Encyclopedia > List of astronomical interferometers at visible and infrared wavelengths
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Current Performance of Ground-Based Interferometers Here is a list of currently existing astronomical optical interferometers (i.e. operating from visible to mid-infrared wavelengths), and some parameters describing their performance. Interferometry is the applied science of combining two or more input points of a particular data type, such as optical measurements, to form a greater picture based on the combination of the two sources. ...
Columns 2-5 determine the range of targets that can be observed and the range of science which can be done. Higher limiting magnitude means that the array can observe fainter sources (and the most interesting sources are often very faint). The limiting magnitude is determined by the atmospheric seeing, the diameters of the telescopes and the light lost in the system. A larger range of baselines means that a wider variety of science can be done and on a wider range of sources. // Headline text HEY!! HOW ARE YOU ALL?? Its nice of you to come read this page. ...
Schematic diagram illustrating how optical wavefronts from a distant star may be perturbed by a turbulent layer in the atmosphere. ...
Columns 6-10 indicate the approximate quality and total amount of science data the array is expected to obtain. This is per year, to account for the average number of cloud-free nights on which each array is operated.
Current Performance of Existing Astronomical Interferometers Interferometer
and observing
mode | Waveband | Limiting
magnitude | Minimum
baseline
(m) | Maximum
baseline
(m) | Approx. no.
visibility
measurements
per year | Max ratio of
no. phase /
no. amplitude
measurements | Accuracy of
amplitude2
measurements | Accuracy of
phase
measurements | Number of
spectral
channels | Comments | | | | | (un-projected
baseline) | | (measurements
per night x
nights used
per year) | Measure of
imaging
performance
0 = none | | (milli-radians) | (max in use
simultaneously) | | COAST
visible | R, I | 7 | 4 | 60 | 2000 | 0.5 | 4% | 10 | 4? | 300 cloudy
nights per
year | COAST
infrared | J, H | 3 | 4 | 60 | 100 | 0.5 | 20% | 10 | 1 | 300 cloudy
nights per
year | GI2T
visible | R, I | 5 | 10 | 65 | 2000 | 0 | 10% | - | 400? | Closed in 2006 | | IOTA | J, H, K | 7 | 6 | 30 | 10000 | 0.3 | 2% | 10 | 1? | Integrated optics beam combiner | | ISI | N | 0 | 10 | 50 | 5000 | 0.3 | 1% | 1 | 1000 | | Keck
Interferometer | K | 10 | 85 | 85 | 1000 | 1 | 4% | 1 | 1 | | Keck Aperture
Masking | J, H, K, L | 2 | 0.5 | 9 | 20000 | 0.9 | 20% | 10 | 1 | | | MIRA 1.2 | R, I | 3 | 30 | 30 | 500 | 0 | 10% | - | 1 | | NPOI
visible | V, R, I | 5 | 5 | 300 | 50000 | 0.7 | 4% | 10 | 16 | | | PTI | J,H,K | 7 | 86 | 110 | 50000 | 1 | 2% | 0.1 | 5,10 | "dual-star" capable | | SUSI | B, V, R, I | 5 | 5 | 640 | 5000 | 0 | 4% | 10 | ? | | VLTI+UTs
AMBER | J, H, K simultaneously | 7 | 46 | 130 | 400 | 0.3 | 1% | 10 | 2000 | Used for a few weeks per year | VLTI+ATs
AMBER | J, H, K simultaneously | 4 | 46 | 130 | 400 | 0.3 | 1% | 10 | 2000 | | VLTI+UTs
VINCI | K | 11 | 46 | 130 | 400 | 0 | >1% | - | 1 | Integrated optics beam combiner | VLTI+ATs
VINCI | K | Never checked | 12 | 200 | 400 | 0 | >1% | - | 1 | | VLTI+UTs
MIDI | N | 4.5 | 46 | 130 | 200 | 0 | 10% | - | 250 | Used for a few weeks per year | VLTI+ATs
MIDI | N | 4.5 | ? | 200 | 200 | 0 | 10% | - | 250 | |
[edit] // Headline text HEY!! HOW ARE YOU ALL?? Its nice of you to come read this page. ...
In mathematics and physics, the radian is a unit of angle measure. ...
COAST. the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope, is a multi-element optical interferometer with baselines of up to 100 metres, designed to observe stars with angular resolution as high as one thousandth of one arcsecond (much higher resolution than can be obtained with individual telescopes such as the Hubble Space...
COAST. the Cambridge Optical Aperture Synthesis Telescope, is a multi-element optical interferometer with baselines of up to 100 metres, designed to observe stars with angular resolution as high as one thousandth of one arcsecond (much higher resolution than can be obtained with individual telescopes such as the Hubble Space...
The Grand Interferometre a 2 Telescopes is an Optical Interferometer, on Plateau du Calern, Departement Fresnel, Observatoire de la Côte dAzur, France. ...
The Infrared Optical Telescope Array (IOTA) began with an agreement in 1988 among five Institutions, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Harvard University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Wyoming, and MIT/Lincoln Laboratory, to build a two-telescope stellar interferometer for the purpose of making fundamental astrophysical observations, and also...
The Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI) is an astronomical interferometer array of three 65 inch (1. ...
This article needs to be wikified. ...
The Mauna Kea Observatory, an institute of the University of Hawaii, is considered one of the most important land-based observatories in the world for its isolated, unobstructed views of space without interference from man-made light sources. ...
a) shows a simple experiment using an aperture mask in a re-imaged aperture plane. ...
The Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) is an interferometer operated by the US Naval Observatory, the Naval Research Laboratory and The Lowell Observatory. ...
The Palomar Testbed Interferometer is a near-IR, long-baseline stellar interferometer located at Palomar Observatory in north San Diego County. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
The four telescopes of the European Southern Observatory Paranal site. ...
New Interferometers and Improvements to Existing Interferometers
Expected Future Performance of Astronomical Interferometers Interferometer
and observing
mode | Waveband | Limiting
magnitude | Minimum
baseline
(m) | Maximum
baseline
(m) | Approx. no.
visibility
measurements
per year | Max ratio of
no. phase /
no. amplitude
measurements | Accuracy of
amplitude2
measurements | Accuracy of
best phase
measurements | Number of
spectral
channels | Comments | | | | | (un-projected
baseline) | | (measurements
per night x
nights used
per year) | Measure of
imaging
performance
0 = none | | (milli-radians) | (max in use
simultaneously) | | | CHARA | J, H, K | 12 | 70 | 400 | 100000 | 0.7 | 1% | 10 | 100? | 2005? | LBTI near
infrared | J, H, K | >20 | 0 | 22 | 10000000 | 1 | 30% | 100 | 100? | 2006? | | MRO | R, I, J, H, K | 14 | 7 | 400 | 100000 | 0.6 | 1% | 10 | 1000? | 2008? | VLTI
near infrared
using 4 ATs
and PRIMA | J, H, K | 12 | 8 | 200 | 10000 | 1 | 1% | 0.1 | 4000? | Operating
every night
2007? | VLTI
near infrared
using 3 UTs
and PRIMA | J, H, K | 14 | 46 | 130 | 500 | 1 | 1% | 0.3 | 4000? | 2007? | |
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