First Science with CHARA Fringe Tracker: Imaging Planet-forming Disks around Young Stars

CHARA Fringe Tracker 的首项科学：对年轻恒星周围的行星形成盘进行成像

• 批准号: 0807577
• 负责人: John Monnier
• 金额: $ 51.26万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0807577&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: First; Science; CHARA; Fringe; Tracker

Dr. Monnier will build on recent advances in interferometry to develop an important new tool for studying young stellar objects: "model-independent" imaging with milli-arcsecond angular resolution. The project will be carried out using the newly commissioned Michigan Infra-Red Combiner, which links all six telescopes of the Georgia State University's Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) optical interferometer at Mt. Wilson in California. CHARA's imaging capabilities will be extended even further using a new fringe tracker also developed by Dr. Monnier. This will be used to "phase up" the array at one wavelength while observing in another - a kind of adaptive optics for interferometry.The scientific focus of this project is to exploit the new order-of-magnitude improvement of sensitivity for imaging the inner disks of young stellar objects in the process of planet formation. Initial observations of young stars using a two-telescope combiner at CHARA have already revealed surprisingly strong emission from inside the dust destruction radius, tentatively associated with hot gas. Other evidence is also accumulating that the inner regions of accretion disks are quite dynamic and time-variable, and imaging will provide a uniquely powerful tool for discovering the source of these changes. This research promises to uncover connections between jet eruptions and disk instabilities, likely critical for understanding planet formation and subsequent migration. Because orbital time scales are less than about a year in the inner disk, the multi-epoch studies to be carried out should reveal the orbital motion of any clumps or inhomogeneities.Imaging is a general-purpose capability that is lacking in visible and infrared interferometry, and is only now possible with current facilities and new beam combination techniques. The software and data analysis tools developed in this project will be available to the whole community and can be applied to diverse areas of stellar astronomy beyond this project.The advances in infrared interferometry have been made possible through the improvement in infrared detectors. As experimentalists and IR camera builders, Dr. Monnier and his team will share these exciting developments with the greater public through an innovative portable exhibit concept based around today's new thermal infrared cameras. Partnering with the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, a portable visible-infrared stereo camera system, deployable in a variety of teaching environments, will be developed. This engaging learning tool will allow students of all ages to explore their Universe with "new eyes."

Monnier博士将基于干涉测量的最新进展，以开发一种重要的新工具来研究年轻的恒星对象：使用毫秒秒的角度分辨率进行“独立于模型的”成像。该项目将使用新委托的密歇根州Infra-Red Combiner进行，该组合将佐治亚州立大学高角度分辨率天文学中心（CHARA）光学干涉仪位于加利福尼亚州威尔逊山的所有六个望远镜。 Chara的成像功能将通过Monnier博士也开发的新边缘跟踪器进一步扩展。这将用于在一个波长中“逐步”阵列，同时观察另一个波长 - 一种自适应光学的干涉方法。该项目的科学重点是利用在行星形成过程中Young Stellar对象内部磁盘的新敏感性提高敏感性的新敏感性。使用CHARA的两种镜头组合器对年轻恒星的最初观察已经显示出从灰尘破坏半径内部出人意料的强劲发射，与热气体暂定相关。其他证据也积累了积聚磁盘的内部区域是动态的和时间变化的，并且成像将为发现这些变化的来源提供一个独特的功能工具。这项研究有望揭示喷气喷发与磁盘不稳定性之间的联系，这对于理解行星形成和随后的迁移可能至关重要。由于轨道时间尺度在内部磁盘中少于大约一年，因此要进行的多个类别研究应揭示任何团块或不均匀性的轨道运动。成像是缺乏可见的和红外干涉仪的通用能力，并且仅在当前的设施和新束组合技术方面才有可能。该项目中开发的软件和数据分析工具将用于整个社区，并且可以应用于该项目以外的恒星天文学领域。通过改善红外探测器，红外干涉测量的进步已成为可能。作为实验者和IR摄像头建设者，Monnier博士和他的团队将通过创新的便携式展览概念与大众分享这些令人兴奋的发展，以当今的新型热红外相机。将开发与便携式可见信号立体相机系统Ann Arbor动手博物馆合作，可在各种教学环境中部署。这种引人入胜的学习工具将使所有年龄段的学生都可以用“新的眼睛”探索自己的宇宙。