Optical Intensity Interferometry with Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope Arrays

Abstract

In the 1970s, the Narrabri intensity interferometer was used to measure 32 stellar diameters; some as small as 0.4 milli-arc-seconds (mas). The interferometer consisted of a pair of 6.5m telescopes with relatively crude optics, similar to those currently in use as Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACT). We explore the possibility of implementing a modern intensity interferometer on an ACT array. Developments in fast digital signal processing technology now make such a system relatively easy to implement, and provide improved sensitivity. Allowing measurements at short wavelength (<400nm), with long baselines (> 100m), which are still challenging for Michelson interferometers, present ACT arrays could be used to probe angular structures as small as ~0.2mas, and smaller with large array projects already being discussed. This would provide measurements of stellar diameters, binary systems, circumstellar environments and, possibly, stellar surface features. ACT arrays could be used as intensity interferometers during bright moon periods, providing valuable scientific output for little expense and no impact on the gamma-ray observing schedule.

Accepted for publicaion in ApJ

References in corpus (14)

• First Results from the CHARA Array. II. A Description of the Instrument
• The angular size of dwarf stars and subgiants - Surface brightness relations calibrated by interferometry
• The First VERITAS Telescope
• A new population of very high energy gamma-ray sources in the Milky Way
• Optical Interferometry in Astronomy
• The optical system of the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, Part I: layout and components of the system
• First Results from the CHARA Array. III. Oblateness, Rotational Velocity and Gravity Darkening of Alderamin
• The optical system of the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, Part II: mirror alignment and point spread function
• Constraining Disk Parameters of Be Stars using Narrowband H-alpha Interferometry with the NPOI
• Off-Line, Multi-Detector Intensity Interferometers I: Theory
• Orbital parameters, masses and distance to Beta Centauri determined with the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer and high resolution spectroscopy
• Off-Line, Multi-Detector Intensity Interferometers II: Implications and Applications
• The STACEE-32 Ground Based Gamma-ray Detector
• Hot Stars Mass-loss studied with Spectro-Polarimetric INterferometry (SPIN)

Cited by in corpus (34)

• Design Concepts for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Optical Intensity Interferometry with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Temporal intensity interferometry: photon bunching on three bright stars
• ASTRI Mini-Array Core Science at the Observatorio del Teide
• Imaging sub-milliarcsecond stellar features with intensity interferometry using air Cherenkov telescope arrays
• High angular resolution imaging with stellar intensity interferometry using air Cherenkov telescope arrays
• Monte-Carlo simulation of stellar intensity interferometry
• Stellar Intensity Interferometry: Prospects for sub-milliarcsecond optical imaging
• Performance and first measurements of the MAGIC Stellar Intensity Interferometer
• Stellar intensity interferometry: Experimental steps toward long-baseline observations
• Optical Multi-Channel Intensity Interferometry - or: How To Resolve O-Stars in the Magellanic Clouds
• Long-baseline optical intensity interferometry: Laboratory demonstration of diffraction-limited imaging
• Capabilities of future intensity interferometers for observing fast-rotating stars: imaging with two- and three-telescope correlations
• Optical long baseline intensity interferometry: prospects for stellar physics
• Intensity interferometry: Optical imaging with kilometer baselines
• Stellar intensity interferometry of Vega in photon counting mode
• Cherenkov Telescopes as Optical Telescopes for Bright Sources: Today's Specialised Thirty Metre Telescopes?
• Feasibility of observing Hanbury Brown and Twiss phase
• Intensity interferometry-based 3D imaging
• Stellar Intensity Interferometry: Imaging capabilities of air Cherenkov telescope arrays
• On the Use of Cherenkov Telescopes for Outer Solar System Body Occultations
• Stellar intensity interferometry over kilometer baselines: Laboratory simulation of observations with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Development of a Digital Astronomical Intensity Interferometer: laboratory tests with thermal light
• Field and intensity correlations: the Siegert relation from stars to quantum emitters
• Simultaneous Two Colour Intensity Interferometry with H.E.S.S
• Comparing Different Approaches for Stellar Intensity Interferometry
• Towards a Polarisation Prediction for LISA via Intensity Interferometry
• A Novel Technique to Observe Rapidly Pulsating Objects Using Spectral Wave-Interaction Effects
• Intensity Interferometry at Calern and beyond: progress report
• A Novel Type of Very Long Baseline Astronomical Intensity Interferometer
• Astro2020 White Paper State of the Profession: Intensity Interferometry
• Augmentation of VERITAS Telescopes for Stellar Intensity Interferometry
• Flickers, Bursts, and Dips: Detecting Rapid Variability with the g(2) Autocorrelation Function
• Towards micro-arcsecond spatial resolution with Air Cherenkov Telescope arrays as optical intensity interferometers