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Results for “Nulling Interferometry Terrestrial Planet Finder”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

The flight instrument design for the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer

This paper describes the opto-mechanical systems of the telescopes and beramcombiner spacecraft including the wavefront and optical path control devices and alignment systems. The mechanical layouts of the spacecraft are described along with the predicted performance of the structure in terms of thermal and vibration control. The layout of the control system is also described.

interferometry↗
NASA NTRS2002

A visible light terrestrial planet finder - planet detection and spectroscopy by nulling interferometry with a single aperture telescope

Planet detection around a bright star depends the resolution of the imaging system and the degree of light suppression of the star relative to the planet. We present a concept for a visible light Terrestrial Planet Finding (VTPF) mission. Its major feature is an imaging system for planet detection using a nulling interferometer behind a single aperture telescope. This configuration is capable of detecting earth-like planets with a 5m aperture using both imaging and spectroscopic imaging modes. We will describe the principles of the system, and show results of studies demonstrating its feasibility.

planet↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Dual 3-Element Nulling Interferometer for TPF

We present an interferometer that provides a null at the star and a direct measurement of both visibility amplitude and phase of the planets.

Nulling Interferometry Terrestrial Planet Finder↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mid-infrared nuller for Terrestrial Planet Finder: design progress and results

Nulling interferometry shows promise as a technique enabling investigation of faint objects such as planets and exo-zodiacal dust around nearby stars. At Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a nulling beam combiner based on a design built for the Keck Observatory in Hawaii has been used to pursue deep and stable narrowband nulls. We describe the design and layout of the Modified Mach Zehnder TPF nuller, and the results achieved in the laboratory to date. We report the stabilized 900,000 nulls achieved using a CO2 laser, and discuss the performance limitations and way forward to the deep, broadband nulls required for a space-borne nulling interferometer mission. We show briefly the results from Keck breadboard experiments: broadband transient nulls centered around 10.6 micron have been achieved ranging between 17500 at 18% bandwidth and 7500:1 at 29% bandwidth.

Serabyn, E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Nulling Coronagraph for TPF-C

The nulling coronagraph is one of 5 instrument concepts selected by NASA for study for potential use in the TPF-C mission. This concept for extreme starlight suppression has two major components, a nulling interferometer to suppress the starlight to ~10(sup -10) per airy spot within 2 (lamda)/D of the star, and a calibration interferometer to measure the residual scattered starlight. The ability to work at 2 (lamda)/D dramatically improves the science throughput of a space based coronagraph like TPF-C. The calibration interferometer is an equally important part of the starlight suppression system. It measures the measures the wavefront of the scattered starlight with very high SNR, to 0.05nm in less than 5 minutes on a 5mag star. In addition, the post coronagraph wavefront sensor will be used to measure the residual scattered light after the coronagraph and subtract it in post processing to 1~2x10(sup -11) to enable detection of an Earthlike planet with a SNR of 5~10.

Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C)↗
NASA NTRS2005

Study on the Station Keeping Maintenance for the TPF Mission

The main goal of this paper is to extend the results of Gomez et al, 2001, related to the execution of the formation manoeuvres of the TPF constellation, including the controls for the station keeping and allowing a greater flexibility in the basic manoeuvres to be done by the formation.

terrestrial planet finder (TPF)↗
NASA NTRS2006

Progress in testing exo-planet signal extraction on the TPF-I Planet Detection Testbed

The TPF Interferometer (TPF-I) concept is being studied at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the TPF-I Planet Detection Testbed has been developed to simulate the detection process for an earthlike planet orbiting a star within about 15 pc. The testbed combines four beams of infrared light simulating the operation of a dual chopped Bracewell interferometer observing a star and a faint planet. This paper describes the results obtained this year including nulling of the starlight on four input beams at contrast ratios up to 250,000 to 1, and detection of faint planet signals at contrast ratios with the star of 2 million to 1.

nulling↗
NASA NTRS2004

Mid-IR interferometric nulling for TPF

By the middle of 2006, the Interferometry Technology development program for NASA’s Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) Mission has the goal of demonstrating deep and stable interferometric nulling of broadband Mid-IR thermal radiation under conditions that are traceable to the expected on-orbit conditions. Specifically, the task is to demonstrate null levels of 10 to the negative 6 power, with a 50% BW centered at 10 um, with null stabilities of 10 to the negative 7 power all at cryogenic temperatures for observational periods of a couple of hours. The Achromatic Nulling activity at JPL addresses this concern in two testbeds: the warm nulling testbed and the cryonulling testbed. The warm nulling testbed will demonstrate the physics of nulling broadband thermal sources in an environment that is conducive to efficient research. We’ll explore nulling techniques, optical-mechanical alignment methods, motion control, and path-length metrology for a single beam interferometer, as well as preliminary planet detection techniques. Ultimate nulling capabilities under conditions that are more flight-like will be demonstrated in cryogenic nulling testbed. Knowledge gained from operation at room temperature will be applied to the cryongenic experiment where we face the additional challenges of extreme temperatures, cryongenic actuators, component survivability and fluxes that are within an order of magnitude of expected flux levels on orbit. Concurrently, we will develop a low flux mid-IR camera that will allow us to measure the nulls at these faint photon fluxes. This talk will review this development activity and will include recent nulling experimental results and plans for future work.

Vasisht, Gautam↗
NASA NTRS2003

Single and double bracewell nulling interferometer in space

As part of a NASA NRA study we have examined the design and use of a small Bracewell nulling interferometer in space for observations of Jovian and terrestrial planets in the 4-12 mu m spectral region.

Terrestrial Planet Finder exo-solar planets nullin↗
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)↗
NASA NTRS2007

Starlight Nulling Technology at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The current interests in extra-solar planet detection and space-based and ground-based interferometry for astronomical observations has led to the development of a number of nulling instrument designs at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and elsewhere. This paper summarizes briefly JPL's efforts in nulling interferometry to date and consists of illustrations of some key nulling activities. Basic layouts of nulling testbeds are described and key applications discussed.

Terrestrial Planet Finder↗
NASA NTRS2005

Long Baseline Nulling Interferometry with the Keck Telescopes: A Progress Report

The Keck Interferometer Nuller (KIN) is one of the major scientific and technical precursors to the Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPF-I) mission. KIN's primary objective is to measure the level of exo-zodiacal mid-infrared emission around nearby main sequence stars, which requires deep broad-band nulling of astronomical sources of a few Janskys at 10 microns. A number of new capabilities are needed in order to reach that goal with the Keck telescopes: mid-infrared coherent recombination, interferometric operation in 'split pupil' mode, N-band optical path stabilization using K-band fringe tracking and internal metrology, and eventually, active atmospheric dispersion correction. We report here on the progress made implementing these new functionalities, and discuss the initial levels of extinction achieved on the sky.

instrumentation↗