A new adaptive secondary mirror for astronomy on the University of Hawaii 2.2-meter Telescope

We are developing a new adaptive secondary mirror (ASM) for the University of Hawaii 2.2-meter telescope based on a novel and very efficient hybrid variable reluctance actuator developed by TNO. The actuator technology has broad implications on the ASM design and results in an ASM with a thicker facesheet, lower power dissipation, and simple...

Developing adaptive secondary mirror concepts for the APF and W.M. Keck Observatory based on HVR technology

An Adaptive secondary mirror (ASM) allows for the integration of adaptive optics (AO) into the telescope itself. Adaptive secondary mirrors, based on hybrid variable reluctance (HVR) actuator technology, developed by TNO, provide a promising path to telescope-integrated AO. HVR actuators have the advantage of allowing mirrors that are sti↵er,...

Implications for contrast as a result of the wind vector and non-stationary turbulence

In an adaptive optics (AO) system, finite time delays contribute a relatively large amount to the overall wavefront error. The temporal error, due to the time delays, adds to the speckle halo which is visible in the science plane of a high contrast imaging (HCI) instrument. The halo limits the inner working angle, preventing HCI from probing...

Optimization of contrast in adaptive optics for exoplanet imaging

Direct imaging of exoplanets requires overcoming the enormous contrast between the exoplanet and its host star, to distinguish the reflected light from the exoplanet, from the diffracted light of the star. Direct optimization of contrast, using nonlinear optimization techniques of the Adaptive Optics (AO) system coupled with coronagraphy, shows...