Dr. Kamel Houairi Profile

Dr. Kamel Houairi

at Thales Alenia Space

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Publications (12)

Proceedings Article | 21 November 2017

PERSEE: a nulling interferometer with dynamic correction of external perturbations

S. Jacquinod, K. Houairi, J.-M. Le Duigou, M. Barillot, F. Cassaing, J.-M. Réess, F. Hénault, B. Sorrente, G. Morinaud, J.-P. Amans, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 10566, International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2008

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Proceedings Article | 20 November 2017

First results of the PERSEE experiment

J.-M. Le Duigou, J. Lozi, F. Cassaing, K. Houairi, B. Sorrente, J. Montri, S. Jacquinod, J.-M. Reess, L. Pham, E. Lhomé, T. Buey, F. Hénault, A. Marcotto, P. Girard, N. Mauclert, M. Barillot, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 10565, International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2010

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Sensors, Calibration, Satellites, Colorimetry, Autocollimation, Astronomical imaging, Space operations, Nulling interferometry, Phase shifts

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Although it has been recently postponed due to high cost and risks, nulling interferometry in space remains one of the very few direct detection methods able to characterize extrasolar planets and particularly telluric ones. Within this framework, several projects such as DARWIN [1], [2], TPF-I [3], [4], FKSI [5] or PEGASE [6], [7], have been proposed in the past years. Most of them are based on a free flying concept. It allows firstly to avoid atmosphere turbulence, and secondly to distribute instrumental function over many satellites flying in close formation. In this way, a very high angular resolution can be achieved with an acceptable launch mass. But the price to pay is to very precisely position and stabilize relatively the spacecrafts, in order to achieve a deep and stable extinction of the star. Understanding and mastering all these requirements are great challenges and key issues towards the feasibility of these missions. Thus, we decided to experimentally study this question and focus on some possible simplifications of the concept.

Since 2006, PERSEE (PEGASE Experiment for Research and Stabilization of Extreme Extinction) laboratory test bench is under development by a consortium composed of Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), Observatoire de Paris-Meudon (LESIA), Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (OCA), Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA), and Thalès Alénia Space (TAS) [8]. It is mainly funded by CNES R&D. PERSEE couples an infrared wide band nulling interferometer with local OPD and tip/tilt control loops and a free flying Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) simulator able to introduce realistic disturbances. Although it was designed in the framework of the PEGASE free flying space mission, PERSEE can adapt very easily to other contexts like FKSI (in space, with a 10 m long beam structure) or ALADDIN [9] (on ground, in Antarctica) because the optical designs of all those missions are very similar. After a short description of the experimental setup, we will present first the results obtained in an intermediate configuration with monochromatic light. Then we will present some preliminary results with polychromatic light. Last, we discuss some very first more general lessons we can already learn from this experiment.

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Proceedings Article | 20 November 2017

Final results of the PERSEE experiment

J.-M. Le Duigou, J. Lozi, F. Cassaing, K. Houairi, B. Sorrente, J. Montri, S. Jacquinod, J.-M. Réess, L. Pham, E. Lhomé, T. Buey, F. Hénault, A. Marcotto, P. Girard, N. Mauclert, M. Barillot, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 10564, International Conference on Space Optics — ICSO 2012

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Proceedings Article | 12 September 2012 Paper

Final results of the PERSEE experiment

J. M. Le Duigou, J. Lozi, F. Cassaing, K. Houairi, B. Sorrente, J. Montri, S. Jacquinod, J.-M. Reess, L. Pham, E. Lhome, T. Buey, F. Hénault, A. Marcotto, P. Girard, N. Mauclert, M. Barillot, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 8445, Optical and Infrared Interferometry III

KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Mirrors, Beam splitters, Cameras, Sensors, Calibration, Satellites, Collimators, Space operations, Nulling interferometry

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Proceedings Article | 15 September 2011 Paper

Design of a star, planet and exo-zodiacal cloud simulator for the nulling testbench PERSEE

François Hénault, Paul Girard, Aurelie Marcotto, Nicolas Mauclert, Christophe Bailet, Bruno Lopez, Florentin Millour, Yves Rabbia, Alain Roussel, Marc Barillot, Julien Lozi, Frederic Cassaing, Kamel Houairi, Beatrice Sorrente, Joseph Montri, Emilie Lhome, Jean-Michel Reess, Laurie Pham, Jean-Tristan Buey, Vincent Coudé du Foresto, Sophie Jacquinod, Marc Ollivier, Jean-Michel Le Duigou

Proc. SPIE. 8151, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets V

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Light sources, Surface plasmons, Stars, Interferometers, Reflectivity, Single mode fibers, Clouds, Transmittance, Planets

