Search

A good knowledge of the angular diameters of stars used to calibrate the observables in stellar interferometry is fundamental. As the available precision for giant stars is worse than the required per cent level, we aim to improve the knowledge of many diameters using MATISSE (Multiple AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment) data in its different instrumental configurations. Using the squared visibility MATISSE observable, we compute the angular diameter value, which ensures the best-fitting curves, assuming an intensity distribution of a uniform disc. We take into account that the transfer function varies over the wavelength and is different from one instrumental configuration to another. The uncertainties on the diameters are estimated using the residual bootstrap method. Using the low spectral resolution mode in the Lband, we observed a set of 35 potential calibrators selected in the Mid-infrared stellar Diameter and Flux Compilation Catalogue with diameters ranging from about 1 to 3 mas. We reach a precision on the diameter estimates in the range 0.6 per cent to 4.1 per cent. The study of the stability of the transfer function in visibility over two nights makes us confident in our results. In addition, we identify one star, 75 Vir initially present in the calibrator lists, for which our method does not converge, and prove to be a binary star. This leads us to the conclusion that our method is actually necessary to improve the quality of the astrophysical results obtained with MATISSE, and that it can be used as a useful tool for ‘bad calibrator’ detection.

The hypertelescope construction initiated in the Southern Alps (Labeyrie et al., this conference) has provided some preliminary operating experience indicating that larger versions, up to perhaps 1200m, are probably feasible at suitable sites. The Arecibo-like architecture of such instruments does not require the large mount and dome which dominate the cost of a 40m ELT. For the same cost, an "Extremely Large Hyper Telescope” ( ELHyT) may therefore have a larger collecting area. It may thus in principle reach higher limiting magnitudes, both for seeing-limited and, if equipped with a Laser Guide Star and adaptive phasing, for high-resolution imaging with gain as the size ratio, i.e. about 30 with respect to a 40m ELT. Like the radio arrays of antennas, such instruments can be grown progressively. Also, they can be up-graded with several focal gondolas, independently tracking different sources. Candidate sites have been identified in the Himalaya and the Andes. We describe several design options and compare the science achievable for both instruments, ELTs and ELHyTs. The broad science addressed by an ELHyT covers stellar chromospheres, transiting exoplanets and those requiring a high dynamic range, achieved by array apodization or coronagraphy. With a Laser Guide Star, it extends to faint compact sources beyond the limits of telescopes having a smaller collecting area, supernovae, active galactic nuclei, gamma ray bursts. The sparse content of remote galaxies seen in the Hubble Deep Field appears compatible with the crowding limitations of an ELHyT having 1000 apertures.

MATISSE est l'instrument de seconde génération du VLTI dédié à la spectro-interférométrie dans l'infrarouge moyen, de 3 à 13 µm. Ce rapport à l'ESO décrit son commissioning, son optimisation et l'ensemble de ses performances telles qu'elles devraient être offertes aux utilisateurs de l'ESO. Cette version du rapport est la version finale pour MATISSE "seul" telle qu'elle a a été présenté pour la "Provisional Acceptance Chili" qui est le moment ou l'instrument est accepté par l'ESO et passe de la responsabilité du consortium MATISSE à celle de l'Observatoire de Paranal. Le rapport décrit la méthodologie complète et originale qui a permis d'établir l'ensemble des performances de MATISSE dans ses différents modes d'observation et résolutions spectrales et se termine par une synthèse des performances proposées à l'ESO. En annexe, on a une évaluation des performances de MATISSE quand il est associé au suiveur de franges de GRAVITY.

SPICA-FT is part of the CHARA/SPICA instrument which combines a visible 6T fibered instrument (SPICAVIS) with a H-band 6T fringe sensor. SPICA-FT is a pairwise ABCD integrated optics combiner. The chip is installed in the MIRC-X instrument. The MIRC-X spectrograph could be fed either by the classical 6T fibered combiner or by the SPICA-FT integrated optics combiner. SPICA-FT also integrates a dedicated fringe tracking software, called the opd-controller communicating with the main delay line through a dedicated channel. We present the design of the integrated optics chip, its implementation in MIRC-X and the software architecture of the group-delay and phase-delay control loops. The final integrated optics chip and the software have been fully characterized in the laboratory. First on-sky tests of the integrated optics combiner began in 2020. We continue the on-sky tests of the whole system (combiner + software) in Spring and Summer 2022. We present the main results, and we deduce the preliminary performance of SPICA-FT.

With a possible angular resolution down to 0.1-0.2 millisecond of arc using the 330 m baselines and the access to the 600-900 nm spectral domain, the CHARA Array is ideally configured for focusing on precise and accurate fundamental parameters of stars. CHARA/SPICA (Stellar Parameters and Images with a Cophased Array) aims at performing a large survey of stars all over the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. This survey will also study the effects of the different kinds of variability and surface structure on the reliability of the extracted fundamental parameters. New surface-brightness-colour relations will be extracted from this survey, for general purposes on distance determination and the characterization of faint stars. SPICA is made of a visible 6T fibered instrument and of a near-infrared fringe sensor. In this paper, we detail the science program and the main characteristics of SPICA-VIS. We present finally the initial performance obtained during the commissioning.