Exoplanets and Stellar Physics

Abstract:

We demonstrate experimentally that slicer based integral field spectrographs are an attractive choice for the next generation of exoplanet direct detection instruments. By propagating a single simulated speckle though a slicer based integral field spectrograph (IFS) and performing the post processing technique of spectral deconvolution we are able to achieve a speckle rejection factor of ∼600 in broadband images (and ∼100 in individual wavelength channels) with contrasts only appearing to be limited by calibration errors in the IFS datacube. This is over an order of magnitude improvement on the current state-of-the-art and well within the requirements of EPICS (Exo Planet Imaging Camera and Spectrograph for the E-ELT) for post coronagraphic speckle rejection thus proving that slicers will not impose a limit on the achievable contrast. When using prior knowledge of the diffraction-limited size of real objects we further improve the speckle rejection factor such that it exceeds 103.

Abstract:

We describe the current status of the HARMONI instrument design, which will form the basis for the first-light integral field spectrograph on the European Extremely Large Telescope. We review the phase A design, and highlight current on-going work to evolve the design in-line changing telescope requirements and lessons learned during the Phase A work. We also outline the key science drivers for the instrument, and describe briefly the requirements for the laser tomographic adaptive optics system which is expected to feed HARMONI.