Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT

Peter Tuthill; Sylvestre Lacour; Paola Amico; Michael Ireland; Barnaby Norris; Paul Stewart; Tom Evans; Adam Kraus; Christopher Lidman; Emanuela Pompei; Nicholas Kornweibel

doi:10.1117/12.856806

Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT

Peter Tuthill^*, Sylvestre Lacour, Paola Amico, Michael Ireland, Barnaby Norris, Paul Stewart, Tom Evans, Adam Kraus, Christopher Lidman, Emanuela Pompei, Nicholas Kornweibel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The new operational mode of aperture masking interferometry has been added to the CONICA camera which lies downstream of the Adaptive Optics (AO) corrected focus provided by NAOS on the VLT-UT4 telescope. Masking has been shown to deliver superior PSF calibration, rejection of atmospheric noise and robust recovery of phase information through the use of closure phases. Over the resolution range from about half to several resolution elements, masking interferometry is presently unsurpassed in delivering high fidelity imaging and direct detection of faint companions. Here we present results from commissioning data using this powerful new operational mode, and discuss the utility for masking in a variety of scientific contexts. Of particular interest is the combination of the CONICA polarimetry capabilities together with SAM mode operation, which has revealed structures never seen before in the immediate circumstellar environments of dusty evolved stars.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III
Place of Publication	Washington, DC
Publisher	SPIE
Pages	1-11
Number of pages	11
Volume	7735
Edition	PART 1
ISBN (Print)	9780819482259
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856806
Publication status	Published - 2010
Externally published	Yes
Event	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: 27 Jun 2010 → 2 Jul 2010

Other

Other	Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego, CA
Period	27/06/10 → 2/07/10

Keywords

Adaptive Optics
Aperture Masking
High Contrast Companions
Optical Interfereometric Polarimetry
Optical Interferometry

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10.1117/12.856806

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title = "Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT",

abstract = "The new operational mode of aperture masking interferometry has been added to the CONICA camera which lies downstream of the Adaptive Optics (AO) corrected focus provided by NAOS on the VLT-UT4 telescope. Masking has been shown to deliver superior PSF calibration, rejection of atmospheric noise and robust recovery of phase information through the use of closure phases. Over the resolution range from about half to several resolution elements, masking interferometry is presently unsurpassed in delivering high fidelity imaging and direct detection of faint companions. Here we present results from commissioning data using this powerful new operational mode, and discuss the utility for masking in a variety of scientific contexts. Of particular interest is the combination of the CONICA polarimetry capabilities together with SAM mode operation, which has revealed structures never seen before in the immediate circumstellar environments of dusty evolved stars.",

keywords = "Adaptive Optics, Aperture Masking, High Contrast Companions, Optical Interfereometric Polarimetry, Optical Interferometry",

author = "Peter Tuthill and Sylvestre Lacour and Paola Amico and Michael Ireland and Barnaby Norris and Paul Stewart and Tom Evans and Adam Kraus and Christopher Lidman and Emanuela Pompei and Nicholas Kornweibel",

year = "2010",

doi = "10.1117/12.856806",

language = "English",

isbn = "9780819482259",

volume = "7735",

pages = "1--11",

booktitle = "Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III",

publisher = "SPIE",

address = "United States",

edition = "PART 1",

note = "Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III ; Conference date: 27-06-2010 Through 02-07-2010",

}

Tuthill, P, Lacour, S, Amico, P, Ireland, M, Norris, B, Stewart, P, Evans, T, Kraus, A, Lidman, C, Pompei, E & Kornweibel, N 2010, Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT. in Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III. PART 1 edn, vol. 7735, 77351O, SPIE, Washington, DC, pp. 1-11, Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III, San Diego, CA, United States, 27/06/10. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.856806

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T1 - Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT

AU - Tuthill, Peter

AU - Lacour, Sylvestre

AU - Amico, Paola

AU - Ireland, Michael

AU - Norris, Barnaby

AU - Stewart, Paul

AU - Evans, Tom

AU - Kraus, Adam

AU - Lidman, Christopher

AU - Pompei, Emanuela

AU - Kornweibel, Nicholas

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - The new operational mode of aperture masking interferometry has been added to the CONICA camera which lies downstream of the Adaptive Optics (AO) corrected focus provided by NAOS on the VLT-UT4 telescope. Masking has been shown to deliver superior PSF calibration, rejection of atmospheric noise and robust recovery of phase information through the use of closure phases. Over the resolution range from about half to several resolution elements, masking interferometry is presently unsurpassed in delivering high fidelity imaging and direct detection of faint companions. Here we present results from commissioning data using this powerful new operational mode, and discuss the utility for masking in a variety of scientific contexts. Of particular interest is the combination of the CONICA polarimetry capabilities together with SAM mode operation, which has revealed structures never seen before in the immediate circumstellar environments of dusty evolved stars.

AB - The new operational mode of aperture masking interferometry has been added to the CONICA camera which lies downstream of the Adaptive Optics (AO) corrected focus provided by NAOS on the VLT-UT4 telescope. Masking has been shown to deliver superior PSF calibration, rejection of atmospheric noise and robust recovery of phase information through the use of closure phases. Over the resolution range from about half to several resolution elements, masking interferometry is presently unsurpassed in delivering high fidelity imaging and direct detection of faint companions. Here we present results from commissioning data using this powerful new operational mode, and discuss the utility for masking in a variety of scientific contexts. Of particular interest is the combination of the CONICA polarimetry capabilities together with SAM mode operation, which has revealed structures never seen before in the immediate circumstellar environments of dusty evolved stars.

KW - Adaptive Optics

KW - Aperture Masking

KW - High Contrast Companions

KW - Optical Interfereometric Polarimetry

KW - Optical Interferometry

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U2 - 10.1117/12.856806

DO - 10.1117/12.856806

M3 - Conference proceeding contribution

AN - SCOPUS:78149265276

SN - 9780819482259

VL - 7735

SP - 1

EP - 11

BT - Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III

PB - SPIE

CY - Washington, DC

T2 - Ground-Based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III

Y2 - 27 June 2010 through 2 July 2010

ER -

Sparse aperture masking (SAM) at NAOS/CONICA on the VLT

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