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At least 73 records · Page 4

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NASA NTRS2008

Real-Time Wavefront Control for the PALM-3000 High Order Adaptive Optics System

We present a cost-effective scalable real-time wavefront control architecture based on off-the-shelf graphics processing units hosted in an ultra-low latency, high-bandwidth interconnect PC cluster environment composed of modules written in the component-oriented language of nesC. The architecture enables full-matrix reconstruction of the wavefront at up to 2 KHz with latency under 250 us for the PALM-3000 adaptive optics systems, a state-of-the-art upgrade on the 5.1 meter Hale Telescope that consists of a 64 x 64 subaperture Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor and a 3368 active actuator high order deformable mirror in series with a 241 active actuator tweeter DM. The architecture can easily scale up to support much larger AO systems at higher rates and lower latency.

GPU↗

NASA NTRS2016

Low Order Wavefront Sensing and Control for WFIRST Coronagraph

To maintain the required WFIRST Coronagraph starlight suppression performance in a realistic space environment, a low order wavefront sensing and control (LOWFS/C) subsystem is necessary. The LOWFS/C uses the rejected stellar light from coronagraph to sense and suppress the telescope pointing drift and jitter as well as the low order wavefront errors due to changes in thermal loading on the telescope and the rest of the observatory. In this paper we will present an overview of the low order wavefront sensing and control subsystem for the WFIRST Coronagraph and describe the WFIRST Coronagraph LOWFS function, its design, and modeled performance. We will present experimental results on a dedicated LOWFS/C testbed that show that the LOWFS/C subsystem not only can sense pointing errors better than 0.2 mas but has also experimentally demonstrated closed loop pointing error suppression with residuals better than 0.4 mas rms per axis for the vast majority of observatory reaction wheel speeds.

wavefront sensing and control↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multi-Star Wavefront Control with SCExAO Instrument: Demonstration with an Internal Source

Although only a small fraction of currently known exoplanets was found in binary and multiple systems, studies show that such stars do form planets, with an efficiency that is smaller, but within an order of magnitude of single stars. However, binaries are rarely considered as targets for exoplanet imaging space missions because of challenges of removing light from the second binary component. In our previous works it was shown how to solve two main issues that make exoplanet imaging in multiple systems impossible, namely, the mutual incoherence of speckles created by different binary components, and inability of a deformable mirror (DM) to control the starlight beyond the DM outer working angle/Nyquist limit. Feasibility of the developed Multi-Star Wavefront Control (MSWC) and Super-Nyquist Wavefront Control(SNWC) algorithms was demonstrated at the Ames Coronagraph Experiment (ACE) laboratory using a simple imaging system with a DM and no coronagraph. In this paper, we report the results our MSWC experiments using the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) instrument that is part of our technology development effort. The main goal of these experiments is to validate MSWC on a real coronagraphic system by using an internal source to simulate at least one real representative binary target. In our demonstration narrow-band contrast of 4.1×10−6has been reached by using MSWC in a 12×6λ/D dark zone separated from the primary component of the simulated binary star (STF 3121 AB) by 4λ/D. This contrast is better by a factor of 13.2 than the contrast floor reached by standard single-star wavefront control (SSWC). We also discuss the main limiting factors that affect the MSWC performance in our experiments.

Binary stars↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multi-Gbps Fiber-Optic Wavefront Sensing Coherent Optical Receiver

We report recent progress on technology developments at the NASA Glenn Research Center using photonic lanterns for coherent optical communications applications. In particular, the development of a spatial mode-diversity optical receiver using a photonic lantern combined with a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). The PIC is designed for compatibility with the NASA Laser Communication Relay Demonstration’s (LCRD) differential phase-shift keying signaling format. We report on the PIC design and future characterization and packaging efforts. Additionally, we report on the development of a 19-channel photonic lantern and provide updates on efforts to use the photonic lantern as a wavefront sensing device. The photonic lantern insertion loss, and spatial-mode transfer characteristics are detailed, as well as the development of a predictive framework in which the intensities in the 19 single-mode output channels are used to reconstruct the wavefront of the light entering the multi-moded input side of the lantern. Finally, we discuss concepts for potential future systems using photonic lanterns and PICs that combine both wavefront sensing and coherent communications onto a single integrated platform.

