Whack-a-speckle: Focal plane wavefront sensing in theory and practice with a deformable secondary mirror and 5-micron camera

Matthew A. Kenworthy, Philip M. Hinz, J. Roger P. Angel, Ari N. Heinze, Suresh Sivanandam

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Long exposures from adaptive optic systems show a diffraction limited core superimposed on a halo of uncorrected light from a science target, and the addition of various long-lived speckles that arise from uncorrected aberrations in the telescope system. The presence of these speckles limit the detection of extra-solar planets at a few diffraction widths from the primary source. Focal plane wavefront sensing uses the deformable secondary mirror of the MMT adaptive optics system to systematically remove the presence of long-lived speckles in a high-contrast image, and also test for the incoherent source that represents a separate astronomical target nearby. We use the Clio 5 micron camera (with its coronagraphic capabilities) to modulate long lived speckles and present initial on-sky results of this technique.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAdvances in Adaptive Optics II
DOIs
StatePublished - 2006
EventAdvances in Adaptive Optics II - Orlando, FL, United States
Duration: May 24 2006May 31 2006

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume6272 II
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Other

OtherAdvances in Adaptive Optics II
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityOrlando, FL
Period5/24/065/31/06

Keywords

  • Adaptive optics
  • Mid infra-red
  • Wavefront sensing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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