106 research outputs found
Stellar Double Coronagraph: a multistage coronagraphic platform at Palomar observatory
We present a new instrument, the "Stellar Double Coronagraph" (SDC), a
flexible coronagraphic platform. Designed for Palomar Observatory's 200" Hale
telescope, its two focal and pupil planes allow for a number of different
observing configurations, including multiple vortex coronagraphs in series for
improved contrast at small angles. We describe the motivation, design,
observing modes, wavefront control approaches, data reduction pipeline, and
early science results. We also discuss future directions for the instrument.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures. Correspondence welcome. The published work is
open access and differs trivially from the version posted here. The published
version may be found at
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/128/965/075003/met
Status of the PALM-3000 high order adaptive optics instrument
We report on the status of PALM-3000, the second generation adaptive optics instrument for the 5.1 meter Hale telescope at Palomar Observatory. PALM-3000 was released as a facility class instrument in October 2011, and has since been used on the Hale telescope a total of over 250 nights. In the past year, the PALM-3000 team introduced several instrument upgrades, including the release of the 32x32 pupil sampling mode which allows for correction on fainter guide stars, the upgrade of wavefront sensor relay optics, the diagnosis and repair of hardware problems, and the release of software improvements. We describe the performance of the PALM-3000 instrument as a result of these upgrades, and provide on-sky results. In the 32x32 pupil sampling mode (15.8 cm per subaperture), we have achieved K-band strehl ratios as high as 11% on a 14.4 mv star, and in the 64x64 pupil sampling mode (8.1 cm per subaperture), we have achieved K-band strehl ratios as high as 86% on stars brighter than 7th m_v
Stellar Double Coronagraph: a multistage coronagraphic platform at Palomar Observatory
We present a new instrument, the "Stellar Double Coronagraph," a flexible coronagraphic platform. Designed for Palomar Observatory's 200'' Hale telescope, its two focal and pupil planes allow for a number of different observing configurations, including multiple vortex coronagraphs in series for improved contrast at small angles. We describe the motivation, design, observing modes, wavefront control approaches, data reduction pipeline, and early science results. We also discuss future directions for the instrument
Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: A dedicated single-mode fiber injection unit for high resolution exoplanet spectroscopy
The Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC) is a purpose-built instrument to demonstrate new tech- nological and instrumental concepts initially developed for the exoplanet direct imaging field. Located downstream of the current Keck II adaptive optic system, KPIC contains a fiber injection unit (FIU) capable of combining the high-contrast imaging capability of the adaptive optic system with the high dispersion spectroscopy capability of the current Keck high resolution infrared spectrograph (NIRSPEC). Deployed at Keck in September 2018, this instrument has already been used to acquire high resolution spectra (R < 35, 000) of multiple targets of interest. In the near term, it will be used to spectrally characterize known directly imaged exoplanets and low-mass brown dwarf companions visible in the northern hemisphere with a spectral resolution high enough to enable spin and planetary radial velocity measurements as well as Doppler imaging of atmospheric weather phenomena. Here we present the design of the FIU, the unique calibration procedures needed to operate a single-mode fiber instrument and the system performance
Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer: demonstrating advanced exoplanet characterization techniques for future extremely large telescopes (Conference Presentation)
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 single-mode fibers with the aid of an active fiber injection unit (FIU). In turn, these fibers route light to Keck's high-resolution 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. We will provide an overview of the instrument, its science scope, and report on recent results from on-sky commissioning of Phase I. We will discuss plans for optimizing the instrument to seed designs for similar modes on extremely large telescopes
Atmospheric metallicity and C/O of HD 189733 b from high-resolution spectroscopy
We present high-resolution -band emission spectra of the quintessential
hot Jupiter HD 189733 b from the Keck Planet Imager and Characterizer (KPIC).
Using a Bayesian retrieval framework, we fit the dayside pressure-temperature
profile, orbital kinematics, mass-mixing ratios of HO, CO, CH, NH,
HCN, and HS, and the ratio. We measure mass fractions
of and ,
and place upper limits on the remaining species. Notably, we find at 99\% confidence, despite its anticipated presence at the
equilibrium temperature of HD 189733 b assuming local thermal equilibrium. We
make a tentative () detection of , and the retrieved
posteriors suggest a ratio similar to or substantially less
than the local interstellar value. The possible enrichment would
be consistent with accretion of fractionated material in ices or in the
protoplanetary disk midplane. The retrieved abundances correspond to a
substantially sub-stellar atmospheric , while the carbon
and oxygen abundances are stellar to slightly super-stellar, consistent with
core-accretion models which predict an inverse correlation between C/O and
metallicity. The specific combination of low C/O and high metallicity suggests
significant accretion of solid material may have occurred late in the formation
process of HD 189733 b.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, accepted in A
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