Context. Several exoplanet direct-imaging instruments (VLT-SPHERE, Gemini Planet Imager, etc.) will soon be in operation, providing original data for comparative exoplanetary science to the ...community. To this end, exoplanet imagers use an extreme adaptive optics (XAO) system to correct the atmospheric turbulence and provide a highly corrected beam to a near-infrared (NIR) coronagraph for suppressing diffracted stellar light. The performance of the coronagraph is, however, limited by the non-common path aberrations (NCPA) due to the differential wavefront errors existing between the visible XAO sensing path and the NIR science path and leading to residual speckles that hide the faintest exoplanets in the coronagraphic image. Aims. Accurate calibration of the NCPA in exoplanet imagers is mandatory to correct the residual, quasi-static speckles remaining in the coronagraphic images after XAO correction in order to allow the observation of exoplanets that are at least 106 fainter than their host star. Several approaches have been developed during these past few years to reach this goal. We propose an approach based on the Zernike phase-contrast method operating in the same wavelength as the coronagraph for the measurements of the NCPA between the optical path seen by the visible XAO wavefront sensor and that seen by the NIR coronagraph. Methods. This approach uses a focal plane phase mask of size ~λ/D, where λ and D denote the wavelength and the telescope aperture diameter, respectively, to measure the quasi-static aberrations in the upstream pupil plane by encoding them into intensity variations in the downstream pupil image. The principle of this approach as described in several classical optical textbooks is simplified by the omission of the spatial variability of the amplitude diffracted by the phase mask. We develop a more rigorous formalism, leading to highly accurate measurement of the NCPA, in a quasi-linear way during the observation. Results. With prospects of achieving subnanometric measurement accuracy with this approach for a static phase map of standard deviation 44 nm rms at λ = 1.625 μm (0.026 λ), we estimate a possible reduction of the NCPA due to chromatic differential optics by a factor ranging from 3 to 10 in the presence of adaptive optics (AO) residuals compared with the expected performance of a typical current-generation system. This would allow a reduction of the level of quasi-static speckles in the detected images by a factor 10 to 100, thus correspondingly improving the capacity to observe exoplanets.
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Studies of atmospheres of directly imaged extrasolar planets with high-resolution spectrographs have shown that their characterization is predominantly limited by noise on the stellar halo at the ...location of the studied exoplanet. An instrumental combination of high-contrast imaging and high spectral resolution that suppresses this noise and resolves the spectral lines can therefore yield higher quality spectra. We study the performance of the proposed HiRISE fiber coupling between the direct imager SPHERE and the spectrograph CRIRES+ at the Very Large Telescope for spectral characterization of directly imaged planets. Using end-to-end simulations of HiRISE we determine the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the detection of molecular species for known extrasolar planets in
H
and
K
bands, and compare them to CRIRES+. We investigate the ultimate detection limits of HiRISE as a function of stellar magnitude, and we quantify the impact of different coronagraphs and of the system transmission. We find that HiRISE largely outperforms CRIRES+ for companions around bright hosts like
β
Pictoris or 51 Eridani. For an
H
= 3.5 host, we observe a gain of a factor of up to 16 in observing time with HiRISE to reach the same S/N on a companion at 200 mas. More generally, HiRISE provides better performance than CRIRES+ in 2 h integration times between 50 and 350 mas for hosts with
H
< 8.5 and between 50 and 700 mas for
H
< 7. For fainter hosts like PDS 70 and HIP 65426, no significant improvements are observed. We find that using no coronagraph yields the best S/N when characterizing known exoplanets due to higher transmission and fiber-based starlight suppression. We demonstrate that the overall transmission of the system is in fact the main driver of performance. Finally, we show that HiRISE outperforms the best detection limits of SPHERE for bright stars, opening major possibilities for the characterization of future planetary companions detected by other techniques.
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Aims.
The Zernike wavefront sensor (ZWFS) is a concept belonging to the wide class of Fourier-filtering wavefront sensors (FFWFSs). The ZWFS is known for its extremely high sensitivity and low ...dynamic range, which makes it a unique sensor for second stage adaptive optics systems or quasi-static aberration calibration sensors. This sensor is composed of a focal plane mask made of a phase shifting dot that is fully described by two parameters: its diameter and depth. We aim to improve the performance of this sensor by changing the diameter of its phase shifting dot.
Methods.
We begin with a general theoretical framework, providing an analytical description of the FFWFS properties. We then predict the expected ZWFS sensitivity for different configurations of dot diameters and depths. The analytical predictions are then validated with end-to-end simulations. From this, we propose a variation of the classical ZWFS shape that exhibits extremely appealing properties.
Results.
