Service

Affiliations
AffiliationTelephone
Head of COSMA HPC Service in the Department of Physics+44 (0) 7771 335593

Biography

About my research

I am the technical manager for the COSMA High Performance Computing system at Durham. This is a tier 1 national supercomputing facility, used by people from all over the world. For information please see www.dur.ac.uk/icc/cosma. For emergency contact, please use 07771 three three five five nine three.

I am also a researcher in most things to do with astronomical adaptive optics (AO) including real-time control systems and simulation, as well as design and bench work.

I have developed the Durham AO real-time controller which has been used successfully by multiple institutes worldwide.

I perform extensive end-to-end simulations of AO systems for the next generation Extremely Large Telescopes

I am a member of the CANARY team, developing technologies for next generation AO systems with on-sky testing

I am involved with the DRAGON AO bench in Durham studying wide-field AO.

I have extensive knowledge of camera electronics and calibration techniques.

Esteem Indicators

  • 2000: Real-time control systems workshop: Head of SOC, Organiser
  • 2000: Real-time control systems workshop: SOC member

Publications

Conference Paper

  • Phase A AO system design and performance for MOSAIC at the ELT
    Morris, T., Basden, A., Calcines-Rosario, A., Dohlen, K., Dubbeldam, C., El Hadi, K., Fitzsimons, E., Fusco, T., Gendron, Éric, Hammer, F., Jagourel, P., Jenkins, D., Morel, C., Morris, S., Rousset, G., Townson, M., Vola, P., & Younger, E. (2018). Phase A AO system design and performance for MOSAIC at the ELT. In L. M. Close, L. Schreiber, & D. Schmidt (Eds.), Proceedings Volume 10703, Adaptive Optics Systems VI. SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313562
  • Photometry and Spectrum measurements of the Laser Guide Star beam emission at Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos with the Gran Telescope Canarias
    Lombardi, G., Calia, B., Centrone, M., Talavera, M. R. G., Morris, T., Pfrommer, T., Basden, A., Vidal, F., Gendron, E., Rousset, G., Mayers, R., Osborn, J., Reeves, A., Talbot, R., Townson, M., Lavers, A. C., & Postigoh, A. de U. (2017). Photometry and Spectrum measurements of the Laser Guide Star beam emission at Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos with the Gran Telescope Canarias. In Proceedings of the Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 5 (AO4ELT5) : Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, June 25-30, 2017. (pp. 1-7). Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. https://doi.org/10.26698/ao4elt5.0045
  • Preliminary on-sky results of the CANARY experiment with an ELT-elongated sodium LGS
    Bardou, L., Gendron, E., Rousset, G., Gratadour, D., Basden, A. G., Bonaccini, D., Buey, T., Centrone, M., Chemla, F., Lombardi, G., Marchetti, E., Morris, T. J., Myers, R. M., Osborn, J., Townson, M. J., Vidal, F., & Reyes Garcia-Talavera, M. (2017). Preliminary on-sky results of the CANARY experiment with an ELT-elongated sodium LGS. In Proceedings of the Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes 5 (AO4ELT5) : Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, June 25-30, 2017.. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. https://doi.org/10.26698/ao4elt5.0126
  • A new photon-counting spectrometer for the COAST
    Basden, A. G., Haniff, C. A., Mackay, C. D., Bridgeland, M. T., Wilson, D. M., Young, J. S., & David, F. (2004). A new photon-counting spectrometer for the COAST.
  • Astronomical imaging with L3CCDs: detector performance and high-speed controller design
    Mackay, C., Basden, A., & Bridgeland, M. (2004). Astronomical imaging with L3CCDs: detector performance and high-speed controller design.
  • COAST: recent technology and developments
    Haniff, C. A., Baldwin, J. E., Basden, A. G., Bharmal, N. A., Boysen, R. C., Buscher, D. F., Keen, J. W., Mackay, C. D., O’Donovan, B., Seneta, E. B., Thorsteinsson, H., Thureau, N. D., Tubbs, R. N., Warner, P. J., Wilson, D. M., & John, S. (2004). COAST: recent technology and developments.
  • L3CCDs: Fast Photon Counting for Optical Interferometry
    Basden, A., Mackay, C., & Haniff, C. (2004). L3CCDs: Fast Photon Counting for Optical Interferometry.
  • L3CCD's: Low Readout Noise CCDS in Astronomy
    Basden, A., Tubbs, B., & Mackay, C. (2004). L3CCD’s: Low Readout Noise CCDS in Astronomy.
  • Astrophysical results from COAST
    Young, J. S., Baldwin, J. E., Basden, A. G., Bharmal, N. A., Buscher, D. F., George, A. V., Haniff, C. A., Keen, J. W., O’Donovan, B., Pearson, D., Thorsteinsson, H., Thureau, N. D., Tubbs, R. N., & Peter, J. (2003). Astrophysical results from COAST.
  • Progress at COAST 2000-2002
    Haniff, C. A., Baldwin, J. E., Basden, A. G., Bharmal, N. A., Boysen, R. C., Buscher, D. F., George, A. V., Keen, J., Mackay, C. D., O’Donovan, B., Pearson, D., Rogers, J., Seneta, B., Thorsteinsson, H., Thureau, N. D., Tubbs, R. N., Warner, P. J., Wilson, D. M., & John, S. (2003). Progress at COAST 2000-2002.
  • Low readout noise CCDs in optical interferometry
    Basden, A. G., Buscher, D. F., Haniff, C. A., & Craig, D. (2003). Low readout noise CCDs in optical interferometry.

Journal Article

Supervision students

Sarah Johnston

PGR Student