# Presentation: 454817

## Off the Beaten Path: Future Optical Interferometry

- M. Creech-Eakman
- New Mexico Tech/Magdalena Ridge Observatory Interferometer

## Where are we?

*Spatial Resolution*

*Sensitivity*

*Sampling/coverage*

*Temporal*

- SDSS/LSST

- JWST/EVLA

- VLBI/OptInt

- CSS/Robotic

## Limitations of optical interferometers

- Sensitivity
- Optimal aperture size
- Number/quality of reflections
- Fringe tracking methodology
- Efficiency
- Combining multiple telescopes simultaneously
- Removing human intervention
- Complexity management
- Sampling

## How Can We Improve?

- Sensitivity
- Make most efficient use of the light
- Fringe track to bootstrap and take science at higher spectral resolution
- Efficiency
- Better beam combination schemes
- Automate the entire system
- Combine multiple telescopes simultaneously
- Sampling and Temporal coverage naturally increase

## Potential Targets

## Potential Targets

## What scientific contributions?

- Stellar Diameters
- Binary Stars
- Evolved Stars/Mass Loss
- Young Stellar Objects
- AGN

- van Belle et al., 2008, ApJ “The PTI Calibrator Catalogue”
- Zhao et al., 2007, ApJ, “Physical Orbit for Lambda Vir and a Test of Stellar Evolution Models”
- Zavala et al., 2007, ApJ “The Mercury-Manganese Binary Star Phi Herculis...”
- Sacuto et al, 2007, A&A “The Compact Dust Shell in the Symbiotic System HM Saggitae”
- Domiciano de Suza et al., 2007, A&A, “AMBER/VLTI and MIDI/VLTI spectro-interferometric..”
- Weigelt et al. 2007, A&A, “Near-infrared interferometry of eta Car”
- Leao et al., 2007, A&A, “A Snapshot of the Inner Dusty Regions of a R CrB-type Variable”
- Ohnaka et al., 2007, A&A, “Temporal Variations of the Outer Atmosphere and Dust Shell of the...”
- Pontoppidan et al., 2007, ApJ “Modeling SPITZER Observations of VV Ser I. The circumstellar disk...”
- Malbet et al., 2007, A&A “Disk and Wind Interaction in the YSO MWC297”
- Liu et al., 2007, ApJ, “Observations of Herbig Ae Disks with Nulling Interferometry”
- Beckert et al., 2008, A&A, “Probing the dusty environment of the Seyfert 1 nucleus in NGC 3783 with MIDI/VLTI”
- Meisenheimer et al., 2008, A&A, “Resolving the Innermost Parsec of Centaurus A at Mid-infrared Wavelengths”

*Partial list 2007-2008....*

## What advantage from Long-Baseline Interferometry?

## Existing Opt Int Facilities

- CHARA

- Keck Int.

- NPOI

- LBTI

- Mira 1.2

- VLTI

- SUSI

- ISI

- PTI

## Flow-Down Science Requirements to an Imaging Facility

- Spatial scales of 0.3 to 30 mas for 0.6-2.4 microns
- Baselines from 8 to 350 m
- Moderate-to-high spectral resolutions
- Separate fringe tracking and science cameras
- High throughput and high-contrast fringes
- Minimize reflections from primary to detectors
- Optimized coatings/optics for operating wavelengths
- Telescope diameter to enable AGN science
- With reasonable seeing, at least 1.4m diameter
- Large number of telescopes
- Number and layout optimized for model-independent imaging

## Overview of MROI Layout

## Optical Path

## Recent Progress

## Array Configurations

## Basic MROI Phase A Timeline

- Building Completed in Feb 2008
- Delivery of First Telescope early 2010
- First Fringes by late 2010
- Next telescopes at six month intervals
- 1 year of Commissioning with 5-6 Telescopes
- Funding Agreement through FY2012      (Phase A – 6 telescopes, NIR operations)
- Public access beginning in 2013

## Special Thanks

- NRL for sponsoring our funding
- Our partner at Cambridge and STFC for their funding
- Dr. Van Romero for the vision to initiate the MRO project
- Our NM congressional members and staff, but especially the honorable Senator Pete V. Domenici