First Science with CHARA Fringe Tracker: Imaging Planet-forming Disks around Young Stars

CHARA Fringe Tracker 的首项科学：对年轻恒星周围的行星形成盘进行成像

• 批准号: 0807577
• 负责人: John Monnier
• 金额: $ 51.26万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0807577&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: First; Science; CHARA; Fringe; Tracker

Dr. Monnier will build on recent advances in interferometry to develop an important new tool for studying young stellar objects: "model-independent" imaging with milli-arcsecond angular resolution. The project will be carried out using the newly commissioned Michigan Infra-Red Combiner, which links all six telescopes of the Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) optical interferometer at Mt. Wilson in California. CHARA's imaging capabilities will be extended even further using a new fringe tracker also developed by Dr. Monnier. This will be used to "phase up" the array at one wavelength while observing in another - a kind of adaptive optics for interferometry.The scientific focus of this project is to exploit the new order-of-magnitude improvement of sensitivity for imaging the inner disks of young stellar objects in the process of planet formation. Initial observations of young stars using a two-telescope combiner at CHARA have already revealed surprisingly strong emission from inside the dust destruction radius, tentatively associated with hot gas. Other evidence is also accumulating that the inner regions of accretion disks are quite dynamic and time-variable, and imaging will provide a uniquely powerful tool for discovering the source of these changes. This research promises to uncover connections between jet eruptions and disk instabilities, likely critical for understanding planet formation and subsequent migration. Because orbital time scales are less than about a year in the inner disk, the multi-epoch studies to be carried out should reveal the orbital motion of any clumps or inhomogeneities.Imaging is a general-purpose capability that is lacking in visible and infrared interferometry, and is only now possible with current facilities and new beam combination techniques. The software and data analysis tools developed in this project will be available to the whole community and can be applied to diverse areas of stellar astronomy beyond this project.The advances in infrared interferometry have been made possible through the improvement in infrared detectors. As experimentalists and IR camera builders, Dr. Monnier and his team will share these exciting developments with the greater public through an innovative portable exhibit concept based around today's new thermal infrared cameras. Partnering with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, a portable visible-infrared stereo camera system, deployable in a variety of teaching environments, will be developed. This engaging learning tool will allow students of all ages to explore their Universe with "new eyes."

Dr. Monnier will build on recent advances in interferometry to develop an important new tool for studying young stellar objects: "model-independent" imaging with milli-arcsecond angular resolution.该项目将使用新投入使用的密歇根红外组合器进行，该组合器连接了位于加利福尼亚州威尔逊山的佐治亚州立大学高角分辨率天文学中心（CHARA）光学干涉仪的所有六台望远镜。使用同样由 Monnier 博士开发的新型条纹跟踪器，CHARA 的成像能力将得到进一步扩展。这将用于在一个波长下“定相”阵列，同时在另一个波长下进行观察——一种用于干涉测量的自适应光学器件。该项目的科学重点是利用新的数量级改进灵敏度来对行星形成过程中年轻恒星物体的内盘进行成像。使用CHARA的双望远镜组合器对年轻恒星进行的初步观测已经揭示了尘埃破坏半径内令人惊讶的强烈发射，初步与热气体有关。其他证据也越来越多地表明，吸积盘的内部区域是相当动态且随时间变化的，成像将为发现这些变化的根源提供一个独特的强大工具。这项研究有望揭示喷流喷发与盘不稳定性之间的联系，这可能对于理解行星形成和随后的迁移至关重要。由于内盘的轨道时间尺度不到一年，因此要进行的多历元研究应该能够揭示任何团块或不均匀性的轨道运动。成像是一种通用功能，可见光和红外干涉测量法缺乏，并且现在只有利用现有设施和新的光束组合技术才能实现。该项目开发的软件和数据分析工具将可供整个社区使用，并可应用于该项目之外的恒星天文学的各个领域。红外干涉测量的进步是通过红外探测器的改进而实现的。作为实验者和红外相机制造商，莫尼尔博士和他的团队将通过基于当今新型热红外相机的创新便携式展览概念与广大公众分享这些令人兴奋的发展。将与安娜堡动手博物馆合作，开发可部署在各种教学环境中的便携式可见红外立体摄像系统。这个引人入胜的学习工具将允许所有年龄段的学生用“新的眼光”探索他们的宇宙。