Abstract
The Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) instrument is an extremely modular high- contrast instrument installed on the Subaru telescope in Hawaii. SCExAO has a dual purpose. Its position in the northern hemisphere on a 8-meter telescope makes it a prime instrument for the detection and characterization of exoplanets and stellar environments over a large portion of the sky. In addition, SCExAO's unique design makes it the ideal instrument to test innovative technologies and algorithms quickly in a laboratory setup and subsequently deploy them on-sky. SCExAO benefits from a first stage of wavefront correction with the facility adaptive optics AO188, and splits the 600-2400 nm spectrum towards a variety of modules, in visible and near infrared, optimized for a large range of science cases. The integral field spectrograph CHARIS, with its J, H or K-band high-resolution mode or its broadband low-resolution mode, makes SCExAO a prime instrument for exoplanet detection and characterization. Here we report on the recent developments and scientific results of the SCExAO instrument. Recent upgrades were performed on a number of modules, like the visible polarimetric module VAMPIRES, the high-performance infrared coronagraphs, various wavefront control algorithms, as well as the real-time controller of AO188. The newest addition is the 20k-pixel Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKIDS) Exoplanet Camera (MEC) that will allow for previously unexplored science and technology developments. MEC, coupled with novel photon-counting speckle control, brings SCExAO closer to the final design of future high-contrast instruments optimized for Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes (GSMTs).
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Adaptive Optics Systems VI |
Editors | Laird M. Close, Laura Schreiber, Dirk Schmidt |
Place of Publication | Bellingham, Washington |
Publisher | SPIE |
Pages | 1-12 |
Number of pages | 12 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9781510619609 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781510619593 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 13 Jul 2018 |
Event | Adaptive Optics Systems VI 2018 - Austin, United States Duration: 10 Jun 2018 → 15 Jun 2018 |
Publication series
Name | Proceedings of SPIE |
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Publisher | SPIE |
Volume | 10703 |
ISSN (Print) | 0277-786X |
ISSN (Electronic) | 1996-756X |
Conference
Conference | Adaptive Optics Systems VI 2018 |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | Austin |
Period | 10/06/18 → 15/06/18 |
Keywords
- Coronagraphy
- Extreme Adaptive Optics
- High-Contrast Imaging
- MKID
- Polarimetry
- Pyramid Wavefront Sensor
- Single-Mode Fiber Injection