TY - GEN
T1 - Applications of Long Baseline Interferometry on Rapid Rotators, Binaries, and Hot Jupiters
AU - Zhao, M.
AU - Monnier, J.~D.
AU - ten Brummelaar, T.
AU - Pedretti, E.
AU - Thureau, N.
PY - 2009/1/1
Y1 - 2009/1/1
N2 - Long baseline optical inerferometers now have the power to resolve objects as small as 0.5 milliarcseconds in the near-IR, allowing us to study stars and their environment in unprecedented detail. As a fundamental property of stars, rotation affects stars' luminosities, Teffs, and their life times, etc. Since most hot stars are rapid rotators, understanding the effects of rotation will shed light on critical areas of stellar evolution and basic astrophysics. Using CHARA-MIRC, we resolved the surface of Altair, resulting in the first image of a main sequence star other than the Sun. We also imaged and modeled Alp Oph and Alp Cep, allowing us to confirm the "gravity darkening" phenomenon and investigate the impact of their rapid rotation to the H-R diagram. In addition to rapid rotators, we also made the first resolved images of the well-known interacting and eclipsing binary system Beta Lyrae, allowing us to obtain its full orbital parameters. Lastly, we present our efforts on direct detection of nearby hot Jupiters using precision closure phase, showing that it is feasible with CHARA-MIRC and the CHAMP fringe tracker.
AB - Long baseline optical inerferometers now have the power to resolve objects as small as 0.5 milliarcseconds in the near-IR, allowing us to study stars and their environment in unprecedented detail. As a fundamental property of stars, rotation affects stars' luminosities, Teffs, and their life times, etc. Since most hot stars are rapid rotators, understanding the effects of rotation will shed light on critical areas of stellar evolution and basic astrophysics. Using CHARA-MIRC, we resolved the surface of Altair, resulting in the first image of a main sequence star other than the Sun. We also imaged and modeled Alp Oph and Alp Cep, allowing us to confirm the "gravity darkening" phenomenon and investigate the impact of their rapid rotation to the H-R diagram. In addition to rapid rotators, we also made the first resolved images of the well-known interacting and eclipsing binary system Beta Lyrae, allowing us to obtain its full orbital parameters. Lastly, we present our efforts on direct detection of nearby hot Jupiters using precision closure phase, showing that it is feasible with CHARA-MIRC and the CHAMP fringe tracker.
M3 - Conference contribution
VL - 41
T3 - Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society
SP - 291
BT - American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts 213
ER -