Abstract
Michigan InfraRed Combiner (MIRC) is a near-infrared image-plane
combiner at the CHARA array which consists of six 1-m diameter
telescopes with the longest baseline of 330m. MIRC was upgraded from a
4-beam to a full 6-beam combiner in July 2011, which now records
interferometry data of 15 baselines and 20 triangles simultaneously. The
improved snapshot UV coverage has greatly boosted the ability for
imaging complicated targets such as the asymmetry of circumstellar
disks, interacting binaries and the surfaces of spotted stars. In
addition, the Photometric Channels subsystem, which directly measures
the real time flux of individual beams, has been upgraded to increase
the light throughput to improve the visibility and closure phase
calibration. The system sensitivity has been improved as well to allow
fainter objects such as Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) to be observable
with MIRC for the first time. Our presentation will conclude with first
preliminary results of imaging two Be binaries observed by the upgraded
MIRC.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Optical and Infrared Interferometry III |
Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the SPIE |
Publisher | SPIE |
Volume | 8445 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780819491466 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2012 |