We describe in this paper the auxiliary optics developped for high angular observations in polarized light. These optics and their related data processing system - based on microprocessors - are implemented on the stellar interferometers at CERGA. Our observationnal program concerns the detection of Rayleigh scattering in circumstellar enveloppes around single and binary stars. We also plan to observe magnetic stars with the 1.5 meter aperture interferometer when it will be operationnal. We consider a simple geometrical model for a stellar magnetic field and show how the visibility functions of the star should change in transverse and longitudinal components of a Zeeman pattern. We discuss feasability and the requirements on sensitivity.

Date Published: 9 January 1984
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 0445, Instrumentation in Astronomy V, (9 January 1984); doi: 10.1117/12.966180

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 0445:
Instrumentation in Astronomy V
Alec Boksenberg; David L. Crawford, Editor(s)