@inproceedings{62ef20bf2b534766ab3d67433a61c848,
title = "EXCEDE Technology Development II: Demonstration of High Contrast at 1.2 λ/D and Preliminary Broadband Results.",
abstract = "Coronagraph technology is advancing and promises to enable space telescopes capable of directly detecting low surface brightness circumstellar debris disks as well as giant planets as close as in the habitable zones of their host stars. One mission capable of doing this is called EXCEDE (EXoplanetary Circumstellar Environments and Disk Explorer), which in 2011 was selected by NASA's Explorer program for technology development (Category III). EXCEDE is a 0.7m space telescope concept designed to achieve raw contrasts of 10 -6 at an inner working angle of 1.2 λ/D and 10-7 at 2 λ/D and beyond. In addition to doing fundamental science on debris disks, EXCEDE will also serve as a technological and scientific precursor for an exo-Earth imaging mission. EXCEDE uses a Starlight Suppression System (SSS) based on the Phase Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph to provide high throughput and high contrast close to the diffraction limit, enabling aggressive performance. We report on our continuing progress of developing the SSS for EXCEDE, including (a) high contrast performance demonstrations at 1.2 λ/D, which includes a lab demonstration of 2×10-7 median contrast between 1.2 and 2.0 λ/D simultaneously with 6.5×10 -8 median contrast between 2 and 4 λ/D in monochromatic light at 655nm, meeting a major milestone in our technology development program; (b) the installation of a new Low Order Wavefront Sensor (LOWFS) which enabled achieving deep contrasts at aggressive inner working angles; (c) implementation of more efficient model-based wavefront control algorithms; and (d) a preliminary broadband contrast result of 6×10-6 contrast at 1.2 λ/D in a 10% band.",
keywords = "Coronagraph, Debris disk, Direct imaging, EXCEDE, Exoplanets, Explorer, High contrast, IWA",
author = "Ruslan Belikov and Eduardo Bendek and Greene, {Thomas P.} and Olivier Guyon and Julien Lozi and Lynch, {Dana H.} and Newman, {Kevin E.} and Eugene Pluzhnik and Glenn Schneider and Domenick Tenerelli and Thomas, {Sandrine J.} and Witteborn, {Fred C.}",
year = "2013",
month = dec,
day = "9",
doi = "10.1117/12.2024569",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9780819497147",
series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",
booktitle = "Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI",
note = "Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets VI ; Conference date: 26-08-2013 Through 29-08-2013",
}