Extragalactic Objects and Next Generation Interferometers

TL;DR

This paper reviews potential extragalactic targets for next-generation optical/infrared interferometers, emphasizing the benefits of high spatial resolution and the challenges posed by sensitivity limitations.

Contribution

It identifies new extragalactic objects suitable for interferometry and discusses the technical requirements for future interferometric studies.

Findings

High spatial resolution benefits for supernovae and star-forming regions

Sensitivity limits around magnitude 25 are critical for future studies

Potential for studying gravitational lenses and stellar populations in nearby galaxies

Abstract

The most obvious extragalactic targets for optical/infrared interferometers are Active Galactic Nuclei. In this document, I try to overview other topics that could be of interest to studies of galaxies and whether they could be adequate for a next generation interferometer. The very high spatial resolution would be profitable for extragalactic supernovae, globular clusters, star forming regions, gravitational lenses and some stellar studies in very close galaxies. However, sensitivity is the main concern since the interesting magnitude limit would have to be of the order of 25 or more for these studies not to remain marginal.