Optical Communications↗

NASA NTRS1978

Reduction of matrix wavefront for NASTRAN

The three grid point resequencing algorithms most often run by NASTRAN users are compared for their ability to reduce matrix root-mean-square (rms) wavefront, which is the most critical parameter in determining matrix decomposition time in NASTRAN. The three algorithms are Cuthill-McKee (CM), Gibbs-Poole-Stockmeyer (GPS), and Levy. The first two (CM and GPS) are in the BANDIT program, and the Levy algorithm is in WAVEFRONT. Results are presented for a diversified collection of 30 test problems ranging in size from 59 to 2680 nodes. It is concluded that GPS is exceptionally fast and, for the conditions under which the test was made, the algorithm best able to reduce rms wavefront consistently well.

Everstine, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Wavefront error sensing for LDR

Wavefront sensing is a significant aspect of the LDR control problem and requires attention at an early stage of the control system definition and design. A combination of a Hartmann test for wavefront slope measurement and an interference test for piston errors of the segments was examined and is presented as a point of departure for further discussion. The assumption is made that the wavefront sensor will be used for initial alignment and periodic alignment checks but that it will not be used during scientific observations. The Hartmann test and the interferometric test are briefly examined.

Tubbs, Eldred F.↗

NASA NTRS1991

A wavefront compensation approach to segmented mirror figure control

We consider the 'figure-control' problem for a spaceborn sub-millimeter wave telescope, the Precision Segmented Reflector Project Focus Mission Telescope. We show that performance of any figure control system is subject to limits on the controllability and observability of the quality of the wavefront. We present a wavefront-compensation method for the Focus Mission Telescope which uses mirror-figure sensors and three-axis segment actuator to directly minimize wavefront errors due to segment position errors. This approach shows significantly better performance when compared with a panel-state-compensation approach.

Redding, David↗

NASA NTRS1991

Far field and wavefront characterization of a high-power semiconductor laser for free space optical communications

The spatial pointing angle and far field beamwidth of a high-power semiconductor laser are characterized as a function of CW power and also as a function of temperature. The time-averaged spatial pointing angle and spatial lobe width were measured under intensity-modulated conditions. The measured pointing deviations are determined to be well within the pointing requirements of the NASA Laser Communications Transceiver (LCT) program. A computer-controlled Mach-Zehnder phase-shifter interferometer is used to characterize the wavefront quality of the laser. The rms phase error over the entire pupil was measured as a function of CW output power. Time-averaged measurements of the wavefront quality are also made under intensity-modulated conditions. The measured rms phase errors are determined to be well within the wavefront quality requirements of the LCT program.

Cornwell, Donald M., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Feedback controlled optics with wavefront compensation

The sensitivity model of a complex optical system obtained by linear ray tracing is used to compute a control gain matrix by imposing the mathematical condition for minimizing the total wavefront error at the optical system's exit pupil. The most recent deformations or error states of the controlled segments or optical surfaces of the system are then assembled as an error vector, and the error vector is transformed by the control gain matrix to produce the exact control variables which will minimize the total wavefront error at the exit pupil of the optical system. These exact control variables are then applied to the actuators controlling the various optical surfaces in the system causing the immediate reduction in total wavefront error observed at the exit pupil of the optical system.

