Jean-Marie Mariotti Center

The SNO "Méthodes et Outils pour l'Interférometrie Optique" (MOIO) is actively pursuing research and developement on several subjects related to interferometric observations and data processing. These are distributed between four working groups:

The SNO "Service aux Utilisateurs du VLTI" (SUV) has one group.

The JMMC tech Group groups the software engineers that perform also research for the software solutions of JMMC.

Existing Tools: Maintainance and support

    PIship is in the technical team. Members are consulting specialists for the improvement of the tools, performed in an 'agile' way by the technical team.
    O. Absil (U. Liège), A. Chelli (OCA), A. Mérand (ESO), A. Domiciano (OCA), D. Bonneau (OCA), D. Mourard 5OCA), F. Malbet (IPAG), F. millour (OCA), F. Hénault (IPAG), G. Duvert (IPAG), G. Mella (OSUG), H. Beust (IPAG), J. Kluskla (KU Louvain), JB. Le Bouquin (IPAG), JC. Augereau (IPAG), JP. Berger (IPAG), K. Perraut (IPAG), L. Bourgès (IPAG), M. Benisty (IPAG), P. Cruzalèbes (OCA), P. Kervella (LESIA), X. Delfosse(IPAG)

This group is the science support for the JMMC's tools: ASPRO, SearchCal, GetStar, AmberDrs, pndrs, OIfitsExplorer, OIval...

AMHRA

    A. Domiciano (OCA-LAGRANGE), Principal Investigator
    A. Meilland, C. Ordenovic, L. Abe, A. Chiavassa (OCA-LAGRANGE), L. Bourgès, G. Mella (OSUG)

AMHRA is the French acronym for “Analysis and Modeling in High Angular Resolution”. The main objective of the AMHRA working group of MOIO/JMMC is to develop and/or provide astrophysical models and data analysis tools dedicated to the scientific exploitation of high angular and high spectral facilities (in particular ESO-VLTI instruments) by the astronomical community, including non-specialists in interferometry. Several tools are offered to the user that seeks to prepare, model, and analyze interferometric observations, notably those from the second generation of VLTI instruments (GRAVITY and MATISSE), which provide unique capabilities on high spectral and spatial resolution.
The different types of tools offered or to be offered by AMHRA are:
    Polychromatic images from astrophysical models with fast computation time: astrophysical models implemented as numerical codes allowing to compute multi-wavelength intensity maps (cube of images) within a few seconds to a few minutes.
    Polychromatic images from a pre-calculated grid of astrophysical models: grids of pre-calculated multi-wavelength intensity maps (cube of images) generally based on state-of-the-art radiative transfer codes. These grids are given for models providing a realistic description of astronomical targets, but requiring large computation times (typically many hours). They cover a given region of the model parameter space.
    Spectro-interferometric observables from model images: tools to compute spectro-interferometric observables (e.g. visibilities, closure phases, differential phases, fluxes) from an input set of multi-wavelength intensity maps and corresponding to interferometric instruments.
    Analysis and model-fitting tools for spectro-interferometry: tools allowing to analyze and/or constraint the input parameters of astrophysical models (in particular those offered by AMHRA) from a direct comparison to the spectro-interferometric observations.

The model images provided by AMHRA can be used as input to other MOIO tools such as ASPRO (e.g. prepare observations), LITpro (e.g. compare a given model to interferometric data), and imaging tools from OImaging (e.g. starting point for image reconstruction).

Model fitting and Image Reconstruction

    F. Soulez (OSUL-CRAL), Principal Investigator
    Guillaume Mella, Laurent Bourges, Gilles Duvert, Hervé Beust(OSUG), Isabelle Tallon-Bosc, Michel Tallon, Eric Thiébaut (OSUL), André Ferrari (LAGRANGE), Laurent Mugnier (ONERA)
The aim of the "Model fitting & Image reconstruction” (MFIR) working group is to provide software interferometric data processing. The software developed in this working group falls in two categories:
  • LITPro, a model fitting software to infer geometrical and physical parameters from interferometric data. It provides for modeling the object, a set of elementary geometrical, center-to-limb darkening and chromatic functions, all combinable together. This software has a GUI (in Java) like other graphical applications developed by the JMMC.
  • Image reconstruction algorithms aimed at estimating an image of the observed object from interferometric data. Currently, two prototypes have been developed and compared to other algorithms during the Interferometric Image Beauty Contest. WISARD was mainly developed by ONERA and MiRA was developed at OSUL. Both prototypes take into account phase closures data, power spectrum data and their statistics to rebuild an image under the control of some prior which plays the role of the required regularization. WISARD is available through the IOImaging GUI. IOImaging is intended as a unified GUI for many reconstruction softwares and MiRA will be available soon within this framework.

    • Optical Interferometry Databases
      PI : Xavier Haubois
      M. Benisty, L. Bourges, G. Duvert, J.-B. Le Bouquin, G. Mella (IPAG), P. Berio, A. Chelli, D. Mourard, N. Nardetto (LAGRANGE), X. Haubois, S. Lacour (OBSPM-LESIA) Johan Olofsson (Universidad de Valparaíso)
      Observer: T. Paumard (OBSPM-LESIA), JM. Clausse (LAGRANGE)
      Past members: P. Bernaud

    The Virtual Observatory (VO) is opening up new ways of exploiting the huge amount of data provided by the ever-growing number of ground-based and space facilities. Specially created to develop softwares for the exploitation of interferometric facilities, the Jean Marie Mariotti Center (Aspro, LITpro, amdlib, SearchCal) is working on VO tools to increase the diffusion and operability of interferometric data. As a first part of this project, we are developing an OIFITS archive containing or at least describing reduced interferometric observations (first-version OIFITS) obtained with a wide range of interferometric instruments. The goal is to make this database as complete as possible and easy to use for non-specialists.
    Get more detail on the OiDB realization.

    SUV

      A. Matter (OCA-LAGRANGE), Principal Investigator
    As a new service of the JMMC, SUV (Service aux Utilisateurs du VLTI) provides, in four different sites (Nice, Grenoble, Paris, and Lyon), a complete support to the users of the 2nd generation VLTI instruments. This support consists of an individualized assistance (FAQ, questions submission, face-to-face meetings) that covers the preparation of observing proposals and observations, and the GRAVITY and MATISSE data reduction. It also includes an assistance in the critical use of the JMMC model fitting and image reconstruction softwares.
    SUV is coordinated by the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA) in Nice, with three other local nodes in Paris (Observatoire de Paris), Grenoble (IPAG), and Lyon (Observatoire de Lyon). A centralized helpdesk platform, hosted at OCA, collects all the user questions and requests for a face-to-face assistance in one of the four nodes. These questions and visit requests are then redirected to the relevant node. The SUV helpdesk is accessible through the JMMC webpage.

    JMMC Tech Group
      G. Mella (OSUG), Principal Investigator
      L. Bourgès(OSUG)
      Past members: E. Altariba, P. Bernaud, S. Cêtre, J-M. Clausse, L. Gluck, V. Jammet, C. Kemps, P. Kervella (webmaster),S. Lafrasse, Y. Vanderschueren, G. Zins
      Past trainees members: B. Colucci, J-P Gros, N. Hofmann, S. Prette, T. Stein, E. Taillifet, S. Vedel

    The technical staff and software development group aims at developing softwares and managing services distributed by the JMMC. Technical staff is highly coupled to scientists through the whole life of JMMC projects (from project specification to code contribution and support). The JMMC has defined tools and rules to improve quality of software developments. The JMMC considers Virtual Observatory as a data provider but also as a powerfull technical framework.

    Most of the JMMC softwares and services are distributed over the Internet. Our website management is handled by the webmaster, whom ensures best content to our users. Servers maintenance ((installation, maintenance, network management, security, databases, user authentification, download mechinisms, mailing lists...) is done by the JMMC staff with support from OSUG and Grenoble University system administrators.

    The technical staff also responds to technical support with JMMC members and users in collaboration with the jmmc-user-support team.