The large apertures of the upcoming generation of Giant Segmented Mirror Telescopes will enable unprecedented angular resolutions that scale as ∝λ/D and higher sensitivities that scale as D4 for point sources corrected by adaptive optics (AO). However, all will have pupil segmentation caused by mechanical struts holding up the secondary mirror (European Extremely Large Telescope and Thirty Meter Telescope) or intrinsically, by design, as in the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). These gaps will be separated by more than a typical atmospheric coherence length (Fried Parameter). The pupil fragmentation at scales larger than the typical atmospheric coherence length, combined with wavefront sensors with weak or ambiguous sensitivity to differential piston, can introduce differential piston areas of the wavefront known as “petal modes.” Commonly used wavefront sensors, such as a pyramid wavefront sensor, also struggle with phase wrapping caused by >λ/2 differential piston wavefront error (WFE). We have developed the holographic dispersed fringe sensor (HDFS), a single pupil-plane optic that employs holography to interfere the dispersed light from each segment onto different spatial locations in the focal plane to sense and correct differential piston between the segments. This allows for a very high and linear dynamic piston sensing range of approximately ±10 μm. We have begun the initial attempts at phasing a segmented pupil utilizing the HDFS on the High Contrast Adaptive optics phasing Testbed (HCAT) and the Extreme Magellan Adaptive Optics instrument (MagAO-X) at the University of Arizona. In addition, we have demonstrated the use of the HDFS as a differential piston sensor on-sky for the first time. We were able to phase each segment to within ±λ/11.3 residual piston WFE (at λ=800 nm) of a reference segment and achieved ∼50 nm RMS residual piston WFE across the aperture in poor seeing conditions.
ELTs have the potential for imaging reflected light from habitable rocky planets around M-stars. To address that exciting science we present the PDR level optical-mechanical design for a high-contrast coronagraphic instrument for the 25.4m Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) called GMagAO-X. It is a first light extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) coronagraphic instrument which mounts to the sector D folded port of the GMT. To meet the strict ExAO fitting and servo error requirement (<90nm rms WFE), GMagAO-X must have 21,000 actuator DM capable of >2KHz update speeds. To minimize wavefront/segment piston error GMagAO-X has an interferometric beam combiner on a vibration isolated table, as part of this 21,000 actuator “parallel DM”. Segment/petal piston errors are continuously sensed by a novel Holographic Dispersed Fringe Sensor (HDFS). In addition to a coronagraph, it has a post-coronagraphic Lyot Low Order WFS (LLOWFS) to sense non-common path (NCP) errors. The LLOWFS drives a non-common path DM (NCP DM) to correct those NCP errors. GMagAO-X obtains high-contrast science and wavefront sensing in the visible or the NIR. Here we present our successful, externally reviewed (Feb. 2024), PDR optical-mechanical design that satisfies GMagAO-X’s top-level science requirements and is compliant with the GMT instrument requirements/ICDs and only requires COTS parts and readily available 2-5 inch sized optics. We have also prototyped the parallel DM and the HDFS phasing sensor on the HCAT testbed. We show initial phased HCAT testbed results for the parallel DM and initial on-sky phasing results for HDFS.
MagAO-X is the extreme coronagraphic adaptive optics (AO) instrument for the 6.5-meter Magellan Clay telescope and is currently undergoing a comprehensive batch of upgrades. One innovation that the instrument features is a deformable mirror (DM) dedicated for non-common path aberration correction (NCPC) within the coronagraph arm. We recently upgraded the 97 actuator NCPC DM with a 1000 actuator Boston Micromachines Kilo-DM which serves to (1) correct non-common path aberrations which hamper performance at small inner-working angles, (2) facilitate focal-plane wavefront control algorithms (e.g., electric field conjugation) and (3) enable 10kHz correction speeds (up from 2kHz) to assist post-AO, real-time low-order wavefront control. We present details on the characterization and installation of this new DM on MagAO-X as part of our efforts to improve deep contrast performance for imaging circumstellar objects in reflected light. Pre-installation procedures included use of a Twyman-Green interferometer to build an interaction matrix for commanding the DM surface, in closed-loop, to a flat state for seamless integration into the instrument. With this new NCPC DM now installed, we report on-sky results from the MagAO-X observing run in March to May 2024 for the Focus Diversity Phase Retrieval and implicit Electric Field Conjugation algorithms for quasistatic speckle removal and in-situ Strehl ratio optimization, respectively.
