SPHERE+ is a proposed upgrade of the SPHERE instrument at the VLT, which is intended to boost the current performances of detection and characterization for exoplanets and disks. SPHERE+ will also serve as a demonstrator for the future planet finder (PCS) of the European ELT. The main science drivers for SPHERE+ are 1/ to access the bulk of the young giant planet population down to the snow line (3 − 10 au), to bridge the gap with complementary techniques (radial velocity, astrometry); 2/ to observe fainter and redder targets in the youngest (1 − 10 Myr) associations compared to those observed with SPHERE to directly study the formation of giant planets in their birth environment; 3/ to improve the level of characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres by increasing the spectral resolution in order to break degeneracies in giant planet atmosphere models. Achieving these objectives requires to increase the bandwidth of the xAO system (from ~1 to 3 kHz) as well as the sensitivity in the infrared (2 to 3 mag). These features will be brought by a second stage AO system optimized in the infrared with a pyramid wavefront sensor. As a new science instrument, a medium resolution integral field spectrograph will provide a spectral resolution from 1000 to 5000 in the J and H bands. This paper gives an overview of the science drivers, requirements and key instrumental tradeoff that were done for SPHERE+ to reach the final selected baseline concept.
Combining adaptive optics and interferometric observations results in a considerable contrast gain compared to single-telescope, extreme AO systems. Taking advantage of this, the ExoGRAVITY project is a survey of known young giant exoplanets located in the range of 0.1” to 2” from their stars. The observations provide astrometric data of unprecedented accuracy, being crucial for refining the orbital parameters of planets and illuminating their dynamical histories. Furthermore, GRAVITY will measure non-Keplerian perturbations due to planet-planet interactions in multi-planet systems and measure dynamical masses. Over time, repetitive observations of the exoplanets at medium resolution (R = 500) will provide a catalogue of K-band spectra of unprecedented quality, for a number of exoplanets. The K-band has the unique properties that it contains many molecular signatures (CO, H2O, CH4, CO2). This allows constraining precisely surface gravity, metallicity, and temperature, if used in conjunction with self-consistent models like Exo-REM. Further, we will use the parameter-retrieval algorithm petitRADTRANS to constrain the C/O ratio of the planets. Ultimately, we plan to produce the first C/O survey of exoplanets, kick-starting the difficult process of linking planetary formation with measured atomic abundances.
The diversity of planetary systems discovered in recent years has reinforced the interest in the conditions of the formation of stars and their planetary systems. The new generation of imaging instruments at the VLTI (PIONIER, GRAVITY, MATISSE) and CHARA (MYSTIC, MIRC-X) provides not only the high spatial and spectral resolution necessary to study YSOs but also high astrometric precision and high sensitivity. This makes it possible to extend the study of stellar parameters, the dust distribution and composition in protoplanetary disks, and gas accretion and outflows to fainter objects. It also allows us to investigate the different stages of star and planet formation, from embedded objects over protoplanetary and debris disks to the orbits and atmospheres of planets. The use of arrays with four or even six telescopes provides more opportunities for image reconstruction, to understand complex structures. This paper is a review of recent results obtained on those topics.
The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric radii and over the age range from 0.1 to ~100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the "Hill Sphere" of the forming planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science. In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.
The Optical interferometry DataBase (OiDB) aims at facilitating the access to science-ready data provided by various existing or decommissioned interferometers. The first version of OiDB has been released in June 2015. Today it contains more than 5000 OIFITS datafiles including the full collection of PIONIER data since 2011. All these reduced data are made publicly available and easily downloadable from OiDB. After presenting the characteristics of OiDB, we analyse how the community made use of it during this first year of operation and how we will improve it.
Circumstellar disks around young stars are the birthsites of planets. It is thus fundamental to study the disks in which they form, their structure and the physical conditions therein. The first astronomical unit is of great interest because this is where the terrestrial-planets form and the angular momentum is controlled via massloss through winds/jets. With its milli-arcsecond resolution, optical interferometry is the only technic able to spatially resolve the first few astronomical units of the disk. In this review, we will present a broad overview of studies of young stellar objects with interferometry, and discuss prospects for the future.
