arXiv subjects

P. Martinez

Publications and source records attributed to P. Martinez.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Post conjunction detection of $β$ Pictoris b with VLT/SPHERE

With an orbital distance comparable to that of Saturn in the solar system, \bpic b is the closest (semi-major axis $\simeq$\,9\,au) exoplanet that has been imaged to orbit a star. Thus it offers unique opportunities for detailed studies of its orbital, physical, and atmospheric properties, and of disk-planet interactions. With the exception of the discovery observations in 2003 with NaCo at the Very Large Telescope (VLT), all following astrometric measurements relative to \bpic have been obtained in the southwestern part of the orbit, which severely limits the determination of the planet's orbital parameters. We aimed at further constraining \bpic b orbital properties using more data, and, in particular, data taken in the northeastern part of the orbit. We used SPHERE at the VLT to precisely monitor the orbital motion of beta \bpic b since first light of the instrument in 2014. We were able to monitor the planet until November 2016, when its angular separation became too small (125 mas, i.e., 1.6\,au) and prevented further detection. We redetected \bpic b on the northeast side of the disk at a separation of 139\,mas and a PA of 30$^{\circ}$ in September 2018. The planetary orbit is now well constrained. With a semi-major axis (sma) of $a = 9.0 \pm 0.5$ au (1 $σ$), it definitely excludes previously reported possible long orbital periods, and excludes \bpic b as the origin of photometric variations that took place in 1981. We also refine the eccentricity and inclination of the planet. From an instrumental point of view, these data demonstrate that it is possible to detect, if they exist, young massive Jupiters that orbit at less than 2 au from a star that is 20 pc away.

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arXiv2018

SPHERE / ZIMPOL high resolution polarimetric imager. I. System overview, PSF parameters, coronagraphy, and polarimetry

We describe the Zurich Imaging Polarimeter (ZIMPOL), the visual focal plane subsystem of the SPHERE "VLT planet finder", which pushes the limits of current AO systems to shorter wavelengths, higher spatial resolution, and much improved polarimetric performance. We provide new benchmarks for the performance of high contrast instruments, in particular for polarimetric differential imaging. We have analyzed SPHERE/ZIMPOL point spread functions and measure the peak surface brightness, the encircled energy, and the full width half maximum (FWHM) for different wavelengths, atmospheric conditions, star brightness, and instrument modes. Coronagraphic images are described and analized and the performance for different coronagraphs is compared with tests for the binary alpha Hyi with a separation of 92 mas and a contrast of 6 mag. For the polarimetric mode we made the instrument calibrations using zero polarization and high polarization standard stars and here we give a recipe for the absolute calibration of polarimetric data. The data show a small <1 mas but disturbing differential polarimetric beam shifts, which can be explained as Goos-Hähnchen shifts from the inclined mirrors, and we discuss how to correct this effect. The polarimetric sensitivity is investigated with non-coronagraphic and deep, coronagraphic observations of the dust scattering around the symbiotic Mira variable R Aqr. SPHERE/ZIMPOL achieves imaging performances in the visual range with unprecedented characteristics, in particular very high spatial resolution and very high polarimetric contrast. This instrument opens up many new research opportunities for the detailed investigation of circumstellar dust, in scattered and therefore polarized light, for the investigation of faint companions, and for the mapping of circumstellar Halpha emission.

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arXiv2018

Discovery of a planetary-mass companion within the gap of the transition disk around PDS 70

Young circumstellar disks are of prime interest to understand the physical and chemical conditions under which planet formation takes place. Only very few detections of planet candidates within these disks exist, and most of them are currently suspected to be disk features. In this context, the transition disk around the young star PDS 70 is of particular interest, due to its large gap identified in previous observations, indicative of ongoing planet formation. We aim to search for the presence of planets and search for disk structures indicative for disk-planet interactions and other evolutionary processes. We analyse new and archival near-infrared (NIR) images of the transition disk PDS 70 obtained with the VLT/SPHERE, VLT/NaCo and Gemini/NICI instruments in polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) and angular differential imaging (ADI) modes. We detect a point source within the gap of the disk at about 195 mas (about 22 au) projected separation. The detection is confirmed at five different epochs, in three filter bands and using different instruments. The astrometry results in an object of bound nature, with high significance. The comparison of the measured magnitudes and colours to evolutionary tracks suggests that the detection is a companion of planetary mass. We confirm the detection of a large gap of about 54 au in size within the disk in our scattered light images, and detect a signal from an inner disk component. We find that its spatial extent is very likely smaller than about 17 au in radius. The images of the outer disk show evidence of a complex azimuthal brightness distribution which may in part be explained by Rayleigh scattering from very small grains. Future observations of this system at different wavelengths and continuing astrometry will allow us to test theoretical predictions regarding planet-disk interactions, planetary atmospheres and evolutionary models.

