KEOPS: Scientific Challenges and technical Steps

Bruno Valat (1) , Pierre-Marie Gori (1) , François-Xavier Schmider (1) , Bruno Lopez (2) , Farrokh Vakili (1)

1 FIZEAU - Laboratoire Hippolyte Fizeau
2 LG - Laboratoire Gemini

The recent site testing pointed out the potential of Dome C for Next Generation Optical Interferometer. KEOPS (Kilo parsec Explorer Optical Planet Search) is proposed in a context which also considere the post VLTI perspectives. This interferometer will be composed of 36 telescopes with a maximal baseline of 1 km. This instrument will open new horizons: stellar imaging, circumstellar environment studies, extra solar planet detection, Earth like planet search. The possibility of observations in double field mode takes advantage of the large isopistonic angle to give acces to faint object (see Elhalkouj 2006). It allows active galactic nuclei and cosmological observations. The achievement of that project implies different steps. The first one could be MYKERINOS, proposed by LUAN. This prototype interferometer, composed to 3 telescopes of 40 cm, demonstrate technological feasibility, complete the specific site characterisation and contribute to validate the scientific program objectives.

Domaines: Instrumentation et méthodes pour l'astrophysique [astro-ph.IM]

Bruno Valat, Pierre-Marie Gori, François-Xavier Schmider, Bruno Lopez, Farrokh Vakili. KEOPS: Scientific Challenges and technical Steps. EAS Publications Series, 2007, 1st ARENA Conference on "Large Astronomical Infrastructures at CONCORDIA, prospects and constraints for Antarctic Optical/IR Astronomy", 25, pp.295-299. ⟨10.1051/eas:2007110⟩. ⟨hal-00417135⟩