Optical intensity interferometry observations using the MAGIC imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

Abstract

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) currently in operation feature large mirrors and order of 1 ns time response to signals of a few photo-electrons produced by optical photons. This means that they are ideally suited for optical interferometry observations. Thanks to their sensitivity to visible wavelengths and long baselines optical intensity interferometry with IACTs allows reaching angular resolutions of tens to microarcsec. We have installed a simple optical setup on top of the cameras of the two 17 m diameter MAGIC IACTs and observed coherent fluctuations in the photon intensity measured at the two telescopes for three different stars. The sensitivity is roughly 10 times better than that achieved in the 1970s with the Narrabri interferometer.

9 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (7)

• The major upgrade of the MAGIC telescopes, Part II: A performance study using observations of the Crab Nebula
• First Results from the CHARA Array. II. A Description of the Instrument
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• Optical Intensity Interferometry with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
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• I3T: Intensity Interferometry Imaging Telescope
• Observations with the Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer. I. Instrument Description and First Results
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• Field and intensity correlations: the Siegert relation from stars to quantum emitters
• Comparing Different Approaches for Stellar Intensity Interferometry
• Towards a Polarisation Prediction for LISA via Intensity Interferometry
• Direct Comparison of SiPM and PMT Sensor Performances in a large-size imaging air Cherenkov telescope
• Intensity Interferometry at Calern and beyond: progress report
• Silicon photomultiplers in Very High Energy gamma-ray astrophysics
• First measurements and upgrade plans of the MAGIC intensity interferometer
• Optical intensity interferometry lab tests in preparation of stellar diameter measurements at IACTs at GHz photon rates
• Stellar intensity interferometry in the photon-counting regime
• Radius measurement in binary stars: simulations of intensity interferometry
• Validating the Angular Sizes of Red Clump Stars with Intensity Interferometry