arXiv subjects

Thierry Fusco

Publications and source records attributed to Thierry Fusco.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Fast Iterative Tomographic Wave-front Estimation with Recursive Toeplitz Reconstructor Structure for Large Scale Systems

Tomographic wave-front reconstruction is the main computational bottleneck to realize real-time correction for turbulence-induced wave-front aberrations in future laser-assisted tomographic adaptive-optics (AO) systems for ground-based Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes (GSMT), because of its unprecedented number of degrees of freedom, $N$, i.e. the number of measurements from wave-front sensors (WFS). In this paper, we provide an efficient implementation of the minimum-mean-square error (MMSE) tomographic wave-front reconstruction mainly useful for some classes of AO systems not requiring a multi-conjugation, such as laser-tomographic AO (LTAO), multi-object AO (MOAO) and ground-layer AO (GLAO) systems, but also applicable to multi-conjugate AO (MCAO) systems. This work expands that by R. Conan [ProcSPIE, 9148, 91480R (2014)] to the multi-wave-front, tomographic case using natural and laser guide stars. The new implementation exploits the Toeplitz structure of covariance matrices used in a MMSE reconstructor, which leads to an overall $O(N\log N)$ real-time complexity compared to $O(N^2)$ of the original implementation using straight vector-matrix multiplication. We show that the Toeplitz-based algorithm leads to 60\,nm rms wave-front error improvement for the European Extremely Large Telescope Laser-Tomography AO system over a well-known sparse-based tomographic reconstruction, but the number of iterations required for suitable performance is still beyond what a real-time system can accommodate to keep up with the time-varying turbulence

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2018

Laboratory verification of 'Fast & Furious' phase diversity: Towards controlling the low wind effect in the SPHERE instrument

The low wind effect (LWE) refers to a characteristic set of quasi-static wavefront aberrations seen consistently by the SPHERE instrument when dome-level wind speeds drop below 3 m/s. This effect produces bright low-order speckles in the stellar PSF, which severely limit the contrast performance of SPHERE under otherwise optimal observing conditions. In this paper we propose the Fast & Furious (F&F) phase diversity algorithm as a viable software-only solution for real-time LWE compensation, which would utilise image sequences from the SPHERE differential tip-tilt sensor (DTTS). We evaluated the closed-loop performance of F&F on the MITHIC high-contrast test-bench under a variety of conditions emulating LWE-affected DTTS images, in order to assess the expected performance of an on-sky implementation of F&F in SPHERE. The algorithm was found to be capable of returning such LWE-affected images to Strehl ratios of greater than 90% within five iterations, for all appropriate laboratory test cases. These results are highly representative of predictive simulations, and demonstrate the stability of the algorithm against a wide range of factors including low image signal-to-noise ratio (S/N), small image field of view, and amplitude errors. It was also found in simulation that closed-loop stability can be preserved down to image S/N as low as five while still improving overall wavefront quality, allowing for reliable operation even on faint targets. The Fast & Furious algorithm is an extremely promising solution for real-time compensation of the LWE, which can operate simultaneously with science observations and may be implemented in SPHERE without requiring additional hardware. The robustness and relatively large effective dynamic range of F&F also make it suitable for general wavefront optimisation applications, including the co-phasing of segmented ELT-class telescopes.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Modelling astronomical adaptive optics performance with temporally-filtered Wiener reconstruction of slope data

We build on a long-standing tradition in astronomical adaptive optics (AO) of specifying performance metrics and error budgets using linear systems modeling in the spatial-frequency domain. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive tool for the calculation of error budgets in terms of residual temporally filtered phase power spectral densities and variances. In addition, the fast simulation of AO-corrected point spread functions (PSFs) provided by this method can be used as inputs for simulations of science observations with next-generation instruments and telescopes, in particular to predict post-coronagraphic contrast improvements for planet finder systems. We extend the previous results and propose the synthesis of a distributed Kalman filter to mitigate both aniso-servo-lag and aliasing errors whilst minimizing the overall residual variance. We discuss applications to (i) analytic AO-corrected PSF modeling in the spatial-frequency domain, (ii) post-coronagraphic contrast enhancement, (iii) filter optimization for real-time wavefront reconstruction, and (iv) PSF reconstruction from system telemetry. Under perfect knowledge of wind velocities, we show that $\sim$60 nm rms error reduction can be achieved with the distributed Kalman filter embodying anti- aliasing reconstructors on 10 m class high-order AO systems, leading to contrast improvement factors of up to three orders of magnitude at few $λ/D$ separations ($\sim1-5λ/D$) for a 0 magnitude star and reaching close to one order of magnitude for a 12 magnitude star.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Iterative wave-front reconstruction in the Fourier domain

