Study of the high-contrast imaging optical system for exoplanet search with the optical interferometric techniques

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25286073
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Optical engineering, Photon science
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Kotani Takayuki 国立天文台, 太陽系外惑星探査プロジェクト室, 助教 (40554291)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Uda Yutaka 大阪電気通信大学, 工学部, 教授 (00434803) ; Kurita Mikio 京都大学, 理学系研究科, 准教授 (20419427)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Murakami Noshi 北海道大学, 大学院工学研究院, 助教 (80450188) ; Matsuo Taro 大阪大学, 大学院理学研究科, 助教 (00548464) ; Tamura Motohide 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科, 教授 (00260018)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 系外惑星 / 瞳再配置

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We studied a novel high-contrast imaging technique, i.e. Pupil Remapping, to search for Earth-like planets and developed a segmented mirror system to realize this technique. As a segmented mirror, we fabricated small hexagonal glass mirrors with tilt by the special grinding and polishing technique. Despite its small size (2mm side-to-side distance), we successfully achieved d high surface accuracy mirror and it enables us to realize a 6-element pupil remapping system. In addition, for a larger number of a segmented system, a new concept is shown by a combination of a hexagonal glass mirror and segmented deformable mirrors.

Free Research Field

太陽系外惑星