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MIRAC3-BLINC Magellan resultsMIRAC4-BLINC plans

Static and Deformable Secondaries

Phil Hinz and Bill Hoffmann

Steward Observatory

Giovanni Fazio

CfA

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MIRAC3-BLINC

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MIRAC-BLINC has been in routine use for mid-IR observations with the MMT and Magellan since June 2000.

MIRAC-BLINC at the MMT and Magellan Telescopes

from N. Smith et al., 2002

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mid-IR experience at LCO

• We have experienced a broad range of conditions which suggest the site can be reasonable for thermal IR work, but it is not uncommon for good optical conditions which are unusable in the infrared.

Observing Run λ Sky (% blackbody) Method

Aug. 2001 10.3 3% diff. airmass

“ 11.7 0.6% “

18.0 9% “

April 2002 11.7 3% “

May 2002 unusable? (but clear)

Aug. 2002 ?

March 2003 10.6 ~8-19% (on-off telescope)

11.7 ~4-15%

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MIRAC3-BLINC Magellan Science Results

• constraints of cold dust in eta Carinae (Smith ApJL 2002, AJ 2003)

• measured size of dust disk in Cen A (Korovska et al. ApJL 2003)

• observed Galactic center to look for X-ray IR flare correlations (Baganoff et al.)

• Constrained the existence of warm dust in young stars in Tucanae-Horologium (Mamajek et al. ApJ 2004)

• measured size and found gap in HD 100546 with nulling (Liu et al. ApJL 2002)

• Observed sizes of nearby Herbig AE disks to help constrain disk evolution. (Liu et al. in prep)

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MIR Excess Emission: Probing Remnant Disks 0.3-1 AU over time...

Mamajek et al. have observed a sample of young stars of the Tucanae-Horologium moving group looking for photometric evidence of warm debris material.

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HD 100546: A young Solar System?

80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 800

50

100

ε Mus

HD 100546

Constructive Null Constructive Null

ε Mus

HD 100546

•Disk approximately 25 AU in diameter. •Inclination and PA are consistent with NIR scattered light images (Augureau et al., Pantin et al.)•Disk similar in size at 11 microns and 24.5 microns.•Consistent with an inner hole? (Bouwman et al.)

10.3 microns (~silicates)11.7 microns (~PAH)12.5 microns (continuum)

position angle

null

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Press Release from MIRAC- Magellan data

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MIRAC4 Specifications

• Diffraction limited 8-25 micron imaging using a 256x256 Si:As array

• Camera backend for BLINC nuller

• Change in magnification of 2x

• Grism spectroscopy capability

• Mechanical cooling

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MIRAC4 Optical design

high magnification

low magnification

Use Field Nyquist Field Nyquist

MIRAC-BLINC at f/11

19” 4.5 m 38” 9.1 m

MIRAC at f/11 34” 8.1 m 68” 16.2 m

MIRAC-BLINC at f/15

14” 3.3 m 28” 6.7 m

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MIRAC4 Schedule

• We plan to carry out AO imaging and nulling interferometry using MIRAC4-BLINC on the MMT through 2007.

• MIRAC4-BLINC will be available for campaign observations on Magellan starting in 2007.

• Available for permanent Magellan installation once IRIS is available on the MMT and LBTI is completed (estimated to be mid-2008).

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MIRAC4 status

• Optics have been manufactured and received.

• Vacuum case and internal mechanisms are being completed.

• Mechanical cooler has been ordered and tested

• Electronics are being completed by FORCAST team (Herter) at Cornell.

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MIRAC4 Status

detector translation stagevacuum case and radiation shields

PT refrigerator housingMirror cells, and aperture wheel

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Where can Magellan make the most impact for IR observations?

Challenges for a static system:• Gemini has an IR-optimized system with measured emissivity of 2%.

• T-RECS is available on Gemini and has demonstrated 0.1 mJy noise level at N band in an hour.

Opportunities for a deformable secondary:• GENIE, the VLT nuller is a technology demonstrator planned for 3-5

micron observations. Thus, no southern searches for zodiacal dust are currently being planned.

• The southern hemisphere has several nearby, young moving groups which may turn out to be the ideal objects for more detailed studies of how disks assemble into planets.

An IR-optimized AO system could provide the key advantage in IR observations, especially related to planet formation.

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Mid-Infrared Science at Magellan

• Similar science to the MIRAC3 campaigns could continue to be carried out with MIRAC4-BLINC at f/11.

• A sensitivity improvement will be achieved with an IR-optimized f/15 secondary

• A deformable secondary could enable unique mid-IR science in the hemisphere and position Magellan well for future improvements.

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5 micron observations of Vega with the MMTAO system

PSF level

PSF subtractionand unsharp mask

10 MJ

5 MJ

Keck K band limitMacintosh et al. )

Palomar H band limit (Metchev et al.) 20 MJ

30 MJ

fake 10 Jupiter mass planet at 20 AU

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Detection of Warm Debris Disks

1 10 100 1 103 1 104 1 105 1 1060.01

0.1

1

10

100

1 103

1 104

1 105

HR 4796A

Cloud density (zodis)

Flu

x in

nu

lled

ou

tpu

t of

(m

Jy)

dust aro

und an A0 st

ar

F0 star

G0 star

K0 star

M0 st

ar

β Pictoris • ξ Lep•

Stellar flux

Nulled stellar flux

• VegaBLINC MMTObservation

•Spitzer is currently allowing us to probe the Kuiper belt equivalents around nearby stars.

•The warmer material, if much below ~3000 zodis is undectectable without spatial resolution.

•mid-IR AO and a modest baseline could allow the detection of dust down to 10-100 zodis.

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Backup Slides

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telescope beam

reimaging ellipsoid

beam-splitter

2 μm detector10 micron detector

imaging “channel”

nulling “channel”

Cryo-Mechanical Design

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HD 100546 Disk Structure

Protoplanetary disk model has a temperaturegradient due to stellar heating and accretion

A gap in the disk would cause a lackof emission from hot dust.

Typical Protoplanetary disk model HD 100546 model

10 m emission

20 m emission

We expect less 10 m emission due to the gap and a larger size.

The size at 20 m for a disk with an inner gap is similar to that at 10 m .

The size at 20 m is expected to be roughly 4 times as large as at 10 m.

The size of the disk as measured by BLINC at 10 and 20 m is consistent with a ~10 AU gap in the disk caused by a massive protoplanet.