We show that the ZWFS sensitivity can be optimized by modifying the dot diameter and it can even reach the optimal theoretical limit, though with the trade-off of low spatial frequency sensitivity. As an example, we show that a ZWFS with a 2
λ
/
D
dot diameter (where
λ
is the sensing wavelength and
D
the telescope diameter), hereafter called a Z2WFS, exhibits a sensitivity twice higher than the classical 1.06
λ
/
D
ZWFS for all the phase spatial components except for tip-tilt modes. Furthermore, this gain in sensitivity does not impact the dynamic range of the sensor, and the Z2WFS exhibits a similar dynamical range as the classical 1.06
λ
/
D
ZWFS. This study opens the path to the conception of a diameter-optimized ZWFS.
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The latest generation of high-contrast instruments dedicated to exoplanets and circumstellar disk imaging are equipped with extreme adaptive optics and coronagraphs to reach contrasts of up to 10−4 ...at a few tenths of arcseconds in the near-infrared. The resulting image shows faint features, only revealed with this combination, such as the wind driven halo. The wind driven halo is due to the lag between the adaptive optics correction and the turbulence speed over the telescope pupil. However, we observe an asymmetry of this wind driven halo that was not expected when the instrument was designed. In this letter, we describe and demonstrate the physical origin of this asymmetry and support our explanation by simulating the asymmetry with an end-to-end approach. From this work, we find that the observed asymmetry is explained by the interference between the AO-lag error and scintillation effects, mainly originating from the fast jet stream layer located at about 12 km in altitude. Now identified and interpreted, this effect can be taken into account for further design of high-contrast imaging simulators, next generation or upgrade of high-contrast instruments, predictive control algorithms for adaptive optics, or image post-processing techniques.
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We have observed the protoplanetary disk of the well-known young Herbig star HD 142527 using ZIMPOL polarimetric differential imaging with the very broad band (∼600-900 nm) filter. We obtained two ...data sets in 2015 May and 2016 March. Our data allow us to explore dust scattering around the star down to a radius of ∼0 025 (∼4 au). The well-known outer disk is clearly detected at higher resolution than before and shows previously unknown substructures, including spirals going inward into the cavity. Close to the star, dust scattering is detected at high signal-to-noise ratio, but it is unclear whether the signal represents the inner disk, which has been linked to the two prominent local minima in the scattering of the outer disk that are interpreted as shadows. An interpretation of an inclined inner disk combined with a dust halo is compatible with both our and previous observations, but other arrangements of the dust cannot be ruled out. Dust scattering is also present within the large gap between ∼30 and ∼140 au. The comparison of the two data sets suggests rapid evolution of the inner regions of the disk, potentially driven by the interaction with the close-in M-dwarf companion, around which no polarimetric signal is detected.
Warm or massive gas giant planets, brown dwarfs, and debris disks around nearby stars are now routinely observed by dedicated high-contrast imaging instruments that are mounted on large, ground-based ...observatories. These facilities include extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) and state-of-the-art coronagraphy to achieve unprecedented sensitivities for exoplanet detection and their spectral characterization. However, low spatial frequency differential aberrations between the ExAO sensing path and the science path represent critical limitations for the detection of giant planets with a contrast lower than a few 10 super(-6) at very small separations (<0.3'') from their host star. In our previous work, we proposed a wavefront sensor based on Zernike phase-contrast methods to circumvent this problem and measure these quasi-static aberrations at a nanometric level. We present the design, manufacturing, and testing of ZELDA, a prototype that was installed on VLT/SPHERE during its reintegration in Chile. Using the internal light source of the instrument, we first performed measurements in the presence of Zernike or Fourier modes introduced with the deformable mirror. Our experimental results are consistent with the results in simulations, confirming the ability of our sensor to measure small aberrations (<50 nm rms) with nanometric accuracy. Following these results, we corrected the long-lived non-common path aberrations in SPHERE based on ZELDA measurements and estimated a contrast gain of 10 in the coronagraphic image at 0.2'', reaching the raw contrast limit set by the coronagraph in the instrument. In addition to this encouraging result, the simplicity of the design and its phase reconstruction algorithm makes ZELDA an excellent candidate for the online measurements of quasi-static aberrations during the observations. The implementation of a ZELDA-based sensing path on the current and future facilities (ELTs, future space missions) could facilitate the observation of cold gaseous or massive rocky planets around nearby stars.