The next generation of extreme adaptive optics (AO) must be calibrated exceptionally well to achieve the desired contrast for ground-based direct imaging exoplanet targets. Current wavefront sensing and control system responses deviate from lab calibration throughout the night due to non linearities in the wavefront sensor (WFS) and signal loss. One cause of these changes is the optical gain (OG) effect, which shows that the difference between actual and reconstructed wavefronts is sensitive to residual wavefront errors from partially corrected turbulence. This work details on-sky measurement of optical gain on MagAO-X, an extreme AO system on the Magellan Clay 6.5m. We ultimately plan on using a method of high-temporal frequency probes on our deformable mirror to track optical gain on the Pyramid WFS. The high-temporal frequency probes, used to create PSF copies at 10-22 λ/D, are already routinely used by our system for coronagraph centering and post-observation calibration. This method is supported by the OG measurements from the modal response, measured simultaneously by sequenced pokes of each mode. When tracked with DIMM measurements, optical gain calibrations show a clear dependence on Strehl Ratio, and this relationship is discussed. This more accurate method of calibration is a crucial next step in enabling higher fidelity correction and post processing techniques for direct imaging ground based systems.
High-contrast imaging data analysis depends on removing residual starlight from the host star to reveal planets and disks. Most observers do this with principal components analysis (i.e. KLIP) using modes computed from the science images themselves. These modes may not be orthogonal to planet and disk signals, leading to over-subtraction. The wavefront sensor data recorded during the observation provide an independent signal with which to predict the instrument point-spread function (PSF). MagAO-X is an extreme adaptive optics (ExAO) system for the 6.5-meter Magellan Clay telescope and a technology pathfinder for ExAO with GMagAO-X on the upcoming Giant Magellan Telescope. MagAO-X is designed to save all sensor information, including kHz-speed wavefront measurements. Our software and compressed data formats were designed to record the millions of training samples required for machine learning with high throughput. The large volume of image and sensor data lets us learn a PSF model incorporating all the information available. This allows us to probe smaller star-planet separations at greater sensitivities, which will be needed for rocky planet imaging.
The Natural Guide-star Adaptive Optics (NGAO) mode of the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) is one of the two diffraction-limited AO modes under development by GMTO and its partner institutions. It will use the Adaptive Secondary Mirror (ASM) for wavefront correction, and a Natural Guide star Wavefront Sensor (NGWS) unit featuring two visible-light sensing channels to measure wavefront aberrations, including phasing errors between the seven segments of the GMT. The first NGWS channel features a modulated pyramid wavefront sensor (PWFS) and the second NGWS channel features a Holographic Dispersed Fringe Sensor (HDFS), which unambiguously detects segment piston errors as large as ~10 microns in wavefront. To test the performance of this novel wavefront sensing architecture, a prototype of the NGWS was built and integrated with the High Contrast AO Testbed (HCAT) and the MagAO-X system in the laboratories of the Center of Astronomical Adaptive Optics (CAAO) of the University of Arizona. The INAF Arcetri AO group designed and built the first NGWS channel, while GMTO designed and built the second NGWS channel in collaboration with CAAO. We report in this contribution the results of the laboratory experiments conducted over two two-week runs held in 2023 that demonstrate the capability of the NGWS to sense and correct for wavefront and phasing errors under the presence of mild atmospheric disturbances using the GMT NGAO control algorithms adapted to the testbed.
