IQUEYE at Gemini South: instrument, science commission, and first results

TL;DR

The paper reports on the deployment and initial scientific results of IQUEYE, a fast photon counter, at Gemini South, extending its application to ultra-fast astronomy with improved sensitivity.

Contribution

First implementation of IQUEYE at Gemini South, enabling ultra-fast astronomical observations and initial scientific results from over 40 hours of data collection.

Findings

Enhanced sensitivity by an order of magnitude at Gemini South.

Successful observations of giant pulse emitters and millisecond pulsars.

Extended scientific scope to include fast radio bursts.

Abstract

The Italian quantum eye (IQUEYE) is a fast photon counter based on the single photon avalanche diode detectors and capable of preserving a ~0.5 ns/h accuracy photon time of arrival. IQUEYE was originally developed for intensity interferometry experiments, but now its scientific scope has been extended towards ultra fast astronomy, including optical pulsars, millisecond pulsars and the enigmatic fast radio bursts. IQUEYE's capabilities are mainly restricted by the number of photons detected, a quantity that scales with the collector size of an optical telescope. Through the visitor instrument program at Gemini South (Cerro Pach\'on, Chile) we brought IQUEYE to the 8.1-m dish, reaching an order magnitude sensitivity increased from previous operations. At Gemini South we installed IQUEYE to observe giant pulse emitters, millisecond pulsars, and transitional millisecond pulsars for over 40 hours in the span of a week.