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E. Pluzhnik (Subaru Telescope, Institute of Astronomy of Kharkov University), O. Guyon (Subaru Telescope), R. Galicher (Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris), S. Ridgway (NOAO), F. Martinache (Subaru Telescope)
The main goal of the Terrestrial Planet Finder mission (NASA) is to find and characterize Earth-like planets around the nearest stars. But detection of such planets is difficult because of the high contrast (typically 1010)and small angular separation (typically 50 mas) between the planet and its parent star. Therefore, exoplanet imaging requires the use of a coronagraphic device. The Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization Coronagraph (PIAAC), which relies on a lossless apodization technique, seems especially adapted to this task.
We show how the 3D shape of the optics of the PIAAC can be computed using geometrical optics laws. We have successfully produced apodizing lenses and demonstrated lossless beam apodization in the lab. In the next phase of our laboratory experiment effort, high quality mirrors will be combined with wavefront control to demonstrate achromatic high contrast imaging (106 or more) at small angular separation (less than 2\lambda/D).
We show how the 3D shape of the optics of the PIAAC can be computed using geometrical optics laws. We have successfully produced apodizing lenses and demonstrated lossless beam apodization in the lab. In the next phase of our laboratory experiment effort, high quality mirrors will be combined with wavefront control to demonstrate achromatic high contrast imaging (106 or more) at small angular separation (less than 2\lambda/D).
Through numerical simulations, including 3D raytracing, we have characterized the performance of the PIAAC and its sensitivity to wavefront errors. We have also verified that the PIAAC delivers a clean PSF in a moderately wide (more than 200\lambda/D in diameter) field of view.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.