Development of free-standing ring mask coronagraphs for a space telescope with the goal of characterizing exoplanets

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26800114
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: Haze Kanae 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 宇宙航空プロジェクト研究員 (50635612)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 光赤外天文学 / コロナグラフ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For an important challenge of direct observation of exoplanets using a conoragraph, we developed ring mask coronagraphs applicable for telescopes with partially obscured pupils. The design of the mask is based on a concentric ring mask and provides the widest dark region and a symmetric point spread function. The coronagraphic images obtained by experiment were mostly consistent with the designs. The high contrast, which was useful for observing Jovian planets located at various distances from the central star in the mid-IR wavelength region, was achieved over an extended field of view (5 - 25 λ/D). The research outcome were published in a paper (Haze et al., 2015., PASJ) and presented at a conference.

Free Research Field

数物系科学