  Kilometric-scale optical imagers seem feasible to realize by intensity
interferometry, using telescopes primarily erected for measuring Cherenkov
light induced by gamma rays. Planned arrays envision 50--100 telescopes,
distributed over some 1--4 km$^2$. Although array layouts and telescope sizes
will primarily be chosen for gamma-ray observations, also their interferometric
performance may be optimized. Observations of stellar objects were numerically
simulated for different array geometries, yielding signal-to-noise ratios for
different Fourier components of the source images in the interferometric
$(u,v)$-plane. Simulations were made for layouts actually proposed for future
Cherenkov telescope arrays, and for subsets with only a fraction of the
telescopes. All large arrays provide dense sampling of the $(u,v)$-plane due to
the sheer number of telescopes, irrespective of their geographic orientation or
stellar coordinates. However, for improved coverage of the $(u,v)$-plane and a
wider variety of baselines (enabling better image reconstruction), an exact
east-west grid should be avoided for the numerous smaller telescopes, and
repetitive geometric patterns avoided for the few large ones. Sparse arrays
become severely limited by a lack of short baselines, and to cover
astrophysically relevant dimensions between 0.1--3 milliarcseconds in visible
wavelengths, baselines between pairs of telescopes should cover the whole
interval 30--2000 m.

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics