Related papers: High spatial resolution and high contrast optical …
High contrast imaging at optical wavelengths is limited by the modest correction of conventional near-IR optimized AO systems.We take advantage of new fast and low-readout-noise detectors to explore the potential of fast imaging coupled to…
We explore the possibility of detecting very faint, very close-in stellar companions using large aperture ground-based telescopes and the technique of optical speckle imaging. We examine the state of high angular resolution speckle imaging…
Although many exoplanets have been indirectly detected over the last years, direct imaging of them with ground-based telescopes remains challenging. In the presence of atmospheric fluctuations, it is ambitious to resolve the high brightness…
To image faint substellar companions obscured by the stellar halo and speckles, scattered light from the bright primary star must be removed in hardware or software. We apply the "locally-optimized combination of images" (LOCI) algorithm to…
Near-diffraction limited imaging and spectroscopy in the visible on large (8-10 meter) class telescopes has proved to be beyond the capabilities of current adaptive optics technologies, even when using laser guide stars. The need for high…
We describe a new instrument that forms the core of a long-term high contrast imaging program at the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory. The primary scientific thrust is to obtain images and low-resolution spectroscopy of brown…
We present 36 observations of 17 visual binaries of moderate separation (range from 0.15'' to 0.79'') made with the 50 cm Cassegrain telescope of the Jagiellonian University in Cracow. The speckle interferometry technique was combined with…
We report the discovery of a population of young brown dwarf candidates in the open star cluster IC348 and the development of a new spectroscopic classification technique using narrow band photometry. Observations were made using FLITECAM,…
Since 2007, close binary and multiple stars are observed by speckle interferometry at the 4.1 m Southern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope. The HRCam instrument, observing strategy and planning, data processing and calibration…
We have used our 1.6 m diameter off-axis well-corrected sub-aperture (WCS) on the Palomar Hale telescope in concert with a small inner-working-angle (IWA) phase-mask coronagraph to image the immediate environs of a small number of nearby…
With the development of extreme high contrast ground-based adaptive optics instruments and space missions aimed at detecting and characterizing Jupiter- and terrestrial-mass planets, it is critical that each target star be thoroughly vetted…
The current direct observations of brown dwarfs and exoplanets have been obtained using instruments not specifically designed for overcoming the large contrast ratio between the host star and any wide-separation faint companions. However,…
High-contrast imaging from space must overcome two major noise sources to successfully detect a terrestrial planet angularly close to its parent star: photon noise from diffracted star light, and speckle noise from star light scattered by…
Residual speckles due to aberrations arising from optical errors after the split between the wavefront sensor and the science camera path are the most significant barriers to imaging extrasolar planets. While speckles can be suppressed…
We present a novel application of optical tunneling in the context of high-angular resolution, high-contrast techniques with the aim of improving direct imaging capabilities of faint companions in the vicinity of bright stars. In contrast…
In this work we present the results of a direct imaging survey for brown dwarf companions around the nearest stars at the mid-infrared 10 micron range ($\lambda_{c}$=8.7$\mu$m, $\Delta\lambda$=1.1$\mu$m) using the CanariCam instrument at…
Current and future high contrast imaging instruments aim to detect exoplanets at closer orbital separations, lower masses, and/or older ages than their predecessors. However, continually evolving speckles in the coronagraphic science image…
In High Contrast Imaging, a large instrumental, technological and algorithmic effort is made to reduce residual speckle noise and improve the detection capabilities. In this work, we explore the potential of using a precise physical…
Context. In the context of direct imaging of exoplanets, coronagraphs are commonly proposed to reach the required very high contrast levels. However, wavefront aberrations induce speckles in their focal plane and limit their performance.…
Context. Direct imaging of exoplanets takes advantage of state-of-the-art adaptive optics (AO) systems, coronagraphy, and post-processing techniques. Coronagraphs attenuate starlight to mitigate the unfavorable flux ratio between an…