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Context. Specific high-contrast imaging instruments are mandatory to characterize circumstellar disks and exoplanets around nearby stars. Coronagraphs are commonly used in these facilities to reject ...the diffracted light of an observed star and enable direct imaging and spectroscopy of its circumstellar environment. One important property of the coronagraph is to be able to work in broadband light. Aims. Among several proposed coronagraphs, the dual-zone phase mask coronagraph is a promising solution for starlight rejection in broadband light. In this paper, we perform the first validation of this concept in laboratory. Methods. First, we consider the principle of the dual-zone phase mask coronagraph. Then, we describe the high-contrast imaging THD testbed, the manufacturing of the components, and the quality control procedures. Finally, we study the sensitivity of our coronagraph to low-order aberrations (inner working angle and defocus) and estimate its contrast performance. Our experimental broadband light results are compared with numerical simulations to check agreement with the performance predictions. Results. With the manufactured prototype and using a dark hole technique based on the self-coherent camera, we obtain contrast levels down to 2 × 10-8 between 5 and 17λ0/D in monochromatic light (640 nm). We also reach contrast levels of 4 × 10-8 between 7 and 17λ0/D in broadband (λ0 = 675 nm, Δλ = 250 and Δλ/λ0 = 40%), which demonstrates the excellent chromatic performance of the dual-zone phase mask coronagraph. Conclusions. The performance reached by the dual-zone phase mask coronagraph is promising for future high-contrast imaging instruments that aim to detect and spectrally characterize old or light gaseous planets.
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Context. The protoplanetary disk around the F-type star HD 135344B (SAO 206462) is in a transition stage and shows many intriguing structures both in scattered light and thermal (sub-)millimeter ...emission which are possibly related to planet formation processes. Aims. We aim to study the morphology and surface brightness of the disk in scattered light to gain insight into the innermost disk regions, the formation of protoplanets, planet-disk interactions traced in the surface and midplane layers, and the dust grain properties of the disk surface. Methods. We have carried out high-contrast polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) observations with VLT/SPHERE and obtained polarized scattered light images with ZIMPOL in the R and I-bands and with IRDIS in the Y and J-bands. The scattered light images and surface brightness profiles are used to study in detail structures in the disk surface and brightness variations. We have constructed a 3D radiative transfer model to support the interpretation of several detected shadow features. Results. The scattered light images reveal with unprecedented angular resolution and sensitivity the spiral arms as well as the 25 au cavity of the disk. Multiple shadow features are discovered on the outer disk with one shadow only being present during the second observation epoch. A positive surface brightness gradient is observed in the stellar irradiation corrected (r2-scaled) images in southwest direction possibly due to an azimuthally asymmetric perturbation of the temperature and/or surface density by the passing spiral arms. The disk integrated polarized flux, normalized to the stellar flux, shows a positive trend towards longer wavelengths which we attribute to large (2πa ≳ λ) aggregate dust grains in the disk surface. Part of the non-azimuthal polarization signal in the Uφ image of the J-band observation can be attributed to multiple scattering in the disk. Conclusions. The detected shadow features and their possible variability have the potential to provide insight into the structure of and processes occurring in the innermost disk regions. Possible explanations for the presence of the shadows include a 22° misaligned inner disk, a warped disk region that connects the inner disk with the outer disk, and variable or transient phenomena such as a perturbation of the inner disk or an asymmetric accretion flow. The spiral arms are best explained by one or multiple protoplanets in the exterior of the disk although no gap is detected beyond the spiral arms up to 1.′′0.
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Context. The low wind effect (LWE) refers to a characteristic set of quasi-static wavefront aberrations seen consistently by the SPHERE instrument when dome-level wind speeds drop below 3 ms−1. The ...LWE produces bright low-order speckles in the stellar point-spread function (PSF), which severely limit the contrast performance of SPHERE under otherwise optimal observing conditions. Aims. In this paper we propose the Fast & Furious (F&F) phase diversity algorithm as a viable software-only solution for real-time LWE compensation, which would utilise image sequences from the SPHERE differential tip-tilt sensor (DTTS) and apply corrections via reference slope offsets on the AO system’s Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. Methods. We evaluated the closed-loop performance of F&F on the MITHIC high-contrast test-bench, under conditions emulating LWE-affected DTTS images. These results were contrasted with predictive simulations for a variety of convergence tests, in order to assess the expected performance of an on-sky implementation of F&F in SPHERE. Results. The algorithm was found to be capable of returning LWE-affected images to Strehl ratios of greater than 90% within five iterations, for all appropriate laboratory test cases. These results are highly representative of predictive simulations, and demonstrate stability of the algorithm against a wide range of factors including low image signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), small image field of view, and amplitude errors. It was also found in simulation that closed-loop stability can be preserved down to image S/N as low as five while still improving overall wavefront quality, allowing for reliable operation even on faint targets. Conclusions. The Fast & Furious algorithm is an extremely promising solution for real-time compensation of the LWE, which can operate simultaneously with science observations and may be implemented in SPHERE without requiring additional hardware. The robustness and relatively large effective dynamic range of F&F also make it suitable for general wavefront optimisation applications, including the co-phasing of segmented ELT-class telescopes.
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