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The VORTEX project: first results and perspectives
Absil, Olivier; Mawet, Dimitri; Delacroix, Christian et al.
2014In Marchetti, Enrico; Close, Laird; Véran, Jean-Pierre (Eds.) Adaptive Optics Systems IV
 

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Keywords :
exoplanets; high contrast imaging; coronagraphy; vortex phase mask
Abstract :
[en] Vortex coronagraphs are among the most promising solutions to perform high contrast imaging at small angular separations from bright stars. They feature a very small inner working angle (down to the diffraction limit of the telescope), a clear 360 degree discovery space, have demonstrated very high contrast capabilities, are easy to implement on high-contrast imaging instruments, and have already been extensively tested on the sky. Since 2005, we have been designing, developing and testing an implementation of the charge-2 vector vortex phase mask based on concentric sub-wavelength gratings, referred to as the Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM). Science-grade mid-infrared AGPMs were produced in 2012 for the first time, using plasma etching on synthetic diamond substrates. They have been validated on a coronagraphic test bench, showing broadband peak rejection up to 500:1 in the L band, which translates into a raw contrast of about 6e-5 at 2λ/D. Three of them have now been installed on world-leading diffraction-limited infrared cameras, namely VLT/NACO, VLT/VISIR and LBT/LMIRCam. During the science verification observations with our L-band AGPM on NACO, we observed the beta Pictoris system and obtained unprecedented sensitivity limits to planetary companions down to the diffraction limit (0.1"). More recently, we obtained new images of the HR 8799 system at L band during the AGPM first light on LMIRCam. After reviewing these first results obtained with mid-infrared AGPMs, we will discuss the short- and mid-term goals of the on-going VORTEX project, which aims to improve the performance of our vortex phase masks for future applications on second-generation high-contrast imager and on future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). In particular, we will briefly describe our current efforts to improve the manufacturing of mid-infrared AGPMs, to push their operation to shorter wavelengths, and to provide deeper starlight extinction by creating new designs for higher topological charge vortices. Within the VORTEX project, we also plan to develop new image processing techniques tailored to coronagraphic images, and to study some pre- and post-coronagraphic concepts adapted to the vortex coronagraph in order to reduce scattered starlight in the final images.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Absil, Olivier  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Mawet, Dimitri
Delacroix, Christian  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Forsberg, Pontus
Karlsson, Mikael
Habraken, Serge ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Optique - Hololab
Surdej, Jean  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Absil, Pierre-Antoine
Carlomagno, Brunella ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Christiaens, Valentin  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Gómez González, Carlos ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Huby, Elsa ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Jolivet, Aïssa ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Milli, Julien
Piron, Pierre ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astroph. extragalactique et observations spatiales (AEOS)
Vargas Catalan, Ernesto
Van Droogenbroeck, Marc  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Dép. d'électric., électron. et informat. (Inst.Montefiore) > Télécommunications
More authors (8 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
The VORTEX project: first results and perspectives
Publication date :
21 July 2014
Event name :
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014
Event organizer :
SPIE
Event place :
Montreal, Canada
Event date :
22/6/2014 - 28/6/2014
Audience :
International
Main work title :
Adaptive Optics Systems IV
Editor :
Marchetti, Enrico
Close, Laird
Véran, Jean-Pierre
Publisher :
SPIE, Bellingham, United States - Washington
Collection name :
Proceedings of SPIE, volume 9148
Pages :
91480M
European Projects :
FP7 - 337569 - VORTEX - Taking extrasolar planet imaging to a new level with vector vortex coronagraphy
Name of the research project :
VORTEX
Funders :
CE - Commission Européenne [BE]
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