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Measuring cosmic magnetic fields with very large telescopes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 November 2008
Abstract
We review general properties and capabilities of the instrumentation employed to diagnose cosmic magnetic fields using medium-size and large optical telescopes. During the last decade these spectropolarimeters and high-resolution spectrographs have been successfully used to detect and characterize magnetic fields in stars across the H-R diagram. A new generation of high-resolution spectropolarimeters will benefit from the large collecting area of the future E-ELT and currently operating 8-m class telescopes. We review plans to develop spectropolarimeters for these very large telescopes and outline a number of science cases where new spectropolarimetric instrumentation is expected to play a key role.
- Type
- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S259: Cosmic Magnetic Fields: From Planets, to Stars and Galaxies , November 2008 , pp. 653 - 662
- Copyright
- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009
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