The use of Fourier methods in wave-front reconstruction can significantly reduce the computation time for large telescopes with a high number of degrees of freedom. However, Fourier algorithms for discrete data require a rectangular data set which conform to specific boundary requirements, whereas wave-front sensor data is typically defined over a circular domain (the telescope pupil). Here we present an iterative Gerchberg routine modified for the purposes of discrete wave-front reconstruction which adapts the measurement data (wave-front sensor slopes) for Fourier analysis, fulfilling the requirements of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and providing accurate reconstruction. The routine is used in the adaptation step only and can be coupled to any other Wiener-like or least-squares method. We compare simulations using this method with previous Fourier methods and show an increase in performance in terms of Strehl ratio and a reduction in noise propagation for a 40x40 SPHERE-like adaptive optics system. For closed loop operation with minimal iterations the Gerchberg method provides an improvement in Strehl, from 95.4% to 96.9% in K-band. This corresponds to ~40 nm improvement in rms, and avoids the high spatial frequency errors present in other methods, providing an increase in contrast towards the edge of the correctable band.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

General formalism for Fourier based Wave Front Sensing: application to the Pyramid wave front sensors

In this article, we compare a set of Wave Front Sensors (WFS) based on Fourier filtering technique. In particular, this study explores the "class of pyramidal WFS" defined as the 4 faces pyramid WFS, all its recent variations (6, 8 faces, the flattened PWFS, etc.) and also some new WFSs as the flattened cone WFS or the 3 faces pyramid WFS. In the first part, we describe such a sensors class thanks to the optical parameters of the Fourier filtering mask and the modulation parameters. In the second part, we use the unified formalism to create a set of performance criteria: size of the signal on the detector, efficiency of incoming flux, sensitivity, linear range and chromaticity. In the third part, we show the influence of the previous optical and modulation parameters on these performance criteria. This exhaustive study allows to know how to optimize the sensor regarding to performance specifications. We show in particular that the number of faces has influence on the number of pixels required to do the wave front sensing but no influence on the sensitivity and linearity range. To modify these criteria, we show that the modulation radius and the apex angle are much more relevant. Moreover we observe that the time spent on edges or faces during a modulation cycle allows to adjust the trade-off between sensitivity and linearity range.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Near-infrared scattered light properties of the HR4796A dust ring: a measured scattering phase function from 13.6deg to 166.6deg

HR4796A is surrounded by a debris disc, observed in scattered light as an inclined ring. Past observations raised several questions. First, a strong brightness asymmetry detected in polarized reflected light recently challenged our understanding of scattering by the dust particles in this system. Secondly, the morphology of the ring strongly suggests the presence of planets, although no planets have been detected to date. We obtained high-angular resolution coronagraphic images of the circumstellar environment around HR4796A with VLT/SPHERE during the commissioning of the instrument in May 2014 and during guaranteed-time observations in February 2015. The observations reveal for the first time the entire ring of dust, including the semi-minor axis that was previously hidden either behind the coronagraphic spot or in the speckle noise. We determine empirically the scattering phase function of the dust in the H band from 13.6deg to 166.6deg. It shows a prominent peak of forward scattering, never detected before, for scattering angles below 30deg. We analyse the reflectance spectra of the disc from the 0.95 to 1.6 microns, confirming the red colour of the dust, and derive detection limits on the presence of planetary mass objects. We confirm which side of the disc is inclined towards the Earth. The analysis of the phase function suggests that the dust population is dominated by particles much larger than the observation wavelength, of about 20 microns. Compact Mie grains of this size are incompatible with the spectral energy distribution of the disc, however the observed rise in scattering efficiency beyond 50deg points towards aggregates which could reconcile both observables. We do not detect companions orbiting the star but our high-contrast observations provide the most stringent constraints yet on the presence of planets responsible for the morphology of the dust.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

Discovery of a low-mass companion inside the debris ring surrounding the F5V star HD206893

