100 research outputs found
Detection of Close-In Extrasolar Giant Planets Using the Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer
We evaluate the direct detection of extrasolar giant planets with a
two-aperture nulling infrared interferometer, working at angles
, and using a new `ratio-of-two-wavelengths' technique.
Simple arguments suggest that interferometric detection and characterization
should be quite possible for planets much closer than the conventional inner
working angle, or angular resolution limit. We show that the peak signal from a
nulling infrared interferometer of baseline ( meters) will often
occur `inside the null', and that the signal variations from path-difference
fluctuations will cancel to first order in the ratio of two wavelengths. Using
a new interferometer simulation code, we evaluate the detectability of all the
known extrasolar planets as observed using this two-color method with the
proposed {\it Fourier Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI)}. In its minimum
configuration {\it FKSI} uses two 0.5-meter apertures on a 12.5-meter baseline,
and a field-of-regard. We predict that known
extrasolar planets are directly detectable using {\it FKSI}, with
low-resolution spectroscopy () being possible in the most favorable
cases. Spaceborne direct detection of extrasolar giant planets is possible with
meter baselines, and does not require the much longer baselines
provided by formation flying.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Townes Group Activities from 1983-2000: Personal Recollections of William Danchi
I arrived in Berkeley in October 1983 as a post-doc, and my appointment was at the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL). During that time the group was very large, with multiple activities led by Charlie himself and also by Senior Fellows such as John Lacy, Dan Jaffe, and Al Betz at the top of the hill at Space Sciences. Another significant contingent of the Townes group was housed in Birge Hall on campus, led by Reinhard Genzel when he was an Assistant Professor in the Physics Department. Although the group encompassed two separate locations, it functioned as one large group. Either we rode with Charlie up and down the hill, or (if we were concerned about our safety!) we took the bus
Recent astronomical results from the infrared spatial interferometer and their implications for LOUISA
A new heterodyne interferometer for the atmospheric window from 9 to 12 microns was developed during the past five years. This instrument, called the Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI), was designed to use earth rotation aperture synthesis techniques developed in radio interferometry. It was moved to Mt. Wilson, California, in January 1988 and first fringes were obtained in June of that year. Systematic observations of some of the brighter late-type stars began shortly after the first fringes were obtained. We describe the basic principles and design of the ISI and give an overview of some of the initial results obtained from these observations. The implications of our work to the proposed Lunar Optical/UV/IR Synthesis Array (LOUISA) are discussed. We also analyze the conditions for the maximum signal-to-noise ratio of such an interferometer as a function of wavelength. The optimum wavelength is found to depend on the assumed scaling relation between telescope area and wavelength
Inverse Ac Josephson Effect at Terahertz Frequencies
The inverse ac Josephson effect occurs when a Josephson junction driven by a microwave source of frequency f produces constant‐voltage steps at integer multiples of h f/2e. For low‐leakage current hysteretic junctions driven at microwave frequencies below about 100 GHz, some of these steps can cross the zero dc bias current axis. These zero‐crossing steps allow modern series array voltage standards to operate without individually biasing the junctions in the array. We reexamine the theory behind these steps and show that they can exist at frequencies much higher than thought previously. The Riedel singularity in the supercurrent response allows this effect to exist even up to terahertz frequencies. We describe a set of analytical calculations which provide limits on the amount of rounding of the Riedel peak which can be permitted while still allowing these zero‐crossing steps to occur. We also discuss practical considerations such as microwave power levels required and parameters for device fabrication. This analysis is supported by numerical frequency‐domain computations and time‐domain simulations for a number of realistic I‐V curves with rounded Riedel singularities and with quasiparticle subgap leakage currents
Evidence of a discontinuous disk structure around the Herbig Ae star HD 139 614
A new class of pre-main sequence objects has been recently identified as
pre-transitional disks. They present near-infrared excess coupled to a flux
deficit at about 10 microns and a rising mid-infrared and far-infrared
spectrum. These features suggest a disk structure with inner and outer dust
components, separated by a dust-depleted region (or gap). We here report on the
first interferometric observations of the disk around the Herbig Ae star HD
139614. Its infrared spectrum suggests a flared disk, and presents
pre-transitional features,namely a substantial near-infrared excess accompanied
by a dip around 6 microns and a rising mid-infrared part. In this framework, we
performed a study of the spectral energy distribution (SED) and the
mid-infrared VLTI/MIDI interferometric data to constrain thespatial structure
of the inner dust disk region and assess its possibly multi-component
structure. We based our work on a temperature-gradient disk model that includes
dust opacity. While we could not reproduce the SED and interferometric
visibilities with a one-component disk, a better agreement was obtained with a
two-component disk model composed of an optically thin inner disk extending
from 0.22 to 2.3 au, a gap, and an outer temperature-gradient disk starting at
5.6 au. Therefore, our modeling favors an extended and optically thin inner
dust component and in principle rules out the possibility that the
near-infrared excess originates only from a spatially confined region.
