Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2005-12-15
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Submitted to ApJ
Scientific paper
Properly apodized pupils can deliver point spread functions (PSFs) free of Airy rings, and are suitable for high dynamical range imaging of extrasolar terrestrial planets (ETPs). To reach this goal, classical pupil apodization (CPA) unfortunately requires most of the light gathered by the telescope to be absorbed, resulting in poor throughput and low angular resolution. Phase-induced amplitude apodization (PIAA) of the telescope pupil (Guyon 2003) combines the advantages of classical pupil apodization (particularly low sensitivity to low order aberrations) with full throughput, no loss of angular resolution and little chromaticity, which makes it, theoretically, an extremely attractive coronagraph for direct imaging of ETPs. The two most challenging aspects of this technique are (1) the difficulty to polish the required optics shapes and (2) diffraction propagation effects which, because of their chromaticity, can decrease the spectral bandwidth of the coronagraph. We show that a properly designed hybrid system combining classical apodization with the PIAA technique can solve both problems simultaneously. For such a system, the optics shapes can be well within today's optics manufacturing capabilities, and the $10^{-10}$ PSF contrast at $\approx 1.5 \lambda/D$ required for efficient imaging of ETPs can be maintained over the whole visible spectrum. This updated design of the PIAA coronagraph maintains the high performance of the earlier design, since only a small part of the light is lost in the classical apodizer(s).
Blain Celia
Galicher Rapha"l.
Guyon Olivier
Martinache Frantz
Pluzhnik Eugene A.
No associations
LandOfFree
Exoplanet Imaging with a Phase-induced Amplitude Apodization Coronagraph III. Hybrid Approach: Optical Design and Diffraction Analysis does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Exoplanet Imaging with a Phase-induced Amplitude Apodization Coronagraph III. Hybrid Approach: Optical Design and Diffraction Analysis, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Exoplanet Imaging with a Phase-induced Amplitude Apodization Coronagraph III. Hybrid Approach: Optical Design and Diffraction Analysis will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-111545