Recent site testing (see: http://www-luan.unice.fr/Concordiastro/indexantartic.html) has shown that Dome C in Antarctica might have a high potential for stellar interferometry if some solutions related to the surface atmospheric layer are found. A demonstrator interferometer could be envisioned in order to fully qualify the site and prepare the future development of a large array. We analyse the performances of a prototype interferometer for Dome C made with 3 telescopes of 40 cm diameter. It assumes classical Michelson recombination. The most recent atmospheric and environmental conditions measured at Dome C are considered (see K. Agabi "First whole atmosphere night-time seeing measurements at Dome C, Antarctica"[¹]). We also study the possible science reachable with such a demonstrator. Especially we evaluate that even such small aperture interferometer could allow the detection and low resolution spectroscopy of the most favorable pegaside planets.

Date Published: 29 June 2006
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 6268, Advances in Stellar Interferometry, 62684C (29 June 2006); doi: 10.1117/12.671411

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6268:
Advances in Stellar Interferometry
John D. Monnier; Markus Schöller; William C. Danchi, Editor(s)