Intensity interferometry and the second-order correlation function $g^{(2)}$ in astrophysics

Abstract

Most observational techniques in astronomy can be understood as exploiting the various forms of the first-order correlation function g (1) . As demonstrated by the Narrabri stellar intensity interferometer back in the 1960s by Hanbury Brown & Twiss, the first experiment to measure the second-order correlation function g (2) , light can carry more information than simply its intensity, spectrum, and polarization. Since this experiment, theoretical and laboratory studies of non-classical properties of light have become a very active field of research, called quantum optics. Despite the variety of results in this field, astrophysics remained focused essentially on first-order coherence. In this paper, we study the possibility that quantum properties of light could be observed in cosmic sources. We provide the basic mathematical ingredients about the first and the second order correlation functions, applied to the modern context of astronomical observations. We aim at replacing the Hanbury Brown & Twiss experiment in this context, and present two fundamental limitations of an intensity interferometer: the requirement of a chaotic light source and the rapid decrease of the amount of correlated fluctuations with the surface temperature. The first of these limitations paradoxically emphasizes that the exploitation of g (2) is richer than what a modern intensity interferometer could bring and is particularly interesting for sources of nonthermal light. We also discuss new photon-counting avalanche photodiodes currently being developed in Grenoble, and their impact on limiting magnitudes of an intensity interferometer. We conclude by briefly presenting why microquasars in our galaxy and their extragalactic parents can represent an excellent first target in the optical/near-infrared where to observe nonthermal light and to test the use of g (2) in astrophysical sources.

Demonstration of stellar intensity interferometry with the four VERITAS telescopes

“…where r = r 1 − r 2 is the projected baseline between the two telescopes, τ is the relative time lag, and the brackets indicate a statistical average in time assuming a stationary light source. For chaotic thermal light, such as that from a star, the second-order coherence function can be written [36] in terms of the first-order coherence g (1) (τ, r), g (2) (τ, r) = 1 + |g (1)…”

Optical intensity interferometry through atmospheric turbulence

“…There has been a growing interest in recent years to revive the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss method (Ofir & Ribak 2006;Millour 2008;Foellmi 2009;Borra 2013;Dravins et al 2015), which has the potential to map the spatial structure of stellar formations (Millour 2010;Dravins et al 2013), detect exoplanets (Hyland 2005;Strekalov et al 2013) and for kilometric baseline arrays to achieve micro-arcsecond resolution Borra 2013;Capraro et al 2009;LeBohec et al 2008;Nuñez 2012).…”

Intensity interferometry: optical imaging with kilometer baselines

“…Astronomical quantum optics may help to clarify emission processes in natural laser sources and in the environments of compact and energetic objects. Time resolutions of nanoseconds are required, as are large photon fluxes, making photonic astronomy very timely in an era of forthcoming extremely large telescopes [83][84] .…”