Sensitivity analysis for high-contrast missions with segmented telescopes

Lucie Leboulleux; Jean-François Sauvage; Laurent Pueyo; Thierry Fusco; Rémi Soummer; Mamadou N'Diaye; Kathryn St. Laurent

doi:10.1117/12.2274347

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1 September 2017 Sensitivity analysis for high-contrast missions with segmented telescopes

Lucie Leboulleux, Jean-François Sauvage, Laurent Pueyo, Thierry Fusco, Rémi Soummer, Mamadou N'Diaye, Kathryn St. Laurent

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Proceedings Volume 10400, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VIII; 104000M (2017) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2274347
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2017, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Segmented telescopes enable large-aperture space telescopes for the direct imaging and spectroscopy of habitable worlds. However, the increased complexity of their aperture geometry, due to their central obstruction, support structures, and segment gaps, makes high-contrast imaging very challenging. In this context, we present an analytical model that will enable to establish a comprehensive error budget to evaluate the constraints on the segments and the influence of the error terms on the final image and contrast. Indeed, the target contrast of 10¹⁰ to image Earth-like planets requires drastic conditions, both in term of segment alignment and telescope stability. Despite space telescopes evolving in a more friendly environment than ground-based telescopes, remaining vibrations and resonant modes on the segments can still deteriorate the contrast. In this communication, we develop and validate the analytical model, and compare its outputs to images issued from end-to-end simulations.

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Lucie Leboulleux, Jean-François Sauvage, Laurent Pueyo, Thierry Fusco, Rémi Soummer, Mamadou N'Diaye, and Kathryn St. Laurent "Sensitivity analysis for high-contrast missions with segmented telescopes", Proc. SPIE 10400, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VIII, 104000M (1 September 2017); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2274347

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