Principles of Stellar Interferometry

Principles of Stellar Interferometry

Preface

Contents

List of Symbols, Notations and Abbreviations

1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Propagation of Light

2.1 Preliminaries

2.1.1 Basic Properties of the Electromagnetic Wave

2.1.2 Young's Experiment

2.2 Scalar Diffraction Theory

2.2.1 The Rayleigh–Sommerfeld Diffraction Formula

2.2.2 Fresnel Approximation

2.2.3 The Airy Disk

2.3 The Coherence Function

2.3.1 Varieties of the Coherence Function

2.3.2 Generalised van Cittert–Zernike Theorem

2.3.3 Incoherent Sources of Light: Stars

2.3.4 Quasi-Monochromatic Approximation

2.4 Young's Experiment Revisited

2.4.1 The Coherence Function in Young's Experiment

2.4.2 ABCD Method

2.4.3 Power Spectrum of the Fringe Pattern

2.4.4 Heuristic Approach

2.5 Higher Order Correlation Functions: Intensity Interferometry

Chapter 3 Imaging Process: Propagation Through Optical Systems

3.1 Fourier Optics

3.1.1 The Optical Transfer Function

3.1.2 Optical Aberrations: The Zernike Polynomials

3.2 The Coherence Function

3.2.1 Image Intensity Distribution

3.2.2 Coherent Imaging

3.2.3 Coherence Properties in the Image Plane

3.3 Propagation Through Interferometers

3.3.1 Young's Experiment with a Lens

3.3.2 Apertures of Finite Size

3.3.3 Spectra of Finite Width

3.3.4 Objects of Finite Size

3.3.5 Considerations on the Interferometric Field of View

3.3.6 Masked Field of View

3.4 The uv-Plane

3.4.1 Large Apertures, Short Baseline: The LBT

3.4.2 Large Apertures, Long Baselines: The VLTI

3.4.3 Image Reconstruction: General Principles

Chapter 4 Atmospheric Turbulence

4.1 Kolmogorov Turbulence

4.1.1 First Principles

4.1.2 Index of Refraction Fluctuations

4.2 Statistical Properties of the Perturbed Complex Wave

4.2.1 Thin Layer Turbulence Model

4.2.2 Multiple Layers, the Fried Parameter

4.2.3 Anisoplanatic and Temporal Effects

4.3 Propagation Through Optical Systems

4.3.1 Fringe Motion

4.3.2 Image Motion

4.3.3 Zernike Representation of Atmospheric Turbulence

4.3.4 Scintillation

4.3.5 Speckle Pattern and Seeing Disk

4.4 Speckle Interferometry

Chapter 5 Instrumental Techniques

5.1 Combination of Two Telescopes

5.1.1 Fizeau Configuration

5.1.2 Michelson Configuration

5.1.3 Co-Axial Combination

5.2 Multi-Aperture Combination: Michelson Configuration

5.2.1 Multi-Axial and Co-Axial Combination

5.2.2 Aspects of Beam Combination

5.3 Multi-Aperture Combination: Direct Imaging

5.3.1 Fizeau Configuration

5.3.2 Hypertelescope

5.3.3 Interferometric Remapped Array Nulling: IRAN

5.3.4 Nulling Interferometer

5.4 Layout of Interferometer Arrays

5.4.1 Many Apertures

5.4.2 Few Apertures

5.4.3 Delay Lines

Chapter 6 Observing Through Atmospheric Turbulence

6.1 Visibility Measurement Through Atmospheric Turbulence

6.1.1 Power Spectrum of the Fringe Pattern

6.1.2 ABCD Method

6.2 Beating Atmospheric Turbulence

6.2.1 Fringe Tracking

6.2.2 Dual-Feed System

6.2.3 Closure Phase

6.3 Adaptive Optics

6.3.1 Wave Front Sensing

6.3.2 Closed Loop Operation

Chapter 7 Modern Interferometers

A Appendix

A.1 The Fourier Transform

A.2 Atmospheric Transmission Bands

References

Index