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The Visible Nulling Coronagraph--Architecture Definition and Technology DevelopmentThis paper describes the advantages of visible direct detection and spectroscopy of Earth-like extrasolar planets using a nulling coronagraph instrument behind a moderately sized single aperture space telescope. Our concept synthesizes a nulling interferometer by shearing the telescope pupil, with the resultant producing a deep null. We describe nulling configurations that also include methods to mitigate stellar leakage, such as spatial filtering by a coherent array of single mode fibers, and post-starlight suppression wavefront sensing and control. With diffraction limited telescope optics and similar quality components in the optical train (lambda/20), suppression of the starlight to 1e-10 is readily achievable. We describe key features of the architecture and analysis, present latest results of laboratory measurements demonstrating achievable null depth and component development, and discuss future key technical milestones.
Document ID
20090020299
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Shao, Michael
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Levine, B. Martin
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Wallace, J. Kent
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Liu, Duncan T.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Schmidtlin, Edouard
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Serabyn, Eugene
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Mennesson, Bertrand
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Green, Joseph J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Aguayo, Francisco
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Fregoso, S. Felipe
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Lane, Benjamin F.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Samuele, Rocco
(Northrup-Grumman Space Technology Corp. Redondo Beach, CA, United States)
Tuttle, Carl
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Palo Alto, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
October 3, 2005
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Meeting Information
Meeting: IAU Colloquium No. 200 Direct Imaging of Exoplaners, Science adn Techniques
Location: Villefranche-sur-mer
Country: France
Start Date: October 3, 2005
Sponsors: International Astronomical Union
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
nulling interferometer
direct planet detection
coronagraph
extra solar
space instrumentatation

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