Binary star astronomy with optical interferometry

Xiaopei Pan; Michael Shao; M. Mark Colavita

doi:10.1117/12.177253

9 June 1994 Binary star astronomy with optical interferometry

Xiaopei Pan, Michael Shao, M. Mark Colavita

Proceedings Volume 2200, Amplitude and Intensity Spatial Interferometry II; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.177253
Event: 1994 Symposium on Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation for the 21st Century, 1994, Kailua, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

The Mark III Interferometer on Mt. Wilson, a long-baseline optical interferometer, was in daily operation for more that seven years. During that time it achieved milliarcsecond angular resolution for binary star astronomy, with submilliarcsecond accuracy. For the first time many spectroscopic binaries have been resolved, including binaries in which the companion cannot be detected with spectroscopy. The high angular resolution means that the traditional gap between visual and spectroscopic binaries has been decreased by more than an order of magnitude. In order to confirm the performance of the Mark III Interferometer, this paper uses the results of astronomical observations, and compares the Mark III Interferometer with other high-resolution techniques, including astrometry, lunar occultation, photometry, speckle, and spectroscopy. Comparisons for a variety of binary stars among these techniques indicate that long baseline optical interferometry proves a reliable, fully automatic, daily accessible astronomical capability for achieving high resolution, high accuracy, high dynamic range, and high photometric measurement precision for the study of binary stars.

Citation Download Citation

Xiaopei Pan, Michael Shao, and M. Mark Colavita "Binary star astronomy with optical interferometry", Proc. SPIE 2200, Amplitude and Intensity Spatial Interferometry II, (9 June 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.177253

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