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Proceedings Article | 22 July 2010 Paper

PERSEE: experimental results on the cophased nulling bench

J. Lozi, F. Cassaing, J. M. Le Duigou, K. Houairi, B. Sorrente, J. Montri, S. Jacquinod, J.-M. Rees, L. Pham, E. Lhome, T. Buey, F. Hénault, A. Marcotto, P. Girard, N. Mauclert, M. Barillot, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 7734, Optical and Infrared Interferometry II

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Beam splitters, Sensors, Calibration, Satellites, Colorimetry, Space operations, Filtering (signal processing), Nulling interferometry, Phase shifts

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Proceedings Article | 15 July 2010 Paper

NESSI: the New Mexico Tech Extrasolar Spectroscopic Survey Instrument

C. Jurgenson, F. Santoro, M. Creech-Eakman, K. Houairi, H. Bloemhard, G. Vasisht, M. Swain, P. Deroo, C. Moore, L. Schmidt, P. Boston, D. Rodeheffer, P. Chen

Proc. SPIE. 7735, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy III

KEYWORDS: Telescopes, Spectrographs, Prisms, Sensors, Calibration, Exoplanets, Space telescopes, Infrared telescopes, Spectroscopes, Magdalena Ridge Observatory

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2008

GRAVITY: getting to the event horizon of Sgr A*

F. Eisenhauer, G. Perrin, W. Brandner, C. Straubmeier, A. Richichi, S. Gillessen, J. P. Berger, S. Hippler, A. Eckart, M. Schöller, S. Rabien, F. Cassaing, R. Lenzen, M. Thiel, Y. Clénet, J. R. Ramos, S. Kellner, P. Fédou, H. Baumeister, R. Hofmann, E. Gendron, A. Boehm, H. Bartko, X. Haubois, R. Klein, K. Dodds-Eden, K. Houairi, F. Hormuth, A. Gräter, L. Jocou, V. Naranjo, R. Genzel, P. Kervella, T. Henning, N. Hamaus, S. Lacour, U. Neumann, M. Haug, F. Malbet, W. Laun, J. Kolmeder, T. Paumard, R.-R. Rohloff, O. Pfuhl, K. Perraut, J. Ziegleder, D. Rouan, G. Rousset

Proc. SPIE. 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry

KEYWORDS: Near infrared, Telescopes, Metrology, Stars, Sensors, Spectroscopy, Interferometry, Wavefront sensors, Adaptive optics, Integrated optics

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2008 Paper

PERSEE, the dynamic nulling demonstrator: recent progress on the cophasing system

K. Houairi, F. Cassaing, J. M. Le Duigou, B. Sorrente, S. Jacquinod, J. P. Amans

Proc. SPIE. 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry

KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Interferometers, Sensors, Interferometry, Sodium, Phase measurement, Niobium, Space operations, Nulling interferometry, Visibility

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2008 Paper

Persee: a nulling demonstrator with real-time correction of external disturbances

F. Cassaing, J. M. Le Duigou, J. P. Amans, M. Barillot, T. Buey, F. Henault, K. Houairi, S. Jacquinod, P. Laporte, A. Marcotto, L. Pirson, J. M. Reess, B. Sorrente, G. Rousset, V. Coudé du Foresto, M. Ollivier

Proc. SPIE. 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry

KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Mirrors, Stars, Interferometers, Cameras, Sensors, Fourier transforms, Single mode fibers, Space operations, Nulling interferometry

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2008 Paper

PERSEE: description of a new concept for nulling interferometry recombination and OPD measurement

Sophie Jacquinod, Frédéric Cassaing, Jean-Michel Le Duigou, Marc Barillot, Marc Ollivier, Kamel Houairi, Frederic Lemarquis, Jean-Philippe Amans

Proc. SPIE. 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry

KEYWORDS: Mirrors, Optical design, Beam splitters, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, Interferometers, Sensors, Infrared radiation, Stray light, Mechanical engineering, Nulling interferometry

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Proceedings Article | 28 July 2008 Paper

Fringe tracking optimization with 4 beams: application to GRAVITY

K. Houairi, F. Cassaing, G. Perrin, F. Eisenhauer, W. Brandner, C. Straubmeier, S. Gillessen

Proc. SPIE. 7013, Optical and Infrared Interferometry

KEYWORDS: Stars, Detection and tracking algorithms, Interferometers, Sensors, Adaptive optics, Demodulation, Phase measurement, Atmospheric propagation, Atmospheric modeling, Visibility

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Showing 5 of 12 publications

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