119 research outputs found
Static spectropolarimeter concept adapted to space conditions and wide spectrum constraints
The issues related to moving elements in space and instruments working in
broader wavelength ranges lead to a need for robust polarimeters, efficient on
a wide spectral domain, and adapted to space conditions. As part of the UVMag
consortium, created to develop spectropolarimetric UV facilities in space, such
as the Arago mission project, we present an innovative concept of static
spectropolarimetry. We studied a static and polychromatic method for
spectropolarimetry, applicable to stellar physics. Instead of modulating the
polarization information temporally, as usually done in spectropolarimeters,
the modulation is performed in a spatial direction, orthogonal to the spectral
one. Thanks to the proportionality between phase retardance imposed by a
birefringent material and its thickness, birefringent wedges can be used to
create this spatial modulation. The light is then spectrally cross-dispersed,
and a full-Stokes determination of the polarization over the whole spectrum can
be obtained with a single-shot measurement. The use of Magnesium Fluoride
wedges, for example, could lead to a compact, static polarimeter working at
wavelengths from 0.115 mm up to 7 mm. We present the theory and simulations of
this concept, as well as laboratory validation and a practical application to
Arago.Comment: Article accepted for publication in Applied Optics on 20 July 201
Current results of the PERSEE testbench: the cophasing control and the polychromatic null rate
Stabilizing a nulling interferometer at a nanometric level is the key issue
to obtain deep null depths. The PERSEE breadboard has been designed to study
and optimize the operation of a cophased nulling bench in the most realistic
disturbing environment of a space mission. This presentation focuses on the
current results of the PERSEE bench. In terms of metrology, we cophased at 0.33
nm rms for the piston and 80 mas rms for the tip/tilt (0.14% of the Airy disk).
A Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control coupled with an unsupervised
vibration identification allows us to maintain that level of correction, even
with characteristic vibrations of nulling interferometry space missions. These
performances, with an accurate design and alignment of the bench, currently
lead to a polychromatic unpolarised null depth of 8.9E-6 stabilized at 3E-7 on
the [1.65-2.45] \mum spectral band (37% bandwidth).Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, proceedings of the Optics+Photonics SPIE
conference, San Diego, 201
SPICES: Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary Systems - From Planetary Disks To Nearby Super Earths
SPICES (Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary Systems) is a five-year M-class mission proposed to ESA Cosmic Vision. Its purpose is to image and characterize long-period extrasolar planets and circumstellar disks in the visible (450-900 nm) at a spectral resolution of about 40 using both spectroscopy and polarimetry. By 2020/2022, present and near-term instruments will have found several tens of planets that SPICES will be able to observe and study in detail. Equipped with a 1.5 m telescope, SPICES can preferentially access exoplanets located at several AUs (0.5-10 AU) from nearby stars (less than 25 pc) with masses ranging from a few Jupiter masses to Super Earths (approximately 2 Earth radii, approximately 10 mass compared to Earth) as well as circumstellar disks as faint as a few times the zodiacal light in the Solar System
SPICES: Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary Systems
SPICES (Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanetary
Systems) is a five-year M-class mission proposed to ESA Cosmic Vision. Its
purpose is to image and characterize long-period extrasolar planets and
circumstellar disks in the visible (450 - 900 nm) at a spectral resolution of
about 40 using both spectroscopy and polarimetry. By 2020/22, present and
near-term instruments will have found several tens of planets that SPICES will
be able to observe and study in detail. Equipped with a 1.5 m telescope, SPICES
can preferentially access exoplanets located at several AUs (0.5-10 AU) from
nearby stars (25 pc) with masses ranging from a few Jupiter masses to Super
Earths (2 Earth radii, 10 M) as well as circumstellar
disks as faint as a few times the zodiacal light in the Solar System
The SuperCam Instrument Suite on the Mars 2020 Rover: Science Objectives and Mast-Unit Description
On the NASA 2020 rover mission to Jezero crater, the remote determination of the texture, mineralogy and chemistry of rocks is essential to quickly and thoroughly characterize an area and to optimize the selection of samples for return to Earth. As part of the Perseverance payload, SuperCam is a suite of five techniques that provide critical and complementary observations via Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VISIR), high-resolution color imaging (RMI), and acoustic recording (MIC). SuperCam operates at remote distances, primarily 2-7 m, while providing data at sub-mm to mm scales. We report on SuperCam's science objectives in the context of the Mars 2020 mission goals and ways the different techniques can address these questions. The instrument is made up of three separate subsystems: the Mast Unit is designed and built in France; the Body Unit is provided by the United States; the calibration target holder is contributed by Spain, and the targets themselves by the entire science team. This publication focuses on the design, development, and tests of the Mast Unit; companion papers describe the other units. The goal of this work is to provide an understanding of the technical choices made, the constraints that were imposed, and ultimately the validated performance of the flight model as it leaves Earth, and it will serve as the foundation for Mars operations and future processing of the data.In France was provided by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). Human resources were provided in part by the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and universities. Funding was provided in the US by NASA's Mars Exploration Program. Some funding of data analyses at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was provided by laboratory-directed research and development funds
Enabling planetary science across light-years. Ariel Definition Study Report
Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, was adopted as the fourth medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme to be launched in 2029. During its 4-year mission, Ariel will study what exoplanets are made of, how they formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of about 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System. The payload consists of an off-axis Cassegrain telescope (primary mirror 1100 mm x 730 mm ellipse) and two separate instruments (FGS and AIRS) covering simultaneously 0.5-7.8 micron spectral range. The satellite is best placed into an L2 orbit to maximise the thermal stability and the field of regard. The payload module is passively cooled via a series of V-Groove radiators; the detectors for the AIRS are the only items that require active cooling via an active Ne JT cooler. The Ariel payload is developed by a consortium of more than 50 institutes from 16 ESA countries, which include the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and a NASA contribution
SuperCam Calibration Targets: Design and Development
SuperCam is a highly integrated remote-sensing instrumental suite for NASA’s Mars 2020 mission. It consists of a co-aligned combination of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), Time-Resolved Raman and Luminescence (TRR/L), Visible and Infrared Spectroscopy (VISIR), together with sound recording (MIC) and high-magnification imaging techniques (RMI). They provide information on the mineralogy, geochemistry and mineral context around the Perseverance Rover.
The calibration of this complex suite is a major challenge. Not only does each technique require its own standards or references, their combination also introduces new requirements to obtain optimal scientific output. Elemental composition, molecular vibrational features, fluorescence, morphology and texture provide a full picture of the sample with spectral information that needs to be co-aligned, correlated, and individually calibrated.
The resulting hardware includes different kinds of targets, each one covering different needs of the instrument. Standards for imaging calibration, geological samples for mineral identification and chemometric calculations or spectral references to calibrate and evaluate the health of the instrument, are all included in the SuperCam Calibration Target (SCCT). The system also includes a specifically designed assembly in which the samples are mounted. This hardware allows the targets to survive the harsh environmental conditions of the launch, cruise, landing and operation on Mars during the whole mission. Here we summarize the design, development, integration, verification and functional testing of the SCCT. This work includes some key results obtained to verify the scientific outcome of the SuperCam system
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