The space coronagraph optical bench (SCoOB): 1. Design and assembly of a vacuum-compatible coronagraph testbed for spaceborne high-contrast imaging technology

Jaren N. Ashcraft; Heejoo Choi; Ewan S. Douglas; Kevin Derby; Kyle Van Gorkom; Daewook Kim; Ramya Anche; Alex Carter; Olivier Durney; Sebastiaan Haffert; Lori Harrison; Maggie Kautz; Jennifer Lumbres; Jared R. Males; Kian Milani; Oscar M. Montoya; George A. Smith

doi:10.1117/12.2628855

27 August 2022 The space coronagraph optical bench (SCoOB): 1. Design and assembly of a vacuum-compatible coronagraph testbed for spaceborne high-contrast imaging technology

Jaren N. Ashcraft, Heejoo Choi, Ewan S. Douglas, Kevin Derby, Kyle Van Gorkom, Daewook Kim, Ramya Anche, Alex Carter, Olivier Durney, Sebastiaan Haffert, Lori Harrison, Maggie Kautz, Jennifer Lumbres, Jared R. Males, Kian Milani, Oscar M. Montoya, George A. Smith

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 121805L (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2628855
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Conference Poster

Abstract

The development of spaceborne coronagraphic technology is of paramount importance to the detection of habitable exoplanets in visible light. In space, coronagraphs are able to bypass the limitations imposed by the atmosphere to reach deeper contrasts and detect faint companions close to their host star. To effectively test this technology in a flight-like environment, a high-contrast imaging testbed must be designed for operation in a thermal vacuum (TVAC) chamber. A TVAC-compatible high-contrast imaging testbed is undergoing development at the University of Arizona inspired by a previous mission concept: The Coronagraphic Debris and Exoplanet Exploring Payload (CDEEP). The testbed currently operates at visible wavelengths and features a Boston Micromachines Kilo-C DM for wavefront control. Both a vector vortex coronagraph and a knife-edge Lyot coronagraph operating mode are under test. The optics will be mounted to a 1 × 2 meter pneumatically isolated optical bench designed to operate at 10⁻⁸ torr and achieve raw contrasts of 10⁻⁸ or better. The validation of our optical surface quality, alignment procedure, and first light results are presented. We also report on the status of the testbed’s integration in the vaccum chamber.

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Jaren N. Ashcraft, Heejoo Choi, Ewan S. Douglas, Kevin Derby, Kyle Van Gorkom, Daewook Kim, Ramya Anche, Alex Carter, Olivier Durney, Sebastiaan Haffert, Lori Harrison, Maggie Kautz, Jennifer Lumbres, Jared R. Males, Kian Milani, Oscar M. Montoya, and George A. Smith "The space coronagraph optical bench (SCoOB): 1. Design and assembly of a vacuum-compatible coronagraph testbed for spaceborne high-contrast imaging technology", Proc. SPIE 12180, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2022: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 121805L (27 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2628855

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