Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· arXiv e-print (arXiv:0809.3721)
· References in the article
· SIMBAD Objects (14)
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
An Inexpensive Field-Widened Monolithic Michelson Interferometer for Precision Radial Velocity Measurements
Authors:
Mahadevan, Suvrath; Ge, Jian; Fleming, Scott W.; Wan, Xiaoke; DeWitt, Curtis; van Eyken, Julian C.; McDavitt, Dan
Affiliation:
AA(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AB(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AC(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AD(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AE(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AF(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL), AG(Astronomy Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL)
Publication:
The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Volume 120, Issue 871, pp. 1001-1015 (PASP Homepage)
Publication Date:
09/2008
Origin:
UCP
PASP Keywords:
Astronomical Instrumentation
DOI:
10.1086/592197
Bibliographic Code:
2008PASP..120.1001M

Abstract

We have constructed a thermally compensated field-widened monolithic Michelson interferometer that can be used with a medium-resolution spectrograph to measure precise Doppler radial velocities of stars. Our prototype monolithic fixed-delay interferometer is constructed with off-the-shelf components and assembled using a hydrolysis bonding technique. We installed and tested this interferometer in the Exoplanet Tracker (ET) instrument at the Kitt Peak 2.1 m telescope, an instrument built to demonstrate the principles of dispersed fixed-delay interferometry. An iodine cell allows the interferometer drift to be accurately calibrated, relaxing the stability requirements on the interferometer itself. When using our monolithic interferometer, the ET instrument has no moving parts (except the iodine cell), greatly simplifying its operation. We demonstrate differential radial velocity precision of a few m s-1 on well known radial velocity standards and planet bearing stars when using this interferometer. Such monolithic interferometers will make it possible to build relatively inexpensive instruments that are easy to operate and capable of precision radial velocity measurements. A larger multiobject version of the Exoplanet Tracker will be used to conduct a large scale survey for planetary systems as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS III). Variants of the techniques and principles discussed in this paper can be directly applied to build large monolithic interferometers for such applications, enabling the construction of instruments capable of efficiently observing many stars simultaneously at high velocity precision.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)
   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints