Self-noise in interferometers - radio and infrared

A complete theory of noise in a synthesis image is proposed for a source of arbitrary strength. In the limit of faint sources, the standard estimates of noise in a synthesis image are recovered, while in the limit of strong sources, the noise in the synthesis image is found to be dominated by either self noise or by the noise generated by the source signal itself. It is found that the best VLBI maps (with noise approaching the thermal noise) may in fact be limited by self noise, and that there is a negligible bias in the standard definitions of the bispectrum phasor and the closure phase. The results suggest that at the low signal levels which are characteristic of infrared interferometers, it is best to fit the model to all the closure phases and fringe amplitudes. 13 refs