Experiments with a novel CCD stellar polarimeter

Experiments and observations have been undertaken with “bread-board” equipment to explore the potential of a “ring” stellar polarimeter with a CCD camera, rather than photographic plates used in Treanor's ([CITE]) original instrument. By spreading the polarimetric signal over a large number of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2002-02, Vol.383 (1), p.360-366
Main Authors: Clarke, D., Neumayer, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
instrumentation
polarimeters: techniques
polarimetric
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Summary:Experiments and observations have been undertaken with “bread-board” equipment to explore the potential of a “ring” stellar polarimeter with a CCD camera, rather than photographic plates used in Treanor's ([CITE]) original instrument. By spreading the polarimetric signal over a large number of pixels on the detector, design prediction suggests that the polarimetric accuracy could be ${\sim}\Delta p\pm0.00001$ or $\pm 0.001\%$ per frame or even better. Although the photon accumulations suggest that this was achieved, instabilities in the employed crude modulator system provided frame to frame measurements with a greater than expected scatter. Software was developed to reduce the data in a simple way. With a design using more professional components and perhaps with more sophisticated reduction procedures, the full potential of the method should be achievable with the prospect of high precision polarimetry of the brighter stars. As an experimental bonus, the employed CCD chip was found to be free from any measurable polarizational sensitivity.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361:20011717