Carlos Correia

GPI PSF subtraction with TLOCI: the next evolution in exoplanet/disk high-contrast imaging

To directly image exoplanets and faint circumstellar disks, the noisy stellar halo must be suppressed to a high level. To achieve this feat, the angular differential imaging observing technique and the least-squares Locally Optimized Combination of Images (LOCI) algorithm have now become the standard in single band direct imaging observations and data reduction. With the development and commissioning of new high-order high-contrast adaptive optics equipped with integral field units, the image subtraction algorithm needs to be modified to allow the optimal use of polychromatic images, field-rotated images and archival data. A new algorithm, TLOCI (for Template LOCI), is designed to achieve this task by maximizing a companion signal-to-noise ratio instead of simply minimizing the noise as in the original LOCI algorithm. The TLOCI technique uses an input spectrum and template Point Spread Functions (PSFs, generated from unocculted and unsaturated stellar images) to optimize the reference image least-squares coefficients to minimize the planet self-subtraction, thus maximizing its throughput per wavelength, while simultaneously providing a maximum suppression of the speckle noise. The new algorithm has been developed using on-sky GPI data and has achieved impressive contrast. This paper presents the TLOCI algorithm, on-sky performance, and will discuss the challenges in recovering the planet spectrum with high fidelity.

TMT adaptive optics program status report

We provide an update on the development of the first light adaptive optics systems for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) over the past two years. The first light AO facility for TMT consists of the Narrow Field Infra-Red AO System (NFIRAOS) and the associated Laser Guide Star Facility (LGSF). This order 60 × 60 laser guide star (LGS) multi-conjugate AO (MCAO) architecture will provide uniform, diffraction-limited performance in the J, H, and K bands over 17-30 arc sec diameter fields with 50 per cent sky coverage at the galactic pole, as is required to support TMT science cases. Both NFIRAOS and the LGSF have successfully completed design reviews during the last twelve months. We also report on recent progress in AO component prototyping, control algorithm development, and system performance analysis.

A Fresnel propagation analysis of NFIRAOS/IRIS high-contrast exoplanet imaging capabilities

The thirty meter telescope (TMT) has the potential to find new planetary systems and to study them in greater details. It could also possibly image super-Earth planets around the closest stars or still accreting distant protoplanets around stars in very young star forming regions. Since no first generation dedicated exoplanet finding instrument has been selected for the TMT, initial direct exoplanet imaging will have to rely on the NFIRAOS facility adaptive optics (AO) system and IRIS spectro-imaging near-infrared (NIR) camera. End to-end Fresnel NFIRAOS simulations are presented using their current optical designs to evaluate the system multi-wavelength high-contrast imaging capabilities. Long exposures have been simulated using the expected AO-corrected phase screens and the estimated speckle lifetime. It is shown that NFIRAOS/IRIS may achieve contrasts close to the Gemini planet imager (GPI, an optimized NIR planet-finding instrument that will soon be installed on the Gemini South 8-m telescope), but needs to rely on multi-wavelength processing (by a factor 50) to achieve that goal, a challenging requirement. Without a coronograph and a better treatment of the in-band static speckle noise, it is unlikely that NFIRAOS/ IRIS will be able to achieve GPI-like contrasts at very small inner working angles, which is potentially accessible with a large 30-meter telescope. However, TMT, with its bigger aperture and better angular resolution, along with the current NFIRAOS/ IRIS designs, should be able to acquire higher SNR spectra and achieve three times better astrometric accuracy than GPI for medium to bright planets, resulting in better atmospheric characterization and faster orbital parameter determination of a sample of GPI planets.

Fourier wavefront reconstruction with a pyramid wavefront sensor

Using Fourier methods to reconstruct the phase measured by a wavefront sensor (WFS) can significantly re- duce the number of computations required, as well as easily enable predictive reconstruction methods based on knowledge of the adaptive optics system, atmospheric turbulence and wind profile. Previous work on Fourier re- construction has focused on the Shack-Hartmann WFS. With increasing interest in the highly sensitive Pyramid WFS we present the development of Fourier reconstruction tools tailored to the Pyramid sensor. We include the development of the Fourier model, it’s use for formulating error budgets and a laboratory demonstration of Fourier reconstruction with a Pyramid WFS.

