Wireless Imaging Intensity Interferometer for Astronomy

天文学无线成像强度干涉仪

• 批准号: 1909582
• 负责人: Elliott Horch
• 金额: $ 33.4万
• 依托单位: Southern Connecticut State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1909582&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Wireless; Imaging; Intensity; Interferometer; Astronomy

Two or more telescopes that work as one can in principle make extremely precise measurements of distances and angles. This project will extend the capabilities of the Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer (SCSI), a two-telescope instrument that can measure the sizes of bright stars. Because SCSI is based on a different method than most multi-telescope instruments in use today, the science that is enabled by the project will be different than what has been done in the field to date. For example, SCSI can easily observe in blue light, a wavelength range in which it is harder for other existing instruments to be efficient due to the effects of turbulence in the air. The project will also provide for the training of physics students and public observing events at Southern Connecticut State University.SCSI yields extremely high-resolution information about stars by precisely timing the arrival of photons at each telescope station and comparing the data streams after the fact, a technique known as intensity interferometry. The project will yield three significant improvements to SCSI. First, it will increase the number of telescopes used from two to three, something that is necessary in order to go beyond measurements of stellar size and obtain a true imaging capability. Second, new electronics will be used to attempt to demonstrate that the instrument can be successfully used in a wireless mode. If this is achieved, then the distance between the three telescope stations can be increased dramatically, leading to the capability for obtaining much finer image detail. Third, the sensitivity of the instrument will be significantly improved by using more detectors and increasing the amount of light that can be collected. Fainter stars will therefore be successfully observed. The education and public outreach enabled by the award will help serve the need for highly-educated, research-capable science and engineering professionals in Connecticut and the Northeast and stimulate interest in science both among K-12 students and the general public in the New Haven community.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

原则上，两个或多个望远镜作为一个望远镜工作，可以非常精确地测量距离和角度。该项目将扩展南康涅狄格恒星干涉仪（SCSI）的能力，SCSI是一种双望远镜仪器，可以测量明亮恒星的大小。由于SCSI是基于一种与当今使用的大多数多望远镜仪器不同的方法，因此该项目所实现的科学将与迄今为止在该领域所做的不同。例如，SCSI可以很容易地在蓝光中进行观察，由于空气中湍流的影响，其他现有仪器很难有效地在蓝光波长范围内进行观察。该项目还将为南康涅狄格州立大学的物理学学生和公众观测活动提供培训，SCSI通过精确计时光子到达每个望远镜站并在事后比较数据流，产生关于恒星的极高分辨率信息，这种技术称为强度干涉测量法。 该项目将产生SCSI的三个重大改进。首先，它将把使用的望远镜数量从两个增加到三个，这是超越恒星大小测量并获得真正成像能力所必需的。其次，将使用新的电子设备来尝试证明该仪器可以在无线模式下成功使用。如果实现了这一点，那么三个望远镜站之间的距离可以大大增加，从而能够获得更精细的图像细节。第三，通过使用更多的探测器和增加可以收集的光量，仪器的灵敏度将得到显著提高。因此，较暗的恒星将被成功地观测到。该奖项所实现的教育和公共宣传将有助于满足受过高等教育，研究能力的科学和工程专业人员在康涅狄格州和东北部，并激发科学的兴趣，无论是在K-该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的评估支持。影响审查标准。

项目成果

Observations with the Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer. I. Instrument Description and First Results

使用南康涅狄格恒星干涉仪进行观测。

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ac43bb
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: The Astronomical Journal
• 作者: Horch, Elliott P.;Weiss, Samuel A.;Klaucke, Paul M.;Pellegrino, Richard A.;Rupert, Justin D.
• 通讯作者: Rupert, Justin D.

Toward an imaging capability with the Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer

利用南康涅狄格恒星干涉仪实现成像能力

• DOI: 10.1117/12.2576346
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VII
• 作者: Klaucke, Paul;Pellegrino, Richard;Weiss, Samuel;Horch, Elliott
• 通讯作者: Horch, Elliott