Recent progress at the Keck Interferometer

Creators: Ragland, S.; Akeson, R.; Colavita, M.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Woillez, J.; Wizinowich, P.; Appleby, E.; Berkey, B.; Cooper, A.; Felizardo, C.; Herstein, J.; Hrynevych, M.; Medeiroes, D.; Morrison, D.; Panteleeva, T.; Pott, J.-U.; Smith, B.; Summers, K.; Tsubota, K.; Tyau, C.; Wetherell, E.

Others:: Danchi, William C.; Delplancke, Françoise; Rajagopal, Jayadev K.

Abstract

The Keck Interferometer (KI) combines the two 10m diameter Keck telescopes providing milliarcsecond angular resolution. KI has unique observing capabilities such as sensitive K-band V2, L-band V2 and N-band nulling operations. The instrument status of the Keck Interferometer since the last SPIE meeting in 2008 is summarized. We discuss the performance of new visibility observing capabilities including L-band and self-phase referencing modes. A simultaneous dual-beam-combiner mode in the K and L-band has been demonstrated, nearly doubling operational efficiency for bright targets. Operational improvements including simplified reliable operations with reduced personnel resources are highlighted. We conclude with a brief review of the current and future developmental activities of KI. Details of ASTRA developments, nulling performance and science results are presented elsewhere at this conference.

Additional Information

© 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). The Keck Interferometer is funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Observations presented here were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Part of this work was performed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, and at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA.

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