A nulling wide field imager for exoplanets detection and general astrophysics
Abstract
We present a solution to obtain a high-resolution image of a wide field with the central source removed by destructive interference. The wide-field image is created by aperture synthesis with a rotating sparse array of telescopes in space. Nulling of the central source is achieved using a phase-mask coronagraph. The full (u,v) plane coverage delivered by the 60 m, six 3-meter telescope array is particularly well-suited for the detection and characterization of exoplanets in the infrared (DARWIN and Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) missions) as well as for other generic science observations. Detection (S/N=10) of an Earth-like planet is achieved in 10 hours with a 1 mu m bandwidth at 10 mu m.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- August 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361:20020712
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0205523
- Bibcode:
- 2002A&A...391..379G
- Keywords:
-
- techniques: interferometric;
- instrumentation: high angular resolution;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 18 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in A&