J.-M. Le Duigou

Pegase: a space-based nulling interferometer

The space based mission Pegase was proposed to CNES in the framework of its call for scientific proposals for formation flying missions. This paper presents a summary of the phase-0 performed in 2005. The main scientific goal is the spectroscopy of hot Jupiters (Pegasides) and brown dwarfs from 2.5 to 5 μm. The mission can extend to other objectives such as the exploration of the inner part of protoplanetary disks, the study of dust clouds around AGN,... The instrument is basically a two-aperture (D=40 cm) interferometer composed of three satellites, two siderostats and one beam-combiner. The formation is linear and orbits around L2, pointing in the anti-solar direction within a +/-30° cone. The baseline is adjustable from 50 to 500 m in both nulling and visibility measurement modes. The angular resolution ranges from 1 to 20 mas and the spectral resolution is 60. In the nulling mode, a 2.5 nm rms stability of the optical path difference (OPD) and a pointing stability of 30 mas rms impose a two level control architecture. It combines control loops implemented at satellite level and control loops operating inside the payload using fine mechanisms. According to our preliminary study, this mission is feasible within an 8 to 9 years development plan using existing or slightly improved space components, but its cost requires international cooperation. Pegase could be a valuable Darwin/TPF-I pathfinder, with a less demanding, but still ambitious, technological challenge and a high associated scientific return.

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

Nulling interferometry is one of the most promising methods to study habitable extrasolar systems. Several projects, such as Darwin, TPF, Pegase, FKSI or Aladdin, are currently considered and supported by R&D programs. One of the main issues of nulling interferometry is the feasibility of a stable polychromatic null despite the presence of significant disturbances, induced by vibrations, atmospheric turbulence on the ground or satellite drift for spaceborne missions. To reduce cost and complexity of the whole system, it is necessary to optimize not only the control loop performance at platform and payload levels, but also their interaction. In this goal, it was decided in 2006 to build a laboratory demonstrator named Persee. Persee is mostly funded by CNES and built by a consortium including CNES, IAS, LESIA, OCA, ONERA and TAS. After a definition phase in 2006, the implementation of the sub-systems has now begun and the integration near Paris by GIS-PHASE (LESIA, ONERA and GEPI) is planned in 2009. This paper details the main objectives of PERSEE, describes the definition of the bench, presents the current status and reports results obtained with the first sub-systems.

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

Spectral characterization of exo-planets can be made by nulling interferometers. In this context, several projects have been proposed such as DARWIN, FKSI, PEGASE and TPF, space-based, and ALADDIN, ground-based. To stabilize the beams with the required nanometric accuracy, a cophasing system is required, made of piston/tip/tilt actuators on each arm and piston/tip-tilt sensors. The demonstration of the feasibility of such a cophasing system is a central issue. In this goal, a laboratory breadboard named PERSEE is under integration. Main goals of PERSEE are the demonstration of a polychromatic null from 1.65 μm to 3.3 μm with a 10-4 rejection rate and a 10-5 stability despite the introduction of realistic perturbations, the study of the interfaces with formation-flying spacecrafts and the joint operation of the cophasing system with the nuller. We describe the principle of the cophasing system made by Onera, operating in the [0.8 - 1] μm (tip/tilt) and [0.8 - 1.5] μm (piston) spectral bands. Emphasis is put on the piston sensor and its close integration with the nuller.

Current results of the PERSEE testbench: the cophasing control and the polychromatic null rate

Stabilizing a nulling interferometer at a nanometric level is the key issue to obtain deep null depths. The PERSEE breadboard has been designed to study and optimize the operation of cophased nulling bench in the most realistic disturbing environment of a space mission. This presentation focuses on the current results of the PERSEE bench. In terms of metrology, we cophased at 0.33 nm rms for the piston and 60 mas rms for the tip/tilt. A Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) control coupled with an unsupervised vibration identification allows us to maintain that level of correction, even with characteristic vibrations of nulling interferometry space missions. These performances, with an accurate design and alignment of the bench, currently lead to a polychromatic unpolarised null depth of 8.9 × 10-6 stabilized at 2.7 × 10-7 on the [1.65 - 2.45] μm spectral band (37% bandwidth). With those significant results, we give the first more general lessons we have already learned from this experiment, both at system and component levels for a future space mission.