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arXiv2018

Observations of fast-moving features in the debris disk of AU Mic on a three-year timescale: Confirmation and new discoveries

The nearby and young M star AU Mic is surrounded by a debris disk in which we previously identified a series of large-scale arch-like structures that have never been seen before in any other debris disk and that move outward at high velocities. We initiated a monitoring program with the following objectives: 1) track the location of the structures and better constrain their projected speeds, 2) search for new features emerging closer in, and ultimately 3) understand the mechanism responsible for the motion and production of the disk features. AU Mic was observed at 11 different epochs between August 2014 and October 2017 with the IR camera and spectrograph of SPHERE. These high-contrast imaging data were processed with a variety of angular, spectral, and polarimetric differential imaging techniques to reveal the faintest structures in the disk. We measured the projected separations of the features in a systematic way for all epochs. We also applied the very same measurements to older observations from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with the visible cameras STIS and ACS. The main outcomes of this work are 1) the recovery of the five southeastern broad arch-like structures we identified in our first study, and confirmation of their fast motion (projected speed in the range 4-12 km/s); 2) the confirmation that the very first structures observed in 2004 with ACS are indeed connected to those observed later with STIS and now SPHERE; 3) the discovery of two new very compact structures at the northwest side of the disk (at 0.40" and 0.55" in May 2015) that move to the southeast at low speed; and 4) the identification of a new arch-like structure that might be emerging at the southeast side at about 0.4" from the star (as of May 2016). Abridged.

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arXiv2018

Discovery of a brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892

We report the discovery of a bright, brown dwarf companion to the star HIP 64892, imaged with VLT/SPHERE during the SHINE exoplanet survey. The host is a B9.5V member of the Lower-Centaurus-Crux subgroup of the Scorpius Centaurus OB association. The measured angular separation of the companion ($1.2705\pm0.0023$") corresponds to a projected distance of $159\pm12$ AU. We observed the target with the dual-band imaging and long-slit spectroscopy modes of the IRDIS imager to obtain its SED and astrometry. In addition, we reprocessed archival NACO L-band data, from which we also recover the companion. Its SED is consistent with a young (<30 Myr), low surface gravity object with a spectral type of M9$_γ\pm1$. From comparison with the BT-Settl atmospheric models we estimate an effective temperature of $T_{\textrm{eff}}=2600 \pm 100$ K, and comparison of the companion photometry to the COND evolutionary models yields a mass of $\sim29-37$ M$_{\text{J}}$ at the estimated age of $16^{+15}_{-7}$ Myr for the system. HIP 64892 is a rare example of an extreme-mass ratio system ($q\sim0.01$) and will be useful for testing models relating to the formation and evolution of such low-mass objects.

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arXiv2017

Discovery of a warm, dusty giant planet around HIP65426

The SHINE program is a large high-contrast near-infrared survey of 600 young, nearby stars. It is aimed at searching for and characterizing new planetary systems using VLT/SPHERE's unprecedented high-contrast and high-angular resolution imaging capabilities. It also intends at placing statistical constraints on the occurrence and orbital properties of the giant planet population at large orbits as a function of the stellar host mass and age to test planet formation theories. We use the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE to acquire high-constrast coronagraphic differential near-infrared images and spectra of the young A2 star HIP65426. It is a member of the ~17 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux association. At a separation of 830 mas (92 au projected) from the star, we detect a faint red companion. Multi-epoch observations confirm that it shares common proper motion with HIP65426. Spectro-photometric measurements extracted with IFS and IRDIS between 0.95 and 2.2um indicate a warm, dusty atmosphere characteristic of young low surface-gravity L5-L7 dwarfs. Hot-start evolutionary models predict a luminosity consistent with a 6-12 MJup, Teff=1300-1600 K and R=1.5 RJup giant planet. Finally, the comparison with Exo-REM and PHOENIX BT-Settl synthetic atmosphere models gives consistent effective temperatures but with slightly higher surface gravity solutions of log(g)=4.0-5.0 with smaller radii (1.0-1.3 RJup). Given its physical and spectral properties, HIP65426b occupies a rather unique placement in terms of age, mass and spectral-type among the currently known imaged planets. It represents a particularly interesting case to study the presence of clouds as a function of particle size, composition, and location in the atmosphere, to search for signatures of non-equilibrium chemistry, and finally to test the theory of planet formation and evolution.

