The Planet Formation Imager (PFI) project aims to provide a strong scientific vision for ground-based optical astronomy beyond the upcoming generation of Extremely Large Telescopes. We make the case that a breakthrough in angular resolution imaging capabilities is required in order to unravel the processes involved in planet formation. PFI will be optimised to provide a complete census of the protoplanet population at all stellocentric radii and over the age range from 0.1 to similar to 100 Myr. Within this age period, planetary systems undergo dramatic changes and the final architecture of planetary systems is determined. Our goal is to study the planetary birth on the natural spatial scale where the material is assembled, which is the "Hill Sphere" of the forming planet, and to characterise the protoplanetary cores by measuring their masses and physical properties. Our science working group has investigated the observational characteristics of these young protoplanets as well as the migration mechanisms that might alter the system architecture. We simulated the imprints that the planets leave in the disk and study how PFI could revolutionise areas ranging from exoplanet to extragalactic science. In this contribution we outline the key science drivers of PFI and discuss the requirements that will guide the technology choices, the site selection, and potential science/technology tradeoffs.

The characterization of exozodiacal light emission is both important for the understanding of planetary systems evolution and for the preparation of future space missions aiming to characterize low mass planets in the habitable zone of nearby main sequence stars. The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) exozodi survey aims at providing a ten-fold improvement over current state of the art, measuring dust emission levels down to a typical accuracy of similar to 12 zodis per star, for a representative ensemble of similar to 30+ high priority targets. Such measurements promise to yield a final accuracy of about 2 zodis on the median exozodi level of the targets sample. Reaching a 1. measurement uncertainty of 12 zodis per star corresponds to measuring interferometric cancellation ("null") levels, i.e visibilities at the few 100 ppm uncertainty level. We discuss here the challenges posed by making such high accuracy mid-infrared visibility measurements from the ground and present the methodology we developed for achieving current best levels of 500 ppm or so. We also discuss current limitations and plans for enhanced exozodi observations over the next few years at LBTI.

Transition disks, protoplanetary disks with inner clearings, are promising objects in which to directly image forming planets. The high contrast imaging technique of non-redundant masking is well posed to detect planetary mass companions at several to tens of AU in nearby transition disks. We present non-redundant masking observations of the T Cha and LkCa 15 transition disks, both of which host posited sub-stellar mass companions. However, due to a loss of information intrinsic to the technique, observations of extended sources (e.g. scattered light from disks) can be misinterpreted as moving companions. We discuss tests to distinguish between these two scenarios, with applications to the T Cha and LkCa 15 observations. We argue that a static, forward-scattering disk can explain the T Cha data, while LkCa 15 is best explained by multiple orbiting companions.

Ambient seismic noise from generation to its application for determination of sub-surface velocity structures is analyzed using continuous data recordings from the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN). The fundamental aim of the thesis is to investigate the applicability of precise velocity measurements from ambient noise data. In the ambient noise method, a form of interferometry, the seismic signal is constructed from long-term cross correlation of a random noise field. Anisotropy of the source distribution causes apparent time shifts (velocity bias) in the interferometric signals. The velocity bias can be important for the study area (Sweden) which has relatively small velocity variations. This work explores the entire data path, from investigating the noise-source distribution to a tomographic study of southern Sweden. A new method to invert for the azimuthal source distribution from cross-correlation envelopes is introduced. The method provides quantitative estimates of the azimuthal source distribution which can be used for detailed studies of source generation processes. An advantage of the method is that it uses few stations to constrain azimuthal source distributions. The results show that the source distribution is inhomogeneous, with sources concentrated along the western coast of Norway. This leads to an anisotropic noise field, especially for the secondary microseisms. The primary microseismic energy comes mainly from the northeast. The deduced azimuthal source distributions are used to study the level of expected bias invelocity estimates within the SNSN. The results indicate that the phase-velocity bias is less than 1% for most station pairs but can be larger for small values of the ratio of inter-station distance over wavelength. In addition, the nature of velocity bias due to a heterogeneous source field is investigated in terms of high and finite-frequency regimes. Graphical software for phase-velocity dispersion measurements based on new algorithms is presented and validated with synthetic data and by comparisons to other methods. The software is used for phase-velocity measurements, and deduced azimuthal source distributions are used for velocity-bias correction. Derived phase-velocity dispersion curves are used to construct two-dimensional velocity maps of southern Sweden at different periods based on travel-time tomography. The effect of the bias correction is investigated, and velocity maps are interpreted in comparison to previous geological and geophysical information.