Statistical analysis and lessons learned of SPHERE adaptive optics performance

The SPHERE instrument, dedicated to high contrast imaging on VLT, has been routinely operated for more than 3 years, over a large range of conditions and producing observations from visible to NIR. A central part of the instrument is the high order adaptive optics system, named SAXO, designed to deliver high Strehl image quality with a balanced performance budget for bright stars up to magnitude R=9. We take benefit now from the very large set of observations to revisit the assumptions and analysis made at the time of the design phase: we compare the actual AO behavior as a function of expectations. The data set consists of the science detector data, for both coronagraphic images and non-coronagraphic PSF calibrations, but also of AO internal data from the high frequency sensors and statistics computations from the real-time computer which are systematically archived, and finally of environmental data, monitored at VLT level. This work is supported and made possible by the SPHERE « Data Center » infrastructure hosted at Grenoble which provides an efficient access and the capability for the homogeneous analysis of this large and statistically-relevant data set. We review in a statistical manner the actual AO performance as a function of external conditions for different regimes and we discuss the possible performance metrics, either derived from AO internal data or directly from the high contrast images. We quantify the dependency of the actual performance on the most relevant environmental parameters. By comparison to earlier expectations, we conclude on the reliability of the usual AO modeling. We propose some practical criteria to optimize the queue scheduling and the expression of observer requirements ; finally, we revisit what could be the most important AO specifications for future high contrast imagers as a function of the primary science goals, the targets and the turbulence properties.

Wavefront reconstruction and prediction with convolutional neural networks

While deep learning has led to breakthroughs in many areas of computer science, its power has yet to be fully exploited in the area of adaptive optics (AO) and astronomy as a whole. In this paper we describe the first steps taken to apply deep, convolutional neural networks to the problem of wavefront reconstruction and prediction and demonstrate their feasibility of use in simulation. Our preliminary results show we are able to reconstruct wavefronts comparably well to current state of the art methods. We further demonstrate the ability to predict future wavefronts up to five simulation steps with under 1nm RMS wavefront error.

Applications of the phase diversity technique to estimate the non-common path aberrations in the Gemini planet imager: results from simulation and real data

We explore the application of phase diversity to calibrate the non common path aberrations (NCPA) in the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). This is first investigated in simulation in order to characterize the ideal technique parameters with simulated GPI calibration source data. The best working simulation parameters are derived and we establish the algorithms capability to recover an injected astigmatism. Furthermore, the real data appear to exhibit signs of de-centering between the in and out of focus images that are required by phase diversity; this effect can arise when the diverse images are acquired in closed loop and are close to the non-linear regime of the wavefront sensor. We show in simulation that this effect can inhibit our algorithm, which does not take into account the impact of de-centering between images. To mitigate this effect, we validate the technique of using a single diverse image with our algorithm; this is first demonstrated in simulation and then applied to the real GPI data. Following this approach, we find that we can successfully recover a known astigmatism injection using the real GPI data and subsequently apply an NCPA correction to GPI (in the format of offset reference slopes) to improve the relative Strehl ratio by 5%; we note this NCPA correction application is rudimentary and a more thorough application will be investigated in the near future. Finally, the estimated NCPA in the form of astigmatism and coma agree well with the magnitude of the same modes reported by Poyneer et al. 2016.

Analysis of AO modeling for pseudo-synthetic interaction matrix at the LBT

The performance of an Adaptive Optics (AO) System relies on the accuracy of its Interaction Matrix which defines the opto-geometrical link between the Deformable Mirror (DM) and the Wave Front Sensor (WFS). Any mis-registrations (relative shifts, rotation, magnification or higher order pupil distortion) will strongly impact the performance, especially for high orders AO systems. Adaptive Telescopes provide a constraining environment for the AO calibration with large number of actuators DM, located inside the telescope with often no access to a calibration source and with a high accuracy required. The future Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will take these constraints to another level with a longer calibration time required, no artificial calibration source and most of all, frequent updates of the calibration during the operation. To overcome these constraints, new calibration strategies have to be developed either doing it on-sky or working with synthetic models. The most promising approach seems to be the Pseudo-Synthetic Calibration. The principle is to generate the Interaction Matrix of the system in simulator, injecting the correct model alignment parameters identified from on-sky Measurements. It is currently the baseline for the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) working with a Shack-Hartmann WFS but it remains to be investigated in the case of the Pyramid WFS.

