MRI: Track 2 Development of Astrophysics Enabled by High Order Advanced Keck Adaptive Optics (HAKA)

在游泳池底部看到的物体看起来很模糊。当天文学家透过地球大气层观察时，也会出现类似的模糊现象。一种解决方案是使用自适应光学（AO），它使用镜子来改变其形状以消除模糊。其中一个限制，如何很好地模糊可以消除是由后面的变形镜驱动器的数量决定的。凯克天文台有一个正在使用的自适应光学系统。该项目将取代现有的凯克可变形镜，取而代之的是一个拥有8倍多驱动器的镜子。由此产生的系统将使目前在望远镜上使用的大多数仪器得到改进。这将改善对古老而寒冷的系外行星的观测，并提高对木星和土星卫星表面成像的能力。该项目和研究团队将间接支持提供天文仪器培训的项目，如Akamai实习计划和AstroTech暑期学校。凯克天文台配备了AO技术和一套由AO提供的科学仪器。然而，AO系统的硬件关键-可变形镜(DM) -现在已经超过25年了，它的少数致动器限制了AO的整体性能。高阶先进Keck自适应光学（HAKA）项目将在Keck II AO系统上用最先进的2800作动器DM取代现有的349作动器DM。支持haka的科学计划将使用一套现有的和即将到来的AO科学仪器进行。HAKA将能够对数十颗系外行星进行直接成像和光谱表征，这些系外行星离它们的主恒星太近，以至于JWST无法接近，而且太冷，以至于今天的地面高对比度成像仪器无法接近。HAKA还将使Keck II的AO系统在z波段工作。这为太阳系科学提供了改进的能力。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An object seen at the bottom of a swimming pool appears blurry. A similar blurring occurs as astronomers look through the earth's atmosphere. A solution is the use of adaptive optics (AO), which uses a mirror that changes its shape to remove the blurring. One of the limitations to how well the blurring can be removed is determined by the number of actuators behind the deformable mirror. Keck Observatory has an adaptive optics system in use. This project will replace the existing Keck deformable mirror with one that has eight times more actuators. The resultant system will allow an improvement in most instruments currently used on the telescope. This will improve observations of old and cold exoplanets and improve ability to image the surfaces of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. This project and the research team will indirectly support programs that provide training in astronomical instrumentation, such as the Akamai Internship Program and AstroTech summer school. The W. M. Keck Observatory is equipped with AO technology and a set of AO-fed science instruments. However, the AO system’s hardware linchpin – the deformable mirror (DM) – is now over twenty-five years old and its small number of actuators limits the overall AO performance. The High order Advanced Keck Adaptive optics (HAKA) project will replace the existing 349-actuator DM with a state-of-the-art 2800-actuator DM on the Keck II AO system. The HAKA-enabled science program will be carried out with a suite of existing and upcoming AO science instruments. HAKA will enable the direct imaging and spectroscopic characterization of dozens of exoplanets that will be too close to their host stars to be accessible to JWST and too cold to be accessible to today’s ground-based high contrast imaging instruments. HAKA will also enable Keck II’s AO system to operate in the z-band. This provides improved capability for Solar System science.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.