Coronagraphic wavefront control for the ATLAST 9.2m telescope

Richard G. Lyon; William R. Oegerle; Lee D. Feinberg; Matthew R. Bolcar; Bruce H. Dean; Gary E. Mosier; Marc Postman

doi:10.1117/12.857498

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10 August 2010 Coronagraphic wavefront control for the ATLAST 9.2m telescope

Richard G. Lyon, William R. Oegerle, Lee D. Feinberg, Matthew R. Bolcar, Bruce H. Dean, Gary E. Mosier, Marc Postman

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Proceedings Volume 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 77312S (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857498
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Advanced Technology for Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) concept was assessed as one of the NASA Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concepts (ASMC) studies. Herein we discuss the 9.2-meter diameter segmented aperture version and its wavefront sensing and control (WFSC) with regards to coronagraphic detection and spectroscopic characterization of exoplanets. The WFSC would consist of at least two levels of sensing and control: (i) an outer coarser level of sensing and control to phase and control the segments and secondary mirror in a manner similar to the James Webb Space Telescope but operating at higher temporal bandwidth, and (ii) an inner, coronagraphic instrument based, fine level of sensing and control for both amplitude and wavefront errors operating at higher temporal bandwidths. The outer loop would control rigid-body actuators on the primary and secondary mirrors while the inner loop would control one or more segmented deformable mirror to suppress the starlight within the coronagraphic field-of-view. Herein we discuss the visible nulling coronagraph (VNC) and the requirements it levies on wavefront sensing and control and show the results of closed-loop simulations to assess performance and evaluate the trade space of system level stability versus control bandwidth.

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Richard G. Lyon, William R. Oegerle, Lee D. Feinberg, Matthew R. Bolcar, Bruce H. Dean, Gary E. Mosier, and Marc Postman "Coronagraphic wavefront control for the ATLAST 9.2m telescope", Proc. SPIE 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 77312S (10 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857498

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