Imaging circumstellar matter at high resolution

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Imaging circumstellar matter at high resolution. Within contemporary astrophysics there is a particular fascination with matter in near-stellar environments. Studies of stellar and planetary systems from formation through to eventual destruction entail observation of material, principally dust and gas, playing their parts on a very remote stage. A new generation of telescopes, known as interferometers, deliver extremely high resolutions enabling our first direct glimpses of these phenomena. Here I propose using a number of these devices in concert in order to dramatically enhance their scientific payoff. In addition to enabling unique studies of stellar systems, new techniques for merging disparate data into powerful combined forms will be devised.