Feasibility of exoplanet coronagraphy with the Hubble Space Telescope

Richard G. Lyon; Robert A. Woodruff; Robert Brown; M. Charley Noecker; Edward Cheng

doi:10.1117/12.857518

5 August 2010 Feasibility of exoplanet coronagraphy with the Hubble Space Telescope

Richard G. Lyon, Robert A. Woodruff, Robert Brown, M. Charley Noecker, Edward Cheng

Proceedings Volume 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 773111 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857518
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Herein we report on a preliminary study to assess the use of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for the direct detection and spectroscopic characterization of exoplanets and debris disks - an application for which HST was not originally designed. Coronagraphic advances may enable the design of a science instrument that could achieve limiting contrasts ~10⁹ beyond 275 milli-arcseconds (4 λ/D at 800 nm) inner working angle, thereby enabling detection and characterization of several known jovian planets and imaging of debris disks. Advantages of using HST are that it already exists in orbit, it's primary mirror is thermally stable and it is the most characterized space telescope yet flown. However there is drift of the HST telescope, likely due to thermal effects crossing the terminator. The drift, however, is well characterized and consists of a larger deterministic components and a smaller stochastic component. It is the effect of this drift versus the sensing and control bandwidth of the instrument that would likely limit HST coronagraphic performance. Herein we discuss the science case, quantify the limiting factors and assess the feasibility of using HST for exoplanet discovery using a hypothetical new instrument.

Citation Download Citation

Richard G. Lyon, Robert A. Woodruff, Robert Brown, M. Charley Noecker, and Edward Cheng "Feasibility of exoplanet coronagraphy with the Hubble Space Telescope", Proc. SPIE 7731, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 773111 (5 August 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857518

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