Discrimination between cosmological and stellar phenomena by the intensity interferometry

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantitative method using intensity interferometry to distinguish between cosmological and stellar phenomena based on their angular spectra, even if they share the same color temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical framework for differentiating objects with identical color temperatures but different angular spectra through intensity interferometry.

Findings

Two-point correlation functions differ significantly for extended vs. narrow angular spectra.

The theory enables discrimination of objects with similar color temperatures based on their angular spectrum.

Provides a quantitative basis for observational astrophysics using intensity interferometry.

Abstract

We provide a quantitative theory of discrimination between objects with the same color temperature but having different angular spectrum by intensity interferometry. The two-point correlation function of the black body image with extended angular spectrum has significant differences with a correlation function of a black body with a narrow angular spectrum.