Abstract

The implementation of adaptive wave-front compensation techniques offers the potential to improve the detection sensitivity of a Michelson stellar interferometer. The improvement obtained depends on many factors, including the completeness of the wave-front corrections. Calculations based on simple theory are presented that predict the shot-noise-limited sensitivity enhancement as measured in limiting stellar visual magnitudes for adaptive optical systems offering varying degrees of spatial compensation. Even low-order wave-front corrections are shown to yield significant improvement in detection thresholds.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Wavelength-dependent sensitivity limitations affecting low light level Michelson stellar interferometry

G. C. Loos
Appl. Opt. 32(1) 52-56 (1993)

Adaptive optics for array telescopes using piston-and-tilt wave-front sensing

P. Wizinowich, B. McLeod, M. Lloyd-Hart, J. R. P. Angel, D. Colucci, R. Dekany, D. McCarthy, D. Wittman, and I. Scott-Fleming
Appl. Opt. 31(28) 6036-6046 (1992)

Optical astronomical interferometry: requirements on stellar Michelson interferometry and heterodyne interferometry for high-resolution imaging

Peter R. Silverglate
Appl. Opt. 25(2) 204-208 (1986)

High-resolution ground-based coronagraphy using image-motion compensation

D. A. Golimowski, M. Clampin, S. T. Durrance, and R. H. Barkhouser
Appl. Opt. 31(22) 4405-4416 (1992)

Adaptive optics performance model for optical interferometry

D. Mozurkewich, S. R. Restaino, J. T. Armstrong, and G. C. Gilbreath
Appl. Opt. 46(20) 4413-4422 (2007)