Uncovering the ingredients and the architecture of planetary systems is a very active field of research that has fuelled many new theories on giant planet formation, migration, composition, and interaction with the circumstellar environment. We aim at discovering and studying new such systems, to further expand our knowledge of how low-mass companions form and evolve. We obtained high-contrast H-band images of the circumstellar environment of the F5V star HD206893, known to host a debris disc never detected in scattered light. These observations are part of the SPHERE High Angular Resolution Debris Disc Survey (SHARDDS) using the InfraRed Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS) installed on VLT/SPHERE. We report the detection of a source with a contrast of 3.6x10^{-5} in the H-band, orbiting at a projected separation of 270 milliarcsecond or 10 au, corresponding to a mass in the range 24 to 73 Mjup for an age of the system in the range 0.2 to 2 Gyr. The detection was confirmed ten months later with VLT/NaCo, ruling out a background object with no proper motion. A faint extended emission compatible with the disc scattered light signal is also observed. The detection of a low-mass companion inside a massive debris disc makes this system an analog of other young planetary systems such as beta Pictoris, HR8799 or HD95086 and requires now further characterisation of both components to understand their interactions.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2016

General formalism for Fourier based Wave Front Sensing

We introduce in this article a general formalism for Fourier based wave front sensing. To do so, we consider the filtering mask as a free parameter. Such an approach allows to unify sensors like the Pyramid Wave Front Sensor (PWFS) and the Zernike Wave Front Sensor (ZWFS). In particular, we take the opportunity to generalize this two sensors in terms of sensors' class where optical quantities as, for instance, the apex angle for the PWFS or the depth of the Zernike mask for the ZWFS become free parameters. In order to compare all the generated sensors of this two classes thanks to common performance criteria, we firstly define a general phase-linear quantity that we call meta-intensity. Analytical developments allow then to split the perfectly phase-linear behavior of a WFS from the non-linear contributions making robust and analytic definitions of the sensitivity and the linearity range possible. Moreover, we define a new quantity called the SD factor which characterizes the trade-off between these two antagonist quantities. These developments are generalized for modulation device and polychromatic light. A non-exhaustive study is finally led on the two classes allowing to retrieve the usual results and also make explicit the influence of the optical parameters introduced above.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2016

Natural guide-star processing for wide-field laser-assisted AO systems

Sky-coverage in laser-assisted AO observations largely depends on the system's capability to guide on the faintest natural guide-stars possible. Here we give an up-to-date status of our natural guide-star processing tailored to the European-ELT's visible and near-infrared (0.47 to 2.45 μm) integral field spectrograph - Harmoni. We tour the processing of both the isoplanatic and anisoplanatic tilt modes using the spatio-angular approach whereby the wave-front is estimated directly in the pupil plane avoiding a cumbersome explicit layered estimation on the 35-layer profiles we're currently using. Taking the case of Harmoni, we cover the choice of wave-front sensors, the number and field location of guide-stars, the optimised algorithms to beat down angular anisoplanatism and the performance obtained with different temporal controllers under split high-order/low-order tomography or joint tomography. We consider both atmospheric and far greater telescope wind buffeting disturbances. In addition we provide the sky-coverage estimates thus obtained.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2015

The Science Case for Multi-Object Spectroscopy on the European ELT

This White Paper presents the scientific motivations for a multi-object spectrograph (MOS) on the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The MOS case draws on all fields of contemporary astronomy, from extra-solar planets, to the study of the halo of the Milky Way and its satellites, and from resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies out to observations of the earliest 'first-light' structures in the partially-reionised Universe. The material presented here results from thorough discussions within the community over the past four years, building on the past competitive studies to agree a common strategy toward realising a MOS capability on the E-ELT. The cases have been distilled to a set of common requirements which will be used to define the MOSAIC instrument, entailing two observational modes ('high multiplex' and 'high definition'). When combined with the unprecedented sensitivity of the E-ELT, MOSAIC will be the world's leading MOS facility. In analysing the requirements we also identify a high-multiplex MOS for the longer-term plans for the E-ELT, with an even greater multiplex (>1000 targets) to enable studies of large-scale structures in the high-redshift Universe. Following the green light for the construction of the E-ELT the MOS community, structured through the MOSAIC consortium, is eager to realise a MOS on the E-ELT as soon as possible. We argue that several of the most compelling cases for ELT science, in highly competitive areas of modern astronomy, demand such a capability. For example, MOS observations in the early stages of E-ELT operations will be essential for follow-up of sources identified by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In particular, multi-object adaptive optics and accurate sky subtraction with fibres have both recently been demonstrated on sky, making fast-track development of MOSAIC feasible.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Local ensemble transform Kalman filter, a fast non-stationary control law for adaptive optics on ELTs: theoretical aspects and first simulation results

