Interferometric coronography for the DARWIN space mission - Laboratory demonstration experiment

Ollivier, M.; Mariotti, J. M.; Léger, Alain; Sékulic, Predrag; Brunaud, J.; Molenaers, Guy

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010363

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Experimental studies of nulling interferometer breadboards (Serabyn 2003;Schmidtlin et al 2005;Ollivier et al 2001;Vink et al 2003;Alcatel 2004;Brachet 2005, etc. ) show that even in simple setups, the interference pattern is unstable, drifting with time.…”

Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…10 days. Their paper gives a quantitative summary of these effects, using data from Ollivier (1999); Alcatel (2004); Vink et al (2003), and suggests that servo mechanisms, using the signal itself, be employed to control drifts. Chazelas et al (2006) find that the "quality of the null" at a given wavelength and at a given moment in time can be evaluated in terms of the contrast in intensity between two adjacent dark and bright fringes.…”

Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Courtesy of our colleagues (Ollivier 1999;Alcatel 2004;Vink et al 2003;Brachet 2005), we were able to analyse their nulling-experiment data. Unfortunately, in all cases, the power spectral density (PSD) of the null output displays a strong peak Article published by EDP Sciences at low frequencies, i.e., a (1/ f ) α -type behaviour, with α ≥ 1.…”

Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stabilising a nulling interferometer using optical path difference dithering

Gabor¹,

Chazelas²,

Brachet

et al. 2008

A&A

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Context. Nulling interferometry has been suggested as the underlying principle for the Darwin and TPF-I exoplanet research missions. Aims. There are constraints both on the mean value of the nulling ratio, and on its stability. Instrument instability noise is most detrimental to the stability of the nulling performance.Methods. We applied a modified version of the classical dithering technique to the optical path difference in the scientific beam. Results. Using only this method, we repeatedly stabilised the dark fringe for several hours. This method alone sufficed to remove the 1/ f component of the noise in our setup for periods of 10 min, typically. These results indicate that performance stability may be maintained throughout the long-duration data acquisitions typical of exoplanet spectroscopy. Conclusions. We suggest that further study of possible stabilisation strategies should be an integral part of Darwin/TPF-I research and development.

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Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nulling Interferometry and Exoplanet Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Stabilising a nulling interferometer using optical path difference dithering

Gabor¹,

Chazelas²,

Brachet

et al. 2008

A&A

Self Cite

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“…A classical form of this technique has been investigated, 18 although this first experiment was inconclusive. More recently, Schmidtlin et al 23 have demonstrated the potential of dithering in a sequential way, obtaining good levels of stabilisation with nulling ratio around 8 10…”

Section: Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tests of achromatic phase shifters performed on the SYNAPSE test bench: a progress report

Gabor

Schüller

Chazelas³

et al. 2008

SPIE Proceedings

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The achromatic phase shifter (APS) is a component of the Bracewell nulling interferometer studied in preparation for future space missions (viz. Darwin/TPF-I) focusing on spectroscopic study of Earth-like exo-planets. Several possible designs of such an optical subsystem exist. Four approaches were selected for further study. Thales Alenia Space developed a dielectric prism APS. A focus crossing APS prototype was developed by the OCA, Nice, France. A field reversal APS prototype was prepared by the MPIA in Heidelberg, Germany. Centre Spatial de Liège develops a concept based on Fresnel's rhombs. This paper presents a progress report on the current work aiming at evaluating these prototypes on the Synapse test bench at

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“…Several teams are working to achieve high performance with nulling interferometry, for example, wide-band nullers (Shao & Colavita 1992;Serabyn et al 1999;Baba et al 2001;Ollivier et al 2001) or differential wavelength techniques (Danchi et al 2003). On the other hand, the twotelescope Bracewell interferometer remains limited by residual light from off-axis rays.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combination of nulling interferometer and modified pupil for observations of exo-planets

Nishikawa¹,

Kotani

Murakami

et al. 2005

A&A

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Abstract. We consider a combination of two techniques, namely the nulling interferometer and halo suppression by modified pupil such as shaped pupils and apodized square apertures, which achieves very high dynamic range, in order to detect faint extra-solar planets around nearby stars. The effects of the nulling interferometer and the modified pupil are independent and in combination hence multiplied. We show that one can achieve higher dynamic range in the case of a resolved star than with either method alone. By numerical simulations, we show that the combination method can achieve dynamic range levels of 10 −10 at 3λ/D. Used alone, the two-telescope interferometer would give the nulling depth of 10 −3 whilst the halo suppression by a shaped aperture would do 10 −7 , with a point-spread-function core radius less than 3λ/D for a shaped aperture. The introduction of the modified pupil has the same effect whether it is made at the entrance apertures of the interferometer or at a re-imaged common pupil plane after the nulling interferometry. From another point of view, a nulling interferometer works as pre-optics in front of any single telescope methods, which reduces the intensity of a resolved source transmitting some uniform wavefront residuals.

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Interferometric coronography for the DARWIN space mission - Laboratory demonstration experiment

Cited by 15 publications

References 11 publications

Stabilising a nulling interferometer using optical path difference dithering

Stabilising a nulling interferometer using optical path difference dithering

Tests of achromatic phase shifters performed on the SYNAPSE test bench: a progress report

Combination of nulling interferometer and modified pupil for observations of exo-planets

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