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NASA NTRS · 20190001317

Prospects for Exoplanet Imaging in Multi-Star Systems with Starshades

Sirbu, Dan·Belikov, Ruslan·Bendek, Eduardo·Holte, Elias·Riggs, A. J. Eldorado·Shaklan, Stuart
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Abstract

We explore the capabilities of a starshade mission to directly image multi-star systems. In addition to the diffracted and scattered light for the on-axis star, a multi-star system features additional starlight leakage from the off-axis star that must also be controlled. A basic option is for additional starshades to block the off- axis stars. An interesting option takes the form of hybrid operation of a starshade in conjunction with an internal starlight suppression. Two hybrid scenarios are considered. One such scenario includes the coronagraph instrument blocking the on-axis star, with the starshade blocking off-axis starlight. Another scenario uses the wavefront control system in the coronagraph instrument and using a recent Super-Nyquist Wavefront Control (SNWC) technique can remove the off-axis stars leakage to enable a region of high-contrast around the on-axis star blocked by the starshade. We present simulation results relevant for the WFIRST telescope.

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Sirbu, Dan, Belikov, Ruslan, Bendek, Eduardo, Holte, Elias, Riggs, A. J. Eldorado, Shaklan, Stuart. 2017-09-01. Prospects for Exoplanet Imaging in Multi-Star Systems with Starshades. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20190001317

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