Development of Technologies to Enable High Contrast, High Resolution, Low Emissivity Imaging at Visible and Thermal Wavelengths with the Magellan Adaptive Secondary AO System

开发技术，利用麦哲伦自适应辅助 AO 系统在可见光和热波长下实现高对比度、高分辨率、低发射率成像

• 批准号: 1206422
• 负责人: Laird Close
• 金额: $ 48.95万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-06-01 至 2015-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1206422&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Technologies; Enable; Contrast; Resolution

Astronomical adaptive optics systems can be classified into two basic types: 1) a standard telescope equipped with an adaptive optics bench that includes transfer optics, wavefront sensors, filters, and one or more deformable mirrors, and 2) a system that incorporates an adaptive secondary mirror (ASM) directly into the telescope itself, reducing the number of reflections and preserving a clean optical system all the way to the instrument focus. The latter scheme is in some ways more difficult and expensive to achieve, but has demonstrated the highest on-telescope image quality, as well as providing far better performance in the infrared.The sole example of installed ASM technology in the southern hemisphere is the 585 actuator secondary installed by Dr. Laird Close and collaborators from The University of Arizona and Arcetri Observatory (Italy) on the 6.5m Clay Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile. With the mirror now in place, Dr. Close is planning instrumental upgrades to make use of the greatly sharpened images. Two improvements are proposed: 1) enhanced electronics and a ?smart?, high-speed shutter that will limit exposure only to intervals of excellent correction and thereby enable high-resolution imaging in the optical (wavelengths of ~0.6 nm), and 2) precise coronagraphic masks and vibration control to allow 1-5 micron imaging and spectroscopy of sources in the AO-sharpened field with a bright central object obscured. Initial science to be performed with these systems includes high-contrast imaging of reflected visible light from mature giant exoplanets (a key step towards discovering true Earths), the mass-loss from evolved stars, structures of ionized gas regions around hot stars, surfaces of solar-system asteroids and moons, and high-contrast L and M band (3.5 and 5 microns) imaging/spectroscopy of newly-discovered young dusty exoplanets.Dr. Close has demonstrated an excellent history of mentoring and collaborating with students and young faculty, and his current activities are no exceptions. The new adaptive optics detector systems will also be made available to others with access to the Magellan telescopes, and hopefully to the general astronomical community when public access to privately-funded facilities is renegotiated.Funding for the development of new imaging and spectroscopic capabilities for the Magellan telescope adaptive optics systems is being provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through its Advanced Technologies and Instrumentation program.

天文自适应光学系统可分为两种基本类型：1）配备有自适应光学工作台的标准望远镜，所述自适应光学工作台包括传递光学器件、波前传感器、滤波器和一个或多个可变形反射镜，以及2）将自适应次反射镜（ASM）直接结合到望远镜本身中的系统，减少反射次数并保持光学系统一直到仪器焦点的清洁。 后一种方案在某些方面更难实现，而且成本更高，但已经证明了最高的望远镜图像质量，在南半球安装的ASM技术的唯一例子是由Laird Close博士和来自亚利桑那大学和Arcetri天文台（意大利）的合作者安装的585致动器次级智利拉斯坎帕纳斯6.5米的克雷麦哲伦望远镜。 随着镜子的就位，克洛斯博士正在计划对仪器进行升级，以利用大幅锐化的图像。 两个改进建议：1）增强电子和一个？聪明？高速快门将曝光限制在良好校正的间隔内，从而实现光学（波长约0.6 nm）的高分辨率成像，以及2）精确的日冕照相掩模和振动控制，以允许在AO锐化场中对光源进行1-5微米成像和光谱分析，使明亮的中心物体被遮挡。 利用这些系统进行的初步科学研究包括对来自成熟的巨型系外行星的反射可见光进行高对比度成像（这是发现真正地球的关键一步），演化恒星的质量损失，热恒星周围电离气体区域的结构，太阳系小行星和卫星的表面，以及高对比度的L和M波段（3.5和5微米）成像/光谱学的新-发现了年轻的尘埃系外行星。克洛斯博士展示了与学生和年轻教师指导和合作的优秀历史，他目前的活动也不例外。 新的自适应光学探测器系统也将提供给其他可以使用麦哲伦望远镜的人，希望能在公众可以私下访问时，为麦哲伦望远镜自适应光学系统开发新的成像和分光能力的资金由美国国家科学基金会天文科学部通过其先进技术和仪器提供程序.