4,972 research outputs found
Compressive optical interferometry
Compressive sensing (CS) combines data acquisition with compression coding to
reduce the number of measurements required to reconstruct a sparse signal. In
optics, this usually takes the form of projecting the field onto sequences of
random spatial patterns that are selected from an appropriate random ensemble.
We show here that CS can be exploited in `native' optics hardware without
introducing added components. Specifically, we show that random sub-Nyquist
sampling of an interferogram helps reconstruct the field modal structure. The
distribution of reduced sensing matrices corresponding to random measurements
is provably incoherent and isotropic, which helps us carry out CS successfully
Phase Referencing in Optical Interferometry
One of the aims of next generation optical interferometric instrumentation is
to be able to make use of information contained in the visibility phase to
construct high dynamic range images. Radio and optical interferometry are at
the two extremes of phase corruption by the atmosphere. While in radio it is
possible to obtain calibrated phases for the science objects, in the optical
this is currently not possible. Instead, optical interferometry has relied on
closure phase techniques to produce images. Such techniques allow only to
achieve modest dynamic ranges. However, with high contrast objects, for faint
targets or when structure detail is needed, phase referencing techniques as
used in radio interferometry, should theoretically achieve higher dynamic
ranges for the same number of telescopes. Our approach is not to provide
evidence either for or against the hypothesis that phase referenced imaging
gives better dynamic range than closure phase imaging. Instead we wish to
explore the potential of this technique for future optical interferometry and
also because image reconstruction in the optical using phase referencing
techniques has only been performed with limited success. We have generated
simulated, noisy, complex visibility data, analogous to the signal produced in
radio interferometers, using the VLTI as a template. We proceeded with image
reconstruction using the radio image reconstruction algorithms contained in
AIPS IMAGR (CLEAN algorithm). Our results show that image reconstruction is
successful in most of our science cases, yielding images with a 4
milliarcsecond resolution in K band. (abridged)Comment: 11 pages, 36 figure
Binary Cepheids from optical interferometry
Classical Cepheid stars have been considered since more than a century as
reliable tools to estimate distances in the universe thanks to their
Period-Luminosity (P-L) relationship. Moreover, they are also powerful
astrophysical laboratories, providing fundamental clues for studying the
pulsation and evolution of intermediate-mass stars. When in binary systems, we
can investigate the age and evolution of the Cepheid, estimate the mass and
distance, and constrain theoretical models. However, most of the companions are
located too close to the Cepheid (1-40 mas) to be spatially resolved with a
10-meter class telescope. The only way to spatially resolve such systems is to
use long-baseline interferometry. Recently, we have started a unique and
long-term interferometric program that aims at detecting and characterizing
physical parameters of the Cepheid companions, with as main objectives the
determination of accurate masses and geometric distances.Comment: 8 pages, Proceeding of the conference "Setting a new standard in the
analysis of binary stars", September 2013, Leuven, Belgiu
Interferometry from Space: A Great Dream
During some thirty years, 1980-2010, technical studies of optical
interferometry from instruments in space were pursued as promising for higher
spatial resolution and for higher astrometric accuracy. Nulling interferometry
was studied for both high spatial resolution and high contrast. These studies
were great dreams deserving further historical attention. ESA's interest in
interferometry began in the early 1980s. The studies of optical interferometry
for the global astrometry mission GAIA began in 1993 and ended in 1998 when
interferometry was dropped as unsuited for the purpose, and the Gaia mission to
be launched in 2013 is not based on interferometry. \c{opyright} Anita
Publications. All rights reserved.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures. In: Asian Journal of Physics Vol. 23, Nos 1 & 2
(2014), Special Issue on History of Physics & Astronomy, Guest Editor:
Virginia Trimbl
Tomorrow optical interferometry: astrophysical prospects and instrumental issues
Interferometry has brought many new constraints in optical astronomy in the
recent years. A major leap in this field is the opening of large
interferometric facilities like the Very Large Telescope Interferometer and the
Keck Interferometer to the astronomical community. Planning for the future is
both easy --most specialists know in which directions to develop
interferometry-- and difficult because of the increasing complexity of the
technique. I present a short status of interferometry today. Then I detail the
possible astrophysical prospects. Finally I address some important instrumental
issues that are decisive for the future of interferometry.Comment: 8 pages, invited review at the "Visions in IR astronomy" conference
held in Paris, 21-23 March 200
Experimental investigations of elastohydrodynamic lubrication
Various experimental studies of elastohydrodynamic lubrication have been reviewed. The various types of machines used in these investigations, such as the disc, two and four ball, crossed-cylinders, and crossed-axes rolling disc machine, are described. The measurement of the most important parameters, such as film shape, film thickness, pressure, temperature, and traction, is considered. Determination of the film thickness is generally the most important of these effects since it dictates the extent to which the asperities on opposing surfaces can come into contact and thus has a direct bearing on wear and fatigue failure of the contacting surfaces. Several different techniques for measuring film thickness have been described, including electrical resistance, capacitance, X-ray, optical interferometry, laser beam diffraction, strain gage, and spring dynamometer methods. An attempt has been made to describe the basic concepts and limitations of each of these techniques. These various methods have been used by individual researchers, but there is no universally acceptable technique for measuring elastohydrodynamic film thickness. Capacitance methods have provided most of the reliable data for nominal line or rectangular conjunctions, but optical interferometry has proved to be the most effective procedure for elliptical contacts. Optical interferometry has the great advantage that it reveals not only the film thickness, but also details of the film shape over the complete area of the conjunction
Image reconstruction in optical interferometry: Benchmarking the regularization
With the advent of infrared long-baseline interferometers with more than two
telescopes, both the size and the completeness of interferometric data sets
have significantly increased, allowing images based on models with no a priori
assumptions to be reconstructed. Our main objective is to analyze the multiple
parameters of the image reconstruction process with particular attention to the
regularization term and the study of their behavior in different situations.
The secondary goal is to derive practical rules for the users. Using the
Multi-aperture image Reconstruction Algorithm (MiRA), we performed multiple
systematic tests, analyzing 11 regularization terms commonly used. The tests
are made on different astrophysical objects, different (u,v) plane coverages
and several signal-to-noise ratios to determine the minimal configuration
needed to reconstruct an image. We establish a methodology and we introduce the
mean-square errors (MSE) to discuss the results. From the ~24000 simulations
performed for the benchmarking of image reconstruction with MiRA, we are able
to classify the different regularizations in the context of the observations.
We find typical values of the regularization weight. A minimal (u,v) coverage
is required to reconstruct an acceptable image, whereas no limits are found for
the studied values of the signal-to-noise ratio. We also show that
super-resolution can be achieved with increasing performance with the (u,v)
coverage filling. Using image reconstruction with a sufficient (u,v) coverage
is shown to be reliable. The choice of the main parameters of the
reconstruction is tightly constrained. We recommend that efforts to develop
interferometric infrastructures should first concentrate on the number of
telescopes to combine, and secondly on improving the accuracy and sensitivity
of the arrays.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figures; accepted in A&
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