Key Science Program
The Key Science Program drives the design specifications and development of all the interferometer subsystems. It covers three main topical areas (discussed below) and requires the following in the design of the MRO Interferometer:
- Optical and near-infrared operations on variable baselines from 7.5 to 340 meters
- Low to moderate spectral resolutions on fringe-tracked sources as faint as 14th magnitude at H (1.6 microns) band
- Baseline bootstrapping implemented on the science combiner, fed forward from the fringe-tracker, in order to make model-independent images by mixing the light from up to ten telescopes
For more details on how interferometers work please see the interferometry section on the Links page.
The Key Science Program topical areas include:
- Stellar and planetary formation -- these two processes are inextricably
linked in astrophysics because we now understand that planets form from
the leftover materials during the star-formation process. Some of the
fundamental questions we hope to address here include:
- Is the disk clearing period in young stellar objects contemporaneous with the epoch of planet formation?
- What can we learn about the process by observing jets, outflows and magnetically channeled accretion?
- What evidence informs us of the physical processes when studying the sub-AU geometry of disks and gaps through imaging of the thermal dust in these disks?
- What is the frequency of substellar mass companions and how does this compare to numbers in older stellar systems?
- What can we identify in terms of both physical and chemical
characteristics of any observed companions using spectral imaging?
- Astrophysical processes in single and multiple stellar environments --
certain processes such as mass-loss, mass-transfer and the formation of
shocks and winds drastically alter our simple picture for stellar evolution.
This area of study seeks to quantify some of these processes to help expand
our understanding of the fundamental physics involved. A few of the
questions we hope to address here include:
- What is the best way to describe the process of convection in stars? For instance, is it longitudinal/latitudinal? How many cells are there on a typical stellar surface and how does this change with spectral type or evolution?
- Does the mass-loss process conform to a particular type of geometry? (e.g. spherical or bipolar) If it is bipolar, is there a time frame for this behavior to set in?
- What part do processes associated with acoustical shocks and Alfven waves play in mass-loss?
- What are the intricate wind, orbit and accretion geometries in interacting binary systems?
- What are the correct descriptions of the pulsation modes in
various intrinsically variable stars? (fundamental, overtone, non-radial,
etc.)
- Active Galactic Nuclei - and more specifically the surroundings around
black holes in external galaxies where they are known to exist. In
particular, we are interested in understanding what we can contribute to
the discussions surrounding unification theories. Questions to address
here include:
- Can we detect and what do we learn from the dust tori surrounding the black hole? How do properties in these tori relate to the larger scale structure in the galaxies?
- What are the nature and contribution of the nuclear and extra-nuclear starbursts?
- What are the detailed dynamics of the borad-line region, especially in response to outbursts from the black hole?
- Can we identify the optical and infrared counterparts of the synchrotron jets?
Producing images related to the plethora of questions mentioned above for various astrophysical targets in our Key Science Program at spatial resolutions of 0.3 to 30 milliarcseconds (more than 100 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope) will allow astronomers to probe the closest environs of these objects and answer many fundamental questions which are still outstanding in astrophysics.
We are currently developing Science Working Groups that will help prepare detailed observing lists and execute preliminary observations/experiments with the MRO Interferometer during our Scientific Commissioning period.
For more information about these Working Groups, or to inquire about joining one, please contact: Michelle Creech-Eakman, Interferometer Project Scientist.