Developing a model pipeline for VERITAS stellar intensity interferometry

Rotation, which affects a star\u27s evolution, is a fundamental stellar parameter and is manifest for rapidly-rotating stars by significant aspherical distortion, hotter polar temperatures and cooler equators, relative to slowly-rotating stars. Long-baseline interferometry at near-infrared wavelengths has directly imaged the brightest rapidly-rotating stars, constraining their shapes and surface temperature gradients, however observations at shorter wavelengths, near 400 nanometers, are predicted to have much higher surface-brightness contrast. To accurately predict such observations, we developed a pipeline for generating simulated data for detailed planning of observations by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) stellar intensity interferometer. This poster displays synthetic images, interferometric observables, and spectral energy distributions for four rapidly-rotating stars: Alderamin, Rasalhague, Regulus, and Vega. We found significant differences between models at 1746 nm and 400 nm; which could be tested by VERTIAS observations, at least for Regulus, later this spring