Wavefront error correction and Earth-like planet detection by Self-Coherent Camera in space

Abstract

In the context of exoplanet detection, the performance of coronagraphs is limited by wavefront errors. To efficiently correct for these aberrations with a deformable mirror, it is mandatory to measure them using the science detector with a very high accuracy. The Self-Coherent Camera which is based on light incoherence between star and its environment enables an estimation of these wavefront errors. That estimation is directly derived from the encoded speckles in the science image. This avoids differential errors due to beam separation and non common optics. Earth-like planet detection is demonstrated by numerical simulations under realistic assumptions for a space telescope. The Self-Coherent Camera is an attractive technique for future space telescopes. It is also one of the techniques under investigation for the E-ELT planet finder so-called EPICS.

4 pages, 4 eps figures, accepted in A&A the 6th of July 2008

References in corpus (4)

• High-contrast Imaging from Space: Speckle Nulling in a Low Aberration Regime
• Fundamental limitations on Earth-like planet detection with Extremely Large Telescopes
• Imaging extrasolar planets by stellar halo suppression in separately-corrected color bands
• Expected Performance of a Self-Coherent Camera

Cited by in corpus (17)

• Calibration of quasi-static aberrations in exoplanet direct-imaging instruments with a Zernike phase-mask sensor
• Estimation and correction of wavefront aberrations using the self-coherent camera: laboratory results
• Focal plane wavefront sensor achromatization : The multireference self-coherent camera
• SPICES: Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary Systems
• The self-coherent camera as a focal plane fine phasing sensor
• Focal-plane wavefront sensing with the vector Apodizing Phase Plate
• Laboratory validation of the dual-zone phase mask coronagraph in broadband light at the high-contrast imaging THD-testbed
• Experimental validation of joint phase and amplitude wave-front sensing with coronagraphic phase diversity for high-contrast imaging
• Atmospheric characterization of cold exoplanets using a 1.5-m coronagraphic space telescope
• Coronagraphic phase diversity through residual turbulence: performance study and experimental validation
• Stellar Double Coronagraph: a multistage coronagraphic platform at Palomar observatory
• Minimization of non common path aberrations at the Palomar telescope using a self-coherent camera
• Status and performance of the THD2 bench in multi-deformable mirror configuration
• Review of high-contrast imaging systems for current and future ground-based and space-based telescopes II. Common path wavefront sensing/control and Coherent Differential Imaging
• Laboratory comparison of coronagraphic concepts under dynamical seeing and high-order adaptive optics correction
• Focal Plane Wavefront Sensing with the FAST TGV Coronagraph
• Pathway Toward a Mid-Infrared Interferometer for the Direct Characterization of Exoplanets