We report on a database service that allows users to query calibrated optical interferometry data (OIFITS format) as well as regularly-updated observation logs obtained with a wide range of interferometric instruments. It widely uses Virtual Observatory tools to increase diffusion and operability. In this contribution, we present the characteristics and functionalities of the first global optical interferometry archive service.
In the course of our VLTI young stellar object PIONIER imaging program, we have identified a strong visibility chromatic dependency that appeared in certain sources. This effect, rising value of visibilities with decreasing wavelengths over one base, is also present in previous published and archival AMBER data. For Herbig AeBe stars, the H band is generally located at the transition between the star and the disk predominance in flux for Herbig AeBe stars. We believe that this phenomenon is responsible for the visibility rise effect. We present a method to correct the visibilities from this effect in order to allow "gray" image reconstruction software, like Mira, to be used. In parallel we probe the interest of carrying an image reconstruction in each spectral channel and then combine them to obtain the final broadband one. As an illustration we apply these imaging methods to MWC158, a (possibly Herbig) B[e] star intensively observed with PIONIER. Finally, we compare our result with a parametric model fitted onto the data.
This poster advertizes the Jean-Marie Mariotti Center software tools, databases and services aimed at facilitating the use of optical interferometry worldwide such as preparation of observations, data reduction and data analysis. Its mission and organization are presented before listing the current software suite. Finally some facts and perspectives are mentioned.
KEYWORDS: Visibility, Signal to noise ratio, Deconvolution, Interferometry, Calibration, Data modeling, Spectral resolution, Spectrographs, Telescopes, Analog electronics
In this communication an extraction procedure that takes into account the spectral dispersion function (the
spectral analog of the PSF) is presented. The method is named least-squares deconvolution. It allows the
recovery of the relative line-to-continuum visibility amplitude ratio and the relative line to continuum visibility
phase difference. The method only uses as input the AMBER data making the sole hypotheses that the spectral
broadening of the spectra in the photometric channel is the same as that of the interferometric data. A subset
of this hypothesis is the case of unresolved lines. It is extremely robust being able to recover line to continuum
visibility and phase at very low signal-to-noise ratio. It is shown that it is superior to other differential visibility
and phase methods presented in the literature, which in certain conditions are biased. The method can be
trivially generalized to similar instruments as those available at CHARA and Keck-I.
Least squares deconvolution opens the possibility of delivering legacy quality measurements from the AMBER
archive without relying on visibility calibration or environmental effects such as vibrations. It is a key tool for
the astrophysical exploitation of this instrument.
The visitor instrument PIONIER provides VLTI with improved imaging capabilities and sensitivity. The in-
strument started routinely delivering scientic data in November 2010, that is less than 12 months after being
approved by the ESO Science and Technical Committee. We recall the challenges that had to be tackled to design, built and commission PIONIER. We summarize the typical performances and some astrophysical results obtained so far. We conclude this paper by summarizing lessons learned.
Z CMa is a young binary system consisting of an Herbig primary and a FU Ori companion. Both components
seem to be surrounded by active accretion disks and a jet was associated to the Herbig B0. In Nov. 2008,
K. Grankin discovered that Z CMa was exhibiting an outburst with an amplitude larger than any photometric
variations recorded in the last 25 years. To study the innermost regions in which the outburst occurs and
understand its origin, we have observed both binary components with AMBER/VLTI across the Br
emission
line in Dec. 2009 in medium and high spectral resolution modes. Our observations show that the Herbig Be,
responsible for the increase of luminosity, also produces a strong Br
emission, and they allow us to disentangle
from various origins by locating the emission at each velocities through the line. Considering a model of a
Keplerian disk alone fails at reproducing the asymmetric spectro-astrometric measurements, suggesting a major
contribution from an outflow.
KEYWORDS: Image restoration, K band, Data modeling, Stars, Signal to noise ratio, Interferometry, Visibility, Reconstruction algorithms, Interferometers, Optical interferometry
Planets are believed to form in circumstellar disks around newly born stars at distances ranging from 0.1 to 10 AUs.
