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Journal article
Demonstration of stellar intensity interferometry with the four VERITAS telescopes
Nature astronomy, v 4(12), pp 1164-1169
01 Dec 2020
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Stellar intensity interferometry (SII) is undergoing a revival. Here, data from the four 12 m optical reflectors of the VERITAS array are correlated post facto to determine the angular diameter of two stars to a high precision, laying the groundwork for SII at future large Cherenkov arrays.
High angular resolution observations at optical wavelengths provide valuable insights into stellar astrophysics(1,2), and enable direct measurements of fundamental stellar parameters(3,4)and the probing of stellar atmospheres, circumstellar disks(5), the elongation of rapidly rotating stars(6)and the pulsations of Cepheid variable stars(7). The angular size of most stars is of the order of one milliarcsecond or less, and to spatially resolve stellar disks and features at this scale requires an optical interferometer using an array of telescopes with baselines on the order of hundreds of metres. We report on the implementation of a stellar intensity interferometry system developed for the four VERITAS imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The system was used to measure the angular diameter of the two sub-milliarcsecond stars beta Canis Majoris and epsilon Orionis with a precision of greater than 5%. The system uses an offline approach in which starlight intensity fluctuations that are recorded at each telescope are correlated post observation. The technique can be readily scaled onto tens to hundreds of telescopes, providing a capability that has proven technically challenging to the current generation of optical amplitude interferometry observatories. This work demonstrates the feasibility of performing astrophysical measurements using imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays as intensity interferometers and shows the promise for integrating an intensity interferometry system within future observatories such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array.
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- Title
- Demonstration of stellar intensity interferometry with the four VERITAS telescopes
- Creators
- A. U. Abeysekara - University of UtahW. Benbow - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianA. Brill - Columbia UniversityJ. H. Buckley - Washington University in St. LouisJ. L. Christiansen - California Polytechnic State UniversityA. J. Chromey - Iowa State UniversityM. K. Daniel - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianJ. Davis - University of UtahA. Falcone - Pennsylvania State UniversityQ. Feng - Barnard CollegeJ. P. Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteL. Fortson - University of MinnesotaA. Furniss - California State University, East BayA. Gent - Georgia Institute of TechnologyC. Giuri - German Institute for Adult EducationO. Gueta - German Institute for Adult EducationD. Hanna - McGill UniversityT. Hassan - German Institute for Adult EducationO. Hervet - University of California, Santa CruzJ. Holder - University of DelawareG. Hughes - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianT. B. Humensky - Columbia UniversityP. Kaaret - University of IowaM. Kertzman - DePauw UniversityD. Kieda - University of UtahF. Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityS. Kumar - McGill UniversityT. LeBohec - University of UtahT. T. Y. Lin - McGill UniversityM. Lundy - McGill UniversityG. Maier - German Institute for Adult EducationN. Matthews - University of UtahP. Moriarty - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayR. Mukherjee - Barnard CollegeM. Nievas-Rosillo - DESY, Zeuthen, GermanyS. O'Brien - McGill UniversityR. A. Ong - University of California, Los AngelesA. N. Otte - Georgia Institute of TechnologyK. Pfrang - German Institute for Adult EducationM. Pohl - German Institute for Adult EducationR. R. Prado - German Institute for Adult EducationE. Pueschel - German Institute for Adult EducationJ. Quinn - University College DublinK. Ragan - McGill UniversityP. T. Reynolds - Munster Technological UniversityD. Ribeiro - Columbia UniversityG. T. Richards - University of DelawareE. Roache - Center for Astrophysics Harvard & SmithsonianJ. L. Ryan - University of California, Los AngelesM. Santander - University of AlabamaG. H. Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteS. P. Wakely - Fermi National Accelerator LaboratoryA. Weinstein - Iowa State UniversityP. Wilcox - University of MinnesotaD. A. Williams - University of California, Santa CruzT. J. Williamson - University of Delaware
- Publication Details
- Nature astronomy, v 4(12), pp 1164-1169
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- US Department of Energy Office of Science; United States Department of Energy (DOE) Helmholtz Association in Germany; Helmholtz Association NSERC in Canada; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) University of Utah US National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) Smithsonian Institution AST 1806262; PHY 0960242 / US National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000550606500003
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85088273442
- Other Identifier
- 991021869219004721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Astronomy & Astrophysics