Breckenridge, William G.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Broadband Interferometer for Measuring Transmitted Wavefronts of Optical Bandpass Filters for HST (ACS)

The transmitted wavefronts of optical filters for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) are characterized using the Wildly and Openly Modified Broadband Achromatic Twyman Green (WOMBAT) Interferometer developed in the NASA/GSFC Optics Branch's Diffraction Grating Evaluation Facility (DGEF). Because only four of thirty-three of ACS's optical bandpass filters transmit the 633 nm light of most commercial interferometers, a broadband interferometer is required to verify specified transmitted wavefront of ACS filters. WOMBAT's design is a hybrid of the BAT interferometer developed by JPL used for HST Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC-2) filters and a WYKO 400 phase shifting interferometer. It includes a broadband light source, monochromator, off-axis, parabolic collimating and camera mirrors, an aluminum-coated fused silica beam splitter, flat retroreflecting mirrors for the test and reference arms, and a LTV-sensitive CCD camera. An outboarded, piezo-electric phase shifter holds the flat mirror in the interferometer's reference arm. The interferometer is calibrated through interaction between the WYKO system's software and WONMAT hardware for the test wavelength of light entering the beam splitter. Phase-shifted interferograms of the filter mounted in the test arm are analyzed using WYKO's Vision' software. Filters as large as 90 mm in diameter have been measured over a wavelength range from 200 to 1100 nm with a sensitivity of lambda/200 rms at lambda = 633 nm. Results of transmitted wavefront measurements are shown for ACS fixed band pass and spatially-variable bandpass filters for a variety of wavelengths.

Boucarut, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Analysis of Spacelab-III Reconstructed Wavefronts by Non-Holographic Methods

Holography has been used in several past space missions. One popular experimental mode deals with study of fluid refractive properties in the crystal growth cell. The perceived advantage of holography is that it stores and reconstructs wavefronts so that a complete information is available later on ground. That means the wavefront can be analyzed not only by traditional holographic interferometry but other means as well. We have successfully demonstrated two such means being described here. One is deflectometry using a Ronchi grating and the other confocal optical processing. These results, using holograms from Spacelab-III mission dealing with triglycine sulfate crystal growth clearly demonstrate that a single hardware (holography) can do the task of several fluid experimental systems. Finally, not experimentally demonstrated, the possibility of some other analysis modes like speckle techniques and video holography using the reconstructed wavefronts have been described. Since only traditional holographic interferometry has been used in the past leading to the argument that non-holographic interferometry hardware in space could do the job, the present study firmly establishes advantage of holography.

Vikram, Chandra S.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Broadband Wavefront Sensing for JWST Fine Phasing

An application of broadband image-based wavefront sensing is considered for JWST fine phasing. The wavefront sensing error is derived as a function of filter bandpass and then applied to determine the appropriate filter specifications for observatory fine-phasing. These specifications are defined by considering an optimization in the trade space consisting of detector integration time vs. filter bandpass subject to wavefront sensing error budget constraints.

Dean, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS2004

Liquid Crystal on Silicon Wavefront Corrector

A low cost, high resolution, liquid crystal on silicon, spatial light modulator has been developed for the correction of huge aberrations in an optical system where the polarization dependence and the chromatic nature are tolerated. However, the overall system performance suggests that this device is also suitable for real time correction of aberration in human eyes. This device has a resolution of 1024 x 768, and is driven by an XGA display driver. The effective stroke length of the device is 700 nm and 2000 nm for the visible and IR regions of the device, respectively. The response speeds are 50 Hz and 5 Hz, respectively, which are fast enough for real time adaptive optics for aberrations in human eyes. By modulating a wavefront of 2 pi, this device can correct for arbitrary high order wavefront aberrations since the 2-D pixel array is independently controlled by the driver. The high resolution and high accuracy of the device allow for diffraction limited correction of the tip and tilt or defocus without an additional correction loop. We have shown that for every wave of aberration, an 8 step blazed grating is required to achieve high diffraction efficiency around 80%. In light of this, up to 125 waves peak to valley of tip and tilt can be corrected if we choose the simplest aberration. Corrections of 34 waves of aberration, including high order Zernicke terms in a high magnification telescope, to diffraction limited performance (residual wavefront aberration less than 1/30 lambda at 632.8 nm) have been observed at high efficiency.

