Significant science projects with simple sources using an optical interferometer and polarimeter

摘要

Over the past 25 years, classical optical interferometry (OIC) has become a mature discipline within astronomy. More recently, theoretical work has begun on optical interferornetric polarimetry (OIP). Such analyses include adapting modern polarization mathematics from radio astronomy, modeling polarization effects in optical interferometers, and inventing observables with their corresponding output vectors. In this paper, I will demonstrate how OIP may be used to obtain significant results from relatively simple sources, such as spherically symmetric stellar atmospheres, spotted stars, and scattering envelopes.