FIRST, a Pupil-Remapping Fiber Interferometer at the Subaru Telescope: on-sky results

TL;DR

FIRST is a fiber-based pupil remapping interferometer integrated with Subaru's adaptive optics, enabling high-resolution stellar observations and companion detection at unprecedented faintness levels and angular resolutions.

Contribution

This paper presents the first on-sky results of FIRST, demonstrating its capability to detect stellar companions using pupil remapping interferometry at the Subaru Telescope.

Findings

Detected stellar companion at 43 mas separation in Capella

Operates on significantly fainter sources than previous instruments

Potential for high-angular-resolution studies on future large telescopes

Abstract

FIRST, the Fibered Imager foR a Single Telescope, is a spectro-imager using single-mode fibers for pupil remapping, allowing measurements beyond the telescope diffraction limit. Integrated on the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument at the Subaru Telescope, it benefits from a very stable visible light wavefront allowing to acquire long exposure and operate on significantly fainter sources than previously possible. On-sky results demonstrated the ability of the instrument to detect stellar companions separated 43mas in the case of the Capella binary system. A similar approach on an extremely large telescope would offer unique scientific opportunities for companion detection and characterization at very high angular resolution.