A Mach-Zehnder interferometer based on orbital angular momentum for improved vortex coronagraph efficiency

The Annular Groove Phase Mask (AGPM) is a vectorial vortex phase mask. It acts as a half-wave plate with a radial fast axis orientation operating in the mid infrared domain. When placed at the focus of a telescope element provides a continuous helical phase ramp for an on axis sources, which creates the orbital angular momentum. Thanks to that phase, the intensity of the central source is canceled by a down-stream pupil stop, while the off axis sources are not affected. However due to experimental conditions the nulling is hardly perfect. To improve the null, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer containing Dove prisms differently oriented can be proposed to sort out light based on its orbital angular momentum (OAM). Thanks to the differential rotation of the beam, a π phase shift is achieved for the on axis light affected by a non zero OAM. Therefore the contrast between the star and its faint companion is enhanced. Nevertheless, due the Dove prisms birefringence, the performance of the interferometer is relatively poor. To solve this problem, we propose to add a birefringent wave-plate in each arm to compensate this birefringence. In this paper, we will develop the mathematical model of the wave front using the Jones formalism. The performance of the interferometer is at first computed for the simple version without the birefringent plate. Then the effect of the birefringent plate is be mathematically described and the performance is re-computed

Flexible CO₂ sensor architecture with selective nitrogen functionalities by one-step laser-induced conversion of versatile organic ink

Nitrogen-doped carbons (NC) are a class of sustainable materials for selective CO2 adsorption. We introduce a versatile concept to fabricate flexible NC-based sensor architectures for room-temperature sensing of CO2 in a one-step laser conversion of primary coatings cast from abundant precursors. By the unidirectional energy impact in conjunction with depth-dependent attenuation of the laser beam, a layered sensor heterostructure with porous transducer and active sensor layer is formed. Comprehensive microscopic and spectroscopic cross-sectional analyses confirm the preservation of a high content of imidazolic nitrogen in the sensor. The performance was optimized in terms of material morphology, chemical composition, and surface chemistry to achieve a linear relative resistive response of up to ∆R/R0 = -14.3% (10% of CO2). Thermodynamic analysis yields ΔadsH values of -35.6 kJ·mol-1 and 34.1 kJ·mol-1 for H2O and CO2, respectively. The sensor is operable even in humid environments (e.g., ∆R/R0,RH=80% = 0.53%) and shows good performance upon strong mechanical deformation

High-contrast spectroscopy testbed for Segmented Telescopes: instrument overview and development progress

The High Contrast spectroscopy testbed for Segmented Telescopes (HCST) is being developed at Caltech. It aims at addressing the technology gap for future exoplanet imagers and providing the U.S. community with an academic facility to test components and techniques for high contrast imaging, focusing on segmented apertures proposed for future ground-based (TMT, ELT) and space-based telescopes (HabEx, LUVOIR). We present an overview of the design of the instrument and a detailed look at the testbed build and initial alignment. We offer insights into stumbling blocks encountered along the path and show that the testbed is now operational and open for business. We aim to use the testbed in the future for testing of high contrast imaging techniques and technologies with amongst with thing, a TMT-like pupil

The Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 complex mediates activation of TopBP1 by ATM

The activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) depends upon ATM in human cells and Xenopus egg extracts. One important aspect of this dependency involves regulation of TopBP1 by ATM. In Xenopus egg extracts, ATM associates with TopBP1 and thereupon phosphorylates it on S1131. This phosphorylation enhances the capacity of TopBP1 to activate the ATR-ATRIP complex. We show that TopBP1 also interacts with the Mre11-Rad50-Nbs1 (MRN) complex in egg extracts in a checkpoint-regulated manner. This interaction involves the Nbs1 subunit of the complex. ATM can no longer interact with TopBP1 in Nbs1-depleted egg extracts, which suggests that the MRN complex helps to bridge ATM and TopBP1 together. The association between TopBP1 and Nbs1 involves the first pair of BRCT repeats in TopBP1. In addition, the two tandem BRCT repeats of Nbs1 are required for this binding. Functional studies with mutated forms of TopBP1 and Nbs1 suggested that the BRCT-dependent association of these proteins is critical for a normal checkpoint response to DSBs. These findings suggest that the MRN complex is a crucial mediator in the process whereby ATM promotes the TopBP1-dependent activation of ATR-ATRIP in response to DSBs

Discovery of a low-mass companion inside the debris ring surrounding the F5V star HD 206893

Aims: Uncovering the ingredients and the architecture of planetary systems is a very active field of research that has fuelled many new theories on giant planet formation, migration, composition, and interaction with the circumstellar environment. We aim at discovering and studying new such systems, to further expand our knowledge of how low-mass companions form and evolve. Methods: We obtained high-contrast H-band images of the circumstellar environment of the F5V star HD 206893, known to host a debris disc never detected in scattered light. These observations are part of the SPHERE High Angular Resolution Debris Disc Survey (SHARDDS) using the InfraRed Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS) installed on VLT/SPHERE. Results: We report the detection of a source with a contrast of 3.6 × 10[SUP]-5[/SUP] in the H-band, orbiting at a projected separation of 270 milliarcsec or 10 au, corresponding to a mass in the range 24 to 73 M[SUB]Jup[/SUB] for an age of the system in the range 0.2 to 2 Gyr. The detection was confirmed ten months later with VLT/NaCo, ruling out a background object with no proper motion. A faint extended emission compatible with the disc scattered light signal is also observed. Conclusions: The detection of a low-mass companion inside a massive debris disc makes this system an analog of other young planetary systems such as β Pictoris, HR 8799 or HD 95086 and requires now further characterisation of both components to understand their interactions.Peer reviewe

Exoplanets with ELT-METIS I: estimating the direct imaging exoplanet yield around nearby stars within 6.5 parsecs

Stars and planetary system