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The Astronomical Potential of Spatial Interferometry in the Infrared

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2016

Frank J Low

Abstract

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The angular diameters ad shapes of bright infrared stars are now being measured from 2 micron to 20 microns using several newly developed techniques of high angular resolution interferometry. These objects possess circumstellar shells emitting in the temperature range 300-600K, thus the brightest of their number have sizes ranging from 0 1 to 10 arcseconds, and are readily resolved by instruments a few meters across.

The size, shape, and structure of several typesof stars will be discussed in detail as the Colloquium proceeds. It will be seen that this information can be used to help characterize the optical properties of the particulate material contained in the circumstellar envelopes. Conclusions concerning the formation and evolution of these cold outer regions of stars may also be possible It appears that the conditions in some of these circumstellar envelopes may be suitable for the formation of planets, a process which may be studied directly as these new techniques are further developed.

Although sensitivities of present instruments are still somewhat marginal, it is now possible to resolve the brightest of the extragalactic nuclei at 10 microns Future instrumental developments should bring the size and structure of many extragalactic nuclei within reach at several wavelengths, thus adding important information on the nature of these extraordinary sources of infrared emission

Type
The Scientific Programme
Information
International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 50: High Angular Resolution Stellar Interferometry , January 1979 , pp. 2-1 - 2-12
Copyright
Copyright © 1979

References

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