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arXiv2017

High-Resolution Altitude Profiles of the Atmospheric Turbulence with PML at the Sutherland Observatory

With the prospect of the next generation of ground-based telescopes, the extremely large telescopes (ELTs), increasingly complex and demanding adaptive optics (AO) systems are needed. This is to compensate for image distortion caused by atmospheric turbulence and fully take advantage of mirrors with diameters of 30 to 40 m. This requires a more precise characterization of the turbulence. The PML (Profiler of Moon Limb) was developed within this context. The PML aims to provide high-resolution altitude profiles of the turbulence using differential measurements of the Moon limb position to calculate the transverse spatio-angular covariance of the Angle of Arrival fluctuations. The covariance of differential image motion for different separation angles is sensitive to the altitude distribution of the seeing. The use of the continuous Moon limb provides a large number of separation angles allowing for the high-resolution altitude of the profiles. The method is presented and tested with simulated data. Moreover a PML instrument was deployed at the Sutherland Observatory in South Africa in August 2011. We present here the results of this measurement campaign.

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arXiv2016

The Nainital-Cape Survey-IV

The Nainital-Cape survey is a dedicated ongoing survey programme to search for and study pulsational variability in chemically peculiar (CP) stars to understand their internal structure and evolution. The main aims of this survey are to find new pulsating Ap and Am stars in the northern and southern hemisphere and to perform asteroseismic studies of these new pulsators. The survey is conducted using high-speed photometry. The candidate stars were selected on the basis of having Stromgren photometric indices similar to those of known pulsating CP stars. Over the last decade a total of 337 candidate pulsating CP stars were observed for the Nainital-Cape survey, making it one of the longest ground-based surveys for pulsation in CP stars in terms of time span and sample size. The previous papers of this series presented seven new pulsating variables and 229 null results. In this paper we present the light curves, frequency spectra and the various astrophysical parameters of the 108 additional CP stars observed since the last reported results. We have also tabulated the basic physical parameters of the known roAp stars. As part of establishing the detection limits in the Nainital-Cape survey, we investigated the scintillation noise level at the two observing sites used in this survey, Sutherland and Nainital, by comparing the combined frequency spectra stars observed from each location. Our analysis shows that both the sites permit the detection of variations on the order of 0.6 milli-magnitude (mmag) in the frequency range 1-4 mHz, with Sutherland being marginally better, on average.

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arXiv2016

EPIC211089792 b: an aligned and inflated hot jupiter in a young visual binary

In the present paper we report the discovery of a new hot Jupiter, EPIC211089792 b, first detected by the Super-WASP observatory and then by the K2 space mission during its campaign 4. The planet has a period of 3.25d, a mass of 0.73 +/- 0.04 Mjup, and a radius of 1.19 +/- 0.02 Rjup. The host star is a relatively bright (V=12.5) G7 dwarf with a nearby K5V companion. Based on stellar rotation and the abundance of Lithium, we find that the system might be as young as about 450 Myr. The observation of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect shows the planet is aligned with respect to the stellar spin. Given the deep transit (20mmag), the magnitude of the star and the presence of a nearby stellar companion, the planet is a good target for both space- and ground-based transmission spectroscopy, in particular in the near-infrared where the both stars are relatively bright.

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arXiv2015

First light of the VLT planet finder SPHERE. II. The physical properties and the architecture of the young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160 revisited