This location corresponds to milli-arcsecond scales at the distance of the closest star forming regions and to temperatures
ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand Kelvin. To conduct observations of close environments of such disks
at the milli-arcsecond scale, infrared interferometry is a suitable tool that can be employed to observe T Tauri, FU Ori
and Herbig Ae/Be stars. However, the data obtained so far consist of a small number of measurements which can only
constrain theoretical models. With the advent of recent multi-aperture interferometers, the interferometric data can be used
to reconstruct images independently of any parametric model, as is routinely done in the radio frequency range. On the
other hand, in the optical range, not enough measurements are available to univocally reconstruct an image and some a
priori must be introduced. In this contribution, we present systematic tests performed on the MiRA algorithm (an image
reconstruction algorithm developed for optical interferometry) in order to evaluate the feasibility of the technique. The
methodology allows deriving some practical rules for the user and has been applied to an YSO (HD 163296). I present the
results of the image reconstruction, providing the first images of a complex YSO.
The hydrogen emission line is a defining characteristic of young stellar objects probing the planet forming regions
of the disks. The limiting sensitivity of current interferometers has precluded it's detailed study. We'll review
our current understanding of hydrogen emission, recent results and project the science that can be achieved with
sensitive interferometers such as the PRIMA off-axis mode and GRAVITY.
PIONIER is a 4-telescope visitor instrument for the VLTI, planned to
see its first fringes in 2010. It combines four ATs or four UTs
using a pairwise ABCD integrated optics combiner that can also be
used in scanning mode. It provides low spectral resolution in H and K band. PIONIER is designed for
imaging with a specific emphasis on fast fringe recording to allow
closure-phases and visibilities to be precisely measured. In
this work we provide the detailed description of the instrument and
present its updated status.
The VLTI Spectro Imager project aims to perform imaging with a temporal resolution of 1 night and with a maximum
angular resolution of 1 milliarcsecond, making best use of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer capabilities. To
fulfill the scientific goals (see Garcia et. al.), the system requirements are: a) combining 4 to 6 beams; b) working in
spectral bands J, H and K; c) spectral resolution from R= 100 to 12000; and d) internal fringe tracking on-axis, or off-axis
when associated to the PRIMA dual-beam facility.
The concept of VSI consists on 6 sub-systems: a common path distributing the light between the fringe tracker and the
scientific instrument, the fringe tracker ensuring the co-phasing of the array, the scientific instrument delivering the
interferometric observables and a calibration tool providing sources for internal alignment and interferometric
calibrations. The two remaining sub-systems are the control system and the observation support software dedicated to the
reduction of the interferometric data.
This paper presents the global concept of VSI science path including the common path, the scientific instrument and the
calibration tool. The scientific combination using a set of integrated optics multi-way beam combiners to provide high-stability
visibility and closure phase measurements are also described. Finally we will address the performance budget of
the global VSI instrument. The fringe tracker and scientific spectrograph will be shortly described.
We report the first near-IR polar-interferometric observations, performed at the IOTA array using its integrated
optics combiner IONIC. Fringes have been obtained on calibration stars and resolved late-type giants. Optical
modeling of the array and dedicated laboratory measures allowed us to confirm the good accuracy obtained on
the calibrated polarized visibilities and closure phases. However, no evidences for polarimetric features at high
angular resolution have been detected. The simulations and the results presented here open several perspectives
for polar-interferometry, especially in the context of fibered, single-mode combiners.
Two of the three instruments proposed to ESO for the second generation instrumentation of the VLTI would
use integrated optics for beam combination. Several design are studied, including co-axial and multi-axial
recombination. An extensive quantity of combiners are therefore under test in our laboratories. We will present
the various components, and the method used to validate and compare the different combiners. Finally, we will
discuss the performances and their implication for both VSI and Gravity VLTI instruments.
KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Stars, Spectral resolution, Spatial resolution, Interferometry, Integrated optics, Space telescopes, Visibility, Image restoration, Signal to noise ratio
The VLTI Spectro Imager (VSI) was proposed as a second-generation instrument of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer
providing the ESO community with spectrally-resolved, near-infrared images at angular resolutions
down to 1.1 milliarcsecond and spectral resolutions up to R = 12000. Targets as faint as K = 13 will be imaged
without requiring a brighter nearby reference object; fainter targets can be accessed if a suitable reference is
available. The unique combination of high-dynamic-range imaging at high angular resolution and high spectral
resolution enables a scientific program which serves a broad user community and at the same time provides the
opportunity for breakthroughs in many areas of astrophysics. The high level specifications of the instrument are
derived from a detailed science case based on the capability to obtain, for the first time, milliarcsecond-resolution
images of a wide range of targets including: probing the initial conditions for planet formation in the AU-scale
environments of young stars; imaging convective cells and other phenomena on the surfaces of stars; mapping
the chemical and physical environments of evolved stars, stellar remnants, and stellar winds; and disentangling the central regions of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. VSI will provide these new capabilities
using technologies which have been extensively tested in the past and VSI requires little in terms of new
infrastructure on the VLTI. At the same time, VSI will be able to make maximum use of new infrastructure as it
becomes available; for example, by combining 4, 6 and eventually 8 telescopes, enabling rapid imaging through
the measurement of up to 28 visibilities in every wavelength channel within a few minutes. The current studies
are focused on a 4-telescope version with an upgrade to a 6-telescope one. The instrument contains its own
fringe tracker and tip-tilt control in order to reduce the constraints on the VLTI infrastructure and maximize
the scientific return.
We present a new four-telescope integrated optics (IO) beam combiner in the near-infrared H band, and preliminary
photometric and interferometric measurements obtained in laboratory. The combiners tested and characterized
in our experiments are at the heart of the VSI/VITRUV instrument, whose goal is to combine four to
six telescopes of the VLTI. In this paper, we describe the combiners which incorporate phase-shifting devices
and their characterization through the analysis of polarization properties, instrumental visibilities and phases.
Our results were obtained with an eight-telescope laboratory interferometer, specially developed to simulate the
VLTI. These results demonstrate one more time that the integrated optics technology is particularly well suited
for interferometric combination of multiple beams, and therefore to achieve aperture synthesis imaging with the
VSI/VITRUV instrument.
This paper presents the experimental laboratory interferometer simulator implemented to prepare the VSI-Vitruv instrument. In its final phase, VSI-Vitruv will recombine up to 6 beams of the VLTI thanks to a set of planar Integrated Optics (IO) combiners. This simulator will be used to characterize the IO combiner concepts developed for VSI-Vitruv and will allow to optimize the system up to the data reduction and image reconstruction issues. The simulator consists of three sub-systems: a binary object simulator, a VLTI simulator presenting an array of 8 telescopes, the IO beam combiner and a low resolution spectro-imager. After a detailled presentation of the bench, we will present the first validation tests and the performances of the experiment. The characterizations of the combiners developped for VSI-Vitruv are presented in the accompanying paper (Benisty et al.,6268-89).
VLTi Spectro-Imager (VSI) is a proposition for a second generation VLTI instrument which is aimed at providing
the ESO community with the capability of performing image synthesis at milli-arcsecond angular resolution. VSI
provides the VLTI with an instrument able to combine 4 telescopes in a baseline version and optionally up to
6 telescopes in the near-infrared spectral domain with moderate to high spectral resolution. The instrument
contains its own fringe tracker in order to relax the constraints onto the VLTI infrastructure. VSI will do
imaging at the milli-arcsecond scale with spectral resolution of: a) the close environments of young stars probing
the initial conditions for planet formation; b) the surfaces of stars; c) the environment of evolved stars, stellar
remnants and stellar winds, and d) the central region of active galactic nuclei and supermassive black holes. The
science cases allowed us to specify the astrophysical requirements of the instrument and to define the necessary
studies of the science group for phase A.
We present a laboratotry interferometer simulator specifically designed to characterize prototype integrated optics combiners. In the current configuration it allows to simulate a complex object made of luminous points and observe it with a reconfigurable array made of three telescopes. We used a three-way integrated optics similar to the one used at IOTA to combine the beams. We describe it in detail and present first validation measurements and the first measurements of a binary star. This work paves the way for an up-to eight telescope simulator capable of simulating the VLTI and the VITRUV focal instrument.
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