We present revised measurements of the static electric dipole polarizabilities of K, Rb, and Cs based on atom interferometer experiments presented in [Phys. Rev. A 2015, 92, 052513] but now re-analyzed with new calibrations for the magnitude and geometry of the applied electric field gradient. The resulting polarizability values did not change, but the uncertainties were significantly reduced. Then, we interpret several measurements of alkali metal atomic polarizabilities in terms of atomic oscillator strengths f(ik), Einstein coefficients A(ik), state lifetimes tau(k), transition dipole matrix elements D-ik, line strengths S-ik, and van der Waals C-6 coefficients. Finally, we combine atom interferometer measurements of polarizabilities with independent measurements of lifetimes and C-6 values in order to quantify the residual contribution to polarizability due to all atomic transitions other than the principal ns-np(J) transitions for alkali metal atoms.

Current attempts to make precision measurements of the HI power spectrum at high redshifts have led to the construction of several low-frequency, large-N, interferometric arrays. The computational demands of digital correlators required by these arrays present a significant challenge. These demands stem from the treatment of radio telescopes as collections of two-element interferometers, which results in the need to multiply O(N²) pairs of antenna signals in an N-element array. Given the unparalleled flexibility offered by modern digital processing systems, it is apt to consider whether a different way of treating the signals from antennas in an array might be fruitful in current and future radio telescopes. Such methods potentially avoid the unfavourable N² scaling of computation rate with array size. In this thesis I examine the prospect of using direct-imaging methods to map the sky without first generating correlation matrices. These methods potentially provide great computational savings by creating images using efficient, FFT-based algorithms. This thesis details the design and deployment of such a system for the Basic Element of SKA Training II (BEST-2) array in Medicina, Italy. Here the 32-antenna BEST-2 array is used as a test bed for comparison of FX correlation and direct-imaging systems, and to provide a frontend for a real-time transient event detection pipeline. Even in the case of traditional O(N²) correlation methods, signal processing algorithms can be significantly optimized to deliver large performance gains. In this thesis I present a new mechanism for optimizing the cross-correlation operation on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) hardware. This implementation is shown to achieve a 75% reduction in multiplier usage, and has a variety of benefits over existing optimization strategies. Finally, this thesis turns its focus towards The Square Kilometre Array (SKA). When constructed, the SKA will be the world's largest radio telescope and will comprise a variety of arrays targeting different observing frequencies and science goals. The low-frequency component of the SKA (SKA-low) will feature ~250,000 individual antennas, sub-divided into a number of stations. This thesis explores the impact of the station size on the computational requirements of SKA-low, investigating the optimal array configuration and signal processing realizations.

Contact lens performance depends on a number of lens properties. Many metrology systems have been developed to measure different aspects of a contact lens, but none test the surface figure in reflection to subwavelength accuracy. Interferometric surface metrology of immersed contact lenses is complicated by the close proximity of the surfaces, low surface reflectivity, and instability of the lens. An interferometer to address these issues was developed and is described here. The accuracy of the system is verified by comparison of glass reference sample measurements against a calibrated commercial interferometer. The described interferometer can accurately reconstruct large surface departures from spherical with reverse raytracing. The system is shown to have residual errors better than 0.05% of the measured surface departure for high slope regions. Measurements made near null are accurate to lambda/20. Spherical, toric, and bifocal soft contact lenses have been measured by this system and show characteristics of contact lenses not seen in transmission testing. The measurements were used to simulate a transmission map that matches an actual transmission test of the contact lens to lambda/18. (C) 2016 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

