Apodized Lyot Coronagraph for VLT-SPHERE: Laboratory tests and performances of a first prototype in the visible

We present some of the High Dynamic Range Imaging activities developed around the coronagraphic test-bench of the Laboratoire A. H. Fizeau (Nice). They concern research and development of an Apodized Lyot Coronagraph (ALC) for the VLT-SPHERE instrument and experimental results from our testbed working in the visible domain. We determined by numerical simulations the specifications of the apodizing filter and searched the best technological process to manufacture it. We present the results of the experimental tests on the first apodizer prototype in the visible and the resulting ALC nulling performances. The tests concern particularly the apodizer characterization (average transmission radial profile, global reflectivity and transmittivity in the visible), ALC nulling performances compared with expectations, sensitivity of the ALC performances to misalignments of its components

Thermalizing a telescope in Antarctica: Analysis of ASTEP observations

The installation and operation of a telescope in Antarctica represent particular challenges, in particular the requirement to operate at extremely cold temperatures, to cope with rapid temperature fluctuations and to prevent frosting. Heating of electronic subsystems is a necessity, but solutions must be found to avoid the turbulence induced by temperature fluctua- tions on the optical paths. ASTEP 400 is a 40 cm Newton telescope installed at the Concordia station, Dome C since 2010 for photometric observations of fields of stars and their exoplanets. While the telescope is designed to spread star light on several pixels to maximize photometric stability, we show that it is nonetheless sensitive to the extreme variations of the seeing at the ground level (between about 0.1 and 5 arcsec) and to temperature fluctuations between --30 degrees C and --80 degrees C. We analyze both day-time and night-time observations and obtain the magnitude of the seeing caused by the mirrors, dome and camera. The most important effect arises from the heating of the primary mirror which gives rise to a mirror seeing of 0.23 arcsec K--1 . We propose solutions to mitigate these effects.Comment: Appears in Astronomical Notes / Astronomische Nachrichten, Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2015, pp.1-2

Prototyping coronagraphs for exoplanet characterization with SPHERE

The detection and characterization of extrasolar planets with SPHERE (Spectro Polarimetric High contrast Exoplanet REsearch) is challenging and in particular relies on the ability of a coronagraph to attenuate the diffracted starlight. SPHERE includes 3 instruments, 2 of which can be operated simultaneously in the near IR from 0.95 to 1.8 microns. This requirements is extremely critical for coronagraphy. This paper briefly introduces the concepts of 2 coronagraphs, the Half-Wave Plate Four Quadrant Phase Masks and the Apodized Pupil Lyot Coronagraph, prototyped within the SPHERE consortium by LESIA (Observatory of Paris) and FIZEAU (University of Nice) respectively. Then, we present the measurements of contrast and sensitivity analysis. The comparison with technical specifications allows to validate the technology for manufacturing these coronagraphs.Comment: 10 pages, will be published in the proceeding of the SPIE conference Volume 7015 "Adaptive Optics", held in Marseille from 23 to 28 june 200

First light from the Dome C (Antarctica) of a phase knife stellar coronagraph

18 pages, 12 figuresWe report on the first daytime on-sky results of a Phase Knife stellar Coronagraph operated in the visible from the French-Italian Concordia station at Dome C of Antarctica. This site has proven in the last few years to offer excellent atmospheric seeing conditions for high spatial resolution observations. The coronagraphic performances obtained from laboratory experiments and numerical models have been compared with those measured from daytime on-sky data recorded on bright single and multiple stars: Canopus (HD 45348), and alpha Centauri (HD 128620J). No correction system was used (adaptive optics or tip-tilt mirror) so that atmospheric turbulence alone defines the image quality, and thus the coronagraphic performances. Moreover, the experiment could not run under optimal operational conditions due to hardware/software problems. Satisfactory results have been obtained: broad band total rejection exceeding 15 were attained in the visible. This first day-time observation campaign yields an experimental feedback on how to improve the instrument to get optimal performances during future night-time observation runs

KEOPS: Kiloparsec Explorer for Optical Planet Search, a direct-imaging optical array at Dome C of Antarctica

International audienceRecent site seeing testing campaigns conducted by our team from University of Nice1 show that Dome C represents the best site on Earth for astronomical high angular resolution (HAR) observations at optical and IR wavelengths. The dramatic gain over relevant HAR parameters r0, L0, θ0 and τ0, added to very low temperatures during the polar winter nights (-70°C), the dry atmosphere and the possibility of continuous observations during several nights make Dome C the ideal site for deploying a kilometric optical interferometer before the 2015 horizon. Here we describe the concept of Kiloparsec Explorer for Optical Planet Search (KEOPS) that is studied by our group at LUAN. KEOPS is an interferometric array of 36 off-axis telescopes, each 1.5m in diameter. Its kilometric baselines open sub-mas snap-shot imaging possibilities to detect and characterize extra-solar planetary systems, especially exo-Earths out to 300 parsecs from the visible to the thermal IR. KEOPS can be considered as a DARWIN/TPF challenger but at a much lower cost

Thermalizing a telescope in Antarctica: Analysis of ASTEP observations

International audienceThe installation and operation of a telescope in Antarctica represent particular challenges, in particular the requirement to operate at extremely cold temperatures, to cope with rapid temperature fluctuations and to prevent frosting. Heating of electronic subsystems is a necessity, but solutions must be found to avoid the turbulence induced by temperature fluctua- tions on the optical paths. ASTEP 400 is a 40 cm Newton telescope installed at the Concordia station, Dome C since 2010 for photometric observations of fields of stars and their exoplanets. While the telescope is designed to spread star light on several pixels to maximize photometric stability, we show that it is nonetheless sensitive to the extreme variations of the seeing at the ground level (between about 0.1 and 5 arcsec) and to temperature fluctuations between −30◦C and −80◦C. We analyze both day-time and night-time observations and obtain the magnitude of the seeing caused by the mirrors, dome and camera. The most important effect arises from the heating of the primary mirror which gives rise to a mirror seeing of 0.23 arcsec K−1 . We propose solutions to mitigate these effects