Descripción del proyecto
Los avances en interferometría de enmascaramiento de apertura podrían arrojar luz sobre la formación de planetas
Explorar la formación planetaria requiere observar el crucial proceso de acreción planetaria, que se produce principalmente en los huecos de los discos protoplanetarios. La interferometría de enmascaramiento de apertura ha demostrado ser una técnica de imagen excepcional en este ámbito, ya que ofrece un mayor rango dinámico y una cobertura de Fourier casi completa en comparación con la interferometría de muy larga línea de base. El equipo del proyecto LITHIUM, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, pretende hacer avanzar esta técnica experimental aumentando aún más su precisión, permitiendo la detección de objetos más débiles y ofreciendo una visión más profunda del nacimiento planetario. Los investigadores perfeccionarán la fase de cierre observable mediante experimentos de laboratorio y mejoras del «software». Además, combinarán la anulación con la fase de cierre. Al aprovechar los dispositivos ópticos integrados en niobato de litio, en LITHIUM se podría llevar el enmascaramiento de la apertura a nuevas cotas y ayudar a sondear los misterios de la formación de planetas.
Objetivo
Observing the process of planetary accretion is crucial to inform models of planet formation. Most of the key action is expected to happen in the gaps of protostellar disks – a spatial realm over which aperture masking interferometry has demonstrated a unique ability to deliver incisive imaging. Masking offers twin advantages of higher dynamic range at the diffraction limit (lambda/D) than differential imaging, while at the same time giving nearly complete Fourier coverage compared to long baseline interferometry. The founding objective of this proposal is to create expertise and technology to understand the astrophysical phenomena so far only glimpsed in faint detections in stellar gaps such as those published in T Cha (Huelamo et al. 2011), HD142527 (Biller et al. 2012) and FL Cha (Cieza et al. 2013). But the central goal of this project is to further advance the experimental technique. Reaching even higher dynamic range for fainter detections is essential for probing planetary birth. The way to improve the dynamic range is clear: increase the accuracy of the primary closure phase observable. To do so, we will follow two paths. The first will use laboratory experimentations to analyse and understand the sources of bias to the closure phase. The resulting end-product will be better software offered to the community, and better techniques for a next generation of aperture masking devices. The second path is to amplify the closure phase signal by combining nulling with closure phase (Lacour et al. 2014). This second path is the most challenging, but will be an important breakthrough to the field. Nulling is to aperture masking what coronagraphy is to classical imaging. Without a first level of nulling, the aperture masking technique will always be limited by the photon noise due to the stellar light. We propose to build on our experience of Lithium Niobate integrated optics devices to bring aperture masking to a new level of performance in high dynamic range imaging.
Ámbito científico
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistryalkali metals
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanetsexoplanetology
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre optics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyobservational astronomy
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-STG - Starting GrantInstitución de acogida
75794 Paris
Francia