Two-Dimensional Infrared Speckle Imaging

该奖项将支持一项计划的继续，该计划旨在开发和利用大口径地面望远镜对红外天文物体的衍射限制成像技术。探测器和望远镜技术以及图像处理技术的最新发展现在使观测效率、角度分辨率和科学生产率有了很大的提高。为此，将在1至5.5微米的波长范围内使用特殊构造的二维相机，以利用共相6.86米多镜望远镜(MMT)无与伦比的角分辨率和南北半球传统望远镜的可用性。这台仪器将被用来描述目前几乎看不到的低质量恒星和恒星下天体的质量和亮度。它还将有助于研究年轻恒星和演化恒星周围的恒星周围物质的最内部区域，并制作木星卫星Io上火山活动的高空间分辨率地图。为了提供更准确、更高对比度的图像和探测与波长相关的结构，将开发新的技术用于差分散斑干涉测量、更强大的双谱分析和更精确的大气视宁度定标。作为一个非常成功的外展计划的延续，高中教师和学生也将直接参与这个研究计划。

This award will support the continuation of a program to develop and utilize techniques for diffraction-limited imaging of infrared astronomical objects from large aperture, ground-based telescopes. Recent developments in detector and telescope technology and also in image processing now allow large improvements to be made in observing efficiency, angular resolution, and scientific productivity. For this purpose, a specially constructed, two-dimensional camera will be used in the wavelength range from 1 to 5.5 microns to utilize both the unsurpassed angular resolution of the cophased 6.86m Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) and the availability of conventional telescopes in the northern and southern hemispheres. This instrumentation will be used to characterize the masses and luminosities of low mass stars and substellar objects which are only barely observable at the present time. It will also help examine the innermost regions of circumstellar material around both young and evolved stars and produce high spatial resolution maps of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io. To provide more accurate, higher contrast images and to detect wavelength- dependent structures, new techniques will be developed for differential speckle interferometry, more powerful bispectrum analysis, and for more accurate calibration of atmospheric seeing. In a continuation of a very successful outreach program, high school teachers and students will also be involved directly in this research program.