The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: demonstrating advanced exoplanet characterization techniques for future extremely large telescopes (Conference Presentation)

Abstract

The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is an upgrade to the Keck II adaptive optics system enabling high contrast imaging and high-resolution spectroscopic characterization of giant exoplanets in the mid-infrared (2-5 microns). The KPIC instrument will be developed in phases. Phase I entails the installation of an infrared pyramid wavefront sensor (PyWFS) based on a fast, low-noise SAPHIRA IR-APD array. The ultra-sensitive infrared PyWFS will enable high contrast studies of infant exoplanets around cool, red, and/or obscured targets in star forming regions. In addition, the light downstream of the PyWFS will be coupled into an array of singlemode fibers with the aid of an active fiber injection unit (FIU). In turn, these fibers route light to Keck's highresolution infrared spectrograph NIRSPEC, so that high dispersion coronagraphy (HDC) can be implemented for the first time. HDC optimally pairs high contrast imaging and high-resolution spectroscopy allowing detailed characterization of exoplanet atmospheres, including molecular composition, spin measurements, and Doppler imaging.Here we provide an overview of the instrument, its science scope, and report on recent results from onsky commissioning of Phase I. The instrument design and techniques developed will be key for more advanced instrument concepts needed for the extremely large telescopes of the future.

Adaptive optics with an infrared pyramid wavefront sensor at Keck

“…KPIC is comprised of two parts: the IR PyWFS, 22,23 providing wavefront measurements in H-band; and a fiber injection unit (FIU), fiber bundle and fiber extraction unit 16,24 used to feed NIRSPEC. The PyWFS is used for both modes of KPIC-imaging and characterization.…”

“…This new sensor forms part of a wider instrument: the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC). 15,16 This instrument is optimized for the discovery and analysis of exoplanets, first attempting to identify new exoplanets through coronagraphic imaging of M-dwarfs and stars within protoplanetary discs; and second characterizing the atmosphere of known exoplanets using single-mode fiber fed spectroscopy. IR wavefront sensing is a crucial element for such observations due to the faint nature of these targets at visible wavelengths.…”

Detecting and characterizing close-in exoplanets with vortex fiber nulling

“…All the demonstrations of VFN in the lab are building towards an on-sky demonstration using the KPIC instrument that is now operational in the Keck II Telescope at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. [22][23][24] KPIC is a phased upgrade to the Keck adaptive optics system and includes two key elements: an infrared pyramid wavefront sensor 25 and a Fiber Injection Unit (FIU). The FIU adds, among other things, a single mode fiber source to the existing high-resolution spectrograph at Keck.…”

Enhanced high-dispersion coronagraphy with KPIC phase II: design, assembly and status of sub-modules

“…Several projects have been initiated to realize this new technique from the ground including: the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC), 3,4 which combines Keck AO and NIRSPEC, the Rigorous Exoplanetary Atmosphere Characterization with High dispersion coronography instrument (REACH), 5 which combines SCExAO and IRD and High-Resolution Imaging and Spectroscopy of Exoplanets (HiRISE), which combines SPHERE and CRIRES+. 6 The phase I version of KPIC and the REACH instrument are both transitioning from commissioning to early science at the time of writing of this article and offer complimentary wavelength coverage across the near-IR (NIR) on Maunakea (REACH operates from y-H and KPIC operates in K and L bands), while HiRISE is still in the development stage.…”