NSF/AFOSR Astronomy: The Lyot Project: Optimized, Diffraction-Limited Coronagraphy

NSF/AFOSR 天文学：Lyot 项目：优化的衍射限制日冕术

• 批准号: 0334916
• 负责人: Rebecca Oppenheimer
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: American Museum Natural History
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-09-15 至 2007-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0334916&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; AFOSR; Astronomy; Lyot; Project

The Lyot Project extends the use of the classical coronagraph instrument to the 3.63 meter high-order adaptive optics telescope operated by the U.S. Air Force on Maui. The diffraction-limited images obtained using the telescope/coronagraph combination will allow detailed observations of circumstellar material extremely close to the associated star, which acts as its own wavefront sensor. The coronagraph will, for the first time, directly probe solar system scales and companion masses below the brown dwarf range. The current project will improve the functionality of the existing coronagraph by implementing a novel phase-mask and a special system that images perpendicular polarization vectors simultaneously.

Lyot项目将经典日冕仪的使用扩展到美国空军在毛伊岛操作的3.63米高阶自适应光学望远镜。使用望远镜/日冕仪组合获得的衍射限制图像将允许对非常接近伴星的星周物质进行详细观察，伴星作为其自身的波前传感器。日冕仪将首次直接探测太阳系尺度和褐矮星范围以下的伴星质量。目前的项目将通过实现一种新的相位掩模和一种同时成像垂直偏振矢量的特殊系统来改进现有日冕仪的功能。