JRA4%20-%20Interferometry

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JRA4 - Interferometry
Interferometry the combination of multiple
telescopes in a single coherent array is a
powerful technique that allows astronomers to
obtain unprecedented angular resolution
(milliarcseconds), and to measure motion of
celestial bodies with extreme precision
(microarcseconds). Context The European
Southern Observatorys (ESO) Very Large Telescope
Interferometer (VLTI) is the most ambitious
ground based interferometry project underway,
with four 8m telescopes and up to four 1.8m
auxiliary telescopes. The Large Binocular
Telescope (LBT) will combine two 8.2m mirrors.
The Ohana project will extend interferometry to
baselines of several hundred metres. The European
Space Agencys (ESA) Darwin mission will aim at
detecting and characterising habitable
exo-planets. Objectives The goal of JRA4 is to
contribute to the integration of optical
interferometry into mainstream astronomy. The
participants of JRA4 will take actions to ensure
that Europe will play a leading role in the
development of optical interferometry over the
next decade and to enable European astronomers to
fully exploit the scientific potential of
existing and planned facilities.

• Description of JRA4
• The near-term scientific productivity of
  interferometers is limited mainly by
• (1) the inherent limitations of the existing
  focal plane instrumentation and the difficulties
  of phasing and cophasing the elements of
  interferometric arrays,
• (2) the lack of software tools for the analysis
  and interpretation of the data.
• JRA4 has several work packages to address these
  issues
• WP1.1 (Advanced instruments)
• Support up to 7 concept studies for the second
  generation of VLTI instruments, paying special
  attention to multi-beam combiners (4 to 8 beams).
  The most promising concepts will be selected for
  more detailed feasibility studies.
• WP1.2 (Cophasing and Fringe Tracking)
• Focus on analysis techniques and optimisation in
  three areas
• current cophasing performances
• measurement operations
• cophasing schemes for future
• instruments
• WP2 (Off-line data interpretation soft)

• for the analysis and interpretation of
• data from optical/infrared interferometry. This
  software will provide
• - tools for fitting geometrical models to sparse
  sets of calibrated data (visibility, differential
  and closure phase),
• facilities for astrometric data reduction
  (stellar proper motions and parallax) and to fit
  orbits of multiple stars and planetary
  companions.
• tools for image reconstruction
  
  
  
  
  

• Participants
• France INSU/JMMC (CRAL, LAOG,
• OCA, ONERA, UNSA)
• Germany FRINGE (MPIA, MPIfR)
• Netherlands NOVA/NEVEC
• United Kingdom Cavendish Laboratory
• Italy Osservatorio di Torino
• Belgium University of Liège
• Switzerland Observatoire de Genève
• Portugal CAUP
• Austria University of Vienna
• Israel Technion
• Poland Nicolaus Copernicus University
• Hungary Konkoly Observatory
• Czech Republic Academy of Science
• Spain Instituto Astrofisica Andalucia
• ESA, ESO

OPTICON is funded by the European Commission
under Contract RII3-CT-2004-001566