MagAO-X is the coronagraphic extreme adaptive optics system for the 6.5m Magellan Clay Telescope. We report the results of commissioning the first phase of MagAO-X. Components now available for routine observations include: the >2kHz high-order control loop consisting of a 97 actuator woofer deformable mirror (DM), a 2040 actuator tweeter DM, and a modulated pyramid wavefront sensor (WFS); classical Lyot coronagraphs with integrated low-order (LO) WFS and control using a third 97-actuator non-common path correcting (NCPC) DM; broad band imaging in g, r, i, and z filters with two EMCCDs; simultaneous differential imaging in Hα; and integral field spectroscopy with the VIS-X module. Early science results include the discovery of an Hα jet, images of accreting protoplanets at Hα, images of young extrasolar giant planets in the optical, discovery of new white dwarf companions, resolved images of evolved stars, and high-contrast images of circumstellar disks in scattered light in g-band (500nm). We have commenced an upgrade program, called “Phase II”, to enable high-contrast observations at the smallest inner working angles possible. These upgrades include a new 952 actuator NCPC DM to enable coronagraphic wavefront control; phase induced amplitude apodization coronagraphs; new fast cameras for LOWFS and Lyot-LOWFS; and real-time computer upgrades. We will report the status of these upgrades and results of first on-sky testing in March-May 2024.
The upcoming era of Extremely Large Telescopes will result in a significant increase in extrasolar planets detectable by direct imaging. Advances in wavefront sensing and control as well as coronagraphic technologies are necessary to achieve the contrasts and image quality required for detection on ground-based instruments. The Extreme Adaptive Optics Instrument for the Magellan Clay 6.5 m telescope (MagAO-X) serves as a testbed for ground-based adaptive optics and high contrast imaging technology development, working in the visible to near-IR. MagAO-X employs a primary wavefront control loop to correct for high order wavefront errors resulting from atmospheric turbulence. A secondary loop has been implemented for correcting non-common path aberrations and has shown to improve overall system and coronagraphic performance.
The upcoming Extremely Large Telescopes have the angular resolution and light collecting area that is necessary to observe biosignatures in the atmospheres of Earth-like planets. High-contrast imaging instruments will play a large role in this because observing planets directly overcomes many of the observational limitations of other exoplanet detection techniques. The influence of the bright star can be significantly reduced by spatially resolving the dim planet, allowing characterization of the planet and its atmosphere. However, the required wavefront sensing, and control (WFS&C) technologies have yet to be proven on-sky. The Magellan Adaptive Optics eXtreme (MagAO-X) instrument is a new visible to near-infrared high-contrast imaging system that operates as a testbed for the development and testing of WFS&C techniques.
We present a status update for MagAO-X, a 2000 actuator, 3.6 kHz adaptive optics and coronagraph system for the Magellan Clay 6.5 m telescope. MagAO-X is optimized for high contrast imaging at visible wavelengths. Our primary science goals are detection and characterization of Solar System-like exoplanets, ranging from very young, still-accreting planets detected at H-alpha, to older temperate planets which will be characterized using reflected starlight. First light was in Dec, 2019, but subsequent commissioning runs were canceled due to COVID19. In the interim, MagAO-X has served as a lab testbed. Highlights include implementation of several focal plane and low-order wavefront sensing algorithms, development of a new predictive control algorithm, and the addition of an IFU module. MagAO-X also serves as the AO system for the Giant Magellan Telescope High Contrast Adaptive Optics Testbed. We will provide an overview of these projects, and report the results of our commissioning and science run in April, 2022. Finally, we will present the status of a comprehensive upgrade to MagAO-X to enable extreme-contrast characterization of exoplanets in reflected light. These upgrades include a new post-AO 1000-actuator deformable mirror inside the coronagraph, latest generation sCMOS detectors for wavefront sensing, optimized PIAACMC coronagraphs, and computing system upgrades. When these Phase II upgrades are complete we plan to conduct a survey of nearby exoplanets in reflected light.
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