[Abridged] Context. The young systems PZ Tel and HD 1160, hosting known low-mass companions, were observed during the commissioning of the new planet finder SPHERE with several imaging and spectroscopic modes. Aims. We aim to refine the physical properties and architecture of both systems. Methods. We use SPHERE commissioning data and REM observations, as well as literature and unpublished data from VLT/SINFONI, VLT/NaCo, Gemini/NICI, and Keck/NIRC2. Results. We derive new photometry and confirm the nearly daily photometric variability of PZ Tel A. Using literature data spanning 38 yr, we show that the star also exhibits a long-term variability trend. The 0.63-3.8 mic SED of PZ Tel B allows us to revise its properties: spectral type M7+/-1, Teff=2700+/-100 K, log(g)<4.5 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.51+/-0.10 dex, and mass 38-72 MJ. The 1-3.8 mic SED of HD 1160 B suggests a massive brown dwarf or a low-mass star with spectral type M5.5-7.0, Teff=3000+/-100 K, [M/H]=-0.5-0.0 dex, log(L/L_Sun)=-2.81+/-0.10 dex, and mass 39-168 MJ. We confirm the deceleration and high eccentricity (e>0.66) of PZ Tel B. For e<0.9, the inclination, longitude of the ascending node, and time of periastron passage are well constrained. The system is seen close to an edge-on geometry. We reject other brown dwarf candidates outside 0.25" for both systems, and massive giant planets (>4 MJ) outside 0.5" for the PZ Tel system. We also show that K1-K2 color can be used with YJH low-resolution spectra to identify young L-type companions, provided high photometric accuracy (<0.05 mag) is achieved. Conclusions. SPHERE opens new horizons in the study of young brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets thanks to high-contrast imaging capabilities at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, as well as high signal-to-noise spectroscopy in the near-infrared from low (R~30-50) to medium resolutions (R~350).

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arXiv2015

First light of the VLT planet finder SPHERE. I. Detection and characterization of the sub-stellar companion GJ 758 B

GJ758 B is a brown dwarf companion to a nearby (15.76 pc) solar-type, metal-rich (M/H = +0.2 dex) main-sequence star (G9V) that was discovered with Subaru/HiCIAO in 2009. From previous studies, it has drawn attention as being the coldest (~600K) companion ever directly imaged around a neighboring star. We present new high-contrast data obtained during the commissioning of the SPHERE instrument at the VLT. The data was obtained in Y-, J-, H-, and Ks-bands with the dual-band imaging (DBI) mode of IRDIS, providing a broad coverage of the full near-infrared (near-IR) range at higher contrast and better spectral sampling than previously reported. In this new set of high-quality data, we report the re-detection of the companion, as well as the first detection of a new candidate closer-in to the star. We use the new 8 photometric points for an extended comparison of GJ758 B with empirical objects and 4 families of atmospheric models. From comparison to empirical object, we estimate a T8 spectral type, but none of the comparison object can accurately represent the observed near-IR fluxes of GJ758 B. From comparison to atmospheric models, we attribute a Teff = 600K $\pm$ 100K, but we find that no atmospheric model can adequately fit all the fluxes of GJ758 B. The photometry of the new candidate companion is broadly consistent with L-type objects, but a second epoch with improved photometry is necessary to clarify its status. The new astrometry of GJ758 B shows a significant proper motion since the last epoch. We use this result to improve the determination of the orbital characteristics using two fitting approaches, Least-Square Monte Carlo and Markov Chain Monte Carlo. Finally, we analyze the sensitivity of our data to additional closer-in companions and reject the possibility of other massive brown dwarf companions down to 4-5 AU. [abridged]

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arXiv2015

Photo-dynamical mass determination of the multi-planetary system K2-19

K2-19 is the second multi-planetary system discovered with K2 observations. The system is composed of two Neptune size planets close to the 3:2 mean-motion resonance. To better characterise the system we obtained two additional transit observations of K2-19b and five additional radial velocity observations. These were combined with K2 data and fitted simultaneously with the system dynamics (photo-dynamical model) which increases the precision of the transit time measurements. The higher transit time precision allows us to detect the chopping signal of the dynamic interaction of the planets that in turn permits to uniquely characterise the system. Although the reflex motion of the star was not detected, dynamic modelling of the system allowed us to derive planetary masses of $M_b= 44 \pm 12\, M_{\oplus}$ and $M_c = 15.9 \pm 7.0\, M_{\oplus}$ for the inner and the outer planets respectively, leading to densities close to Uranus. We also show that our method allows the derivation of mass ratios using only the 80 days of observations during the first campaign of K2.

