Probing Photon Statistics in Adaptive Optics Images with SCExAO/MEC

Abstract

We present an experimental study of photon statistics for high-contrast imaging with the Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) Exoplanet Camera (MEC) located behind the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics System (SCExAO) at the Subaru Telescope. We show that MEC measures the expected distributions for both on-axis companion intensity and off-axis intensity which manifests as quasi-static speckles in the image plane and currently limits high-contrast imaging performance. These statistics can be probed by any MEC observation due to the photon-counting capabilities of MKID detectors. Photon arrival time statistics can also be used to directly distinguish companions from speckles using a post-processing technique called Stochastic Speckle Discrimination (SSD). Here, we we give an overview of the SSD technique and highlight the first demonstration of SSD on an extended source -- the protoplanetary disk AB Aurigae. We then present simulations that provide an in-depth exploration as to the current limitations of an extension of the SSD technique called Photon-Counting SSD (PCSSD) to provide a path forward for transitioning PCSSD from simulations to on-sky results. We end with a discussion of how to further improve the efficacy of such arrival time based post-processing techniques applicable to both MKIDs, as well as other high speed astronomical cameras.

11 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in AJ

References in corpus (17)

• Array Programming with NumPy
• Direct Imaging of Multiple Planets Orbiting the Star HR 8799
• Discovery of a warm, dusty giant planet around HIP65426
• Images of Embedded Jovian Planet Formation At A Wide Separation Around AB Aurigae
• Extrasolar planets and brown dwarfs around A-F type stars VI. High precision RV survey of early type dwarfs with HARPS
• On-sky speckle nulling demonstration at small angular separation with SCExAO
• Confidence Level and Sensitivity Limits in High Contrast Imaging
• Possible evidence of ongoing planet formation in AB Aurigae. A showcase of the SPHERE/ALMA synergy
• Reference star differential imaging of close-in companions and circumstellar disks with the NIRC2 vortex coronagraph at W.M. Keck Observatory
• Large-format platinum silicide microwave kinetic inductance detectors for optical to near-IR astronomy
• HST/WFC3 H$\alpha$ Direct-Imaging Detection of a Point-like Source in the Disk Cavity of AB Aur
• Temporal variability and statistics of the Strehl ratio in adaptive-optics images
• Second Generation Readout For Large Format Photon Counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors
• Detection of faint companions through stochastic speckle discrimination
• Millisecond Exoplanet Imaging, I: Method and Simulation Results
• The Strehl Ratio in Adaptive Optics Images: Statistics and Estimation
• First Principle Simulator of a Stochastically Varying Image Plane for Photon-Counting High Contrast Applications

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Characterizing the Dark Count Rate of a Large-Format MKID Array