Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2008-10-30
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
35 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in PASP
Scientific paper
10.1086/595966
We present commissioning data for the POLISH instrument obtained on the Hale 5-m telescope. The goal of this high precision polarimeter is to constrain orbital inclination of high mass X-ray binaries and to therefore obtain independent mass estimates for their black hole companions. We have obtained photon shot noise limited precision on standard stars, and we have measured the polarization of bright stars at the part per million level on a nightly basis. Systematic effects have been reduced to less than 1% of the measured polarization for polarized sources and to the part per million level for weakly polarized sources. The high sensitivity of this instrument to asymmetry suggests that valuable contributions will be made in many other fields, including studies of extrasolar planets, debris disks, and stellar astrophysics.
Matthews Keith
Wiktorowicz Sloane J.
No associations
LandOfFree
A High Precision, Optical Polarimeter to Measure Inclinations of High Mass X-Ray Binaries does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with A High Precision, Optical Polarimeter to Measure Inclinations of High Mass X-Ray Binaries, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A High Precision, Optical Polarimeter to Measure Inclinations of High Mass X-Ray Binaries will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-456361