The Magdalena Ridge Observatory interferometer: first light and deployment of the first telescope on the array

Creech‐Eakman, M. J.; Romero, V.; Payne, Ifan; Haniff, C.; Buscher, David F.; Young, John S.; Santoro, Fernando; Blasi, Robert; Dahl, C.; Dooley, J.; Etscorn, Dylan; Farris, Allen; Fisher, Martin; Garcia, E. Victor; Gino, C.; Jaynes, B.; Jencka, L.; Johnston, P.; Jurgenson, C. A.; Kelly, Robert J.; Klinglesmith, Dan; Ligon, E. R.; Luis, J.; McCracken, Tyler; McKeen, C.; Mortimer, Daniel J.; Ochoa, Daniel; Olivares, A.; Pino, Juan; Salcido, C.; Schmidt, Luke M.; Seneta, E.; Sun, Xiaowei; Wilson, Donald M.

doi:10.1117/12.2314155

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…113,114 Interferometry was further developed for astronomy in the late 1970s and 1980s, which led to instruments such as the Sydney University Stellar Interferometer 115 and the Mark III interferometer. [116][117][118][119] The current generation of interferometers includes the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer (NPOI), 120 the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (decommissioned), 121 the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy array (CHARA), 122 the (decommissioned) Keck Interferometer, 123 the Magdalena Ridge Optical Interferometer (MROI; not yet operational), 124 the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI), 125 and especially the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, VLTI, experiment GRAVITY. 126,127 GRAVITY is supported by the European Southern Observatory, whereas the major US-based initiatives include LBTI, NPOI, MROI, and CHARA.…”

Section: Optical Interferometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling discoveries: a review of 30 years of advanced technologies and instrumentation at the National Science Foundation

Kurczynski

Milojević

2020

J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst.

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Over its more than 30-year history, the Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation (ATI) program has provided grants to support technology development and instrumentation for ground-based astronomy. Through a combination of automated literature assessment and indepth literature review, we present a survey of ATI-funded research and its impact on astronomy and society. Award acknowledgment and literature citation statistics for ATI are comparable to a comparison astronomy grant program that does not support technology development. Citation statistics for both NSF-funded programs exceed those of the general astronomical literature. Numerous examples demonstrate the significant, long-term impact of ATI-supported research in astronomy. As part of this impact, ATI grants have provided many early career researchers the opportunity to gain critical professional experience. However, technology development unfolds over a time period that is longer than an individual grant. A longitudinal perspective shows that investments in technology and instrumentation have led to extraordinary scientific progress. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

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Section: Optical Interferometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Enabling discoveries: a review of 30 years of advanced technologies and instrumentation at the National Science Foundation

Kurczynski

Milojević

2020

J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst.

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“…It will perform the first closure phase measurements at the array, conduct early science during the three telescope phase of the project as well as assist in demonstrating the baseline bootstrapping capabilities of the MROI. 1 The final design review for FOURIER was held in December 2019 and the instrument is currently undergoing room temperature (warm) laboratory testing at the University of Cambridge. Once these tests are complete the cold optics and detector will be integrated with the liquid nitrogen cooled cryostat for further laboratory tests and subsequently delivered to the observatory for commissioning in the third or fourth quarter of 2021.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First laboratory results from FOURIER, the initial science combiner at the MROI

Mortimer

Buscher

Creech‐Eakman

et al. 2020

Optical and Infrared Interferometry and Imaging VII

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We present the design and testing of FOURIER, the first generation science beam combiner for the MROI. FOURIER is a three-way, J, H and K band image plane combiner which is designed primarily for observations at faint limiting magnitudes. We outline the main science requirements and discuss how the design of FOURIER contributes to meeting these requirements. We present the first laboratory characterisation of the instrument including validation of the PSF profile, demonstration of high contrast fringes, and the spectral resolution of the instrument, all of which show promising results. We conclude by discussing the path to deployment of FOURIER at the MROI ahead of the first science observation at the array.

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Compensation of differential dispersion: application to multiband stellar interferometry

Pannetier

Mourard

Cassaing

et al. 2021

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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With the aim of pushing the limiting magnitude of interferometric instruments, the need for wide-band detection channels and for a coordinated operation of different instruments has considerably grown in the field of long-baseline interferometry. For this reason, the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA), an array of six telescopes, requires a new configuration of longitudinal dispersion compensators to keep the fringe contrast above 95% simultaneously in all spectral bands, while preserving the transmission above 85 %. In this paper, we propose a new method for defining the longitudinal dispersion compensators (LDC) suited for multi-band observations. A literal approximation of the contrast loss resulting from the dispersion residues enables us to define a general criterion for fringe contrast maximisation on several bands simultaneously. The optimization of this criterion leads to a simple solution with only two LDC stages per arm and existing differential delay lines, to the glass choice and a simple linear formula for thickness control of all these media. A refined criterion can also take into account glass transmission. After presenting this criterion, we give the optimal solution (medium, configuration) and its expected performance for the planned observing modes on CHARA.

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The Magdalena Ridge Observatory interferometer: first light and deployment of the first telescope on the array

Cited by 9 publications

References 14 publications

Enabling discoveries: a review of 30 years of advanced technologies and instrumentation at the National Science Foundation

Enabling discoveries: a review of 30 years of advanced technologies and instrumentation at the National Science Foundation

First laboratory results from FOURIER, the initial science combiner at the MROI

Compensation of differential dispersion: application to multiband stellar interferometry

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