Cette thèse résulte d’une collaboration entre le Pr Ayadi de l’Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine et le Pr Varna de l’Université Technologique de Luleå. Depuis 2005, le Professeur Varna a développé une méthode originale qui permet d’obtenir l’ensemble des constantes thermoélastiques d’un stratifié endommagé à partir de deux paramètres : l’ouverture moyenne et le glissement moyen des lèvres des fissures, normalisés par rapport à la contrainte appliquée. Dans cette thèse, nous analysons le potentiel de l’interférométrie de speckle pour obtenir la mesure de ces deux grandeurs. Plus généralement, nous montrons l’utilité de la mesure du champ de déplacement pour caractériser le développement de l’endommagement dans les stratifiés. Le premier chapitre décrit l’endommagement qui peut affecter les matériaux composites stratifiés. L’objectif est de mettre en évidence les points particuliers pour lesquels la mesure du champ de déplacement pourrait apporter des informations originales. Dans le deuxième chapitre, le principe de l’interférométrie de speckle est exposé. Nous avons particulièrement insisté sur les raisons qui nous on conduit à choisir cette technique pour réaliser cette étude. Dans le troisième chapitre, nous présentons une étude expérimentale du potentiel de l’interférométrie de speckle pour caractériser les différentes formes d’endommagement qui peuvent apparaître dans un stratifié verre/époxyde . Enfin, dans le dernier chapitre, nous analysons expérimentalement le développement de l’endommagement dans un stratifié carbone/époxyde / This work results from a collaboration between Pr Ayadi (Institut Polytechnique de Lorraine) and Pr Varna (Technical University of Luleå). Since 2005, Pr Varna has developed an original method that allows for the determination of all the thermoelastic constants of a damaged laminate. The stiffness reduction is governed by two parameters: the average value of the opening and the average value of the sliding of the crack surfaces. These values are normalized with respect to the applied loading. In this work, the potential of speckle interferometry is analysed to obtain these two parameters. More generally, we show the usefulness of displacement field measurements to characterize damage development in laminates. The first chapter is dedicated to the damage that occurs in laminates. The main objective is to highlight the points for which displacement field measurements could bring interesting information. In the second chapter, the principle of speckle interferometry is described. The choice of this technique for the considered application is discussed and justified. In the third chapter, an experimental study of the potential of speckle interferometry is proposed to characterize the damage forms that occur in a glass/epoxy laminate. In the last chapter, the development of damage is experimentally analysed in a carbon/epoxy laminate

Cette thèse présente les résultats de la recherche de signaux impulsionnels d’ondes gravitationnelles associés aux sursauts gamma dans les données 2009-2010 des interféromètres LIGO-Virgo. L’étude approfondie des mécanismesd’émission d’ondes gravitationnelles par les progéniteurs de sursauts gamma, ainsi que des mécanismes d’émission de rayons gamma eux-mêmes, permet de déterminer les caractéristiques essentielles du signal à détecter : polarisation, délai temporel, etc ... Cette connaissance de l’émission conjointe permet alors de construire une méthode d’analyse qui inclut les a priori astrophysiques. Cette méthode est de plus robuste vis-à-vis des bruits transitoires présents dans les données. L’absence de détection nous permet de placer des limites observationnelles inédites sur la population des sursauts gamma. / In this thesis we present the results of the search for gravitational wave bursts associated with gamma-ray bursts in the 2009-2010 data from the LIGOVirgo gravitational wave interferometer network. The study of gamma-ray bursts progenitors, both from the gamma-ray emission and the gravitational wave emission point of view, yields the characteristic of the sought signal: polarization, time delays, etc ... This knowledge allows the construction of a data analysis method which includes the astrophysical priors on joint gravitational wave and gamma-ray emission, and moreover which is robust to non-stationary transient noises, which are present in the data. The lack of detection in the analyzed data yields novel observational limits on the gamma-ray burst population.

