Practical high-order adaptive optics systems for extrasolar planet searches

Bruce A. Macintosh; Scot S. Olivier; Brian J. Bauman; James M. Brase; Emily Carr; Carmen J. Carrano; Donald T. Gavel; Claire E. Max; Jennifer Patience

doi:10.1117/12.454815

4 February 2002 Practical high-order adaptive optics systems for extrasolar planet searches

Bruce A. Macintosh, Scot S. Olivier, Brian J. Bauman, James M. Brase, Emily Carr, Carmen J. Carrano, Donald T. Gavel, Claire E. Max, Jennifer Patience

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4494, Adaptive Optics Systems and Technology II; (2002) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.454815
Event: International Symposium on Optical Science and Technology, 2001, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

Direct detection of photons emitted or reflected by an extrasolar planet is an extremely difficult but extremely exciting application of adaptive optics. Typical contrast levels for an extrasolar planet would be 10⁹ - Jupiter is a billion times fainter than the sun. Current adaptive optics systems can only achieve contrast levels of 10⁶, but so-called extreme adaptive optics systems with 10⁴ -10⁵ degrees of freedom could potentially detect extrasolar planets. We explore the scaling laws defining the performance of these systems, first set out by Angel (1994), and derive a different definition of an optimal system. Our sensitivity predictions are somewhat more pessimistic than the original paper, due largely to slow decorrelation timescales for some noise sources, though choosing to site an ExAO system at a location with exceptional r₀ (e.g. Mauna Kea) can offset this. We also explore the effects of segment aberrations in a Keck-like telescope on ExAO; although the effects are significant, they can be mitigated through Lyot coronagraphy.

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Bruce A. Macintosh, Scot S. Olivier, Brian J. Bauman, James M. Brase, Emily Carr, Carmen J. Carrano, Donald T. Gavel, Claire E. Max, and Jennifer Patience "Practical high-order adaptive optics systems for extrasolar planet searches", Proc. SPIE 4494, Adaptive Optics Systems and Technology II, (4 February 2002); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.454815

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