Interferometric measurements at Dome C, Antarctica.

• Main Authors: Kellerer, A., Agabi, A., Aristidi, E., Coudé Du Foresto, V., Sadibekova, T., Sarazin, M.
• Other Authors: Cambridge University, Joseph Louis LAGRANGE (LAGRANGE), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Université Côte d'Azur (UCA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) (UNS)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), European Southern Observatory (ESO)
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2005
• Subjects: [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-02480364

International audience We have analysed the first interferometric fringes recorded at Dome C, Antarctica. Measurements were done between 31/01 and 02/02/2005 at daytime. Aim of the analysis is to measure temporal fluctuations of the atmospheric piston, which are critical for interferometers and determine their sensitivity. These scales are derived through the motion of the image that is formed in the focal plane of a Fizeau interferometer. Although the coherence time of piston could not be determined directly due to insufficient temporal and spatial samplings, a lower limit was nevertheless fixed by studying the decay rate of correlation between successive fringe recordings. Coherence times are measured larger than 10 ms, i.e. at least three times higher than the median coherence time measured at the site of Paranal (3.3 ms).