Collaborative Research: Developing optimally customized-mode-selective photonic lanterns to enable the characterization of hundreds of exoplanets on solar system.

合作研究：开发最佳定制模式选择光子灯笼，以表征太阳系上数百颗系外行星。

• 批准号: 2308361
• 负责人: Michael Fitzgerald
• 金额: $ 22.61万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2308361&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Developing; optimally; customized

There are currently more than 5,000 confirmed planets orbiting stars other than our Sun. Being able to separate and analyze the colors of light from these planets would provide a wealth of information, including for example allowing for the measurement of composition and abundance of various molecules, to study circulation (weather) patterns, and to indicate the presence of moons. The key to being able to carry out such characterizations is the ability to isolate the extremely faint planetary light from the bright glare of the star the planet orbits around. Unfortunately, of the 5,000+ confirmed exoplanets, only about 1 in 100 have been characterized like this, and none of those are orbiting their host stars within orbits the size of our solar system. This project aims at advancing a key technology known as a “photonic lantern” for the purpose of eliminating contaminating starlight so that an exoplanet (a planet orbiting another star) can be isolated and characterized within the angular resolution limit of the telescope. The investigators will look into unique designs of photonic lanterns to maximize the effect of nulling (starlight suppression) and stability in tandem with other technologies. This project supports training of the next generation of instrument designers by providing unique opportunities for students to work at cutting edge facilities on 8-m class telescopes. The Vortex Fiber Nuller (VFN), recently commissioned within the KPIC instrument on the Keck Telescope, is an example of an instrument incorporating new technology. It utilizes a pupil-plane vortex mask followed by a focal-plane single-mode fiber (SMF) to reject starlight and accept planet light with ~19% transmission at 1 λ/D separation. If the SMF were replaced with a 6-port hybrid mode-selective photonic lantern (PL), the total planet throughput would be increased by ~2x, and its location and brightness constrained. Both are impossible with the current SMF VFN approach. In addition, the PL enables focal-plane wavefront sensing (WFS), eliminates non-common path and chromatic errors, thus deepening and stabilizing the null. Utilizing a PL for nulling extends the reach of VFN to allow hundreds of giant exoplanets to be directly characterized, providing a robust sample in the study of planet formation. We propose to develop novel hybrid and mode-selective PLs for optimal on-board WFS and nulling with 8-10 m telescopes.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

目前，除我们的太阳以外，目前还有5,000多个绕行星星的旋转恒星。能够分离和分析这些行星的光的颜色将提供大量信息，包括允许测量各种分子的组成和抽象来研究循环（天气）模式，并指出月亮的存在。能够执行此类角色的关键是能够将极度微弱的行星光与行星轨道恒星的明亮眩光隔离开来。不幸的是，在5,000多个已确认的系外行星中，只有大约100分之一的特征是这样的，而且这些都没有在我们的太阳系大小的轨道内绕其寄主恒星绕。该项目旨在推进称为“光子灯笼”的关键技术，目的是消除污染的星光，以便可以在望远镜的角度分辨率限制内隔离和表征系外行星（行星绕着另一颗恒星）。研究人员将研究光子灯笼的独特设计，以最大程度地发挥效果（星光抑制）和稳定性与其他技术同时。该项目通过为学生提供独特的机会在8-M级望远镜上的最前沿设施工作，以支持对下一代仪器设计师的培训。最近在凯克望远镜上的KPIC仪器中委托的Vortex Fiber Nuller（VFN）是实施新技术的仪器的一个例子。它利用瞳孔平面涡流蒙版，然后是焦平平面单模纤维（SMF）拒绝星光，并接受〜19％传输的行星光，在1λ/d分离时进行〜19％。如果将SMF替换为6端口杂交模式选择性光子灯笼（PL），则总行星吞吐量将增加约2倍，其位置和亮度受到约束。当前的SMF VFN方法都是不可能的。此外，PL可以使局灶性平面波前灵敏度（WFS）消除了非官方路径和色差误差，从而加深和稳定了零。利用PL进行空白，可以扩展VFN的覆盖范围，以使数百个巨型系外行星直接表征，从而在行星形成研究中提供了强大的样本。我们建议开发新型的混合和模式选择性PLS，以实现最佳的机载WF，并以8-10 m的望远镜无效。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响标准来评估NSF的法定任务。