The Keck Interferometer: Instrument Overview and Proposed Science
The Keck Interferometer is being developed by JPL and CARA as one of the ground-based components of NASA's Origins Program.
Optical Interferometry astrometry nulling synthesi↗
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The Control System for the Keck Interferometer Nuller
This viewgraph presentation reviews the control system for the interferometer nuller for the two Keck 10 meter telescopes. This reviews the control system that was implemented to enable operation of the Keck interferometer nuller. An overview of the control system is included.
nulling↗
Performance and verification of the Keck Interferometer fringe detection and tracking system
We briefly discuss the instrument design of the Keck Interferometer from a hardware and realtime controls standpoint. We also show some recent visibility data from the instrument and summarize Fatcat's limiting sensitivity. Finally, we will discuss near and longterm evolution of the instrument through planned upgrades and summarize avenues for enhanced capability.
stellar↗
Detection of extrasolar planets with the Keck Interferometer
We discuss the development of the Differential Phase detection technique for the Keck Interferometer Hot Jupiter Key Science Program.
extrasolar planets Keck interferometer Hot Jupiter↗
Final laboratory integration and test of the Keck Interferometer nuller
Mid-infrared nulling is a key observing mode planned for the NASA-funded Keck Interferometer at the Keck Observatory on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
extrasolar planet detection↗
Differential Phase Mode with the Keck Interferometer
We describe the differential phase mode of the Keck Interferometer. The scientific goal of this mode is the direct detection and spectroscopic characterization of hot, Jupiter mass planets. We describe the differential phase effect, the basic observational mode, and the expected differential phase signatures for the extrasolar planets discovered through radial velocity searches.
Akeson, Rachel↗
The Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN): configuration, measurement approach, and first results
The Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) will be used to examine nearby stellar systems for the presence of circumstellar exozodiacal emission.
interferometry↗
The Keck interferometer autoaligner
A key thrust of NASA's Origins program is the development of astronomical interferometers. Pursuing this goal in a cost-effective and expedient manner from the ground has led NASA to develop the Keck Interferometer, which saw first fringes between the twin 10m Keck telescopes in March of 2001.
Keck↗
Overview of the control for the Keck Interferometer
This paper gives an overview of the control system that has been implemented for the single baseline operation of the Keck Interferometer and indicates how this will be extended to allow control of the future modes of the instrument.
Keck Interferometer interferometry real time contr↗
Detecting extrasolar planets with the Keck Interferometer
We discuss the development of the Differential Phase detection technique for the Keck Interferometer Hot Jupiter Key Science Program.
infrared interferometer↗
High-Resolution N-Band Observations of the Nova Rs Ophiuchi: First Science with the Keck Interferometer Nuller
We report new observations of the nova RS Ophiuchi using the Keck Interferometer Nulling Instrument (KIN), approximately 3.8 days following the most recent outburst that occurred on 2006 February 12. These observations represent the first scientific results from the KIN, which operates in N-band from 8 to 12.5 microns. The nulling technique is the sparse aperture equivalent of the conventional coronagraphic technique used in filled aperture telescopes. By fitting the unique KIN inner and outer spatial regime data, we have obtained an angular size of the mid-infrared continuum of 6.2,4.0, or 5.4 mas for a disk profile, Gaussian profile, and shell profile respectively. The data show evidence of enhanced neutral atomic hydrogen emission and atomic metals including silicon located in the inner spatial regime near the white dwarf relative to the outer regime. There are also nebular emission lines and evidence of hot silicate dust in the outer spatial region, centered at approximately 2.5E14 cm from the WD, that are not found in the inner regime. The nova flash in the outer spatial regime evidently excited these features before the blast wave reached these regions. These identifications support the following interpretation. The dust appears to be present between outbursts and was not created during the outburst event. We further discuss the present results in terms of a unifying model of the system that includes an increase in density in the plane of the orbit of the two stars created by a spiral shock wave caused by the motion of the stars through the cool wind of the red giant star. These data show the power and potential of the nulling technique which has been developed for the detection of Earthlike planets around nearby stars for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission and Darwin missions.
Danchi, William↗
An overview of the Keck Interferometer Nuller
The first high dynamic range interferometry mode planned to come on line at the Keck Observatory is mid-infrared nulling interferometry. In this paper, an overview is given of the goals and experimental configuration of the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN).
nulling interferometry↗
Water Vapor Measurement and Compensation in the Near and Mid-infrared with the Keck Interferometer Nuller
A viewgraph presentation describing the methods, motivation and methods for water vapor measurement with the Keck interferometer near and mid infrared radiation band is shown. The topics include: 1) Motivation: Why measure H2O?; 2) Method: How do we measure H2O?; 3) Data: Phase and Group Delays for the K and N Bands; 4) Predicted and Actual Nband Phase and Dispersion; and 5) Validation of Atmospheric Turbulence Models with KI Data.
exozodiacal dust↗
KALI camera - mid-infrared camera for the Keck Interferometer Nuller
We present a brief overview of the KALI Camera, the mid-infrared camera for the Keck Interferometer Nulling Project, built at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Mid-infrared↗
Differential Phase Technique with the Keck Interferometer
We will present the motivation and development of the novel differential phase technique being developed for the Keck Interferometer.
infrared↗
The Keck Interferometer Nuller: System Architecture and Laboratory Performance
The first high-dynamic-range interferometric mode planned to come on line at the Keck Observatory is mid-infrared nulling. This observational mode, which is based on the cancellation of the on-axis starlight arriving at the win Keck telescopes, will be used to examine nearby stellar systems for the presence of circumstellar exozodiacal emission. This paper describes the system level layout of the Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN), as well as the final performance levels demonstrated in the laboratory integration and test phase at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory prior to shipment of the nuller hardware to the Keck Observatory in mid-June 2004. On-sky testing and observation with the mid-infrared nuller are slated to begin in August 2004.
interferometry↗
Laboratory performance of the Keck interferometer nulling beam combiner
Now that regular visibility squared measurements are routinely achieved, mid-infrared nulling is the next observing mode to be implemented on the Keck Interferometer. This mode's main objective is the characterization of exo-zodiacal dust disks around nearby main sequence stars in support of the TPF space mission. Keck Nuller also shares numerious characteristics with an interferometric TPF, and will then serve as a technical precursor for this mission. We report here the results obtained in the laboratory with the KI mid-IR nulling beam combiner, which is based on a dual polarization Modified Mach Zender combiner and dispersion and achromatic nulling through zinc-selenide dielectric plates.
mid-infrared↗