A

SCExAO, a testbed for developing high-contrast imaging technologies for ELTs

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

To directly detect exoplanets and protoplanetary disks, the development of high accuracy wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C) technologies is essential, especially for ground-based Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs). The Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) instrument is a high-contrast imaging platform to discover and characterize exoplanets and protoplanetary disks. It also serves as a testbed to validate and deploy new concepts or algorithms for high-contrast imaging approaches for ELTs, using the latest hardware and software technologies on an 8-meter class telescope. SCExAO is a multi-band instrument, using light from 600 to 2500 nm, and delivering a high Strehl ratio (>80% in median seeing in H-band) downstream of a low-order correction provided by the facility AO188. Science observations are performed with coronagraphs, an integral field spectrograph, or single aperture interferometers. The SCExAO project continuously reaches out to the community for development and upgrades. Existing operating testbeds such as the SCExAO are also unique opportunities to test and deploy the new technologies for future ELTs. We present and show a live demonstration of the SCExAO capabilities (Real-time predictive AO control, Focal plane WFS&C, etc) as a host testbed for the remote collaborators to test and deploy the new WFS&C concepts or algorithms. We also present several high-contrast imaging technologies that are under development or that have already been demonstrated on-sky.

Authors 24

  1. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, (United States)

  2. University of Arizona · National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (United States)

    The Univ. of Arizona (United States)

  3. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, (United States)

  4. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (United States)

  5. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, (United States)

  6. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan · University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (United States)

    Univ. College London (United Kingdom)

  7. Ames Research Center

    Affiliation as printed

    NASA Ames Research Ctr. (United States)

  8. Steven P. Bos Aachen

    Leiden University

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden University (Netherlands)

  9. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. of Hawai'i (United States)

  10. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

    Affiliation as printed

    Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (United States)

  11. University of Michigan

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Michigan United States

  12. University of Arizona

    Affiliation as printed

    Steward Observatory, The Univ. of Arizona (United States)

  13. Goddard Space Flight Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Goddard Space Flight Ctr. (United States)

  14. University of Arizona

    Affiliation as printed

    Steward Observatory, The Univ. of Arizona (United States)

  15. California Institute of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    California Institute of Technology UNITED STATES

  16. The University of Tokyo

    Affiliation as printed

    The University of Tokyo , Japan

  17. Astrobiology Center

    Affiliation as printed

    Astrobiology Ctr. of NINS (Japan)

  18. University of Arizona

    Affiliation as printed

    Steward Observatory, The Univ. of Arizona (United States)

  19. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Lagrange Laboratory · Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur

    Affiliation as printed

    Lab. Lagrange, Univ. Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS (France)

  20. University of California, Santa Barbara

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ of California, Santa Barbara (United States)

  21. Kelsey Miller Aachen

    Leiden University

    Affiliation as printed

    Leiden University (Netherlands)

  22. The University of Sydney

    Affiliation as printed

    The University of Sydney, Australia#TAB#

  23. University of Arizona

    Affiliation as printed

    Steward Observatory, The Univ. of Arizona (United States)

  24. The University of Sydney

    Affiliation as printed

    The University of Sydney, Australia#TAB#

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References 48