We propose a new algorithm for an adaptive optics system control law, based on the Linear Quadratic Gaussian approach and a Kalman Filter adaptation with localizations. It allows to handle non-stationary behaviors, to obtain performance close to the optimality defined with the residual phase variance minimization criterion, and to reduce the computational burden with an intrinsically parallel implementation on the Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs).

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter: a non-stationary control law for complex adaptive optics systems on ELTs

We propose a new algorithm for an adaptive optics system control law which allows to reduce the computational burden in the case of an Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) and to deal with non-stationary behaviors of the turbulence. This approach, using Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter and localizations by domain decomposition is called the local ETKF: the pupil of the telescope is split up into various local domains and calculations for the update estimate of the turbulent phase on each domain are performed independently. This data assimilation scheme enables parallel computation of markedly less data during this update step. This adapts the Kalman Filter to large scale systems with a non-stationary turbulence model when the explicit storage and manipulation of extremely large covariance matrices are impossible. First simulation results are given in order to assess the theoretical analysis and to demonstrate the potentiality of this new control law for complex adaptive optics systems on ELTs.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

Simultaneous exoplanet detection and instrument aberration retrieval in multispectral coronagraphic imaging

High-contrast imaging for the detection and characterization of exoplanets relies on the instrument's capability to block out the light of the host star. Some current post-processing methods for calibrating out the residual speckles use information redundancy offered by multispectral imaging but do not use any prior information on the origin of these speckles. We investigate whether additional information on the system and image formation process can be used to more finely exploit the multispectral information. We developed an inversion method in a Bayesian framework that is based on an analytical imaging model to estimate both the speckles and the object map. The model links the instrumental aberrations to the speckle pattern in the image focal plane, distinguishing between aberrations upstream and downstream of the coronagraph. We propose and validate several numerical techniques to handle the difficult minimization problems of phase retrieval and achieve a contrast of 10^6 at 0.2 arcsec from simulated images, in the presence of photon noise. This opens up the the possibility of tests on real data where the ultimate performance may override the current techniques if the instrument has good and stable coronagraphic imaging quality. This paves the way for new astrophysical exploitations or even new designs for future instruments.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Accurate measurement of Cn2 profile with Shack-Hartmann data

The precise reconstruction of the turbulent volume is a key point in the development of new-generation Adaptive Optics systems. We propose a new Cn2 profilometry method named CO-SLIDAR (COupled Slope and scIntillation Detection And Ranging), that uses correlations of slopes and scintillation indexes recorded on a Shack-Hartmann from two separated stars. CO-SLIDAR leads to an accurate Cn2 retrieval for both low and high altitude layers. Here, we present an end-to-end simulation of the Cn2 profile measurement. Two Shack-Hartmann geometries are considered. The detection noises are taken into account and a method to subtract the bias is proposed. Results are compared to Cn2 profiles obtained from correlations of slopes only or correlations of scintillation indexes only.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

The EAGLE instrument for the E-ELT: developments since delivery of Phase A

The EAGLE instrument is a Multi-Object Adaptive Optics (MOAO) fed, multiple Integral Field Spectrograph (IFS), working in the Near Infra-Red (NIR), on the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). A Phase A design study was delivered to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) leading to a successful review in October 2009. Since that time there have been a number of developments, which we summarize here. Some of these developments are also described in more detail in other submissions at this meeting. The science case for the instrument, while broad, highlighted in particular: understanding the stellar populations of galaxies in the nearby universe, the observation of the evolution of galaxies during the period of rapid stellar build-up between redshifts of 2-5, and the search for 'first light' in the universe at redshifts beyond 7. In the last 2 years substantial progress has been made in these areas, and we have updated our science case to show that EAGLE is still an essential facility for the E-ELT. This in turn allowed us to revisit the science requirements for the instrument, confirming most of the original decisions, but with one modification. The original location considered for the instrument (a gravity invariant focal station) is no longer in the E-ELT Construction Proposal, and so we have performed some preliminary analyses to show that the instrument can be simply adapted to work at the E-ELT Nasmyth platform. Since the delivery of the Phase A documentation, MOAO has been demonstrated on-sky by the CANARY experiment at the William Herschel Telescope.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2010

