The AFTA coronagraph instrument

Stuart Shaklan; Marie Levine; Marc Foote; Michael Rodgers; Michael Underhill; Luis Marchen; Dan Klein

doi:10.1117/12.2024560

26 September 2013 The AFTA coronagraph instrument

Stuart Shaklan, Marie Levine, Marc Foote, Michael Rodgers, Michael Underhill, Luis Marchen, Dan Klein

Proceedings Volume 8864, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI; 886415 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2024560
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2013, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Astrophysics Focused Telescope Assets (AFTA) study in 2012-2013 included a high-contrast stellar coronagraph to complement the wide-field infrared survey (WFIRST) instrument. The idea of flying a coronagraph on this telescope was met with some skepticism because the AFTA pupil has a large central obscuration with six secondary mirror struts that impact the coronagraph sensitivity. However, several promising coronagraph concepts have emerged, and a corresponding initial instrument design has been completed. Requirements on the design include observations centered 0.6 deg off-axis, on-orbit robotic serviceability, operation in a geosynchronous orbit, and room-temperature operation (driven by the coronagraph’s deformable mirrors). We describe the instrument performance requirements, the optical design, an observational scenario, and integration times for typical detection and characterization observations.

Citation Download Citation

Stuart Shaklan, Marie Levine, Marc Foote, Michael Rodgers, Michael Underhill, Luis Marchen, and Dan Klein "The AFTA coronagraph instrument", Proc. SPIE 8864, Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI, 886415 (26 September 2013); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2024560

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