Piotr Szwaykowski

Testing exo-planet signal extraction using the Terrestrial Planet Finder planet detection testbed

The Planet Detection Testbed developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is being used to test direct optical detection of an Earth-like planet using nulling interferometry. Operating at infrared wavelengths, the testbed produces four near-identical beams simulating a distant star and planet. The testbed is reconfigurable to simulate different telescope array designs that are being studied. Many of the systems which will be needed for the space application of nulling stellar interferometry are incorporated. The goal of the testbed is to simulate the planet detection process which requires both a long detection period of many hours to overcome the thermal background noise and also high instrument stability to avoid introducing noise signals that could be mistaken for a planet. Numerous control systems are needed to maintain the optical path differences to about 2 nm and maintain beam alignments in shear and tilt. The testbed emulates functions of the fringe-tracking and metrology systems envisioned for the flight system including finding and tracking the fringe, controlling vibration and allowing for changing conditions. The relationship of the testbed to flight conditions is discussed and the latest results are presented showing planet detection in the presence of bright starlight.

Progress in testing exo-planet signal extraction on the TPF-I Planet Detection Testbed

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) concept is being studied at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the TPF-I Planet Detection Testbed has been developed to simulate the detection process for an earthlike planet orbiting a star within about 15 pc. The testbed combines four beams of infrared light simulating the operation of a dual chopped Bracewell interferometer observing a star and a faint planet. This paper describes the results obtained this year including nulling of the starlight on four input beams at contrast ratios up to 250,000 to 1, and detection of faint planet signals at contrast ratios with the star of 2 million to 1.

Detection and assessment of the nonuniform phase displacement error in temporal phase shifting interferometry

The paper deals with the calibration error of unequal phase changes across the interferogram in phase shifting interferometry, i.e., tilt-shift error. For its detection the lattice-site representation of phase shift angles is used. The error can be readily discerned using (N+1) algorithms. Four and five frame algorithms are considered. The influence of experimental parameters on the error detection sensitivity is discussed. Numerical studies are complemented by experimental results.

TPF-I Planet Detection Testbed: progress in testing exo-planet signal detection

The Planet Detection Testbed is designed to simulate the architecture and operation of a space-borne four-telescope nulling interferometer. Constructed in the form of a dual chopped Bracewell interferometer together with star and planet sources, it reproduces the principal features of the flight beam combiner designed at JPL for the proposed TPF-I Formation Flying Interferometer. The aims of the testbed are to demonstrate stable four-beam nulling and planet detection at representative star-planet contrast ratios. In the flight design, starlight between 7 and 17 micron wavelength is to be nulled, and 2 to 3 micron starlight is used for fringe tracking and phasing the interferometer. There are also metrology systems and alignment systems which are required for deep and stable nulling. The testbed reproduces these features; 2 to 3 micron light from a thermal source is used for fringe tracking, and nulling and planet detection is performed at 10 microns. The testbed also incorporates laser metrology and other systems enabling continuous control of beam alignment. The ultimate goal is to simulate planet detection at star-planet contrast ratios of order

Simultaneous phase shifting module for use in interferometry

10^{-7}

SCANNING SIMULTANEOUS PHASE-SHIFTING INTERFEROMETER

during full rotations of the telescope array using the phase chopping method. The latest results from the testbed are presented including four-beam nulling experiments at null depths of

Measurements of aspheric surfaces

10^{-5}

Interferometric system with reduced vibration sensitivity and related method

and planet signal detections at similar contrast ratios.