Present trends in stellar interferometry

Abstract

Long baseline interferometry in optical/IR band offer the possibilities for direct measurement of all the basic physical parameters for a large number of stars. Soon after the success of obtaining interferometric fringes of Lyrae (Vega) by means of two independent telescopes in the early 1970’s by Labeyrie [1] followed by the development of Grand Interf´erom`etre `a deux t´elescope (GI2T), an interferometer with a pair of 1.5 meter (m) telescopes on a North-South baseline configuration at Observatoire de la Calern [2], several instruments of this nature are in place [3]. A few of them are employing large telescopes (8-10 m), which are successfully producing results. Concept of hypertelescope using large interferometric arrays of telescopes is also being looked into. Potentials for progress in the direction of developing such an array are expected to provide images, spectra of quasar host galaxies, and exo-solar planets. This article enumerates the present scenario of the current trend and the path to future progress in stellar interferometry using diluted apertures.