ERIS is a diffraction limited thermal infrared imager and spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope UT4. One of the science cases for ERIS is the detection and characterization of circumstellar structures and exoplanets around bright stars that are typically much fainter than the stellar diffraction halo. Enhanced sensitivity is provided through the combination of (i) suppression of the diffraction halo of the target star using coronagraphs, and (ii) removal of any residual diffraction structure through focal plane wavefront sensing and subsequent active correction. In this paper we present the two coronagraphs used for diffraction suppression and enabling high contrast imaging in ERIS.
In this paper, we present an original observational approach, which combines, for the first time, traditional speckle imaging with image post-processing to obtain in the optical domain diffraction-limited images with high contrast (1e-5) within 0.5 to 2 arcseconds around a bright star. The post-processing step is based on wavelet filtering an has analogy with edge enhancement and high-pass filtering. Our I-band on-sky results with the 2.5-m Nordic Telescope (NOT) and the lucky imaging instrument FASTCAM show that we are able to detect L-type brown dwarf companions around a solar-type star with a contrast DI~12 at 2 and with no use of any coronographic capability, which greatly simplifies the instrumental and hardware approach. This object has been detected from the ground in J and H bands so far only with AO-assisted 8-10 m class telescopes (Gemini, Keck), although more recently detected with small-class telescopes in the K band. Discussing the advantage and disadvantage of the optical regime for the detection of faint intrinsic fluxes close to bright stars, we develop some perspectives for other fields, including the study of dense cores in globular clusters. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that high contrast considerations are included in optical speckle imaging approach.
In this Astro2020 APC White Paper, we describe a Small Explorer (SMEX) mission concept called the Compton Spectrometer and Imager. COSI is a Compton telescope that covers the bandpass often referred to as the MeV Gap because it is the least explored region of the whole electromagnetic spectrum. COSI provides a significant improvement in sensitivity along with high-resolution spectroscopy, enabling studies of 511 keV electron-positron annihilation emission and measurements of several radioactive elements that trace the Galactic history of supernovae. COSI also measures polarization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), accreting black holes, and pulsars as well as detecting and localizing multimessenger sources. In the following, we describe the COSI science, the instrument, and its capabilities. We highlight many Astro2020 science WPs that describe the COSI science in depth.
Hi-5 is a high-contrast (or high dynamic range) infrared imager project for the VLTI. Its main goal is to characterize young extra-solar planetary systems and exozodiacal dust around southern main-sequence stars. In this paper, we present an update of the project and key technology pathways to improve the contrast achieved by the VLTI. In particular, we discuss the possibility to use integrated optics, proven in the near-infrared, in the thermal near-infrared (L and M bands, 3-5~$mu$m) and advanced fringe tracking strategies. We also address the strong exoplanet science case (young exoplanets, planet formation, and exozodiacal disks) offered by this wavelength regime as well as other possible science cases such as stellar physics (fundamental parameters and multiplicity) and extragalactic astrophysics (active galactic nuclei and fundamental constants). Synergies and scientific preparation for other potential future instruments such as the Planet Formation Imager are also briefly discussed.
We discuss the results of a multi-wavelength differential imaging lab experiment with the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The HCIT combines a Lyot coronagraph with a Xinetics deformable mirror in a vacuum environment to simulate a space telescope in order to test technologies and algorithms for a future exoplanet coronagraph mission. At present, ground based telescopes have achieved significant attenuation of speckle noise using the technique of spectral differential imaging (SDI). We test whether ground-based SDI can be generalized to a non-simultaneous spectral differential imaging technique (NSDI) for a space mission. In our lab experiment, a series of 5 filter images centered around the O2(A) absorption feature at 0.762 um were acquired at nominal contrast values of 10^-6, 10^-7, 10^-8, and 10^-9. Outside the dark hole, single differences of images improve contrast by a factor of ~6. Inside the dark hole, we found significant speckle chromatism as a function of wavelength offset from the nulling wavelength, leading to a contrast degradation by a factor of 7.2 across the entire ~80 nm bandwidth. This effect likely stems from the chromatic behavior of the current occulter. New, less chromatic occulters are currently in development; we expect that these new occulters will resolve the speckle chromatism issue.
High contrast imaging using coronagraphy is one of the main avenues to enable the search for life on extrasolar Earth analogs. The HiCAT testbed aims to demonstrate coronagraphy and wavefront control for segmented on-axis space telescopes as envisioned for a future large UV optical IR mission (LUVOIR). Our software infrastructure enables 24/7 automated operation of high-contrast imaging experiments while monitoring for safe operating parameters, along with graceful shutdown processes for unsafe conditions or unexpected errors. The infrastructure also includes a calibration suite that can run nightly to catch regressions and track optical performance changes over time, and a testbed simulator to support software development and testing, as well as optical modeling necessary for high-contrast algorithms. This paper presents a design and implementation of testbed control software to leverage continuous integration whether the testbed is available or not.
Matthew A. Kenworthy
,Frans Snik
,Christoph U. Keller
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(2020)
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"High contrast imaging for the enhanced resolution imager and spectrometer (ERIS)"
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Matthew A. Kenworthy
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