Absolute Wavelength Shifts - A new diagnostic for rapidly rotating stars

Accuracies reached in space astrometry now permit the accurate determination of astrometric radial velocities, without any use of spectroscopy. Knowing this true stellar motion, spectral shifts intrinsic to stellar atmospheres can be identified, for instance gravitational redshifts and those caused by velocity fields on stellar surfaces. The astrometric accuracy is independent of any spectral complexity, such as the smeared-out line profiles of rapidly rotating stars. Besides a better determination of stellar velocities, this permits more precise studies of atmospheric dynamics, such as possible modifications of stellar surface convection (granulation) by rotation-induced forces, as well as a potential for observing meridional flows across stellar surfaces

Exoplanet Transit Parallax

The timing and duration of exoplanet transits has a dependency on observer position due to parallax. In the case of an Earth-bound observer with a 2 AU baseline the dependency is typically small and slightly beyond the limits of current timing precision capabilities. However, it can become an important systematic effect in high-precision repeated transit measurements for long period systems due to its relationship to secular perspective acceleration phenomena. In this short paper we evaluate the magnitude and characteristics of transit parallax in the case of exoplanets using simplified geometric examples. We also discuss further implications of the effect, including its possible exploitation to provide immediate confirmation of planetary transits and/or unique constraints on orbital parameters and orientations.Comment: 12 Pages, 3 Figures, Accepted for publication in Ap

Stellar intensity interferometry: Optimizing air Cherenkov telescope array layouts

Kilometric-scale optical imagers seem feasible to realize by intensity interferometry, using telescopes primarily erected for measuring Cherenkov light induced by gamma rays. Planned arrays envision 50--100 telescopes, distributed over some 1--4 km$^2$. Although array layouts and telescope sizes will primarily be chosen for gamma-ray observations, also their interferometric performance may be optimized. Observations of stellar objects were numerically simulated for different array geometries, yielding signal-to-noise ratios for different Fourier components of the source images in the interferometric $(u,v)$-plane. Simulations were made for layouts actually proposed for future Cherenkov telescope arrays, and for subsets with only a fraction of the telescopes. All large arrays provide dense sampling of the $(u,v)$-plane due to the sheer number of telescopes, irrespective of their geographic orientation or stellar coordinates. However, for improved coverage of the $(u,v)$-plane and a wider variety of baselines (enabling better image reconstruction), an exact east-west grid should be avoided for the numerous smaller telescopes, and repetitive geometric patterns avoided for the few large ones. Sparse arrays become severely limited by a lack of short baselines, and to cover astrophysically relevant dimensions between 0.1--3 milliarcseconds in visible wavelengths, baselines between pairs of telescopes should cover the whole interval 30--2000 m.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures; presented at the SPIE conference "Optical and Infrared Interferometry II", San Diego, CA, USA (June 2010

Long-baseline optical intensity interferometry: Laboratory demonstration of diffraction-limited imaging

A long-held vision has been to realize diffraction-limited optical aperture synthesis over kilometer baselines. This will enable imaging of stellar surfaces and their environments, and reveal interacting gas flows in binary systems. An opportunity is now opening up with the large telescope arrays primarily erected for measuring Cherenkov light in air induced by gamma rays. With suitable software, such telescopes could be electronically connected and also used for intensity interferometry. Second-order spatial coherence of light is obtained by cross correlating intensity fluctuations measured in different pairs of telescopes. With no optical links between them, the error budget is set by the electronic time resolution of a few nanoseconds. Corresponding light-travel distances are approximately one meter, making the method practically immune to atmospheric turbulence or optical imperfections, permitting both very long baselines and observing at short optical wavelengths. Previous theoretical modeling has shown that full images should be possible to retrieve from observations with such telescope arrays. This project aims at verifying diffraction-limited imaging experimentally with groups of detached and independent optical telescopes. In a large optics laboratory, artificial stars were observed by an array of small telescopes. Using high-speed photon-counting solid-state detectors, intensity fluctuations were cross-correlated over up to 180 baselines between pairs of telescopes, producing coherence maps across the interferometric Fourier-transform plane. These measurements were used to extract parameters about the simulated stars, and to reconstruct their two-dimensional images. As far as we are aware, these are the first diffraction-limited images obtained from an optical array only linked by electronic software, with no optical connections between the telescopes.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, Astronomy & Astrophysics, in press. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1407.599

Stellar Intensity Interferometry: Astrophysical targets for sub-milliarcsecond imaging

Intensity interferometry permits very long optical baselines and the observation of sub-milliarcsecond structures. Using planned kilometric arrays of air Cherenkov telescopes at short wavelengths, intensity interferometry may increase the spatial resolution achieved in optical astronomy by an order of magnitude, inviting detailed studies of the shapes of rapidly rotating hot stars with structures in their circumstellar disks and winds, or mapping out patterns of nonradial pulsations across stellar surfaces. Signal-to-noise in intensity interferometry favors high-temperature sources and emission-line structures, and is independent of the optical passband, be it a single spectral line or the broad spectral continuum. Prime candidate sources have been identified among classes of bright and hot stars. Observations are simulated for telescope configurations envisioned for large Cherenkov facilities, synthesizing numerous optical baselines in software, confirming that resolutions of tens of microarcseconds are feasible for numerous astrophysical targets.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures; presented at the SPIE conference "Optical and Infrared Interferometry II", San Diego, CA, USA (June 2010

The fundamental definition of 'radial velocity'

Accuracy levels of metres per second require the fundamental concept of 'radial velocity' for stars and other distant objects to be examined, both as a physical velocity, and as measured by spectroscopic and astrometric techniques. Aiming at definitions that are unambiguous at accuracy levels of 1 m/s, we analyse different concepts of radial velocity and their interrelations. We distinguish between the geometrically defined 'kinematic radial velocity' and 'astrometric radial velocity' on one hand, and the spectroscopically defined 'barycentric radial-velocity measure' on the other. The last two concepts are defined by recent resolutions adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the motives and consequences of which are explained in this paper

The statistics of the photometric accuracy based on MASS data and the evaluation of high-altitude wind

The effect of stellar scintillation on the accuracy of photometric measurements is analyzed. We obtain a convenient form of estimaton of this effect in the long exposure regime, when the turbulence shift produced by the wind is much larger than the aperture of the telescope. A simple method is proposed to determine index $S_3$ introduced by perture of the Kenyon et al. (2006), directly from the measurements with the Multi Aperture Scintillation Sensor (MASS) without information on vertical profile of the wind. The statistics $S_3$ resulting from our campaign of 2005 -- 2007 at Maidanak observatory is presented. It is shown that these data can be used to estimate high-altitude winds at pressure level 70 -- 100 mbar. Comparison with the wind speed retrieved from the NCEP/NCAR global models shows a good agreement. Some prospects for retrieval of the wind speed profile from the MASS measurements are outlined.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy Letter

Spectroscopic Observations of Convective Patterns in the Atmospheres of Metal-Poor Stars

Convective line asymmetries in the optical spectrum of two metal-poor stars, Gmb1830 and HD140283, are compared to those observed for solar metallicity stars. The line bisectors of the most metal-poor star, the subgiant HD140283, show a significantly larger velocity span that the expectations for a solar-metallicity star of the same spectral type and luminosity class. The enhanced line asymmetries are interpreted as the signature of the lower metal content, and therefore opacity, in the convective photospheric patterns. These findings point out the importance of three-dimensional convective velocity fields in the interpretation of the observed line asymmetries in metal-poor stars, and in particular, urge for caution when deriving isotopic ratios from observed line shapes and shifts using one-dimensional model atmospheres. The mean line bisector of the photospheric atomic lines is compared with those measured for the strong Mg I b1 and b2 features. The upper part of the bisectors are similar, and assuming they overlap, the bottom end of the stronger lines, which are formed higher in the atmosphere, goes much further to the red. This is in agreement with the expected decreasing of the convective blue-shifts in upper atmospheric layers, and compatible with the high velocity redshifts observed in the chromosphere, transition region, and corona of late-type stars.Comment: 27 pages, LaTeX; 10 Figures (14 PostScript files); to be published in The Astrophysical Journa

Stellar Intensity Interferometry: Imaging capabilities of air Cherenkov telescope arrays

Sub milli-arcsecond imaging in the visible band will provide a new perspective in stellar astrophysics. Even though stellar intensity interferometry was abandoned more than 40 years ago, it is capable of imaging and thus accomplishing more than the measurement of stellar diameters as was previously thought. Various phase retrieval techniques can be used to reconstruct actual images provided a sufficient coverage of the interferometric plane is available. Planned large arrays of Air Cherenkov telescopes will provide thousands of simultaneously available baselines ranging from a few tens of meters to over a kilometer, thus making imaging possible with unprecedented angular resolution. Here we investigate the imaging capabilities of arrays such as CTA or AGIS used as Stellar Intensity Interferometry receivers. The study makes use of simulated data as could realistically be obtained from these arrays. A Cauchy-Riemann based phase recovery allows the reconstruction of images which can be compared to the pristine image for which the data were simulated. This is first done for uniform disk stars with different radii and corresponding to various exposure times, and we find that the uncertainty in reconstructing radii is a few percent after a few hours of exposure time. Finally, more complex images are considered, showing that imaging at the sub-milli-arc-second scale is possible.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures; presented at the SPIE conference "Optical and Infrared Interferometry II", San Diego, CA, USA (June 2010

Granulation in K-type Dwarf Stars. II. Hydrodynamic simulations and 3D spectrum synthesis

We construct a 3D radiative-hydrodynamic model atmosphere of parameters Teff = 4820 K, log g = 4.5, and solar chemical composition. The theoretical line profiles computed with this model are asymmetric, with their bisectors having a characteristic C-shape and their core wavelengths shifted with respect to their laboratory values. The line bisectors span from about 10 to 250 m/s, depending on line strength, with the stronger features showing larger span. The corresponding core wavelength shifts range from about -200 m/s for the weak Fe I lines to almost +100 m/s in the strong Fe I features. Based on observational results for the Sun, we argue that there should be no core wavelength shift for Fe I lines of EW > 100 mA. The cores of the strongest lines show contributions from the uncertain top layers of the model, where non-LTE effects and the presence of the chromosphere, which are important in real stars, are not accounted for. The comparison of model predictions to observed Fe I line bisectors and core wavelength shifts for a reference star, HIP86400, shows excellent agreement, with the exception of the core wavelength shifts of the strongest features, for which we suspect inaccurate theoretical values. Since this limitation does not affect the predicted line equivalent widths significantly, we consider our 3D model validated for photospheric abundance work.Comment: A&A, in pres