Structurally connected interferometer optical schematic & block diagram

This viewgraph presentation reviews the Adaptive Cross-Correlation (ACC) Algorithm for extended scene-Shack Hartmann wavefront (WF) sensing. A Shack-Hartmann sensor places a lenslet array at a plane conjugate to the WF error source. Each sub-aperture lenslet samples the WF in the corresponding patch of the WF. A description of the ACC algorithm is included. The ACC has several benefits; amongst them are: ACC requires only about 4 image-shifting iterations to achieve 0.01 pixel accuracy and ACC is insensitive to both background light and noise much more robust than centroiding,

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)↗

NASA NTRS2006

Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer Technology Status and Plans

A viewgraph presentation on the technology status and plans for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer is shown. The topics include: 1) The Navigator Program; 2) TPF-I Project Overview; 3) Project Organization; 4) Technology Plan for TPF-I; 5) TPF-I Testbeds; 6) Nulling Error Budget; 7) Nulling Testbeds; 8) Nulling Requirements; 9) Achromatic Nulling Testbed; 10) Single Mode Spatial Filter Technology; 11) Adaptive Nuller Testbed; 12) TPF-I: Planet Detection Testbed (PDT); 13) Planet Detection Testbed Phase Modulation Experiment; and 14) Formation Control Testbed.

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)↗

NASA NTRS2006

Status of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I)

The interferometric version of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF-I) has the potential to find and characterize earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of over 250 nearby stars and to search for life using biomarkers in the atmospheres of any planets found. The scientific case for such a mission continues to be strengthened by on-going progress in the detection of planets via indirect means. This paper summarizes the status of TPF-I, illustrative scientific requirements for the mission, and its enabling technologies.

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF)↗