The Fast Atmospheric Self-Coherent Camera Technique: Laboratory Results and Future Directions

Direct detection and detailed characterization of exoplanets using extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) is a key science goal of future extremely large telescopes (ELTs). However, wavefront errors will limit the sensitivity of this endeavor. Limitations for ground-based telescopes arise from both quasi-static and residual AO-corrected atmospheric wavefront errors, the latter of which generates short-lived aberrations that will average into a halo over a long exposure. We have developed and tested the framework for a solution to both of these problems using the self-coherent camera (SCC), to be applied to ground-based telescopes, called the Fast Atmospheric SCC Technique (FAST). In this paper we present updates of new and ongoing work for FAST, both in numerical simulation and in the laboratory. We first present numerical simulations that illustrate the scientific potential of FAST, including, with current 10-m telescopes, the direct detection of exoplanets reflected light and exo-Jupiters in thermal emission and, with future ELTs, the detection of habitable exoplanets. In the laboratory, we present the first characterizations of our proposed, and now fabricated, coronagraphic masks.Comment: submitted to Proceedings of Adaptive Optics for Extremely Large Telescopes

Deformable mirror-based pupil chopping for exoplanet imaging and adaptive optics

Due to turbulence in the atmosphere images taken from ground-based telescopes become distorted. With adaptive optics (AO) images can be given greater clarity allowing for better observations with existing telescopes and are essential for ground-based coronagraphic exoplanet imaging instruments. A disadvantage to many AO systems is that they use sensors that can not correct for non-common path aberrations. We have developed a new focal plane wavefront sensing technique to address this problem called deformable mirror (DM)-based pupil chopping. The process involves a coronagraphic or non-coronagraphic science image and a deformable mirror, which modulates the phase by applying a local tip/tilt every other frame which enables correcting for leftover aberrations in the wavefront after a conventional AO correction. We validate this technique with both simulations (for coronagraphic and non-coronagraphic images) and testing (for non-coronagraphic images) on UCSC's Santa Cruz Extreme AO Laboratory (SEAL) testbed. We demonstrate that with as low as 250 nm of DM stroke to apply the local tip/tilt this wavefront sensor is linear for low-order Zernike modes and enables real-time control, in principle up to kHz speeds to correct for residual atmospheric turbulence.Comment: Conference Proceeding for 2023 SPIE Optics & Photonics, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets X

Dynamic Protein Interactions of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 during Differentiation of Pluripotent Cells

Polycomb proteins assemble to form complexes with important roles in epigenetic regulation. The Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) modulates the di- and tri-methylation of lysine 27 on histone H3, each of which are associated with gene repression. Although three subunits, EZH1/2, SUZ12, and EED, form the catalytic core of PRC2, a wider group of proteins associate with low stoichiometry. This raises the question of whether dynamic variation of the PRC2 interactome results in alternative forms of the complex during differentiation. Here we compared the physical interactions of PRC2 in undifferentiated and differentiated states of NTERA2 pluripotent embryonic carcinoma cells. Label-free quantitative proteomics was used to assess endogenous immunoprecipitation of the EZH2 and SUZ12 subunits of PRC2. A high stringency data set reflecting the endogenous state of PRC2 was produced that included all previously reported core and associated PRC2 components, and several novel interacting proteins. Comparison of the interactomes obtained in undifferentiated and differentiated cells revealed candidate proteins that were enriched in complexes isolated from one of the two states. For example, SALL4 and ZNF281 associate with PRC2 in pluripotent cells, whereas PCL1 and SMAD3 preferentially associate with PRC2 in differentiating cells. Analysis of the mRNA and protein levels of these factors revealed that their association with PRC2 correlated with their cell state-specific expression. Taken together, we propose that dynamic changes to the PRC2 interactome during differentiation may contribute to directing its activity during cell fate transitions

c-di-GMP modulates type IV MSHA pilus retraction and surface attachment in Vibrio cholerae.