Moreover, the outer disk is characterized by a very steep temperature profile
and a temperature higher than 300 K at its inner edge. This suggests the
existence of a warm component corresponding to a scenario where the inner edge
of the outer disk is directly illuminated by the central star. This is an
expected consequence of the presence of a gap, thus indicative of a
pre-transitional structure.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Atmospheric Beacons of Life from Exoplanets Around G and K Stars
The current explosion in detection and characterization of thousands of
extrasolar planets from the Kepler mission, the Hubble Space Telescope, and
large ground-based telescopes opens a new era in searches for Earth-analog
exoplanets with conditions suitable for sustaining life. As more Earth-sized
exoplanets are detected in the near future, we will soon have an opportunity to
identify habitable worlds. Which atmospheric biosignature gases from habitable
planets can be detected with our current capabilities? The detection of the
common biosignatures from nitrogen-oxygen rich terrestrial-type exoplanets
including molecular oxygen (O2), ozone (O3), water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide
(CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) requires days of integration time
with largest space telescopes, and thus are very challenging for current
instruments. In this paper we propose to use the powerful emission from
rotational-vibrational bands of nitric oxide, hydroxyl and molecular oxygen as
signatures of nitrogen, oxygen, and water rich atmospheres of terrestrial type
exoplanets highlighted by the magnetic activity from young G and K
main-sequence stars. The signals from these fundamental chemical prerequisites
of life we call atmospheric beacons of life create a unique opportunity to
perform direct imaging observations of Earth-sized exoplanets with high
signal-to-noise and low spectral resolution with the upcoming NASA missions.Comment: 9 pages, published online in Nature Scientific Reports, November 2,
201
A Possible Future for Space-Based Interferometry
We address the question of space interferometry following the recent outcome of the science themes selection by ESA for the L2/L3 missions slots. We review the current context of exoplanetary sciences and its impact for an interferometric mission. We argue that space interferometry will make a major step forward when the scientific communities interested in this technique will merge their efforts into a coherent technology development plan
Pinwheels in the Quintuplet Cluster
The five enigmatic Cocoon stars after which the Quintuplet cluster was
christened have puzzled astronomers since their discovery. Their extraordinary
cool, featureless thermal spectra have been attributed to various stellar types
from young to highly evolved, while their absolute luminosities places them
among the supergiants. We present diffraction-limited images from the Keck 1
telescope which resolves this debate with the discovery of rotating spiral
plumes characteristic of colliding-wind binary "pinwheel" nebulae. Such elegant
spiral structures, found around high-luminosity Wolf-Rayet stars, have recently
been implicated in the behavior of supernovae lightcurves in the radio and
optical.Comment: Published Science, August 19 2006. A complete version of this paper
(with formatting and other minor changes) can be found at
http://www.sciencemag.org
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