Séminaire IPAG

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MATISSE, the VLTI mid-infrared imaging spectro-interferometer: Overview and first astrophysical results

jeudi 20 janvier 2022 - 11h00

Alexis Matter - OCA
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MATISSE is the second-generation mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. The instrument enlarges the spectral domain currently used in optical/infrared interferometry by offering access to the L and M bands in addition to the N band. Its capabilities allow the astronomical community to explore the sky in a wide infrared wavelength domain, ranging from 2.8 to 13 μm, and at angular scales as small as 3 mas (L band) / 10 mas (N band). I will present an overview of the instrumental concept of MATISSE, in the existing VLTI infrastructure, and its main features : imaging capability and spectral resolution ranging from R ∼ 30 to R ∼ 3000. With such capabilities, MATISSE can address various science cases such as the characterization of the inner regions of disks around young stars where planets form and evolve, the surface structure and mass loss of stars at different evolutionary stages and frequently in binary interactions, and the environment of black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN). The instrument have been opened and used by the community since April 2019 and i will present a selection of the first astrophysical results obtained on the various science cases addressed by MATISSE.

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Hôtes : Jean-Charles Augereau

Salle Manuel Forestini, 414 rue de la piscine, 38400 Saint Martin d'Hères