Stellar photon correlation detection with the Southern Connecticut stellar interferometer

Samuel A. Weiss; Justin D. Rupert; Elliott P. Horch

doi:10.1117/12.2313922

9 July 2018 Stellar photon correlation detection with the Southern Connecticut stellar interferometer

Samuel A. Weiss, Justin D. Rupert, Elliott P. Horch

Proceedings Volume 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI; 107010X (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313922
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

The Southern Connecticut Stellar Interferometer (SCSI) is a portable optical intensity interferometer located on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Connecticut. Since its completion in 2016, the instrument has been used to take engineering data of bright stars. This paper will discuss the data collection and analysis methods, as well as the progress toward reliably measuring a significant stellar photon correlation. Vega has been the main star chosen for test observations to date because its diameter is well known by other methods, and it is not an extended source for the baselines used. The correlation peak in the processed data is compared to theoretical expectations. Given our expected sensitivity, a significant correlation peak is expected for small baselines (~2 m) to appear after a few hours of observation. So far, the observations indicate that the correlation peak is at the expected time delay, and the signal-to-noise ratio roughly scales as predicted.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Samuel A. Weiss, Justin D. Rupert, and Elliott P. Horch "Stellar photon correlation detection with the Southern Connecticut stellar interferometer", Proc. SPIE 10701, Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VI, 107010X (9 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313922

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