Related papers: The case for optical interferometric polarimetry
So far, high resolution techniques on the one hand provide morphological information on bright nearby objects. On the other hand, telescopes with large collecting areas allow us to detect very faint and distant objects, but not to obtain a…
Intensity interferometry permits very long optical baselines and the observation of sub-milliarcsecond structures. Using planned kilometric arrays of air Cherenkov telescopes at short wavelengths, intensity interferometry may increase the…
Alternative theories of gravity predict up to six distinct polarization modes for gravitational waves. Strong gravitational lensing of gravitational waves allows us to probe the polarization content of these signals by effectively…
I present an overview of important results obtained using high-resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of X-ray binary systems. These results derive from both astrometric observations and resolved imaging of…
Orbital solutions for binary or multiple stellar systems that combine astrometry (e.g., position angles and angular separations) with spectroscopy (radial velocities) have important advantages over astrometric-only or spectroscopic-only…
A new generation of interferometric instruments is emerging which aim to use intensity mapping of redshifted $21\,$cm radiation to measure the large-scale structure of the Universe at $z\simeq 1-2$ over wide areas of sky. While these…
First results of near-IR adaptive optics (AO)-assisted imaging, interferometry, and spectroscopy of this Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) are presented. They suggest that the Pistol Star is at least double. If the association is physical, it…
Long-baseline interferometry (LBI) is used to reconstruct the image of faint thermal objects. The image quality, for a given exposure time, is in general limited by a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We show theoretically that a significant…
Accurate measurement of polarization in spectral lines is important for the reliable inference of magnetic fields on the Sun. For ground based observations, polarimetric precision is severely limited by the presence of Earth's atmosphere.…
Increasing the laser power is essential to improve the sensitivity of interferometric gravitational wave detectors. However, optomechanical parametric instabilities can set a limit to that power. It is of major importance to understand and…
Polarizing microscopy brought about many advancements in the science of liquid crystals and other soft materials, including those of biological origin. Recent developments in optics and computer-based analysis enabled a new generation of…
We propose an optical ring interferometer to observe environment-induced spatial decoherence of massive objects. The object is held in a harmonic trap and scatters light between degenerate modes of a ring cavity. The output signal of the…
One objective of the Polstar spectropolarimetry mission is to characterize the degree of nonconservative mass transfer that occurs at various stages of binary evolution, from the initial mass reversal to the late Algol phase. The proposed…
We show that pairs of widely separated interferometers are advantageous for measuring the Stokes parameter V of a stochastic background of gravitational waves. This parameter characterizes asymmetry of amplitudes of right- and left-handed…
Integrated optic beam combiners offer many advantages over conventional bulk optic implementations for astronomical imaging. To date, integrated optic beam combiners have only been demonstrated at operating wavelengths below 4 microns.…
Science opportunities and recommendations concerning optical/infrared polarimetry for the upcoming decade in the field of Galactic science. Community-based White Paper to Astro2010 in response to the call for such papers.
Linear polarization measurements provide access to two quantities, the degree (DOP) and the angle of polarization (AOP). The aim of this work is to give a complete and concise overview of how to analyze polarimetric measurements. We review…
Measurement technology employing optical interference phenomena such as a fringe pattern or frequency shift has been evolving for more than a century. The systems are being designed better, and their components are being built better. But…
A new polarimeter called AnyPol has been used at Limber Observatory for four years to annually monitor the broadband linear polarization of a sample of bright northern Be stars. This is the fourth report on a program started in 1985 at…
We report on recent observations of AGB stars obtained with the VLT Interferometer (VLTI). We illustrate in general the potential of interferometric measurements to study stellar atmospheres and circumstellar envelopes, and demonstrate in…