Millisecond Infra-Red Astrophysical Spectrophotometer

University Of Texas At Austin, Austin TX

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0096626 Harvey, Paul M. Two hundred years ago scientists discovered that light from a point source diffracted around a sharp edge produced a fringe pattern. Later it was discovered that information about the spatial structure and spectral characteristics of the light across the pinhole was encoded in the structure of the fringe pattern. Around the middle of the last century astronomers used the sharp edge of the moon as it passed over light from stars to learn about the nature of light from stellar surfaces. The quality and quantity of scientific data recorded using these techniques was limited by the low responsiveness of the focal planes at the time. This new work will leverage new technology focal planes, and high-speed electronics, and improved computer controlled telescope-instrument systems into a new instrument designed and built to record fringe patterns created by lunar occultations of selected celestial objects. This instrument will make measurements in the infrared where different wavelengths between 1 and 13 micrometers can be used to achieve different spatial resolutions of the diameters of stars, search for binary stars and will have a role in reconstructing images of extended sources at different wavelengths. The instrument will be of significant value to educate students on optical diffraction and how it can be used to measure stellar diameters and limb darkening. ***