arXiv subjects

Hervé Le Coroller

Publications and source records attributed to Hervé Le Coroller.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Upgrading LBTI/NOMIC with a quadruple annular groove phase mask and GeoSnap detector for imaging nearby, habitable-zone exoplanets

The Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI)'s Nulling-Optimized Mid-Infrared Camera (NOMIC) is among the most capable thermal-infrared imaging systems available for high-contrast, high-angular-resolution astronomical observations. Here we describe two in-progress upgrades to LBTI/NOMIC: (1) the design, fabrication, and installation of a quadruple annular groove phase mask (Q-AGPM) coronagraph, and (2) the installation of a 13 micron-cutoff Teledyne GeoSnap array. The Q-AGPM is the first coronagraph to be installed within NOMIC and one of the first optimized for N-band (~11 micron) observations. It places four annular groove phase masks on a single diamond substrate so that, in the LBTI dual-aperture imaging mode, each of the two telescope beams can be chopped between a pair of masks without loss of observing efficiency. The GeoSnap array will replace NOMIC's original AQUARIUS array, delivering higher quantum efficiency, larger well depth, faster and more linear readout, and freedom from the excess low-frequency noise that requires aggressive chopping. Together these upgrades substantially improve the achievable contrast and sensitivity at small angular separations. We also present a high-contrast Fizeau imaging sequence obtained with LBTI's new FFTCam fringe tracker, which confirms the interferometric gain over a single aperture through injection/recovery tests: relative to an equal-time single aperture exposure, the S/N = 3 contrast is a factor of ~2-4 deeper across 0.2-1 arcsec, spanning the contrast- and background-limited regimes. Finally, we describe the role of the upgraded LBTI/NOMIC instrument within the Breakthrough Watch program at the University of Arizona, which aims to perform the deepest observations yet of the habitable zones of the nearest single Sun-like stars.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2025

Habitable World Discovery and Characterization: Coronagraph Concept of Operations and Data Post-Processing

The discovery and characterization of habitable worlds was the top scientific recommendation of the Astro2020 decadal survey and is a key objective of the Habitable Worlds Observatory. Biosignature identification drives exceedingly challenging observations, which require raw contrasts of roughly 10$^{-10}$ contrast and ultimately, 1$σ$ photometric precision of roughly 3$\times 10^{-12}$ contrast. Despite significant advances for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's Coronagraph Instrument, technological gaps still exist in a wide range of technologies such as starlight suppression, deformable mirrors, wavefront control, low noise detectors, and high-contrast spectroscopy. Even with these new technologies matured, the Habitable Worlds Observatory must carefully obtain the observations and rely on post-processing of the data to achieve its science objectives. During the START and TAG efforts, a working group was convened to explore the Coronagraph Concept of Operations and Post Processing (COPP) in the context of the Habitable Worlds Observatory. This COPP working group evaluated coronagraphic concept of operations to enable different post processing approaches, such as reference differential imaging and angular differential imaging, polarization differential imaging, orbital differential imaging, coherent differential imaging, spectral processing, and point-spread function subtraction algorithms that incorporate ancillary telemetry and data. Future integrated modeling simulations and testbed demonstrations are needed to determine the achievable post processing gains for each approach. We report a summary of this working group's activities and findings, as well as an outlook for maturation of these techniques and infusion into the Habitable Worlds Observatory technology portfolio.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2022

Efficiently combining Alpha CenA multi-epoch high-contrast imaging data. Application of K-Stacker to the 80 hrs NEAR campaign

Keplerian-Stacker is an algorithm able to combine multiple observations acquired at different epochs taking into account the orbital motion of a potential planet present in the images to boost the ultimate detection limit. In 2019, a total of 100 hours of observation were allocated to VLT VISIR-NEAR, a collaboration between ESO and Breakthrough Initiatives, to search for low mass planets in the habitable zone of the Alpha Cen AB binary system. A weak signal (S/N = 3) was reported around Alpha Cen A, at a separation of 1.1 a.u. which corresponds to the habitable zone. We have re-analysed the NEAR data using K-Stacker. This algorithm is a brute-force method able to find planets in time series of observations and to constrain their orbital parameters, even if they remain undetected in a single epoch. We scanned a total of about 3.5e+5 independent orbits, among which about 15 % correspond to fast moving orbits on which planets cannot be detected without taking into account the orbital motion. We find only a single planet candidate, which matches the C1 detection reported in Wagner et al. 2021. Despite the significant amount of time spent on this target, the orbit of this candidate remains poorly constrained due to these observations being closely distributed in 34 days. We argue that future single-target deep surveys would benefit from a K-Stacker based strategy, where the observations would be split over a significant part of the expected orbital period to better constrain the orbital parameters. This application of K-Stacker on high contrast imaging data in the mid-infrared demonstrates the capability of this algorithm to aid in the search for Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of the nearest stars with future instruments of the E-ELT such as METIS.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2010

Simulations of coronagraphy with a dynamic hologram for the direct detection of exo-planets

In a previous paper, we discussed an original solution to improve the performances of coronagraphs by adding, in the optical scheme, an adaptive hologram removing most of the residual speckle starlight. In our simulations, the detection limit in the flux ratio between a host star and a very near planet (5 lambda/D) improves over a factor 1000 (resp. 10000) when equipped with a hologram for cases of wavefront bumpiness imperfections of lambda/20 (resp. lambda/100). We derive, in this paper, the transmission accuracy required on the hologram pixels to achieve such goals. We show that preliminary tests could be performed on the basis of existing technologies.

astro-ph.IM↗