FFREE: a Fresnel-FRee Experiment for EPICS, the EELT planets imager

The purpose of FFREE - the new optical bench devoted to experiments on high-contrast imaging at LAOG - consists in the validation of algorithms based on off-line calibration techniques and adaptive optics (AO) respectively for the wavefront measurement and its compensation. The aim is the rejection of the static speckles pattern arising in a focal plane after a diffraction suppression system (based on apodization or coronagraphy) by wavefront pre-compensation. To this aim, FFREE has been optimized to minimize Fresnel propagation over a large near infrared (NIR) bandwidth in a way allowing efficient rejection up to the AO control radius, it stands then as a demonstrator for the future implementation of the optics that will be common to the scientific instrumentation installed on EPICS.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Physical Properties of (2) Pallas

We acquired and analyzed adaptive-optics imaging observations of asteroid (2) Pallas from Keck II and the Very Large Telescope taken during four Pallas oppositions between 2003 and 2007, with spatial resolution spanning 32-88 km (image scales 13-20 km/pix). We improve our determination of the size, shape, and pole by a novel method that combines our AO data with 51 visual light-curves spanning 34 years of observations as well as occultation data. The shape model of Pallas derived here reproduces well both the projected shape of Pallas on the sky and light-curve behavior at all the epochs considered. We resolved the pole ambiguity and found the spin-vector coordinates to be within 5 deg. of [long, lat] = [30 deg., -16 deg.] in the ECJ2000.0 reference frame, indicating a high obliquity of ~84 deg., leading to high seasonal contrast. The best triaxial-ellipsoid fit returns radii of a=275 km, b= 258 km, and c= 238 km. From the mass of Pallas determined by gravitational perturbation on other minor bodies [(1.2 +/- 0.3) x 10-10 Solar Masses], we derive a density of 3.4 +/- 0.9 g.cm-3 significantly different from the density of C-type (1) Ceres of 2.2 +/- 0.1 g.cm-3. Considering the spectral similarities of Pallas and Ceres at visible and near-infrared wavelengths, this may point to fundamental differences in the interior composition or structure of these two bodies. We define a planetocentric longitude system for Pallas, following IAU guidelines. We also present the first albedo maps of Pallas covering ~80% of the surface in K-band. These maps reveal features with diameters in the 70-180 km range and an albedo contrast of about 6% wrt the mean surface albedo.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2009

Constraining the orbit of the possible companion to Beta Pictoris: New deep imaging observations

We recently reported on the detection of a possible planetary-mass companion to Beta Pictoris at a projected separation of 8 AU from the star, using data taken in November 2003 with NaCo, the adaptive-optics system installed on the Very Large Telescope UT4. Eventhough no second epoch detection was available, there are strong arguments to favor a gravitationally bound companion rather than a background object. If confirmed and located at a physical separation of 8 AU, this young, hot (~1500 K), massive Jovian companion (~8 Mjup) would be the closest planet to its star ever imaged, could be formed via core-accretion, and could explain the main morphological and dynamical properties of the dust disk. Our goal was to return to Beta Pic five years later to obtain a second-epoch observation of the companion or, in case of a non-detection, constrain its orbit. Deep adaptive-optics L'-band direct images of Beta Pic and Ks-band Four-Quadrant-Phase-Mask (4QPM) coronagraphic images were recorded with NaCo in January and February 2009. We also use 4QPM data taken in November 2004. No point-like signal with the brightness of the companion candidate (apparent magnitudes L'=11.2 or Ks ~ 12.5) is detected at projected distances down to 6.5 AU from the star in the 2009 data. As expected, the non-detection does not allow to rule out a background object; however, we show that it is consistent with the orbital motion of a bound companion that got closer to the star since first observed in 2003 and that is just emerging from behind the star at the present epoch. We place strong constraints on the possible orbits of the companion and discuss future observing prospects.

astro-ph.EP↗