A daylight experiment for teaching stellar interferometry

We discuss the design of a simple experiment that reproduces the operation of the Michelson stellar interferometer. The emission of stellar sources has been simulated using light emerging from circular end-faces of step-index polymer optical fibers and from diffuse reflections of laser beams. Interf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of physics 2014-07, Vol.82 (7), p.649-653
Main Authors: Illarramendi, M. A., Hueso, R., Zubia, J., Aldabaldetreku, G., Durana, G., Sánchez-Lavega, A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Fiber optics
Interferometry
Ion beams
Physics
Simulation
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Summary:We discuss the design of a simple experiment that reproduces the operation of the Michelson stellar interferometer. The emission of stellar sources has been simulated using light emerging from circular end-faces of step-index polymer optical fibers and from diffuse reflections of laser beams. Interference fringes have been acquired using a digital camera, coupled to a telescope obscured by a double aperture lid. The experiment is analogous to the classical determination of stellar sizes by Michelson and can be used during the day. Using this experimental set-up, we can determine the size of extended sources, located at a distance of about 75 m from our telescope, with errors less than 25%.
ISSN:0002-9505
1943-2909
DOI:10.1119/1.4869280