Abstract
For observations of solar system objects an imaging polarimeter has been constructed as an auxiliary instrument for a f/15 focal reducer. With this instrument simultaneous measurement of theQ andU Stokes parameters is possible. It contains no moving parts such as a moving λ/2 retarder. The polarizer consists of two Wollaston prisms which are combined to form a single optical element. Their polarization angles differ by 45°. This compound polarizer is placed in the exit pupil of the afocal telescope-collimator system of the focal reducer and splits the exit pupil into halves. In this way four polarized beams with E-vector orientations 0°, 90°, 45°, and 135° emerge from the exit pupil. These are intercepted by the camera lens of the focal reducer system and imaged simultaneously on the CCD detector. With a properly designed field mask at the Cassegrain focus, the four beams are imaged without overlap.
As a demonstration of the capabilities of this quadruple-beam Wollaston-prism polarimeter, we present observations of comet Tanaka-Machholz 1992 X in May 1992. The advantages, shortcomings, and possible improvements of the instrument are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Appenzeller, I., 1967,PASP 79, 136.
Chernova, G. P., Kiselev, N. N., Jockers, K., 1993,Icarus 103, 144.
Courtès, G., 1960,Ann. d'Astrophys. 23, 115.
Cox, L. D., 1983,MNRAS 203, 571.
Dekker, H., D'Odorico, S., 1986,The Messenger 46, 21.
Eaton, N., Scarrott, S. M., Warren-Smith, R. F., 1988,Icarus 76, 270.
Eaton, N., Scarrott, S. M., Wolstencroft, R. D., 1991,MNRAS 250, 654.
Eaton, N., Scarrott, S. M., Gledhill, T. M., 1992,MNRAS 258, 384.
Geyer, E. H., 1979, in McCarthy, M. F., Philip, A. G. D., Coyne, G. V., eds., Proc. IAU Coll. 47,Spectral Classification of the Future, Specola Vaticana 9, p. 271.
Geyer, E. H., 1981,Mitt. Astr. Ges. 54, 156.
Geyer, E. H., Hoffmann, M., 1994,IAU Work. Group on Wide-Field Imaging Newslett. 5, ed. MacGillivray H. T., p. 33.
Geyer, E. H., Jockers, K., 1993,IAU Work. Group on Wide-Field Imaging Newslett. 3, ed. MacGillivray H. T., p. 21.
Geyer, E. H., Nelles, B., 1984, in Ulrich, M. H., Kjaer, K. eds., Proc. IAU Coll. 79,Very Large Telescopes, their Instrumentation and Programs, ESO Proc.19, 575.
Geyer, E. H., Hoffmann, M., Nelles, B., 1979,A&A 80, 248.
Hänel, A., 1987a,A&A 176, 338.
Hänel, A., 1987b,A&A 176, 347.
Hsu, Jin-chung, Breger, M., 1982,Ap. J. 262, 732.
Lyot, B., 1948,C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 226, 25.
Renard, J. B., Levasseur-Regourd, A. C., Dollfus, A., 1992,Ann. Geophysicae 10, 288.
Scarrott, S. M., Warren-Smith, R. F., Pallister, W. S., Axon, D. J., Bingham, R. G., 1983,MNRAS 204, 1163.
Serkovski, K., 1974a in Carleton, N., ed.,Methods of Experimental Physics 12A,Astrophysics, Optical and Infrared, Academic Press, New York, London, p. 361.
Serkovski, K., 1974b, in Gehrels T., ed.,Planets, Stars and Nebulae studied with Photopolarimetry, U. of Arizona Press, p. 135.
Shakhovskoy, N. M., Efimov, Yu. S., 1972,Izvest. Krymskoy Astrofiz. Obs. 45, 90.
Shakovskoy, N. M., 1971, in Nikonov, V. B., ed.Methods of the study of variable stars (in Russian), Nauka Fizmatgiz, Moskva, p. 199.
Wille, H., 1952,Optik 9, 84.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
based on observations obtained at Hoher List Observatory
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Geyer, E.H., Jockers, K., Kiselev, N.N. et al. A novel quadruple beam imaging polarimeter and its application to Comet Tanaka-Machholz 1992 X. Astrophys Space Sci 239, 259–274 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00645780
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00645780