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arXiv2015

Performance of the VLT Planet Finder SPHERE II. Data analysis and Results for IFS in laboratory

We present the performance of the Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS) of SPHERE, the high-contrast imager for the ESO VLT telescope designed to perform imaging and spectroscopy of extrasolar planets, obtained from tests performed at the Institute de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble facility during the integration phase of the instrument.} {The tests were performed using the instrument software purposely prepared for SPHERE. The output data were reduced applying the SPHERE data reduction and handling software, adding an improved spectral deconvolution procedure. To this aim, we prepared an alternative procedure for the spectral subtraction exploiting the principal components analysis algorithm. Moreover, a simulated angular differential imaging procedure was also implemented to estimate how the instrument performed once this procedure was applied at telescope. The capability of the IFS to faithfully retrieve the spectra of the detected faint companions was also considered.} {We found that the application of the updated version of the spectral deconvolution procedure alone, when the algorithm throughput is properly taken into account, gives us a $5σ$ limiting contrast of the order of 5$\times$$10^{-6}$ or slightly better. The further application of the angular differential imaging procedure on these data should allow us to improve the contrast by one order of magnitude down to around 7$\times$$10^{-7}$ at a separation of 0.3 arcsec. The application of a principal components analysis procedure that simultaneously uses spectral and angular data gives comparable results. Finally, we found that the reproducibility of the spectra of the detected faint companions is greatly improved when angular differential imaging is applied in addition to the spectral deconvolution.

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arXiv2014

Performance of the VLT Planet Finder SPHERE I. Photometry and astrometry precision with IRDIS and IFS in laboratory

The new planet finder for the Very Large Telescope (VLT), the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE), just had its first light in Paranal. A dedicated instrument for the direct detection of planets, SPHERE, is composed of a polametric camera in visible light, the Zurich IMager POLarimeter (ZIMPOL), and two near-infrared sub-systems: the Infra-Red Dual-beam Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS), a multi-purpose camera for imaging, polarimetry, and long-slit spectroscopy, and the integral field spectrograph (IFS), an integral field spectrograph. We present the results obtained from the analysis of data taken during the laboratory integration and validation phase, after the injection of synthetic planets. Since no continuous field rotation could be performed in the laboratory, this analysis presents results obtained using reduction techniques that do not use the angular differential imaging (ADI) technique. To perform the simulations, we used the instrumental point spread function (PSF) and model spectra of L and T-type objects scaled in contrast with respect to the host star. We evaluated the expected error in astrometry and photometry as a function of the signal to noise of companions, after spectral differential imaging (SDI) reduction for IRDIS and spectral deconvolution (SD) or principal component analysis (PCA) data reductions for IFS. We deduced from our analysis, for example, that $β$Picb, a 12~Myr old planet of $\sim$10~\MJ and semi-major axis of 9--10 AU, would be detected with IRDIS with a photometric error of 0.16~mag and with a relative astrometric position error of 1.1~mas. With IFS, we could retrieve a spectrum with error bars of about 0.15~mag on each channel and astrometric relative position error of 0.6~mas. For a fainter object such as HR8799d, a 13~\MJ planet at a distance of 27~AU, IRDIS could obtain a relative astrometric error of 3~mas.

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arXiv2014

SOPHIE velocimetry of Kepler transit candidates XII. KOI-1257 b: a highly eccentric three-month period transiting exoplanet

In this paper we report a new transiting warm giant planet: KOI-1257 b. It was first detected in photometry as a planet-candidate by the ${\it Kepler}$ space telescope and then validated thanks to a radial velocity follow-up with the SOPHIE spectrograph. It orbits its host star with a period of 86.647661 d $\pm$ 3 s and a high eccentricity of 0.772 $\pm$ 0.045. The planet transits the main star of a metal-rich, relatively old binary system with stars of mass of 0.99 $\pm$ 0.05 Msun and 0.70 $ \pm $ 0.07 Msun for the primary and secondary, respectively. This binary system is constrained thanks to a self-consistent modelling of the ${\it Kepler}$ transit light curve, the SOPHIE radial velocities, line bisector and full-width half maximum (FWHM) variations, and the spectral energy distribution. However, future observations are needed to confirm it. The PASTIS fully-Bayesian software was used to validate the nature of the planet and to determine which star of the binary system is the transit host. By accounting for the dilution from the binary both in photometry and in radial velocity, we find that the planet has a mass of 1.45 $ \pm $ 0.35 Mjup, and a radius of 0.94 $ \pm $ 0.12 Rjup, and thus a bulk density of 2.1 $ \pm $ 1.2 g.cm$^{-3}$. The planet has an equilibrium temperature of 511 $\pm$ 50 K, making it one of the few known members of the warm-jupiter population. The HARPS-N spectrograph was also used to observe a transit of KOI-1257 b, simultaneously with a joint amateur and professional photometric follow-up, with the aim of constraining the orbital obliquity of the planet. However, the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect was not clearly detected, resulting in poor constraints on the orbital obliquity of the planet.