Pouch, John↗

NASA NTRS2005

Telescope Wavefront Aberration Compensation with a Deformable Mirror in an Adaptive Optics System

With the goal of reducing the surface wavefront error of low-cost multi-meter-diameter mirrors from about 10 waves peak-to-valley (P-V), at lpm wavelength, to approximately 1-wave or less, we describe a method to compensate for slowly varying wavefront aberrations of telescope mirrors. A deformable mirror is utilized in an active optical compensation system. The kMS wavefront error of a 0.3m telescope improved to 0.05 waves (0.26 waves P-V) from the original value of 1.4 waves RMS (6.5 waves P-V), measured at 633nm, and the Strehl ratio improved to 89% from the original value of 0.08%.

active optics↗

NASA NTRS2008

Wavefront Sensing with the Fine Guidance Sensor for James Webb Space Telescope

An analysis is presented that utilizes the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) for focal-plane wavefront sensing (WFS) for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). WFS with FGS increases the number of wavefront measurements taken in field of the telescope, but has many challenges over the other JWST instruments that make it unique, such as; less sampling of the Point Spread Function (PSF), a smaller diversity-defocus range, a smaller image detector size, and a polychromatic object or source. Additionally, presented is an analysis of sampling for wavefront sensing. Results are shown based on simulations of flight and the cryogenic optical testing at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Smith, J. Scott↗

NASA NTRS2007

Closed Loop, DM Diversity-based, Wavefront Correction Algorithm for High Contrast Imaging Systems

High contrast imaging from space relies on coronagraphs to limit diffraction and a wavefront control systems to compensate for imperfections in both the telescope optics and the coronagraph. The extreme contrast required (up to 10(exp -10) for terrestrial planets) puts severe requirements on the wavefront control system, as the achievable contrast is limited by the quality of the wavefront. This paper presents a general closed loop correction algorithm for high contrast imaging coronagraphs by minimizing the energy in a predefined region in the image where terrestrial planets could be found. The estimation part of the algorithm reconstructs the complex field in the image plane using phase diversity caused by the deformable mirror. This method has been shown to achieve faster and better correction than classical speckle nulling.

Give'on, Amir↗

NASA NTRS2010

Coronagraphic Wavefront Control for the ATLAST-9.2m Telescope

The Advanced Technology for Large Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) concept was assessed as one of the NASA Astrophysics Strategic Mission Concepts (ASMC) studies. Herein we discuss the 9.2-meter diameter segmented aperture version and its wavefront sensing and control (WFSC) with regards to coronagraphic detection and spectroscopic characterization of exoplanets. The WFSC would consist of at least two levels of sensing and control: (i) an outer coarser level of sensing and control to phase and control the segments and secondary mirror in a manner similar to the James Webb Space Telescope but operating at higher temporal bandwidth, and (ii) an inner, coronagraphic instrument based, fine level of sensing and control for both amplitude and wavefront errors operating at higher temporal bandwidths. The outer loop would control rigid-body actuators on the primary and secondary mirrors while the inner loop would control one or more segmented deformable mirror to suppress the starlight within the coronagraphic field-of view. Herein we discuss the visible nulling coronagraph (VNC) and the requirements it levies on wavefront sensing and control and show the results of closed-loop simulations to assess performance and evaluate the trade space of system level stability versus control bandwidth.

Lyon, RIchard G.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Sub-pixel spatial resolution wavefront phase imaging

A phase imaging method for an optical wavefront acquires a plurality of phase images of the optical wavefront using a phase imager. Each phase image is unique and is shifted with respect to another of the phase images by a known/controlled amount that is less than the size of the phase imager's pixels. The phase images are then combined to generate a single high-spatial resolution phase image of the optical wavefront.

Stahl, H. Philip↗