Phase-Coherent Astrometric Interferometry
Abstract
The principal effort during the second year of this program involved continued development and use of the Mark III stellar interferometer. This is a fringe-tracking long baseline Michelson interferometer designed primarily for wide angle astronomy at the milli-arcsecond level. Initial measurements of stellar diameters were also made, and it will be useful as part of a test bed for concepts relevant to aperture synthesis imaging. It is being constructed on Mount Wilson in California as a joint project involving the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the U.S. Naval Observatory. The first successful observations of 1986 were extended during 1987. The two major instrument development efforts this year involve the laser siderostat subsystem and a real- time hardware autocorrelator designed to replace the fringe-tracking subsystem, and to permit operation with dimmer stars.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 18, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA199419
Entities
People
- Braden E. Hines
- David H. Staelin
- Edward J. Kim
- J. W. Barrett
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology