Towards micro-arcsecond spatial resolution with Air Cherenkov Telescope arrays as optical intensity interferometers

TL;DR

This paper explores how large arrays of Air Cherenkov Telescopes can be used as optical intensity interferometers to achieve micro-arcsecond resolution, enabling detailed stellar surface and circumstellar environment studies.

Contribution

It demonstrates the equivalence between IACT arrays and intensity interferometers and discusses their potential for high-resolution optical astronomy.

Findings

Achieves 50 micro-arcsecond resolution with IACT arrays.

Potential to study stellar surfaces and circumstellar environments.

Utilizes existing and next-generation telescope arrays for interferometry.

Abstract

In this poster contribution we highlight the equivalence between an Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) array and an Intensity Interferometer for a range of technical requirements. We touch on the differences between a Michelson and an Intensity Interferometer and give a brief overview of the current IACT arrays, their upgrades and next generation concepts (CTA, AGIS, completion 2015). The latter are foreseen to include 30-90 telescopes that will provide 400-4000 different baselines that range in length between 50m and a kilometre. Intensity interferometry with such arrays of telescopes attains 50 micro-arcseconds resolution for a limiting V magnitude of ~8.5. This technique opens the possibility of a wide range of studies, amongst others, probing the stellar surface activity and the dynamic AU scale circumstellar environment of stars in various crucial evolutionary stages. Here we discuss possibilities for using IACT arrays as optical Intensity Interferometers.