Biofilm formation by Vibrio cholerae facilitates environmental persistence, and hyperinfectivity within the host. Biofilm formation is regulated by 3',5'-cyclic diguanylate (c-di-GMP) and requires production of the type IV mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) pilus. Here, we show that the MSHA pilus is a dynamic extendable and retractable system, and its activity is directly controlled by c-di-GMP. The interaction between c-di-GMP and the ATPase MshE promotes pilus extension, whereas low levels of c-di-GMP correlate with enhanced retraction. Loss of retraction facilitated by the ATPase PilT increases near-surface roaming motility, and impairs initial surface attachment. However, prolonged retraction upon surface attachment results in reduced MSHA-mediated surface anchoring and increased levels of detachment. Our results indicate that c-di-GMP directly controls MshE activity, thus regulating MSHA pilus extension and retraction dynamics, and modulating V. cholerae surface attachment and colonization

Using the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm to reconstruct non-modulated pyramid wavefront sensor measurements

Adaptive optics (AO) is a technique to improve the resolution of ground-based telescopes by correcting, in real-time, optical aberrations due to atmospheric turbulence and the telescope itself. With the rise of Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes (GSMT), AO is needed more than ever to reach the full potential of these future observatories. One of the main performance drivers of an AO system is the wavefront sensing operation, consisting of measuring the shape of the above mentioned optical aberrations. Aims. The non-modulated pyramid wavefront sensor (nPWFS) is a wavefront sensor with high sensitivity, allowing the limits of AO systems to be pushed. The high sensitivity comes at the expense of its dynamic range, which makes it a highly non-linear sensor. We propose here a novel way to invert nPWFS signals by using the principle of reciprocity of light propagation and the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm. We test the performance of this reconstructor in two steps: the technique is first implemented in simulations, where some of its basic properties are studied. Then, the GS reconstructor is tested on the Santa Cruz Extreme Adaptive optics Laboratory (SEAL) testbed located at the University of California Santa Cruz. This new way to invert the nPWFS measurements allows us to drastically increase the dynamic range of the reconstruction for the nPWFS, pushing the dynamics close to a modulated PWFS. The reconstructor is an iterative algorithm requiring heavy computational burden, which could be an issue for real-time purposes in its current implementation. However, this new reconstructor could still be helpful in the case of many wavefront control operations. This reconstruction technique has also been successfully tested on the Santa Cruz Extreme AO Laboratory (SEAL) bench where it is now used as the standard way to invert nPWFS signal

Transcript analysis reveals a specific HOX signature associated with positional identity of human endothelial cells.

The endothelial cell has a remarkable ability for sub-specialisation, adapted to the needs of a variety of vascular beds. The role of developmental programming versus the tissue contextual environment for this specialization is not well understood. Here we describe a hierarchy of expression of HOX genes associated with endothelial cell origin and location. In initial microarray studies, differential gene expression was examined in two endothelial cell lines: blood derived outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) and pulmonary artery endothelial cells. This suggested shared and differential patterns of HOX gene expression between the two endothelial lines. For example, this included a cluster on chromosome 2 of HOXD1, HOXD3, HOXD4, HOXD8 and HOXD9 that was expressed at a higher level in BOECs. Quantative PCR confirmed the higher expression of these HOXs in BOECs, a pattern that was shared by a variety of microvascular endothelial cell lines. Subsequently, we analysed publically available microarrays from a variety of adult cell and tissue types using the whole "HOX transcriptome" of all 39 HOX genes. Using hierarchical clustering analysis the HOX transcriptome was able to discriminate endothelial cells from 61 diverse human cell lines of various origins. In a separate publically available microarray dataset of 53 human endothelial cell lines, the HOX transcriptome additionally organized endothelial cells related to their organ or tissue of origin. Human tissue staining for HOXD8 and HOXD9 confirmed endothelial expression and also supported increased microvascular expression of these HOXs. Together these observations suggest a significant involvement of HOX genes in endothelial cell positional identity

The Peculiar Debris Disk of HD 111520 as Resolved by the Gemini Planet Imager

Using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), we have resolved the circumstellar debris disk around HD 111520 at a projected range of ~30-100 AU in both total and polarized $H$-band intensity. The disk is seen edge-on at a position angle of ~165$^{\circ}$ along the spine of emission. A slight inclination or asymmetric warping are covariant and alters the interpretation of the observed disk emission. We employ 3 point spread function (PSF) subtraction methods to reduce the stellar glare and instrumental artifacts to confirm that there is a roughly 2:1 brightness asymmetry between the NW and SE extension. This specific feature makes HD 111520 the most extreme examples of asymmetric debris disks observed in scattered light among similar highly inclined systems, such as HD 15115 and HD 106906. We further identify a tentative localized brightness enhancement and scale height enhancement associated with the disk at ~40 AU away from the star on the SE extension. We also find that the fractional polarization rises from 10 to 40% from 0.5" to 0.8" from the star. The combination of large brightness asymmetry and symmetric polarization fraction leads us to believe that an azimuthal dust density variation is causing the observed asymmetry.Comment: 9 pages, 8 Figures, 1 table, Accepted to Ap