Space-frequency equivalence principle in a laboratory version of Michelson's stellar interferometer

Abstract

Using the spectral interference law [Phys. Lett. A 157 (1991) 6], the degree of spectral coherence | μ 12( ω)| between the two sources formed over the planes of the light collecting mirrors of a laboratory version of Michelson's stellar interferometer is determined from the measurement of the spectral changes produced on superimposition of radiation from these two sources. The theoretically expected values of | μ 12( ω) | using the experimental parameters in the van Citter-Zernik theorem agree well with the experimentally calculated values of | μ 12 ( ω) | within experimental errors. A new interferometric equivalence principle [Radio Sci. 26 (1991) 1239] is used to determine the angular size of the source from the zeros of | μ 12 ( ω) | in the frequency scale. This new technique makes the determination of the angular size of a source less time consuming and simpler than the conventional methods.