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Visible Nulling Coronagraph Testbed ResultsThe Extrasolar Planetary Imaging Coronagraph (EPIC) is a NASA Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concept study and a proposed NASA Discovery mission to image and characterize extrasolar giant planets in orbits with semi-major axes between 2 and 10 AU. EPIC would provide insights into the physical nature of a variety of planets in other solar systems complimenting radial velocity (RV) and astrometric planet searches. It will detect and characterize the atmospheres of planets identified by radial velocity surveys, determine orbital inclinations and masses, characterize the atmospheres around A and F stars, observed the inner spatial structure and colors of inner Spitzer selected debris disks. EPIC would be launched to heliocentric Earth trailing drift-away orbit, with a 5-year mission lifetime. The starlight suppression approach consists of a visible nulling coronagraph (VNC) that enables starlight suppression in broadband light from 480-960 nm. To demonstrate the VNC approach and advance it's technology readiness we have developed a laboratory VNC and have demonstrated white light nulling. We will discuss our ongoing VNC work and show the latest results from the VNC testbed.
Document ID
20090031859
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lyon, Richard G.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Clampin, Mark
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Melnick, Gary
(Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA, United States)
Tolls, Volker
(Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Cambridge, MA, United States)
Woodruff, Robert
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Denver, CO, United States)
Vasudevan, Gopal
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Palo Alto, CA, United States)
Rizzo, Maxime
(Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales Toulouse, France)
Thompson, Patrick
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
August 4, 2009
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: SPIE Optics and Photonics
Location: San Diego, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: August 4, 2009
End Date: August 6, 2009
Sponsors: International Society for Optical Engineering
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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