A simple optimized amplitude pupil mask for attempting to direct imaging of Proxima b with SPHERE/ZIMPOL at VLT

Polychronis Patapis; Jonas Kühn; Hans Martin Schmid

doi:10.1117/12.2312595

10 July 2018 A simple optimized amplitude pupil mask for attempting to direct imaging of Proxima b with SPHERE/ZIMPOL at VLT

Polychronis Patapis, Jonas Kühn, Hans Martin Schmid

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10706, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation III; 107065J (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312595
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

Proxima b is a terrestrial exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of our closest star Proxima Centauri. The separation between the planet and the star is about 40 mas and this is with current instruments only reachable with direct imaging, using a visual extreme AO system like SPHERE/ZIMPOL. Unfortunately, the planet falls under the first airy ring at 2λ/D in the I band, which degrades achievable contrast. We present the design, optical simulations and testing of an amplitude pupil mask for ZIMPOL that reshapes the PSF, increasing the contrast at r = 2λ/D about an order of magnitude. The simple mask can be inserted directly into the current setup of SPHERE.

Citation Download Citation

Polychronis Patapis, Jonas Kühn, and Hans Martin Schmid "A simple optimized amplitude pupil mask for attempting to direct imaging of Proxima b with SPHERE/ZIMPOL at VLT", Proc. SPIE 10706, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation III, 107065J (10 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2312595

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