PERSEE: experimental results on the cophased nulling bench

Nulling interferometry is still a promising method to characterize spectra of exoplanets. One of the main issues is to cophase at a nanometric level each arm despite satellite disturbances. The bench PERSEE aims to prove the feasibility of that technique for spaceborne missions. After a short description of PERSEE, we will first present the results obtained in a simplified configuration: we have cophased down to 0.22 nm rms in optical path difference (OPD) and 60 mas rms in tip/tilt, and have obtained a monochromatic null of 3 · 10-5 stabilized at 3•10-6. The goal of 1 nm with additional typical satellite disturbances requires the use of an optimal control law; that is why we elaborated a dedicated Kalman filter. Simulations and experiments show a good rejection of disturbances. Performance of the bench should be enhanced by using a Kalman control law, and we should be able to reach the desired nanometric stability. Following, we will present the first results of the final polychromatic configuration, which includes an achromatic phase shifter, perturbators and optical delay lines. As a conclusion, we give the first more general lessons we have already learned from this experiment, both at system and component levels for a future space mission.

Metrology calibration and very high accuracy centroiding with the NEAT testbed

NEAT is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA with the objectives of detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. NEAT requires the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 5 x 10-6 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 2 x 10-5 pixel at two times Nyquist sampling, this was shown at the JPL by the VESTA experiment. A metrology system was used to calibrate intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations in order to correct pixelation errors. The European part of the NEAT consortium is building a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 5 x 10-6 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the NEAT spacecraft. The testbed consists of two main sub-systems. The first one produces pseudo stars: a blackbody source is fed into a large core fiber and lights-up a pinhole mask in the object plane, which is imaged by a mirror on the CCD. The second sub-system is the metrology, it projects young fringes on the CCD. The fringes are created by two single mode fibers facing the CCD and fixed on the mirror. In this paper we present the experiments conducted and the results obtained since July 2013 when we had the first light on both the metrology and pseudo stars. We explain the data reduction procedures we used.

Final results of the PERSEE experiment

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.

The microchannel x-ray telescope status

We present design status of the Microchannel X-ray Telescope, the focussing X-ray telescope on board the Sino- French SVOM mission dedicated to Gamma-Ray Bursts. Its optical design is based on square micro-pore optics (MPOs) in a Lobster-Eye configuration. The optics will be coupled to a low-noise pnCCD sensitive in the 0.2{10 keV energy range. With an expected point spread function of 4.5 arcmin (FWHM) and an estimated sensitivity adequate to detect all the afterglows of the SVOM GRBs, MXT will be able to provide error boxes smaller than 60 (90% c.l.) arc sec after five minutes of observation.

The latest results from DICE (Detector Interferometric Calibration Experiment)

Theia is an astrometric mission proposed to ESA in 2014 for which one of the scientific objectives is detecting Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zone of nearby solar-type stars. This objective requires the capability to measure stellar centroids at the precision of 1x10-5 pixel. Current state-of-the-art methods for centroid estimation have reached a precision of about 3x10-5 pixel at two times Nyquist sampling, this was shown at the JPL by the VESTA experiment. A metrology system was used to calibrate intra and inter pixel quantum efficiency variations in order to correct pixelation errors. The Theia consortium is operating a testbed in vacuum in order to achieve 1x10-5 pixel precision for the centroid estimation. The goal is to provide a proof of concept for the precision requirement of the Theia spacecraft. The testbed consists of two main sub-systems. The first one produces pseudo stars: a blackbody source is fed into a large core fiber and lights-up a pinhole mask in the object plane, which is imaged by a mirror on the CCD. The second sub-system is the metrology, it projects young fringes on the CCD. The fringes are created by two single mode fibers facing the CCD and fixed on the mirror. In this paper we present the latest experiments conducted and the results obtained after a series of upgrades on the testbed was completed. The calibration system yielded the pixel positions to an accuracy estimated at 4x10-4 pixel. After including the pixel position information, an astrometric accuracy of 6 x 10-5 pixel was obtained, for a PSF motion over more than 5 pixels. In the static mode (small jitter motion of less than 1 x 10-3 pixel), a photon noise limited precision of 3x10-5 pixel was reached.

Coronagraphic wavefront sensing with COFFEE: high spatial-frequency diversity and other news

The final performance of current and future instruments dedicated to exoplanet detection and characterization is limited by intensity residuals in the scientific image plane, which originate in uncorrected optical aberrations. In order to reach very high contrasts, these aberrations needs to be compensated for. We have proposed a focalplane wave-font sensor called COFFEE (for COronagraphic Focal-plane wave-Front Estimation for Exoplanet detection), which consists in an extension of conventional phase diversity to a coronagraphic system. In this communication, we study the extension of COFFEE to the joint estimation of the phase and the amplitude in the context of space-based coronagraphic instruments: we optimize the diversity phase in order to minimize the reconstruction error; we also propose and optimize a novel low-amplitude high-frequency diversity that should allow the phase-diverse images to still be used for science. Lastly, we perform a first experimental validation of COFFEE in the very high, space-like contrast conditions of the THD bench and show that COFFEE is able to distinguish between phase and amplitude aberrations.