Related papers: RAFTER: Ring Astrometric Field Telescope for Exo-p…

The Extrasolar Planet Search with PRIMA project (ESPRI) aims at characterising and detecting extrasolar planets by measuring the host star's reflex motion using the narrow-angle astrometry capability of the PRIMA facility at the Very Large…

The detection and characterisation of extra-solar planets is a major theme driving modern astronomy, with the vast majority of such measurements being achieved by Doppler radial-velocity and transit observations. Another technique -- direct…

More than 450 exoplanets are known and this number increases nearly every day. Only a few constraints on their orbital parameters and physical characteristics can be determined, as most exoplanets are detected indirectly. Measuring the…

With telescope apertures becoming larger and larger, the deployment of large-field telescopes is becoming increasingly popular. However, optical path calibration is necessary to ensure the image quality of large-field and large-diameter…

Aims. We investigate the maximum astrometric precision that can be reached on moving targets observed with digital-sensor arrays, and provide an estimate for its ultimate lower limit based on the Cram\'er-Rao bound. Methods. We extend…

Atmospheric turbulence is a serious problem for ground-based interferometers. It places tight limits on both sensitivity and measurement precision. Phase referencing is a method to overcome these limitations via the use of a bright…

In the context of the ESA M5 (medium mission) call we proposed a new satellite mission, Theia, based on relative astrometry and extreme precision to study the motion of very faint objects in the Universe. Theia is primarily designed to…

The proposed infrared space interferometry mission Darwin has two main aims: (i) to detect and characterize exo-planets similar to the Earth, and (ii) to carry out astrophysical imaging in the wavelength range 6 - 20 micron at a sensitivity…

The Planet Hunting and Asteroseismology Explorer Spectrophotometer, PHASES, is a concept for a space-borne instrument to obtain flux calibrated spectra and measure micro-magnitude photometric variations of nearby stars. The science drivers…

Distant starlight passing through the Earth's atmosphere is refracted by an angle of just over one degree near the surface. This focuses light onto a focal line starting at an inner (and chromatic) boundary out to infinity - offering an…

A high-sensitivity gyroscope is vital for both investigation of the fundamental physics and monitor of the subtle variation of Earth's behaviors. However, it is challenge to realize a portable gyroscope with sensitivity approaching a small…

Sky survey telescopes and powerful targeted telescopes play complementary roles in astronomy. In order to investigate the nature and characteristics of the motions of very faint objects, a flexibly-pointed instrument capable of high…

The U.S. Naval Observatory Robotic Astrometric Telescope (URAT) project aims at a highly accurate (5 mas), ground-based, all-sky survey. Requirements are presented for the optics and telescope for this 0.85 m aperture, 4.5 degree diameter…

Resolving fine details of astronomical objects provides critical insights into their underlying physical processes. This drives in part the desire to construct ever-larger telescopes and interferometer arrays and to observe at shorter…

The employment of a large area Phase Fresnel Lens (PFL) in a gamma-ray telescope offers the potential to image astrophysical phenomena with micro-arcsecond angular resolution. In order to assess the feasibility of this concept, two detailed…

Near-diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy in the visible on large (8-10 meter) class telescopes has proved to be beyond the capabilities of current adaptive optics technologies, even when using laser guide stars. The need for high…

We describe the results from a new instrument which combines Lucky Imaging and Adaptive Optics to give the first routine direct diffraction-limited imaging in the visible on a 5m telescope. With fast image selection behind the Palomar AO…

China is planning to construct a new space-borne gravitational-wave (GW) observatory, the TianQin project, in which the spaceborne telescope is an important component in laser interferometry. The telescope is aimed to transmit laser beams…

Transparent surfaces, such as glass, transmit most of the visible light that falls on them, making accurate pose estimation challenging. We propose a method to locate glass objects to millimetre accuracy using a simple Laser Range Finder…

X-ray emission spectroscopy is emerging as an important complement to x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, providing a characterization of the occupied electronic density of states local to the species of interest. Here, we present…