2022/11/03 by Saurabh Sharma, A. Richichi, Sharma, Saurabh +17
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #FOS: Physical sciences #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) #Planetary Science and Exploration #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2211.01682
openalex publication_date 2022/11/03 · openalex created_date 2022/11/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
TIRCAM2 is the facility near-infrared Imager at the Devasthal 3.6-m telescope in northern India, equipped with an Aladdin III InSb array detector. We have pioneered the use of TIRCAM2 for very fast photometry, with the aim of recording Lunar Occultations (LO). This mode is now operational and publicly offered. In this paper we describe the relevant instrumental details, we provide references to the LO method and the underlying data analysis procedures, and we list the LO events recorded so far. Among the results, we highlight a few which have led to the measurement of one small-separation binary star and of two stellar angular diameters. We conclude with a brief outlook on further possible instrumental developments and an estimate of the scientific return. In particular, we find that the LO technique can detect sources down to K~ 9 mag with SNR=1 on the DOT telescope. Angular diameters larger than ~ 1 milliarcsecond (mas) could be measured with SNR above 10, or K~6 mag. These numbers are only an indication and will depend strongly on observing conditions such as lunar phase and rate of lunar limb motion. Based on statistics alone, there are several thousands LO events observable in principle with the given telescope and instrument every year.