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Abstract:
Directly imaging extrasolar planets from ground-based telescopes requires advanced wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C) technologies to create and maintain high contrast images. The Extreme Adaptive Optics Instrument for the Magellan Clay 6.5 m telescope (MagAO-X) employs adaptive optics (AO) and coronagraphy to correct for atmospheric turbulence and achieve high contrasts in the visible to near-IR wavelengths. However, non-common path aberrations (NCPAs) unseen by the primary AO system, such as atmospheric dispersion and environmental influence on optical components downstream in the system, remain uncorrected for and degrade the achievable Strehl and contrast values in science images. This thesis presents an additional wavefront correction loop located in the science/coronagraphic arm of MagAO-X to correct for NCPAs and improve MagAO-X system performance. A 97-actuator ALPAO DM has been used in conjunction with low order (LO) WFS&C of up to 41 modes at the focal plane to improve science image Strehl and contrast values on sky at wavelengths as short as H-alpha (656 nm). The methods behind optimizing LOWFS&C configurations and on-sky data from observing at the Las Campanas Observatory are presented. Further applications of LOWFS and focal plane wavefront sensing are discussed, defining the advancements necessary for directly imaging difficult exoplanet targets.
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https://arizona.zoom.us/j/83744882022
Password: AOHCI