A possible VLT-SPHERE XAO upgrade: going faster, going fainter, going deeper (Conference Presentation)

The aim of the Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet Research (SPHERE) instrument is to detect extremely faint astronomical sources (i.e., giant extra-solar planets, disks etc …) in the vicinity of bright stars. The detection capabilities of an exoplanet hunter are largely controlled by its adaptive optics (AO) system. Better AO correction provides improved coronagraph extinction and fewer starlight residuals. The challenging SPHERE science goals require a very high performance AO system to feed a quasi-perfect flat wave front, corrected for atmospheric turbulence and internal defects, to the scientific instruments.nIn May 2014 SPHERE was installed on the third unit telescope (Melipal) of the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. The results obtained over 3 years of operations essentially nicely confirm the AO predictions made at the time of the design phase and the corresponding performance budget analysis to cover various operation conditions in terms of target brightness and turbulence conditions. This is a strong basis to propose a realistic SPHERE AO upgrade.nThe SPHERE upgrade project intends to push the ultimate performance of SPHERE in terms of both final contrast and sensitivity (especially towards redder and fainter stars), thus allowing to address new science cases and to offer new detection or characterisation modes such as the coupling with high spectral resolution spectrographs, either in the infrared or in the visible. nTo do so, we have to address several tasks:n• The main AO loop has to be accelerated (up to 3 kHz) and efficient predictive control laws have to be implemented in order to significantly reduce the temporal effects;n• The main wave front sensor scheme has to be revisited in order to make the system more sensitive and make possible to work on very red stars. It will be achieved by adding to the current Visible Spatially Filtered Shack-Hartman an IR-Pyramid counterpart;n• The NCPA correction and the system ability to create and stabilize dark-hole during an entire observation block has to be developed in order to get rid of the residual quasi-static speckles and residual diffraction patterns. This will be done thanks to the combination of very accurate coronagraphic wave front sensors (COFFEE and ZELDA).nThis presentation will detail the various system studies and trade-off choices which have led to the new concept of the SPHERE upgrade. A preliminary design of the new AO loop and its main components (IR pyramid, RTC, post-coronographic WFS) will be presented. We will show that the proposed SPHERE upgrade development can be achieved in a timely manner without affecting the current SPHERE configuration and for a reasonable cost. Finally, an AIT concept minimizing the down-time of the instrument will be described. At each stage of the project, special attention will be paid to ensure that the initial capabilities and performance of SPHERE are not be jeopardized by the proposed SPHERE upgrade developments.

Point spread function reconstruction coupling AO telemetry and focal plane images

Scientific exploitation in ground-based astronomy is improved thanks to adaptive optics (AO) that restore diffraction-limit angular resolution. Besides, the ultimate data interpretation is delivered by post-processing techniques that usually relies on a Point spread function (PSF) model. Nevertheless, existing methods to constrain this model based on standard pipeline encounter the spatial and time variations of the AO PSF. In order to improve accuracy on key science observables, such as photometry and astrometry, alternative methods are investigated, such as PSF reconstruction (PSF-R), designed to estimate the PSF from AO control-loop data and key atmosphere and system parameters. We aim in this paper at retrieving directly these relevant inputs we need to reconstruct the PSF using an hybrid approach, that couples AO telemetry with focal plane images, named as Focal plane profiling and reconstruction (FPPR). It adjusts atmosphere parameters (the C2n (h) profile) and optical gains in the system. We describe the FPPR method that is applied to on-sky Keck images in engineering mode operated with either natural or laser guide star and show we get 1% of accuracy on respectively the Strehl-ratio and the PSF FWHM reconstruction.