The DARWIN breadboard cryogenic optical delay line

TNO, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has designed a compact breadboard cryogenic delay line (figure 1) for use in future space interferometry missions. The work is performed under ESA contract 17.747/03 in preparation for the DARWIN mission. The breadboard (BB) delay line is representative of a flight mechanism...

Development of IR single mode optical fibers for DARWIN-nulling interferometry

The DARWIN mission aims to detect weak infra-red emission lines from distant orbiting earth-like planets using nulling interferometry. This requires filtering of wavefront errors using single mode waveguides operating at a wavelength range of 6.5-20 μm. This article describes the optical design of the fibers, the manufacturing protocol, the...

Telluride glass step index fiber for the far infrared

Nulling interferometry is an important technique under development for the DARWIN planet finding mission which enables the detection of the weak infrared emission lines of an orbiting planet. This technique requires the use of single mode optical fibers transmitting light as far as possible in the infrared. Tellurium based glasses transmit...

Te-rich Ge-Te-Se glass for the CO2 infrared detection at 15 μm

Te80-xGe20Sex glasses have been prepared along the GeSe4-GeTe4 axis using the classical method in silica tube under vacuum. A phase separation domain appears for composition around Te40Ge20Se40. Our attention was turned toward the Te-rich compositions corresponding to 1 < x < 5 at.%. These glasses are transparent from 4 to about 20 μm without...

The development of a breadboard Cryogenic Optical Delay Line for DARWIN

TNO has developed a compact BreadBoard (BB) cryogenic Optical Delay Line (ODL) for use in future space interferometry missions such as ESA's Darwin and NASA's TPF-I. The breadboard delay line is representative of a flight mechanism. The optical design is a two-mirror cat's-eye. A linear guiding system based on magnetic bearings provides...

A combined nulling and imaging pupil-plane beam-combiner for DARWIN

The primary goal of DARWIN is to detect earth-like extrasolar planets and to search for biomarkers. This is achieved by means of nulling interferometry, using three free-flying telescopes and a Beam-Combiner (BC) hub. DARWIN will be able to perform astrophysical imaging with high spectral and spatial resolution. Should one of Darwin's telescope...

The DARWIN breadboard optical delay line verification programme

TNO, in co-operation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has designed a compact breadboard cryogenic delay line (figure 1) for use in future space interferometry missions. The breadboard (BB) delay line is representative of a flight mechanism. The delay line has a single stage voice coil actuator for Optical Path Difference (OPD)...

The development of a cryogenic optical delay line for DARWIN

TNO, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has designed a compact breadboard cryogenic delay line for use in future space interferometry missions. The work is performed under ESA contract in preparation for the DARWIN mission. The breadboard (BB) delay line is representative of a future flight mechanism, with all...

The manufacturing, assembly and acceptance testing of the breadboard Cryogenic Optical Delay Line for DARWIN

TNO, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has developed a compact breadboard cryogenic Optical Delay Line for use in future space interferometry missions. The work is performed under ESA contract in preparation for the DARWIN mission. The breadboard delay line is representative of a future flight mechanism, with all...

Nulling at TNO TPD: Status update

TNO TPD has an extensive experience in the realisation of highly stable passive and active opto-mechanical systems. Future missions of ESA like DARWIN [1] rely heavily on these systems such as metrology equipment, delay lines, nulling equipment etc.. The nulling equipment will be used in the Nulling mode of DARWIN in which it will detect Earth...

The design of a breadboard cryogenic optical delay line for DARWIN

TNO TPD, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics, SRON, Dutch Space and CSL, has designed a compact breadboard cryogenic delay line for use in future space interferometry missions. The work is performed under ESA contract in preparation for the DARWIN mission. The breadboard (BB) delay line is representative of a flight mechanism, with all...

Advanced optical delay line demonstrator

TNO TPD, in cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics and Dutch Space, has designed an advanced Optical Delay Line (ODL) for use in future ground based and space interferometry missions. The work is performed under NIVR contract in preparation for GENIE and DARWIN. Using the ESO PRIMA DDL requirements as a baseline, the delay line can be used for...

Magnetic bearing optical delay line

TNO TPD, in close cooperation with Micromega-Dynamics and Dutch Space, has developed an advanced Optical Delay Line (ODL) for use in PRIMA, GENIE and other ground based interferometers. The delay line design is modular and flexible, which makes scaling for other applications a relatively easy task. The developed technology can also be applied in...

TNO TPD contributions to high precision optical metrology, a Darwin metrology breadboard for ESA

A Darwin precursor breadboard, comprising both fine lateral and longitudinal metrology sensors was designed, built and partially tested. The lateral metrology sensor was designed and built by TNO TPD and more than meets the imposed requirements. The longitudinal metrology sensor consists of a dual wavelength interferometer with an integrated...