High-resolution imaging with AEOS

Jennifer Patience; Bruce A. Macintosh; Claire E. Max

doi:10.1117/12.455423

27 December 2001 High-resolution imaging with AEOS

Jennifer Patience, Bruce A. Macintosh, Claire E. Max

Proceedings Volume 4490, Multifrequency Electronic/Photonic Devices and Systems for Dual-Use Applications; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.455423
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2001, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

The U.S. Air Force Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) which includes a 941 actuator adaptive optics system on a 3.7 m telescope has recently been made available for astronomical programs. Operating at a wavelength of 750 nm, the diffraction-limited angular resolution of the system is 0".04; currently, the magnitude limit is V approximately 7 mag. At the distances of nearby open clusters, diffraction- limited images should resolve companions with separations as small as 4 - 6 AU - comparable to the Sun-Jupiter distance. The ability to study such close separations is critical, since most companions are expected to have separations in the few AU to tens of AU range. With the exceptional angular resolution of the current AEOS setup, but restricted target magnitude range, we are conducting a companion search of a large, well-defined sample of bright early-type stars in nearby open clusters and in the field. Our data set will both characterize this relatively new adaptive optics system and answer questions in binary star formation and stellar X- ray activity. We will discuss our experience using AEOS, the data analysis involved, and our initial results.

Citation Download Citation

Jennifer Patience, Bruce A. Macintosh, and Claire E. Max "High-resolution imaging with AEOS", Proc. SPIE 4490, Multifrequency Electronic/Photonic Devices and Systems for Dual-Use Applications, (27 December 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.455423

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