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arXiv2013

Speckle temporal stability in XAO coronagraphic images II. Refine model for quasi-static speckle temporal evolution for VLT/SPHERE

Observing sequences have shown that the major noise source limitation in high-contrast imaging is due to the presence of quasi-static speckles. The timescale on which quasi-static speckles evolve, is determined by various factors, among others mechanical or thermal deformations. Understanding of these time-variable instrumental speckles, and especially their interaction with other aberrations, referred to as the pinning effect, is paramount for the search of faint stellar companions. The temporal evolution of quasi-static speckles is for instance required for a quantification of the gain expected when using angular differential imaging (ADI), and to determine the interval on which speckle nulling techniques must be carried out. Following an early analysis of a time series of adaptively corrected, coronagraphic images obtained in a laboratory condition with the High-Order Test bench (HOT) at ESO Headquarters, we confirm our results with new measurements carried out with the SPHERE instrument during its final test phase in Europe. The analysis of the residual speckle pattern in both direct and differential coronagraphic images enables the characterization of the temporal stability of quasi-static speckles. Data were obtained in a thermally actively controlled environment reproducing realistic conditions encountered at the telescope. The temporal evolution of the quasi-static wavefront error exhibits linear power law, which can be used to model quasi-static speckle evolution in the context of forthcoming high-contrast imaging instruments, with implications for instrumentation (design, observing strategies, data reduction). Such a model can be used for instance to derive the timescale on which non-common path aberrations must be sensed and corrected. We found in our data that quasi-static wavefront error increases with ~0.7 angstrom per minute.

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arXiv2012

A spectroscopic analysis of the chemically peculiar star HD207561

In this paper we present a high-resolution spectroscopic analysis of the chemically peculiar star HD207561. During a survey programme to search for new roAp stars in the Northern hemisphere, Joshi et al. (2006) observed significant photometric variability on two consecutive nights in the year 2000. The amplitude spectra of the light curves obtained on these two nights showed oscillations with a frequency of 2.79 mHz [P~6-min]. However, subsequent follow-up observations could not confirm any rapid variability. In order to determine the spectroscopic nature of HD207561, high-resolution spectroscopic and spectro-polarimetric observations were carried out. A reasonable fit of the calculated Hbeta line profile to the observed one yields the effective temperature (Teff) and surface gravity (log g) as 7300 K and 3.7 dex, respectively. The derived projected rotational velocity (vsin i) for HD207561 is 74 km/sec indicative of a relatively fast rotator. The position of HD207561 in the H-R diagram implies that this is slightly evolved from the main-sequence and located well within the delta-Scuti instability strip. The abundance analysis indicates the star has slight under-abundances of Ca and Sc and mild over-abundances of iron-peak elements. The spectro-polarimetric study of HD207561 shows that the effective magnetic field is within the observational error of 100 gauss (G). The spectroscopic analysis revealed that the star has most of the characteristics similar to an Am star, rather than an Ap star, and that it lies in the delta-Scuti instability strip; hence roAp pulsations are not expected in HD207561, but low-overtone modes might be excited.

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arXiv2012

Speckle Temporal Stability in eXtreme Adaptive Optics Coronagraphic Images

The major noise source limiting high-contrast imaging is due to the presence of quasi-static speckles. Speckle noise originates from wavefront errors caused by various independent sources, and it evolves on different timescales pending to their nature. An understanding of quasi-static speckles originating from instrumental errors is paramount for the search of faint stellar companions. Instrumental speckles average to a fixed pattern, which can be calibrated to a certain extent, but their temporal evolution ultimately limit this possibility. This study focuses on the laboratory evidence and characterization of the quasi-static pinned speckle phenomenon. Specifically, we examine the coherent amplification of the static speckle contribution to the noise variance in the scientific image, through its interaction with quasi-static speckles. The analysis of a time series of adaptively corrected, coronagraphic images recorded in the laboratory enables the characterization of the temporal stability of the residual speckle pattern in both direct and differential coronagraphic images. We estimate that spoiled and fast-evolving quasi-static speckles present in the system at the angstrom/nanometer level are affecting the stability of the static speckle noise in the final image after the coronagraph. The temporal evolution of the quasi-static wavefront error exhibits linear power law, which can be used in first order to model quasi-static speckle evolution in high-contrast imaging instruments.

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