Cette thèse présente les résultats de l'analyse all-sky STAMPAS de recherche de signaux transitoires longs d'ondes gravitationnelles, dans les données 2005-2007 des interféromètres LIGO et Virgo. Les ondes gravitationnelles sont des perturbations de la métrique de l'espace-temps, et les expériences Virgo et LIGO sont conçues pour les détecter. Ces expériences sont des interféromètres de Michelson, avec des bras longs respectivement de 3 km et 4 km, dont la luminosité en sortie est modifiée lors du passage d'une onde gravitationnelle.Jusqu'à très récemment, les pipelines de recherche de signaux transitoires se concentraient uniquement sur les signaux courts, qui durent moins d'une seconde, et sur les signaux de coalescence de binaires. STAMPAS est l'un des tout premiers pipelines entièrement dédiés à la recherche de signaux transitoires longs, qui durent d'une à plusieurs centaines de secondes.Ces signaux sont émis, entre autres, par les instabilités qui apparaissent pendant la violente création des proto-étoiles à neutrons. Les instabilités dans les supernovae à effondrement gravitationnel et celles des disques d'accrétion sont également de possibles sources de signaux transitoires longs. Les coalescences de binaires excentriques de trous noirs sont elles aussi censées émettre de puissantes ondes gravitationnelles pendant plusieurs secondes avant leur fusion.STAMPAS est basé sur la corrélation de données issues de deux interféromètres. On construit des cartes temps-fréquence à partir des données, et leurs pixels les plus significatifs sont agrégés et forment les "triggers" (candidats potentiels d'ondes gravitationnelles). Aucune hypothèse sur la provenance, le temps ou la forme des signaux recherchés n'est formulée.La première analyse effectuée avec STAMPAS a été réalisée à partir des données acquises entre 2005 et 2007 par les deux détecteurs LIGO. Après une sélection rigoureuse des "triggers", l'analyse en a révélé un taux proche du bruit Gaussien attendu, ce qui constitue un accomplissement majeur. Aucune onde gravitationnelle n'a été détectée, et nous avons établi des limites hautes sur les taux astrophysiques de plusieurs modèles de sources d'instabilités de disques d'accrétion et de coalescences de binaires excentriques de trous noirs. Le pipeline STAMPAS a montré qu'il sera efficace dans la recherche des signaux transitoires longs d'ondes gravitationnelles lors de la prochaine génération d'interféromètres. / This thesis presents the results of the STAMPAS all-sky search for long transient gravitational waves in the 2005-2007 LIGO-Virgo data. Gravitational waves are perturbations of the space-time metric. The Virgo and LIGO experiments are designed to detect such waves. They are Michelson interferometers with 3 km and 4 km long arms, whose light output is altered during the passage of a gravitational wave.Until very recently, transient gravitational wave search pipelines were focused on short transients, lasting less than 1 second, and on binary coalescence signals. STAMPAS is one of the very first pipelines entirely dedicated to the search of long transient gravitational wave signals, lasting from 1s to O(100s).These signals originate, among other sources, from instabilities in protoneutron stars as a result of their violent birth. The standing accretion shock instability in core collapse supernovae or instabilities in accretion disks are also possible mechanisms for gravitational wave long transients. Eccentric black hole binary coalescences are also expected to emit powerful gravitational waves for several seconds before the final plunge.STAMPAS is based on the correlation of data from two interferometers. Time-frequency maps of the data are extracted, and significant pixels are clustered to form triggers. No assumption on the direction, the time or the form of the signals is made.The first STAMPAS search has been performed on the data from the two LIGO detectors, between 2005 and 2007. After a rigorous trigger selection, the analysis revealed that their rate is close to Gaussian noise expectation, which is a significant achievement. No gravitational wave candidate has been detected, and upper limits on the astrophysical rates of several models of accretion disk instability sources and eccentric black holes binary coalescences have been set. The STAMPAS pipeline demonstrated its capabilities to search for any long transient gravitational wave signals during the advanced detector era.Keywords: Gravitational waves, Interferometry, Long transients, Signal Processing, Accretion Disk